(I'm not sure if that makes much sense, but this is my blog and I don't expect many others to read this.)
Also, I'm realizing more and more that I'm finishing up my TENTH year in what is really the same job. I've had the pleasure of working at, now, three different institutions in these ten years, but man that's a long time for a dude who doesn't mind change. Guess I'm hanging out with my familiarity side of the spectrum more than I thought before pondering the time that has passed.
Sometimes I wonder if I should have moved "up" in the administrative chain during this time. However, I do like what I do, and I daresay each lateral move in this decade has brought my role up in the chain of institutional prestige and salary. So that's pretty darn good. Also, at this point in my career I feel very little stress over the work I do because I know what the fuck I'm doing. And that's an awfully nice thing.
When I was younger I thought I would have been bored doing a similar role for ten years. But I'm still learning a great deal and I'm settling in. I'm far from perfect at what I do, and I still feel like I have plenty to learn, so that's probably what's keeping me moving. Guess I should take advantage of the fact that I've got this, in terms of the every day. routine. Now I need to polish myself off a bit.
I've grown a lot in the past 5 years or so. I've also had two very challenging supervisors whom I respect as leaders but admittedly not as people I would otherwise choose to emulate. Also, suffice it to say I've had my fair share of working with others who were a bit toxic as colleagues. Thankfully I've learned a great deal from all of these folks, and about myself, during this time, but I'm glad to be through that change into a far better place (practically, mentally, emotionally, and physically).
So now I'm feeling re-energized and ready to get into true self-improvement in addition to carrying on good work. I think that's what sustaining oneself in a career is all about - re-energizing, re-creating, and self-improvement.
