20/08/2026
There’ll be a lot of posts today about how exam results don’t matter and it’s what you do next that counts…
The world’s pretty mad right now, and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down any time soon.
My honest advice for this new world we’re all living in: find the thing that brings you meaning.
Happiness isn’t a destination, and it’s not something you just decide to feel. It tends to come from doing a thing, that truly means something to you.
When I left school, I ended up working in cafés and restaurants. For a lot of people that type of work is just a stepping stone to the next chapter - for me, it’s where I found real meaning.
The buzz of service coming together, the kitchen nailing its checks, thrilled customers turning into regulars, smashing our targets, balancing stock ordered against sell-through, trying new things on the menu, developing a solid reputation and becoming a 5 star venue.
If 16 year old me could see where we ended up, I reckon they’d be impressed - and pretty excited too.
So whatever brings you meaning - baking, writing, cooking, photography, making content, working with your hands, building things, fixing stuff, sport, performing, numbers, helping people, working in hospitality, whatever it is - if it brings you deep satisfaction and meaning, go after it every single day.
And while I’m on a bit of a rant, let’s talk about failure. Failure is a seriously important part of becoming an expert on the thing you love. You tend to learn 10x more from failing, than you do from getting it right first time. So welcome failure in whenever it shows up.
Some people live their entire lives without finding meaning, or without pursuing the thing they’d secretly love to do.
So whether today’s results feel like an absolute triumph or a complete disaster, find the thing which brings you meaning and don’t be scared to look failure in the eye. Everything will work out.