At times, I have focused so much on work that I didn't have a life outside of work. I missed family celebrations. I didn't have any hobbies. I didn't relax and certainly didn't prioritize my health.

Now I work but I close my laptop at a reasonable time knowing that my "to do" list will never be done. I have people I love to spend time with outside of work and I have hobbies. Lots of them.

I can do nothing for hours. Well, nothing usually consists of reading and sitting outside enjoying the sounds of birds chirping. Sometimes a dog barks or I hear a door open and close nearby in my neighborhood. And, of course, there is the traffic noise. I do live in Denver.

I never used to pay attention to the sounds around me. I worked in a cubicle for most of my career. I became very good at ignoring the sounds around me.

I'm grateful for the reprioritization I've done in recent years to ensure that my time is spent on living fully. Work is necessary but it isn't my only focus.

Maybe quiet quitting is simply the recognition that working to live creates more joy than living to work.

And in that choice is self-love.

#quietquitting #worktolive #selflove