Oct 20- Leave work on time

This is a huge challenge for me ever since I became an empty nester. Since I no longer have to hurry home to my kid I don't feel like I have a good enough excuse to leave work on time. I'm really not a workaholic, it's just that my job seems to take longer than 8 hours a day. If I don't stay late then I'm just working twice as hard and stay even later the next day.

So while I was away on vacation I told myself that I would make myself leave work on time. I even told a co-worker of mine today and she promised to drag me out with her at 5:30 sharp...no excuses today. Being that I've been out of the office for the last 5 days I knew this would be a little tricky for me so I tried to stay focused to get a lot done. But I was helping to train 5 new employees today and everyone wanted to catch up with me on what's been going on in their lives while I was gone. I tried to keep working, but I admit it, I care too much to tell my friends that I don't have time to listen.

So instead of getting my tasks done I heard about a new pregnancy, someone's financial woes, an injustice on the sales floor and a 2 year olds birthday party. Just when my co-worker came by to grab me so we could leave together, we had an unhappy customer explode in the middle of the sales floor. As the only manager left in the store I had to spend the next 45 minutes taking care of getting him what he wanted. It's so sad that he thought our inability to get him 2 metal chairs right this minute could make him angry enough to be completely enraged. Whose life is so screwed up that not getting two metal chairs would cause you to flip out? Really? So sad.

So, I didn't do so well with today's challenge as I didn't get to leave until about 6:20. I'm really hopeful for tomorrow because it's going to continue to be my challenge everyday. Becoming an empty nester doesn't mean you spend more time at work, it means that you should spend more time on yourself. Otherwise, how will I have time to play tennis or blog or run or text?