Sunny Greetings from Barcelona!
Dear Reader, I hope summer is treating you well!
I have been on "workation" in Barcelona, living (almost) like a local, and combining work and leisure time! In this newsletter, I want to honestly share with you the ups and downs of balancing family, household and work second year in a row here, and why it changed my life for good;
Challenges:
1- Childcare & Household: Juggling work, childcare, and household responsibilities in an unfamiliar setting was demanding.
2- Language Barrier: Difficulty in communicating with locals may hinder interactions, although Google Translate by Speech was my savior!
3- Cultural and Climate Adjustment: Adapting to local customs like late lunch and dinners, crowded public transportation and high temperatures and the skin disease it caused me has taken real effort to cope with.
4- Time Management: Adjusting work hours around family activities required meticulous planning and discipline. Often I needed early mornings and late evenings, cleverly arranged meeting bundles and session availability.
Upsides:
1- Online Work Advantages: Location independent work and online tools enabled me to conduct virtual coaching sessions, voice lessons, mentoring, make new business connections -I have officially become a BetterUp Lead Coach!-, have offers & approved-projects with SparkUs and Think Beyond Group, participate in project kick-off meetings while half of my professional network is on holidays :)
2- Culture, Museums & Exhibitions: Access to world-class museums and exhibitions, multi-lingual cinemas and book stores had provided me and the kids with opportunities for growth and inspiration.
3- Business Networking & Welcoming Locals: Connecting with positive, welcoming people and fellow professionals, paving the way for new collaborations was unexpected but stunning!
4- Fresh Perspectives and Access to the Beach!: Inspiring historical and modern architecture and weekends at the beach sparked my creativity, life energy and fresh ideas, enhancing my content creation, coaching, facilitation & training approach.
Life is Made of Building Blocks Called Experiences...
Every major life experience with its ups and downs, alike to the delicate brushstrokes of a larger canvas, shapes our existence. Much like the details that shape Gaudí's Sagrada Familia into a grand masterpiece, life is a tapestry woven from countless small pivotal moments.
And We all are Works in Progress...
Learning from these moments, each with its own unique blend of challenge and ease, changed my life for good, and they can change yours too.
In evolving processes like this, we all remain works in progress, continually shaping our details of life, making it more meaningful when viewed over time!
I already told you that being here sparked my creativity, right? :)
Summing up, I would like to encourage you to embrace new experiences in life as anopportunity for growth and transformation and a catalyst for personal and professional achievements!
Please reach out to me to design a life and career of new experiences and let us co-create a roadmap tailored to your unique needs!
Wishing you a lovely August to recharge your batteries and get ready for a fast-paced September!
Yours, Dilek