Four Weeks into my new life

Today marks four weeks since my previous career effectively ended.  More importantly, I am four weeks down the road in my journey following my heart into a new career.  It has definitely been a roller coaster ride in terms of emotions, alternating from feeling more free and empowered than I have in years to feeling fearful about the big loss in income at least for the time being. 

The heart provides the drive, but the mind must provide direction in the pursuit of dreams.  The past month has given me time to map out a strategy for the next year in an effort to move toward my dream of owning my own wellness coaching/theraputic yoga business.  Step One is to update my personal training credentials so that I can earn more income through personal training.  Step Two is to complete my Yoga certification.  Step Three is to start and complete certification as a wellness coach.  Step Four is to go through the Kauffman Foundation's Fast Trac program to develop a sound business plan to make my dreams a reality. 

My salary in my previous job was very comfortable.  Whether I will ever make that much in my own business is uncertain at best.  However, as I have already discovered, as long as we can pay our bills and have some money left over to save and to have fun, we may end up richer in other ways. 

I can now see how much I had overscheduled myself.  A week didn't go by without there being days when I would leave the house at 7:30 AM and get home at 11:00 PM.   Between my one training client, and my classes that I teach and take, I am keeping busy, but not insanely so.  My time feels more balanced.  I got to attend my nephew's art gallery reception last Friday evening.   I got to go on a bike ride with my friends on an evening where I would have typically been working until 10 PM.  Next week I get to go with my mom and sister to a banquet, again on an evening that I would have ordinarily worked. 

I intend to look back every month in this journey, if not more frequently, to see how far I've come and what I need to do to keep moving forward and focused on what I want to be when I grow up. 

Out of the lake and into the pond

March went out like a lion as did a 22 year career.  The institution got rid of me and my TEAM.   To pack up my office under police supervision and be escorted out is not the way to end things.  I never got to say good-bye to our members and many of the staff.   Moving in a new direction with new personnel, I can understand.  However, there is a way to let the existing staff leave with dignity, but this institution chose to kick us to the curb like trash. 

Those who orchestrated this have no idea how much we all put into this place...how hard we worked...and yes, how many hours we worked.  Our administrative team rarely worked a MERE 40 hours.  Was I flexible with their schedules?  Yes. Were they, in turn, willing to adjust their schedules to meet the needs of our customers? Yes.  I call this a Win-win.  It's called give and take...TEAMWORK!

A person placed in a position of leadership in an organization that cannot or will not fully empower them to do their job will be rendered ineffective.  If they want to get rid of you, they can distort things, create lies, and hold you to a set of new, never implemented rules. 

This experience has cemented my resolve to become an entepreneur.  To run my own business in a manner consistent with my personal values.  If I pour my heart and soul into a business, it will be my own.