Ch-Ch-Changes!

Hello lovelies,

Today I thought I would share something a little different, a little more personal on the blog! Yesterday, I tried a new North African street food restaurant for lunch called Moro Kitchen and besides loving the food, I was struck by the below quote on their wall which is all about our attitude towards change.

Change of any kind can be a scary concept especially if the change has been forced upon you rather than a decision you made yourself. Last year, at age 31 I found myself feeling completely dissatisfied and disillusioned with my career; a well paid career I had spent almost 10 years building up. I wasn’t depressed but I was definitely not as happy or content as I should be. I was in a cycle of literally living for Friday evening at 5pm with the dreaded “fear” kicking in at about 6pm on Sunday’s.  I knew I had to make a change and start doing something that would reignite that passion in me again. Something that made me want to get out of bed in the mornings.

It started with enrolling in a part time fashion course which was basically me dipping my toes in the waters of change. To be honest though I knew I needed to take more drastic action because apart from a couple of hours a week in fashion college, I was still in the same negative cycle of being in a job I wasn’t happy in. It was everything to do with me and what fulfils me and nothing to do with the actual job I was in. A couple of months ago, I quit my job to pursue a full time career in the fashion industry, something I’ve always dreamt of but never thought possible. As you can imagine, it was met with every reaction from “are you mad?” to “good for you, chasing your dreams”. But at the end of the day, I was in a situation where I wasn’t happy and the only way to make a difference is to change something about the situation.

Being in your 30’s and starting out in a new career is difficult. Starting something new at any age is difficult but fear shouldn’t hold you back. I am not suggesting that everyone immediately downs tools and walks out of the their jobs but it is never too late to pursue something that you dream of. I am not just talking about careers here; it could be a desire to travel more, learn a new skill, get fit…whatever! And sure, it might not work out the way you planned but better to have failed attempts than regrets I say!

It is still early days for me and I am still trying to find my feet in a new industry but regardless of what happens, I am not afraid of change and I will never regret taking this time out to pursue happiness rather than money. If I do end up returning to my previous career, this won’t have been a wasted journey. I’ve found a love for blogging and writing and have built a great network of like-minded people on Instagram.

I’ve learned alot over the last couple of months, particularly about myself, and wanted to share some of the tips I’ve picked up along the way with anyone who might be thinking of taking a leap. Whether it be enrolling in a night class, completely changing careers or something as simple as booking that trip you’ve always dreamt of, I hope the below will motivate you to go after what you want, no matter how big or small it is!

1. Figure out what makes you happy.

The first step has to be figuring out what it is that motivates you and makes you happy. Once you identify that you can put a plan in place to achieve it. For me, I always knew I had more than a passing interest in fashion but wasn’t sure (and still amn’t!) that I could make a career of it. It’s the thing that brings me to life and never feels like work to me.

2. Identify barriers to getting what you want. 

I wish I could tell you that it is as simple as saying you want something and boom there it is but we all know life is not like that. There will always be barriers to getting what you want but once you know what they are you can work around them. Depending on what it is that you want to achieve you may need to retrain or up-skill and there will most definitely be a financial aspect to consider too.

3. Stop comparing yourself to others. 

Just because your friends all have pensionable “sensible” jobs or are buying houses, having babies or whatever it doesn’t mean you have to. Live your life at your own pace and according to what makes you happy. Making comparisons between yours and others situations will only lead to self doubt – just focus on your own goals.

4. Be confident. 

Be confident in your abilities and your choices.  It will take you a long way especially at times when others might be doubting you and your decisions!

5. Stop caring what others might think. 

If you truly want something and you believe it is the right thing to do, you need to stop worrying about what others will think. We’re all different so of course people will have different opinions and there will always be haters! As long as you have the support of those most important to you that’s all that matters!

Are any of you going through a similar process? I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences!!

Stylishly yours,

Trish xx