Friday 8 June 2012

So I leapt


Image by Anna Inghardt

Today was monumental. 

I have been talking for a while about putting my dream into motion. I made the conscious decision to act on my dream 7 months ago, as I wrote here. I couldn’t share too much earlier on about how I would achieve my dream as the bulk of how it would eventuate was relying on my full time job. I don’t blog about my job, I keep my personal and work life very separate, and my blog is about me on a personal level. I rarely talk about my day once I leave the office let alone write about it. However to share my joyous news I am going to partially break my own no-talking-about-work pact.

To give you an insight, I co-own a small business. I also work there full time. I have worked full time since I left high school, some ten years ago. Ok, over two decades ago (I’m 41, yeah whatever). 23 years to be exact, 23 years of full time employment. I am exhausted. I’m done. I am sociable by nature so I love going in to spend the day with my colleagues and staff, but I have reached a point where I simply want to be home more. I want to not have to spend five mornings a week rushing around preparing for my day in the office. I don't want to ride that treadmill anymore, jumping on as the alarm goes off and jumping off at bedtime every weeknight. I didn’t take maternity leave or have a year at home after my son was born, I went back to work weeks after his birth. I have missed assemblies and school excursions. I haven’t had the opportunity to pick my child up from school every day. I haven’t had the opportunity to be able to cook dinner before 6pm on weekdays. I haven’t had the opportunity to come home after the school run and enjoy my morning coffee or make my bed at a leisurely pace rather than flinging the doona over as I am trying to find something to wear. I’ve missed all that. My choice, but it hasn’t been easy.

Enter my blog. I started my blog on a whim July last year and it has been the catalyst for me realising my love of writing. I came to the realisation last year that the one thing I want to do every day is write. I want to focus on myself, my home and my child. I want to focus on spending my day pleasing my soul. I am not a ‘carer’ by nature (you know, those kinds of people who just love to mother others and love to go out of their way to make sure others are happy?) and yet I have wound up in roles whereby the majority of my responsibility was caring for others and ensuring others' needs were met. Now it’s my turn.

Today I received the best news I could have imagined. My request to change my full time management role to a part-time business role, two days a week, was granted. I cannot tell you how happy my heart is. I can’t even start to imagine what this means for me and my dream. I will have three days (maybe two, I might give myself an extra day off) to concentrate on my writing. I can take photos and get stuck into my love of food photography. I might even do that graphic design course I have been dreaming of. And I can attend school assembly if I want and pick my child up from school. I can shower at noon if I like. I probably will.

I felt terribly scared of this move when I first started to think about it. What if I don’t get enough work, what if I can’t pay my mortgage? I will, somehow I will. All I know is that if I continued on doing what my heart was no longer passionate about I would slowly die inside. And my creative soul wasn’t letting me get away with that.

So I leapt.

41 comments:

  1. PEGGY!!!

    I am beyond, BEYOND excited for you!

    When does it start and what days will you be working?! Email me!

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    1. Thanks Kelly, will email you the full story! We absolutely must catch up for coffee. Will tee something up now that I will have days off midweek.

      Thanks Kel, been loving your encouraging words. xo

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  2. Oh Peggy that is just so fabulous! Congratulations beautiful lady xx

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    1. Thank you sweets, so excited. xo

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  3. congratulations Peggy in perusing your dreams. I want you to know, through sharing these moments in your life, you are inspiring others to do the same...me included. Thank you.

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    1. That is so nice to know, thanks so much. I often read stories of people following their dreams and have also been inspired.

      Thank you for stopping by and leaving me a note. :)

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  4. Peggy what truly marvelous news, what a continued inspiration you are my dear xxx

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    1. Thank you Beth. So very excited and wonderfully happy. xo

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  5. Fantastic stuff, Peggy.
    Absolutely delighted for you.
    xxx

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  6. Peggy! My heart is singing for you at the moment. You wonderful, brave woman! What untold joy this will bring you. And your son! Wow wow wow.

    I can't wait to see what this next step leads to. xo

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    1. Thanks Kate, I am seriously excited! My Little Man was absolutely ecstatic when I told him I won't be working full time soon. Very happy. :) xo

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  7. I sit here with a huge smile on my face & absolute joy in my heart at hearing your news. I am so happy for you Peggy. I hope this decision brings you more fulfillment than you could ever imagine, that your heart is full & your spirit flies high. You deserve all that & more xx

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    1. Thank you Reannon. I have been bursting to share my joy but couldn't say much until I knew for sure. It's all happening now!

      Your encouraging words along the way have been awesome. Thank you. xo

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  8. Brilliant news Peggy! Leaping is brave and will pay off. Enjoy it! x

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    1. Thank you Deb. I have grown fond of the word 'leap'. Feels great to do it! xo

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  9. Hey, congratulations! That extra time for yourself and your family will be so wonderful. Happy for you.

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    1. Thanks Peg, really looking forward to it. Have been dreaming about taking that extra time for a long time. Can't wait!

      Good to see you around these parts, catch you on twitter. xo

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  10. GREAT news Peg! Nothing better than putting dreams and all the fund stuff in life first for a change. All the best xx

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    1. Thank you Beth, it's an exhilarating feeling. Fun stuff first, oh yes! xo

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  11. So thrilled to read this Peggy - enjoy the time with your son and dive in deep with your passions - can't wait to hear what you get up to.

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    1. Diving in deep Deb, so excited about what I can get up to now with so much more time on my hands. I don't think I have fully grasped what it means yet! Thanks Deb. xo

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  12. Wow, such great news! I admire you for taking the leap and following your dreams- you're an inspiration to us all!

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    1. Thank you Sonali, it sure does feel great following my heart for once instead of my head. xo

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  13. Anonymous7:39 am GMT+8

    Massive congratulations Peggy. Though I think you forgot one option you will now have more time for.....coffee catch ups with friends.

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    1. Oh Anna it was one of the first things I thought about! Just emailed Kelly saying the very same thing. So, coffee?

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  14. You know Peggy it is funny. I haven't worked for as long, so the change wasn't as dramatic for me but I always thought I would be a 'career' woman employed by other companies. I worked my way up in a international food company and could see where I would go. After we had our first daughter I did take time off, but then went back full time. With a change in my husband's job, I had to leave and then I explored a whole new work world (inlcuded a bit of writing too) and it was amazing!!! So many people work in a variety of ways and means and the people I met were so inspirational. Get ready for the ride, it is awesome and you will never look back, even when it gets hard. You go!!!

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    1. Thank you Mandy, that's great motivation. I often read about how people pull out of the rat race to pursue their dreams, and I did often wonder 'well why can't I?' I'm so very excited and have spent the entire weekend realising all the little bonuses of working from home (not having to find vacation care on school holidays - my son is chuffed!).

      Thanks so much for dropping in, really nice to hear from you.

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  15. Squee, that's so exciting!! :D

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    1. Thanks Rah, it is a tad exciting! Squeeee

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  16. Can't wait to hear of the things you will get up to! Congratulations! xx

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    1. Thanks Kaisla, SO VERY EXCITED! I have a list in my head of things I will be doing with my spare time. And not all of it involves sipping coffee at a leisurely pace. ;)

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  17. SO thrilled for you and can't wait to hear how it's all going! x

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    1. Thank you Kimblerley. I will keep sharing my newfound joy until it becomes boring for you! xo

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  18. I'm a bit of a new reader here but just wanted to say congratulations, the future sounds incredibly exciting for you. All the best. X Laura

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    1. Thank you so much Laura. I am very excited, it's been a longtime dream of mine to spend more time at home.

      Thanks for sticking around and for leaving me a note. xo

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  19. peggy, first of all, let me tell you your post made me cry a little bit; how completely exhilarating for you! congratulations to you for leaping, because in my experience, it's a feeling which almost can't be described by words; words are pesky that way when it comes to big, wonderful things.

    "Enter my blog. I started my blog on a whim July last year and it has been the catalyst for me realising my love of writing. I came to the realisation last year that the one thing I want to do every day is write. I want to focus on myself, my home and my child. I want to focus on spending my day pleasing my soul. I am not a ‘carer’ by nature (you know, those kinds of people who just love to mother others and love to go out of their way to make sure others are happy?) and yet I have wound up in roles whereby the majority of my responsibility was caring for others and ensuring others' needs were met. Now it’s my turn."

    and then there's this: i could have written this. it is exactly, EXACTLY how i felt when i made the decision two years ago to stay home with my then-newborn. i've always been a full-time worker and have truly never (in all honesty and in my heart) been suited for a 9-5 gig. when i found out I was pregnant, i planned to continue working; it's what you do, right? you keep a routine. but there was a pull...something small at first, and then larger. then i saw her, and i knew as soon as i saw her sweet face that i could never go back.

    and so i didn't. i promised her one year of just her and i being together, and toyed around with the idea of a food blog-something i've always wanted to do. i began it last august after her birthday, and it's one of the best things i've done, for myself AND for her. she loves helping me with the baking (i let her mix "ingredients" with me), and putting things away, and seeing the finished products, etc. there are no words for that part, either. so enjoy, enjoy, ENJOY this time of getting to be your true, non-full-time-work self. you have a spectacular blog; the writing and the photos are equally stunning, and i can't wait to see more.

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    1. Thank you SO MUCH Shannon! What a lovely comment, so very encouraging and reminds me that I have made the right choice. I was actually quite envious when I read on your blog that you took that time out, that's just wonderful. And why shouldn't you, it's what your heart wanted. :)

      I don't think I will have any regrets, in fact I know I won't. The fact that I can see the end of my full time working days now makes me terribly excited. I have a spring in my step, I am inspired and happy and looking so forward to it.

      Thank you again Shannon, you made me smile. :)

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