Why must Work be exciting all the time?

Well, that depends on what I’m trying to get out of my work.

If I’m trying to build a sense of ultimate identity, significance and self worth from it, then ok, may be only a sufficiently stimulating and exciting kind of work is meaningful enough to keep me at it.

But what if I see a different purpose in it? May be some look at it as a way of serving others and contributing to the society. If so, why does it have to be overly exhilarating all the time? It doesn’t. I think for most of history people have been working not primarily for the sake of entertaining or feeling good about themselves, but because that’s just how the world goes. You work to feed yourself and your family, to earn and to give.

Why must You be kept excited all the time?

Does the excitement ever satisfy you anyway? No, I don’t think so, that’s why you keep hopping from one to another, isn’t it?

What I find harder to understand is not how one can keep doing the same things, but rather how one doesn’t get tired of changing from one to another when each move reaffirms the earlier move did not satisfy, or the earlier one before that. Especially if you’ve done so for awhile, don’t you recognize the pattern yet? How much longer are you going to spend finding your unicorn? It’s like trying to find the ‘right’ spouse. Such person doesn’t exist in relationships as much as such thing doesn’t exist in a vocation.

Now, I’m not saying don’t change job ever (like one of my colleagues who a few years ago celebrated his 50th year or something in the company – and mind you, in the same position for goodness sake – I don’t understand that either). I mean unlike parenthood, people usually have options with work, so if you don’t like it for one reason or another, you can look around if you want. Also, I am not for complacency, I do think I should do my job well and look to develop in time. Or, let say if you have an ambition to reach some heights at some point and strategize your way to that, I mean you have options, so go on. By all means, go nuts.

But if you think that’s going to satisfy, I think that’s an illusion. Just look at people who are so-called already there. I don’t recall hearing any of them saying follow their examples (they usually say so only when they’re still climbing and aren’t really at the top yet), but I do often hear them saying they regret how they sacrificed their family time in pursuit of what they thought was worth it only to find out they’ve been shortchanged.

More than just ‘Boring’

I said earlier some people look to work to get an identity (which I believe is a mistake because it cannot deliver no matter). Some others do for very different reasons. Here’s an alternative take on work I can think of.

Purpose

Instead of to look for unicorn, they can be:

• To serve the society – it is one of the ways of contributing
• To earn so I can look after myself and not be a burden
• To earn so I can give where I see fit
• To be a good witness to God (as a Christian, it is also a means of extending God’s grace to others)

Benefits

Instead of endless delusional seeking, workplace can be a lot more fruitful if I look to what it can in reality give:

• Training in discipline (being responsible and consistent whether or not I feel like it)
• Character building (I have grown the most from relationships with people who are very different from me and work is a great place with that. For example, I’m recently learning these in particular: humility, conflict management, and charity in thoughts towards others)
• Friendships (and along with it, I think I actually learn a lot about humanity as I make friends, get to know them, let people in and share life with them)

As far as I’m concerned, I think they are reasonable purposes and meaningful benefits.

And I’m thankful for them.