Is it Always Either Or?

I had a meeting this week with my boss’ boss and I have to admit that I always find them very insightful. This is a fairly common practice at my day job as it gives my level of management exposure to a higher level while giving them insight (as long as I provide honest feedback, which I always try to do) as to how my boss is doing overall.

Anyhow, the day job has been a bit chaotic lately because it seems to be a bit of a fiasco as those who report to my level try to decide whether they are truly being micromanaged or not. I personally feel in some cases, some may be, while in other cases, they aren’t. Either way, I’ve heard the phrase “can’t have your cake and eat it” about a gazillion times and my reply is that, “I want both.” Now while that may sound like a spoiled brat, that isn’t my intention, and although I agree that there are some scenarios that truly don’t allow you to have your cake and eat it, I disagree that it always has to be that way. I personally don’t think it has to be an either or all the time and quite frankly, I’m tired of hearing that.

What we may have to realize is that perhaps we can’t do both at the same time. I’ll give an example. As I move forward with this day job of mine, I’ve considered whether I want to pursue an MBA or a CFP and which might be more useful to me based on my path. Of course there are schools that will bundle these two together, but I’m on the verge of having my second child and truth be told, I’m not sure I want to take on that much of a load. So instead of saying I can’t have my cake and eat it, I’m going to say that I’m going to have my cake and just eat it later. In essence, if one door opens, you don’t necessarily need to close the other. Whether you are making decisions within writing or just life in general, be strategic and look at all options, you just might find one that is more agreeable to you.

Happy writing this week!

Filed under: Toni Kelly, Writer's Life