the work boredom thread

[Anthony Williams]

hello all!

this is the place to post when you're bored of work (whether it be your job, or whether it be something like essay writing)

so tell us what you're bored of!

right now, i'm bored of this dreary assessment that I have to write on the Emperor Augustus! I'm trying to get the first draft finished by the end of today, and then it's due in on Thursday.

Ant x

[Pip Madeley]

Students, bloody work-shy scum.

[Si Hunt]

I shall post to this thread tomorrow, Tuesday, and on the final three days of next week.

Si.

[Stephen Morgan]

Yes, I'm fed up of work, I'm fed up of being treated like shit, passed over for jobs I know I'm capable of, fed up of people's attitide and fed up of being bossed around by a little shit who knows nothing else.
Mind you, two recent family bereavements haven't helped my attitude to work lately, I'm just tired and run down.

Viv goes into hospital today, I am pushing myself to do some overtime this week, including a twelve hour shift tonight after I come back from the hospital. I'm doing this because I'm going for a month on the sick when Viv comes home, I need some overtime to cover the days I'll miss when I put in a self certificate for the first week.

[Jonno]

In case anyone's wondering why I'm posting on a weekday daytime, I've got the day off today to be at home and have my fence mended after last month's storms. Luckily it's a beautiful sunny day for them and not the almost constant rain we had yesterday.

It's the first normal day off I've had in the three months I've been there (bar the day after Boxing Day but that felt different) and it feels really odd, which means I've soon got back into the work routine!

[Rob McCow]

for Jonno!

Although it's not so much work boredom as home boredom Excuse me if it's a cheeky question, but does it feel really different spending a single day at home now you're back in regular work?

[Jonno]

Well, yes - the obvious difference being having a lie-in, not having to face the daily commute and being able to be online, do the domestic chores during the day instead of cramming it all in in the evening!

However, today's not a great example because I'm effectively trapped inside the flat until they come, do their business and go away again. Plus it's going to cost me a big chunk of my monthly salary. So all in all, I'd much rather be having a normal day at work!

[Pip Madeley]

I'm effectively trapped inside the flat until they come

I haven't left my flat over three months,
since the council erected an iron door,
an easy mistake for the council to make,
but the grills on the windows are an eye sore.

I shouted out the window,
I shouted out the door,
I tried to tunnel out though the kitchen floor,
I pushed lighted paper though the letterbox,
but no one saw cause of the iron door.

Trapped in my flat,
only my memories for company,
trapped in my flat,
hoping someone will come and rescue me.

I phoned up the council there was no reply,
clearly the staff there presumed I died,
an easy mistake for the council to make,
there was nothing they could do, but they apologised.

There's nothing I can do and that's a simple fact,
but sit here and wait 'til they demolish these flats,
till then I'll sit in my attic space,
trying to attract attention of passing planes.

Trapped in my flat,
only my memories for company,
trapped in my flat,
hoping someone will come and rescue me,
hoping someone will come and rescue meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Sorry.

[Larry]

Yes, I'm fed up of work, I'm fed up of being treated like shit, .

join the club right now every body on my section is totally pissed off with the job we are part of the governments plans to destroy the civil service and because of this moral is non existant. We have not only been told our proccessing work is being moved out in April we are also being forced out of our job and being told to look for another job. Yet despite this management still expect us to to work hard so we can meet all there targets and get all the 2006 tax returns proccessed on time.

[Captain Tancredi]

In my case it's not so much boredom as frustration- I'm pretty much doing the same work day in day out that I was doing nearly a year ago, except that with the number of people who've left, the pressure is getting to me and I'm starting to get fed up of basically being bullied by arrogant so-and-sos in London and Scotland who all want their work done NOW.

Thing is, I really don't know what I'm cut out for any more. I'm 34 and have two degrees which don't particularly qualify me for anything, as I took them with the intention of becoming a teacher. Sadly that didn't work out (fortunately before I had a complete breakdown) but since then I've just floated from job to job in the financial sector and I've never found anything to replace teaching as the job I wanted to do. Lecturing would need a PhD, which costs roughly 3000 a year- which in my present state I can't borrow, and neither can I think of anything which would hold my attention for three years. Neither can I afford law school unless my parents die at some point in the near future. So I really don't know where I go from here.

[Anthony Williams]

Lecturing would need a PhD

not necessarily - my Dad used to lecture for the Open University, back when he had nothing more than a BSc.

Ant x

[Captain Tancredi]

Possibly not, but I think I'd still have to build myself up somehow, not having done anything remotely academic in the last ten years.

[Captain Tancredi]

The more that I think about it, the more I come to the conclusion that, as with most areas of my life, the reason I don't look into any of these things is fear. This may seem strange, but I'd rather have the illusion of something being possible than know for a fact that it was impossible. And I'm not sure I have the confidence in my own ability to deal with failure any more- I remember the hollow feeling and the panic when I knew I wouldn't be a teacher and not having the slightest idea of what else I could do. But fear dominates every moment of my existence and if I can find a way of dealing with that...if only...otherwise I simply dare not dream.

[WhiteCrow]

So bored at the moment - hope they don't realise I'm listening to Big Finish at work ...

[Carol Baynes]

The more that I think about it, the more I come to the conclusion that, as with most areas of my life, the reason I don't look into any of these things is fear. This may seem strange, but I'd rather have the illusion of something being possible than know for a fact that it was impossible. And I'm not sure I have the confidence in my own ability to deal with failure any more- I remember the hollow feeling and the panic when I knew I wouldn't be a teacher and not having the slightest idea of what else I could do. But fear dominates every moment of my existence and if I can find a way of dealing with that...if only...otherwise I simply dare not dream.

But the most powerful and dangerous illusion is the one that blinds us to our potential and stops us doing the things we want to. Isn't fear sometimes that illusion?
You dare not dream? DARE NOT DREAM?! (Trust, me, I need a seriously pissed off Tom Baker voice for this). Theres not much daring going on there is there?! If I can't dream, if I can't look forward to realising all I can be- what's the point of life?! To quote Tom- what's it for?!!!

The universe gives you what you think is possible and what you think you deserve. I've come to firmly believe that. I can be a messed up, scared individual too, but I'm so much more than that at the same time. I've been shaped by a myriad of influences in life- good, bad and anything in-between. Moments that fill me with creeping, lonely and hopeless dread, and moments that fill me up and over with incalculable joy. If I didn't feel all that I wouldn't be alive and it would be purgatory. Through the bad I've grown and evolved, and will continue to do so. Theres so much I need to learn, and I'm aware of that as most of us are. You can't stand still. You have to go forward. But you only do that by facing your demons. It's the hardest thing in life, but that's the point. The longer you ignore those issues, they remain (and sometimes get bigger) until you do something about them.

So, enough of the bullshit. I know that sounds shockingly harsh and candid, but let me explain what I mean. I mean the 'bullshit' you keep telling yourself, and believing, and hence the reality you keep creating for yourself. Thought creates reality you see (or that's the way I see it). You mind and it will matter. It will manifest eventually. Life truly is what we can make it. Adversity can be a strong opponent, but the right attitude can be dynamite to the brick wall of hopelessness. In life (as in science fiction) you can reverse the polarity and all things can work just as well the opposite way around- if you can have enough faith in yourself. Believe in yourself! Before you do ANYTHING, though, you have to learn how to be your own best buddy- your best friend.

You want to know what the biggest problem with the world is- well, that's probably it. Once we learn to like ourselves and pursue our dreams, life becomes something else. You don't want to be nasty to people.
The kids of today are largely being stripped of their dreams and innocence, for the belief in something less. In a world of guns and drugs you'd think there can't be much room to love yourself and others...but there is.

I'm struggling. I'm often blinded by doubt and fear. But in the light of a dream you can see for miles, and that is where you need to venture to. Find peace in yourself. Shhh. Be still. Be quiet and calm and stop expecting failure. But do expect hard work and pay your dues. At the first hurdle don't go back to the easiest life because it's the less challenging. Believe that you will triumph in the face of adversity. There's often as much chance of that as there is of the opposite, if you try. You just have to think differently. Give it a go!

Maybe save up some money for the time that you might want to take a risk (and by the sounds of it, crossing the road is a big 'risk' in your world ) Explore the idea that the world doesn't actually revolve around the inevitability of failure and preventing you from achieving. Work towards deserving that. Learn to like yourself, and if you think you're lacking, change yourself.

We all have different challenges to face and different lives to lead. Some may seem easier than others, and life can seem very unfair, especially when one man's grass is proverbially greener. Tend your own garden and you'll be fine.
To use the garden analogy, if you knew nothing about the simplest botany, or trees in general and I said a little acorn could grow to a mighty oak, would you really believe me if I said it could? Of course it can, and it does.
Look after your acorns and water them, and watch them grow (no laughing at the back please ) It takes a very long time, and it takes a lot of effort and the pain of bad weather, but it's worth it. From the smallest dream your mighty oak could grow.
Don't give up on your dreams, once you have them. If you feel there is no dream that comes to mind, then don't despair- one can come. A better way of living will come for sure! But you have to learn to love yourself more and trust your heart. You have to believe you deserve it. Treat yourself well, and you'll probably like being around other people too!

I like to treat others the way I treat myself, and you know what- these days I like to treat myself like a ****ing princess! (well, when I'm not having one of my ludicrous days- but I'm working on it all. You can too

[Captain Tancredi]

Thanks Carol- I've just printed that off because I want to keep it somewhere I can refer to. I think I need to look back at something like the life coaching course I was looking at a while back- something structured which helps me see where I am now, where I want to be (assuming I know) and how I can get there. As I've said elsewhere, I'm a bit under the weather now so probably seeing the down side of things too easily and struggling to find energy and motivation, so I probably overstated things earlier. Thanks for spending so much time on me.

[WhiteCrow]

The more that I think about it, the more I come to the conclusion that, as with most areas of my life, the reason I don't look into any of these things is fear. This may seem strange, but I'd rather have the illusion of something being possible than know for a fact that it was impossible. And I'm not sure I have the confidence in my own ability to deal with failure any more- I remember the hollow feeling and the panic when I knew I wouldn't be a teacher and not having the slightest idea of what else I could do. But fear dominates every moment of my existence and if I can find a way of dealing with that...if only...otherwise I simply dare not dream.

I have to agree a little with the main thrust of what Carol said, life is very much about trying, there's no consolation prize for playing it safe.

It's only by testing our limits that we know what we're capable of. Failure is a part of life, but failure isn't losing. No child ever tried to walk and succeeded first time, and no child ever gave up trying.

Somewhere along the line we begin to fear failing. Somewhere on the national curriculum should be a module to teach us all to get up off our arses when we have a setback rather than give up. If at first you don't succeed, try again, but try to learn from your first failure.

The more that I think about it, the more I come to the conclusion that, as with most areas of my life, the reason I don't look into any of these things is fear.

We can remove fear ...

[Captain Tancredi]

In the last few months, something at some level has happened to me- I've become just that little more closed-minded, unambitious, unable to see more than what was immediately in front of me or appreciate anything that wasn't in my hand. I don't know what it is, but I don't like it or what it's done to me, and I'm trying to stop it.

[WhiteCrow]

In the last few months, something at some level has happened to me- I've become just that little more closed-minded, unambitious, unable to see more than what was immediately in front of me or appreciate anything that wasn't in my hand. I don't know what it is, but I don't like it or what it's done to me, and I'm trying to stop it.

Sounds like the winter blues to me.

[Anthony Williams]

aaaaaaaaargh! Damned French Revolution and this 1500 word coursework essay I have to write on it!

Ant x

[Captain Tancredi]

You can't stand still. You have to go forward. But you only do that by facing your demons. It's the hardest thing in life, but that's the point. The longer you ignore those issues, they remain (and sometimes get bigger) until you do something about them.

I think Carol's pretty much put her finger on the nub of where I'm up to at the moment- and if you do read this in the next day or so old thing, I would have said it privately but you might need to look at your mailbox.

[Pip Madeley]

aaaaaaaaargh! Damned French Revolution and this 1500 word coursework essay I have to write on it!

Ant x

Watch The Reign of Terror for five minutes and you'll be back to the essay in no time.

[WhiteCrow]

aaaaaaaaargh! Damned French Revolution and this 1500 word coursework essay I have to write on it!

Ant x

Don't be watching the Girl in the Fireplace and claiming it as "research".

[Kaybee Bailey]

Oooh, starting to everso slightly hit a brick wall with the dissertation. It's interesting and all, but the scale of it is so much greater than anything I've done before that it really detracts from the enjoyment of the subject. That and half the books I need are on something like 12 holds at the library!

[Captain Tancredi]

Having done something similar a while back, let me know if you need to bounce any ideas around.