A Glimpse At The Way It Could Be

I have to say, going to work each day with a husband at home makes me realize just how all-consuming I've permitted my job to be and what a hamster-wheel of an existence we've had.

Cue the dramatic music. I know, what HR professional has a 40-hour-a-week job and what dual-income family has a stress-free existence? None that I know of . . . but still.

When we were both working, it was just the way things were. There was not a lot of flexibility to when the day started and ended or how things occurred during the day. Midday doctor appointments, after-school activities and and unscheduled illnesses or school closings put a wrench in "the schedule."

Now, that all stands in stark contrast to the glimpse I had of another way that it could be.

My husband, who by the way claims to be rather stress-free at the moment, is able to let the kid sleep in another hour - which is golden to a growing tween - and she can stay for after school activities without much ado. There is more dad/daughter time for ice skating, sliding, four wheeling and leisurely before school breakfasts and we are able to share chaperoning duties for evening activities.

As a family unit, there is something to be said about trading what ever it is we need to trade for us to be able to be home - and together - more.

If you had a glimpse of the way "it" could be for you and your family and then took the leap  - what was the "it" for you and what trade off's did you make, if any?

Photo credit iStockphoto

The Right Way to Transition to a New Career

Is there a right way to transition to a new career?

No, there is not. Oh, everyone will have an opinion on what you should do and how you should do it but the only "right" way is the way that works for you and your family.

Here's how the husband is going about it . . . 

He is exercising more, reconnecting with family and friends on Facebook, planning a mid-week winter fishing trip and preparing to return the favor of care he received during his heart surgery as a volunteer with Mended Hearts.

But, it's not all fun and games.

He's writing resumes, reaching out to references and tweaking his LinkedIn profile. He's attending classes with the Minnesota Workforce Center where he is developing a Career Performance Portfolio, completing a vocational profile, taking the MBTI, and acing the assessments for a top-graded National Career Readiness Certificate.

His confidence is building and he's got his feet firmly planted on the ground as he is unwinding, relaxing and preparing himself for his next career move. It's interesting to watch.

I never had a job loss of my own but, if I did, this is not how I would have gone about it.

I would have had my resume out there the day I received the layoff notice and would have been doing anything and everything I could to find a job. I would have went with a job I know because it would have been a sure bet and I would have found a position before my last day ever came.

And it would have been a mistake.

When in our adult lives do we ever give ourselves permission to step off the hamster wheel? To assess where we've been and to reassess where we want to go? To stop and actually see what we have and to appreciate it for what it is - nothing more and nothing less?

When I make my next career move, I am taking a page from my husband's book and am going to take the time to stop and smell the roses.

It's the right way to transition to a new career.

<It's my blog, I can say that. I can also tell the husband to can the roses for Valentines Day and pocket the cash for our vacation to the lands of butter beer and quirky boutiques>

Photo credit iStockphoto