The first time you set foot in an office is a strange day.
You get there a half-hour early “just in case.” You sit in your car in the parking lot and try to quell whatever the hell is going on in your stomach. And then you walk inside.
And you shake hands with your new boss and your new coworkers, and you sit down in your new chair at your new desk, and you do one full swivel to take in the new view, and you wonder about who put that cup of pens there and that pile of sticky notes and that stapler and that roll of tape, and you realize that this is who you are now—you work here.
It’s likely that a lot has changed for you since that day. Or maybe that day was last week. For me, it’s a day I think of often. Because I think there’s something funny about the first day of work. I also think there’s something funny about the fiftieth day and the five hundredth day.
Work, no matter how long you do it or how many places you do it at, is kind of weird. Or funny.
For example, everything you read up until this sentence, I wrote for work. Writing that copy was a part of my job this month. And the reason I point that out is that I have this strange blessing where I spend my days doing a thing that I enjoy, and then I spend my spare time doing a lot of the same thing.
The problem is that because I write both for business and for pleasure, I often have a hard time separating the two. I want to give my best creative work to my boss. That's true. Yet another part of me wants to save my best creative work for myself, or wherever I may share it. That is a funny paradigm to me.
If you were to guess where I'm going with this, it might sound like I'm about to make an argument for a healthy work/life balance. But I'm growing less and less convinced that such a thing exists. I don't think the challenge of a modern-day professional is to compartmentalize their life and to be one person in the office and another person at home.
I actually think the challenge is to be the same person everywhere. To succeed, in my opinion, is to form an identity that doesn't change with your circumstances or surroundings. This type of identity comes with a level of self-assurance that allows you to be who you are, wherever you are. Which, if we think about it, is a lot less exhausting than trying to be a good work friend and a good real friend, when in fact those two things are really the same thing.
I'm blurring this line right now. This is my personal newsletter—my one safe creative outlet over which I have complete control. Yet, you just read something I wrote for work. Am I being personally creative? Or is this just my job?
I don't know. What's more, I might be wrong about all of this. Maybe there is something smart about keeping parts of your life separate from one another. Maybe that slanted line between work/life means something. Or maybe not. Who's to say, really.
Thanks for reading this far.
-jw
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What I’m Writing
Half-Written Friendships is my most recent article for Fathom Magazine (a publication I just can’t seem to stay away from). It’s about writing and relationships and how both of those things are similar in that they’re sometimes tricky and oftentimes unpredictable.
What I’m Reading
I finally finished The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon, which was a bit of a roller-coaster for me. It’s a long and winding journey but beautifully written—the type of book that developed empathy within me. Which is good, right?
I’ve also been really into magazines lately. Like real paper ones that someone delivers to your house. Crazy, I know. GQ and Whalebone are my two favorites. The first has the best profiles out there and the second is so clever and creative that I can’t even be jealous of how good the writing is (although I am).
What I’m Drinking
Vanilla Dr. Pepper
Shoutout Sonic. Most people will tell you that they only go there for the ice (and I respect that), but the vanilla DP is tough to beat. It’s the perfect drink for the middle of a Saturday afternoon when you need a pick me up before watching more college football. Also, it pairs well with any magazines you may be reading.
I don’t have a long-winded section for this part of the email. Really, I’m just curious to know your thoughts on “work/life balance.” Any thoughts at all. Send them. Like, actually send them. I know you’ll probably hit reply, type out some thoughts, decide that you don’t really like what you wrote, and discard the email. Don’t do that. Share what came to mind when you read that top part earlier. Do you keep your work and life separate? Do they overlap? Do you like the way those parts of your life relate to one another? What would you change? What would you advise? I know you have something in you. Send your ideas. You’re a good thinker. I can sense it.