The Invisible Workload

Last week, I posted all of my jobs over the years. I could easily post a completely different list of the invisible workload that few discuss. What goes under that list? Making dinner, shopping for the food, planning the kids’ doctor appts and playdates, buying their clothes, planning vacations, making dinner reservations, paying bills, keeping up on your own doctor and dentist appts., being a friend, etc., etc., and let’s not forget taking care of yourself, and your relationship with your partner.

There is also the underlying stress of the constant toll of social media and media in general, including what to believe and what not to believe. I scroll through Instagram and find myself getting sucked into an abyss.

To this day, when someone has a gap in their career because they chose to stay home for the kids or an ailing parent, nobody asks in a job interview what they did during that time. How did that work impact who you are today? What did you enjoy the most? What did you hate? Did you find yourself making jam, canning vegetables, sewing curtains and duvet covers, painting bathrooms, baking cookies, reading more books, going to the kids class weekly to teach a cooking class, going to every kids sporting event, feeding the theater cast for the practice nights before the big show? I know I did all of these things, and not one of them is on my “job list.” I loved it all, and I am so glad I did it.

The only time I touted the invisible workload was when I quit Silicon Alley Reporter and was figuring out what was next; I got a call from someone who oversaw a large media company. He wanted me to run an area in the company, I can’t remember which one. I had to talk to a woman who was his top VP. We had a lovely conversation and as we were wrapping up, she asked me to send her my resume. I laughed and said, I do not have one, and have never had one. I have 3 kids, I built this business after doing this in another business, and that’s my resume. She then laughed, and said I got it. I never did take the job.

We must embrace the invisible workload; it would alleviate a lot of stress for all of us.