The Choice is Made

I have chosen to leave the company. That's right, I've decided to intentionally make myself unemployed. There might be more than a little insanity in that decision.

There were many, many variables to consider. In the end, it came down to this: I want my freedom. I feel trapped in the monotony of the routine, in the daily commute, in the requirement of sitting in my stuffy closet of an office for nine hours a day. I want out of this box.

There are risks, of course... that I won't be able to find work later, that I'll run out of savings, that the isolation will bring on depression, that I'll die and my poor dog will starve because no one knows I'm dead... but I will take those risks in exchange for my freedom.

Be it for good or for bad, my life is about to change drastically.

Time for a Major Life Choice

It's time to make the final decision about my job situation.

I've been with my current company for 4.5 years. After a stressful four years as Executive Assistant to the CEO, I transferred into a new position.  Unfortunately, it turned out to be a very poor fit for me, and I gave my notice back in November.

In the weeks since, the Chief of HR has suggested a few other positions that might be options for me. After much discussion, I have concluded that one of the positions might be a good fit.

Now I have to make the big choice.  Do I...

• pursue the new position in the company,
• get a full-time job elsewhere, or
• get a part-time job elsewhere and pursue my own business (organizing) on the side?

As with most big decisions, there are many pros and cons. With 4.5 years invested, it's hard to think about leaving the company. I believe in the company's project and want to see it succeed. Plus the pay is good and the benefits are outstanding. On the flip side, the environment is intense and chaotic, with enormous workloads. The company culture leaves much to be desired; sometimes it feels like high school, with cliques and silly competitiveness.

Of course, leaving to find a new job would carry financial risk. Pursuing my own business would be an even greater financial risk. I am pretty confident I could do the work of a professional organizer, but obtaining clients is another story. I am TERRIBLE at selling myself and even worse at networking.

The good news is that my finances are in pretty good shape. I live well within my means, so I've got savings to fall back on. And I'm frugal, so I don't need a huge income.

I am grateful to be in the position of having so many options.  Nonetheless, my head swims a bit at all of the variables.

I will be doing a lot of thinking as I'm working on my kitchen this weekend!

Quick Update

I am making good progress on my kitchen facelift. :)  I've been priming in preparation for paint.

I've been using power tools. (LOVE my brad nailer!)

I've been... doing mysterious things that shall remain unexplained for now. ;)

The kitchen is in a state of disarray, of course, with the stove unplugged, the dishwasher wrapped in plastic, and the contents of the cabinets stacked all over. As I don't cook much anyway, this hasn't caused much trouble for me. Until today.

This morning, I was in bed sick (again... stupid stomach trouble that just will not go away...). Finally the guilt of knowing I should be at work made me drag myself out of bed and get dressed. I started to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, using a plastic spoon because of the kitchen upheaval. Still only half-alert, I dropped the spoon, and my peanut butter-loving dog grabbed it. Before I could stop her, she BIT OFF a piece of the plastic spoon and swallowed it.

Consultation with my vet confirmed there's not much to do except monitor her until she passes the piece of plastic. Oh, joy, I get to join my dog on her backyard excursions and watch her poop. :/ In the snow, if the weather forecast is to be believed.

But I won't let this ruin my enthusiasm. Barring any spoon-related complications, I'll continue working on the kitchen, and with luck, I'll have some finished projects to show you all soon.

In the meantime, feast your eyes upon my new sink.  ;)  Oooooh, shiny!

 UPDATE Jan. 11: My dog yakked up the piece of plastic last night and is now totally fine.

So Begins 2013

For much of last year, I struggled with making a major decision about my job situation. Finally, about six weeks ago, I decided. I chose the riskiest path; nonetheless, I immediately felt lighter and freer for having made the decision.

Even if your decision is a painful one, simply committing to that decision often sets you on the right course. It's an interesting phenomenon.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said it like this: “At the moment of commitment, the entire universe conspires to assist you.”

The universe conspiring to help me?!  Sweeeet!

With the decision made, my brain shifted into high gear. Neurons fired. My creativity awoke from hibernation and ideas began to sprout. I felt energized.

Suddenly enthusiastic, I jumped into my kitchen renovation. In my opinion, any home improvement project that begins with demolition is a good project. :D

smash the tile!

pull the cabinets off the wall!

I LOVE DEMO!

The rebuilding is fun, too.  :)  I have so many ideas I want to implement! I got a good start during the Christmas holiday, and soon I'll have a little time away from work in which to concentrate on my home projects. I can't wait! :)

After a sluggish and stressful 2012, it feels great to begin 2013 with energy and optimism. Here's hoping 2013 will be a fantastic year!

Happy New Year!

(Wow... I have never used so many exclamation points in my life. Clearly I'm excited. :D )