From where I stand now
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I just stumbled upon this post (and a new to me blog, yay), that I can relate to so wholeheartedly. After playing the stay-at-home mom gig for 18 years, and during that time running my own business, I went back to work. I closed my business (there were no regrets, I could have gone on, but I was burnt out beyond repair), put on my work face and reentered the work world.
The hardest part was getting used to the new schedule. Gone were the flexibility of my days. Suddenly I had to schedule nearly every aspect, which turned out to be a not-so-bad thing. My weekends are much more constructive; I waste very little time; I exercise way more (because I had to join a gym and go very early in the morning); and when I relax at the end of the day, I really do relax.
The nice part was that I pretty much won the job lottery. I work for a very high end custom furniture maker - it's a family owned business, run by a 3rd generation French furniture maker and everything is done on site. We work mainly with the trade - very high profile interior designers, and their very high profile client (often celebrity). Pretty much the 1% that I'm sure you have read about. They do exist.
I've worked my way into project management, and they have given me incredible leeway & responsibility, and while it's incredibly stressful some days (weeks) (like this last!), I love it. I'm actually sketching again; something I haven't done since high school, and I've had the opportunity to design/sketch pieces that have gone into production & now sit in people's homes. I've learned so much.
The funny thing is that now I'm pretty spoiled. My expectation of quality has changed. I look at pieces (fashion, design, furniture) with much more of a critical eye and my tastes have become more refined. I no longer want to buy, just to buy and fill my closet. I see all the emails that land in my inbox advertising the newest, latest must-have and I just feel like I don't. When I see something now, I consciously ask myself if it is truly classic and well-made, and built to stand the test of (some) time, not just one season. Sure, there is a list of wants, but they require saving for (something I've never really done before) and they are truly investments. I'm okay with that. It's worth it in the long run.
I just stumbled upon this post (and a new to me blog, yay), that I can relate to so wholeheartedly. After playing the stay-at-home mom gig for 18 years, and during that time running my own business, I went back to work. I closed my business (there were no regrets, I could have gone on, but I was burnt out beyond repair), put on my work face and reentered the work world.
The hardest part was getting used to the new schedule. Gone were the flexibility of my days. Suddenly I had to schedule nearly every aspect, which turned out to be a not-so-bad thing. My weekends are much more constructive; I waste very little time; I exercise way more (because I had to join a gym and go very early in the morning); and when I relax at the end of the day, I really do relax.
The nice part was that I pretty much won the job lottery. I work for a very high end custom furniture maker - it's a family owned business, run by a 3rd generation French furniture maker and everything is done on site. We work mainly with the trade - very high profile interior designers, and their very high profile client (often celebrity). Pretty much the 1% that I'm sure you have read about. They do exist.
I've worked my way into project management, and they have given me incredible leeway & responsibility, and while it's incredibly stressful some days (weeks) (like this last!), I love it. I'm actually sketching again; something I haven't done since high school, and I've had the opportunity to design/sketch pieces that have gone into production & now sit in people's homes. I've learned so much.
The funny thing is that now I'm pretty spoiled. My expectation of quality has changed. I look at pieces (fashion, design, furniture) with much more of a critical eye and my tastes have become more refined. I no longer want to buy, just to buy and fill my closet. I see all the emails that land in my inbox advertising the newest, latest must-have and I just feel like I don't. When I see something now, I consciously ask myself if it is truly classic and well-made, and built to stand the test of (some) time, not just one season. Sure, there is a list of wants, but they require saving for (something I've never really done before) and they are truly investments. I'm okay with that. It's worth it in the long run.
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