Hi Ben,

I believe you are a Pioneer Lite member? In which case this would be a great subject to bring for discussion in one of our weekly Pathfinder calls that happen each Monday. There will be a small group of other TPC members, plus 1-2 people from the TPC team, to help you bounce around this subject, along with all sorts of other career opportunities/ issues.

You can sign up here: http://staging.the-portfolio-collective.com/events/pathfinder-check-in

Best Wishes,

Ben

Thanks for being so open Benjamin Attle. Have felt the same in the past and I’m happy to share some advice, if you’d like. Just DM me

Hi Ben, thanks so much for sharing, we’re sure that almost everyone in community has felt that way at some point or another. Tagging some of our wonderful members who might be able to offer up some advice – Pete Domican, Rob Wright, Ilaria Vilkelis, Maria Evans PhD, Zarir 'Zed' Vakil, Alex Pitt, Ryan McGee, Silvia Janska, Tayub SAGEER, Jake B

Hi Ben. I’m hesitant to be directive right off the bat, as I’ll probably misdiagnose the problem that needs solving here. The thing is, without talking to you, we won’t really know what the challenge is:

– It could be that you’re discovering your ’Why’, or your ’Yes!’ isn’t big enough for you just yet, which, unwelcome as this might seem, is the enlightenment this struggle has for you at this point in your career

– It could be that having started enthusiastically on a portfolio career, it’s harder than you’d imagined, you’re now rubbing up against some of unforeseen challenges that you’d rather not have, & your purpose/challenge drives aren’t yet quite enough to keep you pushing through the resistance

– You may just be coming up against how much you’re yet to learn despite the wealth of experience you already carry, which can be a little too sobering for comfort!

– It could be there are some things you need to get better at as an independent that you’ve little interest in, so you’re leaking enthusiasm

– None of your struggles here might have anything to do with work. You may have some unresolved issues away from the day job robbing you of your drive.

Whatever the challenge here for you is, I would however suggest that this initial dip in performance can be expected for anyone starting out on something new.

So if I have any advice for you, I’d encourage you to resist the temptation to think you’re unusual, or that what you’re feeling isn’t normal. Unwelcome & inconvenient challenges aren’t necessarily an indication you’re doing anything wrong. This unrest might simply be a necessary part of your journey.

I’d then encourage you to find a mentor/coach who can patiently ask some great questions to ensure you’re tackling the real issue here, & ensure you’re not rushing into fixing a problem that ends up being a distraction & a waste of time.

And while you’re looking for that special someone, I’d encourage you to do an appreciative inquiry: what’s going well for you right now? What can you be grateful for & celebrate? Then do more of that! This will help you bring a different, more ’can-do’ energy to your challenges, & help ensure you’re still showing up & not checking out altogether.

And lastly, I’d ask you to consider that motivation comes from endings, not beginnings. So what can you set your mind to do each day – & finish – that gives you that feeling of momentum towards the goals that matter most to you? This helps give you the pep to stay in the game while you’re figuring out the bigger picture stuff.

Does any of that help, Ben…?

Hi Ben, oh I have absolutely been there!

Before I founded my agency I was a freelance graphic designer. I was making good money, but more and more I felt lost and as if I had plateaued. I used to find myself struggling to sit at my desk every day, and couldn’t work out what the issue was. After all, I was good at the work and I was paying the bills!

I highly recommend working with a coach if you can. I did and the deep-digging made me realise I was holding myself back in so many ways. I wouldn’t have had the clarity to make those big leaps forward without that support.

I’d be happy to jump on a call and chat if helpful. Otherwise don’t worry, I find that these moments when you’re a bit lost lead to pretty great things!

Definitely and going through it at the moment. Happy to have a chat some time.

Hi Ben, nice to meet you and good on you for being so open and honest. Happy to chat next week if it would help? One thing I found helpful was to envision what you’d ideally like your future PC to look like – the ideal – then work from today with a (always changing) plan and goals to get there. Getting clarity around ”what good looks like” for you personally and would leave you feeling fulfilled and motivated can be liberating and gives you a clear goal to work towards, including swapping out non-core activities overtime. JR