Week 7- Do What You Love
Hello there everyone. Welcome to week 7. Can you believe we're here already? Oh my goodness. The support I've been getting while doing the blog has been so wonderful. I am so grateful to have some really wonderful people checking back in every week to read these posts. There seems to be a problem with the email that's attached to the blog. People are having some issues sending messages. I've created an email for the blog: bossbitchmommy@gmail.com You should be able to reach me on there. I'm so sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. I hope to see some emails start flying in. What are you snacking on this week? I had some cheddar veggie straws, and I'm working on some water. Well, lets get started.
This week I wanted to touch on doing something we love for work, income, etc. In order to survive and get things that we need, we need some form of income. There are different jobs and different ways to get it. I think most of us find ourselves having jobs/careers. I find myself asking a common question to people as I get to know them: "Do you like what you do?" It's kind of an odd question to ask. Hopefully the answer is yes; a lot of the time, I hear "no." We all have times in our lives when we need to have a a certain job to pay the bills, even if we can't stand it. I've had jobs that became so toxic that I would literally get an upset stomach just going there. I've had jobs where I just absolutely dread going in for my shift. I think most of us have had these. When we settle into a career, most of us find ourselves in that 9-5 job. Does what you do make you happy? If the answer is no, you're definitely not alone. If the answer is no, it doesn't need to stay that way. I know it seems like a lot. Right now, I work as a medical coder for my day job. I work 4 10 hour shifts and I work from home. It seems like the perfect job. Don't get me wrong, I feel thankful to have it. As each day goes by, I realize more and more that it's not really what I want to do. It pays the bills, it's convenient, I don't hate it...but I don't love it. It doesn't feed that part of me that I want it to. Let's face it. We spend many many years of our lives working. As we reach a certain age, we find our careers. What do we do when we want a change of scenery? Do we just grin and bear it? Do we dare go and change our path?
I know I'm not the only one who's at this impasse. I've ping ponged back and forth of what is the right choice, not only for myself, but for my family. If anyone is feeling this way or hitting this in their life, I think it's at the very least, worth putting some serious thought into what you can do to change it. The first step is to realize that you're actually not happy with your career. Sometimes we go through these ups and downs. Sometimes we can feel like we're in a slump. We need to realize if we're actually unhappy with what we're doing or not. If you come to the conclusion that it's not working out for you anymore, sit down and put some good thinking into it. What are some things that interest you? What are some passions that you have? It's worth putting in the research to see what other options there are out in the world. It's worth calling your local college and see what's out there. There are counselors that can help answer questions about career paths and what you would need to do to get started. Considering the amount of time we spend on our career/job life, we owe it to ourselves to be looking into what options make us happy. I've always wanted to be a nurse. I already work in the medical field, but it's not where my heart is at. I've already come to this conclusion, and know that I want to change it. I've called my local college and gotten all of the information and steps that I need to do to move forward.
What's next? Once you know you want to make a change, you've figured out what it is you want to do, take those steps. Plan it out. Write it down on paper step by step. Come up with your plan for moving forward. Sit down with your family, support team, etc. and get everyone on the same page. Sit down with your finances and see what you can afford if you're going the school route. Luckily there are a few options for going back to school. You can take more classes per semester if you're able, or you can take less if your schedule doesn't allow a lot. Most colleges also let you make payment plans. There are also so many programs out there as well as scholarships available for those going back to school. If it's not something that involves going back to school for, start your search for a job that you like via newspapers, internet searches, job/career sites, and employment agencies. Do your searching and see what's available out there.
Sometimes it isn't necessarily a new career you're looking for, but to start your own business and be your own boss. This can absolutely happen for you. This step seems like a lot of work, and I won't lie to you...it is. But it's totally worth it. 3 years ago I took the leap and started my own business. I found something I love to do and wanted to be my own boss. I wanted to do what I loved and make a living out of it. I'm living out my dream. It's hard. It's a lot of work. You need to put a ton of time and effort into it. My advice would be to do a lot of research about what it takes to start your own business. Research steps to take, the time it will take, and I would even suggest business classes. When you have your own business, you're in charge of everything. Make sure you have at least a little bit of a handle on things. Do everything you can to stay organized. Contact people who already have their own business and ask their advice on how to manage things. Don't be afraid to fail. Don't even see it as a failure. One of my favorite lines for business is, "If the way you're doing it isn't working, then try another." Don't see them as you're doing bad. See it as you've tried one way and that doesn't work so now you're changing your view to something else. This very thing has happened in my business. I started it one way, and I'm changing it to another.
What I'm trying to say this week is, if you're not happy in your work/career, you can change it. I know it's a lot of work and it's challenging, but it's worth at least looking into. We spend a lot of time working. Let's make sure that we're happy in what we do. Let's take a leap of change. We want happiness in every other aspect of our lives...why not this one too. I hope you all have a really great week. I hope to see you back next. week. Thanks!