Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Random thoughts: roller-coaster ride of work and rest

As a teacher, I have a relatively long break of about 3 weeks in year end. Huh? I have 6 weeks? Come join and see for yourself.

Don't get me wrong, 3 weeks is already super duper cool for me. In fact, I would switch off for quite a while and worried about going back to work and get busy. I call it the engine off syndrome, you have a hard time restarting.

I think about getting another job, earning financial freedom, etc. I dread going to work and getting back into hectic tempo. 

But 3 days into full working days, I think my engine has warned and I don't feel so blue anymore, although I really sleep much lesser and is generally tired and constantly thinking throughout the day.

It's such a roller-coaster ride. But I was thinking, if I have a choice and choose not to work, will I be a lesser person in terms of productivity. Will I deprived myself the chance to undergo the rite of fire?

Anyone feel like this too? 


20 comments:

  1. Hi SI,

    Hmm, 3 weeks of no work is quite a good break.. I have no long breaks in 2014 at all, just small 1 or 2 days break in a week. But then again, my workday is also not a whole day so I've nothing to complain about.

    I feel a little lethargic, a little less energetic than exactly one year ago when I was roaring to go off. Will I ever stop working? I doubt so. I will work selectively, but never stop it completely. This job is too fun for me to stop. If i ever stop, I think I'll get depressed even.

    Even if I can't work, I don't think I'll ever be less productive. Maybe I'll slack for 3 days and off I'll be doing this and that. There's enough hobbies to last me a whole lifetime.. Investing, blogging, Reading, drawing, crafts, guitar, computer games, exercising.. Added two more that I wish I have more time to explore too - cycling and miniature modelling.

    All these rest on the premise that I'll have good health. Without it, productivity plummets and so will my psychology health.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yup .. can be boring at times. but overall the lazing around can be quite fun and same time handicapping...

      I enjoy the teaching when I work, but do not like the deadlines LOL

      Delete
  2. Hi SI, bear with it.. u will get out of the rat race soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, jfree

      If rat race is finacial freedom, I do not think anytime soon or if I will ever, But it does not bother me so much as in the past. I let go of the cling of that le

      IF rat race means promotion or the next big pay rise, I am out of the race liao, I am at the stage will any further promotion would mean I will be doing admin work, I do not see myself doing that, so ...

      Delete
  3. Hello SI,

    Three weeks of break is well deserved for teachers like you, since you don't have annual leave.

    Strange as it seems, sometimes work can exhilarating, when you're operating in 'the zone'. I cherish my free time to research on investments, but I also cherish the busy times with my team mates as we serve our clients. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yup, there are great times too, I totally with you about "the zone"

      During the holiday, I didn't do as much research as I did. But recently, I am not more active prospecting, just watching and waiting

      Delete
  4. hi SI, do teachers have a break in the mid-year as well?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nobody has a break during those times. Not anymore! Not the students, not the teachers, nor the tutors lol!

      Delete
    2. LOL

      Have la, of the 4 weeks, about 2 weeks. Some maybe a bit lesser. December might be worse for CCA preparing for competition. June most competitions over.

      Of course, I am talking about official duties, if you want to do extra, then its driven by your own passion. Then cannot complained. I spend more time than others preparing and thinking about lessons.

      Delete
  5. Sillyinvestor,

    "if I have a choice and choose not to work, will I be a lesser person in terms of productivity"

    Cut out this bullshit you tell yourself. Productivity my foot! You are more concerned abut "face", self-esteem, worried abut what others think and all that baggage that you brought along...


    Can you remember a time when you can't wait to get out of bed for you are doing something that you love?

    The longer you procrastinate, the bronze handcuff will turn to silver, and then gold. And you will howl and howl for the pain is now unbearable.

    But you can't. How can you let go of that handcuff?

    If you didn't have a choice when the handcuff was bronze, will you have more "freedom of choice" when the handcuff has turned into gold?


    Sorry for being frank. But someone has to play the bad cop role...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No worries SMOL,

      I am ok with frank, I can take slaps. But seriously, dun quite get you lei

      I am wondering if... But is meaningless since I cannot quit my job...

      Handcuff is my job now? or my thoughts on my job??

      I wonder aloud if, a hypothetical if, I quit stop working tomorrow, will I stop? I think most probably not.. But once I stopped, most probably never going back too.

      Teaching is not a glamorous job what, if I have money to walk off, what self-esteem is there to lose?

      If you are thinking i bo liao, no choice means no matter when also no choice, then true, but human ponder ma, whats the big deal??

      Quite surprised at your reaction, maybe you can elaborate? Handcuff=??

      Delete
  6. the handcuff is your pay, as well as your comfort zone. as you progress in your career and salary, you'll be locked tighter and tighter and it'll be harder to leave. your bitterness grows but you think about what you've built for yourselves and feel stuck.

    your self-esteem and face in terms of being unemployed, being seen as a bum, or not having a proper career like the jones' next door :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ekran0plan,

      Now it made perfect sense! Thanks for decipher the handcuff.

      Totally agree with the golden handcuff thingy. But the problem is: ask me what I would like to do besides teaching, I have no idea.

      Seriously, if I have so much money to leave responsibility, as it notable my family suffer; it will be very "say been" where is the self esteem
      Problem? I like my work, but I do not think my work give me so much self esteem.

      Comfort zone yes, I am comfortable with what I am
      Doing. But this is what j wanted to do since a child, it has not been totally what j expected, but hey, I go to school tired but I go to the classroom eagerly, I think I have it good liao. :)

      Delete
    2. Sillyinvestor,

      I am envious of those people who knew what they wanted to do from young, and once grown-up, their dream job is exactly what they expected!!!

      Young dream of being a fireman, adult work as a fireman, old retire as a fireman. Bliss or what!?

      Me? I have to ding ding dong dong for quite a few "lost years" (look at my story) before I found the right fit And once I did, I flew... I learn by doing.

      Only you have the answer to whether teaching is the right fit for you. Whether to cut-loss or stay and hope lies within you.

      "I go to school tired but I go to the classroom eagerly"

      And if your reflection is you love teaching and hate the "admin and hollywood" part, there are other forms of "teaching" just as long you don't restrict yourself that teaching must always equal in a school environment:

      1) Butterfly man's way.

      2) Momoeagle's way - he opened his own tuition centre and is also into assessment books publishing.

      3) Trainers in private corporations.

      4) Use imagination.


      Perhaps try not thinking too much in black and white terms. Nobody says must quit without a job...

      There's is such a thing called "moonlighting".

      And there is such a thing called "sitting on a nail, refusing to move, and all you do is howl".

      Delete
    3. SMOL,

      It's 4 days into my teaching, my engine is all fired up!! I am raring to go again.

      Just 6 days ago, I didn't want to work. If I have a choice, I might never start engine. That's what I mean about if I had the money, I might make a wrong choice.

      I will not feel energized like what I am feeling now.

      I did consider 1) and 2), but at the end of day, with no offense to LP or tutor, I do not want my service to be a direct transaction with my direct clients. Yes, I receive a pay, but not directly. Also, there are really people in Singapore who cannot afford a tutor or didn't bother to get one for their kids. I want to help them. That's one reason why I hopped on a chance to transfer to another school.

      Within my lifetime, I want to go to another school within 1-room
      Flats. There will be a even higher concentration of FAS pupils than now then.

      You know, the three fighters in my class, are all FAS pupils, the softie jelly that I feel like slapping, father drive a car. Sigh...

      They are really slower than my pupils in my previous school. When I am having my holiday, I don't feel it, seeing them for 3 days now, make me want to help them.

      1) and 2) cannot give me that satisfaction

      I did think of doing a flexi-adj teacher who only just teach in a school setting. My pay will then be a third of what I have now. I cannot afford it.

      It's a luxury I can live without, I rather bear with the 30% that I do not like now and earn 70% more

      Delete
    4. I salute you. Silly investor!

      Delete
  7. Hi silly investor
    Jia you! This is just term 1 week 1.
    I think there are more busier days to come.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL yeh,

      Thank you. Actually the building up to exam is the best period as it is a very focused period for everyone

      Delete
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