One of the scariest things that I had to go through recently was deciding to give up competitive swimming. I have been racing in the pool for the majority of my life, but I knew in March 2017 that it was time to step away from the sport that I love so much. For a while after, I felt lost; what am I supposed to fill my time and put my energy into now that I am done swimming?

This is something that many high school graduates, soon to be college students and full-time employees have to go through. Many of us have been involved in activities like sports, art, or music for most of our lives, and we’re now expected to willingly step away from the things that we love to do and work our lives away. It doesn’t seem fair and often leads to a loss of identity for a lot of people. I know I had no idea what to do without swimming.

It’s a sick thing that our society expects adults to dedicate their lives to their jobs. Growing up, I remember hearing adults making fun of their peers that did things like slow-pitch softball or an organized basketball league. They would say that they’re not dedicated enough to their careers or that they needed to spend more time with their kids.

This has bothered me for a long time. I don’t want to have to give up what I love to do just because I have a job and a family! I hope that I can find a job that allows me to do something that I love, but I don’t think that my job will ever involve racing in a pool. We shouldn’t expect young people to completely give up things that they love to do once they have to provide for themselves. I want to help foster an environment where it’s not only okay to take an hour of each day to go do something for yourself, but it’s encouraged.

This is something that is so important to me in a future employer. I want to work for a company that encourages me to have a work-life balance and doesn’t pressure me to spend my life in the office.

If you had more time to have fun and do something that you love, what would you do?

This post was written by Cameron Sackett (not Tim) – you can probably tell because it lacks grammatical errors!

HR and TA Pros – have a question you would like to ask directly to a Gen Z? Ask us in the comments and I’ll respond in an upcoming blog post right here on the project. Have some feedback for me? Again, please share in the comments and/or connect with me on LinkedIn.