Sorting out my life - Part 2!

iwantahome

GUILTY too.

Well more guilty of focussing too much on the long term and how damned far away it feels rather than enjoying successes now.


But lets just stop for a second!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOO you have cleared a CC.
:T:T:T:T:T:beer::beer::j:j:j

Exercise definitely is the key, and will make the paying off debts/job situation be calmer, as you won't have time to stress about them if at the gym.

Clearing each debt down feels amazing, when you can cross it off your list. Instead of crossing them off the list though, why not do the reverse and pin up a piece of paper and write the name of the CC/loan and amount cleared off it since your LBM on the paper but only when they are clear. So instead of focussing on the ones left you can enjoy the ones that are gone and see how far you have come rather than how far you still have left to go? Keep the list of the debts still to clear hidden and on your computer but the list of those you have cleared in a place you can see more often.

copperjar

Thanks once again guys We're all pretty tough on ourselves aren't we? Great idea about writing down the debts I have cleared iwah - definitely going to do that. £1246.70 paid off and never to return!

I've also taken some time this evening just doing nothing. Its been nice and unexpectedly, I haven't been stressing/dwelling/panicking! I'm pleased I've been busier of late, but maybe its been a bit of a shock to the system!

Met up with would-be-business-partner today. She's as crazy as me! In fact, I was the calm and sensible one today. I think part of the anxiety is around these jobs we need to interview for. Interviews are due w/c 21st Feb and I haven't done any work towards it and really need to. They're pretty senior positions so we can't just blag it - and I think we're both wobbling (at different times) on what we should do. So we're still going to the training day thing next week for the business and gathering info where we can, but this month we need to put a bit of focus on the interviews.

I'm boring myself silly with all this now - God help anyone following the sorry saga!

startagain_2

Hi copperjar,

I see that the leading article today in the Yorkshire Post is the amount of jobs that are to go with the council cuts. Not a day goes by that there isn't more doom and gloom with this new regime.
Disturbingly, on Monday I heard that the CAB have axed ALL of their debt counsellors in the Leeds office. This is dreadful news. I actually used CCCS for my debt advice but how many people must have been dependent on this CAB service. What is happening?
Good luck with the job or the new business... think positive.
Hugs
SA

copperjar

Thanks SA. I know what you mean and the news coming out of my dept is getting more and more depressing by the day. We got our final restructure pack today, preferencing forms to be in next week. I'm so disillusioned - we're being made to jump through a load of hoops (personality test, interview and presentation) for a job I have no real chance of getting and don't even want. I hate what the ConDems are doing but some of the local decisions are just baffling. Change management and people management is severely lacking in my dept - when people say they are willing to go, why make them go through the soul destroying brutality of this?!

Anyway, I'm going to try and relax this weekend and then focus on the job at hand from Monday. Got a friend coming over tonight and my parents up for the weekend (there goes the plan to relax then!) so at least it'll take my mind off everything. Also had an unexpected little windfall so will have an extra £250 to put towards the other CC on Monday. I checked my Virgin statement yesterday as well just to check everything had gone through - outstanding balance: £0 :j

startagain_2

Wow,
I wouldn't mind a little windfall like that... my windfalls tend to be in the region of £1 found down the side of a settee or doing 3 surveys in one day!
You have a good weekend and try and take your mind off what is ahead. Be careful with the negative thinking though - if you are planning on the job being Plan B if you were to get it, don't shoot yourself in the foot before the interviews have even begun.

hugs
SA

copperjar

Good point about shooting myself in the foot and being negative SA. I'm feeling really anxious again (I got like this last Sunday as well!), I just can't come up with a clear plan that I can concentrate on 100% so I'm jumping around all over the place!

My parents have been up for the weekend and haven't made things any clearer either - in fact they've thrown another possibility into the pot by talking about applying for external jobs as well. I just don't know what to do!! I think the stuff with my friend, colleague and would be business partner might just be clouding my thoughts as well; one minute I'm scared that she'll get one of the jobs and where that would leave me, the next I worry about what if I got one of the jobs and I'd be dropping her in it. Its driving me crazy - and the ridiculous thing is, I doubt either of us will get the jobs anyway because we're up against people currently in more senior positions.

Enough!

Think I'll look at my debts to cheer myself up! :rotfl: (they're still going down nicely...)

Wordsmith

Is your business idea something you could do part time? Then if one or both of you get the full-time jobs you could build up the business and go for it full time when you feel the time is right.

This isn't advice, because I don't know you and you don't know me, so advice would be a bit presumptuous (not that that normally stops me giving it to people!), but ... If it was me, I would put the business on the back burner for a few weeks/months and go all out to get the jobs at the council. It will focus your mind not only on trying to get those jobs, but also on making you look at your own strengths and weaknesses; it will give you practice at presentations and interviews and whatnot should you decide to apply for jobs elsewhere; be valuable experience in trying to impress people (for other jobs or in your own business); and help you decide, whether you get the jobs or not, if you actually wanted those jobs. You might come through the process with a much clearer idea of where you are heading.

Good luck, whatever you decide.

copperjar

Hi Wordsmith, thanks for popping by and thanks for your comments. You've given me something to think about and I definitely need to go all out for the promotion at work, its just the other jobs I'm not sure about. Fighting for a demotion seems wrong and certainly doesn't inspire me. I wouldn't say I'm massively career minded (although colleagues might disagree with that!), but I do like to push myself and I think I would be bored going back to a job I did 4 or 5 years ago. But I take your point - also made by family and friends - that it buys me time if nothing else (but then I lose out on a redundancy payment!). Swings and roundabouts I guess...

I do need to get my confidence up though, so some interviews will definitely help with that, especially if I then need to apply for jobs I really want or do tenders and the like. I just hate them! I get so nervous...its going to be a long few weeks

iwantahome

Hi copperjar, glad you had a nice weekend with your parents.

Re: the job.

If you do get any job with the council (it may be boring and annoying) but at least its a job to service your debts with, whereas the business idea with your friend may be exciting and a nice change, but will be hard work and the money may not be as certain as getting one of the jobs you are applying for. Keep that in your mind. Every which way that this goes will have a positive side and a negative side. So long as you are able to pay down your debts then any way this goes will be good for you. Don't get too down with the result whatever it is.

startagain_2

copperjar,

Just catching up with your latest posts. What I would say is that it maybe wise to go for everything and then be in control as to what you decide to do afterwards? By this I mean apply for the inhouse job, external jobs and still lay the groundwork for your own business. That should keep you busy. Keep opening the doors, they won't open for you....
The only downside is that you have to work out if the redundancy payment will be invaluable in setting a new business up as opposed to your new monthly salary? :huh:

I opted for redundancy last year mainly because I couldn't face the 80 mile round trip twice a day to work and £10 a day parking charges. I didn't get a fortune but I did use it to finish off doing up my flat and garden, sort my car out and have a holiday. I KNOW it made all the difference to my life and having a lovely home stops me from getting too depressed about things which I could easily be.

Try not to think yourself into a muddle as can easily happen. You go round and round in circles and get nowhere.
The right thing to do will certainly come to you, like a :idea: LBM. Try not to get too worked up.

A Monday Hug for you

SA