For two years now I have been working hard to publish my poetry, find teaching positions, and become a local advocate for poetry through readings and starting my own literary journal. At some point with any work, no matter how much you love it, it becomes just that…work. I sit here pondering the reason for this. My teaching jobs are varied, and change rapidly from semester to semester. This helps keep me from feeling bogged down in any routine. Writing is still a delight. Hosting open mics is wonderful, as long as you have a group willing to take the time to come to the event, and OVS Magazine’s ever-changing content keeps me from frustration with the more mundane tasks of data entry.
All of this is to say that the evolution of any environment is the trick to keeping the love in my work. I have worked as a LNA in a nursing home, as a Medical Assistant in a private family practice, and behind a desk as a Marketing and Sales Director, but each of those lost their luster after a time. They say that the average person will change careers 7-10 times in their life. That is about 1 job ever 4 years. Does this mean we are becoming an ADD culture? There is a great deal of discussion on this point, but I don’t know that I buy that.
Contentment in a career comes when the career matches the individual’s personality. So, should we all go out and get personality tests? I don’t think that is necessary. I feel fortunate to have landed in a place in my life that allows me the freedom to work at the things I love. I hope each of you can find a career that you love too. I firmly believe that success in the work place is born from this sort of attitude, a love of the work you have ahead of you.
The downside to having work that you love, you forget to stop. I am often accused of working all the time. It is true. Even when I am not actively working, I am thinking about ways I can improve, or be creative with the work I am doing. I don’t know that it is such a bad thing.