What a difference 3 months makes!

I was made redundant at the end of May '25, and writing this on 11th September, I'm still very much unemployed! I'm scared to challenge myself on this as the alternative is a much worse frame of mind to be in, but I actually feel good, great in fact!

I'm wondering if the anxiety will kick in at some point, if my self-esteem will suddenly crumble and I start desperately jumping at any old thing.

The only slight wobble I have is doubting whether I'm doing enough on the direct job search and too much on my other projects. But I think it's these projects that have filled me with so much enthusiasm for this period, that I can't help but believe they are all towards something that's coming my way.

It sounds hippie, I know! But life happens either way and I choose to be excited about it.

One HUGE thing I've learnt, that everything always seems to come back to, is that being 'me' is what works best for me.

The reason why I created this site in the first place was because I struggled to define my professional persona in a way that sounded genuine yet held value, so rather than articulating myself through the LinkedIn lens, I made my own platform altogether.

These three months have made me see more value in myself than I have during my whole professional life. Learning about myself not in context of the company I work for, or the role I'm in, has been mind-blowing and an absolute pleasure.

Every day I'm proud of what I've done and continue to do. All that I've achieved and the progress I've made.

The most standout things are:

Super Productive & Self-Motivated

From Day 1, I made a big to-do list to make sure that I stay on track and don't drop the ball on anything. It started with CV related tasks, admin processes and looking into some professional resources such as networking events etc.

The list evolved and as it was never ending, no matter how many I ticked off, so I organised it by priority.

This was a way to push me to tackle the most important tasks and not let myself find ways to only do the more enjoyable ones.

I ticked off completed tasks but didn't delete them, that way I can appreciate everything I've done and have a realistic view on my productivity.

My to-do's could be grouped under 3 categories: Job search (CV, company research), Own ventures (my projects, potential side-hustles) and personal (meal planing, organising social events).

I've been waking up around 8am and gettng ready for the day, mainly because I have a dog... My days have been filled with tackling my to-do list, from morning until night, of course dabbled with the rest of life, but the majority of my time has been used productively and constructively.

This approach was always important to me. I never wanted to regret what happens and by feeling like I've done everything I could and made the most of this time and opportunity, I will be at peace with the outcome.

Constructive Mindset

I'm fortunate to never really have struggled with my mental health however I will take the credit as I work hard on it.

90% of the time I'm able to monitor and manage my internal dialogue.

I catch myself thinking often, and challenge why that thought or feeling has materialised, whether it serves me and what I need to do.

It's meant that I've remained level headed and never feel a victim of my circumstance because it's always to my plan.

If I do have a negative though, I analyse why, where it's come from and what I need to do to not feel like that.

I face it head on, no toxic positivity or burying my head in the sand to deal with another day.

It's more than just being positive, although that plays into it. It's about zooming out, assessing the situation from afar and putting things into perspective, and an action plan if needed.

I believe anxiety comes from the fear of the unknown, so I take the reigns to be sure of the outcome, even if i need to mentally map out a few different outcomes.

Creative & Not Afraid To Explore

My mind moves at a million miles an hour, I have a new idea to explore every day.

Usually they're just fleeting ideas that I'm obsessed with for a day or two, then I'm on to the next, but these past months I've actually been able to make these ideas come to life and I'm so proud of myself.

It may be simply down to having time on my hands, although I think I've now hugely grown in confidence in how to just ... start.

It's a funny realisation and I've seen this phrase in a few different places, but I can just do things, whatever I want, and there's nothing stopping us. Especially with all the technology, AI and various platforms/services that exist now, there is something that helps us do everything and anything.

It's definitely influenced by my new found engagement with the professional world overall, all the businesses and start-ups that I've been exposed to.

I've found myself drawing on experiences within my last jobs to support me in taking the first steps, ways of working that I didn't recognise before.

I feel a tingling in my brain on this topic, two strands stretching out to each other, making a connection between myself as a person and my professional 'brand'.

Some people's professional persona is their job/role/industry/company. And they sell themselves off of that. Their achievements and job titles and involvement in their industry is what represents them and takes them through their career. Some people are just themselves, and this becomes their persona. Albeit over time, but it's the result of being consistently geuine and focussing on yourself, your values and goals.

Both are good and have a place. But realising this has been monumental for me.

I'm the second one.

I don't identify with an industry. I don't identify with a role, as such). I say i'm in Operations because it's the simplest way to articulate that I make things happen, whatever it may be.

I used to say that you can give me a goal, and I'll find a way to acheieve it. But now I'm learning to set the goals myself. To envision the end goal first, then work out how to get there.

And all of this... in just THREE MONTHS!

Imagine what incredible things are going to happen in these next three...