Having Fun for your Own Good
Do you ever wonder how come you didn't get fired from your first job? That's only recently I have been puzzled by this and yes, I was super lucky.
Made a lot of stupid mistakes... But, I had so much fun. I guess if the school realized how much fun I had, they would've actually asked me to pay to do the job.
I was a CA (Resident Assistant, in the summer) and I used to ride those big campus carts between the 150 tremont and 10 West Buildings at full speed. Even inside the buildings, don't tell anyone :). The best course though was the downhill from Miller Hall to 150, I felt like superman gliding with wild laughs. Call it "young and stupid".
The next summer I had a job at the RMV in Watertown, there also I had a lot of little things that kept me having wild fun. I probably rode the Hubway bikes the fastest between Lechmere and Harvard. The extra bonus, I had the chance to meet all types of people. Loved every bit of it, my coworkers were very kind. The next time you go to a RMV/DMV be nice to the people serving you. The job is super hard and draining.
During the next two years, I got to tutor topics that gave some cold sweats, courses like Accounting, Macro-Micro Economics... Even then, I always had the intuition to spit out fun examples, to make myself laugh and get pumped. The strange effect: students worried less about whatever test, had fun and "ahah" moments that helped them understand those silly but useful concepts.
By now, you have probably guessed it, it is super important to have fun. The people around you will be amazed at your level of energy and you will innevitably do a good job.
I think that's really key. When you grow up, you start noticing some people getting bitter as the years pass. That's unfortunate and that leads to all types of bad habits: negative self-talk, hopelessness, less in control over circumstances etc...
As it is impossible to enjoy everything you do in life, it is super important to vehemently search out the silly things that pump you with energy, humor and positivity. Same goes with your work, craft, art, whatever...
That's only now that I realize that I will never meet some of the people I met in college. But hey, I wish that every morning, you wake up wanting to crush whatever you're doing and most importantly have fun even in the most mundane tasks. At times it will seem almost impossible to find anything fun, but there's always a possibility.
With the internet and InstantChatGramApps, it is really easy to believe that "the grass is greener on the other side". I think more often than not, it's just different, not necessarily greener.
So believe in your work but don't take yourself too seriously. Keep your inner child. Challenge yourself while having fun. Get happier not bitter.
I work ten hour days that get overly depressing and dull. Sometimes the only fun I can find is riding the forklift at top speed and skidding it to a stop and leaving black marks on the pavement!