Hey there fellow Apprentices,
How are you *actually* doing?
Not the āYeah, good thanksā bullsh*t answer. But, the āLet me take a moment to thinkā real answer thatās always brewing beneath the surface. Iād love to actually know. Drop a reply to the email or a comment below.
As for me, how am I *actually* doing?
In a word: Calm.
Itās like the storm of change has passed and I now stand with a clarity of purpose and direction. Itās as if Iāve faced old and new demons alike and overcome them with a resilience that Iāve not seen in some time.
But before I tell you what I meanā¦
Hereās the monthly BIG thank you to the 456 of you who open these emails from me each week and the 9 of you who believe the work is good enough to pay for. Seriously, I appreciate you. If you know anyone whoād love to read these emails, It would mean the world if you could forward this onto them on.
Growing to 500 of you before 2023 would be Christmas come early.
Whatās Been Going On
A lot. Almost too much.
Interviews across the UK, a trip down to London and now a week in Lisbon has given me a fresh perspective on all of lifeās challenges. For the adaption to living alone, moving back to a town of strangers and redefining the next steps in my career is a lot easier when Iām already operating at the edge of my comfort zone. Being busy has definitely helped me adjust the changes that came thick and fast into my life.
But, I only believe itās been possible because beneath the whirlwind of challenges Iāve rediscovered a consistency thatās given me both the time to reflect and the opportunity to play long-term games.
One of these weekly elements has been the new 15 hours a week Ironman training routine set by my coach Lestyn Harrett (a professional Welsh athlete). Which after meeting for the first time in October, I knew was exactly what I needed. Why? Because he completely brushed off my Ironman 70.3 World Championships qualification as no big deal. Like it meant nothing to him. Exactly the perspective I was looking for. Because if this achievement is normalā¦ whatās impressive? ā¦and how can he help me get there? To which the answer became: Through a training plan with 4 swims, 4 runs, 3 cycles and 1 gym session a week.
So I, with consistency as my middle name, took on the challenge and smashed out every single session in the plan. Getting up at 6am, turning up on sh*t days and powering through the rain & wind. And now after the first 6 weeks of solid training the results are in. The heart rate is lower than ever, the enthusiasm is higher than ever and my lats and shoulders are on another level. So in short, Iām the fittest Iāve ever been. And itās been giving me the confidence to level up other areas of my life too.
In particular, one of those other areas has been the exploration of hybrid work as part of the LinkedIn Creator Programme.
Starting way back in June, I submitted a project idea called āHow-to Hybridā, in which I intended to explore the different approaches to hybrid work from organisations and share their best practices on LinkedIn. Which at the time was an off-the-cuff idea. I knew the area interested me and I thought it might be niche enough to be what the creator team were looking for. But, I didnāt fancy my chances at becoming one of the 150 people chosen in the UK. Surely there were others with better ideas? More followers? Or crazier stories?
Well, apparently not said the congratulations email on 7th October...
Insert 6 weeks of personal branding training, countless networking events with other creators and a $4,000 grant (+ another potential $4k at the end) and I now had all the motivation I needed to go all-in on hybrid work.
So, I rushed to turn my half-baked project idea into content that actually delivered on my rather ambitious goals. Using the initial public announcement on 18th October as my call-to-action, it quickly came together over 10 days and I had 7 interviews booked in with organisations of all sizes in Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham & London. Which meant getting on the road, vlogging the experience on my phone and introducing myself to completely new people from businesses across the UK.
And I had the best time doing it. Learning from 18 people, dissecting best practices and making new connections, I was completely engaged.
Which got me thinkingā¦
This whole future of work space, which has gripped my attention for the last 2 years, needs to be indulged in. So, after reading all the books over the Summer, collaborating with other experts and building propositions from previous projects, Iām now in a position to amplify consulting as an increasingly large part of what I do. And Iām excited for it. Working in teams again, scaling impact and facing steep learning curves is exactly what Iām looking for.
But, in what form does this mean? Ideally project work taking up to 3 days a week to fit alongside the coaching and writing, which will still continue (though the latter is being evolved). If it means part-time work at the right organisation, thatās cool. However, the more likely outcome is one-off contracting or project work. So, watch this space as I line up conversations with decision makers in December & January to see whatās out there.
Which also comes alongside a second realisationā¦
The importance of community.
From attending random Meetup events in Shrewsbury with whole new groups of people (Storytelling Ghost Stories was epic) to having the best busy week in London meeting familiar and fresh faces alike, Iāve been reminded why surrounding yourself with the right people is SO important. Itās almost like I had to re-face the loneliness of moving home to re-learn the lesson. For I have always been a community builder by nature, leading societies at university, creating House Hack and organising Dinner Doubles over the last year, but along the way Iād forgotten why I did it. Maybe it was being in a loving relationship with a partner who met the majority of my needs or it was the distraction of pursuing more selfish endeavours like training for an Ironman, but I was going with the flow with other people rather than intentionally creating community experiences.
Alas, no more.
For I will be evolving this budding group of twenty somethings interested in self-development into a hybrid community of multipotentialites over the next few months. If you can relate to having too many passions that you canāt commit your life to just one career that you end up juggling several at once or bouncing between different ones, this community is definitely for you. Weekly virtual check-ins, in-person meetups and weekend retreats are in the works. Iāll give you the full details over the coming weeks, but if it sounds up youāre street shoot me an email ā Iāll be beta testing with a small group of us.
Which means that the next steps forward on my pathless path look like focusing on future of work consulting AND building a community of multipotentialites. All while continuing the Ironman training and coaching a few select business owners who I enjoy working with.
But, itās one thing to write this. And another one to do it.
So, Iāll let you know how I get on in 4 weeks time.
Regardless, Iām here trusting the process.
The Lesson ā Change is necessary for growth. Even if it feels like youāre taking one step back at the time, trust the process. Give yourself the time. Answer those big questions. And find some clarity on where youāre at and what you want from life.
Whatās Coming Up Next
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