Notice I didn't say "if I make things smooth for me".
The more difficult the challenge, the more I like the job. I like puzzles, I like piecing things together, and I love it when someone throws me a curve ball mid-stream. I thrive on that environment, however, not everyone does. There are a small handful of people in my office who's jobs it is to take a jumbled mess of a puzzle and lay it out so that our team can come in and complete it without losing their minds. I love that and if it were already laid out for me, I would have probably grown bored with things years ago.
Let's pause for a moment to give me a chance to say that I DO not like this atmosphere in my personal life. I like order, I like ease and I like smooth the moment I step foot in my front door. It would be easy to pull out the pocket psychologist and retort that this is clearly a result of constantly using brain things while in the office, but that just isn't true. I've always preferred a calm home and I haven't always worked in crazy town.
Crazy in the office gives me something to solve, crazy in a home causes me to break down.
I've thought about this a lot lately, especially as I start to face a time in my career where I'll start to see a huge shift from daily front line activity to more of a planning from a birds eye view role. Why do I love the chaos I work with at work but hate it at home? Is it because I like the outcome at work? Recognition? Realization of a job well done? An entire team working harmoniously because I've helped them to bring order to things? At home, who sees that? The Schmoo Cat? The Sweet Boy who already tells me how wonderful I am on a regular basis? I'm not sure.
Perhaps it's a classic "If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it still make a sound" situation.
What are some areas in your life that are as different as night and day but you thrive well in both scenarios? I'd love to hear what make all of my readers tick.
2 comments:
I am kind of that way too Erin, except that the chaos of work is always at home with me.
I love variety and although I do get stressed under pressure, I'm usually able to take a deep breath, prioritize and get things done.
However when I'm done with the chaos of my day, I really just want a clean house, and a peaceful calm environment to relax and enjoy life. Simplicity.
I think it just means we use both sides of our brains and can appreciate both parts of being busy, yet finding time to relax and enjoy the little things.
Chaos at home usually means something uncomfortable is happening, while chaos at work just means things are hoppin' and we are getting it done! Might feel like a night and day difference, but that's because it is... coming home at the end of the day should feel like a retreat, don't you think? ;)
I am schitzophrenic in this regard I think... I don't mind a messy craft room, or even a pile of laundry on the couch or whatever, but the little bits and pieces left all over the place make me crazy. For example - if there are some dirty clothes on the floor of the bathroom, it's cool for a day or two, but if there is a flashlight or needlenose pliers or some other random items that don't BELONG IN THE BATHROOM, I lose my mind. Does this make sense? Ugh.
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