As a reminder to my future-retired-in-her-30s-self, I wanted to catalog a typical day in my life while working. This is an example of a not stressful day where I didn’t work late. And you still don’t want to do it do you 🙂
My alarm goes off. I’m sleepy and regretting staying up late. I check work email while in bed to see what I missed since last night and respond to my client/boss/colleague. I shower, dress and pack my lunch. In NYC I fight my way through crowded streets, wait for subway, fight my way onto subway, fight my way through the streets, wait for the elevator, squeeze in and take a deep breath before putting on my work persona.
In Seattle I walk to work with my partner or while talking to my Mom on the phone. I settle in, talk a colleague and get some cereal. I respond to emails and double check that I’m ready for all my meetings. During my NYC days I’d go to meetings all day and try to respond to emails and work while also trying to pay attention/take notes/lead the meeting. In Seattle I crank through what needs to happen, forget to eat lunch and gaze out the window at the sunny day I want to be in instead.
Then I go home. I chill while the countdown clock until I have to go back to work ticks away. Emails are still coming in and I respond to them – usually while drinking copious amounts of wine to try and forget we have to do this all over again tomorrow. Then Saturday comes and it’s great. Sunday comes and the blues set in. Tomorrow is a work day. And repeat.