This week, I did something I hadn’t done for 14 years – I went to work for a boss other than myself.
When it was getting close to the time for my son to get his driver’s license, I had one of those AHA! moments and realized I was going to need something else to do with my afternoons once my chauffeuring skills were no longer needed. While I was very content with my schedule of teaching fitness classes, playing tennis, Facebooking, Tweeting, blogging, and hosting my radio show, I knew my mental health was going to suffer if I didn’t find a reason to get out of my house for at least a few hours each week. So, I started telling everyone I knew that I was looking for part-time work.
Part-time, for me, meant (1) I couldn’t work Mondays or Fridays or weekends because that would interfere with tournament travel with my son; (2) I couldn’t work Monday, Wednesday, or Thursday mornings because that would interfere with my yoga class and league tennis play; (3) I didn’t want a job that required me to bring work home, either literally or figuratively; and (4) most importantly, I needed to be home in time for dinner with my husband and son each night. The ideal job candidate . . . NOT! I knew it would be tough to find something that would accommodate my wonky scheduling needs, but I had faith that the Perfect Part-Time Job was out there somewhere.
My Facebook addiction paid off – a local magazine posted a job listing on its Facebook page for a young chiropractic office looking for an assistant. The hours were Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 2:45-6:00pm. Eureka! I emailed the doctor my resume right away and almost immediately got a call to schedule an interview for the following afternoon. The job description was right up my alley – answer phones, greet patients, and assist with patient communication. The doctor and I hit it off, and he offered me the job the following day.
While it’s been a bit strange this week having to come home from my morning workout, take a shower, and put on Real Clothes and Make-Up, so far, I’m really enjoying the work. I’m learning a lot about the chiropractic field and the different aspects of treatment. I’m learning a lot about medical technology. And, I’m learning a lot about building a practice from the ground up. The people are great, and the social interaction is absolutely necessary for my mental well-being.
My husband and son have been great, too. We had The Talk about how I wouldn’t be available to them on the afternoons I was working to run errands or drop off a forgotten book or extra tennis shirt. So far, so good. And, I’ve even managed to prepare food before I go to my job so we have that dinner to eat together that I mentioned above.
I know there will be days where I’m feeling rushed or overwhelmed, but I’m confident that my guys will help me find a good balance so we can make this work thing . . . well . . . WORK! Wish me luck!
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