Sense of Achievement in Life

I find myself longing for a sense of achievement lately, or accomplishment. A real drive to create something. This is a high that comes and goes, nothing new really but something that I’ve learned to recognize. It feels like having too much coffee on a day where you have nothing to do. But I always have something to do.

It’s interesting, being a House Husband because the biggest problem I tend to encounter is myself. Or the biggest hurdle I’ll say. Sick kids are definitely a bigger problem but the problems I tend to encounter are often solved by “Weathering the storm” So I’m my own biggest challenge. As I lack co-workers by the traditional definition, that leaves me with myself. And after 40 years of working with myself, I know how to get around most of the common obstacle .

Having come from a challenging achievement based industry where I felt constantly challenged and constantly learning and achieving, it’s left a bit of a hole. And I think that’s what’s constantly pulling me (And others) back into the culinary scene. It’s just such a unique feeling of dopamine drip from doing something well.

At home, if I do something well I get complimented or “Oh you did so much today” and those sorts of recognition statements from my wife. Which is great and I love it, but I’ve been so programmed to climb the ladder that not having the ladder has left me at the perceptible peak looking around like “okay now what?”

And the “now what” is regularly waiting for my kids to grow up and present the next challenge. Which leads down a bit of a rabbit hole as that pairs in with me getting older and all the thoughts that come with that.

Oof what a dark note to end on, but as my mind draws a blank, I guess that’s all I’ve got to say for now.