Time to connect & play (Reflections)
In July, I had my first event at Wymondham Library…
Over a month later, here are some reflections expanding on what I have already said on my Instagram.
My first event, Time to Connect & Play, was a drop-in session for parents/carers and their little ones to chat and connect, have a cup of tea and a biscuit and share thoughts on what Time To Be should do next in the local area. There was also a play area for the kids.
When I took the leap and booked the space, I pictured my event being a big success. At the time, that meant tonnes of people dropping in the space, four coaching consultation slots fully booked, creating a buzz. I was daydreaming about this event being "the thing" that changed everything for me. I'd be a fully booked coach, running workshops and supporting my family from now on.
And things didn't turn out that way.
Our numbers were small (4 adults, 3 little ones—yes, that includes my husband and my baby), and one consultation slot was booked out of 4. Not quite the numbers I had hoped for.
Despite that, I left the event with a massive smile on my face. Don’t get me wrong, there were moments sitting on my own in a silent room when I questioned what I was doing, but with encouragement from my family and friends, those thoughts got quieter and gave way to new ones:
You didn't get many people, BUT those who came had a lovely time.
You didn't get many people, BUT you gathered some opinions on what you can do next.
I gave out some flyers.
I had a consultation.
My daughter had a fantastic time playing for HOURS.
I confirmed again that this is where I want to be and what I want to do.
I have so many people supporting me and cheering me on.
And mostly, I actually did it! And I had a great time even though I was scared. It’s so funny. I have wanted to run my own events/workshops for years now. I kept coming up with ideas, and they always gathered dust on the ideas shelf because I feared no one would come. I was afraid of putting myself out there and scared of embarrassment. It’s hard to put yourself out there publicly. Now, I have experienced the thing that always stopped me. I ran an event that didn’t go how I wanted, but it was okay. The world didn’t stop, and no one was laughing at me. I had nothing to be embarrassed about because I got out there and tried, and most importantly, I will get to try again. It’s not a one-time thing. I can learn and try again.
This event was never going to be what I hoped because it's very rare that just "one thing" will change "everything". It was very unlikely that the highlight reel playing in my head would have ever happened. These things grow over time, small step by small step.
It was a success because I did it, and I will do it again. I define my successes and celebrate my failures. I will learn so much from this event, and I am excited to use my knowledge going forward and taking my next small step.
