The importance of a "career"

More and more these days, my thoughts of a career are turning from pipe dreams, to actual direct actions and steps that will get me there. Like many others, I have felt for years that a 9-5 is far from anything that I want. It's something that other people do; somehow I'll land on my feet and get the best job ever, travelling the world, doing what I love and getting paid for it. Of course, these thoughts stay with me; it would be rather depressing if I snapped into reality completely!

 I've recently updated my CV and wrote to a dozen or so Accounting practices in my local area asking for some sort of placement for a couple of days a week over summer. And it's got me thinking, me, Rebekah, the float through life, laid back, do whatever comes naturally, not thinking of the future, is doing exactly that! Naturally, because I'm studying in something vocational, I did seriously consider it as a career, but when I first started it wasn't really about that, more of using my time for something productive and keeping active (mentally, not physically, ha!). But now I've completed all of my exams (as of yesterday, yippee!!)  I've found myself feeling excited about a regular job, wearing office wear, chatting round the cooler, and scarily, having a boss being more A-OK!

 This change of thought is somewhat peculiar, making me think whether what I'm thinking is really me, or is it an environmental persuasion? Much like the desire for a flash car, or the latest must have what-cha-ma-call-it, is my want to have a salaried career a psychological need to conform to societal norms?

What got me thinking was the childhood cliched question "what do you want to be when you're older?" and the more I think about it the more awful it seems. Of course, to an innocent child, it's a fun concept; wanting to emulate their hero, idol, favourite toy (god forbid it be a "celebrity"!) but to the more cynical lot of us, it's the notion that our career becomes us, what we want to be  is a title of position or job.

For many, this question moulds the rest of their lives, not wanting to disappoint their inner child they go on to study biology,  and on to be a vet, and for those who manage success, well done! But for some, this simple answer back when they were a young child becomes a symbol of disappointment and failure. Is it right to be putting so much importance of what career we have?

Even as an adult, I find myself being asked "what do you do?"  as though the person I am, or going to be is what I find to do to pay the bills. Maybe I am being too cynical, I am certainly excited that in a few years time I'll be able to say that I am a fully qualified chartered accountant (hoping all goes well), but maybe I should be looking towards improving myself as a person as well as, so that I can say something important about who I am and not just what I do.

I'd like to say goodbye today with a few questions, leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

 Have you ever felt pressured when considering a career?

 Is it really that bad to be putting so much importance on "what you want to be when you're older?"

 Have you, or are you, following your childhood dreams, or are you like me and want to be something different everyday of the week? (I was discussing last night with my other half about opening a BBQ diner!)

 Peace and Love,
 Rebekah
Future business woman/wife/mother/nice person
 xx

Start of the Summer

College is all but done now. I have a few more exams and a few more accountancy classes to do, but my Monday to Friday schedule is almost completely free now, meaning that I'll be spending more time in my shop and hopefully dragging it up by the scruff of the neck to how I want it. I've been a bit lapse these last few weeks, letting it just trumble along and just about pay the bills; a terrible thing to do when you run your own business. 

I've found that whenever I have been in the shop, I can see that it's not what I dreamed it to be, the atmosphere, the location, the stock, is just all wrong. A drastic re-think is needed and needed very soon!

When I started to think about going into my business, I had all those hopes and dreams of how it would be, what it would look like and how well it would be doing. I planned everything precisely, budgeted, wrote business plans, applied for small business grants and did everything I felt I needed to give AS the best start.

Two and a half months on, and I feel like I've hit a wall, we're dead in the water and I don't know what move to make next. I've read a few similar things in my search for an answer, it seems quite a common thing to feel so lost. I think it's the case with most projects that are long term, you go into it full pelt but fail to think of any long term objectives or worst case scenario plans. 

I need to be more pro-active, and certainly by having a lot more spare time I can do this. It's just a problem of where to start. I think it would be a lot easier to have fresh eyes and go into the shop and see it how someone else sees it. I know something is wrong but I just can't put my finger on it. 

I've been researching a few shop interiors, its the little things that I'm interested in. How they display their clothes and accessories, the colour schemes, etc. Obviously we want to be able to reflect the clothes we sell, which is 50s rockabilly day and evening styles, it's hand picked, and beautiful clothing. But we also sell "designer outlet", such as Monsoon, which is up to 70% off and has proved to be our day to day income and helped us to pay the bills, whether I like it or not. 

from toast.co.uk - one of their shop interiors

*I love the bright red floors with the sumptuous teal walls. The clothes also go well with the colour scheme

which I think is really important. It's bold, but it works well*

from http://buttercupandroses.blogspot.co.uk/

*isn't this just the cutest shop front? It seems so homely and effortless, but I just know it is well

choreographed. The colour scheme is darling too*

An anthropologie store display

*Shelving <3 just proves how useful it can can be! The paper rose display is great too*

Anthropologie again

*I love the use of the crates as display, and hanging the belts on nice old hangers, really nice and useful!*

A few I found from the blog "http://the-lark.blogspot.co.uk"

*Oh, how darling is this?! The colours, the sweet prints, the nicknacks, the flowers. 

Now to just apply this to a 50s clothes shop!*

Have you ever felt this way about your business? Totally stuck in a rut and not knowing how to move on? Did you manage to find a way?

I think my next step is to source some bits and pieces and consult the colour wheel, get some paint and get cracking. Going to try some different advertising techniques and get some window stickers too. 

Peace and Love

xx