I have finally decided to go self-employed. It feels like a big deal and it’s a decision that I have been procrastinating on for the last two years.
I hope you don’t mind me sharing my tale with you, it may help you understand a bit more about Scruffy Duck…
A new dawn
This new chapter of life started at the end of 2015 when I left work to become a full-time mum. My youngest son was moving from school to college and I had to prepare for a 3 month gap. Childcare had always been a bit of a juggle as my youngest son has special needs, but this time I couldn’t comprehend how I was going to be there for my son and family and cope with a full time & very busy job!
Childcare was one issue but an even bigger problem was the fact that I was also exhausted . I was a working mum trying to prove I could do it all and be there for the family, but the cracks in my health and my home-life were widening. My brain and body had had enough and the brakes were being put on whether I liked it or not.
Finding Scruffy
I knew that something needed to change with the pattern of working that I had got myself into and I started to explore ways to have a different and more flexible career. I started a qualification in coaching and then followed up with some deeper training courses that taught a particular style of coaching called 'Clean Language' .
In order to learn to coach, you also need to be coached, and it was when I was being coached with Clean Language that I found Scruffy Duck.
Let me explain before you think I'm off my rocker!
Clean Language tries to elicit metaphor to help a client explore things in a very different way.
I was being coached by someone using Clean Language and we were trying to explore what I was like when I was 'learning at my best' . This was when I got a picture of having to have ducks in a row and I realised that my ducks were definitely not in a row on that day! And they weren't in a row because there was one particular duck that refused to stand with the other ducks.
This is when Scruffy was born or rather re-born as lots more coaching later showed me that Scruffy had been around for a while. In fact, Scruffy was me before I got bogged down with the structure of work, responsibility and a hectic & challenging life.
What I realised on that day was that rows were definitely needed to survive that previous life but life had now moved on. I now needed to learn how to live without the rows, and to live without the rows I had to get to know all of my ducks!
It works out that there are actually 7 ducks in total and they all have their own individual characters, strengths and weaknesses. I think of them as different parts of me and my personality. Scruffy is strong, confident, supportive, outgoing and kind and really doesn't like rows. Scruffy is also a duck that doesn't take life too seriously.
The other ducks take a safer approach, they each have their purpose and they definitely get ruffled feathers when Scruffy doesn't play the game, but that is another story!
Releasing the inner duck
Once your inner duck has been released, it's very hard to put it back. I have spent the last 2 years getting more comfortable with not having my ducks in a row and have said yes to lots more things that have led to some really exciting adventures. I now feel far more present in my life.
It certainly feels like I am plunging back into life and the water is fresh and inviting.
What’s next for Scruffy?
Scruffy has returned to the land of the living, has set up shop and is ready to start making waves. Keep your eyes peeled for Scruffy - you may see re-duck-ulous things taking place.
QUACK, QUACK