Think outside the CUBE(icle)

I think it's fair to say the majority of us have to work at some point in our lives. For some people, a job is just a means to live the rest of their life and they're not too worried about what they do. For other people, a job may define who they are.

I'd say I'm somewhere in between. While I understand work isn't everything in life, I often throw myself into whatever I do and can find it hard to switch off when I leave work. I generally write notes or a 'to do' list when I'm at home for when I get back to work the next day and my 45 minute commute to and from work generally consists of thinking about what I need to do when I get to the office or what I didn't get done during the day. I've been known to work very long hours and definitely don't get paid overtime.

When people ask if I like what I do, my response is "no, I hate it". Without going into detail about my job, I consider it soul-destroying. All my education and training in the past has geared me for a job to help people, but in most cases, I'm not.

So why don't I just get a new job? If only it was that easy. The problem is that I've been in my job for a few years now so although I hate it, I'm comfortable. I know what to expect on a day-to-day basis and I'm one of the longest serving employees in my department (due to the nature of the industry, there's a very high staff turnover). The thought of learning a new job and being the new kid again is daunting. However I consider it would be worth it if it was a job I really wanted to do.

That's my problem. I have no idea what I want to do! About 6 months ago, I had a bit of a breakdown. I'm not usually one to turn to self-help books, but I guess I knew I needed something so I headed to my local Borders store and found The Anti 9-5 Guide. I started reading it as soon as I got home and immediately connected with it. Unfortunately, due to life taking over, I only made it half way through the book and 6 months later I find myself in the same job.

For anyone who is feeling lost or have no idea what you want to be when you grow up, I 100% recommend this book. It's an easy read and I think everyone could relate to this in some way.

Now I need to finish the book, work out the job of my dreams and reclaim some work/life balance!

Are you working your dream job? Or do you just work so you can enjoy the sweet things in life?