scarlettskieshttp://scarlettskies.blog.co.uk/en-EUhourly82000-01-01T12:00+00:00scarlettskieshttp://scarlettskies.blog.co.uk/http://data5.blog.de/design/preview/98/fbc2e9ff7e8f3a788ab1c8b6ed6a7d_160x200.jpgA Different Pace.http://scarlettskies.blog.co.uk/2008/06/20/a-different-pace-4340449/2008-06-20T13:08:23+02:00 <p>According to regular health features in women’s magazines, we are all slowly working ourselves to death. For a large proportion of professionals working a 10-12 hour day is classed as the norm. It’s a trend that seems to affect women more so than men. Who in turn are more likely to have additional responsibilities outside of the working environment. To be seen as a go-getter, to get that coveted job title, sold to us by a bombardment of aspirational media, to have it all, is not longer some distant milestone. It’s something that everyone is striving for. There are now twice as many rats in the race, and those rats now have bigger, degree-groomed teeth. </p> <p>So what is driving this position? I myself have had it pointed out on several occasions that I am not good at maintaining a healthy work-life balance. I have an overdeveloped need to achieve. I’m not alone in this position either. The four women I am closest too, including my sister; In fact thinking about it more then half the women I know, are very ambitious and very high achievers. They push hard, they’re not afraid to break out of their comfort zone. What’s more they do it with relatively little fuss. </p> <p>I my case, the extent that this had go to has only really hit me over the last few weeks. Prior to this I would always agree with people who gave me a concerned talk about chilling out, nodding in an introspective, you’re so right manner. And then promptly sneak off to fire up my laptop for an hour. I have been taking the longest break from full-on productivity that I’ve had in about 18 months, perhaps longer. I’m not doing this voluntarily, I’m moving to being a full time freelancer and to be honest, I haven’t secured a full weeks work as yet. I’m spilt between going mad with boredom and having the time of my life. </p> <p>It’s only now that I realise just how stressed I actually was. I’m practically skipping out of bed in the morning, rather then dragging myself up and having a face of thunder for the first two hours of the day. I am not getting annoyed by little things that used to irritate me. I haven’t heard myself to that Marge Simpson-esq little noise I do when my house-mate hasn’t washed up in weeks. Just like the majority of my friends, I would never have thought my previous uber-efficient persona was anything but my normal disposition. I was simply getting things done. I feel healthier, although I never thought of myself as un-healthy before. Perhaps then it takes a break from being superwoman to realise your not actually infallible. </p> <p>Therefore I am making a pact; I am going to have one of those stress free balanced lives that you read about in Marie Claire. Take time for yoga or Pilates or whatever soul-serving thing the A list are doing these days. I’ll finish work at 6 and then bake until 7. I’ll do crystal healing and take long walks. Truthfully; I give it three weeks until I’ve pulled a ‘can’t turn down’ project out of the air. There’s something about having crossed everything off that massive to do list that I can’t resist. Maybe that’s the curse of my generation of women. We’ll have our careers, our friends, our nice homes and less-hard working boyfriends and we’ll make do with our lot. And despite the odd moan, we’ll love every productive minute. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://scarlettskies.blog.co.uk/2008/06/20/a-different-pace-4340449/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>According to regular health features in women’s magazines, we are all slowly working ourselves to death. For a large proportion of professionals working a 10-12 hour day is classed as the norm. It’s a trend that seems to affect women more so than men. Who in turn are more likely to have additional responsibilities outside of the working environment. To be seen as a go-getter, to get that coveted job title, sold to us by a bombardment of aspirational media, to have it all, is not longer some distant milestone. It’s something that everyone is striving for. There are now twice as many rats in the race, and those rats now have bigger, degree-groomed teeth.

So what is driving this position? I myself have had it pointed out on several occasions that I am not good at maintaining a healthy work-life balance. I have an overdeveloped need to achieve. I’m not alone in this position either. The four women I am closest too, including my sister; In fact thinking about it more then half the women I know, are very ambitious and very high achievers. They push hard, they’re not afraid to break out of their comfort zone. What’s more they do it with relatively little fuss.

I my case, the extent that this had go to has only really hit me over the last few weeks. Prior to this I would always agree with people who gave me a concerned talk about chilling out, nodding in an introspective, you’re so right manner. And then promptly sneak off to fire up my laptop for an hour. I have been taking the longest break from full-on productivity that I’ve had in about 18 months, perhaps longer. I’m not doing this voluntarily, I’m moving to being a full time freelancer and to be honest, I haven’t secured a full weeks work as yet. I’m spilt between going mad with boredom and having the time of my life.

It’s only now that I realise just how stressed I actually was. I’m practically skipping out of bed in the morning, rather then dragging myself up and having a face of thunder for the first two hours of the day. I am not getting annoyed by little things that used to irritate me. I haven’t heard myself to that Marge Simpson-esq little noise I do when my house-mate hasn’t washed up in weeks. Just like the majority of my friends, I would never have thought my previous uber-efficient persona was anything but my normal disposition. I was simply getting things done. I feel healthier, although I never thought of myself as un-healthy before. Perhaps then it takes a break from being superwoman to realise your not actually infallible.

Therefore I am making a pact; I am going to have one of those stress free balanced lives that you read about in Marie Claire. Take time for yoga or Pilates or whatever soul-serving thing the A list are doing these days. I’ll finish work at 6 and then bake until 7. I’ll do crystal healing and take long walks. Truthfully; I give it three weeks until I’ve pulled a ‘can’t turn down’ project out of the air. There’s something about having crossed everything off that massive to do list that I can’t resist. Maybe that’s the curse of my generation of women. We’ll have our careers, our friends, our nice homes and less-hard working boyfriends and we’ll make do with our lot. And despite the odd moan, we’ll love every productive minute.

Comments

]]>Thrifty Businesshttp://scarlettskies.blog.co.uk/2008/06/18/thrifty-business-4331434/2008-06-18T11:53:57+02:00 <p>There’s a great deal of scaremongering going on at the moment. We’re all going to be homeless and starving as the economy crumbles to its knees, the world runs out of rice or grain or wheat or which ever food staple seems to be threatened this week, and we are all forced to walk (god forbid) to the local shops as our petrol stations dry up. So are we really facing a crisis as never faced before? Or is it a case that the young working generation (into which I assumingly fall), are so spoilt and so used to getting their capitalist desires fulfilled immediately, that they are in a state of panic as their credit card limits are capped and they can’t get buy now - pay 2056 deals on that new flat screen television they so obviously need. </p> <p>It has got me thinking. The capitalist drive has reached critical mass in recent years, and for those who have relied on it as a way of life, spending without question, thought, (or in many cases resource), it is about to blow up in their beautifully groomed faces. So which is more important to the new working class? Happiness and fulfilment, or money, and in turn security and consumer goods? It’s a question which has rattled through my brain for some time. I myself got caught up in the great consumer machine. This time 4 years ago I had a well paid job in sales, a flash Audi A3, and bought a £260 pair of shoes for cash without even so much as a flicker of guilt. Fast forward 4 years and I am self employed in the creative industries, a graduate, and as a result wholly broke. </p> <p>Am I happier now? Most certainly, although my wrinkles are no-doubt setting in at an accelerated rate as I try to manage the books each month. I blame my mother. As a single parent, her working class Irish roots meant she had a great knack for living on a budget. She could feed the family for a week on a tenner if need warranted it. And although as a child I would wrap a coat around my head in order that none of my school peers would be able to spot me accompanying her into to a discount store, I now find that I not only do I enjoy, I relish my thrifty budget saving expeditions into the dark corners of Poundland and the local market. I get a buzz from that bargain far, far greater then that which I was rewarded with from my £260 shoes (which went on ebay a month into my degree, since you ask). </p> <p>Far from being an ‘eco warrior’ I re-use and recycle simply because it makes good economic sense. I scour the shelves for the best value, and if economic crisis is inevitable, then I’m glad I’ve inherited the skill to cope with it. My next venture is to grow my own vegetables, but been the type to kill most living things in my home, bar the cat, I’m not sure how successful that will be. Perhaps I’ll learn to sew instead. Either way, learning to negate consumer culture and be happy without that must-have iphone, is a challenge that my generation is going to face. Spend now-worry later is no longer a viable option, and although I’m still a sucker for fashion, it has become a matter of pride in my circle for us to show off who’s stylish outfit cost the least. Wear your tat with pride, creativity out trumps conformity every time. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://scarlettskies.blog.co.uk/2008/06/18/thrifty-business-4331434/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>There’s a great deal of scaremongering going on at the moment. We’re all going to be homeless and starving as the economy crumbles to its knees, the world runs out of rice or grain or wheat or which ever food staple seems to be threatened this week, and we are all forced to walk (god forbid) to the local shops as our petrol stations dry up. So are we really facing a crisis as never faced before? Or is it a case that the young working generation (into which I assumingly fall), are so spoilt and so used to getting their capitalist desires fulfilled immediately, that they are in a state of panic as their credit card limits are capped and they can’t get buy now - pay 2056 deals on that new flat screen television they so obviously need.

It has got me thinking. The capitalist drive has reached critical mass in recent years, and for those who have relied on it as a way of life, spending without question, thought, (or in many cases resource), it is about to blow up in their beautifully groomed faces. So which is more important to the new working class? Happiness and fulfilment, or money, and in turn security and consumer goods? It’s a question which has rattled through my brain for some time. I myself got caught up in the great consumer machine. This time 4 years ago I had a well paid job in sales, a flash Audi A3, and bought a £260 pair of shoes for cash without even so much as a flicker of guilt. Fast forward 4 years and I am self employed in the creative industries, a graduate, and as a result wholly broke.

Am I happier now? Most certainly, although my wrinkles are no-doubt setting in at an accelerated rate as I try to manage the books each month. I blame my mother. As a single parent, her working class Irish roots meant she had a great knack for living on a budget. She could feed the family for a week on a tenner if need warranted it. And although as a child I would wrap a coat around my head in order that none of my school peers would be able to spot me accompanying her into to a discount store, I now find that I not only do I enjoy, I relish my thrifty budget saving expeditions into the dark corners of Poundland and the local market. I get a buzz from that bargain far, far greater then that which I was rewarded with from my £260 shoes (which went on ebay a month into my degree, since you ask).

Far from being an ‘eco warrior’ I re-use and recycle simply because it makes good economic sense. I scour the shelves for the best value, and if economic crisis is inevitable, then I’m glad I’ve inherited the skill to cope with it. My next venture is to grow my own vegetables, but been the type to kill most living things in my home, bar the cat, I’m not sure how successful that will be. Perhaps I’ll learn to sew instead. Either way, learning to negate consumer culture and be happy without that must-have iphone, is a challenge that my generation is going to face. Spend now-worry later is no longer a viable option, and although I’m still a sucker for fashion, it has become a matter of pride in my circle for us to show off who’s stylish outfit cost the least. Wear your tat with pride, creativity out trumps conformity every time.

Comments

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