A while back I told you about the day I handed in my notice after 17 years with the same company. Today marks the first anniversary of my last day at work. Last year the 5th July was a Friday and it was a very strange day for me indeed.

The sun was shining. My boss and his boss took me out to lunch. The next boss up sent me flowers and I basically wandered about my store, moist-eyed, saying good-bye to my team and promising to keep in touch.

That evening I was going to Frocester Ball and it was the first time that I could stay till the end, knowing that I didn\’t have to get up the following day to go to work and hold the Saturday Sales Meeting at 8.30am. I danced and drank as much as I liked and celebrated the end of an era.

I had no idea what was coming next. No plan at all, except to enjoy the summer, rest, relax and recharge my batteries. Having started working at age 13, this was the first summer I\’d had without working in thirty years! What a summer it was too. The sun shone pretty much every day throughout July and August and I said to myself that there would be plenty of time for work when it started to rain again.  The sunshine was a sign that I had made the right decision.

My husband, Steve, and I met in the September of the year 2000 and we were married two years after that. Apart from on holiday, we had never spent 24 hours together because he worked Monday-Friday and I worked every Saturday, every Sunday and every Bank Holiday, taking my days off during the week. We wondered if we would manage being together all the time, at home, rather than in a swanky hotel somewhere hot and exciting. He\’s been amazing; he\’s believed in me and been there with me every step of the way.

We have had a great year! Last summer we spent time with the family, attending my brother\’s wedding and being able to spend the whole weekend with them in Oxfordshire. We visited the rest of the family in Devon too and loved reconnecting with cousins, aunts and uncles.

A trip in an air-balloon over Cheltenham Racecourse was a highlight and a great reminder to always look for the big picture. To set your sights on the horizon and not get bogged down in the details.

  Let\’s Fly!

Then there are the simple, every day things like eating breakfast together, walking the dog and just not having to rush anything. It\’s special.

After two months off, I was beginning to think that I should test the waters and see whether any of my business ideas might be workable. By the end of September, The Dream Job Coach was born! So, today, as I look back over the year since I walked out of my well-paid, respectable job; my dream job for so many years, I\’m thrilled to say that I still feel like I made the right decision and I haven\’t regretted it for one minute. The freedom to work when I want, to share my knowledge and experience and best of all, to help others to identify and go after their dream job has been, well, a dream come true.

When I\’m coaching, it\’s great to know that I\’m coaching my clients towards achieving their goals (not mine or the team\’s) and it\’s brilliant that there are no management responsibilities waiting for me when we\’ve finished. It means that I can focus entirely on my clients and what\’s best for them.

   Let what you Love, Be what you Do!

When I\’m not coaching, I get to indulge my other passions and in the name of leading by example, I feel obliged to get out there and keep having fun in the sun with those who mean the world to me: my husband, our family and our friends.

The balance is right. My dream job is inspiring you to find yours whether that\’s through one to one coaching, workshops, social media, this blog or networking.

Dream Job Workshop

I hope you love what you do. If you don\’t and you\’d like to make some changes to your life, please do get in touch.

Email:  jenner_louise1@me.com      Or Call: 01452 523459 / 07766 250192

Have a great weekend! Ours started on Thursday at Henley Royal Regatta where both my younger brothers were competing. I\’m recovering from Frocester Ball 2014 as we speak and gearing up to celebrate our friend Bob\’s birthday later on today.

\”Yep, I definitely made the right decision when I decided to change my life!\”

By: Louise Jenner, The Dream Job Coach.

Copyright: Louise Jenner 2014

Photo Credits: Louise Jenner and NJF Photography.