Wednesday, October 4, 2023

The Danger in Success

When it comes to work, it can be very easy to simply do what has always been done before. But what if something changes?

Guide Magazine

By Neil Houtman, Local 52 Steward

Over the course of my 22-year career in the construction industry, I have worked on a number of challenging jobs. It may have been a tight schedule, a challenging process, or a difficult location or environment.

Regardless of what it was, whether I was working together on a team or alone, many problems were solved, and the work got done. And the next time a similar instance of that problem came up, the same solution was used.

That is generally how society progresses. A problem or need arises, a solution is found, the solution is refined and made efficient, and life continues. The challenge is defeated and therefore no longer challenging.

When it comes to work, it can be very easy to simply do what has always been done before, to focus on a task that is familiar, routine, or otherwise comfortable to you, one you know inside and out. It may not even be an easy task or a pleasant task. It may be the one task that nobody else wants to do, but you do it because you know you can do it, and do it well—or just do it to a standard that keeps your supervisor from being unhappy with your performance.

Your success seems sure. You may be successful for 35 years doing the same thing and retire with a pension, plaque, note of thanks, and some cake and longing for the time of rest to come.

But what if something changes? What if you change? Or the job, or your employer, or the circumstances of the job change?

There are many costs with this type of success. If you become used to the routine and comfort of your past success, but do not account for changes in economy, technology, processes, management, or personal health, you may suddenly find yourself in a situation where you need to upgrade or overhaul your skills just to maintain your job, or else be forced to learn a completely different job.

As comfort in your job sets in, it becomes increasingly easy to feel bothered or disrupted from this routine. You expect things to go as planned, as they have for so long before. And when they don’t, you can be caught unprepared to deal with a problem, even a small one. Small things can become a source of extreme bitterness and resentment. It can take effort to change from your comfortable routine.

It can be scary to look for even a small change or challenge.

You may need to volunteer when new opportunities come up. It may take time for people to see that you want to take on a change or challenge. You may even need to approach a supervisor and bluntly say that you are looking to grow.

In the long run, though, challenges keep you sharp, keep you prepared to deal with the future and what may come. And sometimes, they even help the time to pass more quickly.

The Danger in Success

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