Many, many years ago, I was sitting in my first job performance review. My manager was seated across from me, notebook out, and pen at the ready. She then asked me to describe my dream job. Young, clueless me didn't think twice about answering honestly.
"Being an archaeologist in the Middle East would be pretty cool." I could just see myself wearing a fedora and carrying a bullwhip.
"Hmm. OK...what else?"
"A marine biologist in the South Pacific." I mean, who wouldn't want to be Jacques Cousteau waking up to an ocean view every morning?
She gives an exasperated sigh as she puts her pen down. "Wayne. How about something in your field?"
"Ohhh. Right. Hmph. Let me get back to you on that one."
It's said that it's a rare and blessed person whose job is also their passion. I like to say my job is a paycheck that funds my passions. I'm OK with that - too much of a good thing and all. As an analogy, I suspect that if you had steak and lobster every night for dinner, you'd eventually get tired of steak and lobster.
Don't get me wrong. I actually like my job (for the most part) and the sense of accomplishment it gives me, but it can be pretty stressful. However, in the midst of this, like breaths of fresh air, I start thinking, "What's next?" How do I allocate those preciously hoarded resources of annual leave and discretionary funds. Then, in the middle of dealing with traffic, deadlines, and personnel, I start to dream - and smile.
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