01-09-16 4:11pm

I think so. For skill sets to develop, you often need a hefty store of internal motivation that makes you want to keep going even when you're faced with challenges. Goals, etc. that push you to actually become good at (x)thing.

However, I'm a big fan of the undiscovered skill set. I recently discovered that I am a superstar with customer service, something I went my whole life thinking I would hate due to the horror stories that are played up in movies, by friends in retail, etc. I enjoy helping people learn how to navigate my company, so I'm pretty good at it. There are no goals behind it for me or things that motivate me, really, except genuinely wanting to connect with our customers and ensure that they have the best possible experience with our resources. Idk, it's weird.

At the same time, I've been a professional pianist for the past six years, and I lost most of my passion for music back in high school. I kept going because it made me enough money to pay for college, and of course playing piano for a living beats the hell out of the vast majority of 9-to-5's that my friends are already getting sucked into. But, I have to practice in order to stay as good as I've always been, or get better. Practicing without passion can be tough, but I still enjoy practicing and performing because it's not as challenging to me after clocking like 17 years of serious work at the bench.

Sorry if that was way too long and self-absorbed! Your question just made me think. =)

Is there a specific quandary in your life that you're pondering?

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01-14-16 10:13pm

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Re: , 01-14-16 10:13pm

thank you for your well thought out answer!

I have been working in insurance for 5 and a half years now, and I am really good at my job. but I find the longer I'm there, while I become more skilled, the more I don't like it. I'm not sure if it's just what I'm doing right now or if it's the industry.

my work constantly has us making goals and writing them down and our pay is based off our performance. that is really all the motivation I need to keep challenging myself I guess..

I just am hoping that I will start to enjoy work more or else I'll go crazy. I have a BA in Business Management, and I feel like I can't use it for anything, and I have so much insurance experience that switching to something else would set me back too far (I make a really amazing wage right now for my age in this city). I just hate how much I don't want to be at work.

I am at a complete loss on how to make a decision and I feel completely paralyzed and trapped.

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Re: Re: , 01-18-16 11:16am

Mmmm, I feel that; I remember you've been working at the insurance company for a while.

Money and security are good motivators; it all comes down to survival at some level. As far as actually enjoying the life you're working for, I've found that the more we're willing to invest in a job or a place, the more we'll get out of it in return. Building relationships with people and/or working to find solutions to chronic problems that hinder your workplace are good springboards into finding meaningful reasons as to why you actually decide to show up every day--those are areas I've developed at jobs I wasn't all that passionate about, and I can tell you firsthand that investing more of my personal energy and care made all the difference.

Caring is hard and takes more energy, but it's a good way to test whether there's any room for growth. That's my two cents. =P

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