After my divorce, for the last seven years, I have been a department manager for a retail grocery company. The company culture focused on putting people first and empowered its employees to go above and beyond for each other and the customers. Within my first few months, I planned a long career, and even went back to school to earn a degree to help better my career choice and I saw myself retiring from the company after 20 years or so. However, after seven years, I found my goals had changed. While I was passionate about the company, and the people I worked with, I realized my goals had changed.
I had encouraging leaders who saw my potential and help me achieve different goals along my way. I not only had career goals, but personal goals to meet. As years and promotions came and went, I was crossing off personal goals, and building the life I dreamed of. There was just one hiccup, I wasn’t getting to enjoy the life that I worked so hard to build. I was spending too much time working and being away from home, my love, and my friends. My dedication and work ethic pushed me to keep going and put this business needs before my own personal needs.
To clarify, while the company loves “go-getters”, they also valued a work-life balance but left it up to the employees and managers to keep the balance. That’s where my work ethic interfered, there was always one more thing to do, and there was always one more “something” that I couldn’t leave undone. If my team was struggling, I couldn’t leave them. It wasn’t a lack of delegation, it wasn’t a lack of capable people, but it was taking responsibility too seriously. I felt responsible for the department whether I was physically there or not.
I just recently quit the grocery company, and no I didn’t “quit the leader” as so many memes say. I quit because I wasn’t able to give myself or allow myself the work/life balance I wanted and continue to feel as if I was doing my best. The work-life overshadowed my days, my days off, and I was tired of going 100 mph all day every day. I wasn’t able to enjoy everything I worked so hard to achieve. Essentially, my goals changed. I had been growing more and more tired in the last year and it was time to make a change.
What I found was my goals and priorities had changed. That job had afforded me to reach many of my financial and personal goals, and as I crossed those from the list, a new direction emerged and these new goals needed time not money to succeed. The retail grocery job wasn’t going to be a good fit any longer. I struggled with this and it wasn’t until I permitted myself to accept my goals and priorities had changed that I had the strength to quit this job and find one that would allow me to chase after my new adventure, both professionally and personally.
Fast forward just a few months, I found a job that still pays the bills but gives me the time, and the work-life balance, and I have never been happier. I still work hard, and I still have a driven personality and great work ethic, but I now also have the time and energy to enjoy the life I worked so diligently to build. As you find your goals changing, be cautious but not afraid to take the steps to chase after the new goals.