Due to some recent changes, I decided to put my blog on hold until Mid-August.In November last year, our company made an announcement of 234 jobs – including mine - moving to the UK. It was a startling surprise and came as a shock to many people. As soon as I heard the word “London”, I knew nothing would be the same again. 8 months on, it is clear that instinct was correct.
Within days, people began to understand the extent of the change coming up, and a wave of emotion washed across the whole company – both among the affected and non-affected staff. I was caught up in the emotion too, and doubly so as a member of the Works Council.
This blog provided an outlet for my opinions and a way to share the feelings of my colleagues and their changing attitudes to the coming change. As their plans and my own took shape, it has been great to share those plans and to reflect all of our fluctuations of belief, concern, confidence and frustration in these lines.
In more recent months, I was able to share experiences like a great trip to Texas and New Orleans, as well as post some short stories about experiences in Amsterdam. I also shared my thoughts on some basic principles, such as Integrity and how True Colours are revealed under pressure. It has also been a forum to share my progress towards the dream of writing a book.
I stand now in the first stages of my plan and development. In the first 5 weeks after finishing work, I focused on researching the book and learning about Amsterdam in the period 1965-1983, and that research is partly done. I have a number of other people to interview, which I will do in August and September – so a big thanks to everyone who has helped with finding sources and putting me in contact.
In recent weeks, I've been lucky to have everything that the Skyros and Atsistsa experience can offer (www.skyros.com) and am ready to get to the hard work of getting the writing done. I got great advice to re-create a “go to work” habit (thanks, Helen-Anne) by renting a small office space in the Pijp in Amsterdam, so this is one possible next step for the book.
Meanwhile, the plan to go to Australia for 4-6 months in November is changing. My main intention with that trip was to get months off to re-assess what I want to do with my life. However, that process is already well on the way, since I have been off work for two and a half months already. That opportunity to STOP and re-assess has been invaluable and my focus in life is changing fast. One big change is that I may do the travelling with someone else; something I had never imagined before but which suddenly seems exactly the right thing to do - more on that another time. The purpose of the travelling will change too - in recent weeks, I have come to realise that joy lies in a combination of location and people, not just location.
Another irony is that a change in my personal life may cause me to re-assess where I want to live my life. The fact that I was "fixed" in Amsterdam was a major reason for not considering London. Suddenly, again, this change makes location an open subject now. Surprises come at every turn.
The third part of the plan is intact – starting a coaching company in first half of next year. Having met a number of people in this or similar fields recently, I recognise the need to re-train and invest in myself in relevant coaching skills. This may best be done in England and that could fit my personal plan.
Now many of my colleagues at Canon have either left the company or moved to UK. That story is an ongoing one as those staying look for and find new jobs, and those moving adapt to the change of living in UK. All of these changes are a part of daily life now – the concept of “security” being associated with a company or a job is evaporating and we know we have to look to ourselves and our own skills to find security.
It is the end of a phase in this story, and as a result, I am suspending my blog for a period of a month. I will re-start posting pieces in mid-August, when the focus will be more heavily on the book and the coaching company development. A few travel stories will undoubtedly turn up too...
I appreciate everybody who has taken the time to read my postings in the last months. Look out for more as of 15th August.
