Friday, July 21, 2006

Lack of Initiative

We all need breaks.

I remember sitting in the water, on the beach, slow waves moving past me, rolling past me to move a bit of sand on the shore. Me letting the waves move my body, almost massage my body, my mind just enjoying being moved, thanking the sun for delivering thought-removing rays.

I don't visit the beach as often as I should. I love sitting and relaxing in the water. Not thinking of the mercury poisoning, the dead fish, the seagulls and going back to the sand – and everybody else's garbage can (I think beach is French for garbage can, actually).

Mallory said something recently about not realizing how good one has it – and I think that's why we all need breaks. I have been working all week, but it is sort of a mini-vacation because I have not done a darned thing. I hope my boss is not reading this.

You know, until I wrote that, I did not really realize that I could have basically taken the week off. I mean, I felt like I was at work half the time, but I accomplished absolutely nothing. I should have mentally taken the week off – an employee-sponsored vacation that does not deplete my vacation leave. That's what it would have been. Sadly, I am not sure my employer would have noticed the hiatus. Perhaps not sadly, if I play my cards right.

If I had more initiative, I could . . . . You can fill in the blanks.

Think about how to fill in the blanks, though. If you had more initiative, you could do a heck of a good job at work and get a small raise at the next performance appraisal time period. Oh, that 2.5% looks mighty tempting.

Or you could get more responsibility, take on more risk and get perhaps a five to ten percent raise. Then the boss wants you to do more each freaking day! Doesn't seem like a plan for me. Oh, and I did not even mention the added stress, the heart disease, whatever.

Or you could work full time, do what you normally do, and then work on a second job while at work. For those of you with nice offices – perhaps you can sublet. For me, I could collect extra income for storage – there are lots of closets in our work. I have the keys to these storage closets, and no one ever takes anything out of them. I would simply discard the stuff – old records and whatever – and then collect rent to store things for others.

I could even squeeze in a full-time job while working. Well, if I am motivated, does it make more sense to work darned hard for the 2.5% to perhaps five or ten percent, or get like 50% more with a part-time job. That kind of math I can do.

Oh, but I have to be motivated. Well, guess I will just start visiting other people's blogs and answering comments. Hubbie can bring home the bacon!

8 comments:

Dizzie said...

It's true - I could really use a break from my own life for a while. We don't see what we have until it's gone, and then it's too late to appreciate it. I'm in a stage where I have so much going on for me I can't simply sit back and enjoy it.
I need a break...

Anybody want to trade lives for a little while? :)

MOAB said...

...na na na na--fry it upin a pan...
sorry...you started it.

Go ahead and take that break hon, you deserve it.

Pittchick said...

I'm taking a week off next month and I'm not going to do a damn thing!

Tony said...

It seems like too much work to write about work while at work. Work, work, work. That's six times in two sentences. Your life sentence is work. Your sentence in life is work. You work to write a sentence in your life.

Think you I break need.

Leesa said...

heart: not trading.

monica: yeah, I was thinking that.

dna: I want to take a month off next week. Better!

tony: fingers tired?

Stacy The Peanut Queen said...

You know, I could head due east or due west and hit a beach within an hour...and do you know I hardly EVER get to the beach anymore? I hate it...because I LOVE the beach....the sun...even the sand when it gets in those hard to reach places!

DEFINITELY let hubby bring home the bacon...and don't forget your sunscreen...;)

The Seeker said...

My next door neighbor works as a receptionist full time in an office and is a wedding planner at the same time. The company actually encourages her to do so. She runs 6 other wedding planners from her day job. How fab is that?

Leesa said...

stacy: that is weird, not to go to the beach much anymore.

seeker: interesting. she may make more as the wedding planner than as the receptionist.