Maybe it is my perfectionism. Maybe it is the overachiever in me. Or maybe I see what others have achieved, which causes me to be envious.
Whatever it is, I have never been one to settle. With a recipe. With running. With the man I chose to marry. In my job. Or anything about in life in general. I am constantly striving to work towards perfectionism—even if it can’t truly be achieved, I will still try to achieve it! I want things that make me happy and feel worthwhile, so I do everything in my power to reach that point.
Growing up, I always said I did not want to be stuck in a job that I didn’t enjoy going to each day. I wanted to be excited about my job, and I wanted to do something I truly enjoyed. I have come to realize that I won’t wake up every morning ecstatic to go to work, but I am not willing to be that person who dreads going to work and gets stuck in a position for the rest of their working life. I’ve seen far too many people in that position, and I have made a conscious effort that I do not want to settle for something like that.
The day before we left for Maui was my last day working for my previous employer (Wells Fargo). It was not a hard decision to decide to put my two weeks notice in. I knew it was not the job for me: sitting at a desk all day, dealing with angry customers, and in a field I had no interest in. It was nice to close that chapter, travel to Hawaii, and then come back, ready to start with my current employer: Skinny Raven Sports.
Skinny Raven is the local running store in Anchorage. They are the premier running store in town and offer several training groups, social runs, and host a number of running races throughout the year. I am so excited to be a part of the team and do something I am truly passionate about. I know not everyone is able to do what they are interested in, so I am counting my blessings that I am. I am also very grateful for the support of my husband who encouraged me to pursue this job. I look forward to being a running ambassador and helping grow the running community here.
what fun news, michelle! congrats! 🙂
Oh wow! That is awesome!! You will be perfect for that, plus you get to see all the new gear firsthand! You probably aren’t getting paid as much but I have learned that personal happiness sometimes trumps money if you can make it work.
One of my most favorite jobs was doing ski patrol, I didn’t get paid very much but I had so much fun and I felt satisfied at the end of the day, and very tired, but I was so eager to get up in the morning and do it all over again.
I have a hard time working behind a desk too so I don’t blame you!
Maybe you can also go into being a sales rep for gear and products. You have a lot of running and training experience, perhaps you could expand on that too. Have you thought of coaching or personal training?
I did take another pay cut. :/ Thankfully my husband was okay with this though. I have thought about coaching and am hoping to make it work some day soon! Yeah, who knows what other possibilities this job could lead to!
You go Michelle! I’ve been encouraging my daughter from SF to start following your blog. You to are a lot alike. :o)
So exciting! Does the store have social runs? I will be in Anchorage Saturday-Tuesday!
Yes, we do! We have a pub run Tuesday evening. Will you still be around? I know they used to do a Sunday morning long run; I’ll have to check with my coworker to see if they still offer it!
Love this! I can relate to that feeling. 🙂 Congrats on the new gig!
Congratulations! That is wonderful, can’t wait to hear more about it 🙂
Nice work! I agree that people should enjoy what they do. Being miserable just isn’t worth the time and your life’s energy, in my opinion. Working on getting into something I am passionate about (nutrition and personal training), but it is a long road. 🙂
You got the job!! Congrats!! 🙂
Woohoo! That is so awesome!
Congratulations! It’s such a blessing to have a job that really fits you & that you enjoy. 🙂
I’m so excited for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yay! Congrats – this is awesome news! We’ve gone in similar paths since quitting teaching and I wasn’t in love with my first job (after teaching)- but finally found a career that I LOVE. It’s definitely important to explore and not settle. Best of luck in the new job- I hope you love it!
Welcome To Team Raven, Michelle!
Thanks! And thank you for helping me get there!
Best of luck! Enjoy! Glad you were able to get out of a place you weren’t happy at.
Congratulations on your new job! I’m glad your hamstring is feeling better.
Congratulations on the new job!!! I am happy to hear you’re going to be doing something you love and sharing that love with fellow runners! Best of luck to you!! 😀
Eeeeeeee! I’m so incredibly psyched for you! Paycut or not, I’m sure you made the right decision. You were not made to sit behind a desk. And now you get to spend your time focused on your love and passion. This is the best news I’ve heard in a long time! So happy that you found your way out of teaching and into something you love.
Aww.. . .thanks so much. I am honestly excited and hope the positiveness continues. 🙂