How is it Going?

It’s been just over twelve months since I started my current job and I feel like I have finally got the hang of things.  There are still obviously LOTS of things to learn, but I am now getting consistent sales as well as regular positive feedback from customers.

The first few months at my new job were filled with learning the products, systems, and what to say to the customers, all alongside trying to grieve my last job which had unexpectedly come to a close after my being there for the previous fourteen years.

If you missed it or would like a refresher, here’s the post where I announce the news and the reason for changing jobs.

I’m definitely settled in and more confident now, and as I’m closing more sales I have reached my individual monthly targets 5 out of the last 6 months. 

Around October last year, I made some notes with the intention of doing a six-month update but for whatever reason, that didn't happen and I found them again while researching what to include in this update.

April 19th 2021 - October 19, 2021, was six months.  Maybe it didn't turn into more than notes as my thoughts began to drift towards the news around the new pandemic variant that was starting to appear at this time, meaning that I was getting worried that I wouldn't be able to visit my mum again for Christmas as we’d hoped.  

“6 months on, how am I managing with the job change 

A new week - anxious because of targets 

I get nervous when there’s a fresh target for the week or month. So my anxiety starts to rise with a thought and the possibility that I may struggle to get my targets.

My knowledge is much better with the stock. And my understanding of how the systems work for ordering and delivering etc is also a lot better now.

I just have to remember to take my time, take a breath, and ask questions.

I think part of the issue is that I’m used to shoplifters instead of genuine customers, so I’m on edge when we have customers enter the shop. But as soon as I have that first sale of the week under my belt, I’m relieved and the pressure is off.” 

It seems like I have now been here forever and at the same time, not long at all, which seems weird.

My anxiety was very high for the majority of the first eight months at my new job due to changing jobs as well as the ongoing pandemic.  Fortunately, my anxiety has now lowered as I’ve been doing a lot of work on it, at work and at home. 

The main thing that I’ve been doing is giving the day over to God to control as I can’t.  And I’m NOT meant to.  I’ve grown a lot more patient with sales when nothing much is on the board by Friday morning for me with Saturday often being the day where I’ve made my target that week. 

I’ve even dealt really well with managerial changes as the manager who employed me went to look after another store while that manager went off on a sabbatical to work for a year so we’ve had an interim manager since around July.  He has had to go back to his store early so that he is closer to his family, some of whom have health concerns.  So we now have another interim manager for who knows how long.  

But, I am okay with it because it’s His will and I will learn things from the new manager that I wouldn't have from the previous two.  

Working closely with one of my colleagues twice a week, just the two of us has helped me SO much in the last year, with the job, my mental health and my faith because they are also Christian.  They are so positive that’s fed into me and aided me to work on my mind’s default negative setting.  

I think that’s what made the biggest difference for me these last twelve months, it could be so easy to fall into that negative mindset when there's low footfall and as a result, I’m not hitting my targets.  But, I know now that I CAN close a sale and if people aren't buying, then they're not ready yet, and they want to either check out other places and/or have a think about it.  We respect that.  And, when they’re ready, hopefully, they’ll come back to us because of the exemplary service we gave them.  

I make a point daily and multiple times throughout the day to hand it over to Him.  HIS will be done, not mine.  I do it while I listen to worship music in the morning while I am getting ready for work, on my prayer walk to work and throughout the day.  Whenever I feel myself trying to control things, I hand it over to Him.  It’s not for me to control because He has planned out my life already for me, and looking back, my life wasn't that great when I was in control of it!!  

I can’t believe how much I have learned and grown in the last year.  

My confidence.  My patience.  And, my mindset.  

I knew that I had made progress in all these areas, but it’s only now while I’m writing it all out and reflecting on where I started, just how far I HAVE come.  Just HOW much work I have done to get to where I am today.  

It’s only when we sit down and take stock of where we started that we see how far we have come.  The small daily changes mostly go unseen by us, but others notice them.