Day by Day
It is my favorite time of the year at College. This is when the dust settles in our jobs and classes. Opening has passed. Homecoming has passed. The first month has passed when folks are figuring out their transition issues. Student teams have started to figure out how they work with each other. You have an idea what you need to do in your classes. The major conferences are over. There's not too much planning occuring for the future, or second semester. And Thanksgiving is still weeks away.
Yet life is not on pause. There's still the day to day work that we need to accomplish as students or professionals. You may have an exceptional problem here or there, but with everything else reaching a plateau, there's no need to feel overwhelmed. For the longest time I used to think of this period of time as a time out, when I could get the rest of my life in order. I could concentrate on those hobbies left behind, or work on writing for my career, or head off to see friends I haven't visited in a while. And yet, I realized that it's a lot easier to ensure that those other things are being done, WHILE my job is going on.
Let's face it: the job is always there.
For the fifth and final part of the Priority Web/Wheel we have the one thing that is more of a constant than any of the other priorities: The Job.
We all have different health cycles; there exist different relationships with our friends and family; our hobbies are controlled by the time and energey we spend on them; and our career is a dream waiting to be actualized. But, we're always working (for students that means we're always going to school). The job is by far the trickiest to dissect yet just as vital as the other four priorities since it creates money for stability which then filters into the other areas. It can be a stepping stone on our career path, or provide a social oppurtunity for new friends. It probably commands our attention the most (do we structure our jobs around our life, or vice versa?). That's where the great paradox comes in for us: it feels as if it is MOST important to us, yet there are times where we feel a disconnect to it, relief when it's Friday, dread when it's Monday.
Truth is, it's just a job.
I often think of the movie Mr. Holland's Opus when it comes to this topic. Mr. Holland started teaching in high school because he was going to use it as a stepping stone to become a composer. As the movie goes, he achieves his dream at the end (sort of) after spending over 30 years teaching. The movie is meant to inspire those to see that changing and inspiring lives is just as important as achieving your dreams. Decent movie. Ok message. But what if he quit? What if he tried another avenue to achieve his dream? Does it make him less of a person because he wouldn't have inspired those people? Or more of an inspiration because he took the risk to break out of his comfort zone to achieve his dream?
It's tough to say.
I think the true message about jobs that we need to consider and realize is: why do we have our job in addition to knowing that it supports us fiscally?
My friend John Purdie once said to me that job searching in student affairs is like dating. Metaphorically this has proven sound to me. A job interview is like a date. You're presenting the best you are for a quality first impression in hopes that it leads to a more detailed second and third date so the department hires you, engaging yourself in a long term relationship. You socialize, you ask questions. Professionals in student affairs often talk about 'fit' when asking where's the best place to work. What department fits with your values, passions, ambitions, etc.
Just like dating, we really don't understand what it's like until we're actually working in our new job. Then we see the cracks. We're exposed to random bouts of discontinuity. We wonder what went wrong at times. We're delighted at those moments of professional zen when something goes right. But just like a relationship, it's day by day. And it can grind on you. It can wear down on you. If it's a bad relationship, you debate about ending it. You're faced with: am I going to be in a better place? You're worried about losing those job things that come with every job: money, day to day purposes, good references for another future job.
I talked earlier how in other areas of the priority wheel if one area is lacking then the rest is pulled down. We've cultivated the job to the same status as a relationship with those other priorities. There's a social stigma if we're jobless. Parents are curious to know just as much as where you're gonna work when you graduate as when are you going to settle down. Moreover, it's a double edged sword: if our job sucks it pulls the rest of our priorites down. If we quit it, how do we fuels the other priorities?
"Try not to bend the spoon, that's impossible; realize that there is no spoon."
Yep, it's from the Matrix and it's a little out there but that's how you need to view your job priority. At all positions of a job there are things you can control, there are things that control you, and there are the fires you need to put out. You can control how you do your day to day responsibilities, your atitude about your job, how you interact with those you work with, etc. Your bosses, budgets, policies, expectations, and general work environment controls you.
And then there are fires. Fires are those incidents when no one can control what just happened. It happened. And it's usually big and it usually ripples through everything you do. They suck, usually requiring extra work. There's always that freak out period about what we could have done to stop it, then, at times, freak out about preventing it in the future.
Knowing that you really can only control 1/3 of your job, you should realize that you can control all of how you view your job. That goes back to my earlier question...why is your job there? Once you've answered that question here's some additional things to help you out:
-Create an environment, as much as you can, that's comfortable for you without making you complacent. As you progress on your job, processes become easier. Make them more efficient if you can. If you can't, then realize you can't and move on to the next thing. Don't waste time beating your head against the wall. All new employees always want to do that. They want to create a system or policy that was comfortable to them elsewhere. Then they get frustrated when they can't change it.
-Be ready to let go. You should always give it a shot. And be a hard worker. But if it turns into a 'bad lover" or you're getting complacent, then start to let go. I have a friend who's job searched a total of 4 times in the last 6 years. Does that mean he's a quitter? No. He took risks quitting safe/secure jobs due to his happiness. I have another friend who has worked at the same place (different positions) all his life. He's feeling good because he's challenged himself every year with something new.
-Spend time doing other things. Do not make your job your sole focus of your life. Make time to do your hobbies or hang out with people. The more dynamic you make your life the less your job takes up your cranial capacity with worries and frustration. Especially your career. Give as much attention to your career as you would your job.
-Finally realize that shit happens. Something bad is going to occur on our jobs that we cannot control. We can't worry about it, and we can't always prevent it. You can always try to be proactive, but doing that is a matter of strategic common sense planning vs. overreacting when something bad has happened.
In a future posting I will discuss all five of the areas now that they are present. For now, make the most of your job. Realize that you can move on when you need to. And create a vision for yourself of how it fits into everything you do.
pb
PS Big shout out to all the folks I met at GLACURH this past weekend in Eau Claire. I got a chance to hang out with the UW Lax delegation and the WURHA president. All classy people and I wish them the best.
Yet life is not on pause. There's still the day to day work that we need to accomplish as students or professionals. You may have an exceptional problem here or there, but with everything else reaching a plateau, there's no need to feel overwhelmed. For the longest time I used to think of this period of time as a time out, when I could get the rest of my life in order. I could concentrate on those hobbies left behind, or work on writing for my career, or head off to see friends I haven't visited in a while. And yet, I realized that it's a lot easier to ensure that those other things are being done, WHILE my job is going on.
Let's face it: the job is always there.
For the fifth and final part of the Priority Web/Wheel we have the one thing that is more of a constant than any of the other priorities: The Job.
We all have different health cycles; there exist different relationships with our friends and family; our hobbies are controlled by the time and energey we spend on them; and our career is a dream waiting to be actualized. But, we're always working (for students that means we're always going to school). The job is by far the trickiest to dissect yet just as vital as the other four priorities since it creates money for stability which then filters into the other areas. It can be a stepping stone on our career path, or provide a social oppurtunity for new friends. It probably commands our attention the most (do we structure our jobs around our life, or vice versa?). That's where the great paradox comes in for us: it feels as if it is MOST important to us, yet there are times where we feel a disconnect to it, relief when it's Friday, dread when it's Monday.
Truth is, it's just a job.
I often think of the movie Mr. Holland's Opus when it comes to this topic. Mr. Holland started teaching in high school because he was going to use it as a stepping stone to become a composer. As the movie goes, he achieves his dream at the end (sort of) after spending over 30 years teaching. The movie is meant to inspire those to see that changing and inspiring lives is just as important as achieving your dreams. Decent movie. Ok message. But what if he quit? What if he tried another avenue to achieve his dream? Does it make him less of a person because he wouldn't have inspired those people? Or more of an inspiration because he took the risk to break out of his comfort zone to achieve his dream?
It's tough to say.
I think the true message about jobs that we need to consider and realize is: why do we have our job in addition to knowing that it supports us fiscally?
My friend John Purdie once said to me that job searching in student affairs is like dating. Metaphorically this has proven sound to me. A job interview is like a date. You're presenting the best you are for a quality first impression in hopes that it leads to a more detailed second and third date so the department hires you, engaging yourself in a long term relationship. You socialize, you ask questions. Professionals in student affairs often talk about 'fit' when asking where's the best place to work. What department fits with your values, passions, ambitions, etc.
Just like dating, we really don't understand what it's like until we're actually working in our new job. Then we see the cracks. We're exposed to random bouts of discontinuity. We wonder what went wrong at times. We're delighted at those moments of professional zen when something goes right. But just like a relationship, it's day by day. And it can grind on you. It can wear down on you. If it's a bad relationship, you debate about ending it. You're faced with: am I going to be in a better place? You're worried about losing those job things that come with every job: money, day to day purposes, good references for another future job.
I talked earlier how in other areas of the priority wheel if one area is lacking then the rest is pulled down. We've cultivated the job to the same status as a relationship with those other priorities. There's a social stigma if we're jobless. Parents are curious to know just as much as where you're gonna work when you graduate as when are you going to settle down. Moreover, it's a double edged sword: if our job sucks it pulls the rest of our priorites down. If we quit it, how do we fuels the other priorities?
"Try not to bend the spoon, that's impossible; realize that there is no spoon."
Yep, it's from the Matrix and it's a little out there but that's how you need to view your job priority. At all positions of a job there are things you can control, there are things that control you, and there are the fires you need to put out. You can control how you do your day to day responsibilities, your atitude about your job, how you interact with those you work with, etc. Your bosses, budgets, policies, expectations, and general work environment controls you.
And then there are fires. Fires are those incidents when no one can control what just happened. It happened. And it's usually big and it usually ripples through everything you do. They suck, usually requiring extra work. There's always that freak out period about what we could have done to stop it, then, at times, freak out about preventing it in the future.
Knowing that you really can only control 1/3 of your job, you should realize that you can control all of how you view your job. That goes back to my earlier question...why is your job there? Once you've answered that question here's some additional things to help you out:
-Create an environment, as much as you can, that's comfortable for you without making you complacent. As you progress on your job, processes become easier. Make them more efficient if you can. If you can't, then realize you can't and move on to the next thing. Don't waste time beating your head against the wall. All new employees always want to do that. They want to create a system or policy that was comfortable to them elsewhere. Then they get frustrated when they can't change it.
-Be ready to let go. You should always give it a shot. And be a hard worker. But if it turns into a 'bad lover" or you're getting complacent, then start to let go. I have a friend who's job searched a total of 4 times in the last 6 years. Does that mean he's a quitter? No. He took risks quitting safe/secure jobs due to his happiness. I have another friend who has worked at the same place (different positions) all his life. He's feeling good because he's challenged himself every year with something new.
-Spend time doing other things. Do not make your job your sole focus of your life. Make time to do your hobbies or hang out with people. The more dynamic you make your life the less your job takes up your cranial capacity with worries and frustration. Especially your career. Give as much attention to your career as you would your job.
-Finally realize that shit happens. Something bad is going to occur on our jobs that we cannot control. We can't worry about it, and we can't always prevent it. You can always try to be proactive, but doing that is a matter of strategic common sense planning vs. overreacting when something bad has happened.
In a future posting I will discuss all five of the areas now that they are present. For now, make the most of your job. Realize that you can move on when you need to. And create a vision for yourself of how it fits into everything you do.
pb
PS Big shout out to all the folks I met at GLACURH this past weekend in Eau Claire. I got a chance to hang out with the UW Lax delegation and the WURHA president. All classy people and I wish them the best.
posted by Peter Brooks at 8:49 PM
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