Welcome to the Journey Behind the Scenes
As I embark on this exciting new chapter, I am thrilled to share with you a series of monthly articles that offer a glimpse into the various aspects of my new career journey. From the challenges and triumphs to the lessons learned and the moments of inspiration, these articles will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the path I am forging. Whether you’re considering a portfolio career, or are an aspiring entrepreneur, a curious reader, or someone seeking motivation, I hope these stories resonate with you and offer valuable insights into a new world of career challenge and growth.
Over the first month, I have discovered the joy of following multiple passions, optimizing my work schedule, and meeting incredible collaborators. Firstly, when I talk about portfolio careers, I am not talking about getting a side hustle to earn extra cash. What I am talking about is looking for career fulfilment based on multiple avenues rather than one. Hence, it is about passion. However, with just one month under my belt, I already have had so many new experiences and learnings.
The joy of following your passions
Now people have told me multiple times in the few weeks that I am on this path that you should follow your passions and the money will follow. I can’t attest to the later yet, but I do know there is something to be said about following your passions. I was fortunate in that most of the time I had jobs that I liked. However, while it is only a matter of weeks, I am finding that pursuing several passions is exhilarating. In my case, I do not think this means I was doing jobs that were not right, but rather simply that one activity could not provide me with the satisfaction that comes from a broader mix. While some people might find it exhausting, I enjoy the fact that no two days are the same. Within a week I might:
- Write up website design requirements.
- Define my scorecard and key performance indicators so I am clear on what success looks like
- Meet with a friend to get feedback on one of my ideas,
- Record a podcast episode.
- Attend a charity meeting as a trustee.
- Attend a couple networking groups.
One friend commented that I seemed more excited and energised. My husband commented that I was noticeably happier. Now this could all just be the excitement of something new and in a few months, I might feel completely different. However, for now it really strikes me I am doing activities now as part of my workday, which are things I would choose to do, and places I would choose to visit just for fun. Hence, it does not really feel like work. Plus, there are so many new things to learn and experience that you cannot ever be bored.
Optimising my work schedule
Now when you have a typical corporate job, you work five days per week (at minimum) and some version of 9am to 6pm or thereabouts. However, in working for myself now, I am learning when I work best. For example, I have been figuring out that I prefer to do deep thinking work, writing, strategy planning first thing in the morning. Upon waking, I am brimming with ideas and feel compelled to document them immediately. As a result, I find myself immersed in thought for several hours. I then like to exercise at lunchtime which breaks up the day and then I prefer to do things that require less brain power in the afternoon. This might include meeting a potential collaborator for coffee or responding to emails or scheduling some social media posts. This rhythm is vastly different from when I had a traditional job as my best thinking time was often spent in meetings. Hence, learning when I work best and having the flexibility to make that work most of the time is freeing. It of course, does not work all the time, as I need to align with other people’s schedules to accommodate meetings and events. But it is amazing to enter this world where a sizeable portion of the time, I can work when suits me best and hence my productivity is higher, with the same number of hours spent over the week. Now, I will add, that I work more on the weekend now, as I still wake up with those ideas on Saturday and Sunday also, but I try most weekends, just to jot down the key points, so I can come back to them, rather than addressing them fully.
Meeting amazing collaborators
Now I already knew that I was fortunate to have met and worked with an amazing group of people, and particularly an amazing group of women over the years. However, with the shift in industry and priorities, I am now renewing some old connections while also meeting an entirely new group of people. And again, I am blown away by the generosity of so many people to share their time, knowledge, introduce me to others in their network. It is truly humbling, I am learning so much.
While it is too early to fully know where this journey will take me, I do know that I will have no regrets. Join me as I explore the world of portfolio careers and share my experience along the way. Follow my first venture, Career Sistas, for more content specifically targeted to empowering women and women of colour.
