Project Slippers Volume 3.0 Part F – Week 26 - 29

Type: Blogpost

Posted on

Slippersvol3 Partf Thumbnail

Project Slippers Volume 3.0, Part F is here and it beings the end of lockdown….again….

I feel like we’ve been here before…

And despite the thumbnail image for this blog, it definitely hasn’t been a game!

As I’ve said countless times throughout this series, as much as I’ve enjoyed writing these little blogs every week, I really do wish I hadn’t had to.

It’s been really tough.

Yes, at times it’s been a novelty – I’ve never walked around my local area so much in my life! – but it’s also been boring, worrying, scary and generally not much fun at all. After all, it’s never fun to queue outside a supermarket in the cold, worrying whether there’ll be toilet rolls om the shelf! It really has given me a reality check of just how easy it was before all of this happened.

So, as we enter a new period of freedom, still with lots of uncertainty of what the future holds, I bring you the final (I hope the final ever!), Project Slippers, which contains football, a bit more football, a big achievement, then a big disappointment, and finally, the end of lockdown 3.0.

Let’s hope it stays that way and we see some normality for the rest of 2021!

Volume 3, Week 26 - Week Ending 02/07/2021 - "Woo-hoo!”

Slippersvol3 Partf 1 Medium Image

There can be only one topic of Project Slippers this week, and that’s the 2-0 victory over Germany in the group stages of the Euros 2020!

Woohoo!

No extra time, no penalties, just two beautiful goals within the 90 and a bit minutes!

Woohoo!

Did I mention there was no need for penalties?!

Woohoo!

Ok, I admit it, I’m getting a little excited considering it wasn’t even a quarter-final match, but for someone who was an excited (and disappointed football-wise!) child of the 90s, it was a great achievement to beat the mighty Germans.

Who else was there in 1990 watching England be knocked out during penalties at Italia '90?

And then there was Euro '96 where we were knocked out in the semi-finals…

 …which is why this week's win was a celebration!

So, the moral of this week's instalment is to celebrate your own wins, no matter how small. Learn to pat yourself on the back, and when you're given a compliment, accept it graciously and say thank you.

Not being able to celebrate successes, or doubting yourself, even when you receive a compliment, can be signs of imposter syndrome, so I've written a blog to help you to understand what it is, and importantly, how to overcome it:

If you'd like to explore this topic in more detail, please feel free to book a free discovery session. From one imposter to another, trust me, it's possible to overcome it and find your career happiness:

Volume 3, Week 27 - Week Ending 09/07/2021 - "Teamwork& Leadership Triumphs”

What. A. Game.

After 120+ minutes, England beat Denmark in the semi-finals of Euro 2020 this week. The last time this happened was on 26th July 1966.

1966!

Even my parents were only young children in 1966!

So, why now?

England have a plethora of fantastic players over the last 55 years, so what makes this team the team to do what no other has been able to do since 1966?

Teamwork and leadership.

Let’s start with the leader.

Here are just a few adjectives I've heard to describe Gareth Southgate:        

 And what makes him a great leader, is his ability to instil these values and qualities into his team. There appears to be no player with an ego bigger than the rest. They all challenge each other and support each other, and they drive to the same goal (both metaphorical and physical!)

Personally, I have no time for dictatorial, aggressive and unsupportive leadership. It's not productive, and it's not fair to those looking for leadership and direction.

So, in order to drive your team towards the goal, think about your own behaviour as a leader, and channel your inner Gareth Southgate!

Volume 3, Week 28 - Week Ending 16/07/2021 - "And Then It Was Over”

So near, yet so far….

This week, England lost to Italy in the Euro 2020 final.

"We" (the royal "we" of course. What I mean is "they"!) scored after 2 minutes, only to see Italy equalise in the second half, resulting in extra time, only for "us" ("they"!) to succumb to defeat in the penalty shoot-out.

So, how do you come back from defeat?

How do you overcome the loss?

And how do you build-up for the next challenge?

In my opinion, the answer is to review, learn and rebuild.

Review where the gaps were.

Learn how to fill those gaps.

And work on your self-worth in order to dig deep and rebuild to face the next challenge.

A bit like coming second in a job interview race...

"But second is great!" - The words friends and family will often say in support of you losing out on a job.

It's not a job though is it? Second doesn't pay the bills if you NEED that job. Second doesn't get you out of your current job if you're not happy.

So, how do you turn second place into first?

You could just do the same again next time and hope for the best, or you could ask for support....

I'm here to challenge you, to champion you, and to celebrate with you when you get the job of your dreams...

And a tip to get you started, is to be clear on your professional identity. Know your value, and communicate it clearly.

Are you clear on yours?

If not, I can help....

The only thing I can't do, is to tell you how to take a penalty in a final....

I'll leave that one to Gareth Southgate! He's got less than 12 months until the World Cup, so plenty of time....!