It Hurt a Bit

I just finished removing old posts from my blog that don’t have to do with changing careers, and I’m not going to lie. It stung to pull down some of those posts because I was really happy with them. However, they just don’t fit in with the theme for career transition so I put them on ice for a while so I can work on keeping this blog about one subject. I have a plan in mind for them, but it just doesn’t make sense to leave them where they were.

During my career transition, there have been things I’ve had to do that made me want to rebel. For instance, I decided to quit a new job because it was just too stressful. On the inside, I was at war with myself because it has been hammered in to me that I shouldn’t quit on something, but at the same time, I was miserable and rapidly realizing that I was not going to be of benefit in the long term to the position because I would burn out. The best decision was to quit, but it stung. Wise people make difficult decisions and follow through even when it stings. This is something I’m still learning about changing careers so clearly I’m still learning to be wise.

Right now, I’m learning what skills I have, and I’m working to improve some of the skills that I don’t have. Admitting what I don’t know doesn’t bother me. It bothers me more to jump into something and find myself uniformed and/or unprepared because I thought I knew what I needed to know. Yes, I’m having to learn as I go while becoming a freelancer, but it would be no different than entering a brand-new job in a new career field. I would still be learning new things.

I’ll have to try a few things AND fail before I find the right niche, and despite what many might say, that’s quite alright. I learn as much or more from failure as success. If you are in the middle of changing careers, give yourself some grace because it’s going to sting as you learn more about yourself, the current job market, the skills you have versus the skills you need, and the difference between your expectations and reality. Don’t give up unless you’ve given yourself enough time to recognize that a current path is not for you. If it isn’t, just turn around and start back at the beginning. I once had a friend tell me that there are no shortcuts to where you need to be so you go back to the point where it fell apart and set out all over again. Yes, it might hurt a bit, but I’ve found that changing careers is not a painless process.

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Inspirational Verses for the Day:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. (Psalm 23: 1-3, NKJV)