The Week That Was: Ikigai in Action

Being self-employed definitely comes with benefits, but it isn’t all cocktails and champagne. The life I have created is part of my Ikigai, my reason for getting up every day. For me, that means building a life of adventure, flexibility, and freedom while using my skills and experience to make individuals and businesses more effective.

My work is about helping people tap into their true purpose, creating space for continual improvement, innovation, and meeting the needs of their community – staff, customers, and stakeholders.

This week my adventures took me:

• Up the Sunraysia Highway to facilitate strategic directions, vision, and mission statements – and to spark joy with the Creating Innovative Leaders program.

• Back via Ballarat, where I enjoyed the heritage, gave Bobby Three One Oh some love, and immersed myself in a slice of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale.

• Then home to Geelong, to present alongside the O'Brien Electrical Geelong team to the Geelong Business Excellence Awards Judges.

And today, I’m wrapping up the week coaching an emerging leader as she steps into her power to lead her team to success.

Amongst all this business, I’ve stayed present and appreciative for this half-time transformation, a chance to spend more time doing what I love and with those I love.

To close the week, I’ll visit my beautiful mum. She has been my driver throughout life, and the reason why transformation has occurred. Every hug, every smile, every moment is precious. She is a delight to be around, not to mention how often she tells me I am beautiful, wonderful, and intelligent. Alzheimer’s is definitely the long goodbye, but it is also a reminder that love, presence, and gratitude are what truly matter.

My week may have been full, but my heart is fuller.