Origin Story: Deciding to change

Overview

Do you ever feel like you can do more in life? Are there moments when you say, "One of these days things will change, and I won't work in this job anymore"? I've had plenty of those moments while working in various restaurants. This is the story of how I broke free from being a cook to becoming a self-taught software developer. There were many fears and challenges along the way, but I am glad I faced and overcame them. If you are in the same situation, I hope my story will resonate with you and give you the courage to take the leap of faith.

Situation

Growing up, I didn't know what kind of career I wanted. I tried an Engineering course in college but didn't get past the first semester. I worked in warehouses stacking supplies, feeling like life wasn't going anywhere for me. My parents wanted me to finish something, anything, so I went to culinary school and started working in a restaurant shortly after. I worked in a high-stress, physical environment for 8-12 hours a day with a 2-hour commute, making just enough to pay expenses. The words "One of these days things will change, and I won't work in this job anymore" became more frequent as the years passed. Six years later, my life was still the same; feeling trapped, exhausted, and frustrated. I worked with a lot of inspiring and passionate chefs, and while I was a hard worker who loved cooking, I never had the same level of passion as my chefs. Cooking felt like a hobby instead of a career, and there was always a feeling that something was missing.

Blessing in disguise

The Covid-19 pandemic hit the food and beverage industry, as well as the rest of the world. Like many others, I became jobless and had to rely on government support while being stuck at home. After so many years, I was finally able to relax stress-free and waste my time playing video games throughout the day. Life was pleasant for a while until it became dull as well. Around this time, the idea of going back to work filled me with fear. Remembering all the long, difficult hours in the kitchen, those lonely nights when I was the last to leave and arrived home past midnight, where all the stress and pressure had taken its toll on me, I realized I was burnt out and didn't want to be a cook anymore. The pandemic presented an opportunity for me to start a new career, change the direction of my life, and provide for my family.

Repeating the pattern

One day, my wife suggested that I consider working as a Medical Device Reprocessing Technician (MDRT), which is essentially a dishwasher for medical equipment. I had previously assumed that I would be a cook for the rest of my life and hadn't bothered to learn new skills. This was a major mistake and left me feeling demoralized when I started looking for a new career. However, given my limited skillset, which mainly involved cooking and customer service, I felt that becoming an MDRT was the right path for me. I enjoyed helping others, and during the pandemic, becoming an MDRT was an excellent way for me to support front-line workers while improving my family's financial situation. Consequently, I completed the prerequisites for the program, which is scheduled to begin in early 2022.

Around this time, I began to take steps to improve my life by reading books and getting my health back in order. As my outlook became progressively more positive, I realized that MDRT was not the career I wanted. I had been repeating old habits of indecision and allowing comfort and other people to make choices for me. However, a YouTube video by Victoria Osteen called "I Can" was the final push I needed to start believing in myself. I decided to attempt something that was beyond the scope of my current skills and knowledge. Although I was afraid, I was also excited because, for the first time in my life, I took responsibility for my future.

Lesson

"For things to change, you have to change." - Jim Rohn

I realized that I had taken too long to take responsibility for my decisions in life. When I was younger, I left everything to my parents, hoping that they would lead me down the correct path. However, a series of events left me in a tough position, and I finally realized that I had to start making decisions for myself. It was difficult to come to terms with the fact that I had let this happen and that I had the power to change it.

Thank you for reading. If you believe my story will benefit someone who's attempting to make a change please share this post. Feel free to contact me, I would love to hear from you. Please subscribe if you'd like to stay up to date and receive emails when new content is published.