Glenford Smith | The hustle of the corporate world

QUESTION: I am fascinated by your article published on Sunday, March 31, 2013, regarding the book 'Beyond Certainty: The Changing World of Organizations'. I am a 27-year-old, hard-working young mother and a college student who understands the hustle of the corporate world, the so-called "rat race". I say this to say that the content in your article is quite relatable and relevant despite it being published a few years ago. I mean, I get up every morning with absolutely no drive to do what I am so meagrely paid to do every day from 8:30 a.m. 5 p.m. Where is my drive, and how can I tap into it more consistently?

- C. J.

CAREERS: Thank you for reading the Sunday Gleaner's Career article. It's heartwarming that an article published so long ago continues to have relevance to you. For those who would like to refer to that article, it can be searched online. It is called 'Home to office or home office', published on the subject date.

You say you understand the hustle of the corporate world. Increasingly, young college students like your will need to grasp the implications of what they are seeing on the surface of things. The world we used to say is fast approaching is here.

You lament the fact that you have to get up every morning without any enthusiasm. Further, the rewards for this thankless routine are meagre. You are not alone, unfortunately. there are many like you. Your experience is the natural outworking of what the author of Beyond Certainty, Charles Handy, talks about.

Through a variety of circumstances, he came to the conclusion that what he had been led to believe while in school was wrong. He realised that there was no more certainty in things to do with humans, therefore, we had to undertake to search for the meaning of life for ourselves.

The alternative was to sit around waiting for some mythical leader to come and tell us where to go and how to get there. The consequence is that individually, we have become more responsible for own destiny. There is no more organisation to run our lives or tell us how to run it. We are forced to be clear about our own priorities in life.

You ask where your drive is and how you can tap into it more consistently. You will need to understand that you will have to search for it from within you. Listen to your intuition, and go for what you want. It is only as you tap your inner genius, which represents your true self, that you will feel the motivation that you crave.

Now, in making that recommendation, I must warn you that it is not easy. There are risks and mistakes involved. Perhaps you are heavily invested in the work you are in currently, and you feel you cannot make a change.

Gently step out if your work does not allow or if you are scared to start something small. You are free to try out your ideas, invent your own scenarios, and create your own futures.

- Glenford Smith is a motivational speaker and success strategist. He is the author of 'From Problems to Power' and co-author of 'Profile of Excellence'. glenfordsmith@yahoo.com