Caring equals productive

One thing that people don’t often mention when they’re speaking about productivity is that productivity relies a lot upon someone actually caring about the project on which they’re working. It’s quite obvious when you think about it. People will be better at, try harder at and spend more time doing things which they want to do when compared to tasks they don’t want to do. I think that’s very clear and I doubt anyone would argue against that fact. The problem with this whole concept is that in our daily lives many of us have to do things which we don’t particularly find enjoyable or want to do. There are a couple ways of dealing with this problem.

The first way is to find a way to care about your work. Find things you enjoy about it, take pride in your expertise and your effort and claim ownership of the project. Make it your own and as something that is inseparable from you, it will start to matter more and more to you as a person. This is essentially what I’ve done when dealing with IT. When I did IT in the military, I didn’t particularly find the environment or the job itself very appealing, but I found ways to care about my work. I cared about my reputation and about how people viewed my projects. I cared about the protection, maintenance and development of my assets. I made everything my own and I cared what happened with it. I worked to make myself indispensable and respected and although I didn’t see my ultimate future in IT or the military, there were things about it that I did enjoy. I think I was more productive than most people an I don’t know many people who cared about their work more than I did. This approach can earn you trust, friendship and respect even if you aren’t keen on staying in the field.

The second way to deal with the problem is to stop doing work which doesn’t excite you. This is easier said than done, as most people these days tend to specialize in one field and it is often difficult to find employment in a new field without further education or experience. In 2007, I decided to get out of the military. I wanted to pursue freelance writing. I didn’t have a degree and I wasn’t going to work for anyone. I moved with my wife to rural Scotland and I ended up having to do some IT work to get by. While I have done a few paid writing jobs and I am working on some projects on my own, this didn’t end up being what I had hoped it would be. I don’t really consider myself a failure in this respect. At least I can say I tried. I took a risk and lived a life and challenged myself. Some of it was bad timing, some of it was inexperience and a lack of understanding about how to proceed. I still want to be a writer, and I intend to pursue that goal for the rest of my life, unless something inside of me changes. My methods of attaining this goal may change occasionally, but in my head the end is still the same.

So what I’m saying by this in my own simple way is that you shouldn’t live a half life just getting by, doing what is required but nothing more. You should live to produce and create, whatever method you choose. Whether you choose to learn to care about what you already do or choose to pursue something you already care about and learn what you need to know, do either one with all of your available energy. Either path will bring you good things.

The Tao of Unemployment

It’s no secret that I’m looking for employment at the moment, and I’d be lying if I said that the process hasn’t gotten to me occasionally. It can be extremely difficult to deal with the constant rejection and indifference from potential employers. For months I’ve been looking for and applying to jobs via every conceivable method available to me. The thing is that for all of the hundreds of jobs I’ve tried to get, the times when I’ve been closest to employment have been the times when I’ve done the least amount of work and not tried to fight the situation.

What I mean by this is that on these occasions, I let my personal and/or professional network work for me. A friend, family member or colleague would recommend me to someone, citing my particular skill set and experience and all I’d have to do is answer a few questions. I can’t say whether or not these situations have been successful or not only because they are still ongoing, but I have hope that at least one of these opportunities will work out and that I’ll find a position which fits me.

I find that when I don’t try to force things, I am more relaxed and therefore perform better when faced with a legitimate employment opportunity. This being said, obviously trying to get a job is something which requires a certain amount of effort. The important thing to remember is that when doing this, the best and most productive way is to spread the news about your job search is through your existing network. Even if you end up only hearing about an opportunity through a friend of a friend of a friend, you may still end up with information about a position to which the general public is not privy. This can often bring up strange opportunities which may not have occurred to you otherwise, but you shouldn’t dismiss them.

It is really worth considering unemployment itself as an opportunity rather than a curse. It can give you a chance to think about your priorities and consider different directions to pursue in your career, to build a network of contacts or to work on improving skills and knowledge. It has given me the chance to consider my long term goals, assess my career path and think about where I want to end up, both professionally and geographically. It may not be the most stable point of your life but it can be just what you need at just the right time in order to rejuvenate your life and prevent career stagnation. So, to recap -

Don’t fight your situation
Let your skills, experience, and network work for you
Don’t force things or dismiss unique opportunities
See unemployment as an opportunity for growth

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