Trying to Create Balance

I am a writer. I am a writer who happens to be a manager at a hotel to pay the bills, because I am not Danielle Stelle or Stephen King. I know both of these writers started off the same way, having a day job and spending their spare time creating the books they have shared over the years with their readers. I am an amateur writer. I can say that about myself because it is true. I haven’t taken my writing career as seriously as I know I should be. I am the only one who can make the choice to take the next step towards my writing carrer. I choice to stay stuck in the routine I am currently in, thinking I need to work a full time job that pulls me away from my creative life. It’s a sad story.

I am a writer who is a manager at a hotel that happens to have a small-scale farm. I am a writer who doesn’t write as much as she would like to. I am a writer who is more into hotel life than farm than writing. Okay, I’ll be very truthful. I barely help with the farm, only on the weekends while trying to squeeze in a few hours of writing. Sometimes I get a fews hours of writing done on my days off and that feels good. It always feels joyous when I am sitting down and writing. I am in the zone, the true self zone where time stops and creativity takes over. It's my happy place.

On random Saturday mornings I tend to do hotel work because my job doesn’t end at 5:00pm on a Friday. I’m not a GM, I am part of the senior leadership that doesn’t equal a 9-5 model.

It’s hard to find work-life integration. Human resources, Lifestyle experts say it is possible, and I’m trying to find my integration. I’m trying to blend my lives to live as one. Why? Because it’s hard to keep things separate in the world we live in. Yet, I love boundaries. I use to be the queen of telling people politely that when I am not working; it is my time. Unless it is a life-or-death situation, it can wait until I return to the office. It’s true. Nothing is that earth-shattering that I need to leave the comforts of my home to go to my day job. Yes, sometimes it was a serious situation, and I put my work hat on because it is part of the job. I choose to be in the world of management in hospitality. I am good at what I do and I love sharing how great it is to work in an industry that brings people together. I am of service and I am aware of the choices I make. I am grateful for this awareness.

I started off by saying I was a writer who happens to be working in the hospitality business, who has a small-scale farm, and who is trying to live all three lives in harmony. There are days it works. I can do all three. There are days I am not able to and I have to come to terms with this. The true self is crying out to be writing and I have to pay attention to her. My creative life is my priority. I will keep working on integrating my three passions to live as one.

Do you have work-life integration? How do you do it? I would love to hear about it. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for being here with me today.

Until Next Time, Keep on Typing…