Do you LOVE your job?
If you’re anything like the majority, you’re probably dissatisfied. Whether it’s your boss, your clients or the hours getting you down, finding courage to change is likely on your to-do list. My guest blogger, Clare Zivanovic, knows how this feels, and it’s a pleasure to have her share her story with Inspire Evolve Create.
“I hate my job! How can I leave?”
If you’ve ever been in a job you desperately wanted to leave, you’ll probably relate to these suffocating, confronting words. They were my mantra a few years ago, and they left me feeling trapped and searching for an easy way out. Believe it or not, these words forced me to find my courage and make one of the best, boldest decisions of my life. Here’s what happened…
Fresh out of school at 18, I decided to turn my passion for natural therapies into a career. After 5 ½ years of dedicated study, I proudly graduated with qualifications in Naturopathy, Nutrition and Herbal Medicine.
Being a practitioner felt like my destiny. I loved helping others feel healthier, and I spent my time working in health food stores, pharmacies, clinics and with wealthy supplement corporations. Before I knew it, I’d been in the industry for 15 years and was a successful, internationally-recognised Naturopath.
However, things weren’t as they seemed.
Deep down I was dissatisfied with my job. Even though I was getting great results with clients, I didn’t feel I was reaching my potential. Also, I was finding the 9 to 5 rigmarole oppressive and was craving more creativity and freedom.
Interestingly, it was around this time that I developed anxiety. At first, it was a low-grade, innocuous anxiety; but, before long my anxiety was bordering on panic attack status and the thought of seeing clients was my trigger.
Bartering become my new currency. I pleaded with colleagues to see my clients, in exchange for doing their duties. This wasn’t easy as I needed to hide this secret from my boss. I was definitely in damage control mode and continued living this way – feeling like a fraud – for at least a year.
With my desire to be a practitioner completely gone, I felt burnout, fearful and lost. I questioned whether I had the courage to change, and was concerned what people would think if I left my respected, well-paying job.
In the midst of my turmoil, I tripped on the stairs and severely injured my foot. Almost instantly, I saw this as the universe’s way of telling me that I needed to walk a different path.
A few weeks later, whilst on crutches, I plucked up the courage to resign. It was simultaneously the hardest, easiest and most courageous decision I had ever made. I can’t tell you how immensely relieved I felt, despite having no job to go to and an impaired ability to walk.
For the next 9 months I was in recovery whilst my foot healed. I used the time to ‘find myself’ and rediscover what was important to me. Free of mind and commitments, I remembered how much I loved both writing and filmmaking – joys I discovered in childhood.
With nothing to lose, I enrolled in a writing course and embraced every opportunity to help my husband, a film student, craft his productions. His lecturers also recognised my interest and allowed me to participate in classes.
Life was feeling fun again. Polishing my writing skills was satisfying and crafting productions was making me smile. But, a burning question was still plaguing me – how am I going to earn money??
Then, opportunity tapped me on the shoulder.
Around the time I completed my writing course, my husband graduated from film school. Knowing we were both ripe for change, we decided to embrace courage and be proactive. We teamed up to start our own film production house called Gothic Zen Studios.
Four years later, we’re still running this business – and loving every minute of it. We deal with clients from all around the world and have worked with both grassroots charities and multi-million dollar corporations. Working for ourselves is immensely satisfying, and we wouldn’t trade the freedom and creativity for anything. Yes, it’s a bucketload of hard word, but all we need to do is remember how unsatisfied we were in our old jobs, and suddenly we feel re-energised to keep going.
Honestly, finding the courage to change my career has been one of the best things I’ve ever done. I know it’s hard and the journey is filled with fear, but you can make your transition easier if you remember these 3 things:
1. Listen to – and trust – your intuition.
2. Find the courage to be proactive because if you wait too long the universe has a way of forcing change upon you (this usually isn’t a fun way to change).
3. Fear is often your body’s way of telling you’re experiencing something unfamiliar. Don’t confuse ‘unfamiliar’ with ‘bad’.
If Clare’s story inspired you to change, contact me today to see how we can work together.
