Rethinking Negativity: How I became a pessimist

Noire et Blanche, 1926

Last month, after a dry spell with no work, I landed a new project that I’m excited about. It’s exactly the kind of job that I was looking for, and I’ll be working with people that I like, trust, and respect a lot. I should be thrilled, right? So I was brought up short when I realized I was lingering over my lunch by going through all the problems, personal and professional, that I might face in my new position.

Here’s what ran through my head: I will be taking over a project that is off to a difficult start (never mind that that’s why I was hired, since I have the skills and experience to turn projects around.) How will I get the right staff? How will I get the stakeholders to be realistic about timelines? How will I light a fire under the people who aren’t directly part of the project but are essential to making it possible? I’ll be at my client’s site four days a week, so how am I going to eat healthily and keep up my exercise program? The challenges and negative thinking running through my head spun on and on.

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Follow Your Passion? Maybe Not

Bonheur_Matisse

The advice given too often to jobseekers is to “follow your passion.”  Looking back now on my 40+ year career as I approach retirement, it is not advice that I followed, not even when I had the chance to reevaluate my choices mid-career. Nor is it what I would necessarily counsel others.

When I was in my late teens and early 20’s, “following my passion” never even occurred to me.  I majored in computer science partly because I was good in math and not good at writing, and partly because I thought it would lead to a good job out of college.  I was focused on being able to support myself.  Doing the things I loved, such as folk dancing and museums, was for my free time.  And it worked.  I have had a successful career in the IT/business world without a graduate degree. (read more…)