The Edition: No. 61
Dec 10, 2018
I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific. — Lily Tomlin
Too Real. What am I if I’m Not Employed?
Trod. These snake-embossed and red suede flats from Aqua are classic.
Baked. The Holiday Cookie Generator is here for your baking needs.
Rung. A simple, but lovely, Christmas ornament for any tree.
Dimmed. How Sheryl Sandberg’s star faded, and why it matters.
Scrubbed. Have a Clarisonic? Upgrade with their massaging head and exfoliator.
Influenced. How Instagram celebs make so much money.
Clutched. This green satin clutch and chiseled gold clutch are perfect for holiday parties.
Worded. Want an interview? Your resume should be this long.
Scented. The only natural deodorant that works for women who really sweat.
Spoken. The communications soft skills that you need to succeed at work.
Saved. Choose Nordstrom Rack for affordable gifts. 709 gifts under-$25.
Friended. As an adult, I have two close friends. It’s enough.
If you follow me on Instagram (for my Insomnia Diaries), you know I don’t sleep very well. Recently, I’ve changed up my nighttime routine to try to get more sleep.
First off, I have a bedtime. 11:15pm or bust. Sometimes Kyle convinces me to go to bed early, but later means something went seriously awry.
Second, I started wearing pajamas again. See this morning’s post.
Third, I stopped doing my tweezing, face masks, skincare maintenance before bed. It’s just too easy to get lost in a routine. So I simplified my nighttime routine so I can’t take more than 20-minutes.
Four, I use my Graphic Image notebook to make a to-do list every night before I go to bed. Often, what was keeping me up was trying to remember all the things that needed to be done the next day.
Last, I employ a trick a friend taught me to fall asleep in just a few minutes. It works, but you need to exercise some discipline to really focus on it.
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The “What am I if I’m not Employed” was an interesting read. Of course, it’s easy for a senior executive to make a choice not to work assuming they have had a healthy salary to support them. Which I assume the author did since she took time off right before her son was to go to college.
Unfortunately, I don’t think most folks have the same option to go without working in order to achieve greater balance in their life.
I think the feelings of who am I without this translate to other areas — being fired, moving to a new field, leaving a high power job for a part time one. We define ourselves in a certain way, it becomes essential to us, then what?
The “non-employed” piece couldn’t have come at a better time.
I’m in my final three days at a company I’ve spent the last 10+ years at. I started at this company straight out of college and it has been amazing in so many ways: I grew into a leadership positions, helped shape organizations, and my career here has given me the opportunity to pay for a wedding, buy a house, & have a baby! (Dual incomes also help for those things, but I did a majority of the heavy lifting for all three). But I finally reached the point where I need to just take some time off.
Some may see this as coming from privilege, but I’ve worked my ass for for 10 years and taken a lot of risks in that time. I’m finally in a place where I can afford this break.
Man this whole influencer business is so interesting to me, and how lucrative it can be. My life is so boring though, my Instagram would be the walls of my cubicle day in and day out 😛
Good timing on the friend article. Sometimes I feel the pull of having a crew. Some co-workers were talking about a friend’s upcoming wedding and how big the wedding party would be. I’d have been hard pressed to have a wedding party and guests. And that’s usually okay, because I had the people I wanted there. But sometimes the ideas of what life “should” be catch up to me.
The most interesting thing about the leaving work article is that there are still people who ask what do you do, who think the only right answer is where they work or what their profession is. I am positive the author DOES a ton of stuff that isn’t all about who gives her a paycheck. So while she may have surrounded herself with people who only care what you do…for money, there are many people in the world who believe we are more than what we do for money. I enjoy working, and I enjoy what I do…for money, but I also have an entire life outside of that. Hopefully she spends this time to find those things, whether it’s her family or a cause or greater spirituality.
I’m so annoyed by the whole Sheryl Sandberg fiasco. Her making questionable decisions at Facebook has no bearing on the message of Lean In. Just because she’s a feminist doesn’t mean she’s perfect, and just because she screwed up professionally doesn’t mean we should discount the entire book/message/movement. She (and women) should be allowed to screw up just as much as men can.
I just got the Aqua shoes in red and they are awesome. I am debating getting the snakeskin ones too.
Re: “Not Employed.” – I googled the executive in the article. Her role (CMO) was eliminated by Hyatt. Meaning that she likely got a great severance package which allowed her to take time off. That is a separate issue from the one of “how do I define myself without this career?,” but I thought the article was a bit misleading as to how she arrived at the decision to take a break from work.