Five Shiny Nuggets of Careers Gold

Strong half-time energy

Before we get started…. A huge thank you to those of you who have already filled in my five minute feedback form.

Your thoughts and suggestions have been so helpful and your testimonials have given me such a boost. The form is still open and I would LOVE to hear from you to inform my future plans for the newsletter.

Hello Folks,

How are you? 

How are you feeling about the fact that we are halfway through the year?  

It might not have felt much like it recently, but last Thursday marked the summer solstice; the start of astrological summer, and the longest day of the year.

🤓 Fun fact 🤓- the word solstice is derived from the Latin for Sun ‘Sol’, and To Stand Still, ‘Sistere’, giving us the moment when the sun stands still.

No wonder it offers us a perfect opportunity to take a moment to stand still ourselves, and reflect on where we are in the year, how we got here, where we want to go next, and what needs to be done to get us there.

Making time to stand still can feel incredibly uncomfortable in a society that perpetuates constant busyness, as Philippa Perry describes in The Book You Want Everyone You Love To Read*

When we slow down and smell the coffee, a gap may come into view. Let’s call the gap an existential void and for many it can feel a bit like panic. We don’t allow ourselves to feel the slight discomfort that comes with that existential void, so we start scrolling phones, or turn on the TV, or open the laptop and return to work. But instead of fearing it, I urge you to welcome it. If we do that, if we just sit with it, that’s when an idea might come to us, something we’d like to read or make, or people we’d like to see.

If you want to harness this natural ritual to bring clarity to your so-called careers and claim your own moment of stillness, I’ve included some reflection prompts for you below, and suggest you think about the scaffolding that will hold you steady despite the discomfort.

This is definitely one to bookmark and come back to.

I’ve also changed up the order of the sections below - just to keep you all on your toes 💥💥💥

If you would like to share any of your reflections and thoughts on standing still, or if you feel you need some accountability to bring your hopes and dreams for the second half of the year to life, I would love to hear from you.

Take care,

Penny

📚 Work with me

September is always a busy month, and I usually book out for the quarter within a couple of weeks, so if you feel that some external support or structure could be beneficial, get in touch and be first to know when my books open.

Hit reply to this email, or contact me here to discuss.

This is what Cleo had to say about our recent work together.

Your tip to try this month is to create a moment to stand still in your so-called career inspired by the ever awesome Year Compass.

To look back on the last 6 months, to check in with where you are right now, and only then to look ahead and consider what you want to make space for, and what you might need to pause, park or pass on in order to do so.

Before you start, think about how to mark this moment - to turn it from a routine task to a ritual practice. Something you have chosen to imbue with meaning.

Consider what you need to make the most of this, and the scaffolding that will hold you steady if standing still feels uncomfortable and unfamiliar

🪷A commitment to give it the best of your energy rather than what is left after everything else is done?

🪷Time away from your desk and all the defaults it brings to your thinking?

🪷Dedicated time and space away from distractions?

🪷A big piece of cake to help you think?

🪷A nice notebook and pen?

Sitting Comfortably? Then lets get started…

Begin by breathing. Don’t be tempted to rush into the reflecting or dive into the doing. Just sit, and breathe, and when you feel ready, start to think about the year so far. Notice what comes up for you, without judgement, whether you start with the facts, the feelings or the physical sensations.

1) What have been the most memorable, proud and joyful moments of 2024 so far?

What were you doing?

How did you feel?

Who was with you?

Close your eyes and engage your senses. What smells, sounds and tastes do you recall?

When you feel ready, write or draw a personal record of what you remember.

2) What are your 3 most meaningful achievements?

What did you do to achieve these?

Who helped you, and how?

3) What have been your 3 biggest challenges so far?

Who or what helped you overcome them?

What have you learned about yourself in doing so?

4) How does it feel to reflect on the achievements and the challenges of 2024 so far?

What about all the things in between the highs and the lows?

What do you feel about where you are right now?

What one thing would you change if you could?

What haven’t you managed to do to date?

5) What does the biggest, boldest and most brilliant version of the next 6 months look like for you?

Why will it be so great?

6) What 3 things would you like to be true at the turn of the year that aren’t true at the moment?

What do you need to prioritise to make these happen?

What might you need to pause, park or pass on to make space?

What can you take from the year so far to influence the year to come?

7) How will you celebrate yourself and your successes, no matter how big or small?

8) How will you grant yourself grace when things don’t go to as you hope they will?

9) Is there anything you need to let go of in order to embrace the months to come?

What might that look or feel like for you?

Who can help you, and how?

10) Now read back through everything that you’ve captured. Take a deep breath, and bring your moment of stillness to a close.

INTERMISSION

I would love to hear what you think about my newsletter - the form below has 3 questions if you’re up for it.

“ We have been to Japan together, Bali, Texas, Dublin, London and beyond. Grace runs an event management and creative agency called Ten Four and I can honestly say she is hands down the best events person I have ever had the good fortune of working with. She is so good at what she does that I recommend her to everyone I come across and bring her in on every possible project I can - from global conferences to smaller talk series or personal events. I think her work is so fabulous that I even asked her to do my own wedding, which she graciously agreed to. The reason I'm nominating her is because Grace is also one of those quiet, or quietly brilliant, people. She doesn't shout about it (the work speaks for itself to be fair), but she's genuinely wonderful - she doesn't miss a beat, everything runs like clockwork with her involved, meaning she makes everyone's lives and jobs easier, and more than that she's also one of the nicest and kindest souls you will ever meet. So I wanted to shout about her from the rooftops accordingly.”

If you have a wonderful woman who you want to shout about, whether it’s your boss or your best mate, a client or a colleague, your sister or a sponsor, I want to hear about them, so I can shout about them with you.

Send me your nominations by hitting the big pink button below.

📖 A Beautiful Constraint, By Adam Morgan and Mark Barden

📖 The Four Tendencies, by Gretchen Rubin

Speaking as someone who accepts fines for missed classes from my gym as little more than an expensive lie-in, but who comes out in hives at the idea of standing someone up, I totally get it.

Someone I went to university with was on Desert Island Discs recently talking about his work as a playwright and his issues with workaholism - I highly recommend a listen. James Graham is not only incredibly talented and interesting, he is also absolutely lovely.

I found it really interesting to hear workaholism being talked about openly, and not only because it was by someone known to me. So often it’s treated either as a trophy affliction, or a ‘worthy weakness’ rather than a pattern of self-anaesthetising behaviour as damaging as other additions.

“a compulsive disorder that manifests itself through self-imposed demands, an inability to regulate work habits, and an over-indulgence in work — to the exclusion of most other life activities.” - Bryan Robinson, Psychologist

One thing I see more than almost any other in my work is women assuming huge amounts of pressure to do more, fed by a culture that glorifies overwork, that pushes products and services that encourage us to override our natural signals to rest and that confuses work with worth and money with meaning.

This Guardian article, also inspired by James’s interview, gives some insight into the lives of long term workaholics, how and why we glamourise it as an addiction instead of treating it with the care and consideration those affected deserve, and this HBR one has some helpful interventions if you find yourself compulsively overworking.

“Leisure does not exist for the sake of work, however much strength it may give a man to work; the point of leisure is not to be a restorative, a pick-me-up, whether mental or physical; and though it give new strength, mentally and physically, and spiritually too, that is not the point.” - Josef Pieper, philosopher

AND FINALLY…..

Yup - I’m just sliding in here with the link to my feedback survey one more time!

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