Two days back from vacation and my mind is wandering. I can’t stop thinking “is this it?” Is this how my life is going to be the rest of my life? Working for the weekends? Working to get me to my next vacation? I’m two years out of college and I’m already feeling so run down of working (kind of pathetic, I know!). What frustrates me the most is I can’t seem to put my finger on why that is and how I fix it. I have a good job. One that, when I really think about it, I like. It’s in the area that I earned a degree in. It’s with a “good” company. It’s for a brand that I truly like and connect with. It certainly seems better than some of the other jobs my friends have. However, I can’t even imagine doing this for another 30 years. It feels like an impossible feat in which I’d go insane doing.
I’ve always been a hard worker and I enjoy being busy so why is it all of a sudden that I can’t stand the structure? I can’t stand the 8:30-5:30 every day. At the same desk. With the same people. Doing relatively the same thing. It’s mundane and honestly, it’s boring. However, the second I mention something like this to anyone older the age of 25, I get a response of, “get used to the real world hunny, you’re going to be in it for a long time.” Could it get any scarier than that?
Per the aforementioned rant, I could clearly use some advice. Got any? I’d love to hear it!
xoxo,
Jess
The Inspiration Initiative 
Jess, you sound like me!!! I constantly question myself and wonder if I’m supposed to be a teacher for 30 years. How the heck am I supposed to do that? I’ll go freakin’ nuts!!! I’m always burnt out from having to do hours of planning, correcting, and prepping – and I’m only a first-year teacher!!!
When my students have good days in the classroom, those days are phenomenal. Mind blowing even. Those days make me feel like a good teacher. Then I have days where nobody wants to cooperate or listen or even try to accomplish anything at all. Those days make me want to throw the towel in and work in college admissions or start my own nonprofit (without any idea of how to do something like that). But you taught me something recently….
…that I’m lucky. I have the opportunity and the support to do whatever I want, whenever I want, with the kids I work with. It’s because of you, Jess, that I’m mustering up the courage to try and plan this big Locks of Love event with absolutely no idea how I’m going to pull it off. It’s actually pretty scary to think about. But it’s also filled me with a new excitement for my job. I thank you for that; because for the past couple of months, all I’ve been talking about was coming up with an idea for a nonprofit organization that helps people. This event may not be quite that, but I think it’s a nice balance between jobs. And it’s all for you and all for the kiddos.
So, this might not be great advice or even advice at all (and I realize it’s super late), but if there’s something you can do at work that gets you excited about going in, do it, no matter how crazy it is. IF you’re enthusiastic (and we all know what enthusiastic Jess looks like!), people will rally behind you. The idea might not come to you right away, but it will eventually. The more you think about making work a more exciting place to be, the more ideas will burst out of you. I just know it.
Much Love,
Kennie */*
LOVE this Kennie! First off so happy that I could’ve helped at all with bringing some clarity to some charity work (love the rhyme) that you’ve been wanting to do. And I love your advice and honestly am really hoping that in my time “off” from work that I help myself get some clarity with what exactly I want in my career and some personal goals that I can achieve with or without work ya know? I just always want to make sure that my life is more than my work!