Hello👋 folks, Shubham here.
Yup, still alive :)
The pandemic brought about a host of changes in our lives. Many of us made our most significant career decisions during that time. Several others, including myself, swapped our shiny MNC jobs for less appealing (but more income) family businesses.
As expected, the transition wasn’t smooth for all of us. Some hit the ground running, while a few of us struggled (me me me).
One reason for my struggles was being clueless about my roles. You see, most family businesses are well-oiled machines since they have been running for years. Over time, they have developed efficient practices with respect to their trades.
As new joiners, it's hard to become a part of the system (It’s like trying to break into an already established playing XI).
In corporate culture, there is a dedicated manager for your vigilance. They assist you with your induction, tasks, career growth, etc. However, in the family business, these ideas are hardly considered.
Surely, this isn’t the case with all businesses, but I definitely experienced this. I used to spend time at the office doing absolutely nothing. Yes, the young me dreamt of a life like that (idiot), but it wasn’t very fulfilling.
Believe me or not, doing genuine work, even if it isn’t something you are passionate about (passion is overrated), adds a chunk of value to your life.
During the notice period of my previous job, I wasn’t allotted any relevant work for the last couple of weeks, and surprisingly, it was dreadful.
Similarly, I was witnessing yet another work void. No matter how hard I tried, I kept feeling ostracized. Obviously, the new location, work culture, lingo, and skillsets aggravated the problem.
There was an ever-growing innate frustration that was hard to detect for any outsider. According to them, I had chosen an ideal life by joining our family business. This went on for a few months, to the point where my friend and I started our office by exchanging memes. We were in a sorry state, mocking ourselves for being completely irrelevant to our jobs.
Things were looking ugly, and that's when it hit me.
What’s the easy thing to do here?
To cave in, either cringe about our circumstances, ignore them by continuing to be irrelevant, or worst, distract ourselves with futile tasks or hobbies.
On the other hand, maintaining a healthy attitude would be the toughest right now.
The point here is to show up daily with the correct attitude despite the irrelevance.
It’s just like in movies when an intern is given menial tasks like making coffee and photocopying documents. But they stay determined, and eventually, the universe throws them a life-changing opportunity because of their great work ethic. Inadvertently, the boss sees them working on an off day and ends up promoting them.
I kept playing that narrative in my head.
Things didn’t turn around within a day or two, but eventually, they did.
If you feel unsatisfied, then keep experimenting. In my case, I made an Instagram account for our business and started cold messaging potential clients (coincidentally, that’s how I met my fiancée, but that’s a story for some other time). There wasn’t any suitable work available for me, so I forged it myself.
Many of us fiddle with the thought of being irrelevant or questioning the authenticity of our work which creates a hidden unrest.
Being true to your work is what counts. Give your 100 percent. Stick to your values and make things happen. Try 10 new things to see what resonates with you.
Well, you may ask, why out of nowhere I decided to publish a newsletter?
The thing is, I have been sort of down lately, mainly overwhelmed with work.
And I was reminiscing about how full of life I felt when I wrote these letters. So I thought maybe writing might provide some respite. Frankly, it did (Plus, it made me look good).
Also, there has been ludicrous criticism by a few readers(haters) who claim that the letters stopped since I found my fiancée because that was the sole purpose behind this venture.
Jokes aside, I hope reading this letter infuses you with a positive vibe to push yourself. Enjoy your Sunday :)