honeymoon is over

Complaining at work is a good way to vent, but too much of it becomes a burden.

I don’t have much to complain about because I have not been at my work long enough. Also, I believe in fate too much to want to say anything against the status quo. Still, it surprises me that there are a couple of people who only have to whine about management.

Today, in the middle of a crunch project, I listened unwillingly to some very angry venting. I miss having my own office with a door!

True, there are plenty of fundamental problems with my office, and that’s why the turnover is so high. I realized that the complainers are the people who don’t do much about their situation; they just whine. The doers move on.

This week, two managers resigned. They both felt that they could not change and could not handle the negatives here. It does make me wonder: will I make real changes, accept the status quo, or just move on?

the relationship of work

Working with ambitious colleagues is so much easier than all other interactions in life.

Everyone is eager to get things done and want to achieve to advance their careers. Most people communicate exactly what they want or expect. Even if the expectations are not met, at least there are instructions. If you are or deal with attorneys, then expect the endless paper trail for you to read at leisure.

Why can’t the rest of life be like that? Parents with too many expectations? If family relations were like professional ties, then get the demands to me in writing. Better yet, write me an e-mail, and I will try to respond within a day. No one would be upset about being transferred directly to VM.

Significant others who are not communicating? Here is my memo on what we need to discuss, complete with bullet points.

In the age of prenups and workaholics, maybe this is the way to go. Two key points:

• lower expectations
• clear communications

what we need

I don’t understand how my sister can give so much to other people. During my visit to her over the weekend, she did not do even one thing just for herself. From the time I landed, it was non-stop attention. She took a day off just for me, and I was fed gourmet food. No wonder everyone says that my brother-in-law is lucky. I need a wife like my sister too!

*****
Guess it’s personality. I just don’t have what it takes to give so much. That’s why friends are so important to me. It’s giving, but on my own terms. My life is so planned, so I don’t have to anticipate what everyone else needs. We are having dinner at a certain time or going to a museum on a particular day.

Besides, the limited time that I interact with people means that they are usually on their best behavior. I try not to make dinner plans with friends on Fridays; they are usually tired and grouchy from the work week.

*****
How else is a person going to do all the things that they want to do? My sister has piles of magazines that she is waiting to read. She has a basket of crafts projects started but not finished. Her life is always about other people.

*****
My life is about people too, but it’s just the best part of other people. I subscribe to the gas-mask theory. The instructions that flight attendants give you is to secure your own gas mask before helping others. I can only give to others as much as I give myself.