We’ve been home from the Alps a little over 3 weeks now, and
I’m only just starting to feel like I’m really home. My mind has stayed in holiday mode despite
getting straight back to work only a few hours after we got back.
I use the word work here fairly lightly. As I’ve mentioned before my work now doesn’t
feel much like work as I enjoy what I do, and what I came back to was caring
for a house full of animals.
In the last 3 weeks I’ve spent 2 nights in my own bed and
otherwise been engaged staying away pet sitting, alongside various lessons and
horse care. Not a bad way to coin a living
and being an animal lover it’s something that comes easily and naturally to
me. There are stresses involved of
course, as I’m caring for someone else’s beloved family members, I want them to
be happy and healthy, with the love and attention they are used to.
This year I have realised the first stages of my dream. My work now fits in around my life instead of
the other way around, and although it still needs a little adjustment to get
things the way I want them, I’m in a much better place than I was 4 years
ago. I don’t make any grand earnings
(yet) but I’m now at a point where I’m getting by. A few more years perseverance and hard work
and perhaps I’ll be truly standing on my own two feet, and my business should
be well established.
It’s now I realise just how much effort I need to put in ‘behind
the scenes’. In the first couple of
years I didn’t have much more than a rough idea of the sort of work I wanted to
do, and just took on anything that I could get.
I’ve SLOWLY worked out a clearer vision for what I want my future to
hold, and just as slowly started to piece together a plan for how I will actually
get there. It’s still not a solid plan
and I’m determined to work on it. I’m
held back mostly by the fear of the unknown. The fear of failure. I must be more positive and proactive in making
plans and sticking to them.
I now have an active facebook page, an instagram account and
a full ‘professional’ looking website, alongside this blog. I
try to keep these updated and relevant as much as I can, and I’m gradually
getting my head round how it all works.
I’m sure I’m still not using it fully to my advantage but I’ve not used
the internet for much more than searching and general social media in the past,
and I don’t understand computer lingo.... so not only am I always trying to
keep my knowledge and experience up to date and growing, to be able to offer
the best service I can, but I’m also learning new things that are more like
work again... a necessary evil to create the life of my dreams!!
What I’ve learnt from my first few years...
- Work can fit around your life. You don’t have to fit life around your work.
- Enjoy what you do, or you spend your life waiting for the
weekends.
- It’s not easy but it’s worth it.
- It takes more effort than getting the job and showing up for
work every day, but you’ll find you don’t mind so much!
- It takes time. Don’t
give up.
- Stand by your guiding principles, and do work you are proud
of. Sometimes this means turning down a
job or a client. If it doesn’t fit in
with your plan or goals, and how you want to be, don’t do it.
- Money isn’t everything (but it helps)
- You are worth more than you think you are!
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