I tend to not like change. Usually. People always say change is good. Is it though? The jury is still out..

I started a new job almost 6 months ago now. I can’t believe it has been 6 months. It took me a long time to leave my last job. The actual job was ridiculous. I wasn’t paid well, but if I am honest, I didn’t do too much. Not by choice. It was just the nature of the job, and the benefits were great. The place itself, physically, was awful. Disgusting, really, and it definitely shouldn’t have been. Air conditioning that never worked when it got hot. Heat that didn’t work when it got cold. Leaks that caused damage and mold. Ugh….. Seriously…..

Why did I stay for 5 years? Why did it take me so long to seriously pursue something else? Well, throughout those 5 years, it became socially safe. I liked my people there. There was only one person who I saw outside of work, but I had a lot of fun with some of my other coworkers. That’s important to me. I had also accumulated a crazy amount of vacation and sick time and because I didn’t take a lot of either, and my boss knew how reliable I was, I could pretty much take off whenever I wanted. That’s pretty important too. And so I stayed. And stayed. Until I just couldn’t ignore the reasons why I shouldn’t any longer.

Much to my surprise, I ended up with two job offers to choose from. One was in a school district I had really wanted to work in. In the high school. The other job was an accounting position within a large entity. I struggled with my decision. One was 15 minutes closer, but would involve dealing with other women who might not be thrilled to have someone new coming in, in sort of a supervisory position……and parents – yikes! The other was a longer commute and a very small office. Only 4 people-total. The fact it was more of an accounting position meant I would finally get to use that little degree I had. I’m a numbers girl. After talking it through with my husband and kids, and a few of my coworkers, I chose the job that we all felt would have less drama and a more laid-back vibe – the accounting one. Happened to be more money as well but not enough that it really played into my decision.

Needless to say, I was very stressed out about starting over with a new job and new people. Like I said, I really don’t like change. It was a little awkward at first. Totally opposite of what I was used to in some ways. The office was so quiet, nobody really talked much. Weird for me. I like to chat. I’m a chatter. There should definitely be a social aspect to your job as far as I’m concerned. I had to buy earbuds so I could have music in my ear and not go crazy. The job itself was so different from what I was doing. In a good way, but a little overwhelming. It took me a little while to learn all of it. I knew I would, but I don’t like not knowing what I’m doing so it was tough for me for a bit. Don’t worry though, I got it all and then some, pretty quickly.

Flash forward almost 6 months and I can honestly say it was the best thing for me. Drama free. Did you read that? DRAMA FREE. It’s a beautiful thing. My boss is wonderful. He values his people and lets you know it. How refreshing. One of the best parts, that I wasn’t told about during my interview, is that I can work remotely up to 3 days a week. Amazing. I only do 2 days because I think 3 would make me feel too disconnected. My co-workers are wonderful despite the quiet. And those vacation, sick and personal days are building up already! The work is not simple but also not difficult and I love it. I am happy to actually use my brain again.

So, is change good? I would say change can be scary, but if you take that leap, the payoff can be pretty awesome.

Until next time…