This is a short post I originally wrote on June 3, 2013. I hope to continue writing about this sort of thing as a developmental series...comments welcome. Inactivity. The passive passing of time. Drudging boredom. These are all side effects of those of us in the work force that find that our day-to-day desk jobs provide little to no gratification. Tasks completed at work have absolutely no correlation with what we strive to achieve in our personal lives; they are two completely distinct identities. Sometimes I daydream about having a profession where I work 10 hours a day, and come home with absolutely zero items on my to do list. Why is that? Because the things I intended to accomplish, as a human being, on this earth, have already been done during my work day. I see no need to further fulfill myself once I’ve logged a full day’s work- my contribution to society has already been made. For the rest of us stuck in a dull, monotonous routinized existence- a comfortable one, I may add, but not one which provides any sort of personal gratification- there continues to be a need to seek “accomplishment” in everyday life. For some of us (read: me) this comes in the form of endless to-do lists, books to read, movies to watch- all to give my life some semblance of productivity. Yet at the end of the day, these endeavors are solely to numb the pain of the dullness of my professional life. If circumstances had been different- if I had come to America from another country, if I had a family to support, if I was an aspiring musician or artist looking to supplement my meager income with a day job, then things might be a bit different. But to come into work every day, dragging my feet, with little or no intrinsic motivation as to what work is accomplished, on what deadline, or how well it’s completed- it’s a terrible, unfulfilling way to live. Us as humans need direction, purpose, movement, gratification- well, maybe just some of us, but I for one would like to think it’s an inherent trait in our species. The need to excel, put ourselves in a better position than we started life (whatever that may be) is one that we should all aspire to whenever our personal circumstances allow us the chance.