A life for the job?
What was standard for a long time is increasingly being questioned. In search of variety and fulfilment, more and more people are pursuing their own projects and interests alongside their main job, known as “New Work”. The aim here is to promote work-life balance, creativity, and commitment through flexible and self-determined working conditions.
I embarked on the New Work adventure 3 years ago, driven by the desire for more satisfaction and balance in life. Here I want to give you a little insight into how I went about it and what experiences I had along the way.
Which work model is the right one?
Not all New Work is the same. There are countless ways to redesign your professional life. The question of which one best suit one’s own situation and wishes was therefore at the very beginning. For me, it was a combination of part-time at Accenture and simultaneous self-employment with the founding of Hahn & Loewe, as this allowed me to combine the advantages of both forms of work:
– Security and stability: a permanent employment relationship offers (financial) support, while at the same time I have freedom and control over my own work.
– Flexibility: I have more flexibility in terms of working hours and environments, which is especially beneficial in the pandemic and current hybrid environment.
– Linking new and old: by doing both, I can build on my strengths, skills, and experience experimenting with safety net.
– Financial benefits: I can use both sources of income to increase my income and achieve financial independence.
In search of the “Why”
We all have our own motivations for why we take on new projects. Exploring this “Why” and keeping it in mind is important. Because it provides us with a clear vision and the necessary motivation to achieve our goals and dreams. In my search, I asked myself the following questions:
– What do you want to achieve and in what time horizon?
– Do you want a change of pace for a few hours a week and earn money?
– Do you want to build a business?
– Do you want to become a CEO and get out of your current environment, or do you dream of a career as a solopreneur?
I also found it helpful to keep setting small, measurable goals for these questions. That way, you keep track of your development, can adjust course if necessary, and stay motivated even when things are tough.
Discovering your own superpowers
If you are looking for new challenges, you should know your strengths and your USP (Unique Selling Proposition). We often find it difficult to assess ourselves objectively. Therefore, it can be useful to get an external perspective, e.g., from family, work colleagues or coaches.
A good starting point is the online test CliftonStrengths 2.0 by Gallup (formerly StrengthsFinder). In combination with professional Strengths Coaching, the assessment helps to identify one’s top skills so that individual strengths can be brought to the fore.
I also asked myself: “Which topics do I particularly like?” and “What kind of clients would I like to have?” to work out the focus of my offer. First and foremost, it should be fun and free you to live your strengths and passions. So, from my perspective, there are three core factors to consider:
– Passion
– “Good-at”
– Added value, for those you want to offer your product/service to.
You can find out how to get into action and take the first concrete steps into your new working model in part 2 of this blog. If you have any questions up to this point or simply want to exchange ideas on the topic, feel free to contact me at info@hahnloewe.de