Did you see the \”Look Up\” video that\’s been doing the rounds on Facebook this week? Here\’s a chance to watch it, if you didn\’t get the chance yet!
It\’s a great piece of work and a very useful and timely reminder that our lives will not be full if we live them online. Why do we feel as though, every waking moment, we have to be entertained? Does any child roar \”I\’m bored!\” anymore on a wet Wednesday afternoon during half-term?
Being bored was a staple part of my childhood and I disliked it as much as anyone but the thing is that being bored can be hugely motivational. My mum\’s answer would be, \”Do Something!\” She probably meant: clean your room, peel the potatoes, pick the washing in or something really exciting like that, so I escaped. I stopped moaning, got on my bike and went to see who was at the park. Or I knocked on my friends\’ doors until I found someone who was in and bored like me. Or, I read a book and lost myself in a world of make believe. The most boring days often led to great fun, one way or another and I pity this generation their loss of boredom and their panic when the internet goes down or they run out of phone credit!
As adults, we rarely get bored. There\’s too much to do! Running a house, bringing up kids, holding down a job, doing the shopping, making arrangements… No time to get bored, is there? I read a lot (online – yes, I\’m as hooked as the next woman!) about mindfulness and meditation. Taking time out of our busy lives to empty our frazzled brains of all the day to day stuff we\’ve accumulated so that we can think about what we really want from life.
It reminds me of a wonderful holiday that we took in 2009 in Puglia, Southern Italy. We stayed in a rustic, 5 star Masseria where they grew their own organic vegetables and cooked local produce. There was no wifi and little mobile signal. Just a pool and a bar and lovely gardens. As I lay on my sun-lounger I wondered how long I could live this simple life without becoming bored. The answer came at me like a ton of bricks! Probably months, I realised! It would be just fantastic to step off the crazy hamster-wheel and just be.
Well, it took another four years, a lot more stress, many more missed opportunities and a bump on the head for that dream to work its way through my brain, heart and soul to become a reality. Now, that I live my life according to my own rules and allow myself to be bored once in a while, I find that I can look back and see lots of lessons in the experiences I had. Some lessons can be taught; some I guess, you just have to learn for yourself!
The best part of my dream job as a manager for a large furniture retailer (yes, you know the one: Deals Finish Sunday!) was sitting on sofas talking to people: customers, colleagues and team members. The rest was the stress. Now, as The Dream Job Coach, I find myself sitting on sofas (comfy chairs at the very least!) talking to clients about their dreams and aspirations. I love it because it\’s the best bit of what I\’ve always done!
Even if you\’re unhappy in your current role there will be some small part of it that you like. So, why don\’t you take a minute, turn off the technology, look up, get bored and look closely for that small thing? Then we might have a basis for identifying your dream job.
Fancy chatting further about what that might be? Get comfy and give me call 07766 250192 or send me an email jenner_louise1@me.com I\’d love to hear from you!
\”Let what you Love, Be what you Do!\”
Love it Louise! I remember many years ago going to a seminar about careers. we sat and were tasked with writing down what our ‘dream job’ would be. I recall mine was ‘travel writer’. I was a midwife at the time, and for many years following, but I never forgot. What made the biggest impression on me was when, after we all came back into a discussion, the question was “Why are you not in your dream job NOW, and what steps can you take to get there.” We are usually the ones who put the hurdles up that prevent us from ,moving forward.
Thank you so much for coming to visit me last week, it was amazing to meet you. I adore what you’re doing to inspire others to ‘go for it’ 😉
Thank you Sandra. Interesting to note that you are now traveling and writing about it! Just a great example of how when we set an intention, we do make it happen. Sometimes we have to wait a while, sometimes it’s doesn’t work out exactly as we might have expected but we get there! As the old saying goes, we should be careful what we wish for!
I loved coming to see you and had such a marvellous afternoon. Let’s meet up again soon! 😀
Good stuff Louise, thanks for sharing!
As a dad, I cringe when I hear the words, ‘I’m bored’, as I too remember being out ‘to play’ and ‘knocking’ for my friends to see who was able to join me in some new adventure.
Consoles and machines weren’t that much a part of my earliest childhood; it was more catapults, BMX bikes, play fighting and tree climbing.
Sadly, though technology has many great uses, this video, and other brilliant ones like Charlene DeGuzman’s that I blogged about (http://bit.ly/1s9iQQC), express clearly the way social media and gadgets have become one of the biggest distractions and challenges for building genuine relationships.
I look forward to meeting up again (face-to-face) to continue building with you. Maybe we can talk about being bored, climb some trees, or throw stones.
Or maybe we can continue to have enriching conversations over Flat White and Hot Chocolate. What do you think?
Have a great day being bored!