Reinvention of the Self

Tonight, I needed to rest.

Work passed as a dim grey blur. Accomplished little of any consequence.

As I drove home, I stopped by the library and picked up about eight different books, most of them about finding a sense of fulfillment at work. As you can imagine, this has been on my mind quite a bit lately.

I blame the season, actually; it’s been getting dark about when I get home, now, and we had some cold temperatures lately. After the Indian Summer of the past two months, I feel like I’ve passed straight from summer to winter, with no chance to get used to it. Perhaps I’ve been touched by Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Either way, I knew I wouldn’t be able to make progress on my projects, so I dedicated the night to flipping through the library books. I’m taking care of my parent’s golden retriever this week, so she lay at my feet as I skimmed business books. I will admit, it made for a satisfying and recharging evening.

And now, partway through Tom Peters’ Re-Imagine, I’m beginning to grok his larger point about the fundamental changes to work in the 21^st century. I have to completely re-think my job now. I can’t rely on…well, anything. Anything. I am going to have to be C.E.O. of Brent, Inc. Because my current job just won’t be there soon. And, if you’re working in a white collar job, you’re probably in the same situation.

Agh, it’s half-past ten, and I need to get some sleep, so I can’t justify this. I am increasingly convinced that it’s true, though. And it means a radical reinvention of self.

Which, on reflection, is a good thing.