I know I’m not the only freelancer who doesn’t set time aside reflect on what’s happened, check in with myself, and think about what’s next…I hear this kind of thing a lot amongst The Outsiders group.
When you’re employed, you have reviews with your line manager, or company away days, that create moments to stop, reflect and look ahead. But when you work on your own, making that time requires discipline.
Conversations like “we’re so busy doing the work, we don’t stop to think about where we’ve come from or where we are headed” became all too familiar.
But I had this feeling that I wanted to make a ritual of it. And knowing that lots of us felt the same, meant that perhaps we could make it fun and sociable too.
We landed on the concept of the “Wild Away Afternoon” – a lightly structured opportunity to get away from the desk, go somewhere beautiful and inspiring, reflect on the quarter past and set goals and intentions for the upcoming quarter.
In true The Outsiders style; sociable, fun and simple.
On Wednesday 2nd April we met at Company Bakery at Eskmills, and headed along the River Esk to Inveresk Lodge Gardens – a garden paradise, with sloping lawns down to wilder woodlands and ponds below.
The weather was indescribably beautiful. Warm for so early in the year, and not a cloud in the sky.
Charlotte Dixon, Coach and Psychologist, led the session in a gentle and inspiring way.
On the walk there we discussed ten things that are going well in pairs, and then we settled by the ponds for a few activities to get us thinking about where we are at just now, and how we can move ourselves forward.
We even made time to dream big, which was fun and liberating in these beautiful surroundings. Gentle ambition. That’s what it felt like. Giving ourselves and each other permission to step into the lives that we want.
Super grateful to everyone for their openness and sense of fun. We’ll be running these quarterly for folks involved in The Outsiders, so there will be lots more opportunities if this sounds of interest to you!
Sass MacDonald, who attended the afternoon captured it perfectly in a poem, and has kindly allowed us to share this here…
THE POWER OF TWELVE
Standing in a row
Apprehensive about moving forward
Terrified of falling back
And drowning.
Choosing, choosing, choosing:
Where will the right place be?
Moving forward and smiling
Six is OK and so is eight
But seven’s not allowed.
We approach ten together
And feel how it feels
For us. No judgement.
And before we know it
It’s twelve, hands straight up,
Pointing heavenward.
Out with the old, in with the new;
Whit’s fur ye’ll no go by ye.
Joyful, hopeful, full of wonder.
Trees, sky, a woodpecker,
Two flirty frogs.
Two minutes ago
Twelve wasn’t a possibility –
But now it’s here
You can dance down the street naked
But you don’t have to.
Full of possibilities
And joy
And lightness.
We were outsiders;
Now we are The Outsiders
And, together, we can
Because we’ve been to twelve.
Other numbers are available
And they’re good too.
But 12? Who knew?
Leave a Reply