Fatherhood Friday
I've spent the last 6 months teetering between self-imposed unemployment and full-time consultant. My wife and I moved from the East Coast to the Midwest in order to be closer to family. The move was a risky one in this economic environment, as neither of us had full-time jobs, though I had a short-term consulting gig to help make the transition.
Even knowing that the partial-to-completely unemployed period could be indefinite, I was actually looking forward to it. I figured a few months out of the daily grind would be great; I could pursue some hobbies, spend time with the kids and recharge for my next professional adventure.
Well, it only kind of turned out that way. Combined with the consulting gig, networking and figuring out that next career move took up most of my time. And, as for those hobbies, I dabbled a little bit but, alas, I still can't cook a gourmet meal or, for that matter, figure out how to edit 6 years worth of videos of the kids.
But I did learn an important lesson or two about my working self. For a while I thought about turning the consulting business into a full-time gig. The flexibility and independence sure sounded great, and I didn't think I would be stressed by chasing down that next gig all the time. In actuality, I really didn't enjoy the experience much at all.
At heart, I'm a social guy. Working from home, away from regular adult interaction, was almost unbearable. I really enjoy having colleagues, whether its because it means more people working on related goals and a chance to feed off their energy or simply interacting with peers for the pleasure of it. The isolation wasn't worth the flexibility.
The other thing I couldn't stand about being an independent operator was not being in the flow of information. As a consultant, I was generally tasked to work with the information the client handed me. That's not to say I couldn't do my own research, etc. But by not being in the office, I missed out on the side conversations, unplanned phone calls and meetings and various opportunities to stay tuned in to things that could inform my work.
Fortunately, the gig overall went well, and it led to a truly fantastic full-time position that seems to offer just about everything I was looking for. I'm only four days into it, but so far reality appears to be meeting expectations.
If there is a downside, its that the entire family had gotten used to my softer schedule. WIth both my wife and I back to full-time positions, it means longer days for the kids at school/daycare, dinner starting later and greater temptation to check the iPhone while spending time with the family.
But there is no doubt that a little adjustment is worth it. I'm a much happier, more content guy all around and that's good for the family as well as me. Plus, I'm a firm believer in that if you want to get something done, you ask a busy person. Maybe I'll get those movies edited this weekend. Right after cooking class.
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