When you were a kid, were you habituated of doing things that were out of the norm? Were you the kid who always loved to do things differently may it be coloring the sky green or allowing those fishes to fly in the green sky? Yeah, me too. Some of you might have grown out this by the adulthood, but if you are like me, you still are a free spirit. As the kind of person we are, we don’t like going with the flow or taking directions, not that we can’t, just that we choose not to. In such circumstances, what happens when you keep a free spirit in an office environment?
I’m not implying that we are bad at taking instructions or cannot be a good follower. But, free spirited employees are more likely to long for more freedom than working at the same desk every single day. We are just engineered in a different way, maybe because we are supposed to challenge the norm.
There are various non-ordinary jobs for free spirits if they do not wish to go for a traditional job. However, if you still choose to get a more traditional job, here is our survival guide for a free spirit in an office environment.
Show who you really are to your boss or to the interviewer
Whether you are interviewing for a job or have already landed a job, show the employer who you truly are. You’re not a kind of person who would enjoy sitting at your desk for eight hours straight, are you? So don’t pretend to be one. Tell your boss what can bring the best out of you, it can be a desk with the window view or it can be the freedom to work remotely. Most of the managers don’t mind providing a flexible schedule to his employees until the work is getting done. Flexible working hours and the ability to telecommute would give you the sense of freedom and get the creative juices flowing.
Don’t neglect the things that make you happy
Sure you’re working a 9-to-5 job, but that doesn’t have to stop you from doing things that make you happy. Pursuing your hobbies will help you preserve the free spirit inside you. You cannot expect anything more than misery if you are devoting every aspect of your life to your work. It could be much easier to work if you’ve something to look forward to at the end of the day. The bright side of doing this is your hobby may someday turn into a great career or business opportunity.
Get a job that really suits you
Being a free spirit in an office that is full of rigid people and strict rules won’t work well. Free spirited employees are better suited in roles that allow them to turn on their creative side. It is not necessary to have a job title that implies creativity. You do not have to be a graphic designer or a writer to be creative; you can apply your creativity to any job that you think is the right fit for you.