Who do you share your anniversary with?

As I've been (trying to) reminisce about what I've been doing in and with my business over these last 20 years, I started to wonder who, and what else, I'm sharing this porcelain anniversary with.

The below list is far from exhaustive, but highlights a few others who started on their respective journeys and adventures at the same time as my businesses did - and which I take to show that I'm in good company!

YouTube - It feels like it's been with us forever, but it really is only 20 years old.

Dr Who (the RTD reboot) - it was 20 years ago that our lives were reacquainted with the wheezing and groaning of the TARDIS as it returned to out TV screens after what felt like a lifetime of being in limbo in the time vortex. And running. An awful lot running also returned with it.    

The global Impact Hub network was formed - a movement to harness, encourage, and amplify entrepreneurs working to create, well, impact (for good). I've been fortunate to have opportunities to work with some of them in overlapping our common goals in this regard. 

The Freedom of Information Act was introduced - I've always tried to be transparent and open in my business model and practices, so it's encouraging to see that other things were starting to change in the wider world to encourage others to do similar at the same time.

Enterprise Nation was formed - they've subsequently shortlisted me as the UK's top business advisor 3 times, invited me to lead 2 of what have become amongst their most popular Lunch and Learn sessions, and profiled me as one of the featured advisers. Which is nice.

English whiskey was re-established in England - 'nuff said.

UK's The Apprentice aired for first time on the BBC - and I'm still waiting for the call from Lord Sugar... 

The (American) Office premiered - and none of us ever looked at a ream of paper (or desk) in the same way again.

But who and what does your respective enterprise, charity, co-operative, or other, share its anniversary with?

why I always answer "whiskey" when people ask me about how I manage my mental wellbeing

As sole traders and small business owners, it's generally accepted that our mental wellbeing and health is under greater pressure and strain than our salaried counterparts':

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8393630/ 

https://www.vice.com/en/article/avaw7j/freelance-mental-health-self-employed 

One of the outcomes of the Covid pandemic, is that we all suddenly felt we had enough of a shared excuse to start to talk about this more openly and honestly - and having done for so for a year or two, a habit seems to have been established that it's now taken as read that any network, professional body, or business support programme will create space for us to have conversations about the stuff that's going on in our heads.

Inevitably, when such times arise, and I'm in the room (physically or virtually), someone always asks people to share with everyone else what their personal practices are for their mental wellbeing. And once you've been part of a few such conversations, you'll start to spot recurring trends: walking; listening to music; cooking; and such like. 

But my response always seems to shock and stun each such group when it comes to my turn.

I talk about whiskey. 

When I recognise that my anxiety and stress is building, I sometimes pour myself a whiskey - and then see how long I can take to drink it: not in terms of speed, but in terms of the length of time.

You see, a good whiskey is distilled to be savoured and enjoyed slowly: if you drink it too quickly, you miss out on the flavours, aromas, and sensations that people have spent generations developing the skills to impart in these small glasses of amber liquid.

And as most of the other examples people share in how they self-manage their own mental well-being involve practices that force them to slow down, to be more focussed and immersed in a single activity, the way that whiskey is crafted would seem to equally achieve these broad approaches of others' practices. 

A good aged single malt whiskey forces you to do in order to fully appreciate and enjoy it (and with inflation, recession, etc it's getting harder to afford, so I also don't want to squander it!).

But - I'm also keenly aware that for some people, alcohol is not the right solution for them for a number of valid reasons. 

I'm not sharing my love of whiskey here in an attempt to try and encourage people to drink/drink more, but to highlight that in how we manage our mental well-being there are lots of options and ideas you can adopt and try. What works for you, might not work for me, because our respective brains are wired differently to each other (see pic - a scan a few years ago highlighted that there's a slight 'hole' in mine that most other people don't have!)

When we feel overwhelmed and overloaded it can feel easier to 'go with the pack' and do what everyone else does in such times of rising panic. But don't be afraid to experiment and find what works best for you, and when you do - don't feel you should apologise for it because other people don't agree with it: celebrate it and use it to try and help you enjoy the best life you can.