Hello Everyone!
I know it’s been a while, here on Feather’s Charm. Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten my own website, since this is what started everything off, but because I know YouTube is one of the more popular spaces for bloggers and vloggers like me, I have been keeping my focus on YouTube. So, yes, the website will suffer a little bit, but I will still try my best to upload new articles and update the website as quickly as I can.
Of course, I might be able to keep up my promise, because I won’t be as stressed out as I used to be, but it will depend on whether I will be physically exhausted from my new job. So, if you don’t already know, I’ve been in an office job, for the last year or so, and the reason I started to work on my YouTube channel was that my boss, at the time, gave me the motivation and encouragement to make the videos I’ve made. It was great that I had his support, but it did highlight other things that I realised would have gone unnoticed, if it hadn’t happened.
Why Did I Leave My Job?
Well, first off, I left because I wasn’t enjoying it. Yes, I felt comfortable, and after a year, you get the hang of your own system, but there was just something in me that didn’t feel like I belonged. It’s like finding “Mr Right Now” and not “Mr Right”, you know? Not only that, it was a job that I was taking home with me. I’d always be wondering if I left an email chain up, or if a customer would send an email while the office was closed, and they’d expect a reply right away. Not only that, sometimes, one of the operatives I worked with, only worked in the evenings, so I’d have to still be on call, whenever he was supposed to be on site, just in case no one was there, to let him in, or he couldn’t do something we’d asked him to.
It was frustrating and stressful, and it was wreaking havoc on my mental health. Not to mention, although I had the flexibility to work on my own projects during work hours, it wasn’t always a good idea, because I was the only one to work the phones, and if a call came in, I had to be on hand to take it. So, filming anything, during work hours, was out of the question, and I’d have to film my videos after work.
With my new job, I still do that anyway, but because I’m no longer taking my work home, I have the mental capacity to focus on these things, rather than worry about what I’d have to catch up on. Although, I must say, with my new job, I am more physically tired instead, but that’s ok. I would rather be physically tired than mentally tired, because then I can sleep off that tiredness.
What Is My New Job?
It sounds like a step back, but I’m a barista in a café. Of course, for me, I’m where I feel comfortable. I had been a barista a while ago (actually, I was a barista before the pandemic), and I loved that job. It was one of my favourites, and I wanted to get back to that sort of thing again. This was my dream at one point, and I let it go. So, I thought I’d go back and cherish the dream.
Yes, it’s hard work. Yes, my hands will suffer from the washing up, the cleaning, and the constant hand washing. Yes, I’m on my feet all day, but it is fulfilling. It makes me feel like I’m doing something I love. And I feel more physically fit from all the activity I am doing, since I’m not just sitting in an office all day. Of course, it means I don’t get time to go to the gym, or do much after work, but because my mind is free, I can do all the things I wanted to do for this website and for the goals I have for Feather's Charm. So, although I’m working in a job that pays less, I am enjoying it a lot more. And I'm in an area where the customers are friendly and supportive of my dream. In fact, I've already had an order from a customer, for one of my blankets (more details to come soon)!
What Have I Learned?
I’ve learned that, although I’d like to have a regular office job, being in an industry and a role that I don’t enjoy, is not something I want to do. If I want to work on my own projects, I’ll need to have my mind stress-free. Essentially, being in a simpler role leaves my mind free to plan and motivate myself to do the things I want, and need to do, for Feather’s Charm.
Sometimes, it’s not always better to have an office job, if you want to work on your own things. After all, there will be times where you will take your work home with you, and everything else will need to be on hold, until you’re done. Not only that, but the stress that comes with that can wreak havoc on your mental and physical health, if exposed for too long.
That’s why I’m feeling much happier in my new role, even if I am physically exhausted. Yes, there will be hard times. Yes, I may overwork sometimes (because we are short-staffed), but it’s better for me, so I can focus on Feather’s Charm, without worrying that I’ve left things open. Once I leave the café, it is all shut and closed, so I don’t need to worry.
Do I Recommend A Life Change Like This?
To be fairly honest, a life change like this isn’t for everyone, and being in a customer-facing role, instead of on the phone or emails, isn’t always the best role to go into, especially if you’re in an area that isn’t safe. It also depends on your disposition and personality. If you’re the type to smile all the time, or you like striking up a conversation with people, then a job like this might be your “cup of tea”, but if not, then maybe a different role will be better. Sometimes, an office job is your type of job, and you can work on your own things in your free time, but that is only if you are the person who can handle both.
So, do I recommend a life change like this? Yes and no. Yes, if you’re like me, and you can’t handle the stress of both an office job and your own projects. No, if you are not a fan of being in a customer-facing role, and you like the freedom that an office job gives you. In both cases, I would say be prepared for the stress that comes with it. Not to mention, the stress that comes with major life changing decisions like this. Going back to a customer-facing role wasn’t what I had in mind, when I moved up and into an office role. I never thought I’d go back to this kind of work, and yet, here I am, happier and a little tired, but that’s what I prefer, because then my mind is free to do what it wants.
Would I Ever Go Back To An Office Job?
If I'm working for another company, I would not go back into an office job, since there will always be pressure from a boss who might not have the patience to sit and understand your way of working. If, however, I’m working for myself, yes, I would like to work in an office, because the work is my own, and I can be my own boss. So, the pressure is on me, because I wanted to have that pressure. Of course, if I can also do some physical work, that would be ok too, because it is a good mix. This is why I have been trained as a filmmaker, because you can do both.
If you’re a producer, you can do the office job, writing up contracts, planning meetings, create the documents you’ll need, but you can also be on set, help the director out when they need it, help the camera technicians, dress the set, and even work with the actors. It’s a good mix of both, especially if it’s an independent film, because, for the most part, you’ll take on 2 or more roles on set, and do a mix of everything.
What Now?
Well, considering I’ve stepped back into a customer-facing role, in a hospitality environment, I will be focusing on that for the time being, whilst still working on my projects outside, like Feather’s Charm, and some other of my unfinished works (*ahem* my novel *ahem). Of course, that’s not to say there won’t be days when I won’t work on anything, because I’m that exhausted, but I will always try my best to do at least one thing towards my projects, which I can and will track, in my bullet journal.
Well, that’s it from me today, I hope you guys learned something, even if it was simply me ranting on about my life changes, and if you like this post, or any others, please don’t forget to like, subscribe, comment, share and follow me, here on my website, on YouTube, on my social media channels and on Patreon. Your donations really help me make more content like this.
And as always, be kind, be creative and be unique.
I’ll see you later!
Feather out!
