I’ve been surprised at my own observations since taking a full-time job. Having been self-employed for a decade before, I guessed my views would be different than most people’s, and they are, but not in the way I expected.
Everything is still new, sure, yet I barely feel “stuck in the everyday humdrum,” even when attending lots of meetings. I seem to have more energy, not less, and even the additional work of writing in the mornings comes surprisingly naturally. I also barely spend time on company politics or industry news, and, so far, it doesn’t affect my work negatively at all.
It’s also been funny to observe my friends’ observations. “That sounds hellish,” one commented on my schedule. If you had told me about it before the job, I probably would have thought the same. But now that I’m in it, it actually feels fine.
“It must not light your inner fire, but at least it pays the bills,” another said. It’s true that the subject matter is not the end-all, be-all for me, but I do find every day at work interesting, and, ironically, I spend more time on my next book than I did before.
“I hope you’re getting the coffee orders right!” Okay, that one was mostly a joke, but again: To my own surprise as much as anyone else’s, I’ve been working on important projects from day one. I’ve even got my own major initiative to carry.
The inside view is always different. You’ll never see life from the exact same vantage point as anyone else, and even the most common of sense often doesn’t apply. The best you can do? Withhold judgment where you’re able, and offer it loosely held where you can’t. Turn opinions into questions, allow yourself to frequently update your perspective, and wherever you’re the one seeing what no one else can see, be grateful for the inside view.