5 Lessons in 5 Weeks

I just finished up my 6th week with a new company. Well, really my 5th week of actually working because I was bed ridden with the flu for my 11th-14th business days. Nonetheless, I’m settling into this new role.

While I’m still adjusting to being back in a full-time role, I’m taking every pain to make the best of this opportunity and I’m learning some stuff along the way.

1. Working for and with great people isn’t easy, but it’s possible. After more than one rough employment experience, I tweeted this gem last February:

I’m starting to think doing work that you enjoy, with a boss who is a leader, at a company you’re proud to be a part of is more unrealistic than the affordability of 90’s sitcom housing.

— Mollie Bentley (@molliebentley) February 21, 2019

I was quite disheartened at the time, but I’ve somehow managed to land at a pretty great place. The understanding surrounding my bout with the flu, the kind welcome I received on my first day, and the free snacks and gourmet coffee machine in the kitchen have helped me get off to a great start.

2. Work is hard. You think I would understand this growing up on a farm, but when I was younger I assumed some day off in the future everything would just fall into place and I’d feel fully equipped and qualified for anything. Not sure why it took me decades to realize the fun is in the challenge and that the fact that it’s hard is the best part.

3. I can only be in one place at a time. Balancing career and family is tough, but I’ve given up feeling guilty when work obligations come up. I do my best to be home at a reasonable hour so we can do homework and read, but if I have to work late I’ve given up spending that time worrying that I’m not home. Instead, I’m trusting that Jason will cover it and the boys will understand.

4. Lack of sleep sucks. The schedule change of this new job means I’m losing an hour of sleep every morning. Adjusting has not been easy. Going to bed earlier is almost impossible. I suppose I’ll just be perpetually dragging ass, at least for the foreseeable future.

5. I’m doing my best. There are so many things I want to do, so many changes I want to make, and so many ways I want to prove to my new boss that he made the right choice. I have to trust in myself—trust that I’m equipped to do a great job, trust that I’ll prioritize appropriately, trust that my best is good enough. And if it isn’t, well it wasn’t meant to be.

Now, if I can just keep reminding myself of these things, I’ll be in great shape.