Shortest day, longest year…!
June is here and at WorkLife this month I’m watching people inch their way towards the winter solstice, rush towards the end of the financial year, strap themselves in for the stress of half-year exams for the kiddos, or relax into hibernation vibes with quiet weekends and warmer clothes.
Whatever the season, I embrace the idea that there is always a cycle in swing, always energy shifting and moving somewhere, and always a chance to reset and refocus attention.
But it’s definitely the time where you feel the shortness of the days and the longness of the year.
Winter for me is the call of the mountains and the ski season. It’s bright, crisp days walking the dogs on our local beaches, hearty soups, and long lunches with friends. It’s ice baths, open fires, great red wine and the time to tackle that neglected book stack in earnest.
It’s also a time to look at the other books—the financial ones. It’s that time where you see the gap between the hopes you had for the year and the acceptance of the year that is. It’s a half-time break on 2024 and a chance to be realistic, budget, and plan for the next financial year in the sober light of June.
If you’re like me, this year didn’t quite turn out to be the joyful recovery from the COVID years we imagined back in February—it’s been a bit of a slog so far. The economy is tricky. People are being careful with their money. It’s a challenging time to navigate and I’m grateful to be doing it alongside the awesome WorkLife team of Community Managers and the now 97 people who are current members of our three WorkLife spaces.
Camaraderie, community, and the superpower of having a network of clever people doing their thing alongside you is the USP (unique selling point) of coworking. And it’s not just me saying that! I LOVED this article recently in WIRED magazine about the growth in regional and suburban coworking communities.
Our spaces are happily busy with team planning days, budget meetings, boardroom planning sessions, and intense end-of-month vibes. To help with plans for your next big meeting, we have been assembling a new and improved WorkLife Events & Meetings Guide—a composite of our local knowledge, a guide to our spaces and casual booking pricing and some inspiration for meeting agendas and activities that really work to build alignment, engagement and focus for the goals ahead. Click here for an example guide. If you would like a Berry or Coledale guide please get in touch.
Each year we also host an EOFY event for our members to gather, take stock, and say goodbye to FY 23/24 and hello to 24/25. This year those events will take the form of casual Members Lunches at each of our spaces in the week of June 24th-28th. So if you were thinking about investing in a WorkLife membership this coming financial year, let me know, as we would love to have you at these events. It’s a super-efficient way of introducing you to the diverse and inspiring group of people who call WorkLife home for their working lives.
Wishing you the best for the EOFY—whether it’s commiserations or celebrations in your world—hang in there, because there is only one thing that is certain: the cycle always turns, and after the winter comes the spring.
Kate
