Today marks the end of a chapter and the start of a new exciting (and scary one) for me. Today is my last day at my current job as a product designer at a very cool company. It is the end of an amazing chapter that lasted just over a year, one full of so much growth, support, and challenges. I am leaving an amazing team of super-talented people behind. I am leaving new friends that I hope become lifelong ones and a few of my very close friends, whom I hope to work with again one day. I will miss them all… the daily rants, the chats, the laughs, the tears, and the unconditional love and support that they gave me. I have grown so much as a designer over the last year and I am so very thankful for all the time I spent with these amazing people. They helped mold me into the more well-rounded designer that I am today.
However, it is time for me to say, “Goodbye for now,” as I embark on a new journey, one that is close to my heart. One that aligns more with my personal goals and desired lifestyle.
“In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.” ― Abraham Maslow
Before I even started my current job as a product designer, I had a deep-down desire to become a full-time artist. I had no idea how I would make that happen, but I knew I must make it happen.
When I accepted the product design job last year, I planned to stay there for a few years until I got my art business off the ground and was prepared to leave to become a full-time artist. Well, we all know that plan is a four-letter word and things did not go exactly as planned.
An opportunity for me to join a marketing team came up, seemingly out of thin air, last month. I was not searching for it, but it apparently was searching for me. As soon as I heard all about the marketing design job offer, my heart felt ecstatic and broken all at the same time. Ecstatic because this new opportunity aligns better with my personal goal of becoming a full-time artist, and yet heartbroken for the amazing design friends I knew I’d have to leave behind.
I want to tell you that I agonized over this decision for days, made a list of pros/cons, and considered all my options, however, that is just not the case. As soon as I heard the offer, I knew I had to take it. You see, the moment I realized that this new offer helped get me closer to my personal goal faster… the fire deep down in my soul started to roar. It grew so big so fast that I had no other choice but to accept the offer and make the move. Now, had I not invested the time two years earlier into defining my personal goal to become a full-time artist, this decision would not have come so easy.
When we properly align our actions with our personal goals in life, many of our decisions become easier to make. When we ask ourselves, “Does this [thing, opportunity, person, event] align with my personal goal(s)? Does it help get me closer to them?” The answer is usually pretty black and white. “Yes, it does or no it does not.” Any gray area is likely just our fear and self-doubt speaking up because they do not like change or uncertainty. But, when we stick to our guns and hold true to ourselves, the path becomes really clear. It might not be the popular path or the beaten path, but it is our path and our journey. As long as we are true to ourselves, the rest will fall into place as we move forward toward our goals.
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If you haven’t lately, I encourage you to take some time and evaluate your own personal goals in life and see how well your current path aligns with them. Do this with an open heart and an open mind. If you are aligned, then awesome, keep going. If you are not as aligned as you’d like to be, give yourself grace, know that there is a season for everything, and keep an eye out for opportunities that better align with your personal goal(s) moving forward.