18th Edition: How to be wildly ambitious & work like a lion to be wildly free
Thanks for being here
Hey everyone, hope you’re having a wonder-full week
We owe it to ourselves to be wildly ambitious.
So apply for that job, start a company, or do what I’ve done—hop on a one-way flight to a place you’ve always dreamt about.
I’m not saying it’ll be easy. Chances are it’ll be anything but.
Though a wise person told me “the greater the pendulum swings through your life, the more you’ve truly lived”.
So ask yourself… are you swinging the pendulum?
I’ve been reflecting on this myself and I’ve come up with three types of swings I’m proud of—all of which felt unattainable until I made them a reality. Go figure.
I’ve lived abroad three times (in London, Sydney, and Paris—cities I’d always dreamt of living in).
I made a career change into Learning Design when I turned 30 — something that cost me two years of studies (on top of my full time job), plus a hefty $15K.
I started freelancing and have been fortunate to work with my former employers District 3 and Concordia, plus Maven, Write of Passage, and more.
Action breeds confidence. Inaction does the opposite.
So whatever you’re wildly ambitious about, you’re better off seizing today as “day one” versus planning for “one day”.
Whether I was getting settled in a new country, applying for jobs in my new field, or pitching myself as a freelance candidate, the pattern has been the same. They’ve all been rollercoaster rides with highs and lows, and as much anxiety as there’s been thrills. That’s the tradeoff with any character building challenge.
The beauty is the lessons we learn stack up like a stairway to a new vantage point on life. One that makes us wiser.
That’s why no matter how wild the ride has been, I always look back on my journeys with rose-tinted glasses. You probably do too, right?
You’d think the wiser we get, the more risk averse we’d be. But it’s quite the opposite—for me, anyway. Maybe I’m abnormal but the older I get, the more I feel not taking risks on what we want is the biggest risk. I don’t want to have any regrets.
Some days I’m filled with gratitude for having found my way back to Montreal and can’t imagine living anywhere else. Other days I feel like I could pack a bag and strike up a new adventure in a new place.
I guess I’ll never loose that sense of wildness. I’m grateful for that. And I hope you know it’s never too late to be wildly ambitious about a new direction of your own.
Now, here are three gems I want to share with you:
An experience to inspire: Maven Course Accelerator
Last week we graduated a new cohort of Maven instructors.
The goal of the course accelerator is to help instructors make a living teaching what they love. And it was nothing short of spectacular to see such a diverse, passionate group of people help each other achieve their goals.
Some of these new instructors had never thought of themselves as “teachers” but ironically they’ve been teaching others for years.
It’s been incredibly inspiring to see them package their knowledge into hands-on, interactive courses. Courses that will springboard those eager to follow in their footsteps on their own wildly ambitious adventures.
🧠 Challenge: Reflect on what people often come to you for help with. Is this something you might be interested in teaching at scale? If you’re serious about creating a cohort-based course, check out Maven’s next course accelerator.
A resource to consider: Work like a lion framework
We all need a wildly ambitious spirit animal.
An analogy that empowers us to work ferociously on projects that matter to us, and to rest and rejuvenate in between.
Here’s one Entrepreneur Shaan Puri shared—one I find relatable given I’ve spent the majority of my career in project management and events:
Anyone working on courses can relate to this framework.
The prep and execution of each cohort is the lion’s share. And in between, you need to take time to rest and rejuvenate to do it all over again for the next cohort.
I’ve never had an issue with sprinting, but I tend to burn myself out because I don’t do the resting bit right.
My new approach to this is reminiscing about my first run around Sydney Harbour.
Back in 2018, I’d joined a running group to train for the Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon, and I made the rookie mistake of starting our first run fast. I was at the front of nearly 30 people for all of ten minutes, but then as people started to increase their speed, I was doing just the opposite.
I ended up being the last one to finish. Lesson learned: pace yourself.
Though the silver lining is I was able to stop and take in the Opera House in all its glory, while having another “I can’t believe I live here” moment.
🦁 Challenge: Take a look at your schedule for the next month—or quarter—and reflect on how you could structure it to work in lion mode. Make sure you prioritize those rest and rejuvenation periods.
A question to ponder: Being wildly free
I can’t emphasize enough how important periods of rest and rejuvenation are.
Not moments, or seconds, or “quick hacks”. Proper periods of time where we intentionally create space to be free.
That's not to say you can’t have a trip planned with a tight itinerary. For some people I know, that’s what relaxes them and makes them feel free. For others it’s being offline, or directing their focus to different projects.
You do you.
💭 Question: When is your next rest and rejuvenation period? How are you designing it to embrace the fact that you’re wildly free?
Thanks for reading my eighteenth newsletter
My goal is to prompt reflection within this vibrant community of ours, so I’d love your feedback on how I can make future editions beneficial.
Got an idea or burning question I could address? Hit reply and we’re off.
Have a wonder-full week,