I have to go back to working in an office on Monday. Honestly, I’m not too excited about it.
Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do and I love the people I do it with. And having not really seen them over the last 12 weeks that I’ve been working from home, I miss them. It’ll be good to see their faces and talk to them in person.
But I’ve been in a really good space since I’ve been working from home. I’ve always wanted to try it to see what it was like and I have to admit … it’s way better than I thought it would be. I absolutely love it. I don’t want it to end.
I’m eating better and exercising more. I’ve lost weight. I have zero commute which is saving me an hour a day of my life, saving me money in gas, and saving me frustration with other drivers. Meetings at work are shorter. Hugs from my family last longer. I have more focused time where no one is interrupting me which makes me a better worker.
I am in the best place I’ve ever been mentally, physically, and spiritually. Ever.
On Monday that will come to an end.
I’ll go back to an office where there are people I love. Which is awesome. But I’ll also be returning to an office where there are amazingly bright fluorescent lights that give me headaches and conversations that distract all around. I will no longer be in an environment conducive to getting work done. I will be in an environment conducive to being around other people who are all attempting to get work done.
Like I said, I am not excited about it. If I had my way I would extend the work from home ability to everyone from here on out. But right now I don’t have that option.
So What Do You Do?
Right. So what do you do when things don’t go your way? This is a bigger question than just working from home. What happens when your plans don’t work out like you thought they would? What happens when that thing you were doing didn’t turn out the way you wanted? What happens when things in general don’t go your way?
I think we have a few options.
Whining and Complaining
Option 1 is to whine and complain about it. I kind of feel like I was doing a little of that above. People hear this and they recognize it, but it’s not attractive. Other folks will tune you out sooner rather than later. It gets old really fast and let’s be honest … no one wants to listen to a whiner.
Suck It Up Buttercup
The second option is just to deal with it. Things are the way they are and there isn’t much you can do about it. You can’t change anything about the situation so you might as well just be okay with it. Resign yourself to the fact that “it is what it is” and move along.
Be the Change
Option 3 is to create change. If you don’t like the way things went or the way they are then it’s up to you to talk about it. Work to suggest and attempt to implement change. Talk to the people that have the power to enact change where you are. But don’t just whine about it. Bring suggestions to the table. You have to provide solutions, not just problems.
Move On
The last option is to just move on from where you are and find something else that does things the way you want them to be done. If it’s your job and you’ve suggested changes and they won’t budge and that thing that you’re frustrated about is that big of a deal to you, then quit and find something else that does things the way you want. If you tried a thing and it failed and changing how it works is impossible, then come up with a different idea and try that next. Sometimes ideas need to be abandoned and new ones thought up and created. That’s part of the creative process. Just because things didn’t turn out like you thought they would doesn’t mean that the idea you had was a failure. It will probably help you get further down the road in your next idea.
I love what I’m doing right now and I love the people I’m doing it with. I feel like I’m in the right job doing the right thing. During this time of working from home I feel like I have been a more effective employee, a better person, and a better family member.
Do I wish I didn’t have to work in an office? Yes. 100%. I’ve learned that for me, working from home is a reality that I love and want to continue. So you can bet that my first instinct will be to fight for change where I work. I’ll start there and we’ll see how it goes.
And if that doesn’t work? Well, I’ll just come back to this post and figure out the next thing when we get there.