balance.

..."work-life balance" is a big deal in my office these days. I'm not even sure why the phrase caught my attention (enough to think about a blog posting!), but it did. So bear with me! Note - this picture shows a realistic shot of my worklife on a Friday...pile of files, a few new projects, not enough time/space for realistic reflection...

To begin, I hate how "work-life balance" somehow pits "work" against "life" - and that's not really it at all...it should be figuring out how "work" fits into life, like me and all my roles as mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend, me. So more like "work-me-balance" or "work-me-mother-wife-sister-daughter-friend-....-balance". Because my work is a huge part of who I am and what I am. And I love that about myself. There were definitely times when I was not comfortable working. Times when I did not want to work. But that's not me now. I love the working. I love the me that works. Does that seem weird? It scares me a little (yes, just a bit!) that I'm the most comfortable with the working me just as my retirement date is settling in on the horizon. I do hear the voice that says "Maybe that's helped me get comfortable with the working me...knowing it's not that long-term?! " In any event, I've decided to embrace it ... can't hurt, right?

So I'm getting comfortable working fewer hours (clocked under 45 this past week, and got everything done that I needed to, plus a few unplanned things). And being extra careful to make sure the time I am working is adding value...talking to my team, my clients, making plans, solving problems,...of course that's the "stuff" that I've always enjoyed most anyway.

And also spending time developing myself...not just knitting or scrapbooking :-) but also me - being healthy, finding an exercise routine that will make me strong, trying new recipes to make with Sara, etc.

So many thanks to my wonderful friend, Liz, for seeing the destination AND helping me get there!

...she thought the dessert case made a better photo - wrong, girl, wrong!