Life Update

So I thought I’d do a little post updating you on a few changes in my life. Being almost 30 (OK, I’ve only just 29) and divorced isn’t exactly where I saw my life going but it is what it is.

Being divorced is not really a fun thing to admit when you start to get to know people, like on the Austrian Run Camp. “Is there a Mr Anna?”… “well there was” and you feel a bit rubbish. That said, I do try to maintain a positive outlook in life because I’m a glass half full kind of girl and I live by the notion of learning from experience and regretting nothing (including when I eat stupid amounts of cake).

But I digress. I’m still single and pretty chilled about it. I’ve been dabbling with Plenty of Fish a bit (I don’t and won’t use Tinder) but it’s pretty rubbish. As you can imagine, as a free way to online date it’s not great. I haven’t had experience with paying for online dating so I can’t comment there but I’m not at the point where I feel I want to pay yet…

I’ve been on a few dates but the effort level to get to those dates is just so laborious. I don’t want to know someone’s family history before going on a date, but because arranging a date with a virtual stranger is actually quite daunting the temptation to keep messaging and messaging is strong. And though the dates themselves have been alright and the guys seem nice enough, so far it’s been a no beuno for me.

Unfortunately for me it seems all the guys I fancy are either taken or live a distance away and probably have no idea I’m interested (because I don’t really “make moves”). But as I’ve said previously, I’m OK with my singleness at the moment. Sure it’d be nice to share some fun with someone else but I’m fairly happy with my current existence.

I have to say though a few months ago I wasn’t so happy. I mean, I was happy in myself, in my running, my friends and things like that, but I haven’t been happy with work. And actually work is a fairly significant chunk of your life. At least eight hours a day, five days a week, not including commuting (at least two hours a day for me). I’ve been finding myself more and more unsatisfied and frustrated. I’ve been a software test analyst for over five years at my current job in Basingstoke and over the past year realised it wasn’t actually what I wanted to do for the foreseeable future.

And once you realise that, it can really get you down. I want to be one of those people who enjoys what they do. I know everyday at work shouldn’t be a song and a dance, full of rainbows and butterflies, but at the same time I want to feel some level of fulfilment, pride and ambition in what I do. I’ve lost that with my current job sadly.

So I started looking for a new job a few months ago in an entirely different career. As it’s an entirely different area where I have limited, if any, experience it’s somewhat of a big change. And a pay cut. I have thought long and hard about this. I’m paid quite well in my current job and have limited outgoings and dependencies, meaning my life is quite easy and comfortable. I can go on holidays, book marathons, buy trainers (*cough* leggings) and eat out when I fancy. But these luxuries are no longer distracting me from the fact that I’m not enjoying the eight plus hours during the week.

Money is not giving me happiness right now. So I’m heading to a new challenge…

Yes they did send Haribo with my job offer

After the rather depressing and soul destroying process of applying to millions of different places, rarely hearing back, getting rejected, going for a few interviews, I finally landed myself a job with none other than Wiggle! This is obviously right up my street in terms of my interests and passions and so much closer to where I actually live as well. Happy days all round!

I haven’t started there yet. I still have a few weeks left of my notice to work at my current job, but needless to say I am both excited and TERRIFIED. Starting a new job is always scary. Will people like me? Will I fit in? Will I pick things up quickly? A million concerns are flowing through my head right now. And the pay cut weighing heavily on my mind.

But the time is now. I need to make that change. Someone told me a great quote from the Lean In book from Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s COO. She said that a career is more like a jungle gym than a ladder. You don’t necessarily keep moving up, but you keep striving to move forward. Sometimes you need to make side-steps or step-backs in order to progress. I’d like to think that’s exactly what I’m doing. Fingers crossed, eh?

And now for a quick review for an Organic Pillow Spray.This organic lavender spray is made in Grasse in Southern France (the “perfume capital of the world” apparently) and aims to help with insomnia and sleep issues. Lavender is well known for it’s calming properties and is often used in sleep aids. The forumla contains Litsea Cubeba and Bergamot which are also associated with relaxation and Lemon and Rosemary to promote blood circulation.

All you do is spray it onto your sheets and pillows before bed. Crucially it’s non-staining! You can buy a 100ml bottle from healthy2u.co.uk for £9.95. I personally love the smell of lavender and have enjoyed spraying this around. I don’t tend to struggle with getting to sleep but the smell is a lovely one to drift off to. Though they could have made the bottle a bit more appealing to be honest! It looks a bit like something from a chemistry lab…

When was the last time you changed jobs?

Have you ever made a big career change?

Do you use any sleeping aids?

**Full Disclaimer: I was send the pillow spray for free in return for a blog review. All opinions are my own honest ones.**

27 Replies to “Life Update”

  1. That’s awesome, congrats! I really wanted to go for the Wiggle job but it’s too far for me to travel. I’ve been interviewing for new jobs for 2 years now- it’s a long and frustrating process but I know the right job is out there for me, I’m trying not to give up hope.

  2. Good luck with the new job – I’m in the exact same boat as you trying to change what I do completely; it’s not easy!

  3. Congratulations! I worked as a business analyst for over six years but got to the point where I was miserable. As with you, my job paid well and I have takena huge pay cut to move careers, but I love it! Good luck!

  4. Huge congratulations on the new job and making a big leap from an area you’re already comfortable in career wise. I feel exactly the same in relation to relationships – I’ve tried a few online dating platforms and I really dislike the process which makes me feel less like it’s worth it as I deep down know it won’t happen for me that way. I’m nearly 30 and have never been in a relationship with another adult human so I feel so clueless about it all… I still believe that these things happen in their own time though and that things will work out in the end!

  5. Congratulations! Is it wrong that I’m really excited they sent you Haribo with the job offer?

    As for the rest of your life, I know it seems easy to say but just relax. I was around the same age when I got divorced and like you found it hard to explain to people, like it was something to be ashamed of. As my life changed and I came out the other side I was happy, but not happy. I think you probably know what I mean. But I met someone when I least expected it and we’ve been married for 7 years now. All that other stuff is part of a “previous life”. I don’t regret it as I made the decisions that were right for me at the time, but there’s no need to dwell on it or think about it any more. If anything, it made me stronger and led me to the life I have now where I am fitter, stronger and happier than I ever was in my 20s. My best advice is do what makes you feel happy, keep on being yourself and the right person will come along when the time is right.
    Allison recently posted…Week In Review – Having a Magical TimeMy Profile

  6. I think the job change could be the best thing to happen to you and may end up changing your life. From all your social media posts, I believe you will be a great asset to Wiggle and being part of something you love (a leggings retailer 😉 ), can begin to bring you more happiness.

    As for the relationship stuff, I would say relax and you will meet the right person possibly when you least expect it 🙂

    To answer your questions, I changed jobs and career when I was your age a good few years ago. I used to work in a pizza place, worked there for 9 years while trying to figure out what I wanted to do for a living. I loved it, great buzz from the customers every day and of course, free pizza! I decided to change career after running my first marathon in London in 1998. A back problem inspired me to enter and give me a target to get fit and be free of back pain. I ran and crossing the finish line gave me an amazing sense of achievement I never had before. I ran it again in 1999 and got the overwhelming desire to help others achieve something amazing so at the end of the year, I quit and started 2000 training to become a PT. I worked in gyms for a while, set up my own business in 2006 and have never looked back 🙂

  7. Exciting to hear about your decision! I’m sure you’ll be a great success in your new role. I look forward to hearing about your experience of your fresh start.

  8. Congratulations! How funny that they sent you Haribo (although I don’t like them and my last order didn’t have any in- which was fine with me)- I bet their office is swimming in them!
    Spending two hours commuting is crazy too- I am sure you will love having a shorter journey.
    I am not the one to ask about jobs- I have been at my current school for 13 years, although it has changed (it was an Infant but then merged into a Primary) and I have changed jobs within the school after having an interview for a promotion. I am not sure if the interview was worse because I knew the people interviewing me.
    I love lavender and bergamot (and you even get some Earl grey teas that do include lavender as the scents go well together)- that spray sounds lovely. I have a little oil thing that you roll into your wrists, and I sometimes mix up different oils, but at the moment I am so shattered that getting to sleep isn’t an issue.
    Maria @ Maria runs recently posted…A couple of cinema trips and more new running routesMy Profile

  9. Excellent news on the new job: it’s a big change, but I think you’ll be vastly happier with it.

    I love lavender! I have some ‘This Works’ head spray with lavender and bergamot for bedtime. It does nothing for my frizzy hair, but it smells glorious.

    And, you might meet someone at work, or someone who knows someone at work…

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