Stressed, bored, or challenged?

One of my good friends is currently job hunting. Her company treats her well and she likes her co-workers, but she’s unfortunately quite bored most of the time.

Last month, I kept teasing her saying I’d love to change places with her. I worked on the biggest grant application of my life in July. When I fell ill a couple of weeks ahead of the deadline, I had to hand over the reins to another teammate on the project. I felt enormous stress and disappointment, which didn’t help my healing.

Thankfully, the teammate soared as the leader. I helped her as much as I could, and she submitted the application packet a couple of days before the deadline. I was so grateful and relieved, I sent her a thank you card and treats.

Ever since the submission, I’ve gradually returned to what I consider my “normal” workday. And I’ve never been so thankful. My experience and my friend’s situation made me think about what an ideal career should be. I concluded it should fall somewhere in the middle, where we’re not stressed or bored, but challenged.

I know it’s not possible to completely avoid boredom or stress in our careers. Even though I’m someone who constantly proclaims, “I love my job!”, I face stress at times as the owner of a fundraising consultancy. But most days, I wake up eager to get to my desk to see what challenges are ahead of me. I realize I’m quite fortunate to be in this situation.

For example, this month has been the opposite of July. We’re in the home stretch of a crowdfunding campaign for a new farm-themed playground for Cicero’s Community Park. The campaign ends Sept. 3, and we’re making great progress towards our goal of $50,000 (shameless plug – check it out here: patronicity.com/ciceroplayground). If we reach our goal, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority will match it with another $50,000 for a total of $100,000.

Our columnist has enjoyed the challenge of raising money for Cicero’s new farm-themed Community Park playground. (Photo provided)

I’ve been working with the Town of Cicero and their incredible volunteers to help us reach $50,000. Dozens of businesses, nonprofits, community members, and others have stepped up to help us reach the finish line. Every new “yes” – from $25 to $10,000 – has made me do a happy dance in my desk chair.

Yes, it’s taken countless letters, emails, phone calls, and meetings to get us to where we are now. But it’s been a truly joyous challenge, just like when I worked with the Town of Arcadia on their 2020 and 2022 campaigns.

It’s my sincere hope every one of my readers are doing challenging vs. stressful/boring work in their lives. We spend so much of our time in our careers. Whether it’s having a respectful meeting with a supervisor to discuss changes, looking for a new opportunity, or starting your own company, I hope readers can make a change if needed to enjoy wonderful, challenging careers!

Amy Shankland is an empty-nester, writer, and fundraising professional living in Noblesville with her husband John and two dogs. You can reach her via email at amys@greenavenue.info.