Man, thinking back to 2017, that was a wild one for me, especially when it came to career and money stuff. As a typical Pisces, I always felt a bit like I was swimming in circles, you know? Dreaming big, sure, but sometimes getting bogged down in the how of it all. At the start of that year, I was pretty much there. I had a job, but it felt… flat. Just punching the clock, not really thriving. And money? Let’s just say it was doing its own thing, certainly not growing in my direction.
I remember sitting on my couch one particularly cloudy morning in January, just feeling this heavy cloud over my head. I was tired of just drifting. I knew I needed a change, but the path felt totally murky. It’s a classic Pisces thing, I guess, that yearning for something more meaningful, but often getting lost in the practical steps to actually get there.
Pushing Through the Fog
So, I decided to really dig deep and figure out what was bugging me. I mean, truly sit down and write out what bothered me about my current gig and what I wished I was doing. It felt kinda silly, like making a wish list to Santa, but I did it. I scribbled down pages and pages in an old notebook. I identified the parts of my job that drained me and the areas I felt completely stagnant in. This wasn’t some fancy strategic plan; it was just me dumping thoughts onto paper.
Then came the harder part: figuring out money. My wallet often felt like a leaky bucket. I had to face that reality. I pulled up my bank statements, which frankly, was a terrifying prospect. I scanned through all the transactions. It was eye-opening, to say the least. I saw exactly where my cash was just evaporating – mostly on impulse buys and stuff I didn’t even need. It wasn’t a sudden fix, but I started to monitor it. I created a super basic spreadsheet, just tracking what came in and what went out. No fancy budgeting apps, just old-school manual entry. It forced me to be accountable.
Making Moves, One Step at a Time
On the career front, after all that soul-searching, I realized I had some skills that weren’t being used at all. I decided to brush up on them and even learn a couple of new ones. I signed up for some free online courses, spending my evenings watching tutorials and practicing. It was grueling sometimes, after a full day of that dull job, but the idea of growing kept me going. I pushed myself to actually finish what I started, which for a creative type like me, can sometimes be a struggle.
I also started looking for other opportunities. I wasn’t just blindly applying anymore. I was targeting roles that actually felt like they aligned with what I’d scrawled in my notebook. I tailored my resume, trying to highlight those new skills I was picking up. I sent out maybe a dozen applications, and yeah, I got a bunch of “no thanks” emails. That felt pretty deflating, but I kept at it.
Simultaneously with the career hunt, I doubled down on sorting out my finances. I challenged myself to make my coffee at home instead of buying it every day. I started packing my lunch. Small changes, but they added up. I even went through my closet and sold a bunch of old clothes and gadgets I hadn’t touched in ages. Every little bit of extra cash that came in went straight into a separate savings account I opened just for emergencies. It wasn’t a huge amount, but seeing that number slowly grow gave me a sense of control I hadn’t felt in a long time.
The Shift and the Breakthrough
Around summer, things started to shift. I remember getting a call for an interview for a position that sounded really interesting. It wasn’t my “dream job” yet, but it was a definite step in a better direction. I prepped like crazy for that interview, practicing my answers, researching the company. I was still nervous, typical Pisces, overthinking everything, but I walked in with a newfound confidence from all the work I’d been doing behind the scenes.
And then it happened. I got the offer. It wasn’t a huge pay bump, but the role itself was so much more engaging. It involved using those new skills I’d been learning, and the team felt much more supportive. I remember feeling this huge sense of relief and accomplishment. I accepted the offer and gave my notice at the old job. Stepping away from that stagnant energy felt like I could finally breathe again.
By the end of 2017, I was in that new role, and while it had its own challenges, it felt like a massive improvement. My finances were also looking way healthier. I wasn’t rich, not by a long shot, but I had a small cushion, and more importantly, I finally understood where my money was going. I stopped feeling like I was just reacting to bills and started making conscious choices. That year taught me that even as a dreamy Pisces, you can ground yourself and make things happen if you just start somewhere and keep pushing, even through the cloudy days.
