Blasting Cranes In The Sky in my headphones every morning as I pour a cup of coffee become a daily ritual, just to stay awake at my desk, wishing I would have applied to grad school to avoid having to work so soon. And a heads up on how many times you'd have to use the bathroom per day after drinking that coffee would have been helpful.... I've learned my lesson.
On my first day, I was nervous. I'm always nervous when I can't predict the outcomes of something I have to face, and this was going to be a daily thing. That didn't stop me from putting on my bowtie and making sure everyone in the room knew my name before I sat down. The first few days of training were packed with new information and a few inside jokes from people who watched The Hunger Games and the Office; I couldn't relate, so I just smiled as if I knew what everyone was talking about.
It's been about seven weeks on the job, and honestly, its just like going to school. You sit at your desk and do you work until its time for lunch. The work is unpredictable, because you never know what someone is going to need you to assist them with. I work in the Human Resources department, and that's pretty much a fancy way of saying, "I'm here to fix other people's mistakes." If you want a good laugh, look at the Urban Dictionary definition of Human Resources. (no, like seriously look at it) I love it tho. I have my days where I can run circles around people and find a solution before they even finish telling me what went wrong, or I can be the unbothered associate who just gives the generic answer. (I couldn't think of a good masculine word for bitchy...) There are days when I have to print off a sudoku puzzle or eat whatever snacks my friend buys from the Cosentino's Market across the street; to take my mind off the madness. For a good three weeks straight, I had to put in headphones and listen to one of Solange's songs whenever I got up from my desk to keep my mind at ease. I've never really noticed how many people have backwards thought processes. Either way it goes, I enjoy my job when I know what Im doing.
I had my first day that I was completely over my job and wanted to just take a nap the other day. Sleeping seems to solve all of my problems that alcohol doesn't fix. My workload seemed like it doubled and I wasn't able to control it. My email inbox piled up and the cases I was working on went from zero to a hundred. Typically, I'd complain and insert sarcastic remarks on what happened, but it happens to everyone. You can be a student, teacher, corporate employee to an executive director, even a damn drug dealer! You're going to eventually complain or get irritated by stress. The real challenge in life is finding a way to balance that stress and producing a better outcome each time. Ive found what works for me, and you have to find what works for you.
Personal growth is important. You should never feel like the same person you were a month ago! Try starting with a list of five things that stress and irritate you, and five things that you can do to remove stress from your mind, and go be a better you!
-mike erv.