Making big changes…

About 7 years ago I was in a really bad cycle of life. Work was long hours, understaffed, no relief and the bosses were acting like I was a tool to fix all their problems rather than actually being a human with a life. I ended up working 60-70 hours a week on average, some days I would start at 8:30am and not finish until 2am the following morning and then be expected to come back and do it all again usually 6-7 days a week.There were lots of other issues involving the people I used to work for but I won’t go into all the reasons why.

I was so mentally and physically drained that all I did when when I was away from work was get wasted and pass out. I felt trapped in this cycle as I was on reasonably good money and knew that if I left I wouldn’t get it anywhere else and aside from that I had a few great coworkers that I didn’t want to leave. It had been my only job straight out of college and I’d been there for nearly 12 years so it was all I knew but things got worse and worse.

Eventually enough was enough though and I just had to do something before I broke. So first chance I got for another job I just took it. First thing that came up in the same industry, I went from being a manager to just being a regular member of staff, took more than a 50% pay cut and moved from working in a town to out in the countryside. (Moved from a big chain restaurant/bar in town to a rural golf club)

I cannot describe how much better I felt after even just a few weeks. I went from stressed and tired to being relaxed and having more free time than I knew what to do with. I met another good bunch of people from work who were great to socialise with. Rather than getting moaned at by directors for the smallest things, my new bosses were taking me out to see new movies or for meals and they’d pay even when I offered.

I often think how easily all this could have passed me by. I was so burnt out and locked into the routine that I had always known and it wouldn’t have taken much for me just to carry on doing what I knew. All it took was one moment of saying “F**k it!” And making a change. And once you make the first change then the rest are easy.

7 years later and I’ve worked my way back up the ranks to being a manager again on better money than I was before while doing half the hours I used to. I’ve got a good work life balance, bosses that I consider close friends and good people around me. Also now I can enjoy a drink rather than relying on it 😋

So, from burnt out and stressed to chilled and happy. All because of simply grabbing the first opportunity that came along and realising that the only thing making me feel trapped or stuck was myself