How to Succeed at Life When You are New to Your Career, find work life balance, and truly “do it all”
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When I first started working at my corporate job right out of school, I was petrified by how much time out of the day the whole “9-to-5” actually took up (let’s be real: most corporate jobs make you work at least 50 a week: Sorry if this is news). Work life balance felt nonexistent. Life was becoming a recurring cycle of wake up, work out, go to work, come home, eat, sleep, repeat.
To give myself some credit, I was the youngest person on my team, and at the time that in itself was overwhelming. I also lived in a city about 40 miles from most of my friends, so the option of having happy hour after a long, rough week wasn’t an easy possibility. Work life balance? Never heard of her! I was on call from 6 am to 10 pm every day, even taking calls and answering emails all weekend.
Fast forward to a little over three years – I have my corporate job, live in a city where I have an hour commute (yes, I chose friends over location), am planning a wedding, and run my blog / blog social media. The best part is? I am the happiest I’ve ever been.
So what changed? What in my brain switched and made me into a working woman who can also juggle multiple things at once? Where did all of this time come from? Did I get better at living, or did I truly learn how to do it all?
The Changes I Made to Achieve Work Life Happiness
I Found a Routine
The most essential change I made to my life that let me be able to do all of the things I can do was planning my day/establishing my routine. Forming a life altering habit can take time, so of course this didn’t happen overnight. Healthline has an article on this if you want a little bit more info.
This routine included all things necessary: fitness, sleep, work, social… you name it. I essentially took out a piece of paper and calculated everything I needed to do that week, the number of hours surplus of 40 I was planning on working, and then divided it per day. This tactic let me know where I was wasting hours or how I could be better using moments in time. Developing this ultimately led me to the discovery of how work life balance best looked for me..
I Started Using my Commute
I used to DREAD my commute more than anything. It was a waste of time… until I realized it was me wasting my time, not the drive itself.
When I first started commuting, I would get in the car, listen to music and try to stay awake. I would get to the office and dread my drive back.
This all changed when I started learning to use this time, rather than hate it.
I started drinking coffee and listening to a series of podcasts about blogging development. My call schedule got crazy at one point, so I would schedule a call that didn’t require writing during my commute and take it while driving. I found ways to use the time wisely.
I Learned How to Multitask Correctly
When I was new in my career, the idea of doing anything except listening intently on calls was a huge “no” to me. What if I missed something vital?!
Truth is, during your first few months, that may be the right thing to do. Once you are into your role, though, and know what you need to be listening for and participating in, you can use these periods of time to your advantage.
Now I’m not saying I’m not paying attention to the things I need to be doing – that is quite the opposite. I am simply using the time in another way. Think about it: as a millennial (and Gen Z), we have been able to text while taking notes in class and being distracted by someone across the room all at once since we were 10. You can certainly lay out a powerpoint or reply to short email while listening to a conference call.
I Began to Plan Ahead
When you plan ahead, and learn lessons about timing, you start to do things better.
I go to the grocery store on Saturday mornings because that is when it is the least crowded. Meal prep day is Sunday so I am ready for my busy week. Saturday afternoons are for blogging outlines, and Wednesdays’ are for my wine tastings. Knowing this, I can typically balance my career and blog while still maintaining a social life.
I Decided what I Truly Wanted
How to really do it all? First do the things you HAVE to do, and then do the things you WANT to do.
You’re an adult, and this means you have to make real life choices. Yes, you have to go to work, pay your bills, get your car fixed… but how you spend every moment and every dollar that isn’t related to a certain responsibility is up to you. For me, I WANT a blog. I want this blog to succeed more than I can even say. So behind my job this is my priority. That’s not to say I don’t value my friendships and wouldn’t stop everything to make sure my friends are okay. This is me saying right now in my life this needs to take up more time, so that in the future, I can give that time back to them.
Lessons I Learned Early On in My Career
Time Management is on You
What matters to you is what you need to be prioritizing. In your 20s, you have so much life to live and so much to learn. Grasp onto that and use your time wisely.
I wasted so much time “wanting” to have a blog but never taking the steps to get there. I honestly wish I had taken the jump when I first thought to – it never stops crossing my mind. Why are you playing Solitaire on your phone when you could be reaching out to a potential connection? Selling Sunset until 2 am on a Tuesday… really??
Send the damn email. Research topics that interest you. Grow in your knowledge, skills, and connections and THEN you will truly enjoy the time you give yourself for some TLC.
Mental Health is Important
Never sacrifice your mental health for anything, including your career.Keep healthy, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. It is rarely offered.
You Matter to the People Around You - Not to your Actual Company
This may be different if you work for an agency or somewhere small, but if you work for a large corporation – I hate to break it to you – you’re not special. Your manager may adore you… your work may be above and beyond what they are looking for… your personal HR director may be more than willing to sit in and hear how you are doing or feeling… But guess what? To the larger corporation, that doesn’t mean a dang thing.
I’m not writing this to be harsh, but simply to give you that reality check. You can’t expect to be handed everything on a silver platter. They wouldn’t call it “work” if this was the case. You’re a small fish in a big pond! Be tough or get eaten.
It is on you to make yourself valuable to your department/company. Network. Try to go to lunch with or meet someone new weekly. Research new ways of working. Stand up for yourself and don’t be afraid to overstep (within reason). You won’t make it anywhere if you don’t make an impact.
You Truly Can Do It All
The adjustment from college to real life, or from a “job” to a career can be the most challenging thing in the world to grasp onto. Why? Because it is rarely seamless, and you (alone!) are the one having to make the adjustments.
Take a few moments today to think about what it is you want for yourself, things in your life that are making you happy, and things you wish you could change. Once you’ve listed it out, take charge! The only person who can make these changes and improve your day to day is you! It sounds cheesy, but figuring out your priorities is the only way achieve both happiness and success over time. So why not get started?