values in --

Things have been less chaotic recently, and I’ve actually been able to leave work at the time I’m supposed to. That’s not to say that I’m still always evaluating my surroundings and how that aligns with my goals, of course.

Work-life balance is highly important to me. I know that I have a habit to err on the side of “workaholic” but I am trying not to do that recently to minimize burnout and make sure I’m not neglecting an identity outside of a work context. Part of having a strong sense of self means that I am someone outside of a performed role with attached expectations. I also feel this way about parenthood. It’s tricky to have children and a career and still be a separate being outside of those things.

My values drive me a lot. I’ve been thinking recently about my values and how I work really hard to live my life by those values. It’s not really something that I consciously do, but it’s something that I have been working on and continue to work on because our values can change over time. I’m a pretty dynamic person and if I have enough evidence to change my views on something, I do. It’s difficult not to make my ideas or opinions part of my identity, but I think it’s dangerous and worth it to keep pushing back against.

My values are what create and maintain my relationships. I have high expectations for myself and those around me. Building up my children and giving them a strong foundation to carve out their sense of self is important to me as a parent. Teaching them why we follow rules to safety reasons, and when we should question rules and when we shouldn’t. Being healthy, living as a community, and thinking critically. These are things I hope that my children will grow up knowing how to do.

(I’m leaving this unfinished for now. I need to do homework and my brain is fried).

Last updated March 04, 2020