“Hi, My name is Tegan and I have finally quit a job that didn’t make me happy.”
Please don't misunderstand; I enjoyed the afore mentioned job at times, especially when it was shiny and new and full of wonder and mystery. I especially loved the industry within which I was working, hospitality (Ha ha! You say). Shame, shame on me for not hating it, with all the other haters who are too busy staring at their iproduct(slash)own navels to smile and greet a customer like their job description dictates. Just to clarify this does not refer to anyone I know, any of my ex-staff, or anyone else I have an interest in not pissing off.
I like working really hard and am generally allergic to holidays because I seem to be rubbish at asking for things. If holidays ever do happen, I inevitably get sick for the entirety of said holiday because all of the eating good, nutritional food, smoking less ciggies, drinking less booze, relaxing in the sun and lack of stress really disagrees with me .
Sooo, in short, no one else seemed to be complaining, but I found myself in a conundrum of a pickle.
Typical of the social creature I am I had become attached to the people I worked with and couldn’t imagine not seeing them every day despite the fact they drove me nutbags. This means, and I’ve been guilty of this time and time again... I’m a chronic stayer. As an eternal optimist I always fall a little bit in love with places and people. I struggle to move on from all the great things we have built together and bonding experiences we have had, and hey, most of us have change issues to deal with!
It wasn’t until I hurt my back 2 months ago and my body decided to yell at me for a bit, in the attempt to issue a wakeup call that I began to properly understand that my daily routine was harming me in many ways. It took physical pain, however to make me confront several issues that had arisen in my life and needed dealing with.
I wasn’t eating well, I was drinking more that the average, smoking like a chimney, taking pain killers to cope with physical discomfort, couldn’t maintain an intimate relationship, couldn’t remember important dates in the lives of my friends and family... the list goes on.
If you are considering chucking in the towel yourself at this point - why not? I really think you know if it's right for you, or not. I suppose you should also consider the boring stuff too;
- How easy is it to find work in your field?
- How long can you go for without work? Please consider dependants and partners (if they are supportive). You don't want to replace work stress with financial stress if you can help it.
- Will your state of mind and quality of life drastically improve if you liberate yourself from your current workplace?
- How much notice are you required to give? Are you on a contract?
- How long have you been in the job - are these just teething problems?
http://careerplanning.about.com/od/quittingyourjob/a/when_to_quit.htm
However, you may find i-reseign invaluable in helping you with the decision making process. It's well considered and thorough!
So - Why was I choosing money over happiness and creative fulfilment?
What a nidiot.
At this stage, I suppose I’m obliged to mention my previous life. I have an honours degree in visual art and until 2 years ago was an avid painter, doodler, brain farter extraordinaire. However, I have lacked the self confidence and self possession to whole heartedly pursue this area as a money–making venture. Art, writing and crafting have been both an academic pursuit and a ‘serious hobby’, but I have never truly believed in my ability to wholly support myself doing activities I love. I mean really, truly love and therefore want to commit untold hours to, and because of my dedication become incredibly successful...pfft.
Just to define what I mean by ‘successful’ in this instance, but these points are also my general benchmark for success in Tegland–
- Earning enough money to live comfortably and travel a bit, perhaps even affording small luxuries like ice cream and massages and lacy underwear
- To be healthy and happy with purpose and a feeling of fulfilment at least 85% of the time.
- To be able to see friends and family regularly, with enough time to foster mutually beneficial relationships and a reciprocated feeling of support and closeness. Also.... doing the basics, such as remembering birthdays and attending the requisite celebrations.
I’m aware these desires may seem modest to some and to others, very ‘middle class’ I’m sure (that’s just my cynical side coming out). But they are MY definitions of success and you are welcome to come up with your very own set of qualifiers that are no doubt much cooler and more altruistic/hedonistic/ hip than mine.
Maybe yours is even to own a fixie and a camera that still uses film, (my mum owns both of these things, why don’t you guys go on holiday together? She’ll teach you how to knit, darn, bake a woman’s weekly cake and generally crafternoon up a storm).
Anyway – my ‘mission statement’ so to speak for this blog is to have a forum in which I am forced to share and be creative frequently. Both areas, I am assured that I excel at arhem... yes, definitely.
If we happen to look at some art stuff, or poke around the neighbourhood, (after all – Adelaide is just a big ‘neighbourhood’) that would be dope too. Hooray, there we go. I’ve stated my intentions, in public, eek!
And now all I have to do is stick to it...
Did someone mention fat kids and smarties?
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