Today’s Task

Weekend Project: Do Something New!

Whatever your specific career goals are for 2018, if they are BHAGs – if they are important and significant – then you will need to get out of your comfort zone to achieve them.

Sadly, it’s not enough to put on your comfy PJs, grab a cuppa and hang out on the sofa.  Changing jobs or careers, getting promoted, arranging a development move or returning to work all require you to take action!

You will probably need to do most, if not all, of the following things to achieve your goals. Many of these can be challenging, scary, difficult, or even cause anxiety for some people.

– meet new people
– attend interviews
– speak on the telephone to people you don’t know
– write about yourself
– talk about yourself and your achievements
– travel to places or areas you have not been to before
– go into new buildings
– read between the lines of job descriptions and performance appraisals
– make small talk
– introduce yourself to people
– always be presentable and well prepared
– always be on time.

There are probably lots more – am I missing anything obvious?
It’s not easy, or at least it’s not easy for most of us.

 So today’s task is about building your confidence.  It’s designed to get you ready to take action, to try new experiences and to know that they can be enjoyable and rewarding.  Hopefully, it will help to reframe any potentially intimidating or nerve-wracking moments from “obstacles” to “challenges”, which you can tackle positively.  And it may even provide you with some fun anecdotes for your next night out, or your next interview!

 Specifically, I want you to experience something that you have never experienced before.  It can literally be anything, but here are a few fun and mostly free examples:

1. Go Somewhere New

It could be a High Street you’ve never been to before, or to a museum or gallery that you’ve never visited.  You could go to a major station and just look at the departure boards until you see a destination you’ve never visited, and then go there.  Or you might plan a London “discovery day” out with your family or friends exploring the Thames Tow Path near Richmond, the dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park, Greenwich Park or the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Lumiere London, which includes over 50 amazing art/light installations across London, is on this weekend only (5.30pm-10.30pm). Or have you always wanted to go to Cambridge or Windsor or Bath or Dalston?  Now’s your chance!

2. Do Something New

Take a class: (ideally a free trial class) in magic, floristry, skateboarding, yoga, drawing, woodworking, or any one of an almost infinite list of possible options you might find interesting.

Ask to shadow a friend:  Ask to come along to something they do that you are interested in learning more about. Is your pal a glass blower or a bee keeper or a chess champ? Or do they go fishing or hiking or sailing regularly?  Join them, and give it a go!

3. Do Something in A New Way

Another option is to do something that you normally do, but do it in a completely new way.

Here are just two simple examples:

Mix up your night out: If your Saturday night plans usually involve a dinner party at someone’s house or meeting friends at a restaurant, try a movable feast instead – where you move between houses or restaurants for each course.  It’s fun and completely changes the feeling of the evening.  You get extra bonus points if you try new restaurants, or new recipes for your dinner party, too!

Travel to work in a completely new way: Today, or on Monday, take a ferry, ride a bike, or go via a new-to-you part of town.  Make a point of stopping to have a coffee or a walk before finishing your commute.

“But I Have No Time!”

If time is really tight today and this weekend, or if you are constrained by other people and commitments, try one of these options instead:

Attempt a new recipe (without shopping):  Scan your fridge, cupboard, freezer and spice rack for a new and unusual combination of ingredients.  Type them into Google (or your favourite search engine) along with the word “recipe”.  Look through the results and pick something to make that you have never tasted before. Bon appétit!

Order a completely different type of takeaway:  If you always opt for pizza or Chinese, try Korean or Ethiopian instead!

Try a new soft drink: Ideally pick one that looks weird or strange.  Maybe it’s a swamp-like green juice, or a canned drink that you’ve never seen before.  Don’t spend too long thinking about it – just grab the oddest one you can and give it a try!  (This is a one-off exercise so I promise you it doesn’t matter about the calories or your teeth –  just go for it!)

Learn a new dance move or two: YouTube will provide the instructions and any youngsters in your life should be able to point you to what’s cool (and will, no doubt, provide an appreciative audience for your efforts )

Have some fun with this and please do push yourself to try something completely new.

Enjoy!

As always, I’d love to hear how you get on and, especially with this task, to hear what you get up to.  I’d love to add some more weird and wonderful ideas to our list for next time.  Please email us at jump@runnethlondon.com. Remember to put “private” in the subject line if you’d rather we keep your comments anonymous if we share them.

How time flies! We are over halfway though our Jump!!

Weekend Catch Up: If you missed a task or still have unfinished tasks, you could spend a little extra time over the weekend catching up.

Weekend Get Ahead: If you are itching to move ahead before Monday, then take one of the tasks from your personal Task List and get it done!

Looking ahead, over the remaining week or so, we will pin down your personal brand and ensure it shines through on your CV and LinkedIn. We’ll sort out the most common problem I see with most CVs. And you’ll publish your shiny new (or updated) LinkedIn profile to the world.   So stay tuned!