Taking Risks + Dealing with Change

So we all know that spring is a season of change. The weather goes from rain and freezing cold to abundant sunshine and warm temperatures. Things start to grow and bloom. We trade our sweaters and scarves for sandals and light, flowy blouses. Spring is beautiful. It happens to be one of the all around favorite seasons. But getting there is a little awkward, am I right? The transition period is confusing and between the change in temps and daylight savings, weird things start happening. Getting good sleep is hard, and allergies become our worst enemy. And as I talked about in Tuesday’s post, even getting dressed becomes frustrating.

You Did What, Now?

I am currently in the “transition to spring” of life. I recently made a huge life changing decision that I’m about to share with you guys… I quit my job. Yep. You read that right. I quit. And let me tell you, the decision was not made on a whim. Kevin and I talked about it for months. I prayed about it for months. I went back and forth on the pros and cons. And as much as I tried to shake the voice that was telling me “It’s really ok to quit. You need to quit for you.” I just couldn’t. So Friday, March 2 was my last day at a corporate job that had been all I’d known for almost two years. I mean, it was the whole reason I got to move to Little Rock to be with Kevin before we got married. I made some amazing friends there. So it was definitely bittersweet. You’re probably thinking I’m crazy right about now. Maybe you’re right haha.

Take a Risk

From the time that I was a little girl, it was instilled in me that when I grew up, I needed to find a job that I loved. Because if I loved my job, I’d never work a day in my life. Plain and simple, my job wasn’t making me happy anymore. I was working myself to death mentally and emotionally for not a whole lot of return. I wasn’t fulfilled, I felt like my job didn’t make a difference, I didn’t feel appreciated, and ultimately, I realized I was working for somebody else’s dream. As it turns out, the corporate life and all that comes with it is not for me. So for now, I’m going to take this time to do some traveling. I’m going to go to as many of my brother’s baseball games as possible. And I’m going to work really REALLY hard on my blog. I have never been so passionate and excited about anything in my life, and I knew if I didn’t take the risk (or opportunity, depending on how you look at it) I would always wonder “what if”. I would always regret it. So I took the leap. Here I am, one week into this new chapter of life, and it has been so freeing. I just want to say, by no means do I think my blog is the best thing that’s ever existed, and I’m not saying you should just up and quit your job. But I am saying if there is something that’s been on your heart for a while that you can’t shake, you should go for it. Take a risk. Because it might just be the best thing you ever did.

Dealing With Change

While having all this freedom has been super nice, it has come with challenges as well. ( I know, I know, what could possibly be so hard about not having a job?) I have been so used to a schedule for basically the last 20 years of my life, and I’ve realized that I don’t really know how to function without one. I seriously spent the first day or two just kind of wandering around the house trying to figure out what to do. It was so strange. Immediately, I knew I had to create some kind of rules and routine for myself. So far, this is what I’ve learned about how to deal with this particular kind of change:

• Make a schedule: the first thing I did was create a daily schedule for myself. It includes things like when I’ll spend time cleaning, working out (lol), blogging, running errands, etc. I made mine in an excel spreadsheet because it can easily be edited each week.
• Take it one day at a time: Pace yourself. Honestly, this sounds silly. But once I realized how much free time I had I felt guilty if I wasn’t filling every second of it with something productive. I’d bounce from room to room trying to get everything clean. But like, why? I have 7 days to clean. Pick one room a day and clean it. Pick one errand a day. Pick one aspect of the blog (or whatever your thing is), and work on that for a day.
• Budget: Did I mention we now have one income to live off of? This was and still is the scariest part for me. I know it’s doable, but I’m so used to having my own paycheck that it freaks me out to not have it. I definitely have to watch what I spend way more than I used to. Not ideal for a fashion blogger, but definitely doable.
• Still make time for myself: Again, I would get so caught up in staying productive on the first day, that I ended up being exhausted by the end of it. So I’ve decided after 6:30 each day, I’m going to let myself sit down and watch TV or take a bath or read a book.

While these things are specific to my situation, I feel like they could easily apply to a lot of other types of change such as deployments, moves, job changes, additions to the family (fur babies or otherwise), etc.

Things are changing. And change can be hard and a little awkward. But I am so excited to see what’s to come, and I hope you’ll come along for the ride! Keep scrolling for another transition-to-spring outfit <3

Outfit Details: Peplum Tee (similar here and here) |Velvet Bomber (similar here and here) | Jeans | Mules | Earrings | Sunglasses

I adore a simple tee, especially one that comes in an amazing color like this one. Oh, and the cute little peplum doesn’t hurt either! I’ve paired it with my favorite velvet bomber, a pair of distressed black jeans, and these super cute mules that I will be wearing daily. Literally the perfect hurry-up-spring outfit.

Thanks for spending part of your Friday with me! How do you handle change? Leave any tips you have below in the comments section; I’d love to hear them!

xo Hayley