Finding a Meaningful Career

Philosopher and writer Alan Watts is famous for asking "What would you like to do if money were no object?" At first glance, it appears a tough question. But is it? I inherently know what I want to do on my day off from work, for example. Lay around, read a book, go on a hike, get errands done. That lists grows quickly, because I know that there are no strings attached. I can do whatever I want to do during my "free" time, without worrying about what my boss thinks, what my coworkers are doing and what time the workday ends. Is it really so different when it comes to a career or profession? [NB: if you scoff at this notion, this would be a good time to pause and watch the video link above.]

 

Why are we brainwashed to think that meaning and happiness have an inverse relation to prosperity? A better question might be, what is stopping our generation from changing that notion?

 

The more jobs I had after college, the more I learned exactly which situations I work best in, what structures I need to succeed and which types of challenges and opportunities must be present for me to feel satisfied. That took several false starts, lots of frustration, tons of trials and error and most importantly, TIME. My best advice to those starting out is to be patient! Follow your gut. Surround yourself with diversity in every sense of the word. And never be afraid to try a new path when the one you are on isn't working for you.

 

Failure is a harsh word, but for me, it is the root explanation of why I make better decisions now than I did when I was younger. The New York Times did a great piece on this topic, aptly titled "Following Your Bliss, Right Off a Cliff". Give it a read, both for the psychology behind failure and the opportunities that it provides those that persevere.

 

Yes, yes all these important life lessons take time. But hey, that is the one constant that all of us have. What we choose to do with our time is as individual to us as our fingerprints.



Defining Success: Pay vs. Meaning

Recently, the company PayScale (NB: a great website for assessing salaries when job-hunting) compared and contrasted median pay and job satisfaction for more than 450 careers. The authors looked at the following categories:

• % High Job Satisfaction
• % High Job Stress
• Typical Educational Level
• Gender Breakdown
• Job Level

... just to name a few. With their data, they created an amazing interactive chart, which you can play with at this link. 

Interactive chart and full report at PayScale

Here are a few of their findings: the two least-meaningful job categories are food preparation/service and legal, probably not surprising considering how difficult the work is. For high pay and high job fulfillment, head straight to the medical field, since both well-paid health practitioners (doctors and surgeons) and lower-paid healthcare workers (nurses and technicians) ranked high in overall satisfaction and salaries. 

I have written before about my own life mission to find Sanity with a Side of Paycheck. This chart explains why that motto is easier said than done! It can be extremely challenging to find financial security and career contentment simultaneously. However, as I made my way through different jobs, different sectors and different stages of the professional pyramid, I found that each career change led me to better fit with my lifestyle. And when one factor was lacking, I compensated for it by working extra jobs, volunteering, cultivating desirable work skills and expanding my network of contacts. 

Finding the holy grail takes a mix of determination, goal setting, patience and persistence.  But speaking from experience, it does exist! 

Vacation: Ready, Plan, Go!

My friends and coworkers know thatI love to travel, but I am starting to suspect that they think I am a closeted trust fund baby or possibly, Gordon Gekko in disguise. Why, you ask?

I am always planning international vacations.

Here are a few tips that I use to satisfy my exorbitant travel whims:

 

1. Think long-term.

I am able to travel to far-flung places, because I plan trips waaaaay in advance. I am talking years here. Time gives you the benefit to search for cheaper plane tickets, earn points or miles on credit cards, find deals on hotels and vacation rentals, learn more about your destination, reach out to locals for advice and ultimately, take longer vacations. Look at the calendar and pick a date that realistically represents the size of trip you would like to take. The first step is always the hardest, but once I commit to a date, the motivation to plan and save comes easy.

 

2. Enjoy the planning.
Read this. It is all true.

 

3. Save where it counts.
I work for a non-profit and, unfortunately, do not have a money tree in my backyard. Saving is hard, no matter which approach you take. I find that weighing everyday choices with travel goals in mind is the best way to turn a little into a lot. So, I make it a game: Starbucks on the way to work or café crème at a sidewalk café? Date night here or date night in [insert chic global city]. Netflix subscription or museum pass? Beer at the local bar or a rum punch on the beach? Splurging at Whole Foods or exploring a quaint outdoors market? Pretty quickly, you will realize that purchasing a thing in the here and now does not compare to investing in an experience later.

 

5. Don't play hooky.

I will go out on a limb here and guess that most of you do not hail from Austria, Brazil or France. These fine countries mandate that employers provide an average of 34 days of paid leave every year. What is the helpless American worker to do? Hoard your vacation days! Do you really want to take off work, because it's Spring and the weather is nice? Because you don't want to deal with your boss on Monday morning? Because you have writer's block and cannot face your deadline? NO! If you are a wanderluster like me, you would rather enjoy an island holiday, a stroll down a boulevard in Paris or do pretty much any activity in a foreign destination rather than one in your present location. Keep that in mind next time the idea to raid your vacation balance pops into mind.

 

6. Au revoir, adios, sayonara
The grand adventure you have always coveted is possible! It only boils down to motivation and a commitment to make it happen. A few little sacrifices add up to major benefits and they are all worth it!

Have a Happy Day; It's Good for You

Today's infographic is brought to you by I Love Charts, a dreamy website for graphic nerds, and Mother Nature Network: 

View larger image at Mother Nature Network

Bonus tip: whistle this three times to cure all that ails you.

Put Down that Phone (or Else!)

One of my favorite work- and labor-related journalists is Lucy Mangan, a writer for The Guardian newspaper, BBC and, most recently, blogging for CollinsDictionary.com (It is a blog about words. Very funny words.) She is fabulously clever and sharp-tongued, but never misses an opportunity to make the audience laugh, even when covering serious issues. Her take on the move by French union leaders to prohibit the using mobile phones for work after punching out at the end of the day is no exception. 

You may already be familiar with notoriety of labor unions in France: they are the usual suspects when it comes to boycotts, picketing and protests in the news. Regardless of sector, they are far more influential than the unions we are accustomed to here in the United States. It is organized labor that brings about a month-long hiatus every August, when the population flees to Bali and Ibiza and tourists are left wondering who will make their baguettes. (Who me? Envious? Never!) Similarly, French employees work fewer hours than their US counterparts, enjoy drastically increased maternal and paternal benefits and many other "quality of life" perks. 

The latest jewel in the crown of French unions is an agreement to protect tech industry workers from the bane of my existence annoyance of after-hours, work-related calls and e-mails. As described by Ms. Mangan, under the terms of the agreement, "employees will also have to resist the temptation to look at work-related material on their computers or smartphones - or any other kind of malevolent intrusion into the time they have been nationally mandated to spend on whatever the French call la dolce vita." Simply put, bosses will have to limit communications strictly to the hours of 9-5. Or 10-5, or 11-5 or whenever the French normally arrive at the office. 

I tease, of course, but this new law points to important underlying questions about work-life balance. For example, to whom does time belong? Does it belong to employers, who conduct business around-the-clock in order to compete globally, increase profits and thereby, salaries? Or does it belong to employees, who cannot be expected to invest the same amount of hours as a business owner? Furthermore, how do the trends of hours worked compare to stagnant wages over time? In today's modern era, are office workers paid to be on-call, like doctors, mafia consigliore and tow-truck operators?

Just some food for thought as you see your Blackberry light up and consider answering one last e-mail from "The Man" before calling it a night.

A Conference Call in Real Life

Happy Friday, workers of the world!

Created by: Tripp and Tyler  Produced by: Green Tricycle Studios

CFO: Chief Fun Officer

This New York Times article by author Oliver Burkeman actually made me laugh out loud. It is a must-read for any self-described curmudgeon surviving this festive time of Ebenezer Scrooge, bad drivers and mall sales stampedes.  

Despite best intentions, inserting mandatory fun into the workplace does not always work out. It can be distracting, even demeaning, to staff working hard to meet deadlines before the end of the year. Case-in-point: the impossible task of scheduling our office Christmas party this year. (Long story short is that we never had one.)

Unlike Mr. Burkeman, I probably fall into the "Happiness Engineer" category. Like most everything that I come to realize as I age, there has to be a balance between productivity and levity. The idea of coming to the office solely to produce output sounds downright depressing. (Not to mention unmotivating!) But, after years of working solo from home, I look forward to seeing coworkers, contributing as a team and sharing my daily routine with others. While I might not meet the expectations of a Google-like Chief Fun Officer, I think my work-related resolution for 2014 will be to encourage, instigate and participate in more office camaraderie.  

Wishing you a happy new year and continued success in finding Sanity with a Paycheck!

NB: As a bonus laugh line for this holiday season, the following clip comes courtesy of the "Epic Battles of Rap History" series. If you are not yet familiar with this over-the-top internet series of mayhem, you should be.

Stop Monkeying Around!

Does your office sometimes feel like a zoo? Perhaps you need Ape Management to get everyone sorted out! 

Ape Management is a Dutch company that studies primate behavior to better understand human dynamics in a group setting… much like the dynamics of any office. Founder Patrick Von Veen believes that studying our closest animal relatives is extremely helpful when learning about human relationships, communication and problem-solving. Apparently, stereotypes, managerial hierarchy, chit-chat and bullying are not solely limited to observations at the water cooler.

Ape Management's trainings and workshops for companies conclude with a unique outing to a local zoo or primate sanctuary where staffers observe and apply lessons learned from watching monkey interactions. This unique approach to inter-office politics has been utilized by mammoth corporations in the insurance, accounting and energy industries and receives glowing reviews from HR professionals and staffers alike.  

So, are you and your colleagues in need of a field trip?

To learn more, listen to this Marketplace Story or check out this article on BBC News. 

Zzzzzzzz

The inspiration behind this post should be obvious... 

From the Wall Street Journal: http://on.wsj.com/1e0kRg8

It has been a busy summer: adjusting to the new job, several big work projects, lots of weekend adventures and never-ending yard work. A nap how-to really resonates with me today!

Change is Good. Now Where to Start?

We all know that change is good for us: trying different foods, making new friends, mixing up our workouts and rearranging our office space  But, it's easy to place "changing careers" into another category altogether. It seems too hard, too far of a leap, maybe even too risky. 

Below is an excerpt from a new blog series by Mark Turcek, President and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. Mr. Turcek used to be a high-rollin' Wall Street big shot until he realized he was ready to make a change. He gives some great advice (advice that I've used in the past and found helpful personally) in this piece posted on LinkedIn:

"My advice for those looking to make a change: Start now. Don't wait. Get engaged immediately..."

Instead of being paralyzed by a fear of change, Mark harnessed it to his advantage and took action: "There was no time to waste." 

Sometimes you have to jump from the deep-end and take comfort that your body will float to the top. Oh yeah, and it will feel really good.

To read Mark Turcek's entire blogpost, head over to LinkedIn.

Vacay

Now that I work for a bigger organization, I am pumped (Hanz and Franz style) about my new benefits package. I now have access to better health care options, several pre-tax savings plans, matching retirement contributions, and on and on. However, there is one big caveat to my amazing benefits plan: I am back to only two weeks of paid vacation a year. TWO. WEEKS.

You're probably wondering what I'm whining about. Don't most people get two weeks of vacation a year? What is the big deal? Well, the big deal is that I had built up four weeks of paid vacation a year with my last employer, which was pretty amazing. I took Fridays off for long-weekends. I never thought twice about the week between Christmas and New Year's. And I still had enough time left over to plan a two-week vacation to Europe last year. In other words, I was spoiled rotten.

My new reality means scrimping and saving throughout the year and planning trips far more in advance that I'm used to. The good news is that every year I stay with this new organization, I'll receive a few more days in the annual vacation bank. While I have no regrets from my transition (indeed, fewer vacation days is a small price to pay for sanity), it got me thinking about paid vacation and why there never seems to be enough to go around. Business Insider has a great infographic about paid vacation around the world which really brings this point home: Americans do not receive any mandatory paid vacation days off. All of a sudden, "Kazakhstan" (24 days) has a different ring to it, don't you think?



www.businessinsider.com/countries-that-require-vacation-2013-5



Choose Your Own Adventure - Office Edition

So what can we, worker bees of the world, do to create a successful and productive environment at the office?  We can't give each other raises. We can't move into a Google-like campus. We probably can't even lobby for a cappuccino machine or yoga break room.  But there are a few characteristics we have control over and can promote from within. 

Fast Company highlighted a new book recently titled Passion Capital: The World's Most Powerful Asset promoting 8 simple "rules" for creating a great work culture that, in turn, leads to lifelong career success. 

1. Surround yourself with passionate people.

2. Communicate regularly and transparently.

3. Weed out the whiners who pull everyone down.

4. Work hard, play hard.
5. Be ambitious! Be extraordinary!

6. Respect diversity in all of its forms.

7. Promote dynamic interaction with bosses, coworkers, other departments, even interns!

8. Keep your eye on the prize. Not all success is short term.  Be focused on long-terms goals everyday.

As the new kid on the block in my office, I've paid a lot of attention to Numbers 2 and 7, making sure I get to know everyone one-on-one, understand their role on the team and figure out how my own activities can help and enhance their projects. I could probably give a little more effort toward #5. I hope that as I grow more comfortable with everyday responsibilities, I can shift into the extraordinary by connecting the dots among programs, anticipating solutions to problems and identifying opportunities to take my contribution to the next level.  

For more detail and examples on these rules and others, check out Fast Company's recent blog on Creating Passionate Work Cultures!  

Culture Shock

As I transition to a new job, I've been thinking a lot about work culture. It is amazing how adaptable we are as employees: sliding into and out of habits based on interaction with bosses, colleagues and the internal structures around us.

It's not always seamless, though.  

My new work environment is 180 degrees different in tone than that of my old one. There is a dramatic lack of emergency: e-mails aren't red-flagged, no competition for attention, accolades or funding; no late-night calls; programmatic timelines are realistic and respected; budgets adhered to. For the last two weeks, I've floated from task to task in a state of genuine culture shock. I keep waiting for a desperate freak out or a deadline to pop up like whack-a-mole. In addition, I notice a real shift from individual accomplishment to teamwork, from go-it-alone to accomplishing things together. 

I don't believe that this is a product of good versus bad or old versus new. Instead, I think it's more about the culture surrounding everything we do. We can't control everything around us in the work place, but in a transition, there are ways to bring the best with us and leave the rest behind. That's what I'll be writing about this week: those qualities that bring out the best in me that I want to cultivate (and those that I hope to leave in the dust).

Schedules

What is your daily schedule? My typical work day (when I'm not in an airport, car or conference center far, far away), goes a little like this:

7:00a   Wake up

7:30a   Make coffee and take dog out

8:00a   Excavate inbox from weekend e-mails

8:30a   Begin to-dos for the day

11:30a  Take a 10-15min break. Make tea. Stretch. Watch animal videos.

12:30p  Lunch + take dog out 

1:15p    Long-term projects, conference calls, read reports, etc.

5:30p  Say I'm done working

6:00p  Actually done working.  Head outside or to the gym.

7:30p   Dinner

8:30p  Answer more e-mails and complain about everyone working late

10:00p Read, blog, watch TV

11:00p  Bedtime

Even at a glance, you can see that work days like this easily add up to over 40 hours a week. I've written before about how hard it is to put down the phone and close the laptop, but this schedule is generally what it takes to get everything done. (I am loath to ever fall behind.) At this point, I think we all realize that there is a point of diminishing returns. Many countries, including the top six most productive countries in the world, outlaw working over 48 hours a week. Australia prohibits work weeks over 35 hours!

So why do Americans keep working so much? Is it our Puritan-derived work ethic? Manifest destiny? Nah. I think it is peer pressure, plain and simple. "Everyone else is still working, so I guess I will too." While I continually try to buck this trend, more often than not, I fall right back into the same workaholic schedule.

However, my goal of finding sanity with a paycheck is resolute and I am always on the lookout for more efficient and effective ways to adjust the work day. I also want to set a good example for others when it comes to prioritizing work-life balance and finding success. So, I am not willing to give up yet.

Stop Counting!

I came across an article today entitled "What worries keep you awake at night?" Reading through the author's Top 5 nighttime worries promptly increased my heart rate and made me a little clammy as my own worries pushed their way into consciousness. Now, I bet you think my list-loving-self is going to detail some of those here as an example. 

Well, you're wrong. 

Instead, I'm going to advise myself and you and anyone else I come across today to STOP COUNTING. That's right. Take a timeout from self-assessment and enjoy a day without pros and cons, without lists and without others' opinions. Instead, manifest a good night's sleep without counting sheep (or to-dos).  

Career Development

It's too bad that most of us only evaluate our professional development when updating a resume during a job search. At those times, we invest tons of time thinking of clever descriptors, transferable skill sets and personal goals, but rarely do we do so on a day-to-day basis. Yet, it is the daily grind of work where we spend 80% of our waking life! On any given day, I spend more time assessing the efficacy of my deodorant than cultivating the qualities I need to succeed in my current position and beyond. Instead, I punch the virtual clock, scramble from one "emergency" to the next (NB: these are not true emergencies, but a complicated system of smoke and mirrors that makes it seem so) and lie awake at night formulating mental checklists for the next day. What a better employee I would be if I devoted some of the mad dash to practicing the habits and characteristics that would better serve my employer and my own career development!

Here are a few virtues that come to mind when I think of constructive redevelopment:

- Identify the root of problems: those unproductive patterns and trends that reoccur in the workplace. How many times have I smoothed over the results of a larger, more difficult challenge lying in wait? More importantly, how many times have I been an enabler to the problem itself?

- Build empathy skills. It is so easy to write someone off if they speak, think or react to a situation differently that I would. It's a rare thing to admit that my way of dealing with something is not the best way to deal with it.

- Seek complementary personalities. I spend a lot of time negotiating with troublesome personalities, a skill that I actually take some pride in. However, it's not all about dealing with difficult people. Do I actively seek out coworkers and colleagues that bring out the best in me?

These are just a few dimensions that I would love to brag about in a performance evaluation or interview. This week I'll be looking for ways to beef-up those personal qualities that better serve myself and others in the workplace. I have an inkling that all have some bearing on creating Sanity with a Side of Paycheck.

Happy Valentine's Day

A work-appropriate love note from me to you.

www.fifthandhazel.com

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Yesterday was all about success, but today let's think about happiness. In my obsession with making lists, I like to jot down a few words of current things that make me happy.
Daffodils       
                Travel daydreaming
                                                Yoga workshops
                                                                            Date nights
                                                                                               Glass of wine
It's the small things, right? Well, positivity psychologist (what a job title!) Sonja Lyubomirsky has a good list of her own: 12 Things Happy People Do Differently. Here's a quick run-through: Happy people express gratitude, cultivate optimism, avoid over-thinking and social comparison(*guilty), practice acts of kindness, nurture their relationships, develop strategies for coping, learn to forgive, increase flow experiences (that state where everything slows down and you are solely focused on a task), savor joys, commit to goals, practice spirituality and take care of oneself.

What I like about Sonja's list is that each suggestion is DOABLE, i.e. not something that requires a particular situation to arise before achieving happiness is possible.

What are the small things that make you happy?  

Success Through the Ages

If I had to make a list detailing the ingredients that make a successful career, it might look something like this:

- Feeling I've made difference at the end of the day;

- Gaining respect from my peers;

- Receiving recognition from my boss;

- Controlling my to-do lists and e-mail inbox;

- Living a life outside of work with time for family, friends and fun.

Recently, I read another such list written by Amelia Barr, a British-cum-American novelist who lived at the turn of the last century. It's interesting to compare/contrast our lists, written over 100 years apart. Amelia's list is grandiose and inspirational, while mine is practical and focused on the here and now.

Here is an abbreviated version of her Rules for Success, taken from a great book entitled "How They Succeeded":

1. Men and women succeed because they take pains to succeed. Industry and patience are almost genius; and successful people are more distinguished for resolution and perseverance than for unusual gifts.  
2. Success is the reward of those who "spurn delights and live laborious days." We learn to do things by doing them.
3. No opposition must be taken to heart. Our enemies often help us more than our friends.
4. A fatal mistake is to imagine that success is some stroke of luck. This world is run with far too tight a rein for luck to interfere.
5. We have been told, for centuries, to watch for opportunities, and to strike while the iron is hot. Very good; but I think better of Oliver Cromwell's amendment - "make the iron hot by striking it."
6. Everything good needs time. Don't do work in a hurry. Go into details; it pays in every way. Time means power for your work. Mediocrity is always in a rush; but whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing with consideration.
7. Be orderly. Slatternly work is never good work.
8. Never be above your profession.
9. Don't fail through defects of temper and over-sensitiveness at moments of trial. One of the great helps to success is to be cheerful; to go to work with a full sense of life; to be determined to put hindrances out of the way; to prevail over them and to get the mastery.

The last one really speaks to me, as someone with an "oversensitive" temper. A smile really does go a long way... then or now.

Dalí's Desk Doodle Pad

Talk about a serious Pros- and Cons- list!

Illustration by Molly Crabapple

More from the artist Molly Crabapple here.