You don't have to change yourself just because you are prone to feeling uneasy
I might be the type of person who is more prone to feeling uneasy than others when working.
"Why are we doing it this way?"
"Isn't this explanation a bit strange?"
"Isn't there a gap between the goal and what we are doing?"
"Is this task really necessary?"
I end up worrying about things like that.
When the people around me proceed without saying anything in particular,
"Maybe I'm just overthinking it."
"Maybe it would be easier if I were thicker-skinned."
I sometimes think that.
But recently, I have started to see things a little differently.
Perhaps I don't have to force myself to change just because I am prone to feeling uneasy.That is what I have come to think.
That is what I have come to think.
Feeling uneasy is the gateway to finding problems
When working, there are moments when I think, "Something is strange."
I cannot yet clearly put into words what the problem is.
However, if I think about it without ignoring that feeling of unease,
"This procedure is redundant."
"The division of roles is ambiguous, so there are more checks."
"The goal is not shared, so the criteria for judgment differ from person to person."
Problems like these can sometimes be seen.
It is not that the problem is clearly understood from the beginning; in many cases, the feeling that "something is strange" comes first.
In other words, a feeling of unease is not the problem itself, but rather like a sensor for finding problems.
I have worked in business improvement and system development until now.
Looking back, even when I discovered problems,
"This is a bit strange here."
It often started from that point.
Thinking about it that way, being prone to feeling a sense of unease is not necessarily a flaw.
Depending on how you use it, it can even become a professional strength.
However, depending on the environment, it can be extremely draining.
The problem is where you use that sensitivity.
If it is an environment where you can notice a sense of unease and think, 'Wouldn't it be better to change this?', then that sense is useful.
However, there are times when you notice a sense of unease but cannot change anything.
The purpose and background are not sufficiently shared either.
You are expected to follow detailed instructions rather than think and act for yourself.
In such an environment, the story changes.
Every time you pick up on a sense of unease, you wonder, 'Why is it like this?'
But you don't have the authority to change it.
Then another sense of unease arises.
Repeating this is quite exhausting.
This is because the ability to find a sense of unease has no value in that environment.
In fact, it is often easier not to notice it at all.
Simply 'trying not to care' does not solve it
At times like this,
It often becomes a conversation about 'you should just not care more,' 'it's work, so you should just compartmentalize,' or 'it's like that at any company.'
That is what tends to happen.
Of course, it is tiring to react to every single sense of discomfort, and you also need the ability to let go of things that don't matter.
However, if you find yourself getting hung up on the same types of things over and over, I think it might be a bit misguided to only think about 'how to stop caring'.
Why do you feel uncomfortable about that?
That is more important.
For example,
It is painful to be given detailed instructions when you want to think for yourself and move your work forward.
It is painful to continue doing tasks that do not lead to results.
It is painful to follow established rules without knowing the reason why.
If that is the case, it is not just a matter of 'caring too much', but rather,
it may be telling you what you value in your work.
Strengths change their form depending on the environment
Even the same trait changes its meaning when the environment changes.
If a person who notices small discrepancies is in an environment where they cannot change anything,
'someone who worries about every little thing'
is what they might become.
But if that person is in a position to identify customer problems, discover operational issues, or improve products,
'someone who is very observant'
is what they become.
The person themselves has not changed at all.
What has changed is the place where they use that strength.
Therefore, instead of only thinking about fixing your weaknesses,
why not consider,
Where could these traits of mine be of value?
Change your workplace, not yourself
When you often feel out of place at work, you might sometimes think, "Perhaps I am not suited for this organization."
However, there is something you should consider before reaching that conclusion.
Is there really a problem with you? Or is it just that you cannot use your strengths in that environment?
There is no need to force yourself to become insensitive.
If you are prone to feeling out of place, choose a job where that sensitivity can be used.
If you like to think for yourself, increase the scope where you can make your own decisions.
If that is difficult in your current environment, consider changing your environment.
Furthermore, there is also the option of creating the very environment you desire as your own work.
Sometimes, feeling out of place tells you, "This is not where I belong."
At the same time,
it also serves as a trigger to think,
"Then, in what kind of work can I demonstrate my strengths?"
You don't have to force yourself to change just because you are prone to feeling out of place.
Instead of erasing that feeling,
where can I use it to create value?
Thinking about that might bring you closer to a way of working that suits you.
If you feel uncomfortable with your current way of working, I don't think you have to just accept that discomfort as something you have to endure.
What kind of work style do you desire?
What kind of work would allow you to utilize your experience and strengths?
And how can you connect that to your income?
In the pinned article, "Creating income through your own work to realize the work style you desire," I write in a bit more detail about what I am currently thinking.
If you feel uncomfortable with your current way of working and would like to think for yourself about your future career, please feel free to read it.