Why do I do what I do?
“You are my greatest adventure.”
This quote is so apt for new love. It suits the newly engaged, the newlyweds, but for me it was the birth of my children.
Why do I do what I do?
Because I recognised that my children were the greatest adventure I was ever going to experience & I wanted to be present for all of it.
Before kids I was a secondary school teacher. I specialised in Religious Education after completing my degree in Theology, & I couldn’t imagine working in any other field. Teaching is a job that completely consumes you. There is ALWAYS something to do, to improve, to evaluate…. Up until 2011 I was okay with this. Working with children felt like a calling, & despite the long hours & endless workload I loved going into work every day (well, most days!).
But then I had my kids & I found that I couldn’t wait to leave school & get home to see them, I resented every minute spent working outside of ‘normal working hours’, & I just didn’t have the patience for all the extra tasks & expectations that seem to have snowballed for teachers. The book trawls, the lesson observations, the red pens, the green pens, the CONSTANT threat of ofsted (if you know, you KNOW!).
It just stopped making sense to me & I could feel that I was no longer giving it my all.
Then my other half got a promotion & all of a sudden, that little hobby that seemed to be picking up nicely, became a potential full-time job. I realised that all the time & energy required for teaching could & would easily transfer to developing this little business.
So I opened an ebay shop, & then an Etsy store, & I worked my butt off in between nap times & night feeds to put myself in a position where I could justify ditching my full-time job.
It’s 5 years on & I haven’t looked back. I loved my time in the classroom, & I’m grateful for the discipline gained through my career as a teacher. But The Lakeside Shed is a huge part of my adventure & I'm so proud of what I have achieved 😊
How have you stepped off the well-worn path to pursue your dreams? 😘💕