Wednesday 20 January 2010

Funny times and knitty times

Good morning all! I meant to write a little post yesterday, but couldn't quite find the right words. Things are fine really, but there's one thing bugging me and it's work. It's making me have a little rethink about what it is that I do and if that's really what I want to be doing in 10 years time. I'm doing a job that I trained for for quite a significant period of time (about 5 years of university), but now I find it quite boring and the pay's not great. So what should I do? There's lots of jobs out there, but you need specific qualifications for them, so that's a no-no. And there's others that seem ok, but would involve taking a significant pay cut. A pay cut from a not so big pay to start with leaves you with not very much... There's things that I wouldn't mind doing, like setting up my own business, but you need quite a lot of cash to get things like that sorted. And unfortunately, I don't have that kind of money! So what do people do? What do you do? Survive on very little so that you can do something you enjoy, or swallow your ambition and desires and stick with something because it pays well?



While I leave you to ponder this existential question that I'm sure you didn't quite expect so early on a Wednesday morning (sorry!), I'll leave you with this. My last knitted project. It's beautifully soft, made with Debbie Bliss Alpaca and Silk. Honestly, does it get any better than that? Alpaca AND silk?




I made up the design and I'm really quite chuffed. If you haven't guessed, it's a neck warmer. I managed to get a (let's face it, quite rubbish) photo the other day, but man is it hard to take a photo of yourself! As you can see, I didn't do so well at conveying the true colour, which is shown properly on the above images. But for an action shot, here you go...



I love the chunky buttons, I like the way it finishes it in (what I hope is) a stylish way.



ps after Sunday's run, things aren't going so well. I put my hands up, I feel quite ashamed. The whole work thing you see... You're probably going to think I'm a right old pig. Last night I had a whole pack of Doritos and dip. And no, not the small size. Anyone else comfort eat??!

9 comments:

Swirlyarts said...

I comfort eat all the time! At the moment I have decided to concentrate on getting fit rather than trying to get fit and diet at the same time. I have tried doing both before and it has never worked out! So fitness (walking 3 times a week at the moment) is coming first and then I will start working on the food I eat further down the road. This way it will take a long time but I'm happy to wait :)

jane said...

The cowl is so beautiful! I've seen that yarn in the store before and it really is gorgeous - so soft and squishy, perfect choice for a cowl.
I do know what you mean about how to decide what to do - not really the same, but after I finished my first degree (which took 4 years) I decided that what I really wanted to do was to become a doctor, which meant I had to go back and do 5 years of med school! I hadn't even started earning yet before I went back to study again, but all my friends were starting fairly well-paid jobs and by now (when I still have 18 months left of studying), many of them are fairly well off really, and I'm still a student. I genuinely don't mind though because I'm very happy doing what I do, and really, most of them are already saying they're bored of their line of work. So I would say definitely don't give up on something if there is something in particular that you really want to do - these things have a knack of working out in the end if you really want them to! Don't stick with what you're doing if it's not making you happy, especially if it's not paying you enough to make you feel like it's worth it!

Jennifer said...

I agree, it's so much better to be happy and fulfilled than to carry on what you're doing because you feel bad that you spent so much time getting there. Do what you love, you will feel so much better about it, even if it takes a little extra time.

Ali said...

I'm not the right person to ask. I went from Management Consultant to shop assistant. Now THAT's what I'd call a pay cut! But then, I'm not the primary breadwinner now and I have those little scamps to look after too. My advice? Never let fear of change stop you from doing anything. And know that your day job is not the be all and end all to feeling fulfilled. Would your business ideas fit into a smaller scale and let you do two things for a little bit?

The Girl said...

Ok so I wanted to think this through properly before I gave advice and now I've come a day too late!

Anyway.

I spent 4 years at uni studying to do something I really wanted to do and at the end of it realised that I didn't really want to do it at all (or more I did want to do it, but breaking in to the field was going to be nigh on impossible to do). I ended up temping which is soul destroying but one day got sent to this place for 2 weeks and that was 3 years ago.

I've moved various jobs since I've been here and ended up now doing something I never would have thought I liked but really enjoy it. Only problem is it pays naff all because I work for a charity. SO soon I'm going to be on the look out for similar jobs that hopefully pay a little more.

The point is that you never know what might come your way and things might fall in to your lap when you least expect it. Plus we're in a time now where people chop and change their jobs all the time.

Money's definitely important but isn't the be all and all. Having said that, taking a huge pay cut is easier said than done. But at the end of the day you've got to want to get out of bed and go to work every morning and you could have the best paid job in the world but still not want to go in and do it!

The Girl said...

Oooh and I forgot - I love the colour of that wool!

Marie said...

Ditto to all the above; if you aren't happy now, but continue with your present career for a few more years, you may feel 100 times more disenchanted by then. It's a tough one and it may take you a while to come to a decision, but you have recognised that you want some kind of change, which is the first step. Love your neckwarmer , it looks so cozy!

Felix said...

I totally comfort eat! I think it's important not to give yourself grief about it when you do, as in my experience, feeling guilty about munching out just makes me eat more to feel better.

This year I decided to join Weight Watchers again, to get some tips on how to snack and eat loads of tasty noms without gaining 10 billion lbs in weight. I spent a lot of this week trying to give away cake that I will only eat if it sits around in my house, and stocking my whole fridge up with stuff that has very few calories in it.

I have been loving reading all your tasty recipes btw, it seems you have been eating well so I wouldn't worry too much about the random doritos moment!

I can email you with tips if you would like... smart snacking choices and stuff to have on hand for when you get munchy. These are my two major areas of personal culinary research at the moment.

Your cowl is lovely; really pretty colour and gorgeous button choice! x

Felix said...

PS I would totally find a job that makes you happy and crunch all the numbers when you have a few options. Couldn't hurt to write up a new CV and lodge it with a nearby job agency...