Are you lonely?

The saying ‘It’s lonely at the top’ is a cliché but many of us find it to be true, even more so now with the degree of turbulence surrounding us and the headwinds that have been created as a result. There are many ways of addressing loneliness:

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·????? You may have a very supportive, understanding partner and family and that might be enough, though you may also feel that they are tired of you banging on about the same things over and over again.

·????? You may have good friends, your cycling group, the people you go to the pub with, but how able are you to tell them how you’re really feeling and are they in any kind of position to give you good advice?

·????? You may have joined a network, some of which are mainly designed to provide more business leads but do provide a degree of companionship. During the pandemic I was part of a virtual network, and I was very glad of it, but sometimes I wanted to dispense with the 60 second pitch rigmarole and just say, ‘I’ve had a s**t week!’

·????? Mastermind groups can provide an enormous amount of support both in monthly meetings and coaching. I have chaired a number of these groups and know how valuable members find them to address issues that are worrying them. The groups become places where they can just be themselves, warts and all, but people rarely admit that that is what they're looking for. When they find it, they love it.

·????? You might prefer something more tailored to you, your needs and more in-depth and decide to find a coach.

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It doesn’t take just adversity for us to feel isolated. Markus Persson who at the age of thirty-five sold Minecraft for $2.5bn tweeted ‘Hanging out in Ibiza with a bunch of friends and partying with famous people, able to do whatever I want, and I’ve never felt more isolated.’

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Another cliché: ‘no man is an island.’ What support do you have in your life and what do you need? Here are some questions to help you find out?

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·?????? Do you feel isolated? What is contributing to that?

·?????? Who do you talk to about how you really feel?

·?????? Where do you get advice about your business?

·?????? Do you make time for your friends? Are you able to be completely open with them?

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Who are you talking to?

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If you want an opportunity to talk with some like-minded people do join the webinar we’re offering on 2nd May at 1pm. I’ll be talking to a number of people about their experience of doing a business exit and more importantly, what comes after.

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