I’ve been filled with a terrible ennui for the last few weeks, not just for blogging, but for pretty much everything work related. It’s been really frustrating me - I don’t like to be apathetic and grumpy about work all the time - and I couldn’t work out what was up. And then I thought about it a bit more, and realised that not only is it the end of the year, but I’ve also been at MPOW for a year now. It’s not the biggest milestone ever, but it’s enough that it’s been causing me to look back on the year and dwell on all the things I hadn’t achieved. Which is completely the wrong way to go about it.
So, in an attempt to spruce up my spirts, and try and get some perspective on the past year, I’ve been thinking about about what I’ve achieved this year, and what I’m thankful for (too late for Thanksgiving, I know, but as I don’t celebrate it anyway, I figure that any time is a good time to remember to be thankful).
This has been a good year for me – I have a lot to be proud of. I’ve achieved things that I didn’t think I would have, I started writing this blog, I’ve done awesome things at my work and for my career that I’m really happy about, I’ve learned things and changed things and been happy, and all in all I don’t really have very much to complain about.
Despite this, it’s really hard for me not to hit that wall at the end of the year though. It’s just in my nature. And it seems to be the time where everyone becomes frustrated and disgruntled, looking for changes that just haven’t happened. I’m trying to keep the good things in front of me, but it’s very hard not to focus on all of the things that I haven’t achieved, that haven’t been done yet, and that don’t look set to change anytime soon.
So how to keep my head above the water? Well, I’ve been reading lots of great and inspirational blogs – not library blogs, but career oriented blogs, mostly aimed at millennials/gen-y workers and the angst associated with it (a bit self-indulgent, I know, but educational and motivating at the same time). I’d recommend Modite, Employee Evolution, and Brazen Careerist (even when I want to yell at her for being difficult) as gen-y aimed blogs that help keep me focused on my goals, whilst also helping me be oriented as a young but (relatively) ambitious worker in an industry that it’s (relatively) difficult to be ambitious in. And blogs like Web Worker Daily, and ProBlogger Daily help my motivation to blog and be proactive – I don’t really want to blog as a career, but they make it sound so appealing! Surrounding myself with these positive examples really does help, even though it doesn’t seem like it some days.
How about you all? This time of year get you down? Any tips to share on beating that mid-winter, year-end ennui?
December 12th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
That’s just the festive season messing with you. Top tip - start planning your projects for next year and get a good balance of essential vs. engaging stuff lined up for when you get back. I also find it helps to spend December getting all David Allen on your unsuspecting workspace. I tend to speed up this time of year, February is always my dark month. February is utter pants, cold, dark, unexciting and tiring. Any tips for dealing with February?
December 12th, 2007 at 10:20 pm
I don’t know if I’m quite organised to go all hardcore GTD - I tend to try it for a week or so and then lose momentum. Maybe a new years resolution?
And at least February doesn’t have an onslaught of horrid Christmas decorations and faux-cheeriness, combined with everyone in the universe trying to get their work finished for the year, which equals way too much work for me. I’ll deal with February when I get to it :p