By: Leina Ussin
There’s no arguing that work, for adults, is inevitable. An income is required for us to properly live and enjoy our lives. Some of us have been fortunate to land our “dream job,” and go to work every day with a smile on our faces, and love in our hearts. While others are impatiently waiting for retirement!
Wherever you may find yourself within those two categories, they both have two things in common. The first, being the most obvious one, you have a job! It may not be the best one, but hey, you have the power to make the best out of anything! And two, whether you love or hate your job, your work style actually says a lot about who you are as a person.
Now, there are a few of us out there who are under the impression that they have two sides of them, a work side and a normal side. And though certain professions may require a different mindset from time to time, it shouldn’t be a shocker that it’s still a part of you!
For example, I found myself in the customer service profession for over ten years which for the life of me, I couldn’t under why, because I personally thought I hated people! It wasn’t until I got older did I realize assisting people is a part of who I am! Being able to be there and make a difference for a family member, a friend, or even a stranger, brought me a sense of accomplishment. I was able to bring a little bit of joy to one person, and that was good enough for me. Being able to step back and realize that changed my perception on my customer services jobs, and made them worthwhile.
All of us have this within ourselves; it just sometimes gets overlooked because of the stress that may come with being employed. Bosses, coworkers, customers, etc., can blind us from seeing how close our job self and personal self really are!
Think I’m wrong?
Let’s analyze this for a second! Those in management positions, are you a smidge more organized than others you know? If there’s an issue in your life, do you strive to find a solution on your own before having to ask anyone else for assistance?
What about my educators? Do you often see things from multiple perspectives instead of just one? Do you find yourself to be more open-minded? Or have more patience when debating with a fellow friend or stranger?
Let’s try one more! For all my customer service representatives out there, when you go out to eat, and someone messes up your order, do you find yourself sympathizing with the waitress/waiter? Do you find yourself saying, “No, I get it! Mistakes happen, it’s OK!” Are you more appreciative of the warming welcome than the food itself?
I am more than confident a lot of you are answering, “YES,” to my questions, and hopefully that light bulb has went off to indicate how your job description ties into a lot of characteristics you already have.
Now, don’t get me wrong, there are some cons to this! Some of us are overly relaxed in our personal lives, and it tends to show within our work. For example, if you’re a last-minute type of person when it comes to bills, you may be the person who submits work assignments in at the last minute. You may also be the person who finds themselves doing the bare minimum at work!
Maybe you’re not necessarily tidy or organized at home, and your work desk reflects that! You’re a naturally late person when you link up with your friends, so it’s a no brainer you’d clock in a few minutes late for work! Starting to see a connection?
With that being said, I’ll leave you with two things: one, if you find yourself disliking your job, just know that it’s normal. However, it’s up to you to see how you make that job your own. Yes, the job has requirements and expectations, but what is it about you that make those things stand out!
And number two, if you don’t like certain characteristics about yourself, change them! And if you find your job is a crutch, consider changing that too!
Remember, we spend more time at work than we do anywhere else. All of our habits, the good, the bad, and the ugly, have more time to grow there than anywhere else. Trying to change something about yourself, without acknowledging those same characteristics in your work style, is a waste of time for everyone. Especially you!
So, pay close attention to how you are at home, and how you are at work. You may not see that much of a difference after all!
