The Benefit of Brainless Work

Most of the time I have very interesting work projects. I have a database that routinely runs into its own limitations, and I have to test my limits wrestling it to my will. I enjoy that.

SadLy, I’m also I’m routinely asked to do things that require “Vision” and “Strategic Thinking” and other qualities I do not have. No longer will I win kudos for my skills at “Dealing with Reality” and “Wringing Success Out Of Limited Resources.”

However, I’ve fallen into a break. In the last week, while others are busy strategizing and visionizing, I have been doing a mindless, brain-raisining task: formatting about thirty Word documents. The only challenge is getting bullets, outlines, and numbering to play together in one document. 

It’s so dull that, get this: I’m not tired at the end of the day. Instead, I am dizzy with creativity. I feel compelled to write, paint, strum, and cook all at the same time. I usually end up with some combination of those every night. I don’t claim to do any of those things well, but it’s amazing how much more creative I am at night after I have trudged down row after row of monkey-drudgery during the day.

 

Comments

[KC]

I do think that, to some degree, most people have a vague ceiling for [?] per day, and if you use that up at work, then you just don't really *want* more afterwards, whether that's People Contact, or Intellectual Puzzling, or Creative Effort.

I don't know how that works out over the long term, though; if you build up further capacity if you use enough at work, or, if you're overdrawn at work, you lose capacity.

But it is pretty weird, and pretty fascinating. And also I am glad that they use your skills well at least *some* part of the time. :-)

[TheQueen]

KC - I do know I have a finite amount of Hunan Interaction and creativity before I run out, if I’m at work or not. Yet I know Gary has a limitless need for it, and had to adapt to the lack of Human Interaction when he retired. It’s like we’re those dogs who were bred to tunnel for ferrets and we dig holes in the yard eternally, and our children, too.

[KC]

Except we're each different types (see you vs. Gary), but yes. Tunnel, tunnel, tunnel, even if there are no ferrets, and hope that you can find a job where your tunneling inclinations are useful rather than a liability...

[KC]

(I mean: it sounds like you have the right job. But in general, we are not necessarily good at pairing people and jobs up, as a society.)

[TheQueen]

KC - I tend to get jobs where there is a lot of variety, and I focus on what I’m good at.

[TheQueen]

KC - I tend to get jobs where there is a lot of variety, and I focus on what I’m good at.

[KC]

And you double-down on that answer so that hopefully they give you more of what you're good at and/or enjoy, and less of the... vision-y things. :-)