The Freedom that Comes from Job Loss

It's barely five in the morning and I've been up since 2:45. Not because I was tossing and turning but rather because I was so eager to get the week started.

It is both strange and delightful at the same time that for the first time in many, many years, I actually look forward to waking up in the morning. I am giddy when going to bed thinking of all the things I will be able to do the next day.

I really did enjoy the job that I lost in August. But now I'm starting to realize there were A LOT of things I didn't like at all. For instance, the meetings. Oh my, that monthly Operational Metrics meeting that our Six Sigma emblazoned COO so rigidly enforced... that's history for me! No more staying late into the wee hours trying to make Salesforce.com give me the reports I need. No more spending an hour detailing the activity that lead to a Closed - Won or Closed - Lost Opportunity. No more logging in excruciating detail my call notes. No more call quota. No more back stabbing sales engineer sucking up to the boss by making everyone else look pathetic.

I say this knowing full well that I will jump at the opportunity to get back into the workforce. But then I ask myself, Why? Are my bills current? Yes. Am I making enough money mystery shopping to make ends meet? Well, I am right now.

I will take this lesson learned with me to my next J-O-B. The place I am interviewing is a start-up with just 7 employees. No process. No ridiculous rules or formal reporting. Just a "get it done" attitude that is the essence of what work is all about. Strip out the mindless bureaucracy and you are left with the actual work. In some places, there's very little in the way of work and more in the way of making it look like you've been busy. I don't have the job yet, but it is representative of where I'd like to land when I do get hired.

Sorry for the rambling. I've been thinking a lot lately about how much clutter there is in most work environments. Right now I am my own boss, so I do things efficiently and I only report to myself. Cut the extraneous crap and I actually like the art of working.