AMBITION & SUCCESS
I recently attended Bloomfest, Bloom’s annual event covering all things relating to equality in the communications industry. I got to hear from some brilliant speakers throughout the day and it really affirmed some of the key messages I use throughout my work.
This in particular resonated with me…
How do we define it and are we moving away from our role in the workplace being the only thing we live for / strive for? What many people want and expect from work has now evolved, it’s not only about earning money and surviving, but also about growing and learning as a person, it’s about having a passion and purpose as well as working flexibly and feeling as though we are contributing to something bigger.
I had my own sudden sense that the version of success and ambition that had been painted for me really wasn’t fulfilling me in the way I thought it would. When I first set up More From Life four years ago, I believed that this version of life and work that I felt drawn to had to exist separately to a job in the advertising industry, but in a post-lockdown world many of us have had the chance to take stock and re-align our desires, our lifestyle, and therefore our priorities
I’m beginning to realise that if agencies want to keep up and continue to attract younger new talent then they need to evolve and meet these needs for people.
I loved hearing from the panel at BloomFest and it confirmed that many people are wanting more out of life and work, and that it's becoming more possible and more individual than ever before. One author who’ve I’ve regularly enjoyed hearing from on this topic is Emma Gannon, and in particular her book The Multi-Hyphen Method and it was one of the things that made me believe a different kind of work life was possible. Although I still want to achieve, I still set goals, and am always striving to learn and grow I have evolved my focus from purely financial and/or hard measures to some that feel more meaningful for me. For example, am I able to do this and prioritise my health? Can I plan my day and my time in a way that works for me? Am I putting my energy into the tasks that give me energy rather than drain me? Can I make room in my day to do something creative and fulfilling, whether that’s calling a friend, making soup, or listening to my favourite music?
Are you looking to redefine success and ambition, and find a better work life balance? Try the LIFE exercise as a starting point:
Imagine your ideal workday from the moment you wake up to when you go to bed, in detail and answer the following questions:
Lifestyle - What’s happening? where are you? who are you with? What tasks are you doing? What environment are you in? Are you working independently or with others? How do you spend your lunchtime and evening? What are you wearing?
Impact - What kind of impact do you want to have, to who and in which ways? What do you want to be known for?
Finances - What financial situation are you in? (Define a good, better and best version of this)
Emotions - How do you feel throughout the day? Calm and relaxed or motivation and energised?
As I look to the future, I’m reminded of why I joined Bloom, and why I set up my business in the first place, which was to do something meaningful with my time, to be around people who are passionate about the same things as me, and quite frankly to find the fun and freedom in getting more from life every day. I think I’ve found my people!