Have you ever wished that with a wiggle of your nose work would get done? Or that in the midnight hour after everyone was asleep, little elves would come and do perfect needle work and you’d get the credit? I have many a time secretly wished that my nose had magic when it twitched and that little elves would surprise me especially if I had fallen asleep on my notes.
I suspect a lot of people might share my fantasy. I recently found myself in an interesting discussion about work. (I’ve got the feeling that I’ve opened a can of worms that probably won’t be sorted by the end of the article.)
People were comparing war scars of how late they work and how many days in a row they practically stay in the office. At first I thought they were complaining but quickly realised they were patting themselves on the back vying for some trophy.
The equation was the more hours you put in, the more hardworking or committed you are.
Perhaps I’m being idealistic when saying there isn’t a direct correlation between how good you are and the number of hours you put in. Fearing I’d be hissed at, I stayed quiet, feeling like quite the European trapped in a Malaysian body.
I do believe that it is important to work and to work hard. It is part of our make-up. But I also believe that there is a time to leave work behind and play. Yes, you may have a demanding job or just love to work or need to make more money or just keep your job. But how many people are racing towards burnout or losing their identity?
We have a habit of describing ourselves by the jobs we do, that the essence of the person sometimes gets lost. It also makes us feel important. I detest it when the second question after my name is "What do you do?" I’ve been tempted many times to say pole dancer or shampoo girl. Though I’ve not had the guts to and it would be against my polite Malaysian nature to be so rude.
Though it would be nice not to equate my worth and identity based on my job, we are all guilty of attaching more worth based on job hierarchy or employer.
So when we change jobs or retire, we lose ourselves. That’s why it’s so important to be able to have a life outside the cubicle or office with a view.
When it comes to lessons on work, the humble ant is an industry giant and a model of wisdom. Hardworking and diligent ants are always on the job. Don’t you wonder if ants ever chill out. Fair enough they work in a family business so their family and work time are all rolled into one – they’ve got the work-family balance sorted but do they have friends time or me time?
The most precious commodity you and I have is time. Some companies think that if they pay well, they own you. Others don’t even pay well – they just own you because in today’s job market those with jobs should be thankful. So people get fed up, ditch their power suits and do something more colourful giving the finger to those who are caught in the daily grind.
There’s a lot of talk about corporate (social) responsibility for the community but I wonder how much of it is being practised in-house. When people are expected to clock out at 7pm on a good day, how much time does that person have after battling the traffic and preparing dinner?
For most it’s a quick bite and then more work. Or because people finish work so late on not so good days they end up stumbling into work exhausted – not very productive for the company.
It’s important to treat ourselves well and to insist on a balance whether employer or employee. Key performance indicators should measure balance too. Sometimes we give so much to our jobs that we lose a lot more like family, friends and time enjoying life – without the blackberry.
I like going to work when the sun is up and leaving the office while it’s still bright enough to do stuff. It depresses me if I don’t see the evening sun too often. The bottom line is that we all want to be happy. Work and love are essential to a happy life, and at the end of the day, a job is just a job, and I am more than my job.
Natalie believes that work is an essential part of life but life is more than just work.
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
