This week, our 40 plus columnist has been saying “yes” more. And her energy levels have thanked her profusely.

On an average day pre-pandemic and as a single parent, I'd:
Get up
Walk the dog
Leave the dog and feel guilty, even though we had a lovely dog walker
Commute into Leeds and work all day
Feel guilty that my daughter would come home from school to an empty house
Commute home
Cook a meal
Do my housework
Try to maintain a social life as well as a family life

I have no clue how I maintained the energy levels required to live that relentlessly organised life, but what I do know is that working from home doesn’t give me more energy – it gives me less.

I’m now freelance so my life now is very different. And while the freedom to work from home is a gift, for me it makes it harder – not easier - to stay fresh, energetic and focused. Over the past few weeks, I've realised that sitting in my eerily silent home office looking like dog shit in leggings and a hoodie does nothing for my creativity, or my energy levels. And that I have to treat my energy in the same way as any other business asset because it’s a precious resource.

That’s why over the past week, I've not only been saying "yes" more, but enjoying the ripple effect too.

For example, after presenting at a Yorkshire Businesswoman networking event I was invited to hot desk at Bruntwood Sci Tech, based in the stunning Platform building in Leeds. That led to me being invited to the much-anticipated We Are PoWEr event taking place around the corner at KPMG on the same day so I said yes to that too. I’m so glad I did because I got to meet some amazing new people and listen to the keynote from the absolute class act that is Freda Shafi.

So much of what Freda said resonated, from her philosophy on showing up authentically ("the people you work with will choose you - you won't always choose them"), and on giving back ("if businesses see you elevating disenfranchised voices in a meaningful way, the right people will align"). This tallied perfectly with the intro speech from Simone Roche MBE, who reminded us that 70% of consumers are more loyal to brands that take a stand on social issues. It was timely in the midst of so much anti-EDI/CSR sentiment.

For all of these outings I was (possibly disproportionately) excited about wearing something non-stretchy and mixing with actual, real people. I arrived in Leeds like a walking cliche: trench coat, Laynes coffee, and croissant in a paper bag. I even enjoyed using the Park and Ride! What used to be a chore had been elevated to a mini adventure, and I powered through my to do list with renewed vigour.

In the spirit of saying yes more, I also attended the Yorkshire Mafia May networking event where I met Samantha Williams from the Candlelighters Trust. She was excited to tell me about the annual Pink It Up week (2nd to 8th June), which sees people across Yorkshire raise funds and awareness for children with cancer with pink-themed events – you can read more about that here.

The team is also busy planning for the charity’s Family Fun Day trip to Sherburn Aero Club in July, and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September, which is an international campaign encouraging families and supporters to help raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of childhood cancer. For more on the great work Candlelighters are doing and how you can get involved, visit their website: candlelighters.org.uk
I think the point of this article is that saying yes more is generally a good thing, so I'm going to be following my own advice.

I may bump into you soon.