I’m not a morning person. In fact, my day typically begins with a battle against the multiple alarms I’ve set the night before – a necessary ritual to pull myself out of bed and into gear.
Living in London makes commuting relatively easy. It’s a short walk to the DLR, a quick hop into Bank, and another short walk to the office. On days I’m working from home, it’s an even shorter commute – just a shuffle to the desk after coffee.
I like to ease into my mornings. Once I’m at my desk, it’s about catching up on emails, reviewing my to-do list, and getting prepped for the day’s meetings. I try to structure my mornings around tasks that need the most focus, before the busyness of the day really kicks in.
Right now, I’m project managing the rollout of a compliance solution across 600 brokers in the AMER region for a client in the financial services sector. The work is regulatory-driven – front office staff are required to have all communications recorded and archived to meet compliance and surveillance requirements. Since the pandemic, there’s been a big uptick in the use of personal messaging apps like SMS and WhatsApp for business comms, which creates challenges for firms trying to monitor “off-channel” conversations. Our solution captures and retains these communications, helping the client meet evolving regulatory standards.
To break up the day, I try to get outside. A quick walk around the block if I’m in the office, or through the local park when I’m working from home – just something to reset.
After work, I always try to do something physical. Whether that’s a run, hitting the gym, playing Futsal or training Muay Thai. I find moving is the best way to decompress after a day in front of a screen.
Futsal is a big part of my life, though most people haven’t heard of it. It’s similar to five-a-side football but played with different rules that make the game more technical and fast-paced. I play in the national league, which means most weekends are spent travelling around the South of England for matches. Last year, our team reached the national cup final, which was even televised – though unfortunately, we didn’t take home the trophy!
Another recent passion is Muay Thai. I started training just a couple of months ago. It’s a form of kickboxing that includes elbows and knees, which took a bit of getting used to. I was nervous before my first class, but I’ve stuck with it and it’s quickly become something I really enjoy. Jumping into a completely new sport has been a great reminder of the power of persistence and pushing outside your comfort zone.
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