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10 Reasons I Don’t Have a 9-5 Job

January 15, 2015

Ok, I’m getting real on the blog today. This is something I’ve wanted to write about for a long time because as humorous as this post might end up being, the decision to follow my heart and create a non-traditional career path for myself was the best decision I’ve ever made.

I don’t ever want to see someone stuck in a job/relationship/situation/life that they don’t like, so if you relate to any of these signs (or heck, all of them), send me an email gosh darn it and I will help you figure out an alternative career path! Or, better yet, a BLOGGING one. 😉

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Other title ideas I toyed with for this post: 

“10 Reasons I’m Not Cut Out for the Professional World”

“1,000 Reasons I’m Not Cut Out for the Professional World” (lol, but really)

“Why I’m a Total Weirdo”

“That Alternative Lyfe” (Why I was going to spell life that way is far beyond me, but I suppose you can add that to my list of reasons why I’m not cut out for the professional world)

* Disclamer: I respect people who have 9-5 desk jobs. My friends, my family, my readers. I admire you peeps but the beauty is we are all different, so we have to find what suits our personality & what strikes our fancy! Ya feel me?

Ready?!

1. I like to juggle 1,000 things at once. Yes, I do. This blogging life suits me because my day-to-day changes every single day. One day I will write the day away by working on the blog, the book, answering my emails and responding to comments on social media and that will be it. Other days are much more active where I will take a fitness class first thing in the morning, run home to shower, head to a photo shoot for TBV Apparel, meet someone for lunch, film for my YouTube, go to Malibu for a speaking engagement, try to answer some emails, make some food & take some photos, hop on a call for a collaboration, hop on a plane across the country, etc. Other days are particularly awesome where I get to travel for the blog, take photos and tweet my brains out. No two days are the same, and it rocks. Especially for someone like me who does notttt do well doing the same thing every day.

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2. When I don’t have the opportunity to be creative, I get kind of depressed. Anyone who has seen me in a non-creative environment (i.e. a desk job, an airport with flight delays, a long-ass line at the DMV) knows that, slowly but surely, they will watch my demise. I’m a fully functioning adult who knows that things that aren’t enjoyable must be dealt with from time to time, but I do believe I deal with them poorly compared to most people I know. It sucks the energy out of me and my anxiety rises. Alternately, when I feel creatively stimulated & excited, I have energy for days and my brain jumps from one idea to the next. It is much, much easier for me to engage that way.

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3. I don’t work well in groups. I am that girl who WILL try to take over the project, who will then resent everyone else for doing none of the work, who will stalk-call them until the work is done, who will cry when the other people do a shitty job, and who might accidentally forget to bring everything important the day of the presentation. It might make you think twice about me, but it’s true! I like to FLY SOLO when I work, so that I know if the work doesn’t get finished it’s on me & only me. It keeps me motivated and creatively engaged.

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4. I’m totally fine with weird hours, and totally not fine with regular hours. Sometimes I wake up and have NO motivation to work. So I take a workout class, go for a walk, read, make a phone call, or brainstorm for other fun projects while I wait for those creative or entrepreneurial juices to flow. Other times, I wake up hours before my alarm to leap into my work for the day. I can do that because I work for myself and by myself, but if I was heading into a 9-5 I have a feeling neither of those things would fly.

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4.1. As an offshoot of number 4, I have raging insomnia. This means I often work well in the middle of the night and am typically NOT someone you want to surround yourself with first thing in the morning.

5. I sometimes procrastinate hardcore, but I know myself and it always works out. For example, my book deadline is in 3 weeks and I still have a LOT to write. That’s okay. It’s on me, and I know I will get it done. If there were a boss above me (other than my fab agent and publisher), we would have issues.

6. Daydreaming should be my middle name. Sometimes I should be listening but really I am thinking about a baby monkey that I want to adopt, something funny my 2 year old niece said, writing a sentence for my book in my head, rapping Eminem lyrics in my mind… I am a little (a lot) all over the place. When I worked in a 9-5 environment, there were times I missed important information for this reason. I’m a smart cookie, but if I’m uninterested… game over. I’m interested in all things TBB, bloggy, health, lifestyle, etc. and haven’t had that issue in this business yet — and I doubt that I will.

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7. I have severe anxiety. It’s not glamorous, but it’s true. Having the ability to take an afternoon workout class or soak in the bathtub and listen to music as a midday work break is an absolute dream come true for me, and this lax schedule has worked wonders for my anxiety. I know we all get overwhelmed & I’m not trying to play up my own issues, but in my personal experience in work life and in general, I do a LOT better when I can take breaks on my own terms and, alternately, dive in headfirst on my own terms.

8. I’m exceptionally social. It’s part of the reason I don’t do well in group work settings. Work, in my mind, is a very solitary thing. I love my TBB Team, but for the most part the work I do on TBB (the writing, the content creating, the brainstorming & blogging) is done by me, myself and I. When I’m around others I like to talk and hang and connect– not work. Also, since I am so social I LOVE to be able to fill part of my week with hanging out with other entrepreneurs, bloggers, health junkies and awesome inspiring people. Because of my non-traditional schedule, I am able to do that quite easily.

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9. I’m not bossy… but I’m the boss. Yeah, I stole a line from Beyonce. But it’s true. I’m not the sweet, chill co-worker you may imagine me to be. I get bored & irritable when I’m not creatively stimulated, and after one too many things happening throughout the day that are far beyond my control I turn into a puddle on the floor. A relaxed Jordan is a happy Jordan. A blogging Jordan is a relaxed Jordan– trust me.

10. I’m a straight up freak. In case all of the above didn’t make it clear, I’m one weird mofo. And in this career I get to write, exercise, take photos, travel, connect with people, explore new places, cook/eat, brainstorm, collaborate with people I admire, and much more– now THAT suits this freaky chick just fine.

Also… I am always thinking ahead to the next project (so many fun ideas!!!), taking care of my health is a full-time job (I spend a lot of time at the doctor’s office), I like to travel a LOT even if it’s just home to Sacramento, I am spontaneous as can be and like to be able to decide what I do the day of, I am addicted to social media & have found a way to turn it into a career (I have four Instagram accounts & a new YouTube channel, what up) and SO MANY MORE REASONS. Oh, and I like to plan fun events for my friends to come to, and I can do that when I own my own business. And I can’t stick to lists. 😉

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Thoughts?! Are you cut out for the professional world, or something a bit more alternative? Do tell!