Avoid the Cubicle Life.

Here in 2020 we have the vantage point of looking at the world of work for at least the past 100 years.

In the 90’s the office cubicle thing took off. Companies all over the USA (especially the USA) rented large floors in nondescript buildings in corporate campi where every morning thousands upon thousands of people would get in their cars, fight the commute and arrive at their cubicle in time for their 8am or 9am start of the work day.

In some circles (many actually) this still goes on.

Son, the cubicle life is no way to live.

The action in life is never at the cubicle.

If you are mid-career, I’d like to impart to you the idea that if you are spending years of your life commuting to a cubicle, you are abusing the time you have on Earth. There is no “good” reason why people can’t have a career, work hard, and avoid moving into a cubicle lifestyle for 20 years.

However, I really want to address this piece to those people in their early 20’s and ready to start a career. Here’s the scene — someone gets hired by company X, they’re all excited to have a new job, and then they get introduced to their cubicle, the place they’re going to call home for 8+ hours a day 250+ days a year. The introduction to your cubicle doesn’t really look that different than the introduction the warden makes to the inmate going to his cell for the first time.

What do the new cubicle inhabitants do? They immediately bring in photos of their family. Their spouses, their kids, and maybe a couple of vacation photos from the beach. Images of things from their life.

They decorate. They settle in. They build a nest of sorts.

The last thing I want sitting in my corporate office space are family photos.

Then come the “awards” that decorate the cubicle… Employee of the month. Highest achiever of the quarter. Salesman of the Year etc…

Companies will do what they can to keep you motivated. You matter. They will bring in free lunch once in a while. I get it. On one hand there is no maliciouness to this, it’s simply being nice and make the best out of a long day. But this “extract-as-much-lemon-juice-out-of-the-lemon”, industrial age…