Fwards

You are worth it. Enjoy those easter Sunday vibes 🤙

Five minutes in the door, and it feels like I never left.

I guess that's the magic of home.

Having a home base, no matter where it is or with whom, is super important to feel safe and certain in a chaotic world.

I remember returning home at the very beginning of my recovery through burnout right back in 2014, automatically feeling at ease and better. I didn't know why then, but I certainly do now.

This return home is very different. This time I'm helping others avoid burnout.

Working with individuals and organisations to realise, find and create opportunities and places of psychological, emotional and physical safety.

Places to come back to when everything feels out of control and uncertain.

Will you join me on this adventure?

Social Entrepreneurship in action.

Absolutely love supporting great initiatives like this.

Liv hand makes these amazing earrings from recycled rubbish found on local beaches on the sunshine coast.

Saving our beaches one earring at a time.

Follow and order your own piece innovative jewellery!

Who wants these?

Join us in supporting valuable fundraising for the Mackay Base Hospital foundation.

This money goes directly to supporting necessary hospital equipment purchases for the local community.

Our founder Athol has stepped back into the scrubs as an educator and is loving every minute of teaching back on the floor.

We'd love it if you could join our donation and help the Mackay community get access to the very best healthcare can provide. Find the link in the comments.

"I don't care so much about the answer you have; I care about how you get there". Mr Kemp (year 12 maths)



How often do you hear that it's the journey that counts, or it's not about the end goal but how you get there? I get the implicit meaning behind these sentences, but to be truthful, I have felt a little lost in understanding what the actual meaning is.



When Mr Kemp used to 'encourage' me not to miss a step or not skip ahead in every algebra equation, I was a little bemused. I just wanted to get to the result. Although I superficially understood the importance of working through every part of the equation, the more profound meaning continued to allude me.

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In the power of journaling and reflection for me this week, it's so interesting and funny to think that I'm finally starting to understand the power behind these words.

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In last weeks journal reflection, I shared how crucial it's been to my mental, emotional and physical health to STOP and REST—allowing the fuel tank to fill and the batteries to recharge. Some may call this part ' self-care.

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But what I learnt from Mr Kemp is that it will continue to be hard to get the correct answer or prevent the next nightmare until I can adequately assess how to solve each step of the process.

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After I took the time to stop, I started to look into what was leading me to the feelings of lethargy, fatigue and tiredness. I began to ask questions like, am I feeling disinterested in my work? Am I not listening to my core drivers, and what makes me feel fulfilled? Why do I feel mentally and physically fatigued? Why does it feel like my brain is mush, and I can't actively think? Before we can consider making any changes, we need to assess where the problem is coming from and the factors involved.

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So next time I see 'Kempy', I'll let him know I finally get his principles on solving maths equations.

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If you feel exhausted, tired and drained, maybe it's time to assess where these feelings are coming from. Assess the source of the fatigue and whether it is coming from work-related sources or is it an accumulation of many life factors?

Wednesdays Journal club (on a Friday :))



In this weeks journal reflection, as I've been feeling a little flat over the last week, I've been thinking about the period of time where burnout was running rampant throughout my life.



After reflecting on the blog I wrote last year "Experiencing Burnout is tough", I feel comforted in the fact that these feelings are not the beast that is burnout.

These drained feelings, tiredness and loss in drive are the result of pushing both my mind and body to its limits over the last few weeks. I've been tired and drained, but not burnt out. The Kokoda Challenge, pitching in the LuminaX Accelerator program and a job interview left me feeling absolutely spent.

The key difference between my previous experience of burnout is that my drive for creating impact and change with fwards is stronger then ever and my skillset in delivering on this ambition is growing everyday. Although entrepreneurship is tough, I have no feelings of negativity or cynicism towards my chosen professional ambitions and believe my professional efficacy is actually increasing. Although I maybe hitting the bottom of the Dunning - Kruger curve of competence vs confidence.

Over the next four weeks, I'd love to share some tips that have helped me to clarify and understand what these thoughts and feelings actually mean. These steps will look familiar for the Burnout No More alumni.

First up, it's time to Stop
- If you feel tired and drained, take the foot off the peddle. Ideally try to completely stop, but if not possible find some time in your day or week to completely off-load physically and mentally.
- Try meditation through apps like Headspace or Calm. This could be a perfect time to incorporate a practice proven by science to help us feel more rested and clearer.
- Sit back and re-connect with loved ones.

For me, I found recovery on the couch watching the Olympics a perfect place to zone out.

Is it time for you to take a little extra time to completely stop and watch the Olympics? I'd love to know what you've been watching :)



Photo credit to the legendary Marty Strecker Photography

Working on the frontlines can be tough! How are you feeling?



As work and life continue to remain busy, it's important to reflect on what all the hard work means. What are you sacrificing for?

Sometimes we get so busy with what we think is important, that we forget about our own needs and drivers. Don't forget to nurture the things that are important to you, so that you can keep putting your best foot forward.

Self care doesn't have to be huge. It can be as simple as practicing a little gratitude and reflection. The next time you feel a little glow and warmth in your day, try writing this moment down on a piece of paper and place in your wallet or purse.

Sometimes we all need a little reminder of happiness when life gets busy.



If you're not feeling yourself, don't forget that you can reach out to your organisation's Employee Assistance Program or your fwards community for support when things get rocky. When things feel unsure and uncertain, there are always people you can turn to. Fwards can help you find your tribe.

Wednesday Journal thoughts

I certainly need to work on the name though after a very successful introduction in the group calls of the Burnout No More course, I've been inspired to keep the journal practice going, and it feels reasonable that I share a part of these thoughts with the Fwards community as I hope to engrain this very beneficial practice into my week.



After a massive two weeks achieving both individual and team aspirations, I'm reflecting on how powerful mateship can be when the going gets tough.

When the nerves started to set in, I knew my mates in the LuminaX HealthTech Accelerator program were standing right with me as I pitched fwards.

The same can be said about my inspirational teammates in the . When I thought the pain in my toes would get the best of me, they were with me for every downhill traverse.

Two different but very similar groups of legends.

Will you keep the practice going with me every Wednesday?

Athol