Today I am taking you on a trip down memory lane and sharing some things I have never shared before. I remember just a few years ago when I had so much stress and anxiety going to work that my stomach would hurt driving in. I would just sit in the car until the last possible minute before I would have to waste my life away and walk through the doors.
I couldn't relax or enjoy the weekends because I dreaded Monday morning. Sunday blues literally hit as soon as I woke up on Sunday and then the whole day I was just stress..
It caused arguments between my husband and I because I was unhappy, stressed and moody in the evenings after work, sometimes even in tears. My husband would get frustrated with me being negative and always looking for jobs. I wanted to quit but we were way underwater financially and on our mortgage and eventually we had to let our first place go and foreclose. We had over $80,000 in debt.
The stress of making sure my boss and clients were happy at all times of the day impacted my health as well. I was 15 pounds overweight. I tried for years to get pregnant and then unfortunately suffered two miscarriages back to back. Then I tried IVF and that didn't work either.
I was even in counseling for depression.
I had lots of wasted energy and was so stuck and I wanted to find a way forward. But I was indecisive, scared and unclear about my future career direction and it was hard to find the time to even look for a new career with the crazy long hours I was working at my day job.
I felt embarrassed to tell other people what I did and insecure with others who were successful and happy in their careers. I complained a lot at home and I held back on my true potential at work. For many years I didn't go after my real dream job. I just was simply working while dreaming of taking the leap.
So fast forward to today, I had no idea what my life and career is now was even possible. I had no idea that my dream career could feel so effortless. That it could be really fulfilling. I had no idea what I was truly capable of and that I could make a positive difference with my gifts and talents.
Today I am happier, healthier and less stressed. I want to work hard because I kind of lose track of time when I am working. Work doesn't feel like work. I jump out of bed sometimes at 4am to do my work. I am a happier wife. My life has purpose and meaning and I am making an impact. I am excited to explain my job to others and I have found work I love which transfers into all other areas of my life as well.
And one of the best parts of all is that as I slowly began to be more balanced and have more fun working towards my dream career and I let go of trying to be perfect at a job I hated. I suddenly came home one day from work to take a pregnancy test and was completely shocked to find out that I was pregnant, naturally! My little miracle baby could now thrive because I was finally taking care of my health physically and emotionally. I was making the right choices for ME, not my boss or clients. Self-care is so, so important to creating the life and career of your dreams. I finally did what made me happy and let what other people wanted me to do just go.
Sometimes when you are on the right track, more negative things can happen to try to bring you down. Those negative things kept happening over and over again for me, doors closed in my personal life and professional life. After I found out IVF was not going to work for me I let go of what wasn't working, within a week I had hired a coach and got into a community of ambitious women who were rockin' it in their careers and doing amazing things that I wanted to do someday too. That was my life changing decision. Not to dwell in negativity and impossibility any longer but to make a change and surround myself with positive go-getters who believed that ANYTHING was possible.
So much has been transformed in myself as I went through this process of discovering my ideal career and then making it happen in real life. All of these elements such as networking, job application, resume development, LinkedIn, interviewing.....it's a real balance to do it all right I know to truly master getting your dream career.
But you won't be sorry.
If this is something that interests you I know you can master launching your dream career as well just like I did. If you are so fiercely committed to making it happen. If you make getting the results a non-negotiable. If you dedicate your life to offering whatever your gifts are in the world, You can do it. You deserve to have the level of ease, fulfillment and happiness in your career and life that I have inside of me right now. You deserve to have your desires met and reach your true potential.
But you must be willing to do the work and sometimes it is hard work to launch your dream career or business. However, the least hard work should be the commitment process to truly find something that is meaningful. Making the commitment always opens up a world of possibilities for my clients and commitment has also provided me with a very happy career and a lifestyle that I love.
It just takes you to say right now, " I can and I will be a success no matter what. " Once you make the commitment with yourself, the steps will appear in front of you to take next.
So because I have launched my dream career throughout so many roadblocks and negative experiences, I know that anyone who really desires it for themselves can have it too.
After you have made your commitment, grab a journal and write " I CAN and I WILL be a success no matter what. " Sign and date it and let's get started.
This blog post is a series of "sneak peeks" counting down to our Fall in Love With Your Work and Life Challenge starting August 24th! If you want to join the challenge and get in on the "Pre-Party" activities, sign up here.