Laying Track Towards the Future You Want
P. thinks of himself as a creative, but his work wasn’t feeling progressive and he wasn’t sure he had chosen the right path. He needed clarity, support and a plan that would make today’s work lead to tomorrow’s opportunities.
Taking the leap
Three years ago, P. went out on his own, leveraging his earlier work in traditional office settings into an independent consultancy. Life as a freelancer had its ups—notably all the freedom. But the downside was a lack of security and uncertainty when it came to his long-term finances or career prospects. Nearly three years in, he felt he was on shaky ground. The pandemic had required him to pivot into digital work (not his favourite), revenues were down and he was questioning whether or not he was even in the right line of work. That’s when he reached out to MKLC.
Feeling directionless
P. was attracted to the Compass Program because he felt increasingly adrift—being carried by the winds and not heading in a direction of his choosing. “I think of myself as a creative, but the work that was taking up most of my day was not scratching that itch. I wanted more financial security and work that brought me in contact with interesting, boundary pushing individuals. But I was letting myself off the hook. I knew I needed structure that would require me to set bigger goals and really work for them, rather than being a passive participant in my own career. And I needed help figuring out what those goals should be, if I was even on the right path, and how to organize myself and motivate myself to achieve at a higher level” P. told us.
Finding a path
Maya started to help P. sketch out a vision of the kind of work that energized him and the kind of environment where he saw himself thriving in the future. Together, Maya and P. worked through his hesitations and fears and mapped his strengths and areas of interest. They overlaid this against the type of work that was financially rewarding and personally fulfilling. They came up with a structure for the day, week and month that would enable him to be more intentional about building his business while pursuing the more creative, long-term ambitions that would make him feel good about himself.
“I was lost and very close to giving up and seeking the security of a 9-to-5. But Maya helped me see my work in a new light—as something that could, if approached differently, actually support me in living the kind of life I want for myself. I can’t emphasize enough how helpful it is to bring in that outside, experienced set of eyes to help make sense of all the different signals. I see now that I was misinterpreting things. The path I was on was the right one, I just needed a shift to make it work.”
Setting a new course
Six months later, P.’s business is thriving and he has made changes in his personal life that he credits to his time with MKLC. “A few months after my engagement with MKLC things really started to turn around. I found new, interesting clients to work with and my new outlook and attitude were a big help. Today I am hitting my financial targets, hitting my stride creatively and have a newfound appreciation for the future of my work.”