When boring becomes unbearable. Designing joy-at-work, speedily. (Joelyn’s story)
"I've ended up doing work that is so much more enjoyable than I could possibly have imagined."
Joelyn happily left behind a big job in the UK media to help her babies grow into children.
When she was ready for a new, flexible work-life challenge, a franchise opportunity seemed to fit her requirements.
And it did.
For a time.
We’re all bored-at-work…sometimes. But when boredom becomes the dominant emotion around your work, something needs to change. A new but similar role is unlikely to be the solution. Instead, a redesign is required.
When boring became unbearable.
She began to feel frustrated. And bored.
Bored by almost all of the work.
So bored that she would procrastinate until the very last moment, waiting for the promised deadline to motivate her - because the work itself no longer motivated her.
This went on.
For a while.
And then another while.
Until the moment when Joelyn began to ponder more on her personal needs. Both now and in the future.
The kids were more independent and both sprinting fast towards their adulthood.
She felt, no, she knew she could do much more with her talents and experience.
But what? And how? And when? And with whom?
So many questions, with no obvious right answers.
The quest for the non-obvious right answers
Joelyn started searching. Listening to podcasts. Reading books and blogs.
Seeking out the right questions that might lead to the right answers.
She hunted down people who might help her get to the right answers quickly - without re-inventing the wheel.
She was impatient.
Ready to pounce into action.
Prepared to do whatever was needed.
While in deep search mode, a friend mentioned Lucia.
After reading many of her articles Joelyn, watching her videos and glancing at the reviews, she signed up to her free Never too old, never too late community to get an insider's peek.
She consumed the almost-daily emails, devouring the details to see if Lucia knew the answers.
Trying to to sense whether her methods would work for Joelyn’s unique situation, as they had for others.
She sensed no snake-oil or fakery. In fact, Lucia had an annoying habit of openly describing career redesign in midlife as "hard"!
Joelyn set up a call to ask all her questions.
First important decision - how to work together
Joelyn disregarded the group and DIY learning programme and instead opted for the most personalised, speediest redesign programme.
They discussed the self-learning programme with group support (The Fierce Emporium) and agreed it wasn't right.
Why not?
Joelyn was restless and impatient to uncover her unique version of work.
She didn't want the distractions of others or slow-speed of group-work.
She also didn't want to invest a great deal of time in the on-line learning programme.
She wanted personal answers - yesterday.
And she was prepared to invest a little more - to get a lot more, quickly.
The decision was made - they would work together one-to-one for three months and meet weekly.
Lucia would guide Joelyn though only the elements of her methods that would allow her to make important discoveries and take important decisions.
Lucia would become her personal Speedy Sherpa guide and offer lots of support.
Joelyn had found the person to shake up this seemingly-simple thing called "work" - that no longer worked for her.
To shape it into something that was right. For Joelyn alone.
To mould it into something special that mattered more. To Joelyn alone.
To design work that would energise her and make her future work more joyful.
"Because there's a world of opportunity to explore. It's just knowing how to do it and what to look for."
The Investments - in Joelyn's words
Joelyn knew that the quicker she could get to make important decisions on her work future, the quicker she could start implementing her new work future. So the Speedy Sherpa option was the one-to-one programme she chose to invest in.
"Working with Lucia came at a cost. The financial investment was not tiny, but it was simple - a bank transfer from hers to mine. Done.
The real investment?
The deep, soul-searching to unearth and believe in my talents was undeniably challenging.
And this is why I enlisted Lucia's expertise!
Her belief and, let’s face it, her track record meant that I was certain I would find a path to doing work that would be so much more satisfying than my previous work."
The Results - in Joelyn's words
"Here are some of my most important results:
Work I love doing
My new work falls into four set categories (Lucia calls these my "Superpowers") that I can spot a mile off and run towards without breaking my stride.
Light work
A simple "No" becomes unbelievably easy when a potential new client doesn't match my unearthed, set and unwavering values.
Deep work
Because I can now connect the dots between my work and my feelings while doing work, I'm able to spot the deep work that gives me a sparks of creativity and connection.
People around me notice the difference and comment on it frequently. Lucia calls this "joy-at-work".
Listening and observing
When I'm at my best I can see patterns that lead to opportunities. I know what to look for.
There is a certainty, a knowing, a confidence that I can make it all work in ways that feel great to me and benefit others.
Cash in the bank
I'm earning much more than I was before - doing work that feels lighter, sparky, creative and just fun.
The money gives me financial freedom and allows me to take advantage of all sorts of opportunities in life and work, both now and in the future.
More important than money
My life is now blended with work that is fun, light and fulfilling. I wake up on Monday mornings and am genuinely excited about the opportunities and human connections I will unearth.
I look forward to creating ripples and not knowing where they might end up.
How I get paid isn't important
There is much more fluidity about my work now - I get paid on a permanent, part-time basis for some of my work. I’ve set-up a company on my own for consulting work.
And I’ve set up another company with others I met in my life-beyond-work to solve a problem we all care about. I also invest in other small businesses that excite me.
As long as I'm getting paid to use my Superpowers, it doesn't matter how I'm getting paid.
Spreading kindness
Lucia calls her style of networking "kindness droplets" but this is just how I operate. I'm not interested in criticising others or negativity. I'm interested in lifting others. And I get to do this in my daily work and life.
Belly Laughs
Because my work is lighter and more fun, the difference between my work life and my real life is not so concrete. They merge and flow - they're more connected.
There is way more belly-laughing in my work than there has been for a long time.
And the biggest change I’ve noticed?
I AM FEARLESS."
"Life-changing events and milestones can be counted on one hand - and working with Lucia is one of my life-changing events. My life is substantially different after working with her. Well…unrecognisable."
Next Steps?
Find out more about the one-to-one programme Joelyn and I worked on (The Speedy Sherpa) by downloading the brochure (inc pricing) here. You’ll also become a member of the free Never too old, Never too late community.
