An Update On My Journey To Find Happiness Outside My Career

It’s been three months since I took the leap of faith and left my full-time job to pursue working for my fabulous self full-time. The feelings and emotions that I have felt over the last few months would leave even the most experienced therapist with a long to-do list. Here is an update on My Journey To Find Happiness Outside My Career.

What I’ve learned…

Staying motivated can be tough. With Netflix, Starbucks and friends just a few minutes away, it can be difficult to stay motivated to work when. To combat these temptations, I have (attempted) to set up "office hours" (those times I’m permitted--and not permitted--to work). I’m still playing with what days and times work best (yeah, I'm not a morning person), but it's coming along well.

I don't like working for people. In this article I summed up how working for other people can be shitty. Part of this may be because I'm a millennial, but I think a larger part of it is my entrepreneurial spirit and creative nature. I do not like being held back, even if I have a bad idea. We learn a lot from mistakes. I’m not (okay, I try not to be) afraid of making mistakes.

I have more willpower than I thought. While staying motivated is tough, I’m very determined. When I set my mind to something, I accomplish it.

What I’m continuing to challenge myself on...

I’m continuing to challenge myself to not immediately turn to my work for my sole source of happiness. While helping people find careers they LOVE (or tolerate) brings me great joy, I also have to focus on bringing myself joy. And while my work does bring me joy, I refuse to allow it be my only source of joy.

I’m being (pretty) good about setting work boundaries. It's easy to spend 15+ hours per day working when work is at your fingertips (literally, most of my work is done via my laptop or phone).

I’m getting better at being flexible and patient with myself. While I have worked to create a better schedule, I’m also working to loosen the reigns and allow myself flexibility. Some days I’m less motivated to work, and that's okay. Other days, all I want to do is work. And that's also okay, too. What's important is that I’m flexible and patient with myself.

Goals…

One of my most important goals is to recognize that not everything in life is a to-do list item. Some things cannot be checked off and moved onto. Relationships, both with others and myself, take time and nurturing. No matter how hard I try, not everything can be accomplished with a Venti iced Americano and a long day of working on projects at Starbucks.

There is nothing more valuable to me than time with family and friends. I have probably seen my family and friends more in the last few months than I did in the year prior. This has not only been refreshing for my mental health, but it has also improved my productivity. It has been fabulous to have a fabulous boss (AKA myself) who recognizes the importance of spending time outside "the office" (a half-office/half-arcade room that I share with one of my roommates).

And, I am a work in progress. It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to mess up. It’s okay to fail. It's okay to just be. It’s okay to just survive. It’s okay to thrive. Whatever I am and whatever I do is perfectly okay.

Stay tuned for more updates on my journey. If you haven’t already, you can caffeinate your inbox (subscribe to my newsletter) at CaffeinatedKyle.com.