Have I bit off more than I can chew?
That is a question I have been asking myself lately!
The Captain and I have finally opened our Etsy shop, Crows Nest Jewels.
I've briefly written about my work obsession and my typical workaholic tendencies.
In my professional life in the corporate world, I burned myself out and could not go back and enjoy the work. However, in the world of entrepreneurship, it is a totally different animal.
Honestly, I don't know when to stop and my days and nights are flying by and running into each other. I rarely go into my personal Facebook accounts anymore and I'm really losing touch with the real world except for my obsession with keeping up with the news. The Captain and I have truly ventured into the bohemian lifestyle of sleeping like cats . . . no set time, no real routine or sleep schedule.
Even with everything said, I am realizing that it has given me a lovely light indeed. My last phase of feeling lost after retirement came to mind when I felt the need to write. Obviously, that feeling is gone and I could not be happier about it. That lost feeling is not good.
What I need to build into my work routine is "life balance" that includes doing real life things that don't include work. While it is an awesome thing to enjoy your work like it is play, balance is also very important.
Writing this post is my first step back into my real world. Tomorrow, my mom and I are going shopping, something we have not done in ages. Next week, we will celebrate with family as my cousin's son gets married. In the next two weeks, we have three appointments that will take us to MacDill Air Force Base. The Captain has kept his balance, making time to go fishing, work in the yard and work on the hobbies that make him happy. Hopefully, this first step will lead to a "normal" routine of life balance for me.
For now, I've been working on setting up the shop, selling my vintage jewelry collection and promoting/networking through social media. I can't wait to start being creative with making my jewelry designs, something else I need to work into my routine. Another obsession . . .
"Burning the candle at both ends" has been one of my favorite sayings since I was a young adult entering the professional world. Work for me has always been a measure of success, so I always tend to live the quote.
In the meantime, I will strive for life balance.
The origin of the saying goes back centuries!
from Figs and Thistles: First Fig By Edna St. Vincent Millay:
My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—
It gives a lovely light!
from Phrases.org.uk:
The saying was "first coined in the 1700s. The 'both ends' then weren't the ends of the day but were a literal reference to the two ends of a candle. Candles were useful and valuable and the notion of waste suggested by lighting both ends at once implied reckless waste. This thought may well have been accentuated by the fact that candles may only be lit at both ends when held horizontally, which would cause them to drip and burn out quickly."
