A rchive Date
[ 11-09-2000 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Mass Media ]
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[My Job, My Relationship
Jobs are like people. Our relationship to the work we do, like our relationships with people, greatly affect the way we feel about our life. Some people love their jobs, others dread them. If a job makes you miserable, why keep it? But what if you love your job so much, and fear that it might be taken away from you?
Many employees worry about fully committing themselves and risking it all for just one job. Others prefer to hold back their talents and play it safe because they might get hurt. Quashing your abilities for fear of being let-down limits the rewards you might otherwise earn if you fully give yourself over to your work. Weighing if your job is really worth it is the big question many people face. Is your worth the anxiety, the commuting time, the money, the time away from your family?
If you are in a new job you might doubt yourself and your job's ability to deliver the fulfilment you desire. In the courting phase of a new career you might even experience feelings not unlike the anxiety couples face when they are first getting to know each other and deciding if they might share their future together. Does the company really value me? Can I see myself here five or ten years from now? These are common questions that everyone asks themselves at the beginning of a new job.
After spending more time at the same place, you might wonder if you can bear hanging in there any longer. Just like bored, frustrated old couples seeking divorce, many employees run for the door when they fall out of love with their jobs. Why give your work your all if you know that it won't be appreciated, if your job faces redundancy or your organization is ready to close? Can you as an individual employee save a sinking ship? Do you even care?
The number one reason to stay or fully commit yourself to your work is that you really care about it. Your relationship to your work is very important as it impacts your mental health much the same way as your primary relationships with your family and friends contribute to your emotional state.
As you plan your future career moves, think about how your job is like any other personal relationship.
Does your job:
- Keep you up at night and drive you mad?
- Feel like belonging to a family?
- Make you worry about how long it will be this good?
- Drive you to look for better fish in the sea?
More Linda Plater columns
This article first appeared on September 11, 2000. ]
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