Last year, I wrote this post: We are SO Tired about business owners who were exhausted from trying to keep up with ever updating pandemic info while keeping their staff, customers, and themselves safe. When I look back on it now, I remember that feeling. It’s still there, though not as raw.
I don’t really know how to describe what I went through last year. I don’t mean that dramatically, it’s just that I really can’t. I learned that I had a staff and client base who really supported me and the company. I also learned that even if you do everything right, it might not matter. I had a company that thrived on people being out of their homes. Suddenly, being out of your home was not just dangerous but against local ordinances. It felt like everything I had built was gone. It’s not true, a lot of what I had built is still there, slowly crawling its way back through a still muddy pandemic laden world. I miss the people, clients and staff alike. I miss the dogs of course, how could you not? But I also don’t regret this change. The business needed fresh eyes and new ideas. I needed the change.
I’d like to provide some advice here on when it’s time to go. You could try checking out this post: How to Cut and Run. Really I try to live my life in a way that gives me joy. Of course I have bad days too. Some days really suck. But if I were to make a calendar and write good days, bad days, meh days, I can guarantee that good days would beat bad days and probably meh days too. That was starting to get less and less true. I didn’t know what to do to help Pawsitively Pooches. I felt drained and incompetent. I had ideas but couldn’t execute them for various reasons. My ideas were getting stale. Brainstorming wasn’t fun anymore. Ultimately, I just knew it was time.
If you’re thinking about a change, make a calendar. Make a mark on all the good days and all the bad days. If there are more bad days than good, can you make a change? If you’re not sure why they’re bad, start writing it down. Maybe it’s not the work, it’s one staff member. Maybe it is the work, but you love your team. Knowing the catalyst can help point you in the right direction so your change is meaningful. Change for change is fine (don’t listen to Professor Umbridge) but if you’re running away and you don’t know what you’re running from, you may end up running right into the thing you hoped to escape.
Next time? How did I end up in Florence?