When You Can't Help Falling Asleep on the Job

Certain jobs or tasks can be so mind numbing at times. This doesn't necessarily include busy work, like setting up meetings, emailing, or reading reports that could use a little spicing up. When I say mind numbing, I mean where your eyes either start to cross, roll into the back of your head, or their lids start to cover them without asking your permission. Activities such as entering numbers into a database or simple repetitive tasks that require no real thought conjure extreme feelings of lassitude and desperation. We've all been there at some time or another.

In thinking about jobs, it becomes clearer all the time that there is no "perfect" job. This will not come as a surprise to most people. However, sometimes one carries the misconception around with them that there is an "almost perfect" job out there somewhere. It stands to reason that there are jobs that are better suited to one's personality and talents than others, and one's happiness will probably not fare so well if one were to choose a career that does not create a good match with their abilities and interests. That being said, you can't just live on air. Bills must be paid, and sometimes one must settle for the closest thing to or farthest thing from the "ideal job" one fantasizes about. What's also funny is that even the most ideal job, if one is able to secure such a job, will inevitably bring moments of headache, frustration, and disappointment. The question is, how often does your job evoke such feelings? If the answer is "quite often," perhaps a change of careers is in order. If the answer is "once in awhile," that's probably par for the course. It's true, no job is perfect, but some vocations hit closer to the mark than others depending on what interests you or what makes you feel like you're contributing in an important way to society and the world.

Another career issue that often emerges is the feeling of not really making a mark on the world with one's current work and efforts. It's true, sometimes you can't see the actual fruits of your labor, or your blood sweat and tears seem for nothing. Despite these feelings of futility, one must remember that any form of honest work is useful work. Such work benefits society, one's employer, and certainly oneself in terms of character building, intellect, and breadth of life experience. Novel ideas and more exciting job prospects often stem from unlikely sources and career paths. Furthermore, just because you can't see the direct results of your 40 hours a week doesn't mean there aren't any. What's even more interesting is that there are those who choose to do less stimulating and revolutionary work during the day, but they do what they truly enjoy and are passionate about after hours or on the weekends. Where there's a will to do important things, big or small, there's a way to accomplish them.