Since I was 15 years old I have been working multiple jobs in order to positively contribute to the society that I live in. However through these activities, I believe that I have gained more than I was able to give. The specific positions that I held and the impact that they had individually on me will be discussed in further detail on the continuing pages. However in general being a part of the workforce had perpetuated a lot of the lesson I have learned throughout the course of my life. I have had to work hard, push past challenges, and strive for the largest form of professionalism, even when it is hard. Finding a work life balance that made sense for me, was one of the hardest and most beneficial things I have ever done.
I am a workaholic. If there was a shift to pick up, I would take them and if there was overtime to be had, I would volunteer. Mainly this stemmed from my love of people pleasing, but this habit of all work and no play, was slowly killing me. I begun to prioritize work over everything. Family, friends, and alone time were forced to the back burner. I was tired, upset at the lack of appreciation for the work I had put in, and hostile towards everyone. Until I decided that I needed to set boundaries with work. I wanted to change my schedule so that instead of working 60 hour weeks over the summer, I could have the extra 20 hours to myself. While it was a tough thing for me to tell my bosses I needed to cut in the amount of hours I was getting it really made a positive impact on the person I was and my overall demeanor.
At the end of the day if work has taught me anything at all, it is the importance of working hard to achieve your goals, while saving time to spend with those who matter the most. Working hard and having success is great, but it means nothing without the people you love there to share it with you.