Recently I listened to a design talk, one of the speaker begins her presentation with a slide titled, “Remember why you are here”. And following that title, there is a sentence, “I started this field because I’m passionate about [blanks]”
This brought my memory back to a book I read in the past, a self help book on to find joy about your work.
I’m sure working can be exciting to us yet horrifying to some of us. It’s either we have bad times at work (which I don’t need to name one by one) or simply we feel like a square in a round hole, a.k.a, we feel don’t fit with what we do.
Every time we’re starting something, we are getting very excited and looking forward to experience it. But as the time goes, when the honeymoon period is over, or after we face few high walls (the wall after is somehow taller than the one we just faced). We are drained, our energy are sucked up. This is suck, it’s not working for me any more, I need a new one, I quit!
Whoa! PAUSE!
Everyone of us arrive in the place wherever you are now, because we chose it to be there. We are living in the modern world where we have all the choices, unlike the people before us. (I like the way the speaker summarizes this). The generation before us, maybe, they don’t have choices. They just work to provide their family.
Anyway, there must be some reasons what encouraged us to be at the place we are at. But when you asked yourself, we vaguely can remember those reasons. All the things that creates some sparks inside.
So, where all those that drive us gone?
- Often, we let what happen around us drive us. We allow it, whatever it is, to pollute our inner voice.
- Or we don’t confident enough to be ourselves, because people around us are playing politics, so we also need to play it too. Or people around me are serious and if I’m being cheerful it means I’m not serious enough.
The bright side is, never to late for anything, the old saying is true. I believe that. So, even you’re not new any more in your work place or maybe you’re new on something. Grab a pen, find a note, and start scribbling.
- Write down as many items as you can, why you are here? It can be why you’re doing the job you’re doing, or why you are living in the country you are right now if you’re living in foreign country, or even why you’re taking a Japanese class.
- Stick that into your wall, or maybe keep them in your phone/wallet/cubicle. See those again when you don’t feel that you lose yourself. It will help you to keep in line with where you want to go or want to be.
So, don’t waste more time. Start doing it, if you can’t do it now, put a reminder! 🙂
