Do what you love

There’s that line that we’ve all heard in the realms of career advice – do what you love. Do what you love and get paid for it! It sounds like a dream come true. What do I love? Well, I’m quite into cooking, I love eating cake and cycling on the seafront. Now, the last two are unlikely to help me pocket the pounds and to be honest, I’m sure the thrill of seafront cycling would fade if I had to endure it day in, day out; I’d be longing for a nice cosy day in front of the PC. Cooking? Well, I’ve thought about this one and I’ve come to the conclusion that me and cheffing are not compatible. I like to spend hours thinking of what to cook, cooking only when I feel like it and I hate cooking for other people.

My point, other than to give you snippets of information about my fascinating life, is that there is work and there is play and the two should not necessarily bedfellows be. I thrive on my life outside work; it makes me interesting and it gives my life meaning. Similarly, I thrive on my work, it challenges and stimulates me but you won’t catch me thinking about it on a Sunday morning. I write for a living, I play with software and I design elearning. These things interest me, bore me and stretch me depending on my current task. And I like it that way.

Having a distinct line drawn between work and play works for me. I can switch off in my play times and take off my work hat. I don’t need to be responsible, dynamic and intelligent 24/7. Sometimes I want to zone out with a gossip mag and fall around laughing on the floor. My life and personality are multi-faceted and I step into different roles when appropriate. I can be a friend, girlfriend, boss, colleague, customer, student and teacher, but not all at once.

Therefore, you won’t catch me selling my cake eating skills at the market or reviewing Vista on a night out. I think I have the balance right.