I don't work at work anymore

[Anonymous]

I sometimes (often?) get nothing done at work during an entire day. This has been a problem for a while but has gotten worse since immediately before and after my maternity leave. DS is a good sleeper, so sleep deprivation isn't the problem. I usually have several big projects with long deadlines that not infrequently get pushed back; I sometimes have a few smaller, lower-stakes projects and don't have too much problem completing them. I have never missed a deadline, and I'm generally considered pretty good at my job, but I've definitely stagnated in the last few years, and I don't go the extra mile. My boss is hands off and probably doesn't think I'm actively slacking. I would actually like to make a career change within my field, but it will involve a lot of extra work to position myself, and while I'm not sleep-deprived, I'm pretty tired when I get home and just want to hang out with my son and husband. I just no longer have much ambition or drive. Anyone been in a similar rut and gotten out of it?

[Anonymous]

i am the exact same. been looking at graduate programs that involve more human interaction and/or more movement, as i think part of my issue is sitting at the computer for a good part of the day just doesn't motivate me. i know i won't snap out of it. i feel like a piece of furniture. i have a fair amount of meetings and external stuff going on, but the sitting in the chair for hours on end is what does me in, in the end.

[Anonymous]

I spend about 5 hours a day roaming the internet, and work maybe 1.5 hours a day. Who cares? I bet a TON of people do the same.

[Anonymous]

Aren't you ashamed? I mean, someone is paying you to do your work, right?

[Anonymous]

And people wonder why America is going down the toilet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aren't you ashamed? I mean, someone is paying you to do your work, right?

Work ebbs and flows, I'm sure, and sometimes you have to find ways to keep yourself busy in the interim. Nothing good comes from being bored, so why not find ways to occupy your time until you're so busy you can't breath? Unfortunately, my work tracks Internet usage, so I hide a People magazine behind a legal folder and catch up on celebrity gossip. No shame at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aren't you ashamed? I mean, someone is paying you to do your work, right?

nope, not in the least bit. why should I be? who knows what they do all they either? I can get what I "need" done in a few hours.

[Anonymous]

Oh my gosh I could have written your post word for word. How old is your son? Just curious. My son is 6months. The only days lately when I truly accomplish a lot are on the days when I have meetings. Unfortunately I rarely have meetings anymorre so I find that most days I have an awful time focusing. I would like to start fresh at a new jobbut dread the idea of having to "proove" myself (I have been at current job 9 years and spent the good part of the first 7 busting my butt).

[Anonymous]

I am a fake good employee. I was better before I had kids but now that I have a 2 and 4 year old I am even more unmotivated at work. I worried about using the Internet at work in case my company tracked usage so I got an iPhone with Internet access. It is amazing. Now I can spend hours on line instead of working. I have to write reports at work and unless a report is due the next day I can't bring myself to start typing. I eventually get things done but I now do the minimum. My strategy is to tell co-workers how overworked and busy I am so no one catches on. I think I get away with it because several co-workers are not efficient and take longer to finish their work. If I actually worked 8 hours instead of the 2 to 4 hours that I do work I would complete twice as much but I wouldn't get paid more, I would just get assigned more work.

[Anonymous]

I was extremely productive when I was pregnant, but feel like I have slacked off since my baby was born (my second child). For me, it isn't necessarily from lack of effort, but I think I am lacking focus/a goal/drive. My brain definitely got soft when I was on maternity leave (4 months) and I have only been back at work for 2 months. So, I am hoping something clicks and I get back in my groove again. I hate feeling like this.

[Anonymous]

I got a new job right before giving birth. When I came back I didn't feel like I was doing anything - and realized I had shed the tasks that required dropping everything and doing them immediately. I actually had time to do the things I squeezed in between before and I felt I was accomplishing nOrhing. So I built in a few small achievable goals every day to keep me from procrastinating against big deadlines.

[Anonymous]

I had a 3.5 month long maternity leave, and I was ready to go back to work. But my drive and motivation didn't really return for a few months. Luckily I went back PT for a while which helped. You may just have baby brain and need time to adjust or you may need a job change because you aren't challenged or excited by your work, and if you have challenge and excitement, it makes working a lot easier.

I'm getting ready to have my second and though I'm excited to have leave, I'm actually going to miss work a bit and the routine! So I don't think I'll have the same problem this time, returning in the spring, but who knows.

[Anonymous]

I've been in a similar boat for a long time, but lately, I have gotten some actual work to do. Unfortunately, everyone now thinks I'm SO BUSY that they won't give me any more work, yet the work I have really doesn't take long at all. So...ugh. I like the description of a fake good employee. That's totally me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a fake good employee. I was better before I had kids but now that I have a 2 and 4 year old I am even more unmotivated at work. I worried about using the Internet at work in case my company tracked usage so I got an iPhone with Internet access. It is amazing. Now I can spend hours on line instead of working. I have to write reports at work and unless a report is due the next day I can't bring myself to start typing. I eventually get things done but I now do the minimum. My strategy is to tell co-workers how overworked and busy I am so no one catches on. I think I get away with it because several co-workers are not efficient and take longer to finish their work. If I actually worked 8 hours instead of the 2 to 4 hours that I do work I would complete twice as much but I wouldn't get paid more, I would just get assigned more work.

Just FYI I work with a guy like this. He tells us all the time how busy he is yet everytime someone talks to him YouTube or yahoo is open on his computer. It's blatantly obvious he doesn't do squat all day to everyone and it's a slap in the face when he complains about being busy. Not surprisingly, he also doesn't know how close he is to being fired. So I'd be careful - telling coworkers how little you work is not a good idea because it will get back to the boss.

[Anonymous]

Working at home has helped me. I now get the shit done fast so all the other hours are mine. It never takes a full 8 hours without the typical office distractions.