So often I hear people complain about their jobs. Earlier today, I was on the phone with my dad, who was telling me that I needed a vacation (never mind that I just took last week off for my wedding). I responded with reminding him that I am one of those rare breeds who enjoys their job and doesn’t necessarily like to be away. That being said, this post was inspired by a friend’s tweet regarding her job move… and how everybody is happy for her and clearly displaying disdain in their jobs. I also came across an article between the two aforementioned events that millennials are leaving their jobs without a backup plan. All of this definitely demonstrates that although work may be necessary to live, we are overlooking some basic things.
You spend approximately one third of the day at work. This does not include breaks or commuting. If I am to assume you also spend 8 hours asleep, that means the majority of your waking hours are spent at work. This in turn means that your job needs to bring you some sort of happiness otherwise you are suffering, and you’re hurting those around you. The worst part is that if you are bringing yourself and others down, you probably won’t realize it. Which means that you need to become better about assessing yourself and creating your vision.
According to the Myers-Briggs and every other personality test I have ever taken, I am a planner. I think about the future and I plan for my future. My follow-through could use improvement, as could my breakdown into smaller goals. But I am happy with my strength. I know people who are good at the small goals, but have no idea where they’re going or what they’re feeding into. I also know people who are good at follow through but get bogged down as a result. Each type of personality has its own benefits and risks, however, I love my personality because it means that I can make a goal and consistently come back and ask myself if I am still on track.
Currently, I am often thinking about what comes next for me. Where will I be after my PhD? But another important question, is what do I need to do to get a job that I will love? What concessions am I willing to make and what is non-negotiable? Where do I want this next step to take me in five years? These are all really important questions, and they don’t need to be answered right away. Another thing that I have learned by going through a PhD program is that the answers can and will change as your life changes. And understanding that goals and dreams can be fluid is very important.
I am in the process of generating my very first vision board for my goals. I have been slowly improving upon my goal setting and goal tracking in my bullet journal and I am extremely excited about this next step. I plan to include goals for both my personal and my professional life over the next 3 – 5 years. Some examples of my goals include: pay off car, move to a new city, buy a home, get a job, publish a novel, among others! I truly believe that you can do far more than you think capable if that’s what you truly want.
Note: This post’s cover image was found via google image search. I cannot track to the source, but I must say that I am very impressed and kudos to the vision board setter for making and sharing such a wonderful example.
She’s Got a Whole PhD 