Fresh Starts

Pivoting and changing directions in life is okay to do, in fact, sometimes it is needed (no matter how old you are). It’s never too late or too early to change directions in life.

Finding your passion and purpose in life is important to creating the life you WANT to live.

Fresh starts mean starting over with or in something you are already doing or pivoting and starting something brand new.

Change is inevitable, it is going to happen. Some changes we don’t necessarily want or love the idea of it. And some change is SOOOO needed and we are happy to change. Either way, embracing change is key to the success of it.

Starting over can be a fresh start; one to embrace whether this is a relationship, career, new school, job, or moving to a new city, or house. Starting over is okay and creating a new path in life can be needed and desired.

But, change is hard for many of us, so embracing the change and the fear around change is key. Especially in middle age, many of us feel it is too late, or we think, “What’s the point now”, or “I’ve spent so much time, money, and energy into this relationship/career/job”. You may feel like a failure, or your life is a failure. But you are not, and your life is not a failure.

 I have pivoted and changed directions in life many times. I also WISH I would have listened to my heart with my career choice MANY years ago. But I didn’t, I was being “the good girl I am” and I was people-pleasing. So, I listened to others ( who meant well and loved me) to finish nursing school, but I should have followed my heart.

You see, I didn’t want to be a nurse. I was going to be in my last semester of nursing school and I was pregnant and due to have my first baby. I realized that I did not want to be a nurse, I didn’t want to finish nursing school, I wanted to do something different, but I didn’t know what that was.

I felt stuck and like I didn’t have any other option. My parents and fiancé at the time, who is now my husband, kept telling me to finish and it would be fine. You see, they knew I was almost to the finish line, nursing school was super difficult, but I was almost through it, and they wanted me to become a nurse. So, I listened to them, I went back to my last semester of nursing school when my baby was 6 weeks old to the day, and I graduated. I walked across the stage with mixed feelings. Feelings of success, and feelings of dread.

I went on to study for my NCLEX exam, passed that on the first try, and had a nursing job already lined up. I have now been a Registered Nurse for 13 years as of this writing date.

But, I haven’t been fulfilled, content, and 100% happy in life. I have had some good times as a nurse, but mainly I have felt like I don’t belong, and that this job isn’t for me. To have those feelings for 13 years is a long time.

I had a lot of shame with having these feelings. I mean, prior to the pandemic, you would be a fool to say you didn’t like being a nurse. It pays decent, I have good healthcare insurance for myself and my family, and even now, I have a fairly flexible and lucrative RN position. But…it doesn’t fill my bucket, it doesn’t light my soul on fire. I want more…different…I want a career/job that I enjoy and love.

Now I am going to pivot again and change careers and it is not easy, I have a long road ahead of me before I can leave the nursing field, but the point is, I am putting in the work and I have a plan and goal and vision for my life. Because I am 100% committed to creating the life I want to live, not just living the one I thought I was supposed to live.

So, if you are like me and you want a job or career change, it is never too late. I don’t care if you are 25, 35, 45, or 55+ years old. You need to put yourself first, FINALLY, and start taking steps towards the life you want to live. You only live once, so live without regrets.

If you aren’t sure what you want for a different job or career, but you know the current one you are in just isn’t working and you aren’t happy and fulfilled, then hiring a life coach, like myself, is a great place to start. I will guide you and we will walk together on figuring out what truly lights you up inside and how you can make your vision in life a reality or we will work on figuring out what your vision is! Head on over to www.Jesswaynecoaching.com for more info!

Let’s talk about relationships, it is NEVER too late to start new relationships, romantic, friendships, or others. Some of my best friends and favorite people in my life I didn’t meet until a few years ago and some less than a year ago.

For MANY years I felt alone, and like I didn’t fit in. Heck, sometimes I still feel this way. Self-doubt would creep in and my “Mean girl” would say I wasn’t good enough and so and so didn’t like me. But, I realized I wasn’t putting myself out there and trying to connect with others. I needed to put in the work, get uncomfortable, and make connections with others.

It is important to seek out positive relationships and friendships even when you aren’t a super young pup anymore. Plus, if you are still a young pup, let me tell you a secret–time flies, and the older you get the faster life goes, I swear. So, before you know it you won’t be a young pup and you will wish you had made true connections and friendships that you can take into middle and older adulthood.

So, start today, start now, on connecting with others, putting yourself out there, and inviting people over, out to lunch, dinner, or coffee. Don’t worry about sounding or looking silly or weird. I can guarantee those other women want to connect with you as well and they feel the same way, a little awkward. But you both want and most likely need the connection and friendship.

If you are in a toxic marriage, friendship, or relationship, it is time to do something about it. That might be breaking up with that person, depending on the type of relationship, or cutting ties with them. Or seeking therapy to help get that relationship back on track. You need to do this for yourself. Because again, life is too short to be unhappy and not fulfilled in our relationships.

I frequently talk about investing in yourself and focusing on always improving yourself and personal growth. Take a course, hire a coach, read personal growth and development books, and listen to more podcasts. Really take time to improve yourself daily. You will not regret it. I started doing this after my mental health breakdown, and I am soooo glad I did. I still am constantly investing in myself.

Find a new hobby- that is a fresh start :), or find your old hobbies and start doing those again. Start a new hobby with a friend or your husband. I love walking and used to walk miles every single day when I was younger. Over time, I walked less and less, until I stopped walking altogether, (well, I walked, but I mean going for a leisurely walk for fun) and realized how much I missed it. So, I am trying to get back into the habit of walking daily again.

If you aren’t sure what hobby to start, ask a friend, take a quiz to find out, or think about things that you value and things that interest you and you can come up with a list of new hobbies to start.

Are you ready for a change? Take the FREE QUIZ— https://linktr.ee/jesswaynecoaching

Remember, it is never too late to invest in yourself, to pivot and change directions in life, to go back to school, to go to a different school, to take a new job, to leave a career, to stay home with your kids, to start a new hobby. Don’t wait until you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and burnt out like I did before you start putting yourself first.

XOXO

Jess Wayne

Made with Squarespace