The End Of The Beginning
“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
My job hunt finally ended last week. Funnily enough, the offer I received was from my alma mater. It almost feels like I'm coming full circle, in a way. Coming back to the foundation of my career decisions and laying my newest foundation.
It all feels a bit surreal. It feels as if I'm hitting that "adulthood" milestone. Being a semi-professional athlete was a full-time job, but it was often hard to sustain with little job security and was often hard to maintain. The hours were flexible in that there were no 8-hour days or 40-hour workweeks. I had a 2–5-hour block of time where all my focus was on what was happening at practice, and then I was free to do whatever with the rest of my day.
It will be a huge learning experience. It's felt like I've been on a "vacation" since I retired from track in June, so my daily habits are somewhat lackluster at the moment. I think the first month or two will be a time of rapid learning and growth. I'll be trying to start a slew of healthy habits to fit my new "working professional" lifestyle.
If you're a long-time reader, you know I'm a massive fan of habits and routines. They're the foundation of creating my ideal daily routine. I'm worried that without the "crutch" of extremely intense daily workouts, I'll slip into bad habits early and struggle to maintain a sense of "health" in my life. So, while I'm amid transitions and changes all around, I'll attempt to do a full reset.
I'm not sure what my day-to-day schedule and routine will be like in the office, so the first week will focus on getting the lay of the land and forgiving myself for making unhealthy choices whenever possible. I want to get back into meal planning and figuring out new day and night routines to help make the early mornings less of a drag.
photo of the books “Atomic Habits” by James Clear and “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman. Photo taken by Lala Azizli
While I think I'm accustomed to making and sticking to new habits, I'm always open to learning and trying new ways to make adjusting easier. I grabbed the book "Atomic Habits" by James Clear last week. I haven't opened it yet, but I plan to see if I can glean any tidbits or action items that will work well. I'll let you know if I discover anything revolutionary.
I'll be documenting and sharing my journey as usual. I'm excited to grow in these new spaces. I have so many ideas for new posts and the direction of my blog, and I'm excited to get to work on them.
How was your week? For those in the traditional 9-to-5 roles, do you have any advice you can share?
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