Grow Beyond Work

Welcome to issue #019 of Under the Surface. Each week, I share one thoughtful piece to help you grow, lead and thrive in the messy reality of project work. If something lands - or misses - I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you’re exploring what’s next, you can join the Pathfinder waitlist to go deeper with others on the same journey.

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Ever felt like you’re doing everything right on paper, but still going nowhere? That’s how most project professionals I speak to feel. Stuck. Frustrated. Lost in the noise of delivery, directionless in the bigger picture.

A few years ago, I hit that same wall. Work was busy, but I wasn’t growing. My goals weren’t mine anymore - they were my employer’s. So I started to read differently. Not to become a better manager or earn another qualification, but to understand who I was outside of my job.

For years, I believed progress meant more: more responsibility, more scope, more recognition. But that’s how you end up climbing a ladder that’s leaning against the wrong wall. When you’re deep inside project work, it’s easy to think the system is broken. Sometimes it is, but often, it’s us. The way we think, react and measure ourselves can quietly box us in.

That realisation didn’t come from a mentor or a training course. It came from words on a page - from writers who challenged me to stop managing work and start managing myself. Here are five that stayed with me.

Dr Joe Dispenza’s Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself taught me that true change starts long before action. “To truly change is to think greater than your environment.” Most of us try to fix our circumstances while thinking the same way that created them. This book showed me how to shift the inner conversation first.

Kim Scott’s Radical Candor changed how I saw leadership. “Care personally. Challenge directly. That’s Radical Candor.” For years, I thought leadership meant being either tough or kind. Scott taught me that it’s about being honest and human at the same time. When you care enough to tell the truth, trust follows.

Michael Singer’s The Untethered Soul reminded me that I’m not my thoughts, my title, or my project. “There is nothing more important to true growth than realising that you are not the voice of the mind—you are the one who hears it.” That one line reframed everything. It helped me see that peace doesn’t come from control - it comes from perspective.

James Clear’s Atomic Habits made progress practical again. “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” That hit home. I stopped trying to overhaul my life overnight and started focusing on the small things I could repeat consistently, quietly, until they stuck.

And David Epstein’s Range gave me permission to step outside the lane I thought I had to stay in. “The more constrained and repetitive a challenge, the more expert advantage. The more complex and unpredictable, the more advantage to the beginner’s mind.” It helped me see that curiosity is a strength, not a distraction. The broader your view, the more valuable you become.

I used to read to escape work. Now, I read to expand it. These five books reminded me that growth isn’t about adding more - it’s about seeing differently. Sometimes the next breakthrough isn’t a promotion, a new company, or a certification. It’s a shift in how you think.

If you feel boxed in right now, start by opening your mind, not your CV. You don’t need a five-year plan. You just need the courage to start thinking for yourself again.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, you’re not broken. You’re just overdue for a new perspective. Start with one of these five and see what happens next.

Yours,

Gerwyn

PS – What we’re building at Coron Projects

I’m building something for project professionals who want more than just tasks and titles. Pathfinder is a new kind of membership built for people in engineering and construction who are ready to grow, lead and thrive on their terms. No corporate bullshit. No gatekeepers. Just the tools, support and mindset shifts that help you take ownership of your career.

It’s currently in development and if that sounds like something you might want in your corner, you can join the waitlist here and include “Pathfinder” in the message.