Too Much of a Good Thing

Complacency is a common pitfall. You think you want a job where you can where pajamas all day until you realize that freedom often comes with a sense of isolation and your routines, even basic hygiene, just don't fall under such high standards when you really have no reason to be inoffensive. You think a life where you can eat anything you like and not work out sounds terrific until you start getting out of breath just walking up a short flight of stairs and you just don't appreciate food like you did on those rare cheat days.

I remember my dad and aunt both fancied the idea of retirement and it drove them crazy in a few short months. When you find your work fulfilling, you try to 'enjoy' these gobs of free time that you just didn't realize were at least partially fulfilled by that job you couldn't wait to leave. My dad has always loved construction. There are few buildings we can pass in the city of Cincinnati that he didn't help build or renovate. 

I'm glad to be out of retail jobs, for sure, but I really enjoy working around people. Which is an odd thing because I'm not highly social. I do get asked a lot if I'm okay when I end up working alone-- washing dishes, prepping tables--it always makes me laugh because, like one girl said who understood, it gives me time to enjoy my own head-space. I often enjoy conversation, even when it doesn't make much sense or isn't directed at me. I find that jobs where people are around energize me just as much as a solitary work environment.

I'm certainly not alone. Once people are willing to shed old perceptions like Type A or B personalities, or Myers-Briggs analyses, a lot of us find we're more accurately adaptive ambiverts and able to take on different levels of social challenges. It's not weird. It's not quirky. It's not even that confusing. It's 'not tonight, honey, I have a headache'-- same sentiment, different application.

Excess is just as bad when things seem too good. We need certain amounts of good and bad stress to appreciate most what we think we'd rather be doing. Some of us can't even manage to stay away from work even when we go on vacation. True, some people just don't know how to relax, but it's just as true that our work is sometimes our zen. Away from traditional environments like a formal workspace or cubicle, etc., it's possible we're even more curious as to what we might come up with in less formal settings.

Of course, some jobs, especially those that offer no mental stimulation (some factory jobs and so on), we're more than happy not to take home. I haven't always had the greatest jobs, so I can certainly say I know what it's like to be happy to forget. Yet I've also discovered there are some jobs that you take home with you, if only because you truly thrive and grow with it. I loved being a florist. It was what finally pushed me to go to school for graphic design. It was what filled my head with stories and art once more.

I've worked with plenty of people who were suspicious of why I loved my job. Show it too much and some of my bosses suspected I was just slacking off. However, it was because it kept me so busy, because of its unique challenges, that I made it look fun. In fact, I would often have periods of frustration when I encountered problems or messed up, but they just never compared to the joy I found in my work.

Sometimes people perceive a cheerful attitude as too much of a good thing, but I didn't think it applies at all. It's nonsense usually sparked by their own envy rather than actually being bad for you. No, when I say 'too much of a good thing', it's something that comes from telling ourselves an easier life is more fulfilling.

If you have any ambition in your soul, that spark never goes out. I've often repeated the adage that artists never retire, but it's not just limited to creatives. Many of us find happiness is embedded in the challenge of our skills. Even if we believe we have nothing more to learn, we still want to keep showing off those skills, perhaps even enjoying a little praise or awe for our efforts.

I don't know about you, but the satisfaction of wearing pajamas is all the more awesome for the hours you spend pining for them.