Getting Stuck in a Rut

Getting stuck in a rut happens to most people. It is comforting, safe, and reliable to be in a cosy little cocoon of loveliness. People generally are adverse to change, and if you have it fairly good why should you do anything to change that?

These are some thoughts that I have had in the last week.

Now that I have a job and it is something I am enjoying and being paid a good sum of money for, I thought toward my future. 

You think you have everything planned out...

I have been certain of my plan to pursue becoming a solicitor and securing a training contract. This has been my plan since I was 16, and I have taken steps from this time to help make this goal a reality. 

But now. Now I have a job, and I don't want to have to go back to student life. As some of you will now you have to complete further education after university to qualify as a solicitor. In my case this is the LPC (Legal Practice Course) which takes one year full-time. 

And then it hit me. 

Student life.... Again. 

It is going to be very hard to go back to counting pennies after becoming fairly comfortable with a reliable income. And whilst the aim to save this year is certainly present, the reality is that the Jo Malone counter in the department store is calling out to me. First world problems, I know.

The more I thought about it the more I thought I could stay in this job for two years, rather than the originally planned one. Just disclaimer, my employers are perfectly aware of my plans and are very supportive.

And this seemed like a great idea. More time to save to put money away for expensive London prices (a season ticket alone coming at a price of over £4000 from where I live in Kent). It would also give me more office experience. 

Snap out of it!

But then I realised that if I did this then it would just be stalling. I would become Chandler from Friends who went into data processing with a dream to be a comic-strip creator (OK I am a Friends geek). It just never happens.

You get too comfortable. You forget to push yourself. You lose sight of what your long term goals are.

So I gave this some thought and came up with a few pointers for any of you who feel like you are getting stuck in a rut. This can happen to anyone in many forms. Maybe you are considering doing a masters degree for no other reason than to stay at university. Maybe you are happy just coasting along at school/college etc with the bare minimum you need. But what could you achieve if you just pushed yourself just that but more? Get out of the comfort zone.

Scary...? Most definitely. But I think completely worth it.

Tips for getting out of a rut

• Snap out of it quickly. If you start thinking that staying in the same place would be the best option (when deep down you know this isn't the case), don't ponder it too long. If you have to think about something this much, chances are you are not convinced by your decision anyway. Stick to your original plan.
• Start looking at things you can do in your future which get you excited. For example, I started looking at LPC courses and started thinking- a new student card for student discounts? Yes please!
• Keep manageable to-do lists which further you toward your end goal. Looking far into the future can be daunting. Break it down into bite size chunks by dealing with obstacles a few at a time. 

I hope these are helpful. This is certainly what got me out of my funk. But I have found a great article on Forbes during my research which I can highly recommend on this topic.http://www.forbes.com/sites/glassheel/2013/04/25/8-ways-to-dig-your-way-out-of-a-rut/

If any of you have any tips on how to get out of a rut, comment below. And as always if you have any ideas on what you would like me to talk about then please give me your thoughts. I need idea feul!

Training Days: Horrifically scarring or a skills gold-mine?

In my new job I have recently undertaken my first training day. It was... quite the experience. 

Look at these fitties. 

I had a pre-conceived idea of how training days go. And to a large extent it is what you may think- incredibly cheesy and a little humiliating. The role-plays are just the worst. But I guess each to  their own on that one. 

I guess a little background would be a good place to start.

My new job involves me answering phones (for incoming calls mainly- with some outgoing). My work involves people's  money. And if I know one thing, then it is when it comes to money people can be... Difficult. 

Difficult

This was actually the theme of the training day- dealing with difficult people. And I have never really had to deal with the public before. 

This was also my first ever training day. A lot of firsts. 

So is there any point to these training days?

The main piece of advice I can give to anyone is to make sure you go into these things with
the right frame of mind. This is especially true if it turns out your course leader is possibly reminiscent of your tax law lecturer who sat down and spoke at you for two hours straight. If you go into it thinking it will be useless, you will get absolutely nothing out of it. 

Deep meaningful quotes. Yeah...

Even if the content or the leader is not the best, try and see the wood for the trees and look for the nuggets which are genuinely useful for everyday work or even everyday life. 

It is definitely true that some of the day is likely to make your skin crawl with either humiliation or cheesiness. This could be role play, or standing in a circle and sharing ideas by throwing a ball around. If you are like me 
(and probably too British for your own good) this is the stuff of nightmares. 

But do your best to get through this. If you can try and throw yourself into it you may surprise yourself. I can't guarantee anything- but give it a go.

What did I learn?

I think to be honest the stuff I learned the most from is the stuff which involved merely sitting down and hearing a string of ideas and concepts with anecdotes to support and some team-interaction. But this is always how I have learned best. 

I think quite a lot of this stuff in courses and how applicable it is will depend on your own personality, both at work and in life. Generally, these leaders know what they are talking about. So take what they say, and adjust it to you. 

It is easy to get stuck on a tram of sticking to what you know. But sometimes taking advice from other people can improve your work skills. 

I take inspiration from lots of people, my father (who actually works in customer service- which is delightfully convenient for me), my colleagues, the internet! 

I just like this picture.
But I guess embarrassment fits in nicely.

So all in all, it is both emotionally scarring and useful. But as I have previously implied, it is what you make of it. So make sure you go into it in the right way and you are more likely to get something useful out of it. Don't let your course leader do all the work! Put in a bit of effort yourself. Chances are you are still being paid for this day!

So until next Sunday. Enjoy your week.