Square Blue Pegs

Do you work?
What is your job?
Is it the right job for you?
Are you happy in your job?

Apparently as many as 75% of people (in the UK) could be in the wrong job, which would explain a lot...

Bupa, the private health insurance company carried out a survey of 2400 adults using a set of colours and shapes, and questions, and came to the startling conclusion (except if you listen to all the moaning at work) that most people are not doing what they should be doing.

I did the test because a) I'm a sucker for tests; b) I liked the music; c) I know I'm in the wrong job so it shouldn't be too difficult to identify me as a misfit. You have to choose one of 4 shapes and I chose a squiggle because it looked squiggly and I liked that it was going somewhere. Then I made it yellow because yellow is my favourite colour.

I was thus identified as being 'witty, creative and impulsive'. I am supposed to be 'spontaneous and fun, always looking to the future, but not very dependable and have been known to drive my colleagues crazy. I am easily distracted and need to learn to focus on tasks and see them through to their conclusion'. Hmm, that's not me really although I like the witty and creative bit. I'm just a little impulsive when faced with Pierrette and her bags of clothes or the suggestion of lunching out.

As I didn't agree, I took the test further. You answer 18 questions, all in a spirit of pleasant fun, with jolly music. I've done the test 3 times. The first time I was a green triangle (leadership), the second a green circle (people-oriented) and the third time a green square (methodical). I suppose the first is the one that counts because my answers were the most spontaneous. However, the one common denominator is green. Not yellow.

What does this mean? That I don't know myself? I don't understand what makes me tick? Why do I like yellow squiggles when I should be liking green triangles?

The questions are good but in no way take into account real life. I didn't get where I am today... without having married my ex-h and had to take the job I've got because we needed the money, jobs are not ten a penny here and I had to pay off my student loan. Then I stayed for various reasons. Life, not choice is why I am where I am.

I am also hopelessly indecisive about some things, and knowing what I wanted to be when I grew up is one of them. How many of us float through life hoping to stumble on what we really want to do, or waiting for inspiration to fall from the sky? Probably a horribly high number.

It has taken divorce and a stumble for me to discover that a) I wanted to write a book; and b) I can broaden my outlook outside work by belonging to a charitable organisation and being useful. The sky is a very big place, and there's so much that can fall from it, it would take a very lucky person to know what colour and shape they are, what it means, and go for what they want to do. The rest of us are either doing the wrong thing and don't know why; know why and hate it (hence the desire of many to leave the rat-race); or doing the wrong thing and not really minding because the alternative is the dole, and a secure roof is a very important component of 'peace of mind'.

Isn't it comforting to know that you really are trying hopelessly to get your blue square into a yellow circle?

Any other green triangles out there?