Change is Always an Option

It was such a beautiful day! 63 degrees in Ohio on February 19th. I got up that morning, did a little work, put on my running shoes, and headed for Westcreek Reservation to go for a run. After a few miles, I took a break and stopped to take in the warmth of the day, resting on a park bench. I learned to love running late in life – didn’t run a full mile without stopping until I was 32 years old and only now with several marathons and half marathons behind me, do I feel comfortable calling myself a runner. Aside from the fitness benefits, running clears my head, makes me think, and sparks my creative juices more than anything else I do. So as I sat there on this bench, I couldn’t help but think about where I was at this time last year and how much my life has changed.

Like most people, I got my first job when I was 16. I cleaned tables at a fast food court, then went on to waitressing for income while I was in college. I worked full time through most of my college years and headed to New York after graduating from Michigan State University in 1990. I wanted to be a writer, but with no experience, I got a job doing data entry and customer service for a well-known publishing company. I was determined to establish myself in that field and worked as hard as I could, moving into sales, and then on to other jobs at other publishers. I was always recognized for my hard work and dedication and the promotions came, my reputation in my field grew, and a year ago, I was finally where I thought I always wanted to be – a Vice President of a firm that consulted with media companies on developing integrated databases. The only problem was that I really didn’t like what I did for a living. I worked from home and was a slave to my clients, often answering emails in the middle of the night and rarely getting up from my desk. My temper was short, I was out of shape, and my mind was often pre-occupied with work on the weekends. I couldn’t understand how an active and outgoing person like me, ended up in a career where I spent most of my time on a computer, working on data, cleaning up data, analyzing data, fixing data, and thinking about data. So after a long weekend spent working on a client data conversion, I finally decided I had enough. My career was on the wrong path and at 48 years old and I knew that if I didn’t pursue a change now, I would always wonder what could have been. So I emailed the owners of my company, gave them 4 months’ notice, and committed to getting out of this profession by Memorial Day.

The 4 months went quickly and I felt good about the fact that I burned no bridges and promised to be available if anyone had questions after I was gone. My plan was to take the summer off (my friends called it the Summer of Heidi or SOH16 for short) and find a new job in the fall. Without the stress of clients and projects to cloud my mind, I made a commitment to being active every day in the summer. I explored new parks, hiked a lot, started running again, riding my bike, cooking meals, reading, cleaning my house and selling items I no longer needed, and getting my life in order. I decided just to explore everything I had ever been interested in and see where it took me. I started reading about LEGO Serious Play and signed up for a certification class, applied for my substitute teaching license, got certified to teach a women’s fitness class, and also stayed in touch with my colleagues. Little did I know that I was a setting up a “new” career path and that I would be a business owner by the end of the year.

My self-indulgent summer of healing and reflection came to an end and I moved forward on my own terms with 5 part-time jobs that keep me engaged in the things I love:

1. Entrepreneurship and Problem Solving – After I got certified in the LEGO Serious Play method, I knew I wanted to share the technique with others. So I opened my own firm (Backwards Bicycling, LLC) and am making my way in the world of team building and meeting facilitation. I love every minute of this business and can’t wait to see where it takes me. When I joined up with Kate and Jess to start the Kassandra project, I knew that I could incorporate the LEGO Serious Play method in our workshops and I can’t wait to share that process with other women.

2. Working with Children – I don’t have any children of my own but I like to spend time with them. So I substitute teach pre-school from time to time and also work as a poetry coach for an organization called America Scores. Both jobs give me the opportunity to stay connected to children and step outside of my own selfish head.

3. Fitness and health – I found a local business that teaches women’s body sculpting classes, got certified, and now teach at local rec centers at least once a week.

4. Maintaining old relationships – Since I left my previous job on good terms, I’m able to do some part-time contract work for them. I take only the jobs that interest me and still get to enjoy that feeling of being an expert in a field when everything else in my life is brand new.

So here I am, a year later. I went from one intense and consuming job to 6 part-time jobs and I couldn’t feel happier or more satisfied with my life. I don’t wake up in the middle of night worrying about the next day, I smile a lot more, and I feel like I’m 10 years younger. There is nothing more empowering than realizing that I always have choices and that change, even late in life, is always an option.

#change #women #path #work #job #entrepreneurship