Can you believe how fast this year has flown by? As we approach the end of another incredible year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on all that we have accomplished and experienced. So, join us on this throwback trip down memory lane.
We’ve had an eventful year at Future Toolbox, filled with lots of in-person workshops, school visits and speaking at conferences. We’ve covered a wide range of topics in our podcast episodes and blogs that have gone out weekly, all linking to our ‘Z to A of Life Skills‘ book. We were finalists for two awards, the ‘Midlands Start Up Awards’ and ‘FSB East Midlands Community Award’, which we are very proud of. (Mark was also published in the UK’s best-selling running magazine!).
This year we decided to increase our neurodiversity support. If you didn’t know already, in 2012, Mark sustained a traumatic brain injury. Over the years, we have faced tremendous challenges as we navigated post brain injury life with little support. We have pushed through and didn’t let it break us, even when it nearly cost us our marriage. We don’t want people to get stuck in the same places that we did, so we have tried to find ways to support others going through a similar situation. A few years ago, we decided to share our story and published our book ‘What The Hell Just Happened‘. This book shows people the realities of brain injury and to reassure them that there is a way forward.
This year we reflected and decided that we wanted to support this community even further. So, in August we launched ‘Brain or Shine‘, which is a platform designed to help individuals and their families, friends, and work colleagues, understand how to live with the life-changing effects of traumatic injuries and hidden disabilities.
In 2024 we want to assist people affected by neurodiversity not only through Brain or Shine, but also Future Toolbox. We recognise that everyone is different, so they require different support. We will be offering our tools and tips to help people achieve their goals and aspirations, irrespective of whatever they feel is holding them back.
A big change for us personally and professionally this year is that we moved to Lanzarote! We have wanted to do this for ages as we go there every year on holiday. We absolutely love it out here, and it’s safe to say that we don’t miss the English weather! This move obviously has implications for our business as we are no longer solely based in the UK. So, we cannot visit schools in person as frequently as we used to. This year we have spent time planning on how we can still support schools and communities remotely. So, in 2024, we will move towards providing our support online as much as possible. Within the new year, we will be creating a lot more online courses and resources for you to use.
This year, we have really enjoyed focussing on the Z-A structure for our content creation, using a letter from the alphabet each week of the year for our podcast, blog and #MilosTipOfTheDay videos. However, for 2024, we will be changing things up a little and we will be adjusting the frequency of our podcast episodes. As of January 2024, our podcast episodes will be posted every two weeks, rather than weekly. Why, you ask? Well, this will give us more time to craft high-quality content packed with value. We believe in quality over quantity, and this change will allow us to bring you the best of what we offer.
Looking ahead to 2024, we will remain committed to our core mission of positively impacting communities and groups. We are excited about what 2024 will bring, and we look forward to sharing our plans with you more in the new year!
As we say goodbye to 2023, it’s important to take a moment to celebrate your achievements and growth. Look back at how far you have come and what you have achieved. Whether they were big or small successes, all of them should be acknowledged and celebrated. You may think that you haven’t accomplished much this past year, but we know that you have done more than you think. We suggest you write down what you have done personally and professionally this year. As you write them down, the more you will remember (it’s also worth asking other people for their input!). Before you know it, the list will be much longer than you thought, and you will be amazed at what you achieved this past year.
We hope you enjoy the last few days of 2023, and that you had a great Christmas!
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