Monday, February 7th, 2022 is my re-entry into the world of the working after having taken a seven month hiatus. Fortunately for me, I will have a smooth and gentle transition back into a more structured way of living, as I will be working as a substitute teacher in my local school district. There will be some weeks where I work 5 consecutive days, and others where I may only work 2 or 3. What a gift this flexibility is.
I am excited to be around kids again, to meet other educators in our new home town, and to have a more consistent schedule upon which to form my days. However, I am also grieving the closing of a wonderful period of my life…or, maybe it is just a pausing – I don’t really know yet. In the last seven months I have been able to slow down and find my own natural pace and rhythm again. I have spent more time on the things and the people that matter most to me. I have been able to live my life as a creative adventure. I don’t want to lose this entirely as I return to the traditional 9-5, or in the world of education, the 8-4.
How do I create fluidity between my professional objectives and personal pursuits?
Last week Daniel came home from work and professed, “While I love my job, I am coming to realize that working life means spending the day diligently chipping away at work tasks and then coming home and feeling too tired to do the things that really matter to me.” Bleak. Yet I relayed that sentiment to a couple of friends and they simply nodded their heads and said, “Yup.”
Does it have to be this way?
We are given 24 hours in a day. Assuming we sleep 8 of those, then work another 8, we still should have 8 hours each day to do what we please. Okay, that is probably not exactly accurate for those who have kids…how those hours are used is likely not entirely up to you. We all have household chores to complete and taks or errands to be done. Still, we are sure to at least have a couple of hours each day to call our own … right?
How I spend my hours outside of my time in the classroom is up to me. I am at a phase in my life where I can still be a bit selfish – I don’t have children to come home and attend to. Not yet at least. The amount of time I choose to give towards house cleaning, stocking up on groceries and responding to emails is in my control. As is the time that I set aside for things like painting, writing and reading romantic fiction. Time isn’t as abundant as it was when I wasn’t working, that is a fact. But the time is still there for me to play and enjoy.
I don’t want to whittle my life away on the mundane. I want to live a colorful and passionate life. I want to live a life of ritual, not just routine. I believe that we all have the power to do this, albeit what that life looks like will vary greatly from person to person. It is painful to accept that this responsibility really is on us, as it requires self-examination:
What choices, actions, and behaviors are creating my life at present?
How do I feel about my life at present?
What can I shift in order to move more towards the life that I seek?
The last seven months have provided this period of examination for me. I have come to realize that the career I pursue from here is up to me. As is the attitude I maintain while working. I can work, or approach work, in a way that lights me up. If I can’t find a way to do this in my current job, well then I can start taking steps towards finding a job where I can. I have come to realize that the way I spend my hours outside of work is up to me. I can spend hours on chores and errands, hating every minute of this, or I can devote focused time to these chores and errands and find a creative way to simplify them, or infuse them with more joy. I can watch Netflix for hours at the end of the day, or I can exercise and use my evening to write, paint, cook or explore. It really is up to me. Just like it is also up to you.
I know what Daniel meant when he said that working life is just a string of days where you come home too tired to do anything that you actually want to do. I think many of us can resonate with his words. But, I don’t want to live that way. I do think that it is within our power to choose a different option for ourselves – whatever that may mean for you.
For me, this means making a commitment now to use my time – even on work days – in such a way that fills me up. Before work each day I have 2 hours that I can spend moving my body, reading or listening to something inspirational, and eating a nourishing breakfast. Through working I have the ability to make money so as to afford more experiences that add richness to my life. Work, for me, also means a connection to children, and children bring me joy. At the end of my day I have 6 glorious hours during which I can walk or ride my bike, I can paint or write a blog post, I can work on a class or read a book, I can cook a nourishing meal or try a new restaurant. Regardless of what I do, the point remains: I get to choose how I spend my time. I get to choose what I create with this life.
You get to choose too.
Now, let’s turn that looking glass inward. Are you in a place of monotony and dread for the Monday through Friday? Are you living for the weekend? Or, are you coloring each day with a sense of richness and joy? What, if anything, can you adjust in your day so as to allow for more of what you love? Where can you find more room for creativity, play and joy?
You hold the power.
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