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#1
We asked Wellman how she would advise someone who has already put a lot of time and energy into a job that makes them stressed and anxious. After all, chasing your dreams can be terrifying.
"We often overlook the important step of acknowledging that job changes can be tumultuous... let's normalize that it's stressful to make career moves that feel risky! Sometimes, accepting that it's not easy and that it requires courage can help reframe a scenario where we think we're supposed to just be confident right out of the gates," Wellman from 'Four Thousand Mondays' told Bored Panda.
She added that we should also consider the sunk cost fallacy. It's something many of us "fall prey to" when making decisions. "We're reluctant to make a career move because we've 'spent 12 years here already,' or we've 'invested our education and training in this industry already,' or we feel like we're in too deep. It's never too late to make a change," she said.
#2
The amount of people out there that will call you the worst dehumanizing names because their package (not delivered by me btw) was delivered incorrectly is awful.
Ive been screamed at , sworn at, yelled at, threatened, letters even sent. And usually it’s a 7.00 item that’s been marked delivered but they didn’t get and it’s actually been misplaced by a family member.
Not to add , having to market yourself, the constant imposter feeling of feeling like your own creations aren’t good enough. Worried every day if you can afford bills, the constant worry of you can still do this in 10 years,working 70 hour weeks to avoid 40 a week jobs. the holidays. Buying supplies, having to save money for taxes.
Oh and the isolation! It sounds good and is good if you’re a social anxious person, especially after coming out of a drama filled job. But trust me, even if you think you are not a people person you might miss them after awhile. I just miss the non personal interactions, like watching others interact and then the occasion of seeing that one or two people I got along with. Knowing my coworkers and how they acted and what to expect from them. Just saying hi to coworkers workers or people asking how my weekend was .
Sorry for long post,
Maybe I needed a vent more than anything haha.
#3
"People change careers all the time: the organizations they work in, the roles specifically, even the industries overall. Believing it's possible can help summon the courage required to make a job change. Sometimes we have to ask ourselves, 'I have ____ Mondays left in my career. Is it really worth it for me to stay here and toil, unhappy? Or would I be even more proud of myself when I'm long since retired and looking back on my career, for 'giving it a go' and changing into a job that's fulfilling? Or multiple fulfilling jobs?'" Wellman mused.
She added that she herself plans to work for about 624 more Mondays. "That question helps me make the best decisions every time!"
Bored Panda was also interested to hear about what everyone can to to enjoy themselves at work more, no matter what it is they do. "The best first step is to recall what fun even means to you in your job. What was going on when you were having fun in the past? Were you learning a lot/succeeding/playing practical jokes on your colleagues/spending more time with clients/having more social outings with your coworkers? Is there a way you could replicate that?"
#4
I’m a waiter in a bad restaurant that can’t throw out patrons who get too belligerent with me.
To be fair, the travel is fun and if I hated the job, I wouldn’t have done it for so long. But the thing that’s kept me here this long is that I’m in a union and I have health insurance.
#5
The truth is most police work horrendous hours (typically 12 hour shifts cycled between 3-4 day shifts then 3-4 night shifts in a row). Your sleep schedule is abysmal due to the long hours and your circadian rhythm being out of whack from the constantly changing schedule. So you're constantly tired and irritable.
You miss a lot of family events, birthday parties, get-togethers with friends, your kids' school events, etc. and a lot of people start to resent you for it.
You're constantly being surveilled through your own bodycam/car cameras, other police officers' bodycams and you're made painfully aware of that by sergeants and inspectors.
You spend most of your time sitting, and a lot of that will be crammed into a car where your police toolbelt and vest are jamming into your body and making you uncomfortable 24/7.
You've seen terrible things that will haunt you for the rest of your life (suicides, beheaded children on highways from traffic collisions, victims of murder and brutal sexual assault, etcetc.) and there's supposed to be a culture of silence where you don't show pain or signs of PTSD.
And the best part is, you go through all of this suffering in service of the public, and yet those people hate you or are weary around you just because you're a cop.
#6
I have seen some vets online say they enjoy it, and I’m happy for you. I don’t personally know a single one that doesn’t regret their choice, and I know a LOT of them.
Wellman shared some more questions we should ask ourselves. "What kinds of people were you working with when things were fun? Were you connected to people in different departments/working onsite instead of remotely/getting to know new people/close with a few like-minded friends at work? Can you rekindle those kinds of quality connections?"
Another thing to consider is the type of people we were when we were enjoying ourselves at work. "Were you working out more often/meditating/planning more interesting meetings on the team/sharing more anecdotes about your weekend? How can you start to be more like the Fun You from the past? Many of us think that work is supposed to make things fun for us, and we forget that we're the ones who make work fun."
If you'd like to see how many Mondays you still have left, you can check out the 'Four Thousand Mondays' calculator. Meanwhile, don't forget to take a peek at Wellman's book 'You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets.'
#7
#8
I was a crime scene investigator for several years. I have dug through dumpsters with 6 inches of garbage juice water looking for a murder weapon that wasn't there. I've spent prolonged time in a third floor attic with no air in the middle of summer trying to find a knife that was *on the front porch next to homicide detectives the entire time.* I have gone into homes so infested with cockroaches, bedbugs, or both that the walls *looked alive*. My personal vehicle had tear gas residue for about a week after one scene because it was on my clothing, even after changing before getting into my car. I know what the skin of a human body feels like after death, and I've seen children and innocent people violently killed.
CSI looks fun on TV. And I did enjoy aspects of it. But it is 100% not a job that you can just be trained to do. You have to be able to handle it and parts of that aren't something you can just teach someone.
#9
When I was teaching art, people would constantly make comments about how I just got to have fun for work and color with kids all day. Other teachers were often the worst, implying I didn’t really work and that my job was easy.
Aspects of it were fun, yes, but it was really hard and the not fun aspects outweighed the fun stuff. Parents calling me or emailing me angry I called their kid the wrong name, I taught 400 students), admin coming to my class to complain that I showed an art work with nudity in it even though I sent home permission slips to view said MANDATORY work of art, kids with behavioral problems doing things like cutting the pants of other kids or throwing scissors which would halt my lessons, documenting the over 40+ IEP/504s/BPs every single day, the endless cleaning, kids crying, parents mad that a winter Art project was too “Christmas-y” for their JW student, being voluntold to work after hours, on my weekends, and over breaks…It was a nightmare.
There are aspects that I miss, but it wasn’t a fun profession. I used to set a timer between classes, typically about 2-5 minutes, sit under my desk and cry, then when the timer went off, take deep breaths, wipe my eyes, and let the next class in.
YouGov notes that when it comes to prospects, American teenagers mix pragmatism with idealism. The top things they prioritize in their future careers include money (22% of respondents said this is the most important to them), a sense of purpose or helping others (16%), fun (14%), work-life balance (10%), and the day-to-day activities they’d be doing (9%).
Things like career progression opportunities were important only to 5% of respondents. Also, less weighty job priorities for American teens included their colleagues (4%), the company’s values and ethics (also 4%), the brand’s popularity (1%), and the location of the job (also 1%).
When you put all of these factors together, you start to see a fairly nuanced picture take shape. These young people want financially stable jobs with a good work-life balance that are also enjoyable, purposeful, and aimed at helping others. In short, they want a balance between financial rewards and deeper fulfillment. And, to be honest, this matches what many adults probably want out of their careers, too.
#10
It has long work hours, unpredictable employment, and a totally different way of life than most regular jobs. It will cost your your relationships outside of work and your health.
It is absolutely a lot of fun to work on these sets. I would never want to do anything else. But it will absolutely ruin you.
#11
#12
It really, really wasn't. Well, the actual teaching part was, but the other 80% of the job was a real shitshow.
In this day and age, certain professions are far more popular than others among kids. The BBC reports that a YouGov survey of British children aged 6 to 17 found that a whopping 17% of kids wanted to be footballers (soccer, not hand-egg) while 16% dreamed of becoming game developers. 13% wanted to be doctors or nurses while 10% saw themselves as future fashion designers.
Meanwhile, a fifth of 10-year-old respondents wanted to become influencers, but just 6% of 15-year-olds saw it as something they’d like to do when they grew up. Unsurprisingly, political jobs weren’t popular among kids. Just 4% of respondents said they’d like to be activists or the prime minister. Compare that to 7% of respondents who wanted to be astronauts, vets, lawyers, or environmental scientists.
#13
#14
#15
*splileng mistakke.
These stories are a reminder that no matter what you do, where you work, and what your career plans are, it’s always helpful to be flexible, disciplined, and resilient. When you’re adaptable and have a reputation for perseverance, you’ll be able to find a path forward no matter the tough circumstances you find yourself in. Meanwhile, it’s also a great idea to develop your soft skills (e.g., empathy, communication skills, active listening) alongside all the technical skills you’ll need. You are far more employable and valuable when you’re able to work in a team and are, generally, a likable person.
Of course, you shouldn’t gaslight yourself into liking something you hate. You shouldn’t stay at a job if you’re in a toxic workplace environment or the stress from work is pummeling your health and relationships. But, at the end of the day, every job will throw situations at you where you wonder if it’s not better to quit or change career paths entirely. You have to look at your situation objectively and ask yourself whether you’re going through a temporarily tough period at work or if the entire situation is unsustainable and unsuitable for you.
#16
#17
People want everything with zero investment.
Stuff you need 2 years to master is already obsolete by the time you finish studying it.
#18
Sure, it's great fun blowing stuff up, like old buildings, oilwell fires, quarries, etc.
But the paperwork. Insane.
Need it to buy/order high explosives, transport them, obtain consumables, (caps, boosters, etc.), pages of explosive design, liability paperwork, proof of certification, use disbursement, dud reports, actual use, leftover reports...and in quadriplicate so the FBI, BLM, ATF, and local government can lose their own copies.
Still, blowing s**t up *is* fun...
There’s nothing wrong with admitting that you may have made a mistake and wasted some of your time, energy, and nerves. Instead of looking at the situation as a ‘failure’ of sorts, see it as an opportunity for growth. You’re not messing up, you’re getting real-world experience in a harsh and competitive environment. So, pivot. Learn something new. Take some courses. Apply to a bunch of companies, including those you’ve long dreamed about working at. And while you do have to be practical and consider what industries generative artificial intelligence will impact, nobody can see the future with certainty.
It’s okay to admit that the dreams and goals you’ve had aren’t the right fit for you anymore. Maybe you’ve outgrown them. Maybe you were seduced by the fame and money a particular career promised rather than the job itself. Or maybe some of those goals were never a good fit for you (you’re allowed to admit you were oh-so-incredibly wrong). Whatever the case might be, grab a pen and some paper and come up with some new goals. Don’t just keep all of your ideas and feelings in your head.
#19
#20
When I tell people that, they envision that I lead an exciting, jet-setting life. One wherein I have a ragged, stamp-filled passport tucked in a rucksack next to a dog-eared Frommer's guide and a Moleskine journal crammed with maps, notes and photos. And then I get to come home and spin up a rich narrative of satisfying adventures, unexpected delights, exotic foods, and moments of life-affirming connection with friendly locals and gorgeous scenery from all over the world.
Nope. I sit at a laptop in a home office in a very cold state, and write and submit blog posts, ads and websites based on assets pre-supplied by clients I don't actually get to meet, or visit. I've never once been flown to a single one of the stunning destinations I describe as such in order to try to entice OTHER people to visit them. It's all just speculation.
Still, overall? It beats digging ditches. And I get to write for a living in the age of AI. So I don't HATE it. It isn't "hell" *per se*. It's just way more Walter Mitty than Indiana Jones. Not what anyone expects.