My old sofa
North Germany in 2008. A simple 1 bedroom flat. One used sofa in the living room. The original black color has already faded to a very dark grey. I sit down. I reposition myself to find the “comfy spot”, the one that every old sofa has. Then I catch myself staring at the coffee table. I was pondering over the thought “When can I afford a new sofa?”.
That’s how it all started. That’s my first memory of myself actively reflecting on my life. My past and what does the future hold for me. So far I mostly acted either on what other people told me (“Go and work for a bank,” my mum said early on) or simply copied what other people did (get an apprenticeship, get a job). It was very reactive.
But that day it changed from “what does the future hold for me” to “what future do I want”. Looking back this seems to be the first time I did actively reflect and make plans. Little did I know what impact it will have.
Highlights
- Moving to UK– in order to increase my income I found that working abroad would be a great combination of doing something exciting while improving your CV. United Kingdom was the best option with my language skills and European passport. London was the logical choice based on the connections I had in the IT industry.
- Switching careers– after working in sales for two companies within five years I managed to increase my salary considerably. But I wanted something more exciting to do. Luckily I had a chance to move from sales into consultancy within the same company – and it was great!
- The sabbatical that never happened– the company around me changed, the position I enjoyed so much disappeared. I made a decision to leave and take a break just for some months until Christmas. Surely I will have an idea what’s for me next by then. And I did. More precisely – it found me! The work followed me in the form of freelance work.
- Lord Business– I worked on the same kind of projects like before, now by myself and for myself. For a while I was a digital nomad. And since there was so much demand I assembled a team around me to start a company. Since I had full control I shaped around my priorities.
Learnings
One could say I was very fortunate with what happened to me – and I am most certainly grateful for everything – but I can relate all that to things I did or stopped doing. Therefore I have some recommendations that I think can work for everyone.
For starters, reflecting on your life regularly can help you to observe what makes you happy and identify things you should change. Then make a plan and set goals to make the change happen.
Also it’s super helpful to be able to change your mindset. If you come across something you want to change you can often start with yourself. It’s very powerful if you set your mind to do something.
And if it’s not within your control it’s generally helpful to be open to change. The only constant in life is change – is a famous quote. There are so many things I wish stay the same or go back to how they were before. But change is always happening. Often it’s easier to change the way you think and accept the change.
Save some money on the side. Do it regularly. Let your money work for you, even if you have little. Invest your money and don’t let it just sit in the bank. There are so many more things I could share with you. You can find some in my blog.
My vision
Today I call myself an Entrepreneur & Environmentalist. The future is bright. Generally I’m a realistic optimist. I know we have the power to change our future but I know it won’t be easy. I care about people and I enjoy helping others with my experience.
Something else I am passionate about is our future together on this planet. Apart from social and economical challenges, there is the very foundation of our live that is currently struggling – our earth.
Save the planet, save the future
I started a social enterprise to save the environment. Please join me there to save the planet.
Contact
To talk about life as an entrepreneur, investments, the future of humanity, guest posts, or anything else? Send me an email, connect to me on twitter or LinkedIn.