Why I paid to fly to NYC from England 12 times in one year
/At the age of 22, I lived and breathed my way to making a scary (for me) £14 000 GBP for the cost of getting my training alone in my first year as a coach.
Over the course of that year, I took 12 plane journeys across the pond to NYC to get the training I wanted and racked up multiple hours of jet lag.
I was reprimanded for drifting off as I closed my eyes at my day job, the day after a 12-hour flight delay on one of my many trips back from the states (should have taken the day off in hindsight). I fell asleep at the gate of one of my flights back to the UK too, almost missing it. Thankfully a flight attendant found me atop a pile of bags on the floor and ushered me into the plane amidst an applause I’d finally made it.
I caused my family a lot of stress, worry and frustration as I pursued this unusual path.
And with all the energy I was putting into this (especially in the beginning), I lost a few friends along the way which still pains me to think about at times today.
I slept on people’s floors (once underneath a table).
And once, I remember turning up in NYC with £20 GBP in one pocket and $20 USD in the other to last me the whole weekend as I’d maxed out my overdraft at the bank.
I remember feeling the weight of how irresponsible this all seemed of me. And how I almost didn’t go because I was afraid of what was awaiting me on the other side and how much more could I really piss my family off?
But I also remember that just prior to this experience, I was feeling lost, alone and directionless punching a clock, earning small £ after £ in an industry I felt more than unmotivated to support.
I remember feeling miserable, hopeless and disappointed by the world I’d entered after university. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, yet I knew I had so much more potential and a desire to spend my time in life doing something that felt meaningful to me and useful to society at large.
This latter experience can be characterised by what many call the quarter-life crisis. And through my work as a coach, I’ve found that it’s certainly not an uncommon experience especially for twenty-somethings feeling that pressure of what seems like a time of life-altering decision-making at this juncture of adulthood and trying to find our places in the world. I certainly felt overwhelmed with the pressure of this and it wasn’t until a moment I had of being stood in a particularly grey hallway of the office I worked, staring at rows and rows of filing cabinets that huge, heaving sobs of tears spluttered down my face onto a big wad of boring paperwork, blurring the ink- that I finally decided I was ready to make some changes, take some leaps and live my life for something different.
I haven’t just weaved this story for effect. That’s actually how I experienced it.
Regardless, the reason I’ve shared the discomfort of these two contrasting experiences is that:
1. The discomfort I felt around my first job after University didn’t have a sense of purpose behind it...yet the discomfort I felt around my business pursuit did (and boy was I craving it).
2. And although how I started my business felt more than crazy at times, it’s also one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done. I look back and find a lot of peace, strength and adventure in it.
3. And what I learned is that when we have a sense of purpose in life, we really can surprise ourselves. And when we don’t (depending on who you are), life can either feel like ‘meh’ or it can feel totally miserable like mine did.
And so I’ve decided to create a 2 hour online workshop that will bring tools as well as new ways to approach, think about and take action during this time in your 20 or 30 something life. My intention is that you stop feeling stuck and are able to get into action again with a new, more exciting yet meaningful direction and focus.
Here’s what you can expect:
Multiple NEW ways to think about deciding your life/career path
2. A new way to define your ‘purpose’ and how to choose it
3. Clarity on what’s in your way
4. At least 5 actionable items you can take towards what’s next
This is for you if you:
Feel “meh” or have that miserable feeling about a lack of meaning, direction or purpose with what you’re up to.
Are 20 or 30 something and know you have potential but aren’t sure where to focus it
Are excited about the idea of what COULD be next, yet are overwhelmed and lost by the pressure to decide (what it feels like) the rest of your entire life.
If your interest is piqued by this, it hits a nerve, you know someone that could benefit from this or you yourself are ready to move forward, please share and click the link below to gain access to this exclusive online event.
You may not want to fly across the pond 12 times in one year like I did (or maybe you do!) but you certainly want to have more meaningful direction in your career and life.
I can’t wait to see you there!
