Taking a look back at the year that was can help us identify so many things. We can learn a lot about ourselves if we are willing to take a deeper look. We can be grateful of the lessons learnt, understand and identify our strengths, how we respond or react to certain situations and decide what we want to take into the new year and what we want to leave behind. We can see if we achieved our goals and how we achieved them. And to remember the obstacles that we encountered along the way and what we can learn from them. It allows us to piece the year together, to dive into who we were and to make sense of the year that was. I share mine here.
The year started with much enthusiasm. I was studying to be a Holistic Life Coaching and Mind Body Practitioner whilst working in a good role for a finance company. After a lot of consideration and dreaming of the future that I saw for myself, my role as a WHS Manager in finance did not actually align with that vision. I made a brave decision to resign in order to take a ‘short break’, finish my study and find a role that supported the future I wanted to create.
My vision was to work part-time for a community focused organisation that had a clear vision and commitment of sustainability and environmental and social responsibility, and to grow my coaching business part-time. I knew I could do it! I knew the importance of visualization and manifestation in creating the reality I wanted, so I worked on understanding and visualizing exactly what my future looked like. The road to get there was not what I expected.
I left my job without another one to go to because I backed myself in finding that role I wanted. Not something I would recommend! Backing yourself yes, resigning before having something to go to, no. What came next was a time in my life that I have never experienced before.
Shortly after I had started my ‘short break’, we brought home an 8-week-old puppy. Good timing as I was home to care for and train this beautiful sweet girl. Serendipitous some might say.
I have heard people say, ‘If you want to have children, get a puppy. If you can handle a puppy, you are ready for children’. I do not have children so I had no idea what to expect and now I know the true meaning of this saying. This little bundle of joy demanded so much of me at a time I demanded so much of myself. I needed to finish my study and find a job! That short break turned into nearly 4 months! It might sound strange, but I actually didn’t know who I was at that time. I have never been unemployed, but at this time I really felt like I was. My choice not to work was now not my choice and I started to lose confidence as a professional. I was frustrated, felt trapped, quite lonely as I was home alone all day, and I felt my life had changed considerably. This was a time of exponential personal growth. I had to use everything I was learning in my studies to help me get my thoughts together and to keep moving forward. I matured.
During my time off, I decided to fall back on my personal training passion to help me feel like I had control of something. I was fortunate to land a casual personal training position at a local private studio only two minutes from home. I was excited by this as it meant I was back in the wellbeing space. It wasn’t much but it gave me something to do and allowed me to reconnect with my passion for fitness coaching. Although I enjoyed it, I was working for someone else. Having owned my own personal training studios in the past, this was a challenge. Putting on someone else’s uniform just didn’t feel right. Although grateful, I didn’t feel empowered going to work and realised that this casual position was not what I needed and therefore had to let it go. I needed a more secure permanent role so I could complete my studies and fulfil my goals.
After searching for months for that part-time community focused role, I finally landed one. What a relief! It was a Senior Business Partner People & Culture role in Aged Care. If you are not familiar with the aged care sector let me share a snippet of what I discovered – it is highly regulated, which is good, however the resources available do not support the level of work required. Everyone works tirelessly for a great cause but there seems to be a lack of support for those doing this work. Burnout is real. I started my role in a new industry with very minimal training because there just wasn’t the time or resources to provide it. I had to sink or swim. I didn’t know the aged care lingo, the structure, the challenges, the people, however, my first week I was running interviews, writing allegations letters, holding performance meetings and being pushed so far out of my comfort zone I didn’t know what hit me. It took me about 4 months to understand my role and to find my feet, but it seemed like everyday I was running hard to keep up. Luckily for me, no one felt my pain. I received nothing but good feedback about the relationships I was forming and work I was doing. I learned a lot about myself and my capabilities in this role and for that, I am very grateful. I grew a lot both personally and professionally.
I gave this role a great deal of consideration before deciding it was not for me. I wanted to settle in to make sure that I wasn’t running away from the change because of how uncomfortable it was. Change is always uncomfortable in the beginning. Once settled, I decided that this was not the type of work or industry that supported my long term goals. I didn’t feel like I belonged and this was not because of the people I worked with but instead that I needed a role where I was inspired, energized and excited to go to work. It was time to get serious about finding something new. I knew it was time to go.
In the last month before I resigned, I finished my holistic life coach and mind body practitioner dual certification. This was a proud moment!! I felt like I was getting somewhere. I was ready to dive into creating something that fulfilled me. As I was finishing my course, I was also spending some time looking for another role. Not any role though. The right role. The role that supported my long term vision and the one I envisioned at the beginning of the year. And then I found it! Not knowing what this role would like look, I knew that once I saw it advertised, I would know. I landed a HR role for a company in the Arts sector. A company who has a real passion for environmental sustainability and social responsibility. A company making a positive difference to so many people. A part-time role, 4 days a week for six months of the year and 3 days for six months of the year. PERFECT!!
This is the opportunity I dreamed of when I left my role in financial services at the beginning of the year. The road to it was not what I expected but in hindsight, it was exactly what I needed.
Looking back on the year, these are the lessons I am choosing to take into 2025:
- The road to reaching your goals may be rocky and have you feel off track but being off track may be exactly what you need to teach you the lessons required to move forward.
- Change is always uncomfortable in the beginning. Let it settle before deciding it isn’t right. Hang in there!
- Reflection helps us see the lessons and how far we have come, and gives us space to learn and be grateful. Reflect more.
- The lows in life are temporary and help bring to our attention our true selves. Be curious about what is happening and why.
- Every emotion tells us a story of who we are and what we need if we are willing to listen.
- A vision of our future is essential for creating our future. Manifestation and visualization works!
- Patience and resilience are virtues and are two of my strengths.
My vision of working part-time in an organisation that has a strong connection to community who cares about the environment, and stating my own wellbeing coaching business is now a reality. It took 12 months on a path less travelled.
Now my 2024 will seem like a walk in the park compared to some, but the point is that we can all learn from our experiences, great or small.
The vision for the next 12 months is to build on this, immerse myself in my new role, care for our environment and build my business one coaching session and workshop at a time.
For me, 2025 will be all about embracing change and challenges, finding comfort in being uncomfortable and being fearless in my pursuit of living life purposefully.
What did you learn from your experiences in 2024 and what will you take into 2025?
I wish you every success in the new year. Go and get what is rightfully yours!
My blog posts are written by me. Not AI generated or supported. Writing is a skill I will continue to develop naturally. If you enjoy my posts, please like, comment and share.
The Healthy Homosapien 