Work story

Work story: What did I do when I was not getting any work

During my time in engineering college, I was a busy student, holding extracurricular positions, participating in technical competitions, and maintaining good grades. However, when I joined my first company in 2007, things took a downturn due to my own attitude. This led to a vicious cycle where my managers lost trust in me, resulting in less work coming my way. It was a depressing situation, and in search of a project, I went to the top floor of the office building where a new project was being set up.

There, I saw a couple of employees my age, happily focused on their monitors. To my surprise, they were playing Counter-Strike. Since I hardly had any work, I joined them and started playing for about 4-5 hours a day over the next two months. 

Did it help me get more work? No. 

Did it improve my mood? Yes.

Sometimes, when things are out of your control, it's okay to shift your focus and engage in other activities to change your mental state.

P.S. Within a month, I took a transfer to a different office, and over the next year, I did a fabulous job (at least from my perspective).