This week, after seven years at my current job, I received an office upgrade. It’s bigger and has windows with a pretty nice view. But the new office is really just another form of “golden handcuffs.” It’s still just a space, inside a building, where I’m supposed to trade years of my life for money. Setting our sights on the goal of early semi-retirement has allowed me to have more peace when it comes to our current situation. However, there are still many days when I still struggle not to say “F*** it,” run away, and never look back.
Life has a way of forcing you to confront juxtapositions. At the same time that I was sitting in my new office this week, Scary Mommy posted a very special piece of mine on their site. I read through the many comments and was so moved by how my writing elicited emotions from other people.
Reading the feedback (on Facebook) gave me so much more satisfaction and joy than my current work. It made me feel far more accomplished than any reward of moving to a bigger office. People wrote about being brought to tears and thanked me for finding the words that captured their thoughts and feelings.
This piece about a mother-in-law who I will never meet, took months to write. I worked on it here and there, only when I could give it the attention and energy it deserved. Yet, Scary Mommy has stopped paying for submissions. Thus, my special tribute represented a significant amount of completely voluntary effort. I might see a small amount of added traffic to this site, for which I might earn a couple of extra pennies. However, being able to touch a stranger’s heart truly feels like reward enough.
Needless to say, I can’t help but wonder what I’m still doing in my current, joyless job. There seems to be so very many advocates out there for following your dreams and not worrying about anything else. Social media is filled with inspirational pictures, quotes, and videos about living life now, while you still can. It’s hard to see all of these messages, telling me what I want to hear, but knowing I can’t act on those urges.
As the war between dreams and responsibilities wages on, my rational side reminds me of why I must continue in my present employment – money. We still have quite a bit of debt and need more assets to fund our dreams for semi-retirement. The only choice I have right now is to continue along this path, no matter what the extrinsic voices say about chasing dreams in the present.
There were some interesting things that had been living in my old desk. One item I came across in cleaning it out, was a brainstorming-type note to myself.
A note from October 2013:
What are my goals?
Right now, it seems that I am constricted by debt – need to make $$$ to alleviate financial pressures.
But how much will that really help? I will still need a job, right?
What do I know?
I don’t like sitting in my office. I waste time and am not productive.
I am most productive at home, at night.
How can I use my time better?
If I complete my work, they won’t care if I’m in the office all of the time? I can do work at home. Is there something else I can do while in the office?
What do I want to do?
I want to write my book. I want to start a blog. I want to spend more time with my kids.
I’ve made progress, which is worthy of some pride and satisfaction. My schedule was successfully tweaked, so that I can take advantage of my more productive times and work from home on occasion. I have been spending more time with my children. And of course, I did start this blog and have kept it going for almost two years. The book referred to in this note is a fiction story that has been, unfortunately, untouched for several years.
I’m left with the realization that my dreams will have to be pursued in bits and pieces of time, at least for now. My continued employment is a necessity, but there is hope. I have identified the goal and will be able to escape from the demands of full-time work far sooner than most other people. And I’ll never stop dreaming, or writing.
Looking back and noting your progress is always motivating! I love it. Congrats on making your life the best you can NOW while working toward your even more awesome future!
Maggie @ Northern Expenditure recently posted…Northern Expressions: Set Impossible Goals
Thanks Maggie! Finding that perfect balance is always a struggle, but it feels like I’m doing a pretty good job, at least for the time being.
I’ve been there with a job I disliked but couldn’t afford to leave. It’s tough, but changing my focus from work to non-work stuff during non-work hours and building boundaries between the two helped a lot. Eventually I was able to leave it for something I liked much better, and I hope you can too.
Emily @ JohnJaneDoe recently posted…Retirement Savings When Your Employer Doesn’t Have A Retirement Plan
Thanks Emily. It definitely helps to focus on the finish line, which isn’t that far ahead in the future. I’m not sure how others who plan to work for another few decades deal with it.
Never stop dreaming indeed. It is good to be reminded of this no matter what our circumstances are. At times, we can easily forget many of the traits we had as children. Like endless dreaming. I hope you continue to stay focused on your goals and find the balance that is necessary to stay the course. And dream.
As a former mentor used to remind me when I was stressed and down about work – “it’s just work. It’s just work”, she would say.
What is outside of our work is so much more both now and in the future.
Mr. PIE recently posted…Revealing our FIRE Plans: One Story, Four Ways
This is what I needed to hear today – thank you for that. One day, week, month, and year at a time . . . we will acheive our goals. In the meantime, I will try my best to remember that “it’s just work” and continue to enjoy everything else.
Well, you have to look at it that you have to go to work and pay the bills, so if you’re getting a better workspace from it, all the better versus a windowless closet or something along those lines.
Money Beagle recently posted…The Neighborhood Bully Is Quiet, For Ten Months Anyway
Yes, I know I have to learn to get better at making lemonade out of lemons. The view is nice, so I’ll do my best to enjoy it.
I really like how you described your office. I have a cubicle and the space SUCKS because it’s super open and there are way too many noises and distractions every day. I always think “if I just had an office I’d be much happier.” But ultimately I’d be much happier running my own business, so getting a nicer space to park myself 50 hours a week wouldn’t necessarily be a good thing.
On one hand, I’m fortunate to have a nice office, but on the other hand I realize that having a nice office is not on my bucket list. It’s just a place to ride out the rest of this phase of my journey.
Identifying the goal and seeing it as attainable at some future date matters so much to how it will impact your actions. I’ll be thinking of you and hoping you can find the balance you seek for now.
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