In a nutshell, I still have a full-time job. They just took away the admin duties from me since the bosses said my editorial contributions are more valuable to the company than my being a team leader.

Same pay, less workload.

It’s better than I expected, honestly.

It was a good thing my friends and my HR manager of a cousin coached me on what to say and how to get my message across without being messy.

• Avoid talking negatively about other people (i.e. skills gap/talent mismatch) because it’s like I’m putting the blame on other people
• Just acknowledge that I have accountability and that I am not really a manager because I’m not happy managing people
• Just emphasize that I’m stretched too thinly
• Do not point out the burden placed upon me by the company despite limited support but rather tell them that I cannot do everything
• Do not make yourself like a victim of circumstances (pa-victim); no one is a victim and definitely no one is a villain

I told my bosses that I wanted to go freelance because I still enjoy writing and editing. I said I’m just a journalist at heart and I’m happiest chasing stories and fixing stories of others — it keeps me sharp and alive.

Because of the points I outlined, I was able to make it clear to them that am not unhappy with my job. What I am miserable about is the admin work and the expectation that I will be able to lift my underperforming team mates out of the sandpit.

So there, they removed the load off me. I will just concentrate on writing and editing stories. I will still lead the team editorially but their problems are no longer mine.

Bonus is I have a new line manager. She’s nicer.

So let’s see how this goes.

What makes this freaky is that it went so smoothly and everything snapped into place easily. I am suspicious of what may happen next, like is there a storm after this calm? 🤔

Or maybe it’s meant to be—that this is where I am supposed to be that’s why it was so easy…

And oh, by the way, I demoted myself already on LinkedIn. And I’m so happy about it.

My friends are genuinely happy with my demotion. It’s so weird but yeah, it’s a cause for celebration.

I just had my annual tests today in between editing and taking calls from sources. Mammograms are sheer torture but necessary. Breast ultrasounds are not enough so I did those two screens. Tv pelvic exams are mehhhh. At least I know nothing is wrong with me. I’m still polycystic though, on my right ovary. I thought both ovaries are riddled with cysts—but apparently only the right ovary is the remarkable one.

🤔 Hmm, so does that mean my cysts on my left ovary disappeared?

I don’t know how I got through the day and evening taking calls, editing, and writing a time-sensitive story while having all these medical procedures and having my car serviced because I need the clutch pedal adjusted at my mechanic’s shop.

Because of that, I finished work at past 7 pm so i wasn’t able to cook dinner.