In the past month my life has gone in the completely opposite direction that I thought it would be going. I’m currently looking for a new place to call home, I’m in the process of transitioning into a new role at work, and I have been spending a lot of time alone, which I’m not used to, and I’m not entirely sure if I enjoy quite yet. But this time alone has given me the chance to really think about where I’m at in terms of my personal life and career in comparison to where I thought I would be at this point just 4 weeks ago.

When I made the decision to try out a new career opportunity with Plan A’s sister company (StaffStat) in late April, I was worried about what that meant and what it would entail. Would I do well in sales? Would I reach my targets? Would I say the right things to the right people? I pondered these questions for weeks and I was never able to come up with the answers. I would ask my friends for their opinions and I always got the response, “Don’t worry about it, you’ll do fine”, but I wasn’t fully convinced. Three weeks ago, when I was in-between shifts at the restaurant, I went to Chapters to kill some time. I ended up buying some new notebooks for work, a photo frame and some magnets. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized one of the magnets read, “Take the Risk”. Now although I’m not really sure if I believe in signs and karma and all of that kind of stuff, I took this as a sign. That was my confirmation that I had made the right decision.

Since that day, “take the risk” has been on my mind a lot. Doing something that’s considered “out of the norm” or “different” has always made my stomach do flips and turns. Sure I like to get new haircuts and try out different foods, but taking risks that could have long-term consequences I’m a bit more hesitant to take. But why? What’s the worst that could happen? Taking risks and putting myself in uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations has led me to an amazing new job opportunity that will allow me to grow in ways that I never thought were possible before! It will also eventually create an opportunity for me to relocate (which I’ve always wanted to do!) and still do what I love each day. Now that I think about it, I feel like I’ve been taking risks all along and never really realized it. I never really wanted to live in Sudbury (I always saw myself living in a big city), but it was my best option in terms of schooling and living close to home. I ended up landing a career that I LOVE because of it! I never really wanted to take a Business program, but I did because I knew I had to do some sort of post-secondary schooling and it would open up a wide range of opportunities for me. I ended up loving it!

Now, with so many other opportunities coming down the pipeline, I know that I have to do = take the risk and not be afraid of what’s to come out of it.