Laura Renaud: My Job Will Never Love Me

Repeat after me: My Job. Will Never. Love Me. 

So why do so many of us spend 60+ hours a week at work, stressed out about work or even dreaming about work instead of spending quality time with our family and friends? I'll admit it...I've done it.

There have been many times when my happy hour conversations with girlfriends have turned to work and our shared email addiction. I remember the day I got rid of my blackberry. I felt liberated not seeing that flashing red light all the time. It was a constant reminder of the work waiting for me and added so much unnecessary stress to my life.

I grew up with a dad who worked a lot. He was committed to his job, company and career, but he was always home for dinner with my mom, my sister and me. As I’ve grown older, I have realized how valuable our dinner conversations were in shaping who I am today. We talked about my goals, the news, things I was learning in school and my friends. I only understand now how difficult it probably was for him to make it out of the office on time every night. There's always a fire drill, an urgent email or call from a teammate to attend to.

The commitment my dad made to spending quality time with me means the world. I don’t ever remember him checking his email as we spoke. Those were the important moments where my dad chose me over work.

If I’m thinking about work on my deathbed, I’ll regret not truly living. 

I listened to a podcast a few years ago where the commentator said something that hit me…"On your deathbed, you aren’t going to be thinking about that time you knocked a presentation out of the park, or answered a critical question for your boss during the weekend. You’ll think about your child’s first steps, the pep talk you gave after a tough soccer game, the epic road trip you took one summer or the dinner conversation when your child told you what they wanted to be when they grew up.”

I don’t know about you, but if I’m thinking about work on my deathbed, I’ll regret not truly living.

While I hope I have a career I can be proud of, it shouldn't be nearer and dearer to my heart than the people who were there for my life's greatest moments.

At many companies, we’ve perpetuated cultures that disrespect people's time off, place a higher value on office time than results and expect after-hour responses.

I no longer give people permission to interrupt the time I’m taking to recharge.

A year ago, I emailed a woman about a quick-turn video shoot and received her out of office. In it, she talked about being off to celebrate her wedding anniversary. I specifically remember this email stopping me in my tracks because it was so human.

How often do you receive the standard, “Thanks for your message. I’m out of the office and will return tomorrow. If this is urgent call or text me?" Instead, she gave me a peek into her life and impressed on me that this wasn’t just a day off but a day of celebration. I remember thinking, “I hope she doesn’t get back to me because she should be enjoying her day.” And guess what? She didn’t because she set the expectation that she would be celebrating her anniversary and would return emails when she got back. 

Since receiving her out of office, I’ve completely changed the way I write mine. I also give people a peek into who I am and what I’m doing. If I’m spending time with my parents in Chicago, I say so. If I’m out of the country and won’t have cell service, I say so.

I no longer give people permission to interrupt the time I’m taking to recharge because I value my quality of life and the commitment I’ve made to my friends and family. The people who will surround me at the end of my life deserve the best from me every single day. I choose them the way my dad chose me.

Pictured: My best friends, parents and sister at Lollapalooza this year. It has become an annual tradition where none of us check our work phones. Instead, we recharge listening to music - a passion we all share.

You can find Laura's article on her LinkedIn profile.