The Art of Returning
And the work and creative energy builds.
Three hours after my flight from Europe landed I was at a Saturday board game meetup I regularly attend. I was jumping right back into the regularly scheduled programming of my life as it were. A life that is programmed with intention by me with daily routines, weekly meetups and activities, and diving back into a higher level of work mode.
Highlights of the week: strategy brainstorms and fall planning, client projects, evenings outside, connecting with the group for my trip to Durango CO, pick-up volleyball, and an NC Courage soccer game.
The art of returning was a mix of sinking into familiar structures and thinking about what insights from Spain I might integrate into my life moving forward. And that last is a long tail of reflection that overlaps moving forward until it is just a part of the tapestry.
And the Energy Builds
Work energy is shifting as client projects pick up momentum after the slower pace over the summer.
And outreach efforts are also re-energizing. I pitched a workshop for the National Coalition of Deliberation and Dialogue conference happening in mid-October that got accepted. I also pitched a contribution to a Brand Values Not Bland Values Roundtable which was also accepted. Submissions for Alt Summit presenters are due next week, and I want to pitch something there too. And I’m excited about all of these! I’ve started designing them this week - which is always a fun creative activity for me.
Pitching a project - whether for a client or a gathering - externally means I’m committing myself to deliver. That's one of the agreements of solopreneurship. And so this week, I’ve been mapping out the rest of the year on my calendar. Adding time blocks in future weeks for planning meetings and design time for the 3-5 overlaying client projects that I’ll be working on this fall. Layering in board game nights, podcast production, softball games, various writing projects, and other fall adventures adds texture to how I will be spending my time and energy.
Mapping it out helps me focus. And it helps me make strategic choices about what else I might have the capacity to do and what trade-offs might need to happen.
Building a Business (Support System)
Even before I became self-employed in 2016, I sought out online communities and teachers, including Brené Brown, Seth Godin, Being Boss, Marie Forleo, Nicole Antoinette, a year-long business coaching program, and various meet-ups and associations. I’m always looking to grow, learn, and connect with other entrepreneurs, human-centered designers, visual practitioners, and business owners.
And I’ve gotten something from all of them. Knowledge and insight that I still use. Ideas and approaches that have become integrated into how I do business and live life. And many of them I’ve either outgrown or drifted away. That’s how growth works. Slowly and searchingly, with lots of experimentation and hopefully an understanding of what needs I’m looking to be filled.
Last September, I joined an online unboring business coaching program called WAIM Unlimited run by Jason and Caroline Zook. It’s been delightful - packed with knowledge, resources, and inspiration. A bit of a teaser right now - open enrollment for WAIM is in October and as a happy member and affiliate, I’m going to talk more about it in future posts and why you might consider joining.
