About AK

I'm the kid who talked in class, didn't do her homework until the last minute, and always crammed for exams. That gave me labels like 'doesn't care', 'indifferent' and one I don't mind so much because it sounds a little French, 'nonchalant'. 

I grew up labelled a 'quitter' because I didn't continue piano, tennis or horse-riding lessons. But actually, I didn't like practising piano, was terrible at tennis and was scared of horses.

In my career I have moved a lot from job to job, often changing job on a yearly basis. Apparently, I'm 'unsettled'.  But actually, I am just easily bored and like change and learning and doing new things.

I like to work in stops and starts. I find it very difficult doing things that I don't want to do. I like having multiple things on the go, which means lots of things never get finished. Somehow, it's been ingrained in me that this is all wrong. So, I've spent most of my life feeling like a bit of a failure, as if I am just getting by.

I appear successful. I am a medical doctor and have been fortunate to have worked also in education, communication, digital, marketing and strategy. Plus, I am in a great relationship, have a fabulous family and an excellent, eclectic group of incredible friends. But these are not the real measures of success, they are more achievements. 

To be successful, you need to feel successful, which to me means feeling like I am on track and just enjoying doing and being. Because I wasn't on the track everyone else was on or was meant to be on – the strive, persist, do-things-a-certain-way track – I found it impossible to feel successful.

So here I am.