What's the truth about your current situation?
The career change newsletter that starts with a question
This edition of my newsletter is about exploring answers beneath the surface. It aims to begin to get under the layers of fear around your current situation. I know it might sound quite scary - but what if the things lurking underneath can help you to reach the answers that you’ve been looking for? Maybe you’ve just not had the chance to discover them, or admit them, until now.
So tell me…
What’s the truth about your current situation?
What do you feel afraid to admit to yourself, or to others? Are you so far away from where you want to be that you’re hiding your true feelings away?
There was only so long that I could keep telling myself that things were “ok” or “not too bad” and hoping that the company I worked for would change - so that I didn’t have to! In truth, I was disappointed and ashamed of the company that I worked for, I felt powerless to do anything about the work culture around me, and every working day was eating me up with anxiety. I was silently sitting there thinking it could be worse (which yes it could’ve been), but life could also be a lot better, couldn’t it? First, I had to fully admit to myself how bad I felt before I was really willing to do something about it.
So, now I invite you to share your truth with me in confidence. Just blurt it all out! Email sarah@sarahventurer.com
“I was scared and excited at the same time, and if you’ve ever had that feeling you know you’re heading in the right direction.”
In this episode of About The Adventure Podcast, Stella Bolam shares why she began reflecting on what to do with the rest of her career, how she found the courage to explore a new path, and what life has been like since she started taking the first steps.
Stella has switched from a long-term career in communications and writing to join the wonderful world of tree care and science, working in Community Forestry.
I think that it will be of particular interest to people who don't feel happy in their work, who are looking for a gentle approach to career change, who are drawn towards “doing less” in life, and who have an interest in connecting with nature.
You can read more about the episode on my blog post or get stuck in to listening right away! We recorded the interview while sitting in a beautiful woodland surrounded by birdsong. You might enjoy listening with headphones for the full surround sound experience.
What’s been happening at About The Adventure HQ?
I completed the Hill and Moorland Leader assessment at the end of March. If you’re interested in my blog post about my experience of completing the qualification, you can read it here.
If you’re interested in what goes on behind the scenes of Edale Mountain Rescue Team, then I think you’ll enjoy the latest episode on our Wild About Kinder Podcast. It’s an interview with the team leader, Dave Torr.
I recently went wildcamping with my partner. On the first night we slept under a tarp on Kinder Scout, and on the second night we slept on Derwent Edge just in our bivvy bags. They were both wonderful experiences with so much wildlife to enjoy! Simple microadventures at their best.
“It’s taken a while to understand why I had to make the change. It’s adjusted my relationship with myself; I feel grounded, energised and content.” Jo Mortimer
I recently featured a guest article ‘Burnout and Me’ on my website, written by Jo Mortimer @jomortimer2903. Jo shares her journey of burnout and the challenging but cheery change that followed. Here’s a short excerpt, please click the button below to read more.
“I couldn’t get off the sofa; a weight was pinning me down. I called work, offered some lame excuse about having a cold and sat there trying to understand what was happening. My thoughts raced until my partner came downstairs and told me, ‘You’re done, Jo. It’s time to stop’. I phoned work again, said ‘I haven’t got a cold, I’ve had a meltdown’, and went back to bed. I’d had many recent conversations about creating change but hadn’t realised they were driven by need, not desire. I could no longer put others first. It was time to turn inwards and look after myself.”
Featured outdoor coaching session
There are so many walking routes from Edale, and one of the first things that I ask people is how they are feeling on the day so that they can decide whether they want a steady valley walk, or to go up on to the hilltops. We always walk at a conversational pace, and we take pauses to enjoy the nature that surrounds us. I usually encourage people to bring a flask of tea or coffee and some snacks, as it’s lovely to sit among trees, rocks, or flowing water.
For some people, it can be quite an emotional experience to share what’s happening in their lives. I’ve found that talking and moving in nature can sometimes bring a sense of relief, especially for people who don’t experience it very often. That’s why I think it’s important to take the walks gently - steady and calm we go along our way together.
I give plenty of flexbility during my coaching sessions, so that we don’t feel limited or rushed. If we need to get to the train station for a particular time, then I factor that in, but generally it works best if we’re not clock-watching.
Something new that I’m working on is to offer sensory coaching sessions, in which there’s more of a focus on noticing, exploring and experiencing nature. By that I mean that we might take more time to notice and touch wild plants and trees, perhaps dip our bare feet in the cold streams, or just to sit still for a few moments listening to the breeze and the birds. It’s something that I’ve been drawn to myself, and I’d love to offer this as an experience for others. It’s really simple, but can have a powerful impact.
If you have any questions about how I work or about coaching, please get in touch by email: sarah@sarahventurer.com
A community approach to thinking about career change
I know that just thinking about a career change can feel really lonely and uninspiring. That’s why I want to explore a unique approach that focuses on connection with other people, and to build a sense of community.
If you’d like to try out some coaching questions in addition to this newsletter, and to reach some new answers that you’ve been searching for, then please consider joining my online community. You’ll be invited to join my private Facebook group, where you can use the questions to explore in your own time or share in the post comments. You’ll also be invited to private online workshops, when I’ll facilitate some group exercises and conversations.
Example questions and workshop themes:
What do you believe changing careers has to be like?
What do you know would make the experience enjoyable, motivating and inspiring for you?
Online workshop themes: 1) An honest reflection on your current situation 2) The truth about how you want to spend your time 3) Breaking down thoughts, fears and worries 4) Slowing down and simplifying the process 5) Moving towards joy and courage.
To decide on the best times for the online workshops I’ll run polls in the Facebook Community, so that we can find a good fit for everyone. If you don’t use Facebook just let me know and I’ll make sure you get sent emails instead.
If you’re interested in joining and can afford £5 per month through Patreon, please join here. You can cancel the payments at any time. Your money will contribute towards the cost of creating my podcast, in which I share career change interviews with a variety of guests.
If you can’t afford it at the moment then please email me and just let me know why you’d like to join, then I’ll gift you access. Its sarah@sarahventurer.com
Thank you for reading my newsletter. Remember that you can email me with your response to the question: What’s the truth about your current situation? I’ll be in touch soon with more career change questions and stories! All the best, Sarah.