Out Of Control

Taking Control Before It Spirals

In the last few weeks some things went down in the nanny family that for the briefest of moments seemed were going to determine my future. Things beyond my control. And being at the mercy of other people’s decisions sucks!

Although, being dependant on other people’s decisions and is not necessarily something out of the ordinary. Because as an employee, you work for other people. You fulfil demands to match the requirements of those that employ you and work according to a culture dictated by others. When I was in the hospitality industry I didn’t enjoy this scenario. I didn’t enjoy working in a field that expected insanely high demands and yet gave limited resources to work with. Talk about stress!

On the other hand, I do quite enjoy working for other people within my role as a nanny. Because my role is assigned purely to ease the stresses of the family life for those I work for. My job is to care for the children, to see to their physical, emotional and psychological needs. I cultivate a stable and safe home environment that has a consistent support network. I provide a shoulder for the parents to lean on and create opportunities for an enhanced family dialogue. I enable parents to go to work and fulfil their needs with complete dedication, knowing that their children are well provided for. This means that Mom Boss can confirm a 2pm meeting and not worry about it running over and being late for the school pick up.

That being said, every now and then the balance changes along with priorities. This usually occurs as a direct result of monetary influences. One of the most difficult things within the nanny role (along with managing your time and juggling responsibility) is cementing your worth and holding on to your job when financial factors must enter the equation. For in situations where the role of a nanny is viewed as being a luxury (which it is) and as being a non-essential expense (which at times it can be), it’s usually the first thing to go when cut backs are needed.

Recently factors beyond my control threatened the stability and security of my job. Out of nowhere, I suddenly found my job in jeopardy. And however brief it was, it was unsettling to stomach. Because for a fraction of a second I felt the panic set in. It set in not only at the notion that my seemingly stable three year contract was on track to be broken, but also at the thought of having to walk away from the kids. I have grown overly attached to these kids!

In the days after, I tossed around various ideas about how to solve my situation. But mostly I was down in the dumps (and ice-cream was my friend)!

But then I picked myself up. I got my act together. I set about taking steps to win back some control in the scenario.

I scheduled a sit down with Boss Mum and Dad and together we re-worked the job description. Together we updated the household budget, and we shuffled commitments. We made plans.

For the briefest of moments things were spiralling but we got them under control and set a plan to better manage the outcome. We all agreed that with a very blended family, it would be more beneficial to hold onto as much stability for the kids as we could manage.

Long story short, I kept my job and my three year contract.

‘Life is not about avoiding the falls, it’s about rebounding faster’
Jess Lively

But these events were a timely wake up call. It was the push I needed to get back to working on my own future career plans. It was a reminder that my business plans were never going to come to fruition if I let myself continue to put it off until another day. So whilst taking steps to secure my job in the here and now, I also recommitted myself to securing my future. A future in where I hold the answers to my own growth and happiness.

Because if you’re anything like me, you don’t like getting caught off guard. It hits you like a ton of bricks and you’re dirty for letting yourself get into the situation. When you find yourself blocked along the path by a stubborn and unyielding tree trunk, it sucks. Like me, your first thought might be that it’s a good little spot to curl up and have a nap until help arrives. But chances are that you’re going to get really cold in the dead of the night before your knight-in-shining-armour swoops down to save you.

Because guess what, you are that knight in shining armour. ‘Aint nobody else going to do it for you!

So here’s a little reminder for you, incase you’re also sitting on big plans of your own and hesitant to take them that little bit further.

Life is what you make of it. And you control it. The power is yours!

image: Yellow Bird Yellow Beard

So the big question, are you a chocolate or ice cream fiend when down in the dumps?
And what big plans are you sitting on at the moment?