Climbing the Wrong Ladder
I am a retired teacher. After stepping away from the classroom, I took two years off—I became a life coach and homeschooled my kids during COVID.
Then reality hit. My husband and I sat down to evaluate our finances. Ouch. I needed to bring in income… immediately.
At that time, I remembered something Craig had once said: “You could NEVER work in a factory.” The challenge had been presented. The gauntlet was laid.
I figured, well, I’ll be starting my coaching business soon, and I don’t want to take a temporary job where they’ll actually miss me when I leave. I need a job where I can walk away at a moment’s notice—no strings attached.
The big-box distribution center outside of town was my answer. I applied, got a tour, and was hired within a week. At first, the novelty was fun. I was driving a speedy forklift, trying to “make rate.” I was meeting new people and learning new systems. It was my first job outside of education or hospitality—ever.
As I explored other opportunities, I ended up transferring to the company’s retail location down the street. At 58, I took a role as a “garden girl,” an easy-peasy job that I quickly excelled in. Within months, I was promoted to a top hourly management position.
And now? I hate it.
I climbed the ladder—only to realize it was the wrong one.
Currently, I manage people who often feel more like stray cats than employees. Some, like Nathan and Jackie, make my job easy. They work hard, and challenge themselves to improve every day. Others, like Greg, are simply passing through—picking up a paycheck for a few weeks before heading off to Army flight school. And then there are the Dianas, who disappear for ten minutes at a time, stretch their 15-minute breaks into half an hour, and consider employment a chance to get paid for socializing.
It’s becoming more and more exhausting.
You see, for the past several weeks, I’ve been growing…
Growing in patience. Growing in frustration. Growing in my understanding of what I don’t want for my future.
Growth is messy. Growth is uncomfortable. And sometimes, growth is realizing I’ve been climbing the wrong ladder—
so I can start focusing on, and moving toward the right one.
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