For what seems like the millionth time in the past few years, something in my life has changed significantly. My familiar routine is no more, and I have to find a new normal. Maybe normal is the wrong word, because who really knows what that means? Really, all I want is to figure out some sort of balance and be at peace with the way my life is right now. Just like so many try to find that work/life balance, I’m looking for the balance between no work and life.
Here’s the thing, I want to be diligent about finding a new job without driving myself crazy. As easy as it would be to form a butt indent in my couch and catch up on crappy TV, I can’t get stuck in that rut. But, I also refuse to spend all day every day worrying about not having a job and searching the boards nonstop. It’s okay if I spend the morning doing that, and then the afternoon reading in the park. In fact, it’s probably better for my sanity.
I’ve also come across a surprising discovery. Instead of blogging and tweeting more, I’ve been doing both less. Even though I technically have more free time, it’s not part of my new routine yet. The majority of my job was social media. I had Hootsuite open all the time, and it was easy to keep up with company tweets and my own. Now, I have to find a way to make time for these things without getting too sucked in.
I’m also trying to balance being positive with being realistic. There’s no doubt that I’m excited for a new opportunity, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid. It’s been a while since the last time I was jobless, and things were very different then. I was just a little college grad looking for my first real job. Now, I have experience and marketable skills, and I want to use those assets to get myself a job I truly enjoy.
Balance, balance, balance. I’m just trying to even out my scale, taking things off and putting others on to find the right combination. I’m learning to do things for myself, how to keep myself sane through all of this. If the search becomes too much, I go outside and read for a while, or work out at the gym. I spend some time looking at wedding dresses online, call my mom, or send an e-mail to a friend. Despite this setback, I’ve got a lot going for me, and I remind myself of that every single day. Eventually, I will find that balance again.
How do you keep life balanced?
