If I fully resign after this period of long service, I will lose my financial freedom. I have worked hard to get to where I am, but more than anything, I fear not having a fortnightly pay. Am I doing a disservice to women, everywhere?
The money was important while the girls were at a private school, going to uni, and finding their feet as young adults.
We tried to support them in ways that we (as parents) weren’t supported. I am sure each generation tries to make it easier than the one before. I don’t need to buy many things. I have all I need.
I wonder about other jobs that I might enjoy, work that doesn’t involve complex, demanding, serious work. Having recently read an excellent, rather inspiring book on career change entitled Rethink your career by Joanna Maxwell. I thought about the types of roles I could undertake as an older woman.
I thought about work in a flower shop. The advice given by Maxwell’s book was to think first about what you love and incorporate that into the job search process. The other ideas I considered were nursing, aged care, and/or counselling. But I have studied for so long that I can’t bear the thought of retraining.
I will take each day as it comes, depending on what is happening. This moment of self- isolation and the requirement to socially distance from one another means that looking for work as part of a career change isn’t a huge problem right now. How long can I continue without working when I have always felt the need for structure in my day? I acknowledge that I am one of the lucky ones because I have a choice.