My manager left the company at the end of January this year, prompting a shift from Operations to IT for me. In Operations, I worked as an Application Specialist, responsible for managing various applications within the company.
The transition to IT and the uncertainty surrounding my new manager made me think about my career choices. Would I truly fit into the IT environment? What would my new boss be like? So many questions! Being an big reader, I thought there must be a book to help. After some research, I found “Designing Your Life” and loved it. I read more than half in just a few days.
One of the book’s exercises involved recording and reflecting on my daily activities for three weeks to assess my level of engagement, identify activities that energize or drain me, and pinpoint those that put me in a state of flow. For me, the flow state signifies deep engagement, joy, and satisfaction, often causing me to lose track of time. I’ve diligently did this reflection for the past two weeks.
Through this process, I’ve discovered that activities involving people connections—such as supporting colleagues, sharing expertise, conducting research, presenting new ideas, gathering requirements, and problem-solving—bring me joy at work. Additionally, I’ve consistently experienced the flow state while writing and publishing my blog posts every morning.
Despite my eagerness to continue reading the book, I’ve made a conscious decision to hold off until I complete the three-week activity log. The log will be the foundation for the next exercise in the book. I’m curious and excited to uncover what comes next.
Recently, I learned that my new manager is none other than my former manager—who will rejoin the company soon. I was happy by his return and joked: “Your departure drove me to buy a book on making career decisions. Now that you’re back, please reimburse me for it!” 😄
If you have read or are reading this book, feel free to share your thoughts on the book—I’d love to hear from you.
