Category: Career

Volunteering…

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… or one way to get started doing not dreaming

I used to have a picture of those people who “volunteer”. In my mind they are elderly ladies who don’t so much care for the cause they are working towards, but merely see this as an opportunity to exert some power – not least in insisting that something is done that way because it always is.

Over ten years ago when I actively volunteered for the first time in my adult life, my expectations were pretty much lived out. The other people volunteering in preparing hampers for the needy at Christmas seemed to have little appetite for working efficiently, and over the three years that I did it, everything happened the same way. I definitely felt that most of the people were volunteering for themselves rather than to give to the cause. At first this made me question people’s motivations, after all, I had plenty of things to do but I had chosen to donate my time to this cause; but later I realised the value of the volunteering opportunity to both the volunteers and the cause. And in the years since, the importance of volunteering to the volunteer is something that has risen up my scale of importance.

At a basic level volunteering can give you a purpose. It can make you feel part of a community and give you a reason to get out of bed and out of the house. The increasing dis-connectedness of our connected society means that more people have less contact with their fellow humans than is good for us. Finding people who have common interests or who are in a similar situation is an antidote to loneliness.

From this, volunteering can lead to personal development – subtly encouraging new skills of confidence and communication. The challenge of mixing in a group that may vary from your peers enables you to learn from them in a non-formal way.

Volunteering also gives an opportunity for career development and for developing the softer skills that you need for the workplace. How much better to develop minute taking and managing a meeting from your local sports club committee than a 1-day classroom based course in your workplace?

My longest stint of volunteering (one which I’m set to repeat) is for Cricket without Boundaries which started with a two week project trip to Uganda. My skills set expanded hugely and now includes sales and marketing (fundraising doesn’t happen by itself), communications and planning (from coaching large groups of children), creativity and problem solving (Africa doesn’t usually follow the plan that you may have set up).

The biggest impact was on my confidence: it was a stretch of my comfort zone to sign up to spend two weeks with complete strangers, to teach a sport I knew little enough how to play myself and to travel to a new country, somewhat off the beaten track. Now I’m more likely to take the lead, to take up opportunities that come my way and to be creative in addressing problems differently.

If you can volunteer, please do so. Not only does it help so many things happen that wouldn’t otherwise be possible, but it’s OK for you to get something out of it too. I’m not suggesting you take an unpaid internship, but get involved in something you like and see what difference it makes.

There’s nothing to lose in doing not dreaming. Find a way to get started – like volunteering at parkrun to see how you feel about running events – taking action is the only way to get your dreams done.

If you are stuck with getting started, get in touch to chat about how I can help.

Where do I stop?

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It’s about time for another post about life lessons from running. This one starts in Munich. Usually I’ll be mulling over the many benefits of running from positive health impacts to bringing you into contact with people who share your interest and therefore are one step closer to supporting your crazy dreams. But this is different. It’s a race but there’s no finish line or cut off time – so how do you know when to stop? [See below for the answer in terms of running.]

I was mulling over this whilst I was running, in between checking my watch, grabbing some energy from the food and water stations and enjoying the changing landscape once outside the city. I had no idea where I was going to end up, but instead of staying at the start line and worrying about it, or trying to plan the exact route, I started off when the cannons fired and kept taking steps forward.

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Catcher cars at the ready

Fortunately, there are some clever calculations so you can work out how fast you need to be to get to a particular distance before the car catches you. In some ways you can make it like any other race: run the distance. However, there’s a small caveat – you can’t slow down and make up time later in case you get caught, going too fast sometimes makes you slower so pacing is crucial and what happens when you make the distance? Do you stop running, congratulate yourself and wait patiently for the car to formally acknowledge that you have completed your race? Do you re-calculate, set a new target up your pace and run on to the next km marker, then the next, then the next?

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Once you finish you get a shiny, gold blanket

Of course, there is no right or wrong answer, or rather both of them are the right answer. As life patters on, you may find yourself reaching your goal: getting a new job, taking that dream holiday or buying that house and then what? Sometimes you need to stop and pause for a while, enjoy the place you’re at and reflect, review. After a little while it will be time to decide what’s next – to metaphorically lace up your running shoes for the next race. Other times you may get to the goal and it can be your springboard to something else – new opportunities appear, the route is clear ahead and you have the energy to keep going.

There will always be a time to pause and the great news is that you get to decide when that is.

You get the choice of saying: Good job. I’m done for today. Tomorrow is a new day maybe we go again, maybe we rest. Occasionally if you’re not listening to your body you get a reminder – think catcher car – that says you need to stop for a while.

The truth is you never really stop, you pick your direction with a destination in mind and keep going. Sometimes it feels as if you’re stuck mud and sometimes it feels as if you are way off track. It’s ok to reset, recalculate and even to enjoy the meander for a while.

I would love to hear where you’re heading right now – leave a comment or send a message.

[It’s the Wings for Life World Run where you run until the catcher car catches you. Runners get 30 minutes head start and the car is speed limited. It starts at 14kph and increases speed every 30 minutes.]

If you’re feeling stuck, unsure or cautious about taking action then I would love to help. The first step is to get moving (yes, actually moving, take a walk or dance or something) and then get in touch for a chat. I’m currently offering coaching on a pay what you want basis.

Pilgrimage

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I’ve always been fascinated by pilgrimage. For as long as I can remember my life has been about enjoying the journey – an idea of a destination but making the most of the twists and turns that happen along the way.

I’ve never been hugely competitive: I want to do my best and step up when it matters, but I’ve never had a “winning at all costs” attitude. This means that I can enjoy doing things, just for the sake of doing them. My wide range of hobbies and experiences reflects this. That’s not to say I don’t feel nervous about doing something new, or joining a new group, but that I would rather try something than spend too much time wandering about it. I enjoy the doing and am less focused about the end result. Trust the training and you will be OK in the race. Start taking action and the opportunities will present themselves. Enjoy the journey.

A pilgrimage can have religious meaning to it, and there are well defined pilgrimage routes. Paul Coelho’s “The Pilgrimage” opened my eyes to travel in itself as facilitating a transformation even though it describes a journey along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, which is definitely a religious route.

In simple terms and with thanks to the British Pilgrimage Trust:

“Pick a destination, set an intention and start walking”

There is nothing simpler than knowing that your task for the day is to get from point A to point B. I walked St Cuthbert’s Way earlier this year – a quasi-spiritual route, slightly off the beaten track – and discovered that a pilgrimage really gives a chance to re-focus on the important things in life. It could be down to the digital detox, keeping an active body, or abundant fresh air. Whatever it is it is a good combination.

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Modern day pilgrim. Day One: St Cuthbert’s Way

For me, travelling solo is made easier by having an intention, or tasks, or theme for a trip – a reason to do it in the first place. I’ve never expected a specific revelation but more revelled in the unexpected: places I wouldn’t have visited; people I wouldn’t have met and a story to tell when I get home.

And if walking is not your thing then take some time to observe the steps you’re taking on your life journey. Particularly if you are contemplating or starting a life change. What steps have you taken? How far have you come? What is your intention? If you bring this into the context of a physical journey, remember that it’s ok to take a rest day (or week, or month), it’s ok to feel frustrated that you haven’t made “enough” progress and it’s surprising how often you find you have reached your “destination” with no fanfare, and a realisation that it’s not quite what you expected.

And now? Your homework is to reset your pilgrimage destination – this could be a physical journey (no destination is too close to home); or a step towards your dreams – and to start “walking”.

Let me know how you get on.

I could never… be an astronomer

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I have the pleasure of knowing Dr Michelle Collins – astronomer extraordinare, and fantastic marathon runner to boot. She kindly agreed to share her story of becoming an astronomer. Reach for the stars, and all that…..

Q. Describe your job and tell us about your career highlights so far.

I’m an observational astronomer, working as a lecturer at the University of Surrey. My job is a mixture of teaching and research. I’ve been an astronomer for about 11 years now, ever since I started my PhD at the University of Cambridge.

My research focuses on understanding galaxy evolution and dark matter by studying tiny nearby galaxies, known as dwarf galaxies. This research has taken me all over the world, which is probably one of the highlights of my job. I’ve lived in Germany and the USA, and I get to use large telescopes in exotic places like La Palma, Chile and Hawaii.

I really love getting to use these telescopes. Not just the process of using them, but when I get to take a look at the data, I know I’m looking at something no other human has ever seen before. I get to ask really big questions on a daily basis like ‘how did we get here?’ and ‘what is the Universe made up of?’. And I get to design experiments that may help us answer these.

Q. Did you always want to be an astronomer?

Not at all! My school report from primary school famously declares that I had no interest in science, and was only interested in becoming a writer. I don’t think I really thought about studying physics until I was 16 or 17. And it was only at University that I decided I wanted to try to be an astronomer for a living.

Q. Who/what inspired you?

Is it cliché to say Star Trek? Because that probably was a big driver in my love for space science. It was pretty hard to have a real female role model in astronomy when I was growing up, so I had to make do with Captain Katherine Janeway. One of the reasons I do a lot of public talks in astronomy is to try and show girls that there’s a place for them in this field. Our most famous science communicators in this area are almost exclusively male, which I think can put women off this career path as they don’t see a place for themselves.

Q. When did you realise that you could do it as a job?

It is drilled into you fairly often in your PhD that not everyone who studies for their Doctorate in Astronomy can get a permanent position in this area. So, I spent the first 7 years of my career not knowing if I’d really be able to be an astronomer forever. I still feel like it was an incredible stroke of luck getting my position at Surrey. It was the perfect job for me, and it came up at the perfect time. That was when I knew that I could really be an astronomer forever.

Q. What are the good bits and bad bits, day to day?

My favourite parts are talking about new scientific ideas, and designing observations to test them. My least favourite parts are probably the fairly constant rejection you experience as a scientist. For example, each time I was on the job market, I would apply for maybe 20 jobs and be rejected from almost all of them. The telescopes I use are great, but heavily oversubscribed, so I frequently get my proposals for time rejected.

I received my most recent rejection just a few weeks ago. I applied for a big European grant to hire people to work with me, but the scheme is incredibly competitive. I was dreading the feedback from the panel (they can be quite brutal), but it was all quite positive and encouraging. Definitely one of the better rejections I’ve received!

Q. What advice would you give someone who wants to be an astronomer?

Go for it! Apply for a physics degree, and try to do some small research projects with people over the summer if you can. Ask for advice from professors as you apply for PhD positions, and come and chat to astronomers at public talks. We love answering questions about our work, and we’re always willing to help out people who want to do this for a living.

Q. What’s your favourite astronomy fact?

It’s so hard to pick! The Universe is nearly 14 billion years old, and it formed all the particles it needed to make what we see today in only a few seconds. We can still see the afterglow of the explosion that created our Universe if we look at the emission of microwaves across the sky.

Our Sun formed out of the material left by another star after it exploded.

Volcanoes exist on other planets, and we’ve filmed one erupting on Io, one of Jupiter’s moons.

95% of the Universe is made up of stuff we can’t see (dark energy and dark matter).

All the gold in the Universe may have been created by colliding neutron stars.

Q. What challenge is next for you?

At the moment I’m a lecturer in Physics, which is the first rung on the faculty ladder. Our department has only ever had 1 female physics Professor in 50 years. I want to get myself and the other female lecturers in my department promoted, so we can change that.

If you have a dream, and want an action plan to make it happen – sign up to my waiting list for coaching. Doing is better than dreaming.

I could never…be a property magnate

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Meet Richard Hodgson, someone who always had an interest in property but took a little while to find the way that he could become involved in an affordable way thereby creating a flexible lifestyle for himself.  Several turning points are revealed, all resulting from finding out what you don’t know. (Sometimes you do know it, or most of it and it’s much easier to find out rather than stop taking action because of a lack of information)

Q. Describe what it is you actually do?

A. I help people to solve their property problems. The traditional route to sell, or to let a property is to employ an agent to do this for you. In some instances property owners or landlords need to sell, or to let their property quickly. For example, they may be relocating to the other side of the world at short notice; getting divorced; moving in with a partner; facing a repossession or have a portfolio to sell.

In all these situations I work with the property owners to create a solution to help them to move on in their life but allowing me to make a profit too. For example, I lease flats from landlords and property developers, for a period of between 3 and 5 years. I cover their monthly rental whether the properties are occupied, or not. This saves them the expense incurred during void periods, so they are able to maximize their rental income over the long term.

Controlling their properties in this way enables me to operate a serviced accommodation business close to Heathrow and Gatwick airports, so whether my guests are travelling for business or pleasure, they have a flat or house to stay in where they can enjoy a home life, rather than be subjected to living within 4 walls in a hotel room without the facility to do routine activities like cook their own meals or do their washing when away from home, for weeks at a time.

Q. How and why did you get started in this?

A. I have always had a passion for property. My parents used to take the family house hunting, spending a day out on a road trip, sightseeing and eating out in the country. These days out would always include a visit to estate agents; new housing developments; and private estates to view properties. I would often pick up brochures to seek ideas before spending the rest of the weekend designing houses or ways to extend our own property, drawing plans including layouts and elevations.

One of the first business books to make an impression on me, was Robert Kiyosaki’s book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”. This taught me how to manage money by investing in income-producing assets. For example, invest in property to be paid for by tenants which has become a lesson that all property investors learn very quickly.

Q. Was it an obvious step or did it feel like a challenge?

A. It was an obvious step because I felt that investing in property was congruent with my values. However, I was challenged because I needed to discover an effective way to acquire property without having to use my own money. Like many people starting off, I had little money to spare while working for an employer.

I therefore made the decision to educate myself, by learning how to use other people’s money to achieve a much greater return on their money than they would gain from leaving their money in the bank, at today’s low interest rates and then to have this eroded by inflation. I have now achieved this for several friends.

Investing in property is not without its challenges. It will test the courage of anybody however strong their resolve to succeed. There will always be a monkey sitting on your shoulder saying why you should not do things. This is how the body is designed to keep you safe. They say that dealing with fear is 80% mindset and 20% knowledge so one can overcome these challenges and the fear of failure by constantly reading and listening to motivational and positive material to constantly strengthen one’s mindset so long as your mind is open to new ideas. Having a support network comprising like-minded individuals to discuss one’s successes and challenges with has been most helpful and rewarding too.

Q. What is the best part about doing what you do?

A. The personal satisfaction gained from working with others to create a win-win solution for all parties concerned; and having this provide a lifestyle that offers me the freedom to do as I please, when I choose.

Q. What tips or advice do you have for anyone wanting to work in property?

A. The first tip is to get educated and the second is to take continuous action, focusing on one course until successful. The journey will have its challenges and there will be road blocks but so long as the action is persistent you will overcome these.

On a more practical level it is wise to work with somebody that has been on the journey already so that you can either learn from them, in exchange for offering your skills and resource; or remain seated by becoming an armchair investor with them to achieve a higher rate of return on your money, if you do not want to participate in the day to day activities of being a property magnate.

Q. What is your next challenge?

A. The next challenge will always be bigger, and more exciting than the last so with this in mind I want to employ the knowledge and experience gained on my journey so far, to operate a holiday lets business down in Cornwall.

Having brought in the appropriate skills regarding funding, hotel management, planning and development I shall be free to work on the business and to manage my own life to include more activities in Cornwall, holidays abroad and pursuing goals to challenge me physically, to improve my quality of life.

For more inspirational people who are doing their dreams, take a look at the rest of the blog. If you are stuck on how to start doing your dreams, get in touch and find out how I can help you. 

It’s springtime already?

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As the days are definitely longer and the sun is making sporadic appearances it is easier to feel good about ourselves. But then we look at the calendar and find out that it’s nearly halfway through April and a feeling of panic sets in – time is marching on, I’m never going to get it all done. Maybe you think that it’s already too late to realise the plans that you carefully made at the beginning of the year.

Fear not! Deep down you know that it’s never too late to get started on something.  This could be as simple as soaking up some inspiration, or a little more concrete like signing up to a course. The good news is that nature has our back and she doesn’t run by our calendar.  Spring is a great time to get started on things. My god friend Ella from White Rabbit yoga and I have created a half day to celebrate springtime – nurturing yoga and activities so that you can set up the steps for your dreams to grow. We will help you to bring energy, joy and passion to your intentions leading to a fulfilling rest of the year.
Go to the Events page to find out more details

If you’re looking to try something new, to gain skills, or get a feel for a career change then volunteering is one of the best ways to see what fits. I’ve been volunteering in Uganda with Cricket Without Boundaries which taught me a lot about cricket and a lot about myself. It comes highly recommended so if you are looking for something to do that will have an impact on you and the world then do check out all their volunteer information. It’s also a lot of fun.

Over the winter period, I’ve been consolidating my learning over the past few years. reflecting on how putting things into action and trying things out for real takes the fear out of it all. Learning to live with a little bit of uncertainty is fine (you can define your limits) and taking a big step, doesn’t feel that big once it’s taken. I would love to help you take some steps towards anything that you want to do this year – whether that’s fitness, career, travel. Do get in touch to arrange a chat about how that works. I really do know that you can do it.

As always I would love to hear how you’re doing your dreams – what steps you’re taking and how it’s making you feel. If you would like to share your story, or nominate someone who’s inspired you to feature on the blog, let me know.

Cultivating Creativity

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I was one of 7 nervous faces sitting round a kitchen table. There were notebooks of varying shapes and sizes and a random assortment of pens. I have arrived at a creative writing course to learn how to “Banish the Blank Page”.

I’m not writing this post to announce my forthcoming literary masterpiece, but to share my unexpected learnings from the day.

Observation is the key to creativity in any discipline (whether music, art or literature). Inspiration comes from getting out there and finding it, of tuning in to your environment to see the beauty there. You can’t think anything into creation.

Practice is everything. If you want to write, find time in your day to write (and there is enough time). It doesn’t have to be a long time. Most of the exercises we did were no longer than 15 minutes but by consistent practice, your writing will improve and you will get better at finding the time. To quote Marcel Moyse from “De le Sonorite”, his method for developing flute playing: “It is all a question of time, patience and intelligent work”

Don’t try and make it perfect. It’s rare that the first draft of anything is the final offering, but there always has to be a first draft. Experiment and see what happens, enjoy the evolution and build up a back catalogue of outtakes to mark your improvement.

Seek feedback from other people. We are our own worst critic and it’s unlikely that you will say anything favourable about your own work. If you can find a tutor or a trusted circle of friends (This is known as workshopping in the literary world.) you will get some fair feedback. Learn to be a critic – this isn’t to belittle your or your competitors’ efforts, but to learn from them: why does that phrase work? Why don’t I believe in that character?

At the end of the day do I find myself transformed into a creative writer? Probably not, at least not right now and not without a lot more practice.

So was the day wasted? No, everything I learnt can be applied to help me move forward in doing my dreams.

Finding like-minded people, seeking inspiration and trying things out are all the ingredients for success. Giving something a go takes away that nervous face, replacing it with a confident smile.

Leave a comment if you’ve had a similar experience of trying something new, or practising till you get it right. 

I attended “Banish the Blank Page” with Melanie Whipman, You can find out about her and other creative writing courses here.

Resolutions

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It’s almost 2 weeks into the new year and already the posts that promise a “New You for the New Year in 6 easy steps” are fading to the bottom of the social media news pile. Add to that the increasing pile of anti-new-year-resolutions posts and it almost feels as if we should simply pick up where we left off in a fug of mulled wine and mince pies sometime in mid-December. After all, if we believe everything that’s written we’re doomed to failure even if we do buck the trend and make some resolutions. And so we resolve not to resolve.

This is all good. We are enough exactly as we are right now. We can commit to change at any time if that’s what we want and need.

Although I’m going to give New Year’s Resolutions a final hurrah. Right now, in the depths of winter is a great time to start something.

Firstly there’s often a break in routine over Christmas – and whether we view this positively or negatively – it gives us a chance to take a step back and review where we’re at. You may do this consciously or it may happen somewhere deep in the subconscious. Have you loved spending time with your family? Are you looking forward to going back to work? Did you enjoy your Boxing Day walk? Whatever brought you joy and made you feel alive is the start of identifying what you need more of in your life. If there were things that filled you with tension then find a way to do less of these over the coming months.

Secondly let’s look at the word resolution to mean a firm decision to do or not do something; or the action of solving a problem or contentious matter. So what do you want to decide to do or not this year? What is the problem you see in your life that by “solving” would give you a lighter, happier day?

And finally, what to do about it, once you have your resolution? It’s a new year so there’s enough time to resolve without over committing to a short term deadline. Give yourself time to really imagine what life will be like once you’re living your decision; problem solved. (Yes, this is day dreaming) And only once you’ve got that picture can you start doing the things to get you there.  It could be a big leap – quitting you job – or it could be smaller steps – a regular lunchtime walk or an evening class. The trick to make it stick is to do those things that make you come alive when you’re doing them. Don’t focus on the end goal all the time. Enjoy the journey, you’ll make it to your destination quicker and with a smile on your face.

What are your next steps? What are you finding hard to start? I’d love to hear about it on my Facebook page. If you need a helping hand, get in touch for information on 1:1 coaching to help you start doing your dreams

Returning to action

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The lights were bright and there was a low-level background noise. It was around 6am, but could have been earlier or later. In airports, time often feels like an arbitrary measure due to switching time zones and waiting. I’m on my way back from Uganda and am beginning to feel a little lost. My two week trip had been the focus of many months of activity – 10 months preparation and build up. I’d been fundraising all year to support the trip and then travelled to Uganda – a new country for me – to do new things and meet new people; to change lives and maybe my own.

It was a complete break. This is one of the benefits of travel – a chance to see how it feels to not be connected all the time, to try new food, to have someone else organise your itinerary or alternatively to be completely in charge of how you spend your time.

But now I’m home and I’m not sure what to do with myself. After any big event, there needs to be some time to decompress. Friends and colleagues are keen to hear about my trip and how I feel about it, but it seems too soon to form opinions so I will have to let them form in their own time. I need to consider how to fill my days without the schedule that I’ve adhered to for the last two weeks.

And sure enough a new routine emerges.  I start off doing the things that need to be done, easy ones that remind me what I do and how I do it. Gradually momentum returns but it’s not exactly the same. I found I needed to take a little break after taking a break before I could fully return to action. I’ve met people and seen a different perspective of life. Like it or not, in some small way I’m different and I want to bring that with me into what I do, how I work, who I work with.

When we want to start doing something new, or making a change in our life, or choosing to do something we never thought we could there’s often a reluctance because what happens when I’ve done it. What then? No-one can answer the question and in some way, it’s not really that important to answer it. Rest assured that something will happen: there might be a slight change in attitude, or a whole new career and life path. What is certain is that you will feel better about yourself, you will grow in confidence and you will find your next steps.

What are your next steps? What are you reluctant to start? I’d love to hear about it on my Facebook page. If you need a helping hand, get in touch for information on 1:1 coaching to help you start doing your dreams.

Baselines

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The early hours of the morning are creeping up on me and I realise that I’ve had barely any sleep. I’m wearing all my clothes and several layers from other people and I’m still too cold to sleep. I had a mountain to climb and my fears about the quality of the porridge that had been deteriorating all week were about to come true. I was wishing I was anywhere else but where I was.

That’s one of my baselines. A point in time that is fixed in my mind as something not to repeat, but to hold close and know that I survived to tell the tale.

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The route up the mountain

When we’re thinking about doing something new, we often find resistance to getting started. All too often, it’s the fear of what might happen – failure? Not enjoying it? Having people say, I told you so? Having a reference point, helps to keep things in perspective and can wipe out those excuses.

When we think about what’s the worst that can happen it can be difficult to come up with something really bad, that we really think will happen. Try it. Try answering the question “what’s the worst that can happen” for something that you’re itching to do, but are fighting against.

When we’ve been in a situation that was really bad we realise that we’ve got through it. It’s something to look back on and possibly not to return to, but it turned out OK in the end.

And so we have our baseline. A point in time, or a situation, that we can refer to  “if it was as bad as [insert baseline situation here], would I do it?” And this helps to make our decisions easier.  It takes away those excuses about what might happen if we do this new thing because we can to a certain extent quantify the risk. It’s already becoming real and that immediately reduces the fear generated by the imagination.

Yes, there’s always a risk that it might not turn out exactly how you want. There’s always a risk that something happens that’s worse that you can imagine.

And so you set a new baseline, because undoubtedly you will deal with whatever happens as it happens (it’s easier this way than thinking “what if?” before it happens). It’s called extending your comfort zone and creates a new reference point that lets you do bigger things. It allows you to face new challenges and brings with it the twists and turns of life that keep it full.

Have fun reflecting on your baselines and if you need help putting this into action, give me a shout tanyaboardman@hotmail.com

My baselines could well be extended in a couple of weeks when I travel to Uganda for a Cricket without Boundaries project. I’m raising funds for this charity to support cricket development and raising awareness of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. If you are able to donate a small amount, I would be hugely grateful. The easiest way to donate is online here.