Compared to the century that was 2020, this year has raced past at breakneck speed. But here we are again with a single convo topic. As I sit with my feet up (legs hurt, more later) admiring the tree that I’ve mustered the will to decorate I thought it would be cathartic to put the impending tsunami of C to one side for five and reflect:
It’s stable - I’m booked for the first half of 2022. Given that I bang on about aspects of my business and work in almost every other blog I’m not going to say much more. I’ve achieved sufficient stability to be able to zig and zag into different voluntary positions that are more suited to my longer-term ambitions for this part of my work.
Although I have still delivered to clients virtually since March 2020, I was able to attend a business conference in person back in November before Omicron called. Like most other attendees I treated it like a little holiday and although I sometimes struggle with large group events, I did have a great time.
I did not return to regular shifts at the hospice when day therapy resumed in the summer. The irregular time commitment no longer fits with my business. But I was a river marshal at the annual fundraiser in the autumn and will support in this way.
The pandemic enforced a long hiatus on another role as a school literacy volunteer. I’m awaiting a new placement now we are back in the classroom, but I have been helping the board in the background. I’ve now actually been appointed as a trustee.
The two other roles I have are both because of me seeing appeals for help on LinkedIn. Since the summer I’ve been a STEM Ambassador, most recently mentoring three GSCE students. And I’ve just joined the data team at MenopauseX.
It sounds a lot but two of the roles are in education so term time only. There’s also that thing that some tasks expand to fill the time available. Occasionally I get short of time, so think more about how to balance paid and voluntary jobs efficiently.
I never imagined that my career would take this shape (I consider these voluntary roles part of my work portfolio.) I get so much out of them and look forward to how they all develop in the years to come.
We finally made it to a comedy gig almost two years after I booked it and following 3 reschedules. It was so good to LOL with a room of like-minded. So much so, that we booked another. And that’s one reason that I’m now doing Couch to 5K.
That second comedian mentioned that she’d recorded one of the trainer voiceovers for the C25K app. Then a doctor said that I may no longer be able to keep a particular medication if I didn’t shift some lockdown lard.
I quit the gym months back because the covid protocols were a faff. But hadn’t got around to replacing the regime. I’d convinced myself that I “couldn’t” run due a bad knee, weak ankles, yadda yadda.
One of the things I learned in business was to raise the stakes. I’d used that technique to do my first lead magnet last year. So I dropped a reasonably painful amount of cash on some proper running gear. All the gear, no idea.
I’m a runner now, by the way. (“runner” has air quotes.) Even though Strava still logs my runs as walks I will graduate on NYE and plan to do a celebratory 5K on Jan 2nd. All my excuses about physical problems were BS, the battle is a mental one.
Instead of a holiday we had the garden landscaped and got to enjoy it for the two days of summer this year. Hey ho. But the winter has been so mild that the bulbs I planted for next spring have started to come up.
I also recently made it to see my parents, brother, and family after two years – in the nick of time perhaps. We speak regularly, but that’s no substitute for fish and chip supper and an overly competitive board game on the living room floor, is it?
It may have been weird again, but I’m content with that wrap reel to be honest. Not what I planned or hoped perhaps, but life’s too short to put it on hold indefinitely. Wishing you a peaceful break if you celebrate Christmas. See you in 2022.
© Jo Gordon Consulting Ltd 2021