A Lack of Creativity
I asked an old college friend of mine if she would be showing up for our 25th reunion. She's wrapping up her Ph.D. soon, and there is this professional conference the same weekend, in France, for researchers in her field. She wants a research job, and she thinks it would be a good opportunity to network .
I suggested that Cornell might also be good for that. I'll just share the part that caused me to write again:
Me: Do you have a plan for returning with a job?
Her: No. Not really. I have a tentative plan for returning with a postdoc maybe. The problem with these academic jobs is their seasonality. I have a good lead on a postdoc starting in September though.
This was just painful for me to read. There's a great big world out there. She's in an interesting field, she has multiple degrees, and she's looking at the prospect of . . .
Playing it Safe
I got a great writing cue from my friend Sarah Lou Cooper this morning.
Hey Selfologists,
What are your favourite time wasters?
Why is it a waste of time?
Does it actually give anything to you or serve a hidden purpose?
What do you feel you should be doing? What could you be doing?
Sarah Lou x
I love this question, especially with where I am right now.
My favorite time waster is taking care of my wife and taking on projects in our household. Yesterday, for instance, I took the alarm system out of her car. It was malfunctioning, and the car wouldn't always start, and she had gotten stuck with it and didn't trust it anymore.
It's a waste of time because my time should and would be worth more than this, that is if I put myself to my best and highest use. We wouldn't have a malfunctioning alarm system in a fourteen year old car, because we wouldn't be driving a car that old. So it's a waste of time because I use the notion that “I am taking care of her” to justify not taking responsibility for living into a bigger future.
What I should be doing is making the world a better place by reforming systems of education, governments, and bureaucracies, teaching and training populations to think and inspiring them to bold action.
That seems a bit scary to take on though; so I've been playing it safe, but that's been killing me; so I guess I've really got no alternative.
I don't like my Job
“I am currently a lawyer and do not like it . . . did you struggle with that?”
This question, raised in a facebook group I follow, is the wrong one to be asking. A lot of people aren't happy with their jobs. But without looking a bit deeper, the chance of finding a “satisfying” job is probably pretty small. There is always what to like or dislike about a job or profession, and there is always a way to find “satisfaction,” and even a way to turn it into struggle.
So what might give you access to a job you like? Start looking at what you like about your job? If you love the law (you can substitute your profession here), but hate the clients, that might point you in a different direction than loving the people, but hating to be in the middle of their conflicts, or loving the fight, but hating the administration, or just not liking to keep normal office hours.
Everything is About to Change
This is a shout out to those of you on the verge of parenthood:
You'll have about six million nuts come out of the woodwork to tell you how you ought to raise your child. Get their commitment, and then get that many, a whole lot, probably most of them, are just plain wrong.
On the one hand, you can do a great job, especially if you take some time to see things from your child's perspective, and study, and strive to understand. On the other, you can't possibly know it all, and it's a big job you're taking on.
So I invite you to consider taking on a structure to make sure you win.
My Year of Plenty
My theme for this year is success, both financially and in making a profound difference in life and business.
Last week, I asked a number of questions. This week I answered them for myself. How I want to feel at the end of this year is successful, happy, and fulfilled. What will help me achieve this is bringing the possibility of success, happiness and fulfilment to my life. Now, I know this sounds like mental gymnastics, but bear with me a few minutes and I think it will make sense.
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