Kristen,
Thanks so much for your response.
I guess I’ve had a hard time finding those Thriver-friendly job. It seems that almost every post I see says something along the lines of “fun, fast-paced environment” or “must be able to thrive in a fast-paced, multi-faceted environment.” To me that screams “RUN!” because that is what I am in right now and it is stressful and draining, no matter what limits I set for myself. I am also trying to just lean back (sorry Cheryl Sandburg), but I do not have the desire to be a strong leader or to be entertaining customers every other night and my current environment is really pushing us into that lately. I guess that’s why I feel like I have to explain why I’m taking a step back – in my mind stress = prestige. So that means that in my mind, you can’t have a decent job without the stress. I guess that’s GAILs coming into play. But your response shows that it’s possible to say that to a potential employer without sounding selfish or lazy. If I am tired and burnt out, I’m not going to be giving 100% at my job – which is exactly what is happening now.
Based on my experience so far, I think horticulture is something I’m interested in, but maybe isn’t a good career choice. I like to think about related options like being a florist, but then I think about how unflexible that would be – having no time on weekends for the entirety of wedding season. I’m somewhat interested in a support role, but I think it would be better if it was something I’m slightly interested in at the least (like an admin/coordinator for the state natural resources or something. But that’s a hard combination to find and get into a completely different field in one step.
I definitely love the creative workshop idea. I think it wouldn’t be as easy to let little errands add up until the entire weekend is gone. I’m going to do that in a couple weeks when my boyfriend is at a conference and I’ll see how it goes.
As always, thanks for the continued encouragement!