I LOVE MY JOB

It’s been a long time since I’ve said that and really meant it. 

YES, I love teaching yoga. I love blogging. I love entrepreneurship.

I quit my day job a few years ago to pursue my dream.

But, in doing that, I created a stressful lifestyle that was a carbon copy of what I was living before. 

So many things changed during that time. I learned SO much. It was amazing.

Still, I was struggling, and everything felt out of control.

I was sick of living that way. 

Something needed to change.

So…..

I got a “real” job. 

Two years ago when I left my day job, I had no doubt in my mind that I could start and run my own business, and still don’t. 

Just not without a plan and without money.

I am a positive person, and I really really tried every day to arrive at my job with an optomistic attitude.

“Today is gonna be great, Yeah!” 

Most of the time it was okay, but there were days where the world seemed against me, and I would go home crying.

Actually, it was a few times a week.  

Accounting was not fun or interesting for me. It is for some people! Some people love math, numbers, and formulas. Not me! While I was working, all I could think about was teaching yoga and how to grow my blog. 

I wasn’t great at my job because I wasn’t passionate about it, and it fell within the areas that are complete opposite of my strengths. There’s a misconception that we need to spend most of our time improving our weaknesses, but we really need to focus on our strengths. 

Our strengths are what will help us grow, give us energy, inspire us and other people. It’s where we shine and grow the most. 

In, Now Discover Your Strengths, Donald Cliffton says that our weaknesses just need to be managed. Strengths aren’t just something we’re good at, but they also give us energy and creativity. We can excel in something, but hate doing it. We can work on our weaknesses, but the room for improvement isn’t vast.

We need to get a system in place, but move forward with our strengths. 

After 8 years, It was time. I hit a rut. I was stagnent. Nothing was happening, and nothing was going to happen unless I did something about it. 

I jumped and it felt good.

I felt scared, but an exhilarating kind of scared. Like the skydiving kind of scared.

I felt free for the first time since I could remember.

Before I left, I put my plan into place, or so I thought. 

I decided I was going to start a local yoga membership service, teach yoga classes online and in person, and also do freelance website customization and consulting. 

To my surprise, things started off pretty good. Most of my income was from working on websites, but my business was new. I didn’t have a lot of money to start with, and business wasn’t steady. I was taking a lot of projects that I didn’t really want to make ends meet.

It seemed like a great plan at the time, but as time went on, I realized I had a lot to work on. I really needed a mentor.

Long story short – I got burnt out. I ended up getting two part time jobs on top of all of that, and still was constantly chasing gigs to pay my bills. 

I was studying entrepreneurship like it was my degree, and even signed up for Marie Forleo’s B School. I worked with some of the best entrepreneurs. I learned how to video edit, run email campaigns, podcast, run Facebook ads, and create online courses. 

The only problem was I didn’t have the funding. You don’t need a lot, but you do need some. I was able to keep my business up and running, but I had to do everything manually, and the long way.

There are programs that would allow me to automate parts of my business, but I didn’t have the money to invest. And, I honestly didn’t have the time to learn them. 

All of the entrepreneurs I studied with said you can’t do everything alone. You need to ask for help. 

I believe it, but what if you don’t have the money? 

Having money stress and no consistency was holding me back from success:

• I was constantly stressed about money, so my mind wasn’t clear. I can’t be creative or work efficiently under stress.
• I wasn’t getting enough sleep or eating well because my schedule was crazy and different everyday.
• My yoga practice was suffering, and that’s my passion and purpose!
• I had no structure, so my health was suffering too. I couldn’t eat the same time everyday, sleep at normal times, or practice the same time. 

My options were to either continue to do everything alone, which meant that I couldn’t really scale my business, or get a job, learn some new skills, and see where that takes me. 

I do not regret my decision at all for leaving my job.

Going back to work is not a failure. It’s a huge step forward. It’s an act of surrender, which is one of the biggest lessons in yoga. 

And, to be honest – I love my job. I’m just trying to get better at this everyday, and not worried about the next step. 

I had successes and setbacks like everyone.

After each setback, I had to pick myself up and keep moving forward. I had to connect with other entrepreneurs because my circle didn’t understand what I was going through. I needed a group of cheerleaders!

I had to get out of my comfort zone so many times that I grew stronger and smarter (yeah I said it) than I’ve ever been. 

I also discovered who my friends were. You always have those “friends” who don’t want you to succeed, you know? 

I think the biggest skill I’ve taken into my new job is my ability to not need much direction, take initiative, and to learn from my failures. I never give up, and I’m excited to step onto the fear of the unknown. 

You just gotta jump in!

Some people will preach the quit your day job thing (and I did for awhile), but based on personal experience, I think there’s a better way.

I’m NOW a big fan of transitions. 

So, what if you’re miserable in your day job, and want to transition into being an entrepreneur? My short answer is to get another job that you enjoy. Maybe it’s going from a high demand desk job to a bartender, or an administrative assistant. Maybe there’s a pay cut?

Just get rid of the stress. Get rid of the overwhelm. Still make enough to pay your bills with a little left over, and grow your business.

I wouldn’t have taken that advice myself though. I was wrong. It would have been a huge step forward in stress levels and time commitment, and I’d still be making money while I made my mistakes so that I didn’t have to struggle. 

My new job, recruiting for creative and online digital jobs is awesome. It fits perfectly with my strengths: connectedness, empathy, self assurance, futuristic, and positivity. I get to talk and connect with people helping them find the right jobs, and use my social media skills to research new talent!

I know how much it sucks to be in the wrong job. I know how hard it is to roll out of bed every morning, and motivate yourself to complete a soul sucking task.

I know how hard it can be to find a job that really makes your heart smile. What gets me excited every day about this job is that I know that everyone is special and talented. My goal is to really listen and uncover your unique skills and gifts, so I can match you with the job that makes you excited to work every day! 

That makes my whole body feel happy. 

I love my new job so much that it’s kept me pretty busy. That’s why you haven’t seen a blog from me in a bit. I usually would be mad and frustrated at myself, but I’m loving my job so much, and really focusing at the learning process, so I’m okay with it. 

Sometimes you need to take a step back.

Yoga is the glue that holds everything together. Yoga is what’s helped me through everything. Yoga has taught me to be unattached to the result, how to live in the present, and be okay with uncertainty.

Long story short:

I’m enjoying the journey, and I’m grateful that you’re a part of it. I think that we can all learn by sharing our stories. It’s comforting to know we’re all in this together. 

I am super thankful that you read my blogs. This community wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you and the inspiration you provide.

Sharing yoga is my passion and priority. I have a lot of new things in the works for the future of The Yogi Movement, and I can’t wait for the next step!  

I hope you enjoy my video of my first day of my new job!