Moving somewhere new can be daunting but it also opens lots of new possibilities

I can’t believe it’s been a year; that’s really flown by…

Yep, last week was exactly one year since I moved into the new flat I purchased.

Buying my own place for the first time in a long time certainly had a lot of ups and downs (probably more downs if I am honest) and I couldn’t have navigated them without good IQ, EQ and FQ.

I’ve always been a believer in the Bill Gates quote: ‘Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.’

That said this last year has shown me great things can happen especially when it comes to getting immersed into a new neighbourhood.

When I moved into my place, I made a bold declaration that I wanted to put roots down as I would be living here for at least the next 5 years. More specifically I challenged myself to:

1. Get to know all my neighbours so that I could know all their names, feel comfortable having a chat with any of them and even make a few new friends
2. Get to know the people in the local area by visiting every café, bar, restaurant and shop within a 15 minute walk so that I could begin to feel like a member of the local community where I start to recognise folk and support their endeavours
3. Host more often for Family and friends — which meant an array of BBQs/dinners (including all that involves), having more guests to stay and a new ritual of Friday lunches with my dad (and other family members)

It is all about community after all — both personal and in business.

So, how have I got on with my challenges?

My 1st year in numbers

147 — unique visitors to my apartment

99 — breakfasts on the balcony

91 — local shops visited (and chatted with the staff) — also includes local medical services

65 — local restaurants, cafes and bars sampled (not all have been tasty and some have only been ok )

48 — neighbours’ doors knocked on

36 — nights with guests staying over

23 — lunches with dad in the local area

21 — uses of the communal trolley

19 — foods baked for neighbours

17 — events hosted in the flat be they drinks, dinners, BBQs, or similar

14 — guests staying overnight (one even before I had a bed for them)

11 — items contributed/taken from the block communal shelf

9—kids’ visits navigated

8 — nights out with neighbours

7 — items borrowed from neighbours (not all of them intentionally)

6 — trips to the tip

5 — donations to local charities

4 — items leant to neighbours

3 — apartment lift notices put up

2 — random local acts of kindness delivered

2 — local sports clubs joined

1 — podcast studio proxy

1 — local election voted in

1 — neighbour fallen out with

In addition to all that, the flat itself has amassed:

50 — fridge re-stockings

35 — cleans

30 — random smoothies

20 — days of renovations, repairs or call outs

13 — DIY projects

15 — house warming gifts

11 — furniture deliveries (even if some proved very frustrating)

8 — new plants (alongside the old plants I moved in, even if a few old ones passed away; this is how to look after them apparently)

7 — new pieces of art (one of which I made myself)

4 — nights I’ve slept in other parts of my own flat

3 — sofas (delivered in the most novel way)

3 — new mugs

2 — window cleaning visits

1 — advertising banner

1 — shower curtain

1 — BBQ (it ain’t fun to clean but it is fun to grill)

You can achieve a lot in a year

Phew! I’m exhausted just reading (and typing all that); I hadn’t realised at the time just how much had happened.

Who knows what Year 2 will bring but I’m excited to discover every bit of it.

The one thing I do know is: You certainly can increase your surface area for good things happening by putting yourself out there.

So, even if you’ve been in your own ‘hood for a while you can still get even more immersed in the community; have fun with it.

As ever, at your disposal if I can be of help 🙂

Faris

Faris is the CEO and Founder of Shiageto Consulting, an innovative consultancy that helps firms and individuals sharpen their effectiveness. Connect with him here

Success = IQ x EQ x FQ

Want to assess your levels of IQ, EQ and FQ? click here

Originally Published on https://farisaranki.medium.com/

Faris Aranki Strategy & Emotional Intelligence

Having spent over 20 years delivering strategic change for the corporate and non-corporate worlds, Faris has experienced first-hand the fine differences between strategic success and failure.
His work has spanned numerous companies (from global behemoths to small start-ups), in numerous countries, across a range of sectors, supporting them all to unlock strategic success.

He came to realize that often what hinders institutions from achieving their goals goes beyond the quality of their strategy; it is their ability to engage effectively with others at all levels and remove barriers in their way. This has led to his passion for improving strategic effectiveness within all businesses and individuals and the foundation of Shiageto Consulting.

Over time, Faris has worked to distill his knowledge of how to solve complex problems in a structured manner combined with his skill on engaging effectively with others and his ability to quickly determine the barriers to a strategy's success. This knowledge has formed the foundation of Shiageto’s workshops, courses and methodologies. Faris believes that any firm or team can adopt these improvements; all it requires is a little of the right support -something Shiageto provides!

On top of leading our business, Faris is now an accomplished speaker and contributor for a variety of outlets.