On a grey & wet Monday most people are feeling pretty
pissed off with having to get out of their warm bed, join the rat race and go
to work and I am just feeling indifferent.
I know I have to go to the office and I expect to do a few bits and pieces but really showing up is the only
essential thing to do. I shouldn’t be
too complacent as my experience today isn’t completely typical but it is
common. 
Anyway I feel I have done my time. In other jobs I have
worked very long hours, had to deal with a lot of stressful situations due to the pressure of
workload or just having to deal with very difficult characters (and regularly a combination of both) done loads of colleagues favours and rarely have
I been acknowledged, given any credit for the efficiency and
effectiveness or sometimes even thanked. For the most part I have gone over and above the basic job
description requirements – but then in many of the jobs I have done, so many of
my achievements are difficult to quantify as they are ‘soft skill’ gains.
But here I am on Monday 4th June 2012, tucked away from
the prying eyes of those that ‘manage’ the organization that I am employed
by. So now I am in a job where I am (like
one or two other jobs over my so called career) here on a ‘just in case’
basis. It used to concern me, I felt like I was
treading water and at the extreme, I was very bored, frustrated and in the ‘honey
trap’ of a comfortable well paid but mediocre job. These jobs used to leave me with too much
time to think about all the things I really wanted to achieve and as though I
was not fulfilling my potential but then the only person encouraging me was me –
my internal voices. The little angel
on one shoulder saying “… why are you settling for this, with effort,
application and focus you could progress and do a job that is really useful,
meaningful, would increase your remuneration, status, power and enjoyment in
your working life because you get a lot of your self-esteem from working and
being seen to do a great job. So why are
you still in this job when you are capable of achieving so much more”?
The little devil says “… milk it, what have these people
done for you, because of passive/aggressive management and a little dust under
the carpet sweeping, you have been insulted by being offered this role and
nothing else, so keep under the radar, take the money and smile sweetly. Carry on getting your protected full-time salary
and benefits and make your own part-time job by coming in late and where
possible going early, take strategic ‘swing the lead’ days and duvet days. A lot of other people do it so if you don’t
you are just a mug. Keep your trap shut
and make the most of it”
So my day today - woke up at 7.45am and got out of bed
before ‘himself’, pottered about and made breakfast, including feeding the cat
and the local birds. Kissed ‘himself’
goodbye for the day and left the house around 9.30am and the train was
thankfully only half full, so had a comfy ride in. Pleasant (but chilly) 15 minute walk to work
and in by 10.20am. Did a few emails (an interaction
with one report and checked on another report who has an office close by, I
could see she wasn’t in) and then left for the gym at 11.20am.
In the gym and on the first piece of cardio
equipment by 11.40am, did the weights, stretching, swim, sauna and shower and
was back at work by 2pm. Heated up my
delicious stir-fry of mushroom vegetable & green bean noodle thing, had
some nuts and read my 4 or 5 emails that arrived during my absence. Nothing urgent and only necessitated one
interaction with a colleague and not a report.
So having done my personal admin and bored by 3.15pm so
despite the rain, went for a long walk around the shops and did my chores and
got a small hot chocolate and came back on PT so avoid the murk. Back in the office at 4.30pm and luckily saw another
report in the corridor, so face clocked. Result.
Now typing this and listening to my favourite radio show in my cute
little office and counting down to payday at the end of the week.
I worry that from a management point of view this cannot
be sustainable but that is for them to deal with I guess. I do have my email alerts on so if anyone did
need me or if someone knocked on my door with a request I would give it my full
attention but if they don’t then my days of going looking for work have come to
an end. I am an angel occasionally but
today they devil has the upper hand….!
So the mantra at the moment is on the days that I have to
do the main part of my job I will be front and centre, but on the days that are
a little more, let’s say undefined…. I will try to get to the gym at least 3
work days per week as well as get as much fresh air and exercise as can be reasonably
be achieved to make the 7.25 hours a day as tolerable as possible. I have plenty of flab to tackle – this is
not a picture of personal flab but mine sure looks similar and want to look more like
this within six months. 
To pinch only an inch is my personal KPI, currently I am pinching
a yard…
Now there’s a mission statement !!!
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