The 3 key things I learnt whilst on the Learning Marathon
I’d had a pretty bad day in the office when I walked into the Enrol Yourself open evening back in March 2017. In fact, I’d resigned about 2 hours before.
As a self-professed workaholic, I was feeling at a bit of a loss — what did I want to dedicate my working hours to? How could I regain the sense of fulfilment and satisfaction in my work that I once had, but lost somewhere along the way? Could I find some confidence again in the career path I had chosen?
I found out about Enrol Yourself after seeing a tweet from a previous participant and it intrigued me. I’d had a project idea rolling round my head for a few years at this point, but every time I tried to do something about it, life had others ideas. As a result, the idea I had nurtured and spent countless hours obsessing over had morphed from a fun, passion project, to a nasty blot on my confidence telling me I couldn’t do it, that I didn’t have what it takes to set something up and have it succeed. And I was starting to believe it.
By applying to Enrol Yourself, I was hoping to find community. Confidence. A supportive environment in which to explore my idea further, without expectation and without pressure. To re-ignite my excitement for it — and work out whether I wanted to make it real.
And that’s exactly what I found.
Enrol Yourself opened the space for co-learning and co-creation; the opportunity to pursue a particular learning question in all its complexity alongside others on similar journeys. It pushed and challenged, but didn’t add stress. It allowed for back-tracking, for pause and reflection, but it also provided structure and supportive voices, encouraging you to keep going. It allowed for varying perspectives, for learning from experiences different to your own, but it never led to judgement, to hierarchy or to the rolling of eyes. It was a fantastic opportunity to develop my own thinking on something I care about — and support others to do the same.
My project idea was all about making the international volunteering sector more ethical, responsive and ultimately more impactful. The idea — although one I’d been cultivating for several years — took on a new form during my six months of being Enrolled. Instead of getting hung up on the nitty gritty, I started exploring some of the faulty underlying assumptions that sustain the industry despite it perhaps causing more harm than good in the long run.
There are many things I learnt from being Enrolled, but here are a few that will stick with me well into the future.
1. You absorb the attitudes and thoughts of those around you.
If you’re not feeling too positive about your idea or your ability to achieve it then the people around you make a huge difference! One of the best things about the Learning Marathon was being able to verbalise worries and doubts to supportive, listening peers who wanted you to succeed. Eventually their positivity and encouragement started to rub off and I found myself beginning to feel that maybe I do have what it takes. I’ve come to realise that the success or failure of any project isn’t just about the skill of those involved, but about their attitudes too. Surrounding yourself with people telling you that you can do it is your best shot at doing just that.
2. Ideas are best hatched through conversation.
Not a new thought by any stretch of the imagination, but one that I saw work countless times throughout my Enrol Yourself journey. At certain points during the six months, I felt like I was getting stuck with my project every few hours, but continued conversations with peers helped me not only build on the thoughts and ideas of others, but also process my own. This in itself was infinitely better than sitting in a quiet room and trying to smash through those barriers myself. Talking is a great way to push ideas forward, making them bigger and better.
3. You don’t have to get it perfect first time around.
My god, did I struggle with this — and continue to do so! It’s really difficult to push something out into the world. It’s even more difficult to do it if you don’t feel 100% sure of it yourself. Enrol Yourself gave me the space to test and try things. This was absolutely invaluable and taught me a hugely vital lesson — just start. Do things one day at a time and you’ll be surprised how quickly you build momentum. Maybe nothing will ever be perfect enough for you, but it doesn’t need to be. Just start small and see where you end up. If my Enrol Yourself experience tells me anything, it’s that those small steps will take you further than you originally thought.
As well as finding renewed enthusiasm for my project, the Learning Marathon also gave me the space to think about my day job — more specifically the sort of environment I wanted to work in and what I needed from a role in order to feel happy. Since finishing my Learning Marathon, I’m working full time for a new organisation, which is keeping me busy and challenged. My project is still there, waiting patiently for my attention. But unlike times before when life got in the way, I know I will come back to it — focused and confident that I have the ability to make it work.
Check out Enrol Yourself and the Learning Marathon programme.
