This is SO GOOD and such great timing while people are looking for jobs and hustle culture is still at a high. I did the same many times over - once it meant leaving nonprofit work to become a barista, where the EOC of The Seattle Times found my blog and made me a contributor to the paper! Miracles are everywhere. Thanks for this post!
Wow this is such a powerful example of exactly what I’m talking about! I love how your willingness to step away from one path led to something completely unexpected. Such a good reminder that miracles really are everywhere when we give ourselves permission to pivot!
I took a full-time front-of-house position at a busy restaurant in my late twenties...which pretty much everyone said was a bad/crazy idea for someone who had always had office jobs. And I don't blame them—it looked random and irrational. But I have zero regrets! I was going through a really hard time in my life and needed a break from the high pressure and chronic stress of desk jobs and office politics. The work was still, of course, hard and grueling, and I had never been so tired and unhealthy in my life. But it was also filled with laughs and fun, and I appreciated the fact that I could let my guard down and be myself. I also got to explore my interest in a career in food & beverage (and eventually decide for once and for all it was not for me). But the best things that came out of the experience were the memories and the lifelong friendships!
I love this perspective, Iris! I never worked as a server, but as you know I did spend a couple of years hostessing as a side job, and one of the things I really appreciated about that job was the fact that I didn’t have to take any work home. There’s something so satisfying about a job where you see the work completed within your shift. No emails waiting for you the next morning, no projects dragging on for months.
It’s funny how jobs with more prestige don’t always offer the same level of job satisfaction. The higher up you go, the more you’re often working on long-term projects where you may never actually see the impact of your work. There’s a kind of clarity in a job where you clock out and know exactly what you accomplished that day.
I loved reading this so much! Thank you for sharing your amazing experience. Really resonated with me - I just walked away from a possible promotion & made a lateral move to learn some different skills and so far this has given me the opportunity to also focus on on some other things outside of work!
So glad it resonated with you! Sometimes what feels like a setback is really just a redirection to something better. I suspect you may see that happen in your own life too!
This is SO GOOD and such great timing while people are looking for jobs and hustle culture is still at a high. I did the same many times over - once it meant leaving nonprofit work to become a barista, where the EOC of The Seattle Times found my blog and made me a contributor to the paper! Miracles are everywhere. Thanks for this post!
Wow this is such a powerful example of exactly what I’m talking about! I love how your willingness to step away from one path led to something completely unexpected. Such a good reminder that miracles really are everywhere when we give ourselves permission to pivot!
I took a full-time front-of-house position at a busy restaurant in my late twenties...which pretty much everyone said was a bad/crazy idea for someone who had always had office jobs. And I don't blame them—it looked random and irrational. But I have zero regrets! I was going through a really hard time in my life and needed a break from the high pressure and chronic stress of desk jobs and office politics. The work was still, of course, hard and grueling, and I had never been so tired and unhealthy in my life. But it was also filled with laughs and fun, and I appreciated the fact that I could let my guard down and be myself. I also got to explore my interest in a career in food & beverage (and eventually decide for once and for all it was not for me). But the best things that came out of the experience were the memories and the lifelong friendships!
I love this perspective, Iris! I never worked as a server, but as you know I did spend a couple of years hostessing as a side job, and one of the things I really appreciated about that job was the fact that I didn’t have to take any work home. There’s something so satisfying about a job where you see the work completed within your shift. No emails waiting for you the next morning, no projects dragging on for months.
It’s funny how jobs with more prestige don’t always offer the same level of job satisfaction. The higher up you go, the more you’re often working on long-term projects where you may never actually see the impact of your work. There’s a kind of clarity in a job where you clock out and know exactly what you accomplished that day.
Thank you for this. I feel this so strongly as I look at a change ahead in my longtime career. I’m excited but also incredibly nervous!
I hear that so deeply. It’s completely normal to feel both. Wishing you clarity and courage as you step into what’s next!
I loved reading this so much! Thank you for sharing your amazing experience. Really resonated with me - I just walked away from a possible promotion & made a lateral move to learn some different skills and so far this has given me the opportunity to also focus on on some other things outside of work!
I really needed to read this today. Thank you for sharing your story!
So glad it resonated with you! Sometimes what feels like a setback is really just a redirection to something better. I suspect you may see that happen in your own life too!
I loved this. Thanks for sharing!