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Acknowledge your wins and celebrate them!
Here we are at the end of another year! Before you start thinking about New Year’s resolutions or goal setting, take a moment to look back, reflect on how this year has been and consider what you are taking away from it. In the process of doing this, it is important to recognise the successes you have had, to acknowledge the effort and positive decisions you have made, to take the time to give yourself a well-earned pat on the back, and express gratitude to those who have supported you along the way. Read on to find out why you should make a habit of celebrating your wins, not just…
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Make your day work for you!
Sometimes it seems like we are at the mercy of the day’s events! We might start off with the best of intentions, that we are going to have a highly productive day, breeze through our tasks and bask in that wonderful feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment by the end of it…. Yet we find ourselves having to sort out an array of issues that pop out of nowhere and just seem to get sidetracked and distracted throughout the day. By the time we manage to put our feet up, we realise that we have done very little of what we actually needed (or wanted) to do! While we are not…
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Time for your mid-year check-in! How to review your goals and keep yourself on track
Remember those goals that you set back in January when you were full of that ‘New Year, New You’ enthusiasm? Well, hopefully you do! How are you doing now that we are six months into the year? Taking the time to do a mid-year review of your goals will give you a chance to check that whatever you are working towards is still relevant and right for you. Even though you might really want to make some changes in your life it is so easy to get distracted and completely sidetracked. If you have lost track of your ‘why’ then reviewing your goals will remind you of the reason you set out…
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How can thinking like a monk improve your life and career?
Review of Think Like a Monk: Train your mind for peace and purpose every day by Jay Shetty (2020, Thorsons, 352 pages) As I have been aiming to create more ‘zen’ in my life through daily meditation and mindfulness, I have become increasingly curious about the underlying philosophy behind such practices. This is why I was initially drawn to Jay Shetty’s book, Think Like a Monk*, which promises to teach us how to move away from the preoccupied, fearful and ego-driven ‘monkey mind’ and to step into the monk mindset which, in contrast, is calm, focused, purposeful and service-driven. *Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may…
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5 Morning Journal Prompts To Kickstart Your Day
I have often fantasised about having one of those super chilled and invigorating morning routines that are frequently recommended in the personal development and wellbeing space. You know, where you wake up naturally, basking in warm sunlight, switch on a guided meditation, slip into your stretchy pants and do some gentle exercise, have a healthy breakfast, read a few pages of a book, and then journal until your hearts content… While I have been able to incorporate some of these things into my morning routine, the reality is that during the week I am a mum of two, and the beginning of the day mainly involves making sure that both…
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Getting back to business after the school holidays
The beginning of the autumn term has always had me raring to go, with renewed enthusiasm to tackle whatever the rest of the year has in store. I put this down to the many years that I have spent studying and working in education (a new academic year = a new start) and fond memories of moving onto the next stage of my life, catching up with friends again, brand new stationery, and the textbooks that were brimming with information that I had not yet explored. Plus I’m an absolute sucker for crispy golden leaves, brisk walks in the cold, cosy jumpers and a huge steaming mug of hot chocolate…
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Looking for some inspiration? Create your own inspiration board!
This highly motivating and creative activity came to mind after a journal prompt got me thinking about all the things that have inspired me over the years. As I ran my eye over the various sources of inspiration that I had listed out I felt butterflies buzzing around in my stomach and a rush of determination to get on with my plans! I wanted to bottle that ‘get up and go’ feeling that had been evoked by my list, especially for days when some sort of setback occurs or for when I’m just feeling a bit stuck! Leaving the list in my journal, possibly never to be looked at again,…
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Life after coach training…
Business planning, credentialing and exploring creative approaches to coaching! I can happily announce that I have completed the taught element of my Postgraduate Certificate in Business and Personal Coaching after months of attending tutorials that have kept me well and truly enthused about entering the coaching profession and having spent many hours practising my coaching with willing volunteers. So, as this part of my journey comes to an end, what is next? Well…the work continues! I am currently spending most of my days flitting between the roles of mum/home school teacher, blogger, coach and student. In between teaching, keeping two energetic boys entertained all day, and dishing out snack after…
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Kickstart your yearly review and find your focus for the year ahead
After reluctantly emerging from my Christmas cocoon, and finding out that another lengthy period of lockdown loomed ahead, I made the decision to pause and take stock of the last 12 months. I wanted to extract any useful ‘life lessons’ that I could from what was such a challenging time (for many different reasons), to ponder ‘What next?’ and start the year with renewed focus and something positive to work towards as lockdown continued. If, like me, you love putting pen to paper and taking time out to journal (or just really want to give it a try) then I have packed this post full of questions that will prompt…
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My Top Takeaways from You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
Review of You are a Badass: How to stop doubting your greatness and start living an awesome life by Jen Sincero (2016, John Murray Learning, 256 pages) Because I enjoy reading motivational, personal development books, especially the ones that make you feel like you can be anything you want to be, I picked up a copy of You are a Badass*. Through this book, the author, Jen Sincero, delivers a pep talk to her readers, outlining how they can become more successful by addressing their limiting beliefs and personal barriers head on, clarifying their goals, and using the concept of manifestation to bring whatever it is that they want into…
