Lately I’ve been experiencing something I never expected. An appreciation for my day job. Believe it or not, as a ‘sort-of millennial’ (actually I think I’m now officially called a Xennial), I feel a lot of pressure to turn my side hustle and my passions into my career. Seems like everyone my age is an entrepreneur these days, or full-time blogging. As if that were easy. Or completely not terrifying as all get-out. I admire entrepreneurs and full-time bloggers. But that is not my reality at this time. Maybe someday.
When I tell people I work in HR for a large company, I often get “That’s not you.” Or “But what do you really want to do?”, or “How do you find time to write your blog?”.
I think these statements and questions come from a good place.
Maybe from a place of believing I’m better-suited for something else (not sure what that is – I’m still figuring out what I want to be when I grow up) or because HR gets a really bad rap (HR is great!). But I can’t help but take these comments as a touch judgmental or at least uninformed about what I really want for my days and feel about my career.
I actually like my day job. AND I like my passions. AND I like my side hustle. They are all tied together and enable each other. It’s a good balance.
This may sound like a load of hooey to you, and if you can’t relate or you think I’m justifying working for ‘the man’, that’s cool. You’re certainly entitled to your opinion. But if you’re a blogger who has a day job or a Xennial feeling insecure about the company you aren’t CEO of, or a self-employed person considering taking a full-time job, let’s take a minute to recognize…
WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT YOUR 9-5:
It supports your side hustle. Blogging is expensive, and you’ve got to pour a little bit (or a lotta bit) of cash into a blog to help it evolve and grow.
And you gotta have a side hustle. This is my number one piece of advice to making day jobs work for you. My blog isn’t a distraction at work. Instead I’m actually very focused at work because I have to squeeze it all in efficiently so that my free time can go to my blog and my guy. And a side hustle gives you a creative outlet and makes you feel like you have more to your life than just your job. Plus, who doesn’t like a little extra income for the things they like?!?!?!
You can get dressed and go somewhere each day. Because outfits! And because it does something great for my psyche and my confidence to put clothes on and go into an office. It provides some separation and independence from my home and my relationship and my side hustle, and I get to see new faces each day. That’s important for me to feel engaged in Atlanta daily life.
Speaking of outfits! I like pushing the limits on office style just a little bit, so this is a recent look of mine. My office has a surprisingly open-minded dress code, so I feel comfortable wearing what I like.
My colleagues are really great. I work with some phenomenal women. They are smart as hell, super-interesting, and they know their shit. I admire them, and it’s pretty awesome to work with supportive, empowered females all day. Plus, they ask me for style advice which brings my passion into my workplace in a fun way. This one is an easy win.
Structure and certainty are important for a personality like mine. I am high-strung, high-maintenance, and I like to be in control of myself and my surroundings. When I don’t have a schedule or a place to be, I actually go bananas. I’ve learned this about myself and am coming to appreciate that. This is kind of ridiculous but I actually relax and unwind by making lists and completing tasks while I’m watching TV. Maybe it’s weird, but it’s me.
Pants: J.Crew Banada Striped Wide-Leg Cotton // Top: J.Crew Ruffle Front Top // Shoes: Calvin Klein Casey Deep Navy Suede Pumps // Bag: Kate Spade Cameron Satchel (this color, sold out – another option here!)
P.S. Did you see last week’s post on Building your Corporate Wardrobe? Check it out!
WHAT DO YOU APPRECIATE ABOUT YOUR DAY JOB?
