A most amazing thing has happened since the dawn of the 21st century that has resulted in a profound change in the way we work. With the economic turmoil of the last several years, many of us are finding that the traditional 9-to-5 job cannot, and will not, guarantee job security and we can no longer depend on the “work all our lives and retire with a nice pension” way of thinking. These days are gone.
What has been amazing is how my generation, the youngest baby boomers, are re-inventing themselves, even as we approach retirement. Ours is a world of uncertainty but with an underlying sense of the possibilities which exist as long as we refuse to engage with fear.
As we navigate these choppy waters, we are finding that there may be more ports in the storm, even a few secluded coves, where we are finding ourselves becoming anchored in this new reality. It can be a scary time for those of us that were brought up believing that as long as we showed up everyday and did the work expected of us, we could depend on our company providing us with a safe landing as we grow old. We can’t.
That said, we are fortunate because we were born with the computer, we grew up at the same time and we have worked together to bring ourselves to this reality.
Since the start of the electronic age and the subsequent failure of our economic calm, we are demanding, and even creating, a flexible work world that we have only just begun to explore.
And we’re all in it together. Not just me and my fellow Boomers — many of whom will need to stay in the workforce past the typical age of retirement — but those in middle age who might be caring for aging parents and even the kids of Generation X & Y, who know nothing else besides a never-ending balance between life and work.
Together we have re-invented the way we do our jobs.
When I found the opportunity for writers to work freelance for BlogMutt, I found that I had to take responsibility in a way I never did before. Working from home, never meeting with co-workers or spending time face-to-face, I have to become my own rudder. I cannot depend on my supervisors or managers to chart my course.
One thing that I think helps me a lot is that BlogMutt has found other ways to communicate. We writers can’t gather around the hallways, but we can and do gather in a virtual chat room to help, support and encourage each other. It’s a great workplace with no “place.”
Those in my generation are learning to become our own cheerleaders and take responsibility for ourselves, but not all of us are finding it to be an easy road; we still crave and depend on feedback. That’s why the BlogMutt forum works so well for me.
BlogMutt contains the vehicles for communication that my synapses require.
Editor’s Note: What an awesome post by Heather McKinnon, one of the most successful BlogMutt writers. Many of the best BlogMutt writers are like Heather, closer to retirement than to graduation. If you’d like to join her, and hundreds of other successful writers on the BlogMutt platform, please click here to apply.
