My thoughts on work
I have never been comfortable in a 9–5 job. It’s been 3 years so far, and I have tried 3 different work environments, from startups to corporate. None of them gave me exactly what I wanted. This makes me think sometimes that maybe I am not meant for a 9–5 job.
Most people think of their jobs as just a way to earn money so that they can live the life that they want. Or in some cases, they look at it as a status symbol, in which case they work towards moving higher up the hierarchy. Then there’s the third kind, who actually like the work they do and do it cause the work in itself provides a meaning to their lives.
It’s still early to conclude, but I think I fall into the third kind. Money, work hours, or a higher title have never been much of an issue for me. But what puts me off a job more than anything else is if I am not enjoying doing it. I don’t have anything against people who think differently. In fact, I envy my friends who treat their jobs as just a small part of their lives, just a small chore that they have to get done with every weekday so that they can move on and enjoy the remaining 66% of their lives.
This is also the reason why I seldom say no to good work, even if it means working 70–80 hour weeks. If it’s interesting work, I am always up for it. But this also means that I will often find myself overworked, burned out. It will always reach a breaking point when I would be convinced that this is not the life for me, and I need to stop working so much. But when I do have no work, I realize again how much I miss it.
As I said before, I have only been working for about 3 years, so it’s too early to say anything. All I hope is that whatever is best for me, I figure it out sooner rather than later.