When I was 15 years old, I got my first job. I was a quiet, introverted and extremely shy person who was put into the customer service retail workplace just before the holiday season. The first six months were brutal. I remember wanting to quit, crying and hating it there because I didn’t know what I was doing and I was often put in uncomfortable situations. However, I stayed there for four years straight before moving away to university. I practically grew up in that same environment and became an expert in every aspect of the job. It changed me into someone who was extremely well-rounded in productivity, organization and customer service skills.
I had to leave this job because I moved away for university, which was an extremely sad moment and it felt like I was leaving a family. I had changed and developed so much as a person there that I was worried about what life would be like without it. However, I was still employed with them and came back for school breaks, summer and weekends. However, every time I came back, I noticed something; I was a different person. I had a different viewpoint on different aspects of the job, my mind no longer worked in the same fashion it had the previous four years I’d worked there and I acted differently as well.
It’s hard to notice when you’ve changed as a person because you see yourself every day. You experience life as you day after day and it may not seem like anything about you has changed. When I immersed myself into the same environment I had previously been in my entire teenage life as an adult, I clearly noticed the differences within myself and how I viewed things. I no longer felt as if busy rushes were the end of the world, I told myself, “you have time, don’t worry” when completing tasks and overall, I was less overwhelmed and remained in a stable and happier mood while working. I began to wonder why this was, considering it’s the same job, the same people and the same environment. That’s when I realized it was me.
Since going away for university I was forced back into that uncomfortable setting of meeting new people, doing things for the first time and experiencing different situations. For so long I was in my comfort zone of a job and never really had those challenging situations anymore. My job had changed me but going away to school changed me even more. Therefore, when I went back into my old job and old environment, my new self was now thrown into who I used to be.
It’s a rewarding experience to see how you’ve changed, especially when you feel lost like you’re not doing anything to positively advance your life. When you’re thrown into old environments and realize you see things differently, that’s when you can see the real change within yourself and appreciate everything you’ve been through to become who you are. Going back to my job each time is a new experience and I’ve realized it’s because I am constantly changing. Having experienced different workplaces, different peers and different surroundings allowed me to grow and develop without even realizing it.
Overall, I think we all need to take a step back and appreciate all the things we’ve gone through in order to become the person we are today, including all the places we’ve been, people we’ve met and experiences we’ve gone through. This also shows that your mindset is constantly changing and if you don’t like where you are now, keep in mind that it can change very quickly with the right moves forward. And if you’re not seeing the change, try emerging yourself into an old environment. You may realize how far you’ve come by just taking a step back.