It’s in my nature to fix things. That’s why I spend so much time trying to help people with their problems and working on self-improvement. I do the same with the places I frequent as well. Wherever I go, if I spend enough time there, I’ll notice things that can be improved and do my best to do it. As long as it’s either within my knowledge base or simple enough that I can figure it out, I’ll try to leave it better than I found it.
Whenever I’ve run into a system at one of my jobs or somewhere else I regularly go, I’ve first taken some time to learn it and use it to accomplish whatever tasks are at hand. Once I get a feel for it, however, I start thinking about how to make it better. For example, maybe changing the order of a few steps will make it flow better, make it easier, and allow us to complete a task faster while still getting everything right. This has generally served me well, although it has gotten me into trouble on occasion. Sometimes those above me are more interested in doing things a certain way than finding the best way (or even a better way) to do them and they shut down my efforts to improve the situation. I can deal with that for a while but it eventually starts getting to me. The longer I stay in that situation and learn about how things work, the more opportunities for improvement I find. When I can’t act on them, it breaks my spirit and I eventually end up leaving.
I believe that nearly anything can be fixed or at the very least improved if given enough time, effort, and intelligence. However, sometimes I realize that fixing a particular situation would require so much from me that my attention would be better spent somewhere else. Somewhere that’s more receptive to my ideas, needs less improvement, and leaves me feeling tired at the end of the night because I was so inspired to pour everything I had into what I did that day instead of having the life sucked the life out of me by rigid bureaucracy.
As much as I try to finish what I start and leave something better than I found it, I’ve learned that sometimes the best thing to do is walk away. It usually takes me a long time to do this once I’ve invested a great deal of my energy and thinking into a particular place, but sooner or later I say goodbye. I’m always thrilled when I move on and find people who appreciate me, my ideas, and my efforts to improve whatever situation I’m in. That’s what keeps me going and I’d much rather invest in those people than ones that make it clear that they could do without me. And I’m fortunate to know many people who appreciate me and everything I do. They’re the best friends I could ask for and I’m so glad I get to go through life with them.