Do small things today that future you will thank you for

So for somebody who spent 10 incredible years ‘growing up’ in Dubai, that’s a bold statement to make. I left the UK at the age of 24 and dived headfirst into the decadent Dubai dream – to say I did not make mistakes would be a lie, but I would not exchange my experience for the world.

I accomplished career progression at a rate I did not think possible, forged lifelong friendships, and learnt about the cultures of countries I could not even pronounce before – not to mention my experiences! I developed resilience, strategic thinking, and creativity for ‘survival’ in one of the world’s most competitive landscapes. It was tough at times – but every challenge, hurdle or setback provided invaluable lessons that would later enable me to launch a successful international business during a global pandemic from my laptop.

These are some of the things that could have brought much more positive impact to the long run, yet had very little impact on the short term.

I didn’t seek balance…

Dubai can be a fun yet hectic place to live and work and it’s very easy to go 90 miles an hour – burning the candle at both ends in a world that’s set-up to be like one long, luxurious holiday.

I did do some pretty epic things in the name of nightlife. One day you’re in an underground pub starting friendships with people that will endure a lifetime, the very next you’re at a movie premiere with Tom Cruise, or painting the town red with Nicole Scherzinger and Ne-Yo until sunrise – all for work. I did a lot of this and I also did a lot of the ‘have fun and party the stress away’ – starting on a Thursday, frequently writing off the rest of a potentially productive weekend because #YOLO.

I arrived in Dubai when the concept of balance, wellness and mindfulness weren’t really a thing – especially not to me. I did not seek it and I did not relieve stress in a more productive way. There is no way I could live like that now – it’s amazing how much energy you think that sun gives you.

With balance I would have easily achieved the rest of the things in this list

I didn’t explore enough…

Only when I made the decision to move home did I realise there were about 1,000 things I wanted to do. The UAE has a myriad of wonderful adventures to be taken, stories to be made and awe-inspiring visions to behold and I did plenty, but nowhere near enough.

With just two months to go I embarked on my own little Dubai bucket list mission-ticking off as many items as safely as I could in the midst of a pandemic (in the summer!) I did a good job on it, TikToking my way from desert to city to sea to sky.

But I never skydived over the Palm and in 10 years, not once did I camp in the desert (unless a balcony with a sandy view counts?) There was so much to do. It was not just beaches, brunches, spas and bars -there’s an exciting escapade to be had every weekend  – right on your doorstep. I’ll be back and I’ll continue to work on the list, but it’s not quite the same.

I didn’t PR myself enough…

I worked very hard, brought high quality success to the companies that I represented, and I had many ‘money-can’t-buy’ experiences in the name of work – but I didn’t share any of it.

I’d log in to LinkedIn either to run the company account or to look for a new role. I didn’t engage with my network properly, I didn’t share my success, my achievements, iconic photos, videos, articles or links. I used it as a job search platform only – restricting my network to those I knew in some capacity.

I didn’t utilise it to my full potential and as a personal PR hub. Little did I know that years down the line, this channel would be one of my greatest assets when opening a new business. I’m on top of it now, but that was a bit of a wasted opportunity.

I didn’t help as much as I could have…

I’m proud to have such an incredible network. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the industry’s finest and there they all were – right on my screen and in the palm of my hands.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve helped. I’ve lost count of the number of CV’s I’ve done for people, CV’s I’ve sent on behalf of other people, career connections that  I’ve linked, interns I’ve helped turn into stars and more. These were people within a circle, but it didn’t really extend much further than that.

It dawned on me in a moment last year when a former colleague that I had not been in touch with for a while dropped me a line out of the blue on messenger. Along the lines of, ‘I can see you’ve moved back, I hope you’re ok, been there – it’s horrible, please can you send me your CV?’

She didn’t know the reasons I was home and like many assumed I was one of the hoteliers displaced by Covid. Luckily for me I’d already made solid headway towards my business plans and was already halfway down the plank before I was pushed, but had that not been the case I know that she would have really tried to help me and the gesture meant a great deal – the support and the confidence in me as a professional.

Looking back, I could have used my resources, connections and privileged industry position to do more for the wider circle or to have at least helped make them feel supported. I aspire to do a lot more than this moving forward.

I didn’t save enough…

Nowhere near enough.

Enough to live comfortably with my plans and sustain a certain lifestyle during an endless international crisis.

But if I think about what I could have done by just saving 10 percent more than I did over the course of a decade – it is eye watering.  Granted, I did travel a lot and lived an enviable life for a long time, but I did not have to support anybody like so many of my colleagues – so I really didn’t have an excuse. 

If you’re reading this and are yet to achieve any real level of savings, think about it like this: 10 percent of AED 1,000 is AED 100. Would you really miss it?

I don’t regret this one too much because the best stories of my life are told between the pages of my passport and through the reels of TikTok. But I don’t have my dream house in the country yet and if I’m really honest with myself, done properly – I probably could have had it all.

If you’re just starting out in the Middle East or even if you’ve been there a while, grab every opportunity with both hands and live and learn through your mistakes. Most importantly, think about small things you can do today that your future you will thank you for…

Katie King is the Founder & CEO of Katie King & Co. a global creative content and strategic marketing agency. www.katiekingandco.com