work's big MCQ

It's hot in the bowl today, the second day in a row and no relief in sight until Friday, the heat will once again prompt a series of decisions, the most rudimentary: how to best deal with the heat?

A) Buy another fan.
B) Buy a cheap (if it exists) air con unit.
C) Drink lotsa grapefruit juice and water with mint.
D) Take the odd, middle of the night, cold shower.
E) Hang out in A/Ced city haunts or go late night driving.

I am undecided but it's good to have 'cool out' options. Options are always welcome, although decision making can be a problem but that's probably something that you can live with because if you don't have any options to decide on then I reckon that you are in trouble.

Our parents preached that education would set us free but basically what they meant was that tertiary education would potentially somehow ensure that we had lifestyle options which we could exercise throughout our life - so hurrah for the salt mines of academia.

The argument is not without its flaws but since they experienced an era where the educated class enjoyed certain privileges, they insisted on education because they wanted something similar for their children, which would last the test of time.

Education and schooling while not perfect is extremely desirable and should be encouraged.

Although my options are not entirely linked to my educational baggage, it has certainly helped me when I needed to deal with the many choices that have resulted.

But if there is one type of option which you should crave and strive for it's work options. Options in the work place are something to be valued because it means that to some extent you can tailor your life style around your work and not vice versa as is generally the case.

I have recently seen some of my friends exercising their options, some have chosen to switch from permanent employment to the uncertainty of contracting, some have changed fields from technical to more artistic, some have decided to stay put and work through the frustration while others have decided to ply the skills in different geographies.

Has their experience and education facilitated these decisions? It probably was an important factor although not the only consideration.

I think the realisation is becoming much more pronounced today that we are not likely to work in the same job or environment for 30-40 years and that we would like to adapt either aspects of our work or the nature of the work we do to suit our changing lives.

There is a dynamism about modern work which does provide you with many more choices but unless these are real choices then I don't suppose that it will affect your happiness. I think that up unto a certain point of inflection, there will be an inversely proportional relationship between your happiness and your work options on some level and that those choices should be enjoyed because it's what you worked for and what your parents before you did and they have the experience.

But how does that help me because I still really want that A/C unit, which I am sure will increase my popularity (and happiness) this summer to no end but for now it's in that investigating box of things to do and grapefruit juice and the odd cold shower will have to suffice.