October 7, 2009
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Still Hungry for the Better Life?
I used to be able to outwork others. I wasn’t scared if my coworkers were smarter than I was or more qualified than I was. I knew I could outwork them because I was hungrier. I didn’t have a problem working long hours including weekends. Promotions came fast and easy. I got awards, decent reviews and decent raises.
It’s different now. I no longer want to work those crazy hours. Sometimes I still have to because of the workload. I don’t want to be an executive or move into a corner office. My values have changed. At work, I have to perform differently now to deliver the same quality of work. In the past couple of years, I had to rebuild my network of colleagues. It hasn’t been easy since most of the work I do is over the phone. In fact, over 75% of my meetings are conducted over the phone. This includes my annual performance review. But I’ve managed to slowly build this up. Having done that, I now need to make more contacts with those who have an ear and a voice to the inner company politics. I don’t mean using information to stab people in the back. But understanding some of the reasons behind decisions or getting a different perspective from those who have a view of the bigger picture.I also need to find a role that isn’t easy to be outsource. This one is tougher. I’ve already seen a reduction in my team and transfer of 1 job to another country. Every day I have to figure out how to catch my manager’s attention and show that I bring value to the business. He has a big team of seasoned veterans and it’s easy for me to get lost in the shuffle. So I have to make sure he knows about the work I do. I draw the line at 7:00AM meetings for now though.
While I’m not married to my work, I do have bills to pay. But I also know that I can’t just work 12 plus hours a day and do the same thing. I have to continue to reinvent myself and keep my own brand “refreshed” so to speak.
I’m not sure what sparked this entry. I think it was a combination of 2 things. I just visited one of my favorite sites “The Awesomer” . It’s just amazing to see what can happen with ingenuity, insight and lots hardwork. I was also watching a talkshow and the guest (an investment manager) told the host that he had visited many developing countries recently for a show on Discovery Channel. The countries include Cambodia, Thailand, Brazil, India and so on. He said he’s seen very qualified people (e.g. engineers) work long and hard because they want a better life. They are hungrier than Canadians or Americans. They want the better life that we have and they are going to outwork us for it. I think he’s right.
Comments (20)
Hard working ability is underrated sometimes. I would respect this quality more than just general intelligence.
@Roadlesstaken - man… you’re fast. I just realized something. I think you’re online 7/24. But seriously, I respect someone who works hard at his craft. But hard work alone can’t cut it anymore.
@ElusiveWords - Nah, you seem to update during the times I’m on haha. I’m about to head to bed soon, then work. Won’t be on Xanga for the next 12 hours at last.
@Roadlesstaken - You DO always seem to respond quickly! You must be a hardcore Xangan. I like it
@ElusiveWords - The thought of being unmotivated, or not motivated enough, in a work environment scares the crap out of me. I hear a lot of stories about people applying to 200-300 hundred jobs over a period of a few months all because they want something so bad. It scares me to think that I won’t be able to get a job unless I match that level of effort because I’m not sure that I’m capable of it.
So much of what you’ve written resonates with me. A factor in my decision to move to Thailand was that I realized that I did not want to continue the hard climb up the corporate ladder. For years I had managed a continent-wide team, flying 100,000 miles + a year, criss-crossing the country almost every week. I put in long hours and saw my boss and his boss working even harder. When Tawn decided to move back to Thailand and that door opened for me, I deliberated about what I wanted with my carreer. The answer was not to continue working so hard to get promoted, only to have to work harder.
Yes, people outside the US and Canada are hungrier and are willing to work very hard to pull themselves up. But a lot of those same cultures also seem to recognize the importance of balance in life. Family, friends, pleasure and relaxation are aspects of life that are integrated with work. Especially true here in Thailand, where if it isn’t fun, it isn’t worth doing.
“I used to be able to outwork others. I wasn’t scared if my coworkers were smarter than I was or more qualified than I was. I knew I could outwork them because I was hungrier. I didn’t have a problem working long hours including weekends. Promotions came fast and easy. I got awards, decent reviews and decent raises. “
My coworkers are smarter and more talented then me, and I try to outwork them, cept I don’t get decent raises or promotions…. =(
Agree with what Chris just said, I also think hard work and reward ‘work’ together in tandem. During the early stages of my corporate career, I experienced great disappointment of being ‘let go’ after working long hours for so many years in the same company. Nowadays, my mentality is: “I’m not married to my work.”
Too often men define themselves by the work they do – let that idea go. And no one is married to their work.
Being reliable and consistent are also pretty darn important too
I was so into my job at one time, I was talking in my sleep, actually was sleepwalking once, yapping about orders and shipments that had to be finished the next day. My woman at the time thought I’d gone totally bonkers. I’dopen the factory at 5 am, fire up 2 presses, and run a cutter in this printing shop, I was doing 3 people’s work because one quit and the other was off from an injury. I worked 7 days a week – 15 hours a day for almost a year.
It was insane. All work and no play makes you a crazy fuck.
May you find what you are looking for
@secade - sometimes it’s not the quantity of applications. You still have to tailor your covering letter and resume to specific positions.
@christao408 - yeah, the impact on health and work life balance are serious considerations too. Thanks for sharing your story.
@inchyguy - it’ll come, just keep impressing your mgm’t team. Sometimes there might be a hiring freeze, promotion freeze or even a pay freeze.
@CurryPuffy - that’s a great philosophy to live by. I try not to work too many long hours but work still encroaches on my life.
@Fatcat723 - I’ve struggled with that too and for the most part am over it.
@yang1815 - I would agree. In some companies though, that still isn’t good enough – not sure why though.
@dikdoktor - burn out! Man – you were probably just running on fumes.
@TheCheshireGrins - thanks, I hope so too.
Robert has, as always, said all that needs to be said on this subject.
I try to make sure my work/life balance is even. I can’t imagine being a doctor or something and being on call at all times. Anyhow, this picture I found regarding your post definitely gave me a chuckle, http://19.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kqroaoEm9U1qzu292o1_500.png
@ElusiveWords - Perhaps high-tech companies?
@ElusiveWords - It’s such an elaborate process, and it’s really difficult to know exactly what people are looking for. Life is scary outside academia.
Above all Matt, you do not want to get burnt out by what you do. Hard work, respect, and the intelligence that goes with the kind of work you do, is very hard to find. Just do what you can, but have fun. Above all, enjoy what you do.
I’m glad you don’t want to overwork yourself for things that may not matter. I somewhat dislike the idea of a better life because there is no limit to that. And I worry about those people who would do whatever it takes (doing things unethically) to get to where they want to be.
I agree with Zsa_MD, very wise.
I’ve always wanted to just be able to
pay my bills and live semi-comfortably.
To provide for myself and my family (Nathan)
and smile some along the way.
So far so good…
Be well Matt
@ZSA_MD - there’s a few people that depend on me a lot so I’m going to be very careful not to burn out.
@mmmagination - so far I haven’t done anything unethical in my company. I doubt if I will.
@bleuzeus - I want something similar too. Maybe comfortably instead of semi comfortably.
You keep smiling.