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Life lessons

Working nine ’til…well nine

The current pandemic, or “situation” as you will, has really turned things on its head. For the most part, it has totally changed the way people are working – from being furloughed, having to socially distance at work, changes in work activities/tasks, to working from home (and I am sure there are many stages in between).

For me, I’ve been working from home for three months now. And whilst working from home has never bothered me before, I feel it’s starting to take its toll. Not only in terms of becoming increasingly harder to differentiate home from work, and vice versa, but also the fact the working day is stretching out to 10+ hour days. It’s really made me rethink my career path and personal priorities – I find myself questioning whether this is really the career I want? Do I really want to work for an industry that takes advantage of people having to work from home and tries to squeeze more out of them, because… well … what else do they have to do? 

Am I really happy in what I do? 

If you ask, most people would say they want to contribute to something meaningful. I don’t think it’s particularly from a place of blind faith, naivety, or cynicism of the corporate world, I think it’s more personal than that. It’s simply just wanting to do better and be better, because life is so finite. 

Do I want to quit my career and become a missionary? No. But I do want more for myself – perhaps it’s the current world we live in making me forget my sense of purpose. Either way, I want to see the positivity of it. 

Categories
Life lessons

Memoirs, failing and other useless advice

Quite often in books, magazines, social posts and the like, we are often asked to think about what advice we would give to our younger self. And I’ve never really had an answer to be honest, not because I’m perfect or haven’t made any mistakes. Because, well I’m human – who hasn’t?! But more because I think life is an experience, you have to go through the motions – both highs and lows – to really understand yourself and the ethereal “I think therefore I am”. Perhaps that’s advice in its self: experience. 

I also don’t think there’s any particular age that makes you worthy of dishing out life advice. I fundamentally believe in the quote “you never quit until you stop trying”. I want to learn all through the ages, not just get to a certain defined age where I “should” know everything. Life should be dynamic, unpredictable, and most importantly for a purpose: to learn and experience to enrich your being. 

It all sounds very wooly – and cringe – but that’s my only thoughts and advice; you really just have to experience it yourself. We all perceive and experience things differently, one size does not fit all. In the words of the 21st century “you do you”. I’ve stopped short of adding the word ‘babe’ after that – you’re welcome.