Your Work and Life in Balance

20/06/2024

Today it’s officially summer here in the Northern Hemisphere.

(...and it actually felt like it in the UK!)

Today marks the official half point of 2024

Today it’s an opportunity for a new beginning.

It’s an opportunity to look at the past 6 months and decide whether they’ve worked in your favour.

Today it’s an opportunity to reassess your intentions for this year (and perhaps for the rest of your life) and decide whether those intentions are truly yours and whether they’re serving you in the way you envisaged.

It’s an opportunity to make new decisions, to change direction if needs be, based on what you’ve learnt over the past 6 months.

Today it's an opportunity to challenge your beliefs about who you are and what’s possible for you.

It’s an opportunity to reinvent yourself.

Today think about your life and how YOU want it to be, by turning inwards and allowing yourself to be guided by your feelings, by your emotions; instead of the musts and shoulds you usually listen to.

Most of you give a lot to everyone else but yourselves.

Today, be generous with yourself.

Give yourself the gift of time, of a quiet space where you just sit and own all of your dreams and goals and desires.

And when your belly gets filled with butterflies just thinking about what it would be like to live this life you truly want for yourself, take some time to answer these questions:

** What needs to change?

** How do I need to change?

** What life experiences and life lessons have I already got, that will help me bring these changes along with ease?

I’d strongly recommend that you do all of this in writing. Writing slows us down, eliminates distractions and takes us deeper into our subconscious, helping us find more meaningful answers to our questions.

Enjoy this time spent with yourself, it’s always rewarding in one way or another.

And if today or this week is not the right time for you, or if for some reason you struggle to find questions to ask or to find the answers to the questions you ask, then let me help you.

Join me for my half year vision board workshop, where you will:

** Reflect on the 6 months that have just passed, by looking at each of your life areas

** You decide which direction you’re headed for the next 6 months and beyond (because, if you just leave everything to chance or the people around you… well, you might end up feeling miserable or dissapointed)

** And have some fun creating a visual for your beautiful future life - because our brains find it a lot easier to make the right decisions for us, when they have a clear picture of what they’re looking for.

** Above anything else, you’ll leave this workshop having regained your zest for life, having found your aliveness again, and most importantly, the motivation to make it all happen. **

Join us on Saturday, 29th June, from 9AM.

Online. Comfortable. Easy.

All you need is to lock the door and have a pen and paper with you.

My questions, prompts and your gut will do all the work for you.

Link to the event in the comments. Or just message me and I can tell you all about it!

Happy 2024 Solstice☀️

17/06/2024

17/06/2024

Your Remarkable Life Vision Board Workshop
Saturday, 29th June 09:00 - 13:00 BST

https://bit.ly/3R13Lps

08/01/2024

This year I'm going to make it all happen!!

… or will I?

I've spent a lot of hours these past 2 weeks reflecting on 2023 and how it wasn't at all the year I expected.

But 2023 was a year when:

- I learned so much more about who I truly am (and that is sometimes quite different to who others told me I am)

- I learned so much more about what really matters to me (and it's always the little things, don't you think?)

- I gave myself a lot more permission to be, to feel and to let go (of the past, regrets, old beliefs, expectations of myself and of the future)

- I learned that new relationships (be it romantic or simply social ones) in adulthood are a lot more complicated

I have loads of plans for 2024, but I also chose a somehow contradicting word for the year:

MINIMALISM

Because one of the things that stood out for me in 2023 was just how cluttered our lives are - with material things that don't really bring us the comfort and happiness we're longing for; with notifications on our electronic devices about things we really **don't** need to know about, and which cause us anxiety; with people who suck away energy from us and leave us feeling lonely, rather than loved and nurtured.

So 2024 will be a lot about decluttering (in all areas of my life), finding joy and harmony in the right things, places and people; and trying to do less, knowing that this will enrich my life, rather than take away from it.

What about you? Have you chosen a word for this year?

I don't normally do, but I really felt drawn to this one this year. In addition to writing about all the things I want to make happen in all areas of my life in 2024.

That’s why I love my planners and journals so much. They help me cut through the noise and the busyness of life and help me gain clarity on the things that don't work, and what I really want my life to be about.

Because as far as I know, it's just this one that I have.
...
If you need help to figure out what your want to do with your wild and precious life in 2024, Your Remarkable Life vision board workshop is just perfect for you - link in Bio

Wishing you a Remarkable 2024 🧡

03/01/2024

If you know that you truly want your life to be different.

Different from all the years before.

Different from that of other people.

Different from what other people tell you it should be.

If you know that Something or some things really need to change.

But you just don't have the clarity.

Or you never seem to Make the time

to figure it all out

Join us for the 2024 vision board workshop

✨️Your Remarkable Life✨️

Why live an ordinary life?

When you can create a remarkable life?

It starts on the 13th January.

It starts with you.

Link in Bio 🧡

26/11/2023

Have you ever experienced the incredible power of intentional reflection? 

I don’t know about you, but my mind is always analysing, asking questions, looking to understand people and events.

And that can be useful. But sometimes it can just take my time and energy without giving me anything back (I may forget the conclusions I came to or I might not actually get to the bottom of what’s on my mind).

Intentional reflection is sitting down and just reflecting for a limited amount of time. And writing it all down. 

There’s something really powerful about writing things down. 

It brings so much more clarity and insight than just churning thoughts inside our heads. 

It creates space in our head simply because we put worries/questions/to dos on paper (have you ever felt like there are too many tabs open in your mind?)

It creates self-awareness (is it really to do with what’s going on in the moment, or something from the past? / have you really not made progress in that area you’d like to improve,or you’re just not seeing the results of your efforts yet?)

It very often shows you the way forward - what you need to do in order to get that which you desire - peace of mind, a good night sleep, resolve conflict; make progress in that one area of your life that is truly important to you.

From conversations I’ve had over the years with clients and friends I picked up on 2 challenges that most people experience when they are trying to get into a habit of doing intentional reflections:

1. Time. Often when we dig into it, it's about putting the time in the diary, rather than expecting it to just happen

2. Not knowing what questions to ask; what do you write to start with? How do you get the thoughts flowing and your feelings/truth coming out?

I’m setting aside 1 hour in my November diary to help you get into the practice of intentional reflection

It's free and online. Easy! You just need to show up and I’ll take care of the rest.

Sign up through the link in my Bio, put that date in your diary and make it non-negotiable.

You deserve it! 🧡

07/08/2023

We’ve all been looking for the successful formula for work-life balance at some point in our lives. And I think we’ve all figured out that there isn’t one.

Whenever somebody tells me they need a better work-life balance, I ask them

“what does a better work-life balance mean to you?”

Answering this question at the start of our search for a better work-life balance is crucial, because work-life balance has very little to do with the actual act of balancing your work and life. It has a lot more to do with:

** Your values - what is truly important for you about your life? Is it to be successful, to accumulate wealth, to have a loving family, to live a life of contribution, to make the most of every single day?

** Your life stage and your vision for it - are you in your spring, summer, autumn or winter years? And how do you want to live or remember this season of your life?

** Your priorities - what is your number one priority at this particular point in your life - your career, your health, your family, or something else?

I’d love for more of us to embrace the reality and the beauty of the fact that we are all unique. We are different from each other and we should really stop comparing ourselves, our journeys and our lives with those of other people.

I mean, I really think that life would be so boring if we all lived it in the exact same way! There would be nothing to inspire us, to challenge us and to make us come alive.

Without challenges and aspirations there’s no growth.

And when we stop growing, our souls die.

Once you’re clear on what work-life balance means to you, start exploring what’s stopping you from already having the work-life balance you wish for?

Some common themes I’m seeing are:

** Lack of boundaries (with yourself and/or others), or not knowing how to communicate those boundaries effectively

** Ineffective time and energy management

** Low self-esteem/lack of self love

Do you know what work-life balance means to you and what is stopping you from having it?

17/03/2022

Today I'll share with you a personal reflection piece from my journal.

"I've come onto a totally new path, with bigger, more beautiful and meaningful dreams for my life than ever before. And there's nothing and nobody to stop me from pursuing it other than myself.

I'm at the bottom of what looks like a tall and steep mountain. But I've climbed some mountains in my life and I know that sometimes all that I need is to put one step in front of the other.

There will be tough bits and I've had tears before but some of the journey can be very inspiring and reaching the top is certainly something I'm always proud of.

And once I reached the top, I know that the challenging journey to get there was worth it.

The only thing to bear in mind is the weight that I'm carrying to the top.

Maybe try and not carry too much too sudden. And give myself permission to stop and rest as I need to.

But remember that stopping for too long or too often can actually make it harder to get going again.
And it can have a significant impact on how long it takes me to get to the top.

The sooner I get to the top, the sooner I can enjoy other experiences that life has to offer."

Do you journal?

08/03/2022

Love yourself, just how you wish to be loved by others.

Tend to your own needs just like you tend to everyone else's needs.

Believe that you deserve to be happy, to feel alive and to live a life worth living.

Celebrate you, wonderfully amazing woman!

Today and every day.

Happy Women's Day! 💐

01/03/2022

Today marks the official beginning of the spring season. A time for new beginnings for all: animals and birds are being born; flowers and trees are blooming; and we start feeling more alive ourselves as the days get longer and warmer.

The past two years and most importantly, the past week have proven to us that there is no better time than Now to start living the life that we truly want for ourselves.

In these uncertain times, it's more important than ever to realise that the perfect time for you to realise your dreams is Right Now.

You were born free, perfect and very much alive (screaming through the top of your lungs to prove it!).

What followed were years of following a path that others have put in front of you.

As you stopped at various points on that path you ticked off lots of the things that again, others have told you that you needed to tick off, if you wanted to be 'normal', or 'accomplished', or happy.

And as you stopped in these various places along your life's path you might have not always felt normal, or accomplished, or indeed happy.

Instead, you might have felt that you'd like to explore a new path, different to the one that people around you say you Should stay on.

A path of your own choosing.

So here's my question to you:

Do you feel that you want to explore a new path?

Spring is a great opportunity for a fresh start and a better future. A brighter one. A future where no matter what happens around you, you feel happy about your life. A future where you don't have a Regrets list. A future where you have a long "I've done this!" list

What does that future look like for you? Grab a piece of paper and write everything that comes to mind, without overthinking it.

And most importantly, what will you do about it starting today?

How will you use all the positive energy that the Universe is sending your way at the beginning of this spring season?

Don't let the current events scare you or delay turning your beautiful dreams into your reality. You can't control those.

But you have control over your thoughts, your feelings and your actions.

Use that to live a happy life.

15/02/2022

What do you associate with the word single?

We tend to think of being single as a matter of being alone rather than a matter of choosing the types of relationships we want to be in.

I always believed in being single rather than being in an unfulfilling relationship.

I also believe that it takes a lot of courage to be single, particularly when you choose to put an end to a relationship that no longer makes you happy.

It might be that you've recently ended a relationship and you're now taking time to reflect on what hasn't worked and what needs to be different for you next time.

Or it might be that you've been single for a while because you're unsure what The One looks like or you don't believe that there is somebody out there who would love you just the way you are.

Whatever the reason, remember that there are a lot of good things about being single (you always get to choose what you watch on Netflix, what music you listen to and what you have for dinner!)

Use this time to get to really know yourself and what is truly important to you - in life in general and also in a relationship. It will make it a lot easier to recognise the right person for you and it will be more likely that you'll have a long happy relationship when you get together with that person.

Also use this time to fall in love with yourself. It might sound cheesy and cliche, but you really can't have a happy and loving relationship if you always feel like you're not good enough.

If you are single today, take a moment to think of all the reasons why you deserve to be loved, appreciated and happy. 🧡

14/02/2022

We have the greatest expectations from our romantic partners: that they love us unconditionally; that they respect us and make us feel safe; that we can rely on them to do anything for us.

And at the same time we expect them to be fun; spontaneous; naughty and wild.

To use the Esther Perel's words, "we're asking one person to give us what an entire village used to provide".

If your relationship isn't living up to your expectations, here are some questions you could consider reflecting on:

- How much have you and your partner changed since you first got together?

People change throughout their lives and sometimes personal growth on one or both sides can cause the couple to drift apart as they no longer have a similar life vision or common values.

- How many of your partner's needs are you actually meeting?

We often believe that we're giving our all to our partner and feel disappointed when they don't reciprocate.

What often happens is that different people have different love languages. Your partner might want you to cuddle up in the sofa with them while you're thinking "I've been cleaning the house for 3 hours today and he hasn't even bothered to say thank you. Why would I even want to sit next to him on the sofa?" (recommended read: The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman).
Take some time to both understand and lovingly use each other's love language.

- How else can you meet some of your needs instead of expecting your partner to do it?

If your partner isn't into museums or shopping, can you go with a friend or on your own? If they're not into walking for just the sake of walking, can you make a list of places that takes their fancy which also involve some exploration on foot?

There are many ways in which you can improve your relationship and bring the sparkle back.

But you both need to want this and you both need to understand that just because you were lucky enough to find each other it doesn't mean that you will live happily ever after.

Happy relationships require ongoing work, commitment and positive communication.

If you wanted to improve your relationship, what is one thing you could try?