52 Weeks Later...

My Reflections on a Year of Playing Purposefully (with LEGO!)

Exactly a year ago today, I left my comfort zone.

Having been a teacher for 15 years, I stepped away from the classroom into a brave new world.

Here’s the thing, it has not been easy. There have been some incredible highs, and some pretty challenging lows… but I have no regrets about my decision. I have met and worked with some incredible people, have collaborated and led on some amazing projects and seen some truly remarkable places.

So - 365 days later - what are my key takeaways from this last year? In true ‘me’ style I built a model to help work this out!

Have an open mind.

As a career teacher, I became accustomed to being the lord of my classroom (kingdom). As long as I did a good job, I was largely left to my own. In many ways, this was great! It meant that I became an adept problem-solver with a positive growth mindset. With time, I could work out how to do anything.

The downside of this self-reliance is that - unbeknownst to me - I had become a walking silo; so reliant on my own capacity to ‘get stuff done’ that I became less willing to look outwards for insight and perspective.

I am happy to say that this year has taught me to break this habit. I have engaged in more professional reading this year than ever before, have broadened my horizons and actively seek new knowledge and perspectives to inform my thinking. This is a habit that I absolutely intend to embed as I kickstart year two!

Lean in and be vulnerable!

Linked to the above, this year has also showcased just how much I have to learn from the brilliant people all around me. Whilst my entrenched sense of self-reliance made this initially challenging, I have noticed a significant paradigm shift when it comes to seeking advice and support. Whereas I used to consider this behaviour a weakness, I now view it as a strength.

Lead with the heart.

It is easy to get lost in the cold calculated world of pragmatism. It’s so easy to get lost in this world because it is so easy to quantify what this world looks like. Do x and get y in return.

However, what I have learnt this year is that this motivation 2.0 view of the world is not really fit for purpose. The trouble with calculated and pragmatic mindsets is just that, they are calculated and pragmatic - and these two are rarely associated with happiness.

And so, I have learnt that a human-centred approach to work is one that truly motivates me. Do good work and good things will happen. This has become a bit of a motto for me - and it works! I have enjoyed far more success as a result of helping people out this year (social and economic) than I did through any targeted ad campaigns.

Connections, connections, connections - find them, build them, maintain them.

I miss face-to-face working environments. There. I said it.

As a teacher I would see around 100 students a day, and then grab a coffee with 30+ teachers at break before then being social with friends and family after school.

Those days are well and truly gone.

I love my little office - but 300 LEGO minifigures can only offer so much in terms of meaningful social interaction. And so, I have learnt the value in fostering meaningful relationships and connections where I can find them.

Walking my boy to school and chatting to parents at the school gate is an important part of my day now. Where appropriate, I prefer to Zoom rather than communicate through impersonal email threads. It is the little actions like these that help me to stay connected with the wider-world - and this is an area where I will definitely be looking to do better over the next twelve months.

Balance.

This last one is interesting - and unexpected. I have learnt this year that I find it hard to detach myself from my work. As a teacher, I used to put this down to the nature of the job. But now, I think that it might just be me!

In one respect, I think that I am lucky. Because I love what I do, I regularly find myself in a state of flow - with time flying by without me really noticing due to the fact that I am so invested in whatever it is that I am doing. However, it is sometimes sobering to snap out of that flow state - often exhausted - only to realise that life is still going on around you.

This has meant compromises this year; like working late into the night to make sure that I am able to work through my seemingly endless to-do list. But I realise that this in itself results in ripple effects. Late nights mean grouchy morning, as it turns out 4 year olds don’t care if you were working until midnight when they wake up wanting porridge at 6am!

So my key learning on this front over the past 12 months is that striking a balance between work and play is key. I have not found it yet, but having an awareness of a challenge is the first step in overcoming it.

It’s been an intense and rewarding first year. Bring on the next one!