Do you Love what you do?
I don’t know if it’s because of the cold weather or a sign of the times, but it’s just not been very busy at the bank lately. When I don’t have customers, I’m busy coming up with ideas for promoting accounts, managing tellers, and basically doing busy work. While I don’t mind doing busy work, it is not always the most exciting part of the job and my mind ends up wandering. I think of all the things at home I have to get done. I sit and worry/ plan where our money is going, think of all the debt we have and try to figure out how I can pay it off as soon as possible.
Then I start to doubt whether or not I love what I do. Of course, it’s a paycheck and I have great benefits. And for that I am definitely grateful. It’s just that I am not 100% sure that this is what I’m supposed to be doing. I’ve thought about going back to school for nursing or nutrition. That would mean taking out more loans, and we plan on having a baby soonish, so why bother? I feel like such a loser sometimes because I’ve got this good job with good benefits and I’m just not as happy as I should be.
I would love to do something that makes a difference. I’d like to work on getting the word out about green living. I’d love to show people how to change their lives with nutrition. I’d love to stay at home and tend to the house, garden, knit, and do all those housewively duties that women did in the 50s. These feelings make me feel like I’m lazy, but it’s the truth. I would rather be doing something else.
I know that it always seems like the grass is greener on the other side and that these feelings will pass. Hopefully one day I will be totally content in what I do for a living!
Do you love what you do?
I think it’s a pretty common feeling, I love my paycheck but I can’t say I love what I do. On my way in this morning I was dreaming of opening a little cafe, it would probably mean more work and less money and yet it holds some allure to me. For me I know it’s probably a case of the grass is greener. Sign.
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I’m in the same situation. I have a middle class paycheck, great benefits, and a very stable job. I just got a promotion and a decent pay raise. It’s not exactly what I want to do, but I feel like this is not the time to explore other options. I read a couple of blogs with posts insisting that you should never work in a career path you don’t enjoy and should begin planning to do something else asap. That sounds nice, but reality is we all have bills to pay, and some of us don’t have the luxury of chasing a dream until we’re in a better place financially. I figure stability is much more important than a dream job right now.
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I rarely speak to anyone of our generation who is truly happy with what they are doing. I’m convinced its because we have too much choice regarding what we can do. It kinda makes us feel that we could always be doing something better.
In days gone by people left school, got married, got a job for life then died. there wasn’t much choice available so people just did what they could to get by.
we’re all just spoiled these days, thats the problem! :o)
and no, i’m not happy with what i’m doing..haha
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Yes, I love what I do. Not only that, but I am lucky to work for two men who have encouraged me to further my education and are willing to allow me to tackle bigger things as I am able to do so.
I’ve also had jobs that I didn’t love. Life is short, you have to follow your interests, your dreams, your heart, etc.
Sure, you still have to pay the mortgage. But that doesn’t mean you have to settle for something which does not appeal to you. If banking is not where your interests lie, then make a plan. How will you get to where you want to be? Outline the steps and think about what needs to happen for you to take those steps. It’s OK if it is a long-range plan, but definately start planning. You deserve to be able to say “Yes! I love what I do.”
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What do you mean “not as happy as you should be”? Why “should” you be happy with a job that isn’t fulfilling? Of course, it’s important to keep a good attitude, but you can recognize it as a stepping stone on the path to what you really want to do. It’s not about settling vs. finding your “dream job”, it’s about deciding what you want to do with your life and taking steps to make that happen. The more aggressively you can pay down your debt, the less you’ll be tied to that particular job. But I would definitely think long and hard before taking out loans to go back to school, especially if you’re not 100% you want to be a nurse or nutritionist. You could, however, probably take a nutrition class at a local community college for not very much money, and then get a better sense of whether or not that’s really something you want to go into. You can take baby steps toward pursuing your goals – it doesn’t have to be all or nothing…
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Miss M- I think it’s funny bc I originally went to school for engineering and then changed my mind. I’ve always wondered what my life would be like now had I actually pursued it. I do like your dream of opening a cafe! I’d love to do that in a small tourist town in Colorado. It’s fun to dream!
Fit Wallet- I wholeheartedly agree that stability is the most important now. It does make me feel better to know I am not alone in not being satisfied though!
ric@payday- That is a great point! I never thought of that. I am glad we do have options, but sometimes it’s overwhelming and you feel like you should be doing something else. Thanks for the comment!
momthing1- I really need to sit down and come up with a life plan. Of course, I feel like I’ve got it figured out but things just need to fall into place. I’m hoping the next year will bring a lot more clarity.
Deirdre- That is a great idea, taking a class to see if that’s what I really want to do. I definitely don’t want to get into more debt to go back to school, especially if I don’t finish it. I guess I’m an all or nothing person and it wouldn’t hurt to change that!
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I am a nurse and I enjoy what I do. My true passion is making things – woodworking, needlework, painting, etc but I like to be comfortable and nursing pays well where I live, luckily I feel fulfilled by it.
One of the great things about nursing is the flexibility. There is per diem work, part time, and full time hours; day, evening, night, weekend, and variable hours; bedside nursing, clinic, teaching, office, rescue helicopter, and school locations for jobs. When I tired of helping women deliver babies I went to the ICU. When I tired of that I went somewhere else (and all within the same hospital so I keep my seniority benefits and longevity pay). I think one of the things that keeps me content is knowing I can change or advance when I am ready and I won’t ever have to go back to school. The flexibility to work 12-hour shifts and have 4 days off a week or to work less than full time means I have time in my life to do what I love.
There is a down side. Nursing doesn’t pay well everywhere, some places are hell to work, it is physically demanding and emotionally draining at times, and I often see things that are pretty darn gross. I didn’t have a strong stomach when I started but I do now.
That said, the positives by far outweigh the negatives for me and I’m glad I had the strong practical streak that drove me to choose a stable and rewarding career. I would encourage you to check it out to see if it is for you.
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K-money- that is awesome you are a nurse! Thanks for the valuable input. I think that if I was a nurse, being able to switch from L&D to ER, or wherever else I wanted to would be great. I like change, but only when I know it’s coming. Weird, isn’t it? I’m glad it worked out for you!
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