Making It Happen

I've been really frustrated lately because there have been a lot of unexpected twists and turns in my life.

Nothing is going according to plan.

If you know me, you know that I really, really don't like it when things are ambiguous or unorganized. I like to have neat, color-coded lists and set tasks to accomplish. I love the feeling I get when I check off an item on my to do list. I really love the feeling I get when I see a completed list in my planner, though that happens much less frequently.

Lately though, I'm adjusting to a lot of life changes, and as a result, I'm having a really difficult time working through all of my responsibilities.

Career-wise, I'm feeling especially frustrated. Last year, I was working as a personal banker for a large national bank making a decent paycheck and enjoying benefits like a 401(k), paid sick time, and paid vacation. I quit because it seemed like the best way for me to finish my degree, while also making the decision to be the one to take care of the home for my then-husband. 

Needless to say, that definitely did not go according to plan.

When I moved out, it wasn't an organized, structured thing. It was slapdash at best, and I ended up staying on a friend's pull-out couch for a few weeks while I figured out a game plan. I took the first job that was offered to me as a part-time barista. Don't get me wrong, I love working where I do - it's the most fun job I've ever had! But there is a lifestyle adjustment in making less than half of what I'm used to and simultaneously becoming responsible for all of my own expenses. It's been a bit painful.

Especially since I'm a dreamer, and I aspire to have a lifestyle that might be out of reach for some time. (Basically, I want to be Carly from www.thecollegeprepster.com).

I got to thinking: instead of being miserable and upset about how that life seems so far out of reach and feeling bad for myself for being stuck back in an almost minimum wage job after enjoying so much success, I should focus on what I need to do to really get back on my feet. Time to dust off my resume, explore my options within my own network, and expand that network to include anything that may allow me to pay off accrued debts and begin to enjoy the same lifestyle I had a year ago.

Wish me luck!

~Megan