Confessions of a Corporate Dropout

Hello!

I hope you had a great weekend and are ready to hit the ground running this week!

I’m feeling a bit reflective today, as it’s the one year anniversary of my dropping out of corporate life.  Instead of “leaning in”, I’m “leaning out”, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision, even though it was much more difficult to take the leap than what I would have imagined.

My kids are now 15, 13 and 8 and life. is. busy.  Not that it isn’t busy with smaller kids, but it’s a different kind of busy, if that makes any sense.  Our evenings don’t belong to us, but rather, to baseball games, football practices and Girl Scout meetings.  The work of raising children has changed from being physically intensive – diaper changes, late night feedings, and playing dinosaurs – to emotionally charged, dealing with hormones and homecoming dances, driver’s licenses and dating.

Upon my departure from corporate life, one of my friends said, “I think it’s one of the great myths of motherhood that your children need you at home when they’re little.  I think they need you even more when they’re older.”  First off, let me say that I am in no way diminishing being home with your kids when they’re young.  I took extended leave when my kids were born and worked part-time when they were little, so I could spend more time with them.  It is important, valuable and meaningful, and I still miss the days when my kids were toddlers and I was the center of their universe.  That time in life is exhausting, both physically and emotionally, and I don’t think you can fully appreciate it until you are looking back, reflecting upon it with some perspective.  I think my memories of that time are much more blissful than I felt sometimes while I was actually living it.  

But, the stakes become even higher when your kids are making their way through adolescence, and the decisions they make can have long-term repercussions.  

I have learned some things about myself this past year too.  You have a lot of ideas of what life will be like, moving from corporate life to home, and those ideas don’t always pan out the way you think they will.  

  • I’m a procrastinator.  I used to blame working for not getting things done, but in all reality, I put things off, plain and simple.  I work best under pressure.  Why is that??
  • I stink at meal planning.  Or maybe I just have overly finicky kids, because I have a hard time pulling together a dinner that makes everyone happy.
  • Laundry in my house will never be fully complete, regardless of how much time I have to do it.  If you pay me a visit, there will be dirty clothes in my laundry room.
  • I envisioned tapping into my creative side on a daily basis, painting furniture, writing amazing blog posts, finishing all of those projects that have been on my to-do list.  But daily life gets in the way, and the days are much shorter than I imagined they would be.  And a I still have a work-in-progress garage sale desk in my garage.  
  • On most days you will find me in my workout clothes since it doesn’t make sense to shower early in the day since I’m going to be running around, working on projects, in the yard, etc…  I swore that wouldn’t happen.  However, let it be said that I do shower every day. 🙂
  • After a year, the bon-bon jokes from my family have still not gotten old.
Let me finish by saying that I am extremely grateful to be home now and thankful that I have a supportive husband who pushed me to think of life outside of the corporate box.  
I’m excited at the opportunity to pursue new things.  Things that I love.  Tapping into my creative side through design consulting.  
Getting my hands dirty painting cabinets or working in the yard.  
Volunteering at my daughter’s school at a time where she’s still excited to see me, grabbing my hand upon my arrival.
Life is good.

4 Comments

  • Reply
    Lisa @ Shine Your Light
    April 8, 2014 at 3:55 pm

    This post makes my heart so full. I'm so glad you found such fulfillment in quitting your job. What a huge life changer, and not as easy as some might think. I'm so happy for you. I think it's really hard to be a woman in today's world…..well really every generation of women before us had their challenges too, ours are just different since we have so many more options and choices and decisions. I'm so happy for you Jenny, and I'm glad to have a long-distance partner in crime to navigate motherhood/designing/blogging/living life to the fullest with!!!

  • Reply
    Andrea
    April 9, 2014 at 10:55 am

    Jenny, I can totally relate to this post. I have been home since my oldest was 9 months old. You're absolutely right, I am now emotionally, rather than physically exhausted by parenting my kids. I always had grand ideas of what I would accomplish while they were all three in school all day. And just like you, I'm lucky to get my shower in by the time they get home. The days fly by and I am often left feeling defeated. But, I wouldn't trade this life for any other. I know I will look back fondly on this blessed life and the time I devoted to raising my children.

  • Reply
    Joseph
    July 19, 2015 at 6:46 pm

    you know the most curious thing is that eventhough you have a busy professional life with a heap of to do things, you always find energy and time for family, that makes me realize that being a father gives you with experiences that will work for your daily Business endeavors.

    I do marketing at DiscountBlindShop a Window Treatment Company in Southern California and I am a parent working for their kids, thanks for the article, just keep on going with the good Media.

  • Reply
    Joseph
    July 19, 2015 at 6:47 pm

    you know the most curious thing is that eventhough you have a busy professional life with a heap of to do things, you always find energy and time for family, that makes me realize that being a father gives you with experiences that will work for your daily Business endeavors.

    I do marketing at DiscountBlindShop a Window Treatment Company in Southern California and I am a parent working for their kids, thanks for the article, just keep on going with the good Media.

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