Chasing Dreams...Not Paychecks
Finding fulfillment beyond the paycheck and traditional career paths.
So I did it. I got up this morning, went to the gym, and worked out. One of the things I miss about going to the gym is working on my fitness. I get my spiritual Bible reading done, catch up on some Substacks, and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment. It also reminded me how much I rely on technology—I forgot my watch, which was a bummer because I worked out for a whole hour, lifted weights, and did everything on the bike.
What I'm realizing is menopause tries to put your life on pause. It's a reason why it's called 'menopause.' But today, I feel good and refreshed. It's early, and I still have time to come home and work on some things. That gnawing feeling of entrepreneurship is in the back of my mind. It's like Edgar Allan Poe's 'Telltale Heart.' It’s a thump-thump, constantly reminding me that I am an entrepreneur and not to settle. I try to stuff it down and tell myself, 'It's temporary. It's temporary.'
I felt guilty about how much time had been invested in training me when I eventually wanted other things for my life. But shouldn't it be the norm that no one stays in a job until they die? That kind of job loyalty isn't really applicable to life anymore. I'm always thinking, aren’t we all striving for something bigger and better? More spacious, more freedom, time freedom—to go and do without having to ask for time off?
There’s a time and place for everything under the sun: truth, truth, truth. But wouldn’t it be lovely to travel and do everything you want in life? When it comes to making money, traditional jobs keep you gridlocked regarding income cap. You know exactly how much you're going to get each month. Wouldn’t it be better to have passive or active income streams where you can make more than what an employer gives you every two weeks? The freedom is in calling your shots.
I'm very grateful for what I have right now because this is the season of my life. But I can't shake the feeling of guilt and being sidelined as life passes me by. Payday comes, and I can go and do without pinching pennies or sweating over bills for the weekend. This weekend felt nice; I relaxed with a friend and shopped without worrying about the cost. That sense of momentary security felt lovely.
But then Sunday night rolled around, and I was like, 'I want one more day to put myself back together.' Who wants to go out of town on weekends when you work full-time? You don’t have a reset. You come back tired, without doing anything at home, and it’s already Monday. I almost thought, 'I’m not going to go out of town; I wanted to stay home.' But that's not living either. At the same time, going out of town felt equally exhausting.
As a self-care coach, I believe in resetting and preparing your mind to take on life again. I seek out rejuvenation automatically, and that is self-care. When you don’t have time to reset, you need activities that refresh you. So, I've been contemplating that.
Today gave me a chance to fall back in love with Substack. I was so gung-ho at the beginning of the year, but then I grew cold. One day back at the gym, listening to Substacks reminded me why I'm here—the creative people, the reasonable pricing. It was nice to tap back into the community.
Today is Tuesday, and it will be a short work week because of the U.S. holiday. I’m looking forward to wrapping things up by Wednesday and having time to relax, focus on my side hustle, and see where life takes me. What are you doing to keep your goals in front of you, like a dangling carrot? How do you ensure they don’t fall into the 'someday' pile? Journal on it. Write it out. Life is fast and ever-evolving. How are you keeping up?
Thank you Angie for being a lovely leader in self care. I have been in the middle of a rebrand that has been an incredible journey, and full of creativity, but it's been everything for me the primary way I have spent my time in the last 6 months. I have been planing a vacation with my friends to hike the alps in Switzerland for over a year now, and I am sitting here terrified to leave town, and my business. I think I needed this reminder. I have planned and dreamed of this trip for so long, and even though I feel that I shouldn't go, that I should be here and work; I am going to go. I have to have faith that it won't all fall apart because I took 2 weeks off to focus on me and my precious relationships. I am going to follow your example; keep breathing and keep moving through those sticky moments, where I put work at a higher priority than myself.