Opening the next door
I thought I had very little to offer the world when I was 18. That changed when I began asking questions. Curiosity became a habit: try a short course, read a book, say yes to something that looks hard. Across decades those small experiments formed a career and then a business.
I repeated a phrase to myself: if someone ordinary can learn it, I can learn it too. That line made unfamiliar things easier to try. I sheared a sheep, drove a tractor, tied fly-fishing flies and caught a trout.
Curiosity also led me into accountancy, although I have a confession: I am not especially good at adding up. Give me a calculator and complicated tax legislation and I am happy. My real skill has always been helping people understand what the numbers mean and removing the fear that comes with them.
Courage arrived before confidence
Accountancy appealed because I prefer solving problems to performing arithmetic. Helping people understand what numbers mean became my practical skill. Over time I moved the practice from paper records to a digital-first approach.
I started Simply Additions as a temporary step while I gained tax experience. The plan was six months. The business continued because I kept taking the next step. You do not need to know everything before you start.
People rarely need every answer immediately. They need someone calm enough to help them move forward.
The lessons I would never have volunteered to learn
Burnout taught me empathy. Before I reached breaking point I assumed people who became overwhelmed were weak. Afterwards I understood how capable people reach their limits. I now avoid trying to fix everything in one meeting. I ask: what is the next step?
Cancer and a later operation taught me patience. Parkrun reminds me that progress rarely comes through one heroic effort. It comes from turning up, taking the next step and doing it again the following week. That is how I recovered, studied and moved Simply Additions from paper to a fully digital practice.
Leadership involves difficult conversations. Fairness must take precedence over avoiding discomfort. One former employee later introduced me to their new employer as a client. When I asked why, they gave one word: trust.
At 60, artificial intelligence reignited my love of learning and led me back to computer programming. Success looks different now. It is less about money or titles and more about health, friendship, helping people and remaining curious.
If you feel you have little to offer, try one manageable experiment this week and repeat it. Repetition builds competence and practical confidence.