Thoughts on changing careers... the hard questions...
... a warm summer evening with birdsong above
In January 2020, my maternity leave ended and I returned to work at Danske Bank. This had been the plan all along, and the dream of Lindelyst and life under the open sky was little more than a dream and a vision of the future that might become a reality some day. It was not a career path that I was seriously considering yet.
I expected to fall back into the old patterns at the bank and find the joy in being of service, being good at my job, and working with wonderful people; but I soon realized that there was no longer a "fit" - I had somehow outgrown the job of manager, project manager, and consultant. The shirt was tightening in the wrong places and I didn't feel free, and I started asking myself the very basic questions that I have spent my whole life not listening to: "Who am I really?", "What matters most to me?", "What gives me joy in life?", "What will I be proud to look back on when I'm old?". When I managed to find the answers, it was quite clear to me that I had to make changes in my life!
What is most important to me is to create value. Not value for my employer and investors, not value measured in dollars and cents and not value through success, recognition and skills development. I guess value is completely subjective, but for me creating value means contributing something positive to the world; contributing to our planet becoming a bit greener and healthier and cosier and more harmonious and helping others to find their way back to nature and the natural.
In addition, for me it was about finding a balance in life, finding the joy of living and living in the moment - I can still get much better at that, but I am practicing.
The hardest part of making the decision was the inner voice that said: "People will laugh at you... No one will understand you throwing your career away and replacing a well-paid job with one that leaves you with dirt under your fingernails and a negative bank balance... There's no prestige in growing carrots!". I was somehow afraid that people wouldn't understand my choices and would condemn me for them. However, I experienced the exact opposite when I started sharing my dreams - I was only met with enthusiasm, support and actually a bit of envy (Which was quite nice). Apparently, having a passion is rarer than I thought. It also helped that I had a wonderful husband, a great colleague and some friends who gave me some kicks - Thanks a lot!
Do you, like me, have a little dream of a different career... starting your own business? Opening a bed and breakfast? becoming an environmental activist? keeping pigs? or something else entirely, take some time to consider it and find out if it's a passion that sticks and if it is, keep feeding the fire until it can no longer be put out. There are always excuses for not doing what you're passionate about - the finances weren't available. What if it wasn't a success? I didn't know enough. I didn't have the training... But at some point, the opportunity presents itself and the entry barriers become surmountable, and then you have to be ready to pounce.
In January 2020, my maternity leave ended and I returned to work at Danske Bank. This had been the plan all along, and the dream of Lindelyst and life under the open sky was little more than a dream and a vision of the future that might become a reality some day. It was not a career path that I was seriously considering yet.
I expected to fall back into the old patterns at the bank and find the joy in being of service, being good at my job, and working with wonderful people; but I soon realized that there was no longer a "fit" - I had somehow outgrown the job of manager, project manager, and consultant. The shirt was tightening in the wrong places and I didn't feel free, and I started asking myself the very basic questions that I have spent my whole life not listening to: "Who am I really?", "What matters most to me?", "What gives me joy in life?", "What will I be proud to look back on when I'm old?". When I managed to find the answers, it was quite clear to me that I had to make changes in my life!
What is most important to me is to create value. Not value for my employer and investors, not value measured in dollars and cents and not value through success, recognition and skills development. I guess value is completely subjective, but for me creating value means contributing something positive to the world; contributing to our planet becoming a bit greener and healthier and cosier and more harmonious and helping others to find their way back to nature and the natural.
In addition, for me it was about finding a balance in life, finding the joy of living and living in the moment - I can still get much better at that, but I am practicing.
The hardest part of making the decision was the inner voice that said: "People will laugh at you... No one will understand you throwing your career away and replacing a well-paid job with one that leaves you with dirt under your fingernails and a negative bank balance... There's no prestige in growing carrots!". I was somehow afraid that people wouldn't understand my choices and would condemn me for them. However, I experienced the exact opposite when I started sharing my dreams - I was only met with enthusiasm, support and actually a bit of envy (Which was quite nice). Apparently, having a passion is rarer than I thought. It also helped that I had a wonderful husband, a great colleague and some friends who gave me some kicks - Thanks a lot!
Do you, like me, have a little dream of a different career... starting your own business? Opening a bed and breakfast? becoming an environmental activist? keeping pigs? or something else entirely, take some time to consider it and find out if it's a passion that sticks and if it is, keep feeding the fire until it can no longer be put out. There are always excuses for not doing what you're passionate about - the finances weren't available. What if it wasn't a success? I didn't know enough. I didn't have the training... But at some point, the opportunity presents itself and the entry barriers become surmountable, and then you have to be ready to pounce.
