This is what I wanted to say.
You say your boss doesn’t know what he wants, and that’s a problem.
Well, yes, it is.
It is also a great opportunity.
Ultimately, your boss isn’t looking for someone who can do what he wants like a good little robot. What he really wants is someone who can solve his problems, and give him better solutions than he could ever have thought of on his own.
So your job isn’t to give your boss more problems. Your job is to provide kick-ass solutions.
I know you’re thinking; so what’s in it for me? It’s important to be fair. It’s important to get just rewards for the results you produce. I know you work hard, and you’ve been bounced around, being asked to do a lot of things with very little to work with. It’s tough, I know. You may or may not believe it, but I’ve been there.
It’s also important to realize that you’ll only get what you give, and that most of the time you have to give a lot more than you think you should to get what you want.
So pause for a while of thinking about what you can get. What can you give? What do you want to give?
I’m asking you to grab the damn bull by the horns and ride it for all its worth. I’m asking you to lead, instead of follow. I’m asking you to move, instead of wait. I’m asking for you to present, instead of listen.
And I’m not going to kid you, taking the lead is a lot more work than just waiting around for something to happen.
So why do it?
Do it for your sanity. I don’t know anyone who can sit around for days on end, rotting, who doesn’t turn lazy and useless after a fashion, just out of habit.
Do it for fun, so you at least wake up in the morning with something to look forward to instead of facing the same old again and again.
Do it to grow. Do it for self-respect. Do it to keep yourself motivated.
You can do it for all sorts of reasons.
But you have to want it. You’re not doing it for me, or for anyone else. You have to decide whether or not this is a path that has heart for you, and if you think it’s going to be a worthwhile journey or not. You have to decide whether the harder path is one you’re willing to tread or not.
Because ain’t no one going to hand the world to you. And there ain’t no perfect job in this whole wide world. Our bosses aren’t your enemies, they’re human beings too with families to feed, and while I know a lot of asshole bosses are out there, ours are actually pretty decent. So the sooner you realize there isn’t anything to fight against, but a whole lot to fight for, the sooner I think you’ll find yourself happier.
Don’t let other people’s negativity drag you down. I know you’re young and it’s harder for you to see this, but the blame game is a cheap thrill that can never end, which is why some people keep doing it. It can never get you anywhere either, and it’s a subtle poison that will eventually erode you in the end.
Keep away from it, even if it makes you a stranger to its users, who will always insist it’s never their fault, it was always someone else who didn’t give them what they wanted, and all the while they argue for their own powerlessness.
And if you really decide that this isn’t a path that has heart for you, you’re always welcome to leave. There’s nothing stopping you from going to greener pastures. People leave jobs. It happens, and sometimes it’s a far, far better thing they do than they have ever done. It’s okay.
Until then, it’s just a matter of asking yourself what you’re bringing to the table. Do you bring something new, or old baggage? Do you bring something that changes the game or something that preserves the status quo?
And you’re always welcome to tell me if you think I’m full of it.