I just read my ‘Goals & Daydreams: The Search for the Perfect Job‘ post from August 2017. And I was thinking, “Wow! I’ve come a long way in almost three years”. So, here is an update post on where I am now. I didn’t really go into how miserable I was as a person then because I consider myself a ‘positive’ thinking individual, but yeah, a change of life was NEEDED.

Edit: This post sounds like a motivational/self-help guide. I apologize because I am NOT an expert at this thing we call life – I just want to recall my journey thus far in case it helps someone else that is living in a ‘funk’.

That was then…

Let’s rewind a bit… I believe it was right around the time of that post that I straight up QUIT my job without having another ready and waiting. If you know me, then you know that is something that I would never ever have done unless I was just that miserable in life. I did put in like a month notice, because I’m not the type of person to not show up for work, but nonetheless, I quit with no real plan in place. I also had a long talk with my husband beforehand & we agreed that we would figure it out, whatever may come.

Yes, that was a weird and amazing month-ish of being unemployed that I am ultimately grateful for (& privileged enough to be able to do). But don’t go thinking I just caught up on TV during that time because…

I went all in with advertising & creating for my etsy shop (which I recently closed), I practiced my photography (I got better!), I tried to find strictly work from home jobs (a failed experiment), & I worked my ass off to still be a productive human, wife, & dog mom because being without a job was scary as hell some days. Takeaway: Keep working. Keep Learning. Keep moving forward.

Another thing I did during this time was be PICKY about who I sent my resume to & what jobs I applied to. I followed the dream list I put together when considering companies & positions.

Steph’s Dream List & Goals:

• work/life balance
• flexible hours/remote availability
• look forward to a day at work
• learn new things
• come home energized, not drained
• fun work environment with hard work being done
• appreciation

I began my job search with the start-ups & tech-based businesses around me. I had a couple of interviews – which I am terrible at & I didn’t get any of these jobs – but talking with the people from these companies gave me a glimpse into how well companies can be ran and how happy their employees can be. Takeaway: See ‘failures’ as experiences to learn from.

Next up, I looked into part-time jobs with companies that intrigued me. Yes, part-time was not ideal, but I did not want to be chained to a desk for 40+ hours a week again and I looked at a part time job as better than NO job. I found a PT job in my field for a non-profit company in a stellar location. Then, I applied & interviewed. I got hired; I was offered a wage more than I had at my previous full-time job AND once my work was done, I could leave so I wasn’t tied to a desk twiddling my thumbs.

Elation. That was what I felt when I interviewed & when I started working. It was a great group of people (read: smart, independent, caring, fun, happy) working for the betterment of others. In fact, I’m still with the company today.

Then another amazing thing happened. A previous co-worker of mine had a job opening for me if I wanted it with a company that I had turned down in the past (to my forever regret – I turned it down due to loyalty to a bad company, not because I didn’t want it). It was also a part-time position, but I could do most of the work from home! I am also still with this company & my responsibilities have expanded, along with better wages. Takeaway: Being nice & respectful to others can open doors you didn’t even know were there. Especially if they know your skills & talents.

With these two part-time jobs, I was working ‘less’ and making more. It felt surreal. I kept waiting to wake up from the dream. Seriously, some days I still pinch myself when I find myself working from my couch surrounded by my dogs.

This is now…

This is going to sound… motivational speaker-ish… but I really feel like putting out what you want into the universe, putting out positivity & confidence, & putting your goals and dreams in writing, helps it to come to fruition. Takeaway: Try writing down your goals, then make plans to achieve them, & don’t give up when one plan fails.

Lastly, some other positive things have come into my life in the last couple of years. Remember how I practiced my photography during that time of unemployment? I now do photography as a part of my second job and another previous co-worker has me photograph for her when needed, too. And my experience with Novaturient Soul – like building a website, marketing, etc.? Well, those skills got me hired on by a friend who started her own business. Takeaway: Learn & try new things. Expand your talents!

To end, I hope this post shows you that sometimes if you make a leap of faith, you land exactly where you’re supposed to. Life is too short to be angry or miserable or whatever negative thing it may be that you’re in. And I’m not here to say that I’m happy every single day, there are still ups and downs and hardships, but I’m also not crying in the bathroom at work at 9:05am everyday either so I’d say I’ve hit my goals from three years ago.

What about you? Have you done something scary as hell to reach your goals and came out better on the other side? Let me know in the comments!