Up until a week ago, I worked two jobs. One occupied 40 hours of my time, the other 35. One paid me every two weeks, the other – just now and then. But I’d have to say that both fed me equally, at least in the figurative sense. I simply loved my work.
You have to hope that we all get to a place in life where we can say that…that we love our work. Isn’t that the point of deciding what we want to be when we grow up? Having arrived at the professional destination of my choosing, I’ve got to say that life is pretty sweet. But it is possible to have too much of a good thing.
Last month, I finally came to the realization that there were only 24 hours in a day. Why had no one ever told me this? Once I figured it out, I realized that none of my resting hours up to this point had been particularly restful.
So I decided to try the balance thing I’d heard so much about. I left my full-time job to take a gleeful dive into my small business. I turned the clock to the wall during my best working hours. And I started taking a little time out to talk to the dog. Amazing how good it felt to create space in my day artículo!
This morning, I fought the urge to reach for my phone when I woke up, instead allowing myself a moment to reenter the waking, working world. And in that moment, I was visited by a memory of my grandparents’ Tudor-style house, a place where I last set foot in 1982. The house had a little vestibule inside the front door – a kid-sized room with an interior entry, a coat closet, mail drop, and mirror – where you could get ready to go in to the party…or out into the world. It was a place to rest, to prep, to imagine with great excitement what lay ahead. Certainly, this was a metaphor for creating space ahead of a day’s work.
I’d love to be able to tell you that the artwork for my YEAR IN THE CITY calendar was designed to create that sense of space. But I’m not sure I understood it myself at the time. Now, though, I have to admit that when I “put myself in the picture” and imagine the story ahead of me, I am creating a much-needed space to prep for work. Then I move in…and start the day fresh.
I hope my St. Louis images will have the same positive impact on you and those you care about. You’ll find all 24 of them at ayearinthecity.com