Start of Something New
Dear Patty Lou,
I have a wild idea. A truly, “she must be out of her damn mind”, idea. I want to quit the highest-paying job I’ve ever had and become a professional woodworker. And that’s not the stupidest part of it: I’ve never done woodworking. Done woodworking? Woodworked? Worked with wood? I clearly have a long way to go.
Before anyone freaks out, I haven’t quit my job. Yet.
It’s been quite the journey to arrive at this decision and I know that this might grow and evolve and who knows, I might end up back in an office before too long. All I know is that life is too short to spend all those hours hating my job.
Feeling like there isn’t a career path that I would enjoy is not new. I remember taking a personality test in high school and thinking that none of the results felt quite right. I went to Italy for my senior year and based on that experience selected International Studies. I enjoyed many of my classes but still was never sure what I would “do” with my degree. For years I have felt that there is something wrong with me that I can’t find a job or career that feels like a fit.
I’ve worked for a variety of nonprofits and government agencies. I’ve fallen into jobs related to grant management simply because that’s what I have experience in, so I qualify for higher-paying jobs and take them because more money must be the path. The truth is that I hate every job I’ve ever had. Don’t get me wrong, there have been people I have LOVED working with and working for, and there have been interesting projects, but at the core of it all, I have never loved or even really liked any of my jobs. I am someone who struggles to remain motivated if I don’t care about the task. I tried to remedy that by working places with missions aligned with my personal values, but that wasn’t enough for me to love and connect with my work.
The last few years I’ve really tried to have the mindset of leading a fulfilling life outside of the office, telling myself that I don’t need to love my job, it can just be a means to an end. People hate their jobs all the time, but are still happy because they create a rich life outside of the office. I wanted to be like them and I was them. And that worked, to an extent. I read 105 books in 2023. I’ve tried new crafts, traveled, met new people, and gone to fun events. This exercise has almost had the opposite of its intended effect: instead of making my work tolerable by having a rich personal life, it has made work even more intolerable because I can feel my need for more. There is now a spotlight on the things that bring me joy and where I want to spend my time, money, and skills. I can’t tell you how exciting it is to finally feel excited about something.
So what now?
Well, like I said, I haven’t quit my job. I am going to keep working to save up money and apply for scholarships to attend a woodworking school (more about that soon). I am going to keep writing and creating and planning and learning and making. In addition to writing about my personal journey, I am going to be posting book reviews, interviews with experts, reviews of tools, and so much more. I plan to bring you along every step of the way, so please subscribe to my blog, Instagram, and TikTok accounts.
Love,
Em
