2024

Well, I think it's safe to say that for me 2024 was for the most part a bit of a professional Annus Horribilis.

I totally lost my faith in humanity.

Losing a business, facing bankruptcy, trying to get back into the sector. At all the lowest points all I could seem to find were the worst sides of people. I felt like it would never end. Had it been like this the whole time? Were they there all along but I'd just not noticed? Honestly, I was close to giving up.

But rock bottom was where I learnt a very valuable lesson - stop caring. Stop caring what people think of you. Stop caring about careers. Stop caring about what other people are doing. Stop caring about anything that doesn't bring you happiness. What had any of that ever brought me? Nothing.

So I went back to square one. I knew that I wanted to be with the person I loved, and that meant moving to Birmingham. It was a chance to find a role that I genuinely enjoyed, and would bring me enjoyment in my day to day life.

That wasn't an easy process. I knew that what I enjoyed was writing. Approaches, calls to action, stories, impact. A couple of roles with larger charities that I was more than qualified for resulted in tumble weed. This confirmed one thing, I probably wasn't suited to a larger charity. So I looked a little smaller.

There were two charities that had roles, LTSB (Leadership Through Sport and Business) and Kids. Their annual reports demonstrated real impact. They were on the ground. Their pence in the pound was impressive. Their values rang true. They had missions I could relate to and be inspired by.

I got interviews. All of a sudden I was confronted with genuinely kind and caring individuals. They listened. They asked questions. They reflected thoughts back to me. It was a turning point.

Kids offered me a role, and I took it in a heartbeat. And I haven't looked back. Everyone I've come across has been a breath of fresh air. Warm, welcoming, ambitious, driven. I get to spend my days doing something I love, surrounded by kind and supportive managers and teams. I've had the time and space to rebuild my confidence, and have my faith in humanity restored.

So, I guess the biggest lesson I've learnt in 2024 is this - every day we wake up and have a choice over the person we are going to be that day. I can't control what other people decide to be, but I have control over who I am going to be. And I want to be the best version of myself. And that means I get to the end of the work day with a smile on my face, and that's the most important thing to me. Here's to 2025 ??