Are you still in Homework Mode?


We all grow up from that innocent childhood days...but many of our behaviors are still locked in within us. Behaviors which tend to make us do things which we can eliminate to make our lives more meaningful, creative or even just happy.

As we grow we transit from our school lives and college lives to work. Perhaps the most dreaded word over time, and it very much is for creative individuals because it sounds too industrial too, intensive too serious. However that's the catch, hence at times we call it career or some other more interesting names to make the bitter sound sweet...or even feel sweet. Its not that all work is boring or redundant or just plain old work, most of it is interesting depending on what we do and where. But what i have observed over time is that most of the work that is dreaded upon by people across the world is done in a specific manner. A manner which we tend to call professionalism.
In the name of professionalism we tend to work in the homework mode. Yes that very old homework we did in school.

If you remember school days we used to never ask for a homework...we got one...we got it via someone who wanted to change us...who wanted us to learn something and by doing it wanted us to fall into some sort of category. And so we did what we got...we did it out of fear...fear of getting a scolding ...or those who were the scholars did it out of pride, they wanted to be that one person who would be applauded for doing it right or doing it first...how many of us actually did homework because it was helping us learn something? or because we were more curious to know something? or because we wanted to stretch our intellectual limits? not many...most of the deep desirous values were never close to that...and perhaps the reason there was also because it was never portrayed to us in that manner...it was forced learning or a learning which was not in sync with our inner souls...

Fast forward into the future and here we are in our office spaces, looking at FB pages while we work. We finish our so called work because we have to...we do it in this new space called office...but it still is very much same like home-work...we have the fears of the deadlines...we fear our bosses will shout at us...or we want to do it to show off to our colleagues that we are worth it...oh wait a second...we are also keen to get that hidden amount of raise that our employer has kept for us....in short we are still working in the homework mode..disconnected with our souls...just trying to push the ball out of our court...and then we wonder..where is our career going?

The question then is not just about our own integrity to put in our interests and passion in what we do or produce but just like the school scenario it is also dependent on the method in which it is adminsitered. Just like in school if you really liked your teacher or she was really keen on not forcefeeding you the grand body of knowledge you would have taken more interest in doing homework...or at times even tried to do it in a more creative manner..providing more than that is expected...the same is applicable to the work environment...if you have your manager or your leadership which truly focuses on not just doing the task because we have to but share the purpose behind it...and even be kind enough not to create that fear of a reaction for not doing it. That is when the true quality of the individual comes out...and perhaps thats when work doesnt remain work...it becomes an action to contribute a way to make things happen...a feeling of joy ...a true connect with our souls....Ok now need to get back to work ;)

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