How I Changed My Life

June 2018. I’d just turned 38. On paper my life looked great.

I had achieved it all.

The career. The family (that had been a challenge). The lifestyle. Tick, tick, tickety tick.

So why did I feel so unfulfilled? So flat. What was my problem? Why couldn’t I appreciate and enjoy the life I'd worked so hard for?

I had completely lost sight of who I was.

This is a story about realising that I had to rediscover who I was. That I had to let go of everything that defined me. A story about learning to be me.

I was done getting through the days and living for the weekend or our next holiday. Living a life that doesn’t align with your values is exhausting.

Selfish? Indulgent? If you feel that life should be hard and that you should grit your teeth and get on with it then perhaps. I believe that life is there to be lived. That when you feel fulfilled and alive you will naturally be drawn to use your skills to make the world a better place.

At this point I had no idea what I wanted. I was also telling myself some pretty unhelpful stuff.

You’re too old for a career change

You’ve left it too late

You’re too disorganised

You should just be grateful for what you have

The list was endless.

Coaching allowed me to get past what was holding me back. It was the headspace and focus that I needed in my crazy, busy life.

In a nutshell. I did leave the stable teaching job with the pension and the holidays. A career that I had retrained for at 27 (living at home with my parents to allow me to do so). A career that I had loved and been really successful in. It kind of broke my heart. But I learnt that it’s ok to want something else for yourself. It’s okay to try something new. You can leave an amazing boss, team, community. It will be hard. You will cry about it. But you will be thankful for it all. And you will be glad that you had the courage to take action.

I often hear people say ‘I could never… leave my job/start my own business/move my family’. I have said all of these things. Repeatedly. And I have eventually gone on to do them all.

You can. And if you really want to you will.