Ultra Autistic

Seeking purpose, finding Ikigai

🎙 Laura Looks for Her Ikigai — Finding Purpose After a Career Change In this episode, Laura dives into the Japanese concept of ikigai — the balance between what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Often translated as “a reason for being,” ikigai is about finding deeper meaning and motivation in your daily life. After leaving a 26-year career in corporate finance, Laura has been on a journey to discover her own ikigai — exploring how her passions for endurance sport, wellness, and community might align with her professional skills in leadership, mentoring, and project management to come together in a new project that will help other women ready to make big steps in life. She shares what it really feels like to navigate a midlife career change, including the uncertainty, excitement, and freedom that come with reinventing yourself. This episode is a candid reflection on how to find purpose and direction after stepping away from a long-term career. ✨ In this episode: * What ikigai means and how to apply it to your own life * How to find purpose after leaving a corporate career * Why self-discovery and career transition take time * How joy, curiosity, and experimentation lead to clarity * The importance of aligning values with work and wellbeing If you’re exploring your next chapter, rethinking your career, or looking to reconnect with what truly motivates you, this episode will inspire you to find your own reason for being. 💬 Join the conversation: Have you found your ikigai? How has your sense of purpose changed through different life stages? Share your story with Laura — she’d love to feature your experience in a future episode. https://www.instagram.com/laura_goes_to_london/ [https://www.instagram.com/laura_goes_to_london/] https://www.instagram.com/what_do_i_do_now_then_pod/ [https://www.instagram.com/what_do_i_do_now_then_pod/] Or email whatdoidonowthenpod@gmail.com [whatdoidonowthenpod@gmail.com] Sign up to the Substack newsletter - https://lgtl.substack.com/ [https://lgtl.substack.com/] 📝 Sources  Hector Garcia & Francesc Miralles book ‘Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life’ Thomas Oppong’s article https://thomasoppong.com/ikigai-the-japanese-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life-might-just-help-you-live-a-more-fulfilling-life/ [https://thomasoppong.com/ikigai-the-japanese-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life-might-just-help-you-live-a-more-fulfilling-life/] Forbes career change at 40 article https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2023/10/21/how-to-make-a-successful-career-change-at-40/ [https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2023/10/21/how-to-make-a-successful-career-change-at-40/] Teachable article on how to build and audience without social media https://www.teachable.com/blog/build-audience-without-social-media [https://www.teachable.com/blog/build-audience-without-social-media] Mel Robbins podcast on the Odyssey Plan https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Bf1D8TuxAgInKn44aRetY?si=c4bd245cf7d945ad [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Bf1D8TuxAgInKn44aRetY?si=c4bd245cf7d945ad] #ikigai #findingpurpose #careerchange #careertransition #womeninmidlife #lifebeyondcorporate #selfdiscovery #wellbeing #midlifereinvention #laurarunsthelongwayround

Becoming content

In this episode, Laura gets real about what it’s like to be an older dog learning new tricks. Training for Ironman while working full time left her wondering how anyone manages to also create polished social media content. She talks about the reality behind those “day in the life” reels, and why sometimes it’s okay if the only record of your training is simply… showing up for yourself. From there, Laura dives into the bigger picture: how goal-setting and vision boards helped her imagine a different kind of future, and how imposter syndrome crept in once she stepped away from 26 years in corporate finance to explore a possible new career in sport and wellness. But there’s joy, too — in the freedom to experiment, to try things just for the sake of it, and to see what sticks. Even if not everything works out, the act of exploring is valuable in itself. ✨ In this episode: * The hidden challenge of “content pressure” in the age of social media * How tools like goal-setting and vision boards can bring clarity * The imposter syndrome of starting over in midlife * Finding joy and freedom in trying new paths, even without guarantees Laura also calls out to other women who have switched industries — whether by choice or necessity — and invites you to share your stories on the podcast. Because change can feel less daunting when we know we’re not the only ones doing it. 📩 If you’ve made a big career switch (into sport, wellness, or beyond), Laura would love to hear from you. Get in touch to be part of a future episode!

Laura goes to London

In this episode, Laura takes us back to 2014, when she first packed up her life and moved to London — without knowing exactly what she was moving toward, only that she was excited for something new. She shares the ups and downs of building a life in a city that can be both electrifying and isolating, the different neighbourhoods she called home, and the surprising places where she found real connection. Through house shares, running clubs, work friends-turned-family, and moments of loneliness in the middle of crowds, Laura reflects on how her sense of home evolved — and how the friendships she built over the years became her real anchors in the city. 🗺 In this episode: * Laura moves to London, but finds it’s not quite the life she’d imagined * The places she lived — and what each taught her * How she made close friendships as an adult in a big city * The difference between being surrounded by people and feeling known * Top tips for making your own new life, wherever that may be Whether you’re new to a city, missing your people, or reflecting on how place shapes identity, this episode is for you. 📩 Got a story to share? Send Laura a message or voice note — she’d love to hear it. https://www.instagram.com/laura_goes_to_london/ [https://www.instagram.com/laura_goes_to_london/] https://www.instagram.com/what_do_i_do_now_then_pod/ [https://www.instagram.com/what_do_i_do_now_then_pod/] Or email whatdoidonowthenpod@gmail.com [whatdoidonowthenpod@gmail.com] Read the Substack blog - https://lgtl.substack.com/ [https://lgtl.substack.com/]

Ultra Autistic

In this deeply personal episode, Laura shares what it was like to be diagnosed as autistic at age 44 — in the middle of ultramarathon training and while trying to rebuild her career after burnout. She talks honestly about the diagnosis process, the clues she missed (or masked), and the enormous relief of finally having a framework for understanding how her brain works. From sensory sensitivity to social exhaustion, Laura explores what it means to navigate endurance sport — and life — as a newly diagnosed autistic adult. This episode is about unmasking, accepting, and learning how to live and move in a way that feels authentic, instead of performative. 🧠 In this episode: * The autism diagnosis process in adulthood: what to expect * Stimming & special interests, what those are and why they’re not so scary * Laura’s own autistic traits  * How ultramarathon training can support (and challenge) a sensory-sensitive nervous system * Building a life and career that works with her brain, not against it If you’ve ever felt like you were playing a role in your own life, this episode is a quiet permission slip to stop — and start coming home to yourself. 📣 Mentioned: * When stimming becomes self-harm https://seeingdoubleautismawareness.wordpress.com/2015/08/14/autism-and-self-harm/ [https://seeingdoubleautismawareness.wordpress.com/2015/08/14/autism-and-self-harm/] * Autism diagnosis (UK) https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/getting-diagnosed/how-to-get-diagnosed/ [https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/getting-diagnosed/how-to-get-diagnosed/] * Special interests https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/about-autism/focused-and-dedicated-interests [https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/about-autism/focused-and-dedicated-interests] * My favourite cosy YT https://www.youtube.com/@Auticate [https://www.youtube.com/@Auticate] * My own Substack article with links to more autism resources https://substack.com/@lauragoestolondon1/p-164476826 [https://substack.com/@lauragoestolondon1/p-164476826]

From Ironman to Burnout

In this episode, Laura shares the story of how training for an Ironman — the ultimate endurance challenge — became a turning point far beyond sport. What started as a physical goal gradually revealed deeper truths: chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, and the creeping signs of burnout. As her training intensified, so did the disconnect between her values and her corporate finance career. Eventually, the Ironman finish line didn’t just mark a personal achievement — it marked the beginning of a major life change. Tune in as Laura reflects on: * What Ironman training taught her about resilience, identity, and limits * The subtle but powerful signs of burnout she almost missed * How endurance sport gave her the clarity and courage to leave a secure, successful job in search of something more aligned This is an honest, vulnerable look at what happens when your body is strong, but your spirit is running on empty — and how choosing change can feel as radical as crossing a finish line. 📩 Got a story about sport and career crossroads? Send Laura a message — she’d love to hear from you. https://www.instagram.com/laura_goes_to_london/ [https://www.instagram.com/laura_goes_to_london/] https://www.instagram.com/what_do_i_do_now_then_pod/ [https://www.instagram.com/what_do_i_do_now_then_pod/] Or email whatdoidonowthenpod@gmail.com [whatdoidonowthenpod@gmail.com]