Filed under: Philosophy of the Person
The longest hiatus. It has been over a year since I posted something. With the number of this personal networking site’s subscribers seriously dwindling by the minute, this blog channel remains a perfect haven for people who write mainly for themselves and their microcosm (i.e. yours truly).
Barely two weeks ago, I went back to my blog archives and it amazed me to realize that my outlook in life has changed—drastically. Yet still, there are many things in me that remain unchanged. The paradox of the self: as it is carried by the torrent of life, one’s rationale expands and contracts while one’s essence is retained. Needless to say, I hibernated on purpose to prove the preceding hypothesis.
I will not enumerate the details concerning the inelastic and elastic facets of myself. (Define elasticity, Introductory Economics. Elasticity is the responsiveness of one variable to another.) I would rather limit this entry to the part that had an almost 360۫revolution.
Same time last year, I was still working for PAGCOR. September was a busy month as I had to finish all tasks on hand and bequeath every bit of knowledge to my successor since I would be moving to another company on the 29th of September 2008.
Looking back, the four-year stint in PAGCOR had its pros and cons, but more of the latter, on a personal level. In PAGCOR, one could get away with a bad working attitude. I, for instance, would be procrastinating for several days and would work only to beat deadlines. I am not saying that everyone was lax—PAGCOR Ace Employees really deserved the recognition. I am merely saying that one could enjoy a few days’ employee benefits by simply hanging out in the office. Was the PAGCOR system a bad one? I could not blame it because finger-pointing has never been my cup of tea so I put the blame on me and worked out on my personal qualms to work efficiently.
I remember the countless days when I conditioned myself to believing that one day I would become a PAGCOR executive and would be able to call the shots. I looked at things behind rose-colored glasses to get myself motivated. Then I would work my ass out and would be consistent for several months only to fall in a slump and restart from square one. It was an eternal cycle of relearning that the outlined career path in government service was not made for me but I did not seriously consider breaking that cycle. I did not want to give up on myself. I believed I could defy the laws of human nature and learn how to love what I could not swallow.
In July 2008, a life-changing event ignited a blitzkrieg of realizations. I had to rearrange my life. It was high time I quit all futile undertakings before I become the cause of my own catastrophe, before they become a habit. I had to rearrange my life, starting with my career. I have always been eccentric and picky on the environment I would be working at and could only be efficient in a fast-paced, flux-powered, teamwork-grounded atmosphere and PAGCOR could not give me that. PAGCOR and I are incompatible. I realized that if I found work there distasteful since day one, I would never find it palatable ten years hence. It took me four years to finally accept that.
Skip the job hunt, the application process, an offer from a private American firm which I eventually accepted. Fast forward to September 29, 2008. It was a New Joiner’s Orientation, my first day in a new company—in Accenture. I left PAGCOR with a humongous fear and the NJO only magnified it. I had a lot of catching up to do to survive in a global company where the name of the game is aptitude, continuous improvement and discipline—things I had to reacquaint myself with—and despite having the willingness to work hard in realigning my capabilities and attitude, I still had to do it fast to be on the same track as my new set of colleagues. I was so stiff-scared that I almost peed on my pants (no kidding) on the day I got deployed to my project, but hell, as early as day one in the deal, I felt good to be in the right place.
Time space warp to September 2009. I remember the cig session with my mom a few weeks ago where I got to tell her that I never had any regrets in leaving PAGCOR. I also told her there are things money cannot buy and the biggest of those things is self-fulfillment. My mom never said it but I felt that she was so damn happy for me.
And who wouldn’t be? Now I belong to the population of elite professionals who persistently develops skills, invests on strengths and gets the means to harness it. I am now a Tiger and I keep up with my commitment of delivering high performance. Consistent high performance delivered. I can tell the world with freaking conviction that I made the right move.
And I hope everyone in my little world gets to experience the ecstasy triggered by making the right decisions, at least in our careers. That is my purpose in sharing this. I want everyone to know that incredible as it may seem, there is such a thing as a perfect job and it exists for each and every one of us. (This particularly goes out to Obi-Wan who negates the possibility of having such a thing existent.) The perfect job sets you free: you find peace and comfort in doing your job because you are able to do the things closest to your heart. It gives you maximum satisfaction at the lowest exertion of effort and as a bonus, it helps you bring home some bacon.
Last week, I was having a cigarette break and I chanced upon my project manager who was also having one. He said his current focus was in putting a stop to the rising attrition rate in our project. He asked for my views on the issue but I never gave him my real answer. If he were the other project manager whom I am sincerely fond of conversing with (and to whom I owe this life-changing opportunity), I would have given him my geeky solution.
I always use a tool in gauging where I stand in my life, an ancient yet versatile tool to know whether the things I am currently doing are still addressing my needs as an individual. Guess what the tool is? Bingo. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. For a full treatment of what Abraham Maslow’s theorem is about, consult Encyclopaedia Britannica. For a brief treatment, I suppose wikipedia will do.
Now, how is the magic pyramid going to solve the attrition rate problem in our project? If the managers know where the staff stands in fulfilling their individual needs, it would be easier to come up with devices and plans of action in making the office a venue where those needs can be addressed. Maslow worked wonders for me. It could also work wonders for our project, and most importantly, for you.
If you find yourself wanting that perfect job, hang out with Abe Maslow for a little while. Take time to ask yourself what you really want, what you have, and what you expect out of life and out of yourself. List them one by one. Know yourself better and believe that you will get that perfect job. Forget about the details of the how, focus on the what. The Universe always takes care of the how. We fail to acknowledge this fact for lack of perception. The Universe is friendly and it always conspires to bring us where we want to be. (But of course, the first step is always the hardest and that is believing.)
I can write discourses on the philosophy of a perfect job and attracting positive vibes but what good will that do? In the end, everything is still up to you.
End this blog presenting you a spark from my ever-reliable lighter galore, I shall.
“Who would want to be anywhere else? Here in the PBA, I get to do what I want and I get paid for it.” —Rodericko Cesar ‘Olsen’ Racela,Professional Basketball Player
Cease cows. There is more to come.
Created 08 September 2009
