Busy.

If you need something done, who should you ask?

A. A busy person.
B. A not-so busy person.

Ah, if you chose B you are oh-so wrong.

Case in point - me - a few months ago. Once I got the whole "new baby" thing under control and could go on a walk without my uterus hurting (oh, the C-section joys) - I tried to become a productive member of our household. As in - move beyond Ingrid and try to keep up with laundry, cook something (anything.), shower on a consistent basis and perhaps walk our squirrely dog.

That plus, find a job.

Today, I stumbled upon an old to-do list from my Job Notebook. It read:

• Walk Harper 
• Shower 
• Go to bank 
• Apply for two jobs. 

I think I showered that day.

Now I could easily play the New Mom Card here - but I'd be fooling myself.

It was that last little lingering bullet point.

• Apply for two jobs. 

That's it, just write two cover letters, tweak your resume and send.

But then what? Rejection letters? An awkward phone interview? Forget it.

Mustering up the effort everyday to check the websites, hold your breath while reading rejection letters/emails, prepping for interviews, networking, reading about job searching. It's exhausting. It's draining - it leaves you with such little energy - the thought of making dinner seems overwhelming.

So, as I now find time to work, run errands and make time for myself - the real catalyst to getting My Life Back was the freedom that came with the job. Dropping the Un and being Employed once again. I'm now in the driver seat of my checking account (vs. getting unemployment payments - awful feeling).

I have a new sense of sympathy for the long-term unemployed. I used to think it would be kick-ass to lounge around in yoga pants all day, go to the gym at 9 am, and have a flexible life. But after wearing those shoes for a few weeks, I wanted to be back in an office. Stat.

So, instead of envying the unemployed's ability to go to Target during off-peak hours, be thankful you are a productive member of society - drop them a random, positive email every now and again. Trust me, after sifting through the Application Confirmations and rejection emails - they'll appreciate a "busy person" taking time out of their "busy" day to catch up.