Over the last few months, it has occurred to me on several occasions that maybe I could use a little something. Between running a successful business, managing a household single-handedly, and being the ever-present Mom for two amazing teens, my life is the full time equivalent of a 1.5 FTE. I am on the go from early morning until late at night and fill the shoes in twenty four hours of more than just me. On the flip side, I am not victimizing these circumstances either because I am equally blessed to have a time-and-a-half life that brings time-and-a-half satisfaction, gratitude, experiences, people, and memories. But the “something” whispers to me occasionally saying ‘What about “Me (or dare I say We) time” for beach trips, breakfast in bed, or a midday nap? What about me time for a leisurely stroll in the park on a sunny day or long, uninterrupted visits with friends over a cup of coffee? Wait a second! Haha! What? Me/We time? In the famous words of Sweet Brown, “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”
Truthfully though, some days I really don’t feel like I have time for that. Some days I don’t have a nanosecond to consider what breakfast in bed or a surprise beach trip could do for my soul. The more that this reality resonates, the more it becomes undeniable that this time can be nurturing and my soul really needs it in order to be all that I aspire to be. If I had the time or the aforementioned “we”, perhaps I’d be more motivated to find the time.
TIME: noun
The indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
T-I-M-E = indefinite progress. I like the sound of that!
Maybe with a time-and-a-half life, I can negotiate an indefinite and progressive halftime relationship? It would represent something low maintenance, but more robust than a casual affair where the goal is a trusting, committed, and lasting partnership. Sounds like a dream come true or at least it might be.
As a hardworking business owner of The Inside Story, LLC and managing employees and clients, I know the value of a solid business plan and a well-written job description. So with the halftime relationship plan in place, drafting the perfect description is the next logical step, right?
Job description for 0.5 FTE Significant Other:
Job duties as assigned for a halftime, 0.5 full time equivalent significant other include being available 10-20 hours per week, attend occasional weekday or weekend baseball games when my sons are playing, initiating communication through various channels including call and texts approximately every other day, and dinner, breakfast, or lunch appointments as per designated work schedule.
Qualifications necessary for success in the role include, but are not be limited to, a good sense of humor, honesty to a fault, intelligence, flexibility, passion, motivation, strong intuition, and spirituality. Qualifications not required, but beneficial to all potential candidates, handsome.
The benefits package for the selected incumbent includes sparks, romance, friendship, loyalty, laughter and commitment without expectations of a full-time hours.
Compensation is to-be-determined and based upon experience, skill set, and aptitude.
Voila!! As I imagine the possibility of what this could do, not just for me, but for many people I know who are challenged to “have it all” due to commitments and deadlines, the idea became a real possibility. Even researching the topic brought up websites and dating apps promoting this sort of arrangement with 5.0-star customer feedback. Revolutionary, perhaps, but definitely creative! As most people know about me, I am not one to trivialize the power of freedom and independence above a marital/relationship commitment, but maybe small steps taken now move closer to that goal.
At least for now, I am able to re-affirm that there are few things I would change about how hard I have worked to visualize and manifest the kind of life experiences I have for myself, my kids, and my business. Although it has not been without hardship, elements of uncertainty, and occasional hiccups along the way, life experiences like mine have made me wiser, more genuine, and with greater compassion than I ever imagined. So, at a 1.5 FTE lifestyle, I get time-and-a-half smarter, time-and-a-half more real, and time-and-a-half appreciation for everything and everyone around me. So what if that 0.5 FTE significant other crosses my path down the road and we really do find a lasting and mutually beneficial love? Well, doing the math, I’d say that’s a 2.0!
-Susan Amsler
Feature writer of The Inside Story LLC