By no means Stay the Similar 12 months Twice: Easy methods to Get Unstuck

00:00:00: Introduction
00:00:56: The quote
00:01:05: The inspiration behind the quote
00:02:32: Modifications ensuing from the quote
00:03:44: The way it helps others
00:04:57: Concepts for motion…
00:05:40: … 1: a coach-yourself query and thoughts map
00:06:58: … 2: the ‘what’ – fresh-start impact
00:08:56: … 3: the ‘who’ – weak ties
00:11:14: … 4: the ‘the place’ – new locations and areas
00:12:44: Ultimate ideas

Sarah Ellis: Hello, I am Sarah. 

Helen Tupper: And I am Helen. 

Sarah Ellis: And that is the Squiggly Careers podcast.  Each week, we discuss a distinct matter to do with work, and share concepts and actions to assist all of us navigate these Squiggly Careers with that bit extra confidence and management. 

Helen Tupper: And we’re recording a collection for the summer season.  And so, we needed to do one thing barely totally different, as a result of we recognise that work may really feel a bit totally different in the summertime and also you may be juggling some various things, holidays, childcare, a number of totally different work priorities.  So, these episodes are a part of our summer season collection, the place we’re taking quotes which have impressed our profession and turning them into actionable recommendation for everyone who’s listening.  And in every episode, we are going to take a type of quotes and the opposite particular person will interview.  So, it should be Sarah’s quote at the moment, which she’s going to reveal in a second, and I get the chance to interview Sarah.  Have I ever interviewed you earlier than? 

Sarah Ellis: I do not know in case you have. 

Helen Tupper: We’ll see how this goes.  A reside experiment, fully unprepared!  Okay, nicely, let’s begin with query primary.  What’s the quote that has impressed your profession? 

Sarah Ellis: So, the quote is, “By no means reside the identical 12 months twice”. 

Helen Tupper: What does that imply to you?

Sarah Ellis: Effectively, I first heard the quote from a really spectacular girl, known as Nicola Mendelsohn.  And I feel for me, “By no means reside the identical 12 months twice”, was me connecting the dots between letting go of ladderlike pondering for my profession, and embracing this concept of a Squiggly Profession.  As a result of in a number of methods, I am actually interested in the ladder.  It is formidable, it is achievement-oriented, I need to progress.  For some time I questioned whether or not progress or development was really one in all my values.  I made a decision achievement was a greater phrase.  However I feel I used to be making an attempt to form of reconcile in my thoughts, “Effectively, I do not need to let go of my ambitions, and work is an enormous a part of who I’m and I benefit from the work that I do.  However I do recognise this ladder is beginning to really feel limiting.  However how do I deliver these two worlds collectively?” 

I feel listening to, “By no means reside the identical 12 months twice”, I used to be like, “Oh, okay, that is way more about me”.  You understand we discuss, “Create, do not wait”, when it comes to your profession and your job?  It simply caught with me as like, be extra intentional about your profession.  And that does not must seem like a change in job title, would not must seem like a change of firm, would not even need to seem like a change of job.  Yearly, you can also make the dedication to by no means reside the identical 12 months twice and you’ll ship on it. 

Helen Tupper: What have you ever accomplished in a different way in your profession or life on account of that quote? 

Sarah Ellis: I feel way more about doing issues I’ve not accomplished earlier than, partly as a result of I feel I do know a bit about how good it’s to be a newbie, but additionally as a result of I do discover these moments of doing one thing for the primary time — there’s that actually good query that Cath Bishop requested in her guide, The Lengthy Win, “When was the final time you probably did one thing new, or when was the final time you probably did one thing for the primary time?”  And I do recognise that it’s so simple to get caught in habits, patterns, doing belongings you’ve accomplished earlier than.  And there is that nice phrase which I all the time assume feels actually harsh.  It is form of the stick model of the quote that I’ve chosen.  So, if the carrot model is, “By no means reside the identical 12 months twice”, I really feel just like the stick model is, “Familiarity breeds complacency”.  And I am like, that is the stick.

Helen Tupper: Yeah, that is fairly harsh. 

Sarah Ellis: Yeah, it’s harsh, however I additionally discover it fairly attention-grabbing.  The factor that I do in a different way is I do look forward to a 12 months and I am like, “Proper, what do I need to check out?  What do I need to do in a different way?  What do I need to do for the primary time?” after which it informs a number of the actions that then I take. 

Helen Tupper: So, clearly it is a quote that has made an enormous distinction to you and your improvement.  Why do you assume it’s one thing that might assist different folks? 

Sarah Ellis: Effectively, I used to be reflecting on this, and I feel we regularly ask folks initially of workshops or programmes that we’re doing, “What’s one phrase to explain your profession to date, or to explain how you feel about work in the intervening time?”  And also you do hear folks say, “Stalling and caught”, rather a lot.  I feel that’s form of pure.  All of us have these moments the place maybe you are feeling such as you’re plateauing a bit.  However in case you have this concept of by no means dwelling the identical 12 months twice, I feel it lets you get unstuck.  And it lets you make progress, as a result of we will all do that ultimately.  Even when our jobs are fairly habit-based and we do a number of the identical issues and there is a number of routines, there’s all the time some newness that I feel you’ll find and that I feel is absolutely good for us.  And if I take into consideration what does it seem like to be resilient in our Squiggly Careers, you do not need to do the identical once more, you do not need to get caught in the established order.  I feel that will increase your profession threat and reduces your resilience.

Helen Tupper: I feel that could be a pretty, compelling query.  So, let’s transfer from the query, “By no means reside the identical 12 months twice”, the assertion of that, into particular actions that folks can take.  In the event that they discover that inspiring, how do they activate it of their work and profession? 

Sarah Ellis: As common listeners will know, I am very anti manifesting or manifestation.  So, I feel in the event you simply go, “Oh, by no means reside the identical 12 months twice”, after which simply hope that can occur, in my expertise, that is not true.  And so, I do assume you have to be extra intentional about that.  However a few of what I’ll describe, I feel does really get fairly near manifesting.  So, I feel there is a good essential problem that you simply and a few of our listeners might perhaps have of me right here, however I do assume they’re totally different.  So, I feel a extremely good, propelling coach-yourself query right here is, “What do I need to be true in 12 months’ time that is not true at the moment?”  And for that to work rather well, I actually advocate a thoughts map.  Get these ideas out of your head, get them onto a little bit of paper. 

The factor that I discover from doing that is naturally, maybe it is the best way my mind works, by doing that fast-forwarding, you are fast-forwarding by way of your 12 months, you then naturally come again to the current day and go, “Effectively, what do I must do now to spend money on Future Sarah?”  As a result of once more, more often than not you do must look forward and take into consideration, I do not know, are there folks you might want to discuss to; do you might want to spend a while on concepts; do you might want to guide right into a course that you simply actually need to do; no matter it may be.  And normally, you may’t flip these issues on immediately.  So, I do assume you want this second, or maybe I want this second, of pondering and reflection, the place I fast-forward, I get the thoughts map down, after which I feel I do the, “What?  So, what now?” two questions.  Or, “What does that imply for me?”  And it isn’t like I map all of it out completely.  I feel I’ve extra themes and territories.  After which I form of do the ‘so what now’ and that will get me to some actions. 

Then I’ve obtained three extra form of sensible actions.  The primary one is predicated on — that is new for me this 12 months, so although I’ve recognized this quote for some time, it is a new perception.  And it is based mostly on a dialog I had earlier within the 12 months with Katy Milkman, a psychologist who’s actually interested by change and behavior change.  And he or she talked about this concept of the fresh-start impact, which is actually any second generally is a fresh-start impact, but it surely lets you perhaps do one thing totally different or to attempt one thing out.  So, a fresh-start impact might be September.  So, in case you are listening to this in August, September is kind of a pure back-to-school, back-to-work second.  Even when, I imply earlier than I had children, I all the time went on vacation in September, however I nonetheless assume I got here again from vacation in September feeling fairly like, “Oh –“

Helen Tupper: It is so ‘new pencil case’, I adore it!

Sarah Ellis: Yeah, so it might be a September, it might be a Monday, it might simply be one which’s based mostly in your life as in, “I am on vacation subsequent week, so my fresh-start impact goes to be subsequent Monday”. 

Helen Tupper: My birthday, proper?  It is my birthday this month.  It may be a recent begin. 

Sarah Ellis: Precisely, something like that.  And I feel you should utilize that pondering as a immediate for locating small firsts.  So, regardless that, “By no means reside the identical 12 months twice”, I feel feels fairly zoomed out, by no means dwelling the identical 12 months twice, a number of that’s about discovering small firsts, doing issues in your week that you’ve got not accomplished earlier than.  And that might be a brand new means of working, experimenting with somebody, doing a gathering otherwise, a brand new piece of tech.  If I take into consideration this 12 months to date, by no means dwelling the identical 12 months twice, I’ve experimented with extra know-how this 12 months than I most likely have within the final three years.  And that is not all AI.  I do know the default is, “That is all AI”.  It is not all AI.  It is utilizing video in two or three other ways, it is us interested by the podcast and the way know-how will help with the podcast. 

So, if that is concerning the ‘what’, like, “What are you doing?” when it comes to by no means dwelling the identical 12 months twice, my second motion is concerning the ‘who’, so, who will help you to by no means reside the identical 12 months twice?  So, who’re you spending time with and just be sure you’ve obtained sufficient newness and novelty.  Typically they’re described as weak ties.  So, the folks you do not know as nicely, who know issues that you do not know and know those that you do not know.  And the primary one which we described, the primary motion, that is simply me, like I am naturally extra like that.  This second one wouldn’t occur, if I did not give it some thought.  I do not need to meet anybody new actually.  I am introverted, I’ve obtained some superb pals, and I am very proud of these folks.  And so, what that then does is restrict your skill to by no means reside the identical 12 months twice, since you’re limiting your studying, you are limiting your potentialities.  So, I feel very consciously about, how do I do that; how do I discover new folks in new locations?

Really, after I actually considered this, for me, I take fairly a structured strategy.  I am not a spontaneous particular person; once more, I do not hope it should occur; I take into consideration the communities I need to be a part of, the networks I need to be part of; I very deliberately do some issues outdoors of Superb If actually with this in thoughts.  So, if I take into consideration this 12 months and by no means dwelling the identical 12 months twice, I’ve actually considered, I’ve joined two boards of two firms outdoors of Superb If.  And a part of my motivation for that’s to be taught and to spend time with some totally different folks.  I do know this 12 months I am not going to reside the identical 12 months twice as a result of I am spending a few of my time with an employee-owned belief, an organisation that has transitioned to being an employee-owned belief, and being on the board of an organization in a means that I’ve not accomplished earlier than. 

It is usually really not about my day job.  Really, that was my different commentary.  Every part I checked out round not dwelling the identical 12 months twice, across the who, was all the time stuff that went past my day-to-day and was extra about my improvement. 

Helen Tupper: I assume being on the opposite facet of it, as somebody that does work with you within the day job, I see that come again.  Like, by spending time with these folks, it then leads to doing issues totally different within the day job.  So, I positively see how that loops round.  What is the remaining motion? 

Sarah Ellis: Effectively, the ultimate motion is one which I do not assume I do very nicely.  So, I believed I might share it as a form of hole that I’ve obtained.  So, I believed I’ve obtained the ‘what’ and the ‘who’, after which I feel by no means dwelling the identical 12 months twice can also be a bit concerning the ‘the place’.  So, selection is one in all my values and I get a number of vitality from spending time somewhere else and areas.  And so, generally I feel by no means dwelling the identical 12 months twice is about visiting new locations, or simply spending time in new locations and being actually impressed by that.  And I had a second in my profession the place I did that rather a lot, and I’m beginning to creep, I’m creeping again or rediscovering, which sounds much less bizarre, I’m rediscovering that, I feel, for myself.  And I feel to once more be variety to your self, it’s more durable to do.  It was more durable to do initially of our firm and while you’ve obtained actually younger children.  Now my child is a bit older and I’ve obtained a bit extra help, I can take into consideration this once more, I feel.  And I do, I discover this very inspiring for myself and for my profession, but additionally only for my life. 

So, one reflection I wrote down was that I’ve by no means been to the British Library, ever.  And I used to be pondering, “I really feel like that is my non secular residence”.  I utilized for a job on the British Library as soon as, did not even get an interview.  However you realize while you’re like, there isn’t any motive why I’ve not accomplished that?  It is in London, I reside close to London, I’ve walked previous it, I do know the place it’s, and I am fairly certain you may simply go in, I feel.  Even if you cannot, I am going to simply go and be part of.  I might love a membership card for the British Library. 

Helen Tupper: Any remaining phrases on by no means dwelling the identical 12 months twice for our listeners? 

Sarah Ellis: I feel do not feel pressured to essentially undergo this course of by your self.  I’m fairly particular person and fairly unbiased in my strategy, so I do a number of pondering on my own.  However I do have a Helen in my life to form of run issues by.  However once more, I do not run a number of these items by Helen, to be trustworthy.  You are similar to, “No”!  However I feel that’s form of distinctive to me, and different folks may work in that means as nicely, however I feel it is a sensible factor that you could possibly do with somebody you actually belief.  This can be a great point to speak by way of with a mentor, great point to speak about with somebody simply you belief at work and also you get on rather well with.  When you each linked with this quote, have some conversations round it.  Do not feel such as you form of have to do that solo.  I am all the time fairly conscious that I am fairly a solo particular person. 

Helen Tupper: However you’re a pretty particular person and I be taught rather a lot out of your solo reflection.  And so, that’s the finish of at the moment’s episode.  It is the second in our collection.  So, within the first one, I talked about, “Run your individual race”; we have clearly simply accomplished, “By no means reside the identical 12 months twice”; and in our third episode within the collection, I am going again to my quote, which is, “Problem your limits, do not restrict your challenges”, and Sarah will probably be asking me some questions to know that quote a bit extra. 

Sarah Ellis: Wanting ahead to it.  I am having fun with these conversations.  Fairly a pleasant change of format for the summer season.  Thanks a lot for listening everybody, again with you once more quickly and bye for now. 

Helen Tupper: Bye all people.