Goal #4

Up until this point, my fourth Day Zero goal and, perhaps, the impetus of my list, has been hidden from the public. But now that it has been fulfilled, I am happy to share it with you.

I got a new job! New! Job!

Just over a year ago, I started actively looking for my next opportunity in the fundraising world. A big issue, however, was that I wasn't sure that the next logical step, the one that most people like me take, was right for me. Two things I've always known about myself: one, I’m a behind-the-scenes type who would rather be known first for my work, rather than my position or name. And two, I’m extremely uncomfortable in schmoozy situations; I’m the girl at the networking event who’d rather talk to you about how awkward this whole thing is than push a business card. And while my fundraising work has suited me well with the former thus far, I knew that if I ever wanted to really make the big bucks, I’d have to get a lot more comfortable with the latter. I convinced myself I could do it, though, and proceeded.

I ended up getting a couple interviews that I was kind of excited about, including one in Pittsburg of all places (I'm still kind of smitten with the city), but they ultimately fizzled. And the more I looked at what I'd actually be doing in these jobs, the more I couldn't picture myself doing it. And as my Oma used to say, those who say they can't don't want to. True. So I took a break from the search to try to reevaluate what to do next. And in the meantime, I made an extra effort to fill up my plate with work that inspired me - creative campaigns, videos, writing - in the midst of my annual fundraising cycle. That's been my survival strategy for keeping this job interesting for eight years.

They say love finds you when you stop looking. Apparently it works that way with jobs sometimes, too. In the midst of everything, my creative pursuits were being noticed by someone, and she invited me out for coffee this past spring. We talked about having a job you’re good at versus having a job that’s life-giving. And that was when my feelings of what was wrong with my current job really came to light - I understood my profession better than many people, but its challenges were no longer motivating to me.  I had no time to fret about it, though, because that coffee meeting turned into a job offer to work in marketing. It wouldn’t be a switch of employers, but it would be a change of pace...and a minor shift in identity I began to think of myself as someone with "marketing" in my title.

It was a bit of a whirlwind at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt like I was returning to myself. Everyone I told the news to said something along the lines of, "Yeah, that's you." I had no hesitation in taking it. I felt like finally I could let go the numbers and stats and fiscal-year game I'd come to dread and focus on the good stuff, the stuff that brings me joy.

After months of waiting and planning for the transition, things officially begin next week. Wish me luck!