Episode 10: Circle of life
This is the tenth (and final) episode of The Life and Times of Mike – Navigating a Scenario 2 workscape
Mike looks back on his adventure so far and reflects on where things might go next
It’s been six-months since I started my Self unLimited adventure. So much has happened – most of it really positive. I know I felt a bit awkward at the beginning but the guidance from Self unLimited has been really, really helpful.
I told myself that I’d take a breather at the six-month mark and check on how things were going with the day job and with the side-gig. I found a Reflection Activity in the Folkscape Library to help me, with useful prompts for reflecting.
What’s working well
I started out Reign with my plans to do the day-job and the side-gig. And it’s still a good idea. There’s been a few teething problems, but mostly it’s a good thing – so I’m going to keep doing this mix.
I’ve got to meet a range of really interesting people, including some in my industry who don’t work with me. That’s been a big adjustment in my mind. I wasn’t really sure what I’d get out of doing this, but I gave it a try away. I’ve got a better sense now of how things might be changing in industry, and that gives me some comfort, and some ideas about what I could learn to stay relevant. #relationships
What I’ll do differently in the future
With so much going on, it’s been difficult to balance and prioritise how I spend my time. I’m definitely doing a lot and not all of it needs to be done by me – so I’m going to ask for help and delegate things I don’t really need to do. Who knows – maybe one of the guys in the band would like more responsibility. And I’m going to make sure there’s time for the things that make me smile – after all, it can be hard work but it doesn’t have to feel like it’s a chore! #rules
It’s taken more money and time than I first thought to get things started, so in the future I should be more generous in what I imagine I need to put in. Turns out it’s less about ‘time’ and more about attention or maybe high-quality time, particularly with family stuff. But because of the conversations I had with my partner at the start about resources, we’ve been able to keep talking and checking in on how we are feeling about such things. That made it easier to keep in mind what I was putting in, and what I’m getting out of this. #resources
What I’m ready to do that’s new
There is value I have gained in the experience of doing this, that I’m willing to share with others. I’m open to being a friend or mentor to someone who wants to try out a day-job-side-gig workscape (Scenario 2). #renewal + #revenue
I’m going to get coaching on how to write for online reading. I’ve been thinking about some of the social media that my daughter posts for me, and she’s been pestering me to write some original things. It would help me feel more comfortable for chatting with strangers in international online forums in the plastics industry too. #renewal
I’m going to get more of myself out there online. LinkedIn seems popular for profiles and sharing– but there might be something more relevant to manufacturing. I’ll ask around and see what others say. #reputation
Bottom line
I’m really glad I took the kind of control I have about my workscape. It’s sure different than how I thought when I first started working many decades ago. But it’s a changing world with work. I think the choices I’ve made have got me in a good place to be relevant and to adapt – I’m not going to be a dinosaur (despite the jokes my kids say sometimes!)
