“If an item sparks joy, keep it.” The famous decluttering expert Marie Kondo always says.
This is true in many circumstances. If it doesn’t spark joy, let it go and pass it along. However, when it comes to intangible things like experiences, such as a job, that rule doesn’t always apply.
It is always a good thing when you have fun at your job and genuinely enjoy what you do. Definitely continue with it. However, when you’ve reached a certain point in your life when that job is no longer adding any more value to your life, advancing or challenging you as it did before — perhaps it is time to let go and move on to the next chapter of your life. This is especially applicable to those who are still in the beginning stages of their career life.
I started my very first job at Häagen-Dazs, the ice cream shop during my freshman year of college. I have no prior experience at all, so it was really nerve-racking, but also exciting when I first started.
In the blink of an eye, I have been working there for more than 2 years. Many people hate working retail. While I 100% understand where they’re coming from — there are some moments at work that I couldn’t stand either — at the end of the day, I love my job and it brings me joy (most of the time).
The face-to-face interaction with customers, seeing their faces lit up when they taste an ice cream sample I offered, joking with them about getting ice cream as a little treat/cheat day during their vague diet, seeing the joy or sense of satisfaction in customers’ eyes and brightening up their day with a simple greeting and words of appreciation. These are just a few of the many little things that made me fall in love with my job.
This was my first job, first real-world working experience and it has taught me so much — skills that are useful to me to this day and will still be in the future. I will not be where I am today if it wasn’t for this job. Working in retail doesn’t seem like much, but it provides you with such good experience and exposure to customer service, customer relations, efficiency, adaptability, resilience, emotion management, and so much more. These are all skills you develop while working retail and are great skills to have to prepare you for the future. And I am very grateful to have the opportunity.
Working with coworkers was another big part of the enjoyment. There’s a lot of collaboration that comes with the job. As simple as filling up milk and preparing ingredients for your coworker or alternating steps with each other when making a shake or a sundae — it brings me a lot of joy since I love working in a team.
However, now that I am almost a senior in college, I’m starting to get more professional opportunities related to my area of study and/or my desired career industry. As much as I want to have everything and hold on to all the opportunities I get, that is just simply impossible. And that is life. Time is limited and I’ve found myself constantly burnt out from juggling so many tasks. Throughout this year, I have 3 jobs and 3-4 other positions on campus while I am also taking classes as a full-time student, and this semester I also started an internship.
Working at Häagen-Dazs brought me so much joy and it was really hard to let go. But after going back and forth and having that inner battle, I knew it was the right thing to do. If I don’t let go of past experiences — experiences that have benefited me but no longer adding major value to my life anymore, I won’t be able to keep advancing myself in new ways.
While I am sad a chapter of my life has ended. I know those memories I made there are forever and will always stay with me.
Goals and priorities change with the stages of life you are in. When some things no longer align with your current goal or move you forward, it is time to consider shifting things, even if it means giving up certain things.
Collegiettes, I know it is hard to let go, but sometimes it is the right thing to do. And in the end, you will be happy and proud of your choice when you look back.