Does Having a Job Stop You From Fulfilling Your Life Purpose? (the one where Anna gets a job)
A few years ago, I was in a job I disliked. I felt trapped and depressed. After four years of studying languages and getting my degree, I was working 8 hours a day (6-7 of them teaching hours) for a salary in Spain as a language teacher, that was getting me into debt and was below the minimum UK wage. I was exhausted and broke.
Then I had a reading with my first teacher and decided to train as a professional intuitive. Soon after, I set up my own full-time business giving readings. I was reading lots of self-improvement blogs at the time and I agreed with bloggers like Steve Pavlina, who said that having a job makes you a wage slave and is a waste of your time, because in my experience, it was true. I also agreed with those who said that if you want to find the perfect job, you need to create it yourself.
By the time I’d created my own job and quit my wage slave job, I had never been happier.
I’ve been happily self-employed full time for just over two years and I guess the fruits of my labour are what you see here on this website: readings, articles, and my courses.
I spent so much time and money learning about marketing and business, just in order to remain afloat and be self-employed full time. Last year I spent one quarter of my business profits on courses and workshops on blogging, internet business, learning to be less technologically inept, improving my psychic development skills and other business overheads.
Yet in about ten days, my life and routines are going to change quite a lot.
I’m getting a full-time job again.
Gulp…
Why am I getting a job?
Well, there has been a little issue in my life that has stopped me from settling down and staying in one place for longer than 10 months. I’m not going to say what it is because I don’t want future employers to Google this, but if you know me, you can probably guess what it is – the dreaded ‘R’ word.
I don’t have the right to stay in the country that 3 of my brothers and two of my dads and my mum live in. I need a job to get to stay here.
But that’s not the only reason why I’m getting a job.
I’m also getting a job because I do readings and work on my business for about 25-30 hours a week. Some days I work hard and then some days I roll out of bed at 10.30am looking like Rod Stewart on a good day and I proceed to do readings in my pyjama bottoms.
This is not a full-time job, even though I make a full-time wage. In fact, I could combine it with a 30 hour a week teaching job too, and that is what I’m going to do. In addition, working from home is very isolating and I meet very few people. Doing readings has brought me closer to spirit but further from the world. I can easily slip into spiritual seclusion if I’m not careful and then I feel like I’m moving further and further away from the realities of the people I’m working with.
I want to be someone who understands the pain and the difficulties of others, not someone who is removed from real life.
A couple of weeks ago, I went back into the classroom and taught English for a couple of hours and it was wonderful – a complete contrast to what I normally do. I came out feeling energized and confident. And I realized that I need face to face teaching in my life. I need something that involves contact with people and has nothing to do with the spirit world or psychic development, in order to remain in balance.
I plan to make part-time language teaching a permanent fixture in my life.
After coming to my conclusion two years ago that jobs really suck, this week, I changed my mind.
I realized it’s not your job that necessarily makes you miserable – it’s the conditions; the people; the salary. It’s the exhaustion that comes from a 50 hour week spent doing something that drains you. It’s the lack of control over your time. It’s the time spent doing the same things all day – the lack of variety.
And you know what, in readings, spirit doesn’t usually tell people that it’s all or nothing. There are ways that you can get more control, bit by bit.
Spirit usually highlights:
– The need for variety
It’s unnatural to be doing the same thing ALL THE TIME and it can become draining. I have noticed this in my own business. Even though I enjoy what I do, teaching energizes me in a way that doing readings and working on my own business do not. That doesn’t mean I prefer teaching – after all, doing readings touches my soul in a way that teaching never does.
Also highlighted is:
- The need for an honest look at the fundamental, ‘must-be-used’ gifts and soul urges that you have. After all, there will come a day in the future when your time has run out.
Can you use them in a voluntary sense or part time? Can you make your hobby or passion into a business? Can you start your business while you’re full time? There are so many less scary ‘half-way house’ options available to us, if we agree to see them. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. We don’t have to remain inactive and do nothing at all to move towards our dreams because we’re too scared to take the plunge. One small step every day is enough.
I’ve learned so much from setting up my own business and working in it full time these last few years.
Above all, the biggest thing I’ve learned that I am in control of my business, happiness and finances, through the actions that I take, day in, day out. A job may never give me that, but it does give me confidence and enjoyment from contact with people. Both are valuable and for that, I am truly grateful.
I’m sure I have lots more lessons to come on balancing a full time job with a part time business. I definitely will still be doing readings, although my hours will change (there will be more weekend and evening appointments available) and I will still make time for blogging too.
I’ll update you on how it goes.
What are your thoughts on this? Have you been thinking along the same lines recently? Do you balance a full time job with a part-time business? Or are you thinking of going down that route?
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I’ve got to say Anna, I could read your posts all day long. They always are such a joy. I really like how you shared this.. I realised recently that I had got hung up on creating an online business. I have recently transitioned to student mentoring which is much better hrs, money and flexibility than my previous job.. I realised I need to appreciate this job and that it gives me something that I wouldn’t get with an online biz.. The face to face connection with people. I also realised it might be nice in time to do a bit of both to appeal to everything I enjoy. Thanks for a thought provoking post Anna and I’m really pleased to hear how you’re getting on.
Jen
How interesting Anna that what you thought was a negative in your life has turned out to be just what you needed.
I’ll say what I say to most people who get hired: “Sorry to hear that!” Just kidding… I do understand the “balance” thing. 40 hours is a lot, though, and it’s definitely a challenge to balance that with what you have left over.
great article anna! I work 20 hours a week at a low stress job that puts my fancy degrees to use and I leave my work at my office when I come home. That being said, the past few weeks I’ve kind of felt bad because I’m no where near being 100% self employed . . . but now I’m wondering why I ever thought that being 100% self-employed was an indicator of success and if I really want to be 100%– like you said, variety is great, so is face to face interaction and it’s only 20 hours– easily leaving at least 20 hours a week to work on my business . . . so maybe this situation is more ideal than I thought.
Anyway, good luck with the new job! besitos!
.-= Darla´s last blog ..How Your Spirit Guides Are Already Communicating With You =-.
Anna,
How interesting. Your about to go back to the work force and I’m trying to figure out a way to leave it!
I can see how being home and working on the online business and giving reading can be very isolating though. I do think going back part time is a wonderful idea.
Everything in moderation, right?
.-= Angela Artemis´s last blog ..Would Your Rather Have a Big House Or A Big Life? =-.
Hi Jen – thank you, glad you enjoy the blog – lovely to get the encouragement
Contact with people is important as you say. I think the only thing that I don’t like about my business is that it doesn’t have enough face to face connection with people. I know people who have online businesses who spend all day at home and that would drive me (and does drive me) bonkers. Later on I think I would like to teach face to face and travel and give workshops in different places. But I think that’s a few years away at least!
Hi Kate – When the plan was to teach high school kids, I was dreading it, as I’m not a fan of teenagers and kids. But teaching adults suits me and especially foreigners as I’ve been a foreigner in lots of places and sort of know what it’s like for them to come here and learn English. I was surprised at how much I loved doing it. Maybe the novelty will wear off…who knows…
Hi Keith – it’ll be 30 hours a week, which isn’t too bad. I also live 5 mins walk from my work, so that helps to save time too.
Darla – Thanks for your good wishes. 20 hours a week sounds ideal (at least, to me.) I wonder if it also motivates you to get more done when you have a job as well because your time is limited. I have spent many a 12 hour day staring at the computer and doing things very slowly…some days I could have gotten the work done in a quarter of the time spent.
Hi there Angela – thanks for your comment. I suppose I am doing the opposite of what quite a few people (and lots of my clients) aspire to do
I know some people who think that getting a job is terrible after I’ve managed to build up the business to be full time, but I guess it all depends on what you need. Plus self-employment and regular employment both have their advantages and disadvantages. Erin Pavlina wrote a good article about that on her blog, this week.
Hey Anna,
I can relate. I too get drained when I focus too much on the same. I’m not doing any language teaching or learning at the moment and I too sorely miss it.
Much love, and have fun teaching!
Rosine.
.-= Rosine Caplot´s last blog ..Unleash Your Inner Animal =-.
Cool post. It’s interesting that you highlight variety and those “must be used” gifts because it seems like that’s something like the message I’ve been getting just recently.
Good luck with your new lifestyle, sounds awesome!
.-= Andrew´s last blog ..Indigo Children and Adults Support Group =-.
Hi Anna,
I can totally understand that working from home can be isolating. In fact I’ve marvelled at how people can do it! Sounds like a good move to me – variety is the spice of life huh?
I totally took the same path a while ago… I needed to do things outside the house and tutoring/teaching is really a perfect option. It’s funny, though, because I realized the kids I teach need some help in other areas… Even a mom told me: you came here for a reason! So beware of the job you’ll end up doing…it will be for a reason, for sure. Best of luck!
.-= syl´s last blog ..Reading the Akashic Records =-.
Hi Rose, I’ve noticed there are quite a few language teachers who become psychics. Developing psychic abilities is not so different from learning a new language I guess
Thanks Andrew, interesting that you have got the same message too.
Asanji – Yep! variety is definitely the spice of life. I personally find working from home the hardest thing about having an online business. I do like face to face contact with people. I have wondered how some online entrepreneurs can just spend their lives in front of a screen, I have come to the conclusion that some people are very introverted and like doing that. I’m not one of them…..(most of the time)
Hi Syl, interesting you took the same path. Thanks for that reminder – I’m sure this teaching path will have something to teach me that’ll also help other areas of life (perhaps my business too!)
Hi Anna!
I just wanted to say that your post completely resonates with me, and it oddly echoes my life right now. It’s true, there are many half-way house (what I would call “transitionary”) phases up for grabs. And your post was further vindication of that for me.
And for what it’s worth, I’m the same way. I need that face to face interaction which is why (ironically enough) I’m starting a side-job involving just that.
Is it just me or are these kinds of part-time teaching jobs a fantastic balancer to building an internet-based business?