Jumping into the Unknown

The UPskill
Nov 6 · 3 min read

At the very end of 2018 I made the decision to follow my head and my heart (after a rare agreement from both parties) and apply to study for a Masters in Sustainability Leadership and after a loooong wait I was very happy to be accepted!

This much dreamed of idea had been bobbing around my head for quite some time but I kept putting it off thinking ‘maybe next year, I don’t have the time, I don’t have the money, I’m too old to change my career, how can I make a difference? etc…’

Yes both procrastinating and silly thoughts but they happen…

Photo by Kristopher Roller on Unsplash

As a woman in her mid 30s I was privy to many conversations concerning life goals etc. (the contents of which I will leave to your imagination) however after much deliberation I decided to take this fantastic and rather scary leap into the unknown.

As part of our studies we have been asked to write a blog and I initially thought about the interesting and useful stories that I could share concerning how I am sustainable in my own life and how I have a great penchant for breaking things— but then beautifully fixing them —

However I had this persistent thought at the back of my mind, and continuing discussions with female friends kept bringing it to the fore:

People said they loved what I was doing but that they couldn’t do the same, for varied and all completely valid reasons. Even small decisions can be hard to make especially if you feel that you are the only one making them and that you cannot possibly make a difference.

My decision to go back to university was a difficult one to make but I am under no illusions; I am fortunate to be able to make it in the first place. I hope to be able to share my ordinary person story, to show that yes it is a scary and unknown leap to make but it can be done and it doesn’t take any particular type of person to decide to make a difference however small.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

We have just 12 depleting years to stop climate change, yes I am only one person amongst billions however I have to believe that the time for cynicism has passed, that I can make a little ripple, and if enough people take a leap and make ripples then together we can make a WAVE

So after explaining this incredibly exciting and challenging position that I am in, I intend to use this blog to:

  • Talk about my road to becoming a sustainability advocate*
  • Push for greater support for adult and continuing education in sustainability
  • Discover how a quiet voice can inspire change in others
  • Share nuggets of wisdom from the inspiring, exciting and provocative women that I meet

*I am really not much of a sharer so I’ll need to work on this part

I would love to be able to support others to make the decision to go back to education, to talk to family, friends, colleagues and bosses and say that “we all need to be more sustainable”, to understand that things are daunting but to give it a go anyway.

NB — I have been thinking about whether I want this blog to be solely about women’s career decisions and the pressures that they face when making them; or whether that is limiting and non inclusive? And have decided that this will be an organic process, I will start by speaking to the women that I know who have made fearless leaps into sustainability and advocacy as that is the perspective that I am approaching this journey from, however I will not limit the scope of this blog to only women as we all need to support each other regardless of gender and after-all, everyone makes scary leaps :)

The UPskill

Written by

Making daunting career decisions, sharing eco advocacy stories & using my quiet voice for change

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade