I know that Fridays are usually for wellness over here but today I thought it would make sense to switch gears a little – I got to yoga 4x this week which I’m proud of, but with the snowstorm, family and then friends in town, + food poisoning on Sunday night, I am more in a place where I’m feeling like a total hot mess and certainly don’t feel like a pinnacle of wellness physical wellness!
So anyway, what brought this post on came from the community page. I posted a question asking what everyone does for a living. I was blown away by the responses – you guys have really, really cool jobs! Like I knew you had cool jobs but whoa. Doctors, lawyers, humanitarians… I was blown away. With that though, there was another side of things. I got a few DM’s from readers who felt embarrassed, and “stuck” in their work situations. They didn’t want to post what they did for a living because they felt inferior/not good enough/wondering what they were doing wrong. Messages like, “I hate my job,” “I feel stuck in a bad situation,” “I’m struggling to find my purpose,” or “I’m feeling really lost.” Or just feeling behind in life.
It might be surprising but I really related to these sort of messages. If you are feeling stuck, please just know I have been there. BIG TIME.
And as for feeling behind in life, well, LOLZ that’s my reality every day but I just go with it.
So I guess we’ll address the feeling behind in life bit first. I feel this way every. single. day. It’s really easy to downplay what I do for a living, laugh it off, or make light of things. I am the queen of self-deprecation and have been known to tell people that I post photos of myself to Instagram for a living. At the end of the day I am very proud of what I have here – the community of readers, the brands I’ve been fortunate enough to work with, and so on and so forth. But when half of my friends own their own businesses (Yes I know, a blog is a business too) and the other half have fancy VP titles at their more corporate jobs, it’s incredibly easy to compare myself to them and their paths. Add to that babies, marriage, and home ownership and it’s easy to feel like a total failure.
This emotion is easiest to shut down when I think about how much I love what I do, and ask myself if I’d want to trade places with anyone else. The answer is always a resolute NO. I like my life a lot and I’ve never been one for checking boxes. Still, there are days where I’d log into Facebook from my bed on a Sunday morning (I deleted Facebook from my phone for this very reason, actually) and on those days it would be really easy to fall into a spiral of self-doubt and comparison. Another thing I do there, and I know I talk about this book a lot is something I learned from reading 10% Happier – I ask myself if the negative feeling I’m experiencing is useful. It’s usually not, so I move along.
The more important part is what to do when you feel stuck in a job you hate. That’s more what I wanted to talk about today.
We’ll start off with a little story telling.
Eight years ago I was 28 years old and working for a big beauty company and I was LE MIZ. It was, to quote Devil Wears Prada, a job that a million girls would kill for. I was responsible for the marketing for the largest nail color brand in the country (I don’t know if it still is). I was in the office by 8am every day and usually didn’t leave til 7 or so and was doing all the things… working on packaging, writing brand claims, doing shade development, and even naming the polishes. I loved the work. But the atmosphere not so much. It was a giant company and I just felt like I did not fit in. Years later I realize that I was a creative person, trying to be a corporate person, but that’s another story for another day. I had finally gotten to a level where I had my own office but I had come from an open space environment where even the VPs were in cubes and I hated it. I felt trapped in this small box for 11 hours a day. And my boss was MEAN. Like, really mean. She got in every day at 7 so when I “rolled in” at 8 (still earlier than most of the company), I was already late. I had come from another big beauty company and she was determined to knock me down. She gave me tasks like arranging nail polishes by shade on a velcro board to help me better “understand color.” I remember it being 8pm and I was sorting through 200 bottles of nail polish to arrange them in shade order (they all looked alike as they all vaguely resembled Essie Ballet Slippers, a white-ish pale pink. Let me tell you, I never knew there were so many variations of pale pink til I had that job. It was at that job that I had my first panic attack (I haven’t had one again since leaving). I had nightmares. My skin freaked out and I would get rashes because the stress made me itchy and I’d fall asleep scratching my legs. I could go on and gross you out some more, but things were BAD. Everyone close to me begged me to quit but I had been laid off from my previous job, had quite a bit of credit card debt, and in the post-2008 economy just felt really lucky to even have a job.
I ended up suffering it out for a year (I wanted that brand on my resume desperately enough), and then going to HR and begging to be moved to another team. They understood (this person was a bit notorious) and got me out of there but more importantly, it was being in that job that forced me to start this blog.
I was so miserable at work, so stressed, so anxious that I wanted something just for me… a passion project that would let me share the things I actually loved. Even if my mom was the only person who read it, I didn’t care. I wanted a little space to share, so that’s what I made. It started as Perfectionist in Rehab (terrible name) and then a few months later became Stripes and Sequins in January 2010. I had no idea at the time but the blog grew and grew and led me to a day job that was a better fit (BaubleBar!) and ultimately to be able to work for myself.
So anyway, today I wanted to share a few tips and tricks for getting un-stuck in your career.
Think about what you are good at, and what excites you. For as long as I can remember, I have been that girl that my friends would come to for recommendations. Be it shoes, beauty products, restaurants, and so on and so forth. I’ve always loved hunting down cool stuff and I’ve always loved sharing. I remember sitting down with a co-worker (this was before the time of blogging, back in like 2008) and she told me I should do something like this, but I didn’t even know where to start. I thought maybe I should start over and try to get a job at a magazine but went on informational interviews and realized it would be truly starting over and that I’d need to take a pay cut that I wouldn’t be able to live off of.
Think about what you loved doing as a kid. For me, that was arts and crafts, playing dress-up, and writing.
Don’t be afraid to realize that maybe you aren’t the sort of person you always thought you were. This sounds like a negative but it’s not meant to be… I just couldn’t figure out the way I wanted to phrase it! For whatever reason, when I was younger, I wanted nothing more than to climb the ranks for a big CPG (consumer package goods) company. I’d be a brand manager, and then a VP, and then an SVP, and then who knows! I was always very, very ambitious but also really wanted a job that had a lot of security. In hindsight I think maybe it’s because my parents were entrepreneurs. I saw the struggles that came with running their own business and I wanted something with more benefits. I wanted health insurance and weekends off and a 401k and stable vacation time. The thing was, I tried and tried and tried to be that person (and did so for the first 8 years of my career with a fair amount of success) but at the end of the day I am not a big company person. So many great things come from working for a big company (especially the perks I listed before), but big corporations are not for me. I wanted it to be me so badly but it just wasn’t. At the end of the day I thrive in a smaller environment where I can really make a difference.
Start a passion project. My first passion project was my blog which turned into a career. Nowadays it could be a blog, it could be an Etsy shop… maybe a podcast (my friend and I are starting one!), or maybe something entirely different. Those are just things that come to mind easily for me because of what I do but think about what you are good at and what you loved doing and just start doing it. Maybe it’s writing a novel, taking a painting class, or getting your yoga teacher certification. The point is to do something that makes you happy even if you don’t think it will ever earn any money. If your job is not fulfilling; you need to find something else that is, even if it’s just for the short-term while you figure yourself out professionally. Even if you just wake up half an hour earlier every day to do that thing you’re excited about, that will help you feel less stuck. And this may sound a little woo woo but I really believe that when you are doing things you are excited about, you change your energy – opening you up to bigger and better possibilities that you might not have even known existed.
Make a game plan and cut back spending as much as humanly possible. The first time this happened, it’s when I went to BaubleBar. I was making a LOT of money (well, a lot of money for a 28 year old) at the time and BaubleBar was a start-up. I took a 35% pay cut to go and work there. As the company grew I eventually got back up to my old salary but that was brutal at first. My boyfriend at the time and I went over my finances and I realized I’d be earning basically just enough to cover all of my living expenses. I had to buckle down and be responsible and then we would move in together six months later when my lease was up. I wouldn’t have been able to take that job without making some life changes (luckily at the time it meant moving into his much nicer than my apartment and paying him rent – sorry, I see the privilege there BIG TIME but am just being honest) but if I didn’t have him I would have needed to move to a smaller apartment or get a roommate. Either one of those things would have been WAY worth it to be happier in my work situation. Money is not everything.
The second big change I had was leaving BaubleBar and doing my site full time. Prior to doing that, I saved up 6 months of living expenses. Again, money is not everything but it can buy you a bit of freedom. When you have a good chunk of savings in place you are more free. You can look for a job that might pay less but will be more fulfilling, you can take a break and consult, there is a lot that you can do.
When I was younger I would shop when I was unhappy. Or treat myself to little luxuries that added up financially because I was miserable and thought that I deserved them. Don’t do that. Even just socking aside that $5 you were going to spend on that fancy latte at 3pm because you had to get out of the office and away from your crazy boss will help. What you deserve (more than a new pair of shoes or a fancy drink) is freedom, and freedom comes when you have savings. I realize that as a fashion blogger***, who earns money when you click on my blog and buy things, I might not seem the person who should be giving this advice, but please just trust me here. I made a lot of spending mistakes when I was younger and would have felt a lot less trapped in that bad job had I been more responsible with my money.
Load up on self care. Not the expensive kind of self care but cheap ways. A good book. Or an inexpensive bath (as much as I love my fancy soaks; epsom salts + a few drops of lavender or eucalyptus oil are pretty nice too). And just treat yourself with a bit of grace and kindness. Whenever I am going through something hard I try to just be a little nicer to myself – silence the inner critic and be nicer to myself like I would be to a friend who was going through something hard.
Remember that you are most definitely not alone. I don’t know why this helps but it does. It happens to everyone at some point in their life – maybe once, maybe multiple times. One of my most together, brilliant badass friends is dealing with it right now.
Remember that things are fluid and ever changing. Your situation is not permanent.
Remember that some of the best things come out of the most awful situations + work environments. There are a million stories of girls like me who started blogs because they hated their day jobs. There are stories of CEOs who started their companies as a side hustle while they were working a dead-end 9 to 5. My sister started her textile line because she wanted out of her awful design job. I could go on, but you get the point.
So those are my tips. I am not an expert or a life coach or anything just like that but I’ve gone through some stuff. 😉 Have you gone through something like this before? If you have, I’d love for you to share it in the comments as I know it will be helpful for a lot of people who read this blog.
***I still don’t think of myself as a fashion blogger but you get the point. And I’m here to share cool stuff I find with you but I am most definitely not here to encourage excess materialism or irresponsible decision making. I hope you know that.
I had no idea you felt that way before! Glad you got out of the situation, Grace. It sucks being unmotivated or burnt out. A passion project, like you said, always helps! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Thanks Charmaine!
This was so candid and inspiring. Thank you for being so honest, I think it is super eye opening and relatable at the same time. Have a great weekend!
xo,
Em
http://www.organicallyemily.com
Thanks Emily! xo
Great post! I relate to it all so much as I navigate my way out of corporate life. I know leaving will be a risk, but staying is detrimental to my health and no paycheck is worth that. This post inspires me to keep at it in terms of saving. So, thank you!
So happy it was helpful! xx
Oh my gosh. Thank you. As someone who is 34 and still in some ways feeling stuck – this is fresh, authentic advice. And in some ways, it’s that dose of reality to wake you up. Thanks for sharing and being so open, Grace!
Aw thank you for the kind words Melissa! xx
Love this post and needed it! It actually encouraged me to hit the post button for my post today which I was originally second guessing myself. As a matter of fact I’ve been debating throwing in the towel on my blog lately as I’ve just been feeling down about it lately BUT I do just need to remind myself my I started in the first place. Anyway – thank you for this one!! I currently work for a beauty company and can totally relate to your experience! It definitely appears to be a glamorous place on the outside but it is a way different story on the inside. Have a good weekend!
Kristin
So so happy to hear that it was helpful! XX
Hi Grace,
Thank you so much for your honesty here. I want to share that I have a husband, a daughter, a dog, a cat, a steady job making objectively good money and a big (rented) apartment in a trendy part of Brooklyn. By all standards from the outside, I live a very lovely life. I still feel behind, I’ve never been promoted and I have been at my job for 10 years. I don’t own my home. I have debt. I only have one child and I am 38. I feel so behind it is painful. All the SHOULDS stack up. I remind myself this is my path, no one else’s. Sometimes that’s enough. Sometimes not. I gave up facebook for the same reason, compare and despair. I actually gave up a lot of blogs, Instagram, etc. because I was feeling so inferior and it was ruining my happiness with my own life to some degree. It is so amazing to hear you say you feel behind because I have this image of you having such a perfect life – well all bloggers, not just you. It is so refreshing to know people’s truths and hear their struggles. Thank you a million times, thank you, for sharing.
Sending you a big hug. And from my POV, your life sounds pretty great. But it’s so easy, no matter how many amazing things you have going on, to fall into a comparison trap and feel bad about yourself. 🙂 xx
Hi Grace!
It always helps (more than ever) to hear that other people can feel this way, too. It puts everything in perspective really. It is so easy to go down that rabbit hole of comparison (one BIG reason I deleted FB, too). Everyone can look so poised and polished on the internet, but it is good to know everyone is just NORMAL 🙂 Normal fears, doubts, insecurities, comparison problems (with internet personas or real life people we interact with). Taking pleasure in the simple things is one of my fave things to do, a good book, a great cup of coffee, a walk with my dog, but it can be hard sometimes to think those things are enough when everyone seems to be doing bigger, more exciting, and “better” things. It can be easy on a daily basis to feel like everyone is moving ahead of you, especially with jobs and when you grow out of your friendships. It’s nice to know that everyone really is just moving along together, but sometimes at different speeds, and that is ok. Thanks!
Thanks Caitlin. I completely agree. Have a great weekend. XOXO
Hi Grace – wanted to let you know that I LOVED this post. Thank you for sharing your experiences and insight!
So happy to hear that! Have a great weekend!
THIS POST IS EVERYTHING! About a year ago I felt that same sense of stuck & decided to completely overhaul my life. 2 year out of college: I hated my job, my roommates and my overall living situation. I wanted a big change & knew that I wanted to go back to school. Fast forward a year: I’ve been accepted to law school and will be moving from Virginia to Texas in just a few short months AND I couldn’t be happier. Yes, not having a salary will be hard. Yes, the classes and reading will be hard. Yes, the move will be stressful. But, I feel so much happier just thinking about moving, starting school and starting over. Cliche enough – you can do anything you set your mind to!
Thanks for the amazing post (& advice), Grace!
So happy you enjoyed the post Erika, and MAJOR congrats on law school! Have a great weekend.
Wow Grace! Let me just say that I NEEDED this post so much, and clearly many other people did too! I am currently in this exact situation. I started my own blog several months ago and it has been really fun! I am still in a place though where I’d like to find a job in a different industry and write/create on the side 🙂 Would you suggest trying to find a mentor?? Thanks so much for your awesome insight, again, I really needed it!
So so happy to hear that it was helpful!
A mentor may be great! I have never had one so I’m not sure but it can’t be a bad thing!!!
This is such an incredible post. Thank you so much for sharing your experience1 The part that resonated with me the most is the note about realizing you might not be exactly as you thought you would be. I have a super similar experience in that I knew for forever that I wanted to be in entertainment, but in a more stable part of it. I have that at a huge company and my boss is lovely (I am so sorry you had to go through a boss like that…yikes), but same thing – I get in at 8 and leave around 7 on the very best day. It doesn’t leave much time to have a life which makes me resent it a lot of the time. I always feel so guilty for feeling that way because if my 15 year old self knew she would have this job, she would be over the moon. It feels like a betrayal to my ambition to consider a different path, but I’m starting to realize that it’s ok for your wants and needs to change. Actually having the time to cook dinner (before 9 PM) is something I love. Taking care of myself and making sure I visit home at least once a month to see my niece and nephews is important. Some industries / jobs do not prioritize those things and it takes a specific type of person to succeed in those roles. At 28, I’m now realizing that a shift may be necessary, but trying to figure out how / what kind / when, so thank you so much for posting this!
Thank you so much for sharing your story Christina!!! Have a great weekend. xo
Love your honesty! I enjoyed reading how you got to where you are. There are always bumps in the road, aren’t there?!
Design by Sydnee | life + style
Always!!!!
I LOVE THIS POST SO MUCH. 100% agree with everything you said and I know this is something everyone will be able to relate to. Thank you for sharing your experiences – it’s obvious you have come out on the other side and are living out your purpose.
Olga
http://www.littlethingsolga.com
So happy to hear that! Thanks Olga! xx
Hi Grace,
What a refreshing post to read on a Friday morning. I agree with the comments of others that your this post really resonate with me. Your suggestions are very spot on and true to my experience. About this time last year I was feeling incredibly stuck in my job, housing situation, and the very rural area where I was living. I decided it was time to make a change and committed to myself that by January of 2018 I would have either a new apartment, a new job, or both. Fast forward to October 2017 when I moved from a small New England town to Chicago for a new job and my first apartment all on my own! The transition continues to be wonderful and challenging and different than I could have expected. I’m not sure if Chicago will be my forever home or if I’ll make my way back east (or who knows, further west?!) but six months in I know for sure I’ll never regret taking this leap! It’s easy to feel like you’re behind (I feel this way ALL the time) but in my experience taking steps to change my situation has really helped me to feel more in control. That’s a long way of saying “I agree, we’re not alone.”
🙂
I am so happy that the post was helpful!!! Have a good weekend, Emily! xx
Grace, you always manage to post inspiring words and advice right when I need them! I’m 34, and while I’m content with my job as a kindergarten teacher, I go through moments when I feel so behind in life…no boyfriend/husband, no kids, no pinterest-perfect house. Scheduling dates in NYC with a teacher schedule is SO HARD, let alone finding someone who isn’t a complete hot mess. But I love your reminder about thinking and remembering about all of the things you love about your life, and just the simple process of asking yourself if your negative thoughts are useful. I definitely want to check out 10% Happier. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experiences!
Aw thank you for the kind words Jenn!!!! And god scheduling dates is so hard! Definitely pick up 10% Happier – it’s mostly about meditation, but it has taught me so much! xx
I totally agree! I’m also 34, single and a 2nd grade teacher and scheduling dates is the worst. No one wants to go out at 7pm. I also plan on picking up 10% Happier!
Yes, to all of this!!! This past Fall I had just broken up with my long-term boyfriend and was feeling a little lost in both my career and personal life. So, I did something completely out of character and signed up for an adult ballet class. I am by no means a dancer or very good, but it has been so much fun. We meet once a week and it’s one of the things I look forward to most every week. It was definitely a little scary going outside my comfort zone, but now I can see it was completely worth it. And now, I’ve even signed up for a kickball league without knowing anyone on my team bc of the confidence I’ve gained from this ballet class. Taking that small little step can be so scary, yet so impactful if you just allow yourself.
That is amazing!!! Good for you, stepping out of your comfort zone!
GRACE! I needed this post now more than ever. I’m about to turn 24 and feel like I’m totally in the wrong place in terms of work. I’ve been trying to put more time into my passion projects (running my own blog, dancing, taking up yoga) and I love knowing that I’m not the only one feeling stuck/trapped just to get a paycheck.
I always love your posts (they’re so inspirational and relatable) but this one really stuck with me! Thank you!!
Aw thank you Ashley – I’m so glad it was helpful! Have a great weekend!
I LOVE this post, Grace! Thanks so much for sharing all of this.
I recently got a new job and before that, I was in such a toxic environment! I’d get to the office by 7am, sometimes before, after a night of not sleeping because of nightmares and at the worst, be at the office until 2am.
My job was not only taking over my life in such a negative way (weight loss, stress, unhealthy habits) but also my family and loved ones! I got tickets for my birthday to a concert and the night before, found out I’d be working late I couldn’t go. I ended up officially celebrating my birthday 6 months later with my boyfriend, once I got a new job.
Those places are tough to be stuck in and having money is great but there is a threshold! hopefully this posts helps others step out and make some changes for the better. Hate hearing that people hate the place they are.
Oh my gosh Brianna that sounds terrible! I am so happy that you got out of htat situation!!
This post is so relatable and honest. I’m feeling so stuck in my job right now, to the point that it’s affecting my happiness and mood on the weekends when I think of the thought of going to work on Monday. I’ve been kicking around the idea of starting a blog just for something to do, because one of my favorite things to do is read other people’s blogs. Thank you for this post, I needed it.
I’m so happy you could relate! Best of luck. XO
I’m currently 26 and feeling very stuck/disheartened with the job searching process. Thanks for the tips! It’s nice to know I’m not the only one
I hope it’s helpful! Have a great weekend Lauren! xx
What a great summary and inspiration to end the week, Grace. We all have our stories, those times in our lives that sucked but we persevered and later found it helped us, catapulted us to make the changes we desired. Well said!
Thank you Lisa! Have a great weekend ahead!!
GRACE! I love this post so much, thank you for your honesty and practical advice.
I started my career at a startup (loved it), then tried 3 more corporate jobs, then went back to a startup. I 100% realized the more corporate jobs were NOT for me. I LOVED the startup I was last at because I believed so much in the company, but I was getting bored with the work and there was no growth despite being there for 4 years. I had been thinking of leaving anyway when I got laid off.
As you know, I’ve just had a shitload happen to me so I’m taking it all slow, but I’m realizing a few things: 1. I don’t want to be in social media. 2. I don’t want to be in an office right now. 3. (which is really the biggest) I just want to be happy and fulfilled in my work.
And I’m both sorry and glad you feel the same re:being behind in life? It’s a sucky feeling but you are so so so so not alone there. xo
Aw thanks Theodora. 🙂 Good to know I’m not alone. Hugs!
This post fully resonated with me in so many ways, thank you for sharing. A couple years ago I worked at Tommy Hilfiger HQ, and I was so excited about the opportunity. A huge brand name on my resume! Within a matter of weeks, things completely fell apart. I worked so hard and was treated so horribly. I also had my first and only panic attack at this job. I lasted exactly a year and ended up quitting without having another offer – my mental health and self-respect is so much more important to me than a name on my resume.
That sounds so terrible Kelsey! I am glad you are in a better place now!!!
I love this post I’ll be 34 in May and I’ve basically been doing the same job for 11 years so you could definitely say I’m feeling a little stuck. But I’ve made some changes recently and am working towards something new now. I have no idea what will come of it but it certainly helps my mindset to be focused on something new! Also completely agree about saving as much as possible…which I have not been the best at oops
That’s so great to hear – excited for you!!!! Have a great weekend, Michelle!
Such a great post! I too had a job that outwardly looked AMAZING: travel, got to go to cool events, got tons of free stuff, amazing salary, but my boss was awful and made me so miserable. Leaving in the middle of a friends birthday dinner to do an inane task for her kind of miserable. My friends thought I was crazy to say i didnt want to go on a trip or stay somewhere fancy, but i learned nothing is worth your peace of mind or sanity. Like you I saved up 6 months salary and just had to quit. It took 6 mos to rehab my soul and even start to get clear on what I might want to do.
Yes yes yes!!! So glad you were able to get out of a situation that wasn’t making you happy!!!
grace – love reading about your story of moving through all these big chapters in your life which got you to where you are now! so inspiring + motivating! hope to see you soon babe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!!! Hope to see YOU, too! xoxo
Thank you for being so honest! I can definitely relate, especially to the part about shopping to make yourself feel better. After a rough patch at work, I tend to “treat myself” because “I deserve it” which is not the best habit to get into.
Same here. Your only human but it’s a good habit to nix! 🙂
Thank you for this post. I really enjoyed reading your “journey” story and also am feeling buoyed by the encouragement! Great pep talk 🙂
Aw I am so glad! Have a great weekend lady! xo
This post has encouraged me more than I could ever explain. It is one that I’ll come back to again and again when I need refreshing.
Happy Friday!
http://www.lovecompassionatelee.com/thinkoutloud/ready-to-wear-suits
That makes me so happy! Thanks!!!
I’m definitely feeling this way lately- thank you for sharing!
So happy it was helpful!
This is just what I needed to read today! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Grace,
Thank you for being so honest here! We all certainly do feel stuck at some point and your advice is spot on. This really made my day!
So gad to hear it. Have a great weekend Katie.
I needed this today! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
You’re so welcome! Have a great weekend Laura!
Oh my gosh this was amazing and I really needed to read this. Thank you!!
So so happy to hear that it was helpful!
I’ve felt like this a few times — the worst was right after college. I had anxiety before graduation and a year after because I was stuck thinking that I needed to be and do certain things to prove myself. The anxiety was TIRING. Eventually I gave up and started accepting my new norm. I continued to work my butt off in internships and part-time jobs and when an internship ended I applied and interviewed over and over in hopes of landing the position. I started my blog to have something fun to do and my blog is what landed me my first big girl job in PR! I’ve been at the job for 3 years and am feeling a little bored but I stay because it’s comfortable. I’m looking forward to trying new things and finding my next new norm.
Thanks for sharing your experience Jessika! Hope you’re enjoying the weekend. XOXO
Thanks for sharing your story! I h-a-t-e my job but I feel so stuck and I want to leave but it’s so daunting and I don’t even know where to start. It helps to not feel so alone though, so thank you. Hope one day soon I can find some courage to take the first steps toward future freedom.
I’m sorry you are in a job you hate!!! Don’t feel alone – everyone struggles! XO
I am just always so effing proud of you. Love you!!!
Aw thanks lady! XOXO
Grace, I don’t know how I found your Instagram, but I’m SO happy I did. Thank you for all you do-it inspires me and gives me hope in ways that are hard to come by sometimes. Thanks for not just grouping your success and career together but lending a hand-that’s significant enough to screenshot-to help others who hope to have a career like yours! Thanks for paying it forward
Aw, so glad to hear that! Thanks, Callie!! xx
Gosh Grace, what a wonderful post. I hung on to your EVERY word – ha! I had no idea you felt that way about your job – it’s so refreshing to hear your honest thoughts! I mean, you’re always honest, but this was a nice peek and made you even MORE relatable, if that’s possible. I really love following your blog because (please don’t feel weird – but I know you won’t), your life isn’t perfect. I mean, yes, everyone has struggles even if they seem to have a perfect life, but some bloggers (on the surface) seem to have it all – amazing job, gorgeous clothes, husband/boyfriend, and for some reason, it just isn’t as fun/enticing to follow these bloggers. I get so much inspiration from you because you’re super relatable! (I was just thinking how much we have in common!) Okay – will stop gushing now. But thank you, this community you’ve created – you are one special lady!
Lisa
http://www.theeverydayelevated.com
Thanks so much Lisa 🙂 xx
Thank you so much for sharing Grace. It’s so easy to look at blogger’s lives and think they are perfect. After years of traveling and working for the UN, I’ve come back to London and am certainly feeling very lost and stuck freelancing at things I don’t really want to do. It’s really nice to know that I’m not alone.
I’m so happy it was helpful. You definitely are not alone! xo
Thank you so much for this refreshingly honest (and not preachy) post. I needed it so badly today. I am struggling with a recent anxiety attack driven by work stress. Ive been at an advertising agency for 7 years and am finally making enough money to chip away at my credit cards. I love so much about what the company offers but am realizing I am very unhappy. I’m inspired to buckle down, get debt free, and brave enough to make a change. It’s also just so helpful to get the reminder that we’re all dealing with difficult things behind the scenes (I also relate on marriage and baby front) so love your self care tips as well. Thank you!!!
I am so so happy to hear that it was helpful but so sorry to hear what you are going through. Take it easy, be good to yourself, and do things one step at a time. xo
I love reading these stories of people who’ve managed to break out of what were miserable situations for them and really just craft a wonderful life. Maybe one day it’ll happen for me as well. Either way, I’m happy for you and really glad this showed up in what I’m chalking up as recommended reads.
All the best,
Blu.
Thanks, Blu! xx
Tomorrow I hand in my notice to my job that sounds like your first job. While not in the same sector by any means, it’s been the most stressful and at times horrible thing I’ve ever endured. I’m nervous about it because I feel like I’m letting my team down by leaving, but reading this has clarified to me why I’m moving on. Thank you so much for writing this.
Oh my gosh congrats on the next step! Happy for you!
I think it is a little hard looking for life either job purpose. I guess you just have to have that passion to what you are doing and you will start loving it. I am also shocked about the WOAH jobs in there, great professionals.
StyleSprinter Blog by Katya Bychkova
Thanks Katya!
This post was so necessary! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks natmari!
I can totally relate to this. I’ve been working in the corporate world since the year I graduated college in 2007 and still feel stuck in it. I have a lot of other great things going for me like my wonderful husband + being pregnant with our first baby, but always get sad when I think about my career. I have tried to switch industries because what I’m in doesn’t suit me at all, but it’s really hard to do. Right now I’m focusing on the upcoming arrival of my baby and then I can think about a career change again sometime after he’s born. We still rent and are feeling the pressures to buy a house, but it’s very hard with the real estate costs in Massachusetts and the expense of daycare. It’s definitely easy to compare ourselves to others with social media. I don’t really know anyone personally that loves their job to be honest. I have always thought most people hate their jobs except a small percentage of people. I really enjoyed this post because it has encouraged me not to give up hope. Thanks! 🙂
don’t give up hope!!! I think loving your job is definitely possible.
I have come back to this blog post several times in the past week and I really appreciate your words. Thanks!
I am so glad to hear that! Thank you 🙂 x
Hi Grace, just wanted to say that I read every bit of this blog post and thank you for sharing with us. I used to be one of your early readers (about the time you switched jobs to bauble bar) and then had to unfollow at one point because of the comparison trap and all the lovely Chanel handbags and material things that just didn’t make me feel good about my life in comparison to yours. Let me tell you, I’ve just recently been back on your blog to check out where you headed and your voice has changed! (imho to the better) I especially love the lifestyle posts and when you share personal stuff. Being single is tough, being stuck in your job is tough, being stuck in a relationship is tough, being stuck in a City is tough etc.pp. The world would be a better place if we shared more about our daily struggles especially in this digital day and age, because we would feel less alone with our Feelings. Exactly what you did for me with your post!
Thanks again. I am back to reading your blog regularly!
Oh my gosh – thank you for the sweet comment. (And i’m sorry if my blog ever made you feel bad about your life – that is soooooo not ever my intention!!!) Thank you for reading and for the sweet comment! xoxo
Not sure how I stumbled across this today, but I really needed this. Thanks for sharing your candid thoughts and experiences.
Aw I’m so glad it helped! xx