Fear. What a Fabulous Motivator.

CNN ditched today about how workers are scared to work flex hours, opting instead to stay onsite and work excessive hours. 

Could it be because companies are flicking off employees quicker then a spring break frat bull can down a shot of tequila?

Could it be because unemployment rates are at about 10%?

Could it be because evil corporations are licking the backs of employees' necks with the wicked, wicked whip of employment uncertainty? 

Could it be that workers are now feeling akin to that crazy, paranoid man that always sits down on the bus next to them? You know, the one ranting about conspiracies, being followed by the CIA and that purple ghost bitch that keeps staring at 'em.

Maybe. Maybe not. You decide. 

Day 62 - Shed the Skin, Exorcise the Demon

My inbox - be it e-mails, Tweets, posts, IMs, texts, voice mail or smoke signals - vomits many, many treasures. Some days it is an article. Other days it is an interview request. Yet other days it is treasured snarkiness from my good, good friends. (It is probably no surprise to hear that many of my friends and family are straight shooters - no icing on the cake, no warning before the Band-Aid rip and laughter when your heel breaks, because let's face it - that is pretty frickin' funny if it ain't you.)

Today, my inbox yielded a synopsis titled (remember: It is always titled, not entitled. Entitled means you are owed something. Titled means, well, here's the title. Ok, grammar lecture deactivated.), "Three Reasons Not to Leave Your Job."* It says that if you are peeved, disgruntled, burnt out, etc., you should not immediately leave your job because it could be hard to replace said subpar job, you are ruining relationships and you could be overestimating your value in the market place.

All good points.

But it overlooks one possible solution. Yeah, storming out in a blaze of curse words, flying headphones, crude hand gestures and evil-hearted kicks won't produce the most desirable results (and will most likely incur lawsuits as well, but that's a whole other imaginary scenario.) But, my radical idea is that you don't have to stay at your non-dream job. With some planning, saving and good network connections, you can actually leave your job before you secure another job. Yes, it is a bit risky. And I admit that I don't know if I would have taken this path if it wasn't chosen for me** (thank you company that shall not be named). But imagine the possibilities: An opportunity to relax, unwind, reevaluate who you are and what you are doing (without the added incessant job searching that accompanies unexpected layoffs), catch up on your life.***

At a time like this, when more than ever we're eschewing vacation time to work 60+ hours a week, a complete planned break - sans the Blackberry - could far outweigh the benefits of staying at a job that weighs you down more and more each day.

* Disclaimer: The synopsis links to an article titled "Five Ways to Bungle a Job Change," which is actually a very relevant look at screwing up the outbound process. But let's just keep this related to the synopsis, shall we? 
** I am legitimately unemployed, Texas Workforce Commission. You verified this already.
*** Not to insinuate that I am not actively searching for a new job, Texas Workforce Commission. But hey, when not searching or networking, I do stop to smell the wisteria.