EPTToday however I had an epiphany, why not take a crumby part of my life, and just try and put a positive spin on it, and write about that… actually let’s take it one step further, and just turn my blog in to an outlet of how to take a positive outlook on life (while still acknowledging that some things just suck, and you have to deal with them)
In this post I’m going to touch on a topic that has been bothering me ever since I started my new job.
There just isn’t enough time in a day.
While this has always been a logical statement, I never truly understood it until I started this job. Had you told me this back in 2011, or any time I was in college, I would have been like “sure, ya that makes sense.” I would have been able to acknowledge the truth and validity of the statement, but I would not have been able to feel and truly understand what it means.
Let me give you a little bit of insight to what a typical day looked like for me during my years in college. About an hour and a half each day devoted to hygene/upkeep. Hygene includes showering, brushing teeth, etc. and upkeep includes groceries, laundry, cleaning etc. About 4.5 hours of class each day (including commute times). I honestly didn’t get that much homework or readings that I felt was “necessary” for my college experience, so I’ll leave this blank… although I will note that in a typical weekend I would have to spend a few hours writing papers/studying/reading, but it normally all took place in one lump time slot once a week. Other than that… the rest of the day was free for me to spend as I saw fit (not to mention, there were more days than I care to admit that I’d neglect hygene/upkeep/class and have even more time).
Quick Breakdown – 24 hour cycle
Sleep – Generous 8 hours
School – 4.5 hours
Hygene/upkeep – 1.5 hours
Remaining time – 10 hours
10 hours seems like an ungodly amount of time to me right now.
Now that I’m working full time, I have a fairly precise schedule of what each day looks like (as opposed to “every day is different” in college).
7:15am, snooze. 7:30am, get up, shower, shave, brush teeth, get dressed, out the door by 8:00am.
8:00am – 9:30am, commute to work via walk to train, train to Grand Central, subway to Wall Street, walk to World Financial One.
9:30am – 5:30pm, work.
5:30pm – 7:00pm, reverse commute home.
7:00pm-8:00pm, prepare/eat dinner, take care of things like laundry/chores.
Assuming I want to function the next day at work, I need to be in bed by 11:00pm, leaving me with 3 hours with which to spend as I please.
There’s no soft way of putting this – going from 10+ hours of freedom a day down to 3 really sucks.
It sucks writing it and it sucks thinking about it. MOVING ON
Priorities
Having such a limited amount of time in the day forces me to prioritize what I truly care about. For me this includes spending at least 15 minutes with my mom and seeing how she is doing and how her day went, sometimes I worry that she is a little depressed or lonely; talking to my girlfriend every night because it’s important that we stay close even though we don’t see each other much during the week (also because I like to, despite what she may think sometimes); and finally staying up to date with the latest Diablo and StarCraft news.
Job Satisfaction
The time constraints imposed by this new job also taught me that it truly is important to enjoy what you’re doing. I don’t love my job, but I don’t hate it either. It is what it is, but now more than ever it’s important for me to find something I really enjoy doing, and try and get paid for it. I love browsing the internet, finding funny things on reddit, reading about the StarCraft scene, playing video games, min/maxing and theorizing about games, and interacting with others who share the same passions. However, I don’t think it’s possible for me to find a job where I get paid to do those things. If there is, PLEASE LET ME KNOW LOL. I will take it! If that job existed I would do everything in my power to get it, and I would own it.
Maturation
This is real life. My life, that I’m living now, is so incredibly stereotypical. I might be special (at least my mommy tells me so) but nothing about my life is special – in comparison to the norm. I get it, and I accept it. In fact, if anything, I have it easier than the norm (but “easier” is a relative and subjective term, fit for another entry – not this one). I am grateful for what I have, I truly am, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want more. I’ve always wanted more, and I probably always will. It’s just how I am. The difference is, however, that now for the first time in my life, I want to earn it. I no longer feel entitled to “more”, I simply acknowledge that there is more out there, and that if I fight for it, it can be mine.
Conclusion
My life is normal. It can either suck, or it can not suck, it depends on how I choose to view it. I’m growing up, whether I like it or not, it’s happening.
This post is originally from (and better formatted) my wordpress: http://spbelky.wordpress.com/
