In The Age of Portfolio Careers, Pandemics and Parenthood: What Exactly Is Success?

We could all talk about 2020 until we're blue in the face, and as a milennial it's hard not to think of the past 13 months as stolen goods, but I can't help but wonder what it's all meant for my life successes. 

We all have a lot of influences around us from all different walks of life, especially on social media. I know people with incredibile careers, people who are starting their families and people who have seen the world. Being a 23 year old training in their second career choice it's sometimes hard to see why all these people around me have such success and I'm still in square one - unable to ever see permanance in anything I do. 

I want to talk about portfolio careers, one of the latest trends in employment. Doing a bit of everything because you have multiple passions or because you just can't make your mind up kind of feels like the perfect description for my work life since graduating from university in 2018. (Lets not even think about the fact that's almost THREE years ago, ew!) 

When I was in school I loved to write and I loved the glamour and appeal of glossy magazines and media offices full of strong women with the same interests and passions as me. I guess I watched too many 90s chick flicks based in New York, because this wasn't my reality. Of course the strong women and the passionate figures where there - I met some amazing people during my time in the media - but I also saw and heard some really heavy stuff. Stuff the chick flicks never warned me about. 

After deciding my teenage dreams were never going to be the reality I had hoped I finally thought I'd found my calling when I started volunteering at a local Primary School. I applied to a PGCE course and started working to become a teacher myself. I love it. But do I still fantasise about being a hot shot Cosmopolitain writer? Always. 

We have one life and one career and that's it. Make your choice and stick with it - who are you, a teacher or a writer? Maybe one day I'll figure out how I can be both. But for now it's the hard slog to the best place I can get to - and in this climate that's if I can even progress from trainee to employment by September. 

Career success - not looking so great. 

The discussion on the pandemic has opened up in a positive way recently - and I'm so here for it. We've all gone through a horrendous time, some more than others, but there's always a silver lining somewhere. 

One of the great things about lockdown was the time people got to spend with their families and loved ones they live with. I got to see first hand how that changed my best friend's life, who is now expecting her first little boy. (Literally the best thing to come out of covid times!!) I couldn't be more excited for her and I just know her little man is going to be spoiled by his mum, dad and crazy surrogate aunties! 

But, I can't help but take this as an opportunity to check myself. While my best friend is so together with her mortgage, boyfriend and baby on the way I'm still living with my parents a few months into a relationship where I can't even see my boyfriend because of the pandemic. It's a tough pill to swallow sometimes - wondering am I behind and if it's my fault? I know that's not what I want right now, but I also don't know what I do want right now. Will I ever even be in that position? There's no instructions with this life and I'm confused right now! 

Of course, all this would be fine if I was spending time living my best life. Travelling the world, fullfilling my dreams or killing it at work would be a great alternative for me right now. Except, I'm kinda still in life purgatory - like so many of my fellow millenials. 

I mean what the hell are we meant to be doing?! I don't even know what I want, let alone if I'm doing it right. And now kids on TikTok are telling me my hair and jeans aren't even cool anymore, so I can't even rely in my solid 'jeans and nice top' outfit to make myself feel better. 

I guess I kind of sound like a Debbie Downer - but that's not it. I may not have a successful career or a successful personal life but that's why it's SO important to remember the successes to do have. 

I haven't found my perfect career and job yet, but I'm a hell of a lot closer than I was before I did my PGCE and Rome wasn't built in a day and all that! 

I haven't moved out of my parent's house yet, but I do have the best boyfriend a girl could ask for and who wants to rush out of the honeymoon phase too soon! 

I might have lived the last 13 months in lockdowns but hey I lost two stone and cleared my spotty skin! Go me! 

I guess for me that's just it. Success isn't always the big things. Success today is making steps, being happy, making choices and mistakes and learning from them. We're all successful in our own ways and I just need to follow my own path. The biggest success though, is realising that. 

Onto the next one.