It has now been over a month since I have spent most of the working week... well, working. I knew this time would come, sooner or later, and, frankly, I had been looking forward to it. After all, I have been working regularly on at least 0.6 EFT (and mostly completely full-time) for almost four and a half years. I know it sounds very Gen Y of me to say this, but after a few years of scampering around the rat-race, I was conscious of the fact that I was becoming part of a machine, and losing a sense of perspective and control. And it's easy to get sidetracked from your original hopes and dreams for your life and career. I needed to take some time out to reflect, regroup, and make new plans.
Staycation. Funemployment. Bludging. There are numerous terms which could sum up the conscious decision to spend time away from the world of gainful employment.
However, I like to think of it as a sabbatical. A respite. A retreat, to spend time engaged in the things that are important to me, and work toward a sense of self-actualisation.
So far, I've found the experience to be extremely liberating yet challenging. So often, people use "The Job" as an excuse to avoid ever getting to do the things that they really want to do. Take away that excuse, and there's only yourself. I've taken to writing and practising musical material for a cabaret show that I will be performing at the Butterfly Club next week. I've done a spot of solitary overseas travel (something that I've never done before). I'm registered as a volunteer at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
It also feels empowering to be at that point in my career where I can say, "No, I don't feel compelled just to take 'any old job'. I'm going to hold out until I see a job that I know is right for me." I've let a couple of job opportunities pass me by - jobs which I would probably be more than satisfied with, but I wasn't convinced that I would actually find fulfilling as an activity that would occupy a large chunk of my time.
Because something that I've come to realise now is exactly how valuable my time is. And, for now, I want to keep that time for myself. Yes, it's a financially-expensive option, but so many professionals these days complain about being time-poor. The question no longer seems to be a case of "How much money will you give me for my time", but rather "How will I be spending my time with you as an employer?" and "Is there something I'd rather be doing with my time?" Time spent being bored or unhappy is time wasted, and nobody benefits from that.
Of course, when you're in a job, it's hard to see the forest from the trees. However, now that I'm seemingly "outside" the loop, I can see across the industry, and it's quite clear to me where the changes are occurring, where the "don't go there" areas lie, where people are happy and enjoy working (and where they aren't), and where my ideal future career lies. I see the movers and the shakers - the shining lights in the industry - who I know I need to team up with to get there. And, for the first time in my life, I have a strong idea of exactly what I want to do with my life and my career. When you get that feeling, doing anything else feels like the stupidest waste of time. I feel both lucky and cursed by this.
And whilst I wait for the next bus that will get me onto that particular road, I have plenty of valuable time to live, love, read, write, create and share the passion - skills which I can build on in my future career.
