I’ve been wondering and pondering for just about the last two months on how to write my closure blog posts from my previous job, and it’s just not coming to me. Initially I was going to write something pretty specific about my situation, but I feared it would just end up as a long winded rant. So instead, I’m going to take a step back and write about the high level events that happened as a lessons learned. Once those are out of the way, perhaps I’ll see if it’s a bit more appropriate to go into my own specifics. We’ll see :).

Regardless, I need to write these posts to just get it out of me so that I can start to move onto the next thing. So here we go.

It’s always hard to leave a company, especially even harder to leave via a downsizing event, otherwise called a “resource action” in company lingo. But it happens. The confluence of the wrong time with the wrong project with all the stars aligned can target anyone. I’ve seen enough highly qualified people before me get “RA’d”, so at some point in time, you begin to feel like it’s only a matter of time. Apparently my card was drawn and my time came.

I’m not particularly bitter about the reason for the dismissal, though I may have some issue with how it all came about (but I’ll save that for a subsequent post). I wont get the grandness of saying it was mutual, but to some extent, the last project I was working on, I just didn’t believe in it. Now, being freshly unemployed and looking for a new job, that’s probably not the most strategic thing to say, but at the same time, if you’re someone who is going to employ me, are reading this, and don’t understand the concept of personal value and belief in a project being a crucial item for success, we may be reading from different books of productivity.

I understand that everyone, at some point, needs to work on things they may not be that enthused about. It’s a fact of life: taxes, medical paperwork, maintaining that blog site… oh wait. Well, you get the drift. A salary earning job can certainly qualify as something you need to do out of obligation over interest, but it really shouldn’t be. If you are just trudging through, you’re wasting your own talent and time as well as the efficiency of productivity that could otherwise be attained by someone else that may be genuinely enthusiastic about the opportunity. In other words, you’re getting in your own way, you’re getting in your employer’s way, you’re getting in the way of that guy or gal that really wants to do what you heartlessly slog through. You’re probably becoming one of those people that on any other day you would look down upon for dispassionately doing their job.

Cutting to the chase: You really need to know when to play your cards and decide to move on so that you can find something that motivates, interests and makes you feel energized to tackle all the problems associated with it. You want to become truly vested in your project and its success, not just a hapless bystander.

Complacency is a deadly disease and one that is hard to spot or get out of if you’re mired in it.

Take a look around. Are you doing something you like? Are you doing something of value? Do you believe in your work or your project? If any of those are “no”, start looking for the exit. Because even if you don’t realize it, it may start to show. Once it does, you may also become susceptible to just being “cut”. It’s actually a good thing if you recognize it, because it will mean that you’re taking that crucial step out of complacently doing a heartless job and moving to better pastures. But be sure to recognize it and learn how to manage and leverage your situation to get into something you want to be passionately doing.

Passion for life, we all know about; but passion for work is equally valid. Find what you love to do in life and in work. That’s what my search is about now. Ping me if you think you have a fun fit for me, I’m all ears :). In the meantime, I’m going to do a little soul searching and exploring. Stick along for the ride.

* Kitty images courtesy of placekitten Cause really, what would be appropriate images for a resource action… may as well give you happy little kitties…