Let’s talk about the lack of enthusiasm in the workforce, about stagnation and how we can be more productive. I want to hear your opinion!

During college, when I was 20 years old, I worked at a call center for a telecommunications company. I met smart people, educated people, grownups, who graduated from college and yet their career stagnated at a call center job, that you can do without having some studies, where in truth you can learn something, but up to a point. The fact is that all of them told me that they weren’t happy with their job. Once you reach domain expertise and you apply techniques used also in daily life, you realize that you begin to stagnate, that you indulge in a situation that is not exactly as expected.

For example, S. was a smart woman, at 30 years old, who finished a college education and a Masters in Economics. I asked her what she thought about the environment, and the activity; her response was that she had no time to feel anything, she simply came to work and did her job. And when I asked her how it felt after a day’s work, if she had the satisfaction that she had met the requirements, the answer was “tired”.

 

 

Most do not have enough courage to aspire to more, others have tried and failed at least once and others do not want more. The latter are the happiest, that is what they want, and so I do not judge them in any way. In fact, they might gain more than me, they can gain complacency. In contrast, the others, unless they make a change now, later they will regret it, and time will rust their untrained or undiscovered skills, their spirit will become flabby and self-esteem will be reduced to disdain. Moreover, the fact that they are dissatisfied with their current job makes the work itself to be held without interest, hence the Romanian popular phrase: “Time passes, the salary goes forward”.

 

 

I believe that every man should work in a field appropriate for him/her, where he/she must show interest in what they’re doing, aspire to more, overcome objectives and achieve performance. After I experienced firsthand what it’s like to take your life in your own hands and go every day to the place where you sell your skills, I realized that the most important factor is to love what you do and to always want to learn more. When you love what you do, you become tired harder and you are more productive. At least that’s what happened to me: I became a workaholic.

 

That wasn’t the only job that I had. I worked as a PR Assistant at a web design agency, then as an Account Manager for the sole distributor of cosmetics from Romania. Then I decided to work for myself. For a long time, I thought about the possibility of becoming a freelancer, but I made the final decision after I realized that while working for me, I could learn more and, at the same time, earn more money. I was into graphic design so I gave it a try.

 

 

At first, it was a little harder, now it’s already normal, but with the passing of time, I became dependent on being a freelancer. I recommend it only to those who are willing to sacrifice time and many pleasures. At first, the money will be few if none, and for those who search for stability in life, a job, indeed, may be much safer.

 

What is the cause for people not loving their jobs? We can find numerous superficial whys, but which is the hidden one? Is it the environment to blame? I consider that we are the ones to blame, we are guilty in front of ourselves.

If we do not like a job, we go only for wages, we are not proud of what we do and we drop off the hooks, all this without any satisfaction, apart from the financial one, then we must change the way that we are.  Indeed, it is easier for young people that are just getting started. But there are many people, past the age of youth, that by making such a change, they found success.

 

 I’m not saying to juggle, to change jobs frequently, but say it is necessary for us to find that kind of work that we are passionate about, in which we can excel and give our best, having the satisfaction of the final result. It’s actually a fight that one should start with himself, a battle that many of us are afraid to start because of a failure. In such a case, do not give up, you will surely find your way.

 

Thus, even if we have no power to change a whole world, by self-example and by trusting that others will change themselves, we can, at least, improve our conception of us, in close relationship with self-esteem.

What’s your opinion on this subject? Do you like your present job? Brings you satisfaction?