From January to present, I have worked with approximately 7 or 8 different managers. With each change in the management team, the dynamic of my workplace shifted, and for many of my co-workers it was shifting in a way that didn't align with them. Working through all these changes was definitely challenging, and extremely frustrating at times, and it's not over yet. We just had one of these changes in management in the last couple of weeks!
Perhaps, one of the most difficult aspects of all the ado was the workplace morale. For the first couple of years, this was a place I enjoyed going to. I had fun going to work because my co-workers were, and are, AWESOME! I have made some wonderful friendships working here that will last a lifetime. However, for a period during the summer, it was starting to be a chore to go to work. My friends and co-workers were getting frustrated (myself included), and it was sometimes challenging to find the fun. As a result, a lot of people decided it was time for them to move on. I should note that a few of the people who decided to move on had been working there for more than 10 years! This was a decision that had been a long time coming, but was expedited by the changes.
Within the roughest times of these changes, I think we all re-evaluated our priorities. For some of us, as much as we would like to be living our dream by earning a living through our art, the cost of not having a steady income was too high for reasons such as debt, or simply the cost of living. For others, these changes acted as a catalyst for them to commit to pursuing their desired career and/or dreams. A handful of my co-workers, though they had nothing lined up upon submitting their resignation, landed jobs in their field within weeks of their last day of work!
For me, I knew that if I could make it through the summer that I would be fine. And that has been mostly true. The frustration led me to take on a new endeavor by opening my own business. Eventually, I will be earning enough from my new business that I will be able to continue to pursue my performing career while maintaining a lucrative income, zero of which will be coming from my current job! In the meantime, I choose to stay with this company because it allows me the flexibility to go to auditions, rehearsals, and perform in shows. In other words, I am able to pursue my desired career, at least part time, and the people are still awesome. :)
Thinking about how the many changes affected all involved, I would say that it was all for the good, though some of my co-workers - past and present - might disagree. I challenge them to reconsider because at the end of the day, we all benefited in some way, shape or form. Is it perfect? No. Is it ever going to be? Probably not. But, at the very least, we learned to persevere through thick and thin, to support the decisions made by those we care about, and, as I said before, we re-evaluated our priorities which has led some to go back to school to pursue a new career, some to (finally) say adios to a joe job and pursue their dream career, while others are still figuring it out.
For me, my original intention for this year was to focus on improving myself to be the best person I could be, and to be actively pursuing a career in the performing arts industry (as opposed to just saying that's what I'd like to do). Since I will be perpetually looking to improve myself to be the best person I can be, I can say I accomplished some of that this year, but there's more that I will do next year.
As for my performing career, I did good for myself. I performed in three shows this year: Love Fool, All Shook Up, and Bye Bye Birdie, each of which taught me so much about myself as a person and as a performer. I am so grateful for having been given the opportunity to be onstage as much as I was this year. My commitment and determination to live my dream continues into the new year as I have been cast in a production of Young Frankenstein, and I have plans to be 100% more active with my own music. So stay tuned!
Wishing you a happy holiday and a wonderful new year!
Tif
xo
xo
