GIVING UP THE DAY JOB

Michelle Mcgrath, 41, from Lincs

Chopping up vegetables to make dinner for the kids, I yawned to myself. I was absolutely exhausted. A single mum, I worked long hours before rushing home to cook, clean and care for my little family.

I wouldn’t have minded if I enjoyed my job, but I was a receptionist for a financial company, and it just wasn’t the job for me. With underlying health problems, I struggled to cope with the long hours sitting in a chair and the bright lights, and I was frustrated that I wasn’t using my qualifications in creative writing or humanities or my degree in English literature.

Of course, I was glad to have a job that put food on the table, but at the same time, it was grinding me down.

Exhausted

I didn’t even have the energy to look for other jobs. I plucked up the courage to ask work if there was a chance I could take voluntary redundancy, but was told firmly ‘no.’

One night, I dreamt I was in a job I really enjoyed. For the first time, I knew how it felt to look forward to going to work, to feeling fulfilled in what I did.

I woke up with a smile on my face, filled with a sense of overwhelming calm.

‘Today’s the day I’m going to move on from my job,’ I thought as I headed to work.

Sure enough, as soon as I arrived at work, I was called into the boss’s office, and offered voluntary redundancy It was the best moment of my life. I skipped out of the office, feeling like a huge weight had lifted.

Trust your intuition - it knows what’s best for you

Fresh start

The dream had given me the strongest feeling that everything was going to be OK, so I spent my redundancy money on a much-needed holiday. The day I got back, I was offered an interview for a great job as a supervisor at a museum. I got the job, and haven’t looked back since.

I’m now a private tutor, which not only utilises all my qualifications, but also means I can be flexible with my hours and fit them round my family. I’m fulfilled in what I do, which is a wonderful feeling.

I was scared to leave my job, but my subconscious knew there was something better out there, and helped make it happen!

I’m a great believer in dreams as signs that really shouldn’t be ignored.

Trust your intuition – it knows what’s best for you!