Taking the leap was only the beginning… here’s what I’ve learnt along the way
It amazes me to think that it was only one year ago (27th August 2021) that I left the corporate world and took the plunge, working for myself full time. It was a HUGE decision and one that I didn’t take lightly, but as I look back on the last 365 days, I’d like to share with you my reflections on my journey so far… in case they might be useful for you too.
I feel so grateful and privileged
This last year has been huge for so many reasons, not least because of the wonderful clients I’ve had the honour and privilege of working with. I’ve worked with 20 incredible professionals- people who have trusted me to work with them in the most personal, deep-rooted and empowering way. Professionals who have taken time out of their busy lives to focus on themselves. To work stuff through. To gain clarity. To make decisions. To build their confidence and become an even better version of themselves. People who have been newly promoted, people who have faced redundancy. People who are business owners or senior leaders. Professionals who feel lost or stuck. Professionals who have wanted to improve their impact and gravitas. People who have faced significant challenges in their careers. People who have faced burnout. People who are looking to build a new plan for the next era of their lives.
All of these wonderful people have been committed, engaged and inspiring clients to work with and I feel privileged to have been a part of their journey. Thank you to all my wonderful clients- you rock!
Adjusting to change
Moving from a senior corporate role, with significant responsibilities including managing a high performing team to being a solo entrepreneur who works alone and mostly from home has been a significant change for me.
As a naturally extroverted individual, I need the stimulation of being around other people to enhance my energy and motivation. I have, therefore, had to adapt to this change to make sure that I can operate at my best, that I have the energy for my clients and so that I feel fulfilled and inspired throughout the week.
It’s been a case of trial and error, and I’m not quite sure I’ve totally nailed it just yet, but I’m getting there. I’ve adopted a few new working patterns to help me, which may be some things that you want to consider if you’re planning a change for yourself:
- Planning my working week (where possible) around the exercise timetable. This has been a game changer for me- I’ve blocked out my diary with my health club’s exercise timetable for the classes that I love doing. So, where possible, these come first. This has been brilliant for me, because it has made sure that I am prioritising my wellbeing (rather than dropping it to the bottom of the to-do list… so easily done when you’re not a natural athlete!!), plus it is giving me some more structure to my working week, which helps to keep me on track.
- Getting out the house wherever possible. I live alone and I work alone (mainly my client time is via zoom), so it can feel as though there are days where I may not see another human being! As a result, I have made a commitment to myself to get out of the house whenever possible- whether that’s working from somewhere different (my health club membership has been a godsend for this), taking time out of my day for a walk with my parents or getting my hands dirty in the garden (the ultimate mind clearer and frustration-easer), I factor in some outside time into every day (&, where possible, ensure I do this with somebody).
- Checking in with myself has also been important. When I was making my big life change, I created a plan of how this new life of mine would look and feel- I’ve now got that plan underway, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t need some tweaking every now and then. For example, noticing when my energy levels slump or when I feel a bit flat. Checking in with myself in these moments to work out why this is and what adjustments I want to make to give me even more satisfaction has become part of my working practice. Nothing stays the same, so my journey of adjusting to change is becoming an ongoing work in progress. This is a state of play that I hadn’t expected, but it’s been a game changer for me to realise that this is an iterative process. After all, nothing ever stays the same.
There are things that I still want to work on, and I see this as an evolution. For someone who is naturally structured (and has built the habits of being so in the last few years of my career), it is still a big learning curve for me to get comfortable with a lack of structure. There can be weeks (this week is a prime example) where I have only minimal client facing time, which in turn means I have lots of ‘free’ time. Whilst there is something liberating about that sensation, it can also be really daunting for someone who has previously been programmed within an inch of her life. So, I’m working on how I can plan my week so I can give myself a sense of structure.
But within that, it’s not just having a work structure that is important, it’s also giving myself permission to take the free time I have created for myself and ENJOY it. This is such an unknown to me, that it is taking a significant amount of readjustment. I’m learning to consider what it is that makes me happy again- how do I want to spend my time, who do I want to meet up with, what extra elements would I like to add into my life, now that I have this improved flexibility. As I said, this is very much an ongoing learning curve… watch this space!
Mindset shifts
The biggest, most challenging shifts that I’ve needed to make are the mindset shifts. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve spent the last 15 years of my career behaving in a certain way. It is taking a lot of effort for me to adopt different mindsets as I embark on this journey of self-employment. Here’s the list of the top mindset shifts I’ve been working on which might help you, if you’re looking to make a career change…
- I don’t have to be at my laptop to be working
I’ve noticed that I feel guilty if I’m away from my laptop, but the reality of my new career is that I can work from wherever. I can run my business from my phone; keeping in touch with clients, booking in appointments etc can all be done from my iPhone. So I can be anywhere to do this. This also means, however, that I’m never ‘off’… luckily, I love what I do, so it isn’t a chore to be ‘on’ all the time… but something I do want to work on moving forwards is how I can create some ‘off time’ (& stick to it!) .
- Being “busy” isn’t a badge of honour
A flexible working pattern is something I craved and something I’ve chosen, so I’m learning to embrace it! There is so much benefit of being able to pick and choose when I work- I can book in days with friends and family mid-week when I choose or I can work at weekends when the mood or inspiration takes me. There is a real benefit in this- I can work when I have the energy to do so. This means I’m giving my best self to the tasks or clients I’m working on.
But, its such a new way of approaching things, I can feel guilty if I take an afternoon on the sun lounger and read my book. It means that sometimes I feel as though people are judging me because their perception is that I’m “not working very hard”. I had always prided myself on being busy. As though it’s a badge of honour to be working all hours, deprioritising my health and wellness and not having time for the things in life which give me joy. This has now changed, but the mindset that I carried with me for so long is taking a while to catch up…
- Clients will come when the time is right for them- learning to trust myself and my offer
As any small business owner will know, one of the scariest (& most exhilarating) elements of working for yourself is that you are reliant solely on yourself- you, and you alone, determine your success.
One thing I talk about with my fellow coaching business owning buddies is that sometimes it can feel daunting because the pipeline of clients coming through is low, or in some cases non-existent. Clearly, investing in yourself and committing to a coaching programme is a big decision, not least for the emotional and financial investment that is required. And people need time to think this through to make sure they are making the right decision for them, quite rightly so. However, as the coach, it can feel nerve wracking- it plays into our own insecurities and uncertainties. It makes us question our offer, our credibility, our self-belief. It makes us question our value, our pricing structure and can tap into our own limiting beliefs (we have them too, even though we are trained in this stuff!!)
But, when the clients have made that decision and they have decided that they want to commit and invest their money, time, energy and emotion into a coaching experience, that is when the magic can happen! The clients who will benefit the most from their coaching experiences are those who are committed wholly to the process. So, if they’ve taken their time to make their decision to get in touch or follow up from a discovery call, it is because the time is right for them. Magic!
- I don’t have to do it all myself
As I started on my self-employed journey, I used to do allllll the elements of running my business myself- everything from raising invoices, scheduling social media posts, writing blog articles, hosting client time, creating strategy, creating content etc etc…
I started to realise that I was spending a lot of my time in the areas which didn’t ignite my passion as much, and where I didn’t have the skillset required. As a result, not only does it take longer for me to do these things (because I’m not very skilled at them), but they impact my mojo and suck away my sense of fulfilment. One of the reasons I made this life change was to live my life in a fulfilling, uplifting and inspiring way. So, I realised I needed to create more time for myself to do that.
Enter my Virtual Assistant. I gave myself permission to invest in a virtual assistant. The cost of having a virtual assistant was a concern for me at first- can I justify the cost, can I make it work, can I trust someone else to deliver what I need, in the way I need it for Pivotal Moments. The answer is a resounding yes.
Hiring a VA (Vic- a godsend!) has given me so much:
- Freedom to focus on the areas that I love
- Someone who holds me to account on the areas where I need it
- A supportive, encouraging ear who reminds me I can do it… when I have those wobbles of confidence that we all experience
- Time back- whether that’s time to work on other things, or time to myself. It’s invaluable.
- A different perspective
- A specialist in the areas where I’m not as skilled- so I can focus on the things I am good at and I can ask Vic to pick up the areas where she has strengths.
This mindset shift of “I don’t have to do it all” is a relatively new one… but so valuable. It has not only added to my sense of freedom but has also propelled my business forwards. I will be forever grateful that I gave myself that permission to admit I needed help and to take the pressure off feeling like I need to do it all myself.
Celebrating successes and building my self-belief
One of the priorities I used to lead in my previous roles was the people pillar: focusing on learning and development, but also appreciation. It is so important to acknowledge a great effort, tenacity and resilience within teams. Appreciation goes a long way to keeping people motivated.
The same is true for me as I have pivoted my career- acknowledging what I’ve achieved, where I’ve come from and how far I’ve come is so important. When you work for yourself, it is often easy to focus purely on the future- what’s coming up next- rather than considering and acknowledging how far you’ve come. But by doing that, you never have a sense of completion, or a sense of achievement. Nothing ever feels good enough, which can be dispiriting.
As such, its been really important for me to ensure that I take the time I need to take stock. Whether that is landing contracts (& knowing that I will have the pleasure of working with incredible people), completing my qualification or securing my accreditation as a Senior Practitioner with the EMCC, taking a moment to acknowledge these milestones has been so important. It keeps the motivation high and it gives me a sense of forwards momentum and inspires me for the next step.
I encourage you to think about who is it in your support team who will help you to take stock and celebrate your successes- friends, family, partner, your peers, your clients? So many people will be cheering you on from the side, so if you, like me, aren’t great at acknowledging your successes, ask these people to help you.
Practicing what I preach
So, there we have it, my reflections on one year of Pivotal Moments. Taking the leap was only the first step…everything else has stemmed from there and will continue evolving. As I look back on one year of Pivotal Moments, it is with a great sense of pride and joy. I couldn’t have believed that the year would have panned out like it has… now I wonder what will happen in year two! The sky is the limit- how exciting is that!!
I hope this has been useful for you if you’re considering making a life change of any sort- if you are to take away anything from this, please take away the notion that everything evolves, nothing stays the same and anything is possible.
If you feel that you’d benefit from a conversation about your what’s next for you or support in creating a plan to build a life that is fulfilling on your terms, do get in touch to arrange a complimentary 30min discovery call to decide if coaching with me could help you get the clarity and confidence that you crave.
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