I've recently had an epiphany about my life, my career, and my long-term goals. While typing news stories yesterday, it occurred to me -- I work 40+ hours a week at my job. By the time I get home, I either have dishes or laundry to do, or I want to hang out with friends... or maybe just catch up on my favorite shows saved on the DVR. Regardless, all I'm doing is working and hanging out. But that's not what I'm all about. I have long term goals, goals I want to accomplish before I'm 30, that are always in the back of my mind. I made a quick list of these things and also forwarded them to my boyfriend. Some surprised him... which made me realize I had never actually said them out loud to a single human being. There's something very wrong with that. I'm a self-motivated person with goals and drive and passion. Yet I don't do a single thing to work toward things I want to accomplish. I'll share a few of my goals with you...own two more properties by age 30, write a book, take singing lessons. But somewhere in the midst of getting up, showering, driving to work, writing news, coming home and whatever miscellaneous time-filler I choose before bed -- these goals are flying past me just like life is. We all spend so much time working at our jobs, time flies by before we can work at all on ourselves. Isn't that everyone's problem??? For me it's these long-term goals I'm hung up on all of a sudden. For someone else it may be depression, weight, self-esteem.... the bottom line is it's time wasted not doing whatever it is you need to do for YOU. This is really bothering me because I also don't want to go to work, come home and work work work on these goals. Then life will fly by and all I've done is work. So how do people accomplish all they want in life? Does anyone ever get to that point?
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Taking a Much Need BREAK
12 years ago
9 comments:
Girl - You're lightyears ahead of me...I'm still working on a job that doesn't make me want to cry all the time. I thank God every day for the gym, I know it sounds stupid, but it's my me time and it makes me happy. I've found that all the goals I had 3 years ago have flown out the window and it sucks... I guess the only thing I can control is me, so I try not to worry so much about how much my life ISN'T what I thought it would be... Anyway...love ya. Do what makes you happy and enjoy the people you love. Cause in the end, is God going to care if you own 20 properties and worked 80 hours a week and rebuild the leaning tower of Piza because it was falling over?? Or is he going to care about the people's lives you made better for hanging out that night they were down, or gushing over the show you caught up on, or the person whose day you made by doing the dishes so he doesn't have to... just some food for thought
Love you!
Samantha
Good point, I will add to my list that throughout these goals, I need to remember the one thing that is most important...the friends and family who made me who I am today. I will never abandon that. Love you too!
You are so ME at your age it's sickening. I wish I could find the list I made when I was just about your age. It included seeing the 7 wonders, being published, and a bunch of other stuff that seems so unimportant now. I remember I was working in St. Louis at the time. 30 seemed so far away. Just so you know - I'll be 32 in February. I probably didn't accomplish anything on that list - my life had a path all it's own that I could have never imagined. And even though sometimes I want to pull my hair out (I figure that's the way it will always be) I am so blessed. Don't ever stop wanting more - but don't forget to enjoy what you have right this second. Life is going to get so much better and exciting for you in the next few years... I can't wait to see what you do with it!
You go girl. Life can be too short and you have always had it going on due to your determination and motivation. I have no doubt you will reach your goals. Spread those wings and fly....as I know you will.
You are doing fine, believe me.
And I love the blog, by the way.
I just talked to a class about this and urged them to not neglect their life as they pursue their work. Think about how many things you did in high school - probably a good variety of performing, sports, service, academics and fun. How much did you continue into college? And then how much did you carry into "real life?" Some people are really good at finding a way to keep playing music or sports or indulging other creative passions -- but I wasn't; at least not for the first years out of school. And in this profession, I believe a fuller life gives you better perspective to be a better judge of what's out there -- and your audience will benefit from that. What do you think?
If you really want it go for it. If you stumble, get up and dust yourself off and try it again. Life is what you make it and if you want it make it.
LTP -- I completely agree! A person more in tune with the community around them makes them a better journalist. Working on the things i call "not working" makes me better at my work as well. It's so easy to be immune to what people really care about because you live in a different world in news. It's great you talk about this in class!
It's great to have goals -- I've got plenty of them, too. It takes a lot of work to get to where you want to be, but it's so important to just stop and take a few breaths now and then. Don't ignore your emotions or feelings, thinking that things will just pass -- sometimes, they don't. I was racing along my career path, too, but didn't bother to check my fuel level. I crashed and went a long way down. I suffered a bout of major (and at times, dangerous) depression, and I learned the hard way how vital it is to put myself first, not my career,
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