15. Colourful Sticky Notes Make Me Puke

Confused Dad

In my life everything always felt equally important and I had to get it all done and I would sacrifice whatever it took because the thing is, I saw my sacrifice as a way to prove to myself that I was good enough for my family. My focus was always going outward and pushing into the world and, please don’t get me wrong here, I'm not saying don't be successful. I am saying that aiming for and working towards your own definition of success is fantastic. What I am saying is that my work became a kind of yardstick for my love for my family and it was a way for me to prove it because I intrinsically did not believe I had value myself. After leaving my 11-year long career in education I now feel more love and connection with the people that I care about because when my work identity changed, when I was no longer defined as a teacher or principal, I realised that what was left was that I care deeply for my wife and son even though I had no way to manifest it through working.