Sometimes you find yourself stuck in a transitory phase, neither here nor there. Your dream career currently seems so unattainable, like trying to retrieve a mystical bird from its barbed cage. You watch your savings beginning to trickle away and Realization begins to rear its ugly head.
What to do? Well unless you wanna break bad, sell your body or your worldly treasures, you turn to the good ol’ classifieds. Factory jobs, waitressing jobs, sale assistants – you name it. They’re all there. You attend a way too easy, way too casual interview (because hey, no one else wants to give up evenings/weekends) and bam, congratulations, you’re finally employed!
It’s easy to get disheartened quick, particularly when you feel perpetually stuck in a position like this. But it isn’t all rain clouds! It’s all about *perspective*. And here’s why…
It keeps you busy
Let’s face it, being unemployed stinks. The novelty of it wears off at around the one month mark and then you start feeling terrible: guilt, self-deprecation and demotivated. Working a job that isn’t 100% to your satisfaction will make much better use of your free time. It’ll force you to keep organized and to use that time to either catch up with friends or improve your skills/work on side hustles.
It’s money
C.R.E.A.M: it’s sad but true. We chase that paper because we have to but not having enough can really take its toll on your mental health. Stressing out about budgeting, or a loan from a friend, can drive you up the wall!
Even if it’s minimum wage, knowing that some dollar is going to materialize on the screen every week is a pretty fabulous feeling.
It is freedom
With money comes… the sweet taste of freedom. If you feel stagnant in the place you live then work your ass off, pick up those extra hours and save up to explore the world. Traveling could be exactly what you need right now, especially if you are free from responsibilities. So pick a place, plan a route, scour the internet for cheap flights and work to get out of there. It will also make you feel more motivated knowing that you’ve got a date to leave and to travel far, far away.
It’s temporary
You know that this is not your final goal, it’s just a way of getting there. Some days you may feel like this is your eternal existence but don’t worry, it’s only temporary. Keep working towards your main goal, perhaps through internships or continuing a side hustle, and make sure that doesn’t keep you from being positive.
Some teachings from Maya Angelou’s father passed down to her create a perfect mantra:
- Whatever the work is, do it well—not for the boss but for yourself.
- You make the job; it doesn’t make you.
- Your real life is with us, your family.
- You are not the work you do; you are the person you are.
It’s impossible to take seriously
Rude customers, angry managers and a puddle of kid vomit at table 23: it’s all a bad dream. You know to just keep your head down, mop that up, smile and nod and perhaps avoid your red-faced boss for an hour or two. It’s important to leave your problems as soon as you leave work and laugh at how futile it is! It’s just a minor blip and will have no effect on your real work-life in the future. It’s just the here and now. Who knows, you may look back at this when you’re a boss at your dream place of work and think about how easy you had it.
swirlygirl* 