A Belated Announcement
Photo by Bern Hardy
By now, the news has been out for a few weeks—yet it’s taken me this long to get my thoughts together long enough to sit and write this post.
Why am I so emotional about a job change? People make them all the time. But I haven’t. I stayed at Forbes long after I thought I would, because it was a place that kept giving me new opportunities and challenges. Only recently could I ever consider leaving; and that was because I was again presented with an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and broaden my impact significantly.
I have always been the type to turn what I do from 9-5 into something bigger. In my first role in NYC (which feels eons ago!), I met my best friend. I spent hours after we finished up working, chatting with my coworkers who I adored—and still do. When the startup went under, I was devastated. Not only did I love what I did each and every day, but I loved who I did it with.
But then came time to join the social team at Forbes. Over the years, they became my family too. We knew everything about each other — significant others, weekend plans, food orders, etc. I knew it was rare to enjoy going to work as much as I did every day, much less carry on those relationships outside of the office as we did.
It’s natural to wonder what is ahead in my new role (which, by the way, I’m thrilled about). I'm only 4 days in, but I’ve found myself playing the comparison game constantly. Some of that is natural—after all, I spent 3+ years in the same environment. But I want to remember that I’ve adapted before, and I’ll do it again.
‘Work-life balance’ is an idea I’ve gone back and forth on a million times. I adamantly believe in separation, in the freedom to live a life outside of work without guilt. But I can’t get onboard with complete separation. After all, you spend 1/3 of your life at work. Doesn’t separating work and life make that time seem unimportant, by definition? I don’t want my work to become the only thing in my life, but I want it to be a part of it.
That’s the balance I’ve found in both roles before, and it’s what I’m looking to create in my new adventure. I’ve felt more than welcomed so far, and I’m in love with the butterflies of excitement and challenge that I feel when I think about what’s ahead.
I hope my coworkers become my friends. I hope they find me to be someone they can open up to, rely on, laugh with. And for myself? I hope to find this next chapter of my life as fulfilling as the ones before. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow in each step I take in the working world.
