For the last 22 years, I've worked in the same industry - since a lad of 18, I've worked may way up in my industry to a pretty good executive job. But to be honest, the love of what I do has gone, and all I'm left with is stress and bitterness. All around me, I see my fellow managers stressed to the eyes, sometimes even in tears when we're talking about the issues that surround us at work.
Stress has hit me bad and I'm currently on medication that does a great job of easing the physical effects of stress, but the emotional side is still there.
For many years, now though, I've been involced in some pretty extreme DIY and building jobs around the last two houses my wife and I have owned, up to and including building a proper brick workshop, a couple of kitchens, bathrooms, converting the old kitchen into a shower room, tiling, flooring, plumbing, electrics, decking, walls, patio building, landscaping, the works, plastering, decorating... the lot really!
This is all self taught, inspired by watching my dad when I was a kid.
So, now, after a lot of thinking, while I was happily working on a big-old 22Sqm patio this Easter, I'm considering quitting and taking up a trade professionally.
I guess it'll be worth taking some time out to get some PROPER training, maybe spend a little while as a labourer or something to get to know the ropes, then start out on my own.
Does anyone else have a similar tale, or any help and advice? I really think that this is a chance to break away from all the stress and spend some time doing things that I'm really actually rather good at.
Andy
Stress has hit me bad and I'm currently on medication that does a great job of easing the physical effects of stress, but the emotional side is still there.
For many years, now though, I've been involced in some pretty extreme DIY and building jobs around the last two houses my wife and I have owned, up to and including building a proper brick workshop, a couple of kitchens, bathrooms, converting the old kitchen into a shower room, tiling, flooring, plumbing, electrics, decking, walls, patio building, landscaping, the works, plastering, decorating... the lot really!
This is all self taught, inspired by watching my dad when I was a kid.
So, now, after a lot of thinking, while I was happily working on a big-old 22Sqm patio this Easter, I'm considering quitting and taking up a trade professionally.
I guess it'll be worth taking some time out to get some PROPER training, maybe spend a little while as a labourer or something to get to know the ropes, then start out on my own.
Does anyone else have a similar tale, or any help and advice? I really think that this is a chance to break away from all the stress and spend some time doing things that I'm really actually rather good at.
Andy
