In my favorite magazine, Experience Life, this month’s issue has an article entitled The Paycheck Trap. According to this article, over fifty percent of employed workers are dissatisfied with their jobs. (Spayde, Jon. “The Paycheck Trap.” Experience Life, March 2010.).
This subject does not surprise me. Over the years, I’ve met people who were not satisfied with, disliked or despised their jobs but continued working at them. I include myself. We all had our reasons, the number one being income. After a while, however, for me the displeasure of working at a job that I didn’t enjoy became bigger than the money and seemed to crossover into my personal life. My desires outside of work lessened to a point where I didn’t do them.
The Paycheck Trap captures some of what I have experienced. Citing the book, The End of Work as You Know It: Eight Strategies to Redefine Work on Your Own Terms, by authors Milo Sindell & Thuy Sindell, this article discusses what dissatisfied workers may face: From seeing no hope for their future, to fears of making a change or not having an income, to giving up on their life goals.
Usually for me, starting a new job is exciting: Meeting new people, learning the business, acclimating to a new environment…these characteristics of a new job keep me and my mind entertained for a while. At those jobs where I grew dissatisfied, however, after a period of time, I noticed my dissatisfaction creep up on me. At first, they appeared to be little annoyances. Then, these annoyances evolved into resentment. Sometimes I just got bored.
The Paycheck Trap offers mechanisms that may help dissatisfied workers cope with their present situation and guidance to move them forward to where they desire. These include, bringing your whole self and expressing your best abilities at work; highlighting your job achievements; planning for your future by searching for new opportunities, networking and saving money; or meeting with an executive coach.
Coping processes do work. At one of my former jobs, where I worked at for over six years, I got bored with it after six months. How did I last six years? I enjoyed organizing, which I brought to work and developed and maintained the office systems. My social skills came into play each day since I managed the front desk and I enjoyed talking with folks. After a couple of years, I made a business proposal to my boss and created a position with more responsibility and money. One of my coworkers and I created a walking plan: Two to three times per week, I took a bus from my home to hers then we walked to work. From work, we walked to her home and I took a bus home. I took night classes and on the following workday, I shared what I did at class.
As with other articles from Experience Life, I learned something. Having a different perspective, focusing on what gifts I can bring, what I can learn from others and taking action can make all the difference in whatever circumstances I presently experience.
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