Three, Four, Shut the Door

I’ve been wondering how to mark the end of my gap year—time off that certainly did not go as planned. (I’ve written about that, actually more than once). No one on this planet will forget March 2020-March 2021. It is my separate journey of rethinking work I want to commemorate.

I kicked off the year with March Forth! Those two words are hard to unhear, which held me back from finding a new theme. But a line from a counting rhyme came to me unexpectedly the other morning. Three, four, shut the door. I knew immediately that this was the way to frame the day, but first I had to answer the question, “What door?”

I Used to Do This

I used to avoid goodbyes. I would say something like “Oh, you know we’ll see each other again, somewhere!” It wasn’t true. It was just easier.

In the same way that it was hard to get March forth! out of my mind, it has been a challenge not to imagine having a workplace. Some part of me thought I would go back to some assigned space each weekday, coffee in hand. I did that for decades. Somewhere inside I still imagined returning to the lunch scene in Montpelier and hitting the gym after a day at the desk.

There have been times when my jobs were fun and/or fulfilling (as long as I am creating and building something. Otherwise, watch out). I made decent money. I’ve had endearing colleagues. Many times I recited the lament of the tethered: “The benefits are so good . . . ” (That stopped as soon as I realized I would not have to go uninsured. If you have that worry investigate Vermont’s health insurance marketplace; knowledge is power.) As long I held on to the possibility of remaking all this, I did not wholly say goodbye.

Time to Start Looking?

I loved the magic that happened in the “Resolution Revisited” workshop last weekend. Life coaching brings wonder and connection to my life. These are among the reasons my emotional safety net—looking for a job—has become a great big no for me.

I’m not slamming the door; I’m letting it close behind me as I step through. Today, 3/4/2021, I’ll check in with some potential collaborators, play some empowering music, and pin some old-school promo pieces on the local bulletin boards. I’ll connect with my coaching community.

To office work: This is goodbye.

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