Let’s lay it out there now … I am not unhappy. There are
many things in my life that I’ve been blessed with and wouldn’t want to change.
And it’s because I already have so much that I’ve always felt greedy for
wanting more. So, for several years sayings such as “work shouldn’t be fun …
after all, if it was they wouldn’t be paying you to do it” were always top of
mind. To me, what mattered most in a career was ease of getting a job, of
course the compensation, ability for progression and job security.
As I’ve grown older, this no longer seems enough. Sure, I
change roles every 2-3 years to keep things new but inevitably it’s still working
in a large corporation and going through the motions. Don’t get me wrong, the
companies are great and offer everything I had wanted in a career. My managers
are supportive and provide the right amount of recognition. And I’m good
at what I do; I know the work is appreciated and “matters”.
But, what about that intrinsic satisfaction, passion, simply
put doing that thing that gets me excited? Sunday evenings shouldn’t be a drag
and Friday afternoons the best thing in the world. Surely, there must be some
of you out there who are nodding your heads right now.
Writing at Gastro World is exactly that thing that makes me
move. Despite a 45-50 hour work week, I want to spend more time
writing at least two posts a week, connecting with others through social media
daily and attending as many media events as my schedule allows. I’m energized by all these things
and look forward to every moment of it!
Sure, I know this is just a hobby… but why does it have to
be? Plenty of people work in the food industry as food writers, social media
consultants and public relations professionals. Then why can’t I find my niche?
Quite
frankly, it all comes down to finances which has made me stop myself. The
industry is competitive and not exactly as lucrative as corporate Canada. So,
it’s taken a while, but the realization is I can’t have it all – is money or
happiness more important?
As much as I’d like to announce I’ve handed in my resignation and started working for Blog.TO, lets be realistic - living your dreams isn’t an easy affair. Nonetheless, I’m willing to give it a try.
But, it’ll have to be done in a systematic way, so financial obligations can be met and I won’t have to live on Kraft Dinner. Sorry, I’m too much of a planner and frankly not brave enough to just take the plunge. Continue reading to find out more about the “Master Plan”.
