Over the past week or so I have been thinking about writing this post, it took me a bit to get it out, but here it is….my highs & lows over the past month.
As many of you know, I started a new job about 6 weeks ago, while the first few weeks were REALLY tough, once I started week 4, I felt like I finally hit my stride. I was confident in meetings, knowing what my colleagues were talking about, I was using the right language and generally understanding my new role, how I could contribute and I began implementing some critical projects. It felt good, I remember sitting in a global marketing team meeting when everything just kind of clicked, I sat back, took in what was being presented and was able to contribute something meaningful to the conversation. It was at that moment when I realized I made the right decision to move over into this new role.
Change is never easy, change for someone like me is even more difficult. I am not a risk taker by nature, but I took a big risk. I gave up a promotion for this new role which was really hard for me. I was scared and while many call this a leap of faith, it felt at the time like I was being pushed off a cliff and was free-falling, but it turned out okay. This past week I was passing the VP of our sales team in the parking garage and he asked me how I was liking my new role and I could honestly tell him that I was loving it. While it still has it challenges and I am still very much learning, I truly get excited by the work I am doing every day and for the first time in a really long time, I feel like this is exactly where I was meant to be.
It’s strange for me to say that, because I loved my last job. I don’t mean to sound braggy, but I know I was great at my last job. I worked really hard and took pride in being an expert at what I did. I adored my team and my old boss is one of those spectacular people, you know, the salt of the earth kind of people? The hardest part of me leaving my old role was my boss. You know the old adage, people don’t leave jobs, they leave bosses. While I usually agree with that, it was not the case in my recent move. But, in hindsight, my last job, while wonderful, was not where I belonged. While I was given opportunity to grow and was challenged, I never felt the level of excitement that I do in my current job. Seeing the work that I am doing, that is going out to patients and actually making an impact in their lives is truly an incredible thing to see and feel. While this new job is not without its challenges (more working at night, evening events that means more time away from my boys, etc) overall, I feel like this position was made for me and it’s where I belong and will allow me to reach my future goals and that is such a great feeling. I feel invigorated, I mean, I have been on vacation since Tuesday evening and I went into the office on Wednesday and have worked for at least a few hours on both Thursday and today and I don’t mind at all, that is how much I am enjoying myself. It really is a great feeling.
Now, clearly my new job is my high, but this post is titled Highs and lows, so here comes my low. Last week I received an email from my fitness director at the gym alerting the team to some schedule changes. Our club is part of a local franchise of fitness clubs and they want to move all their clubs to a schedule where the classes start on the hour. I have been teaching Group Power since 2007 and while I have significantly cut down the number of classes I teach a week since I had Ashton (I’m down to only one class now from six) my Thursday night class has always been at 5:30 p.m. They are now moving the class to 6:00 p.m. and I had to make the very hard decision to stop teaching it as of January 1st.
While a half hour shift doesn’t seem too drastic to most people, it would really impact my home life. Currently, I get out of work early on Thursday, I race to pick Ashton up at daycare, I drive him to Robyn’s work where we do a hand off at 5 p.m. and I drive to the club with just enough time to get changed and get on stage to teach at 5:30 p.m. My class ends at 6:30 p.m. and I clean up the fitness room and race to get home a little after 7:00 p.m., just in time to brush Ashton’s teeth, give him a quick bath, read him a bedtime story and tuck him in for the night. If I continued to teach this class, it wouldn’t end until 7:00 p.m. and I wouldn’t get home until after 7:30 p.m., meaning I would not get to spend any time with Ashton. I am just not willing to give up what very limited time we already have during the week for this class.
In a way it was a really easy decision, time with Ashton is too precious, but in another way it was brutally hard to say those words. Even as I type this I have tears in my eyes. I LOVE teaching, there is nothing better than helping others realize their potential and reach their fitness goals…it’s been a real pleasure to be a part of so many people’s fitness journey and it have been a really fulfilling part of my life for many years, but right now, it’s just not fitting my current life situation. I hope that one day in the future, maybe my work and life situation/schedule will be different and I can come back and start teaching again, but for now…I have to focus on what is most important and that is my sweet little boy. Last night I told my class that next week will be my last class and I was met with a lot of shock and questions, but also a lot of thank yous, good wishes and hugs. I know next week’s class will be bittersweet, I just hope I can hold it together and make it though.
The times, they are a changin’. I am beginning a new phase in my career and laying to rest another phase for right now. It’s wonderful and sad at the same time, but all we can do is move forward and make the best of what we have, right?
Have a great weekend my friends!
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Question of the day
Tell me some of your highs and lows lately! How do you deal with the lows?
What are your weekend plans?
