For most people, a 9-to-5 job is the goal in life. As for the rest of us who don’t fit into that mold, the conventional 9-to-5 work environment just. Isn’t. Gonna. Work:
1. You don’t feel inspired during fixed hours of the day.
Creative genius is not something that has an on/off button. People who thrive in the 9-to-5 work environment love the fact that when work is over at 5PM, they don’t need to think about anything work related again until the next morning.
For you, ideas, inspiration, and enthusiasm can come at any hour of the day – including at 3AM when you’re tossing and turning, trying to sleep, and you jump up to write the best idea ever down on paper. Yeah, we’ve all been there.
2. Routine is actual torture for you.
The idea of doing the same thing day in and day out makes you cringe. Some people literally cannot function if their routine is disturbed – but you’ll never be one of them.
You function best when you’re doing something new. Having a job where every day is a little different keeps your mind sane and the ideas flowing.
3. Structure makes you feel like you’re in prison.
You think outside the box: you always have and you always will. You were that kid who came up with an incredibly brilliant science project that definitely should’ve won the show – but didn’t because it didn’t meet, like, any of the criteria required for the assignment.
You respond way better to guidelines than to strict laws. The liberty to work at your own pace, on your own time, and with no dictator standing over your shoulder is part of what makes you good at your job.
4. Being inconsistent isn’t the end of the world.
It’s difficult, perhaps impossible, for you to work in an environment where you are expected to be consistent every single day.
You are super flexible when it comes to work. You are able to adjust your life for meetings, working hours, etc. This means that when you have writer’s block to the ultimate level, you may be able to work on a separate project that day.
5. You crave the freedom to work at your own pace.
Deadlines are rough. You’ve never been good at them. Sometimes you’ll procrastinate so bad that you’ll have to pull two all nighters in a row before a project is due.
Honestly though, the times that you have tried to start in advance, you just haven’t been able to produce the same outcome. Your best work often comes out of the last minute scramble.
6. You need options.
In the traditional 9-to-5 work environment, there’s typically an exact formula that you’re expected to follow – but you’d rather pull your hair out than have to do that.
In order for a creative to produce his/her best work, there needs to be a plethora of options. You will absolutely shine if you’re simply given an end deadline, a project, and a budget. Your boss will look at you and say go. Ohhh yeah: you’ve got this.
Although, the idea of you in a store with the freedom to look at lots of things could just end in 5 hours of distracted bliss. A recipe for disaster.
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