In September, I had a lovely, nice-sized house with plenty of room. It was just me, my husband and our doggy daughter (our human son was away at college), so feeling crowded had never been an issue. By December, however, the walls had begun to close in—fast. Same house, same layout and design, same square footage.
So, what changed, you might wonder?
Well, in September, I left my full-time, executive-level job to focus on growing my own business supporting women in finance. Now, in early December as I write this, I work exclusively at home. All day. Every day. My once spacious house now feels like a thimble. Each day, I decide where to work based on my mood. Sometimes it’s the dining room or living room, other times, it’s my home office or my walk-in closet or my back yard. I recognize this might come across as tone deaf if you regularly commute to an office, but it’s really been an adjustment for me.
That’s not the only major adjustment. The solitude is starting to get to me. I realized that while our doggy daughter is a really great listener—I have run several ideas past her as she watches me work—she is not always helpful when I need a sounding board. Brainstorming has been a real struggle between belly rubs. Meanwhile, the minute my husband comes home from work, I am greeting him at the door, eagerly craving human engagement and unloading a day’s worth of thoughts at his feet, usually before he has even put down his bags or made it out of the foyer. Gone are the days of running across the hall, several times a day, to exchange ideas and thoughts with my colleagues.
As I continue to grow my business, I realize I am truly responsible for everything, at least for now as I work to keep business expenses to a minimum. In September, I had a social media manager, web manager, a designer, a writer and an entire team to help carry out our company’s mission. Now, I am the content producer, the designer, the marketing expert, wearing all the hats. My mission, my efforts. It’s truly exhilarating, yet humbling, to have a great idea and then be tasked with executing Every Single Step of it. Plus, it takes so much longer to get things done, which brings me to my time management skills.
Basically, when it comes to time management, I struggle with my back-office business matters. To clarify, I am always “on time, on task, on mission” when it comes to working with clients and meeting their deadlines. It’s the behind-the-scenes tasks that I underestimate when it comes to time. For instance, I’ll set aside two days to develop a marketing strategy to attract new clients for my company and five days later, I’m still fine-tuning it. A month’s worth of social media posts can take several days to produce. A two-hour block of time set aside to research a financial issue would actually take several hours or even a full day to complete. What I have come to realize is I have to do a better job of setting realistic timelines for my housekeeping tasks.
Another major shift has been in my approach to work schedules. I have worked as a consultant for years, off and on. Despite waking up at 6 a.m. during the week, I recognize that my sweet spot—my most productive hours—is typically 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., hyper-focused, and then again in the evening starting at around 8 for as long as I need to work to finish. I know many of you may not have this type of autonomy, so I understand having the flexibility to work when I am at my peak performance is a real gift. Once I know where I will set up for the day, I then focus on my work environment. Shall I keep the television running in the background (for days where I am not writing) or jazz (instrumental) for days where I really need to concentrate. Do I want candles burning, just a desk lamp on or overhead lighting? Sometimes, I keep the house completely quiet. Our house is so full of energy in the evenings that I love the peace and quiet during the day.
Even my appearance has changed drastically since I am alone most of the time. I work in a hoodie and sweats, unless I need to make an appearance on Zoom or meet with a client in person. The other day, I considered pulling on a suit jacket (and probably still sweats) just to psych myself into thinking less about the solitude. Instead, I pulled on my Washington Capitals hoodie and some sweats and spent the day writing and completing two projects—very comfortable and very productive.
One of the most challenging parts of leaving an all-consuming job and striking out on my own is, unsurprisingly, the people. I left behind colleagues I genuinely care about, work I took pride in and a rhythm I knew by heart. Yet, even as I step into this new chapter, those relationships haven’t vanished—they’ve simply shifted. Former teammates still reach out to vent, ask questions and reconnect with the familiar. And I’m grateful for it. Supporting them reminds me that I didn’t just walk away from something; I walked toward something—toward purpose, autonomy and a life I’m actively shaping. This transition is messy, humbling, exhilarating and stretching me in ways I never anticipated. But every day, even on the lonely ones, I’m reminded that growth rarely feels comfortable—it feels like exactly this.
If you’re navigating your own work transition—or dreaming about one—take a moment to pause and reflect. What are you moving away from, and more importantly, what are you moving toward? Your next chapter doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful. Share your journey, your fears or your questions in the comments. Let’s learn from one another as we build lives that fit who we’re becoming, not just who we’ve been.
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