Today was the first day of a new job.
I had been hopeful. I'd heard good things about the company.
I was excited. I would get to use my long lost skills as an outdoor instructor and was looking forward to working with kids again.
And then I went to work.
The place is far less organised than I had expected. And I have no desire to work my way up the ladder to be in a position where I can fix several of the issues I can already see.
I'm disappointed. But with this realisation I'm doing two things:
I'm allowing myself to feel what I'm feeling.
I'm also focusing on the things that were good about today and counting the money I'm making from this job that's additional to my own business.
I had good reasons to add a casual role (with part time ish, not full time ish hours) to my life:
- I
wantedneeded to get out of the house more. - I wanted an additional income stream outside my online coaching business.
Actually, it was mainly those two things.
Initially, I looked at café jobs nearby and was sure that was going to meet these socialising & cash needs. But a friend pointed out that I was much better suited for a role like this one (the one I've just started) and since they had advertised the exact role I am already qualified and experienced in the day before she said it, I took it as a sign to apply.
Within days they were clambering to get me on the team.
Thus, my disappointment when it's a lot way off what I had expected.
My new goal (as of an hour ago) is to make it 'til the staff Christmas party that was discussed at our unnecessarily long work meeting today.
I'm assuming that will be held at the end of the school term (when school camps have ended) and before the school holiday camps run (and Christmas itself, of course).
Yes, if I can keep:
- feeling my feelings,
- finding the good things in every day, and
- *counting the additional money I'm earning (that's going to go straight onto paying off an old debt that's been bugging me for years)
then that should keep me suitably entertained and, hopefully, employed.
The best outcome I can think of it that it just keeps getting better; that I get trained in awesome activities I want to do, that I get professional development opportunities that add to my personal and business life, and that I make lifelong friends with some of these people... all while making a meaningful (and sustainable) impact in the lives of others.
But for today, I'm asking myself to focus on the things that were good:
- Many of the staff seemed nice and several were friendly to me,
- I got to walk outdoors for a little while and be surrounded by big trees,
- I had a peaceful moment on a canoe,
- I'm not being chucked in the deep end (I have training still to come before I'm expected to lead a group)
- There are a bunch of wallabies on the property and, as we walked back to the office I saw a mumma and a joey (in her pouch) right near our lunch spot.
And tomorrow's another day.
