Okay, I heard a guy at the diner yesterday say that all boring jobs are basically the same and you should just zone out. I completely disagree.

He was going on about his data entry gig, saying it's all just empty time to fill. But I run a tree service, and even the 'boring' parts, like filling out the same permit form for the city of Springfield for the hundredth time, matter. Last week, I rushed a permit and wrote 'Maple' instead of 'Red Maple' for a removal. The city inspector caught it and delayed the job by two days. That 'boring' detail cost me a whole Saturday. If you zone out, the small stuff bites you. Does anyone else have a 'boring' task that actually needs your full focus?

2 comments

2 Comments

quinn58220d ago

Hold on, you're missing the point. That guy is right. Most boring jobs are just about putting in the hours, not your brain. Your permit thing is a one-off mistake, not the rule. For tons of people, their work is just moving data from one box to another. It's soul crushing to pretend every single line matters. If you can autopilot through the mind numbing parts and save your energy, you should. Why burn yourself out on stuff a computer could probably do?

jones.mason20d ago

Moving data from one box to another" is exactly the kind of work where small mistakes cause huge problems later. Autopilot is how you miss a decimal point or send something to the wrong person. I get the soul crushing part, but checking out just means someone else has to clean up the mess you didn't notice you made. Saving your energy shouldn't mean making more work for everyone else.