Since I was young, people have been asking
me what I want to become when I grow up. Everyone around me seemed to know. A
lot of girls in my class wanted to become a mom (None of the boys wanted to
become a dad, however I won’t use this blog for ranting about equality) or a
flowergirl(?). One of my childhood friends wanted to be an inventor, and is
actually designing escape rooms now. I never knew what I wanted. I knew I liked
to help and teach, but I didn’t like school. I didn’t excel in any specific
subject in school, I got good grades when I learned properly and didn’t when I
didn’t learn. Nothing I excelled in, so far. Although there was one thing. I was smart enough, creative enough, to
find ways of ditching the classes I didn’t experience as useful. Because I felt
like that was a waste of time and energy. Teachers either liked me or hated me,
because if they didn’t know their subject well, didn’t respect us and didn’t
acknowledge that they are human and make mistakes as well, I was an annoying
piece of shit (only when they deserved it). When they acted like human beings
and treated us like that, I was kind and funny and very helpful.
For the last 7 months I have been doing a
job where I was working at a desk on a computer 5 days a week. I knew I am not
made for that, but now I proved that point as well. I felt stuck, I felt
suffocated, I felt like all my energy had no way out and reflected back inside
me, slowly turning my mood and energy black. I felt like I was doing too many things
I didn’t want to do or learn. Clearly this is not what I want to be when I grow
up. So then what?
Waste of resources
I think it is a waste of resources if you
are working at a company, (partly) doing things you are not good at, you don’t like
and you don’t want to learn. This world is full of diverse people who all like
different things. Some people love administrative tasks or finding the best way
through the tax system. It’s waste of time and energy if you are trying to find
your way through the tax system if you don’t like it, you don’t want to learn
it and you know others can definitely do a better job. Especially if the right
resources like time, information, help and the right programs aren’t provided
by the company. It’s also frustrating, because you are well aware of the fact
that even if you have an okay result, someone else would have an awesome result
with much less time and effort. So instead of wasting your time and energy on
things you don’t excel in, like or want to learn, you could better use your
energy for things you are making a significant difference in. I know it’s not
as black and white as described here, but I believe many resources like energy,
time and also money are wasted on following job descriptions or on order of the
boss. If a freelancer would do better work in one day than an employee in five
days, it might still be cheaper and smarter to hire a freelancer.
What I want to be when I grow up
So I still have no freaking clue what I
want to do when I grow up. But… I do know what I want to be while growing older.
What
I want to be is a happy human being, someone who adds value by using her
qualities to make this world a bit better.
Like I said, I am not specifically good at
one thing and I like many things. So I don’t want to specify, I want to be able
to take different opportunities and bring something to places with various
goals.
So I decided to start as a freelancer. What
my company will be about? About me. Imaginary voice inside my head: Well, that’s very self-centered of you. How
do you think a company functions that is centered around the owner of the
company? Well, the company will be about me using my qualities to add
value. I think in an ideal world, people shouldn’t brainlessly follow the job
descriptions, but job descriptions should be adapted to the person. If everyone
would be their own brand, doing the things where they add the most value,
resources are spend more wisely. If this works? I have no freaking clue. But if
you think this should or could be the way, I could really use your help to make
it possible.
I’ve
never tried that before, so I think I should definitely be able to do that.
If you happen to have, see or know any
freelance opportunities that you think suit me, please let me know! List of
passions, qualities and interests below J
I
want to learn, I want to develop, I want to grow. But most of all, I want to be
me. Because I am much more powerful, creative and happy if I can be me.
Also, I am up for tea, coffee or hot
chocolate to chat about life, Pipi Longstocking, new opportunities or anything
else, hit me up with invites!
P.S. No worries, I am not actually planning
on growing up. Pipi Longstocking is still my biggest role model.
What are my qualities, passions or interests?
Besides passion on the listed subjects, I also have a whole lot of
experience, check my LinkedIn or my previous blog if you want to learn more about that. Or just ask me.
·
Working with people. Together you’re
smarter and stronger. Everyone has something to bring. To recognize that and
see how to support someone to bring as much as possible, is one of my strong
points.
·
Facilitating workshops, trips and trainings. About diversity, self-esteem, body confidence, innovation,
behavior, playing outdoor, creating an inclusive atmosphere and anything else
that I feel passionate about.
·
Employee engagement. Happy and content employees
are the key to a good functioning company. Are you listening to your employees?
Are you providing the elements they need to do their work well?
·
Innovation. Everything changes all the
time. So as a company you can’t always keep doing things the exact way you did
them before. But embracing change isn’t that easy, it has to do with power
structures, culture and most of all, people. Seeing the whole picture from
different sides is what I am good at.
·
Traveling. Because there is no better
way to get to know yourself. I also love guiding tours, trips and travels.
·
Helping organizations and companies to reach a goal. Like ‘playing outside more’, by activating the employees to come
with sustainable solutions to the identified problem, because I believe
employees know the practical situation best so have a better view on what makes
the biggest impact.
·
Outdoor therapy. (0-20 years old,
personal or in a group) Being outside, playing together, learning about
yourself and others. While having fun, experiencing what your qualities are and
how to work with others to reach the full potential. Learning while playing
outside, in natural surroundings. More news about this will follow soon.
·
Working with kids. Kids (and their
educators) need support to be able to reach their full potential. They have to
know themselves, believe in themselves and be able to communicate with the
world around them. Also they need support and love, to be able to believe in
themselves and find the strength to go on adventures in the outside world. From
there on they can start learning. Helping kids by providing a nurturing
environment around them, is something that excites me.
·
Improving the social/care/school system.
The current social system in the Netherlands (and I know we are very lucky to
have this system, it’s already so much better than in many places) bureaucracy
makes it hard sometimes to really put the kids/clients in the center of the
provided support. So I'd like to work
on making it better or work on other solutions outside of the system.
·
Organizing, hosting, hospitality, etc..
I can do many things J
·
Being creative and thinking differently. Always seeing endless possibilities, a non-believer of impossible
and a believer of the good in people.
