Finding My Way

If you had a magic wand to take away any barriers, any fears ... what would be your dream work-life? How about swapping your corporate office for a remote cabin under the northern lights in the arctic circle?! In the final episode of the first series, Sue's listening to advice from Gaynor - former business communicator turned arctic dog musher. Sue ends by explaining what's coming in the next series. Make sure you subscribe, so you'll know when the new instalments are ready. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

How good are you at spotting opportunities in unexpected places? Today Sue's listening to advice from Clare, a former BBC journalist and explore of possibilities extraordinaire! She also finds herself questioning how she wants work to make her feel, and what the line is between 'excitement' and 'feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach'. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

What's the difference between a career and a passion project? And could the work environment make or break your new job? Today Sue's thinking about advice from Vicky, a successful commercial manager who re-trained as a maths teacher. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

Could finding a new career be a bit like dating? If so, would you say you're a speed dater? Or did you find 'the one' quite early on? Today Sue ponders advice from her friend Helen - a fellow communications professional who's now a practising hypnotherapist. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

The best-laid plans, or gut instinct? Which path has led you to your best work experiences? Today Sue's listening to advice from Andy, who left his job in UK manufacturing to become an estate agent in Spain. Reflecting on his thoughts, she realises the stories she's always told herself about her beautifully-planned career may not be entirely accurate ... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

How does it feel, to be still sitting in this 'in between space'? Sue's feeling a bit subdued today, and in need of a bit of quiet time. It seems a good opportunity to stop and take stock. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

How can habits help you make changes? And how can you start putting new habits in place? Sue's fascinated by the science of habits. Today she's setting out some new habits that should help her find her way to whatever-her-new-work-might-be more easily, and she's following some simple, tried and tested methods to help get them established. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

Discover a source of creative goodies and a talk to inspire you! In today's short session, Sue's sharing a newly-found treasure trove of creative workshops and a fabulous walk through someone's creative career story so far. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

Do the 'basics' of poor sleep/diet/hydration/exercise sap your energy and whittle away your days? In this episode, Sue reflects that if she wants to invest more head space in building skills for a different type of work, she needs more energy to do it. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

How might sharing time with like-minded people leave you feeling inspired? This weekend, Sue's been on a workshop she loved! And quite by chance, she found herself in the company of two people who'd left behind jobs in the corporate world to do something entirely different. Plus another who had very different ideas about 'having a job' to the ones Sue grew up with. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

What can you gain from taking a quick pause to reflect? In Sue's case, it's the translation of her many disconnected thoughts into some semblance of order, and the realisation that she's come further than she thought. One month into 'finding my way', she's reflecting on her key take-outs so far. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

Feeling overwhelmed when you've gone from living life at 100mph to hitting the brakes? How is this even possible? Today Sue's feeling she has lots of disconnected ideas floating around her ideas but doesn't know quite what to do with them. She tries to pin down a couple of ways to help things feel a bit more under control. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

Are you sometimes so focused on the future that you miss the special moments right in front of you? Today Sue's discovered the concept of Ichigo Ichie, and couldn't quite place why it resonated so strongly ... until she decided to revisit her signature character strengths. Here she describes her first impressions of Ichigo Ichie and signposts a quick and easy online strengths questionnaire. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

What if you could write a new you into existence? Today Sue's determined not to take all her 'finding myself stuff' too seriously. So she asks her nephew what he'd do in her shoes ... and quite likes the sound of his suggestions. Now she just needs a little plan to 'try on' what it might feel like to do that kind of work. And live that kind of life. Interesting? Or just a bit of a fanciful waste of time? See what you think! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

"What's the dumbest thing you could do?" That's what Sue's just been asked by a creative thinking app! After years of telling herself she's 'just not the creative type', she's feeling dumbfounded/challenged/energised/tickled to discover her biggest motivator might just be ... creativity! So today, she's taking a few curious baby-steps into exploring unfamiliar territory. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

Could old beliefs and assumptions be getting in your way? That's what Sue's been pondering today, thanks to a spot of inspiration from philosopher Aldous Huxley. She reminds herself of the principles of Beginner's Mind, and finds a simple tip to help put it into practice. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

Today's about sources of inspiration. Sue's feeling all fired up after discovering a podcast focused on people choosing a second career in teaching, and a series of articles about people who've discovered (and realised) their callings later in life. She looks to psychology for an explanation of why these particular pieces have given her such a confidence boost. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

Do we need a purpose and passion in life, to feel fulfilled? Should that purpose be a BIG, 'shoot for the moon' one? And is the ideal always to get paid for doing the things we love? Today Sue's pondering why she rebels against some conversations on life purpose, and what might be some of her ingredients for living a meaningful life. (She's also wrestling with how to pronounce IKIGAI!) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

What are the words you use, when you talk to yourself? Today Sue's having another 'grrr-this-is-so-frustrating-when-will-things-move-forward' day. So she's recalling an old positive thinking technique she's used for years to stop the voice in her head taking over when things feel frustrating or anxious. She's also been listening to a talk from psychologist Ethan Kross, suggesting that 'distanced self-talk' can help. She's going to give it ago. Even if it does sound a bit strange! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

Not too much, not too little, just about right. That's the Swedish concept of lagom. Today Sue's thinking about how to be lagom in exploring into new skills and experiences, how much of her weeks/years she might ideally want to work going forward, and what's the right level of challenge to hit the sweet spot between 'bored' and 'stressed out'. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

How do you start plotting your next move when you have no idea which direction to turn? Sue WON'T be asking "what job do I want next?" Instead, she's turning to a technique she learned from coaching. It worked for her when she made her last big move from a corporate job to starting her own business, so this seems a good time to try it again. But first she needs to pacify the hen that's mounting a protest at her door! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

Sue's having an 'itchy, scratchy, growly' start to the day! Feeling all at sea, with no sign of land in either direction, she looks for help from her past, and once again from change expert William Bridges. How can she navigate this space between the old and the new ... and might there be a better way to think about it? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

Sue's pondering change guru William Bridges' suggestion that finding the way to a new path starts with letting go of the old, and reflects that sometimes it can be the smallest things that feel the most uncomfortable. She takes stock of what she's still holding onto and realises she still has a bit of clearing to do yet ... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

In the quietness of a still, spring evening (save the odd sound of the neighbour's peacock and Charlie the cat!), Sue's feeling grateful for three people who've helped her take the first steps along some new and unfamiliar paths. In this episode she talks about what she's gained so far by seeking help and expertise from others. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

Sue's put together a photocollage to remind her how she wants to approach her new work life. Today she talks about the ‘best possible self' exercise and shares the different ways she's using imagery to help her spend more time doing the things that make her happiest and find her ‘what's next'. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

Sue knows there will be times ahead when she needs an extra push to stick with the messiness and uncertainty of finding a new path. When there's no vision or goal to move towards, it's even more important to be clear what we want to move away from. So today Sue's setting out the biggest reason why she wants to leave behind the career she followed for so many years. It's not something she finds easy to say out loud - even to herself ... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

At the end of a spring day, Sue shares her experience of a ‘Hypno-Hiit' session. After finally digging out the details from her ‘I might get around to trying this one day' folder and booking herself in, it seems she's hooked! So what was it like? And how might it help Sue build a sense of excitement and freedom about the process of finding her way? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

Today Sue is feeling chipper, and full of beans. Starting her day with the hens in the garden, she jumps on a sudden flash of inspiration! Using post-it notes Sue lists a few micro-actions to take to get started in finding her next career move. Plus, she's signed up for some new weird and wonderful classes, really stepping out of her comfort zone! In this episode of 'Finding My Way' Sue asks you: what steps can you take today to move a little closer to your goals? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

Surrounded by pheasants and cats in her garden, Sue labels the good and bad distractions in her life. It's been six months since she closed her internal communications business. So what's stopping her moving forwards? In another episode of ‘Finding My Way, Sue rediscovers Mary Oliver's poem ‘The Summer Day' which ends with the line “tell me what is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” For Sue: Shoulds, sugar and internet binges are out. Guilt-free gardening is in. What are the things you think of as guilty pleasures that actually make your heart happy? What beliefs do you have about what work should or shouldn't be? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

On a rainy May bank holiday Sue considers why, over the years, she's become so risk-averse. As she considers what's next in her career, Sue ponders the possibility of why she might need to look outside the box of what she already knows. In this episode of ‘Finding My Way' Sue reflects on some of the moments where she "bottled it". Thinking about all of this reminds her of a Robert Frost poem, ‘The Road Not Taken'. Is it time for Sue to take the B road, and not the motorway? And what would Sue do if she couldn't fail? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message

Turning 50, a global pandemic and the deaths of two close friends made Sue question everything. So much that's she wrapped up her communications business of 20 years and decided to make a big change. The problem is she doesn't know what yet… With at least 15 years left on her work clock until retirement, Sue is feeling guilty, confused and lost in knowing what exactly her next career move should be. So this is a podcast as titled as Sue quite literally is ‘finding her way'. Follow her journey as she shares her intimate thoughts and fears, and connects with others who have been there done that - and a few who are in the mud pondering ‘what next' with her. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/findmyway/message