Planning for a Plan

Today we celebrated World Book Day at school. As part of the celebrations, the children and I watched ‘The Biggest Book Show in the World’ online and on Tuesday we were visited by a well-known children’s author. And I have been inspired. I feel that, with some focus, I can be an author. The author visit was particularly inspiring. Not because of the pearls of wisdom he had to impart on the children but, well, because I thought if he can bloody do it, then so can I!

And so now I need to choose. What am I going to do next? I already know that I plan to leave work this summer because I just can’t face another year doing the same thing and putting up with the same people but what to do instead? I seem to be changing my mind along with the changing weather. Last week I was convinced that I wanted to go back to university and study Psychology. I’d even researched which courses I wanted to take (a distance-learning Certificate of Psychology over the summer in order to be able to study for a Masters Conversion Course starting in October) but what if I’m wrong? £8500 is a lot of money to commit to a…. Maybe Plan. And if in two, three, four years I decide it’s not for me, well, what then? Will I have the luxury of time and money to start a new career if I’m not happy? Probably not. So, what else? I would like to write. I’ve always wanted to. Even as a child I remember making story books about animals and children and decorating their front covers with colourful wrapping paper. But is it a realistic ambition? I am aware that it’s not a quick-fix solution to my money worries (I will most definitely have to rent out my flat and move back in with my parents when I give up my job, a prospect I am not looking forward to!) and so what will I do to earn money in the meantime?

I wish someone had sat me down five years ago and warned me about this. Told me to start thinking and to start planning my future. I wish I had more time. As it is, I have three months to hand in my notice and potentially six months until I stop earning a wage. I am considering travelling as a way of buying myself some more time.

A cop-out or a year out to consider my options?
To experience new things.
To live and enjoy life.
That is what I really need to do with my life: Live it!