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How to have a calm Christmas
Review of Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton (2019, 227 pages) As much as I love celebrating Christmas with my nearest and dearest, it can be a really stressful time of year! It is easy to get caught up in the preparations, trying to meet expectations, and frantically attempting to create the ‘picture perfect’ Christmas that you see on social media, all while juggling work commitments and the numerous events that begin to fill up the school calendar. You might find that after ‘the big day’ you are feeling worn out, fatigued and promising yourself that next year will be different. In Calm Christmas and a…
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Uncovering your strengths
Review of StrengthsFinder 2.0: Discover Your CliftonStrengths by Gallup (2021, Gallup Press, 172 pages) Think of a positive outcome that you have achieved recently. How did you achieve it? What skills or qualities did you use? As we go about our busy lives, jumping from one task to the next, and wading through our never-ending ‘To Do’ lists, it can be all too easy to overlook the many qualities and skills that we possess and rely upon to help us to achieve our goals. It is good to bring our strengths to mind so that we can give ourselves some credit where it is due, recognise the strategies and approaches…
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The route to self-acceptance
What did you learn about loving and accepting yourself as you were growing up? What is your relationship with yourself like now? When I was growing up, to ‘love yourself’ was actually considered an insult! Unlike today, where we see messages plastered all over social media telling us to go forth and love ourselves, the phrase often implied that you were vain, self-centred and overly confident and, in an attempt to take you down a peg or two, it was hurled at you if you dared to walk around with your head held high. Believe me, you did not want to be seen to be loving yourself! Looking back, I…
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Build a self-care routine that serves you!
I must admit that my level of self-care has been pretty minimal at times. I particularly remember when my children were very young and I would find myself caught up in a flurry of feeds, nappy changing, playing, medical appointments and, because I like to make life extra challenging, I was studying at the same time! So, self-care was not on the radar much, apart from getting sleep…and a good night’s sleep was like gold! I also experienced a lot of guilt around self-care. If I did relax and make time for myself I would worry that I was not doing something important around the house (because my own care…
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Using coaching skills in everyday conversations
Think about some of the best conversations you have ever had. What was happening between you and the other person (or people) in the conversation? What were the most inspiring conversations you have ever had? What stands out to you about those conversations? When have you felt like someone has really understood you? What did that person do to show their understanding? I immediately recall a conversation that I had with my lecturer as I was nearing the end of my degree. After giving me some helpful feedback on my assignment she asked me about my plans after graduation. As I started telling her about some of options I was…
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Thinking about giving up on your goals? Read this first!
Ever wondered why your goals sometimes fall by the wayside or the journey towards them just feels like a continual uphill struggle even though you would really love to achieve them? This is where Byron Morrison’s brand new book, Maybe You Should Give Up*, can help! Byron is a mindset and high performance coach and author of The Effective CEO and CEO In Control. Byron kindly provided me with an advanced copy of Maybe You Should Give Up*, which is out in bookstores on 27 June. *Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops. At first glance…
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How to create a reading list for your personal development
Are you wondering what personal development books you should read this year? I’m a self-confessed bookworm and lifelong learner so personal development books are always at the top of my ‘To Read’ list! I love soaking up all the knowledge and wisdom they hold, I relish the self-exploration they encourage, and enjoy learning new, helpful strategies that I can put into practice in my own life. However, I noticed that I was randomly selecting my reading material and had got into the habit of snapping up the latest personal development books, leaving all of my other books to gather dust and, sadly, demoting them to ‘shelf-help’. I realised that…
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Gaining insights from your journal writing
If you have ever kept a journal you will know that it can provide a rare space in your life where you can just ‘be’, away from all the noise and distraction of daily life (and the influence of others!) Within the pages of your journal you can be open and honest about how you are feeling, entertain your latest creative ideas, explore new directions for your business or career, and work through your problems. It is the most attentive listener and will never wade in and try to persuade, advise, or judge you. Combined with coaching, and talking things over with people in my support network, I have found…
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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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Keeping your cool at Christmas time
Now that the shops have had all the Christmas gear out for a good few months, and we are well and truly in the run up to the ‘big day’, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on how I have prepared for Christmas in the past so that I can take a few of the lessons that I have learned from those moments and aim for a more chilled experience this time around! I want to be able to kick back and relax come 25th December so, as a bit of a ‘note to self’, here are some of the points I am going to bear…
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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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Unearth your creativity (and discover yourself in the process!)
Review of The Artist’s Way* by Julia Cameron The ability to be creative is not just reserved for the artists of this world, it is within us all and can be expressed in a multitude of ways in our lives. Personally, I have always craved some kind of creative outlet but found that I had dropped many of the creative activities that I enjoyed in my younger years while continuing my education, getting a ‘proper job’, and raising my family. When my children came along, exploring my creative side mainly meant running around and engaging in imaginary play with them and doing the odd bit of Playdoh or finger painting!…
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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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Managing Work and Study Successfully
Have you been mulling over the prospect of undertaking some further study to develop your knowledge and skills and make the next move in your career? Before you start searching and applying for suitable courses, you may be wondering how on earth you will balance your existing workload with study and all your other personal commitments?! Perhaps you have already enrolled on a course and have been intending to complete it but life just seems to keep getting in the way? Well, I have been there…many times! I have always had a strong passion for learning therefore work and study have often gone hand in hand during my career. I…
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Approaching life with a growth mindset
Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right. Henry Ford Our mindset, which is generally defined as our ‘way of thinking’ (Cambridge English Dictionary), influences how we interpret and approach different life events and situations. The core beliefs that we hold, and the attitude that we adopt, as we set out to achieve our goals are important factors in whether we persevere through challenges and succeed with our objectives or end up quitting and failing. Renowned psychologist, Carol Dweck, has identified two mindsets that we commonly adopt as we go about our day to day lives and these form the main topic of her book, Mindset:…
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Help! I don’t love my job anymore!
Do you catch yourself watching the clock at work? Are you tired of the same daily tasks and feeling utterly bored? Got that Sunday evening feeling of dread lurking in the pit of your stomach? We all have our ups and downs at work, but when this happens week after week it soon takes its toll, and can leave us feeling frustrated, irritable and completely unfulfilled. The job that you thought would be interesting and stimulating may not be living up to its initial promise, you may feel that you have outgrown your role, or maybe something significant has changed in your life or at work. Your job may be…
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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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How to build a daily mindfulness practice
That special time of year is creeping upon us and while quality time with loved ones, showing our generosity, and having a good old knees-up is lovely it can also be a bit hectic as we prepare for the festivities, finish up work projects, and respond to all the requests from school which seem to multiply towards the end of the autumn term. Pass me the mulled wine and a few mince pies quick! Of course, it’s not only this time of year that can leave us feeling a bit frazzled. We can get so caught up in the everyday busyness of life: the daily stressors, running here and there…
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Beat Digital Overwhelm
Ah, simplicity! That has become my word of the year especially over the last few months as I have been desperately trying to get on top of the digital deluge that seems to have taken over my life. I noticed that I was spending way too much time filing away emails from the many mailing lists I had subscribed to (and then never actually reading them), loading up dozens of tabs with interesting articles that I was sure I’d read ‘someday’, downloading lots of cool freebies, signing-up to online courses, joining every Facebook group related to my industry, regularly falling into scroll holes on social media, succumbing to click bait…
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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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What’s Your Summer Holiday Survival Strategy?
The end of the school year is in sight (or it may already be done and dusted for some of us!) and that six week stretch will soon be upon us. On the one hand there is the wonderful prospect of quality time with the family, heading off on holidays, exploring new places together, and not having to leap out of bed for the school run (whoop!) On the other hand though there is the dreaded juggling act between work and home life, figuring out how much holiday you can afford to take, who is going to look after the kids, and how you are going to keep them suitably…
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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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Discover what you really want from your career
Review of The Squiggly Career by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis and How to Find Fulfilling Work by Roman Krznaric and The School of Life Losing my job when the first lockdown hit not only made me feel like I had said goodbye to a part of my identity, as an employee of an organisation that I had worked at for just over a decade, it also left me with this lingering feeling of being seriously stuck. Sure, I had home schooling to keep me well and truly occupied but I knew that wouldn’t last forever (thank goodness…) and so my thoughts kept on returning to what I was going…
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Exploring Your Career Timeline
Now that my role as home school teacher is surplus to requirements, and I am edging ever closer to the end of my postgraduate coaching course, I have been contemplating the next step in my career. I like to review and reflect upon my career every now and then, especially when I am at some kind of transition in my life. Looking back over the ups and downs in my career provides me with a clearer idea of what I do and do not want in my next role. Reminding myself of the strengths and skills I have developed, my key achievements and proudest moments, my core values, my personality…
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Let’s talk about the ‘F’ word…
Well, I don’t know about you but I’m thinking about FUN! How much of it do you have in your life currently? I know it can be hard to remember what fun is and how it even feels to have fun after the dire events of the last 12 months! However, it’s something that really struck me after looking back over 2020 and realising just how much I had thrown myself into working, studying, and stepping out of my comfort zone (which I can safely say also takes a lot of energy and emotion!) When it came to prioritising some carefree fun that would help to fill up my cup…
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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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Coach Training Update (The Journey Continues!)
Since my last post, which outlined my steps to becoming a coach, I have completed the second module of my coaching course (yay!) and thought it was about time that I shared what I have been learning about coaching over the past month. I will also provide some more useful tips for new coaches that I have picked up during my training and give you some simple coaching tools that will help you to: What have I been learning? My training programme covers many different topics and approaches related to coaching as well as allowing me to practise my coaching skills with clients. Here are some of the areas that…
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What has Lego got to do with self-care?
Review of Build Yourself Happy by Abbie Headon (DK, 160 pages) When you think of mindful, relaxing activities that take you away from all the hustle and bustle of daily life, Lego building may not immediately come to mind… But then, as Abbie Headon points out right from the beginning of her book, Build Yourself Happy*, there is something joyful and liberating about allowing yourself to get lost in play even when you are all grown up! *Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops. It certainly provides a much needed break from your everyday routine and…
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Steps to becoming a coach…
If you have heard about coaching and are curious about what it can do for you, or if you are interested in training to be a coach, then read on to find out about my experience of coaching so far and why I decided to become a coach. I will share how I chose my training course, the top tips I would give to new coaches, and the resources that I have found to be particularly useful. On top of all that, I have included some coaching tools that will enable you to: You can go through the exercises by yourself or get together with a friend and coach each…
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The two parenting books that helped me through lockdown (and beyond!)
Review of Mindfulness for Mums by Izzy Judd and The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read by Philippa Perry I have never been much of a fan of parenting books, and after nearly 12 years of being a mum I have managed to steer clear of them, probably owing to some fear that they would confirm I was getting it all wrong and really was as clueless as I felt! Having come to an acceptance over the years that I don’t have to have it all sussed, and that seeking support is absolutely not a sign of weakness or inadequacy, I was curious about what I could learn from…
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Pause, Reflect, and Discover… What can you learn from lockdown?
As we take tentative steps towards opening up our businesses and communities, as well as making our own personal emergence from lockdown, there will undoubtedly be a mixed bag of feelings and a whole range of different experiences. Maybe you have actually relished the time to pause or perhaps there was no time to pause at all and you were busier than ever. You might have had to spend time recovering from the virus or have endured a long period of isolation to shield yourself and other family members from it. Maybe you have been going through immense heartache and have been grieving over the loss of loved ones, or…
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Surviving the Storm: Breakdown, recovery and learning to manage anxiety
I am taking a huge deep breath and sharing this deeply personal experience with you because when I was in the clutches of a mental health crisis I felt like I was alone in my struggles even though I had incredibly supportive family and friends around me. Once I was able to be honest with myself and started opening up to them, I noticed that they were able to tell me about their own experiences with mental health issues or how they had overcome other adverse situations. Listening to their stories gave me the courage and motivation to keep going. Crucially, I also felt some reassurance that it wasn’t ‘just…
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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…
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Nothing compares to you…
What to do when you feel like you don’t quite measure up to others I know I should really give myself a break, like many people in lockdown right now I’m in the midst of adjusting to a new way of life, figuring out this home learning business, and dealing with the uncertainty of not knowing what life will be like for us all afterwards. Yet, in spite of all the upheaval, and the fact that we are all just doing our best to get by right now, I’ve still found that whenever I’ve been scrolling through social media to see what the outside world is up to, I’ve been…
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Coping strategies for self-isolation and social distancing
And just like that, in an instant, life as we know it has dramatically changed. All the routines, comforts and freedoms that we took for granted are no more or are becoming scarcer and harder for us to carry out. I have spent my days watching the unfolding situation in horror and with immense sadness, seeing the suffering and ensuing chaos that is going on around the globe. Since coronavirus hit the UK I have been busy adapting to our new reality, cancelling upcoming plans, and bobbing between feelings of disbelief, frustration, panic, confusion and fear (as well as seriously counting my blessings!) Unfortunately, my career is now on pause.…
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Maintaining wellbeing after therapy
A few years ago, during a prolonged and severe episode of anxiety, I was enrolled onto an online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) programme via the NHS. After being introduced to a variety of techniques that could help me to manage my anxiety in the long-term, I was advised to put together a plan for keeping well. I thought that devising a plan to maintain my wellbeing would be incredibly useful since I was so keen to apply what I had learned from the course and I was determined to keep on expanding my knowledge of anxiety through reading self-help books that my local counsellor had recommended to me (in particular…
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Developing a Positive Body Image
Reflections on the Body Positivity Workshop, hosted by Tanya Sturges, Adonis Blue Coaching and Michael Mclaren, Personal Trainer and Coach. Having attended a couple of Tanya Sturges’ events this one particularly caught my attention since, for pretty much as long as I can remember, I have not been 100% comfortable in my own skin and have developed a bad habit of comparing myself to others. Like all people, I’ve seen my body go through some major changes, childbearing and ageing being probably the most difficult experiences for me so far, what with the appearance of stretch marks, wobbly bits, fine lines, etc. (showing that I too have absorbed messages that…
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Body confidence, working smarter, showing compassion and the importance of self-belief – Key takeaways from the Life Lessons Festival
The Barbican Centre, London – 15-16 February 2020 It was the first time that I had ventured to a festival dedicated solely to the topic of wellbeing and I was bubbling with excitement at the prospect of listening to, and learning from, the array of high-profile speakers that were listed on the Life Lessons Festival programme. Before the start of my sessions I took the opportunity to head over to the Waterstones pop up shop where I picked up my free copy of Philippa Perry’s The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will be Glad That You Did). Being a bit of a bookworm it was…
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Beat procrastination and start accomplishing your goals
Just a few thoughts that run through my mind when I am tackling my task list for the week: I don’t mean to boast but I have become quite skilful in the art of putting things off! At times my goals just don’t seem like a big enough priority (I just know I want to achieve them someday…) or they are taking me out of my comfort zone, requiring that extra bit of effort and confidence on my part. If you can relate to this then read on to discover what I found out when I attended a session on ‘How to overcome procrastination and boost productivity in order to…
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Finding Purpose, Achieving Clarity and Exploring Opportunities
My day at a Possibility Retreat Note: This post contains no sponsored material or affiliate links and is based on my own opinions, views and experiences of carrying out the personal development activity described below. Ever since I had heard about Pete Mosley’s work as a writer, speaker and coach who champions introverts I was intrigued to find out what kind of guidance he could provide to me, a self-confessed introvert, who, as far back as I can remember, has always struggled to be heard and has found self-promotion and networking all very daunting. When Pete announced that he was delivering a Possibility Retreat in Manchester I did not hesitate…
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Ten Tips For Maintaining Progress Towards Your Goals
The beginning of a new year is typically a time when we start setting out our very best intentions for the year ahead (and beyond). You may have even set some challenging, life altering goals and are on your journey to accomplishing them. You really want to keep up the good work but then…life happens! Those routine tasks or chores get in the way, other things seem to take a greater priority or, at the end of a hard day’s graft, you just want to put your feet up and lose yourself in a bingeing session of TV and tasty snacks (you are only human after all and those TV…
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Keeping track of your goals: A step by step plan
Hands up if you ever made a meticulous and well-thought-out list of goals or a personal development plan that you really really wanted to pursue and then months (or even years) down the line you come across it again having not done very much at all…hopefully this is not just me?! Note: This post contains no sponsored material or affiliate links and is based on my own opinions, views and experiences of carrying out the personal development activities described below. Unfortunately, this was a pattern I fell into all too easily: producing wonderful plans at the end of various development activities I had undertaken and then putting the plans away…
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(Re)Discovering Core Values
At the end of July last year, as my fixed-term contract drew to a close, I made a bold decision to leap off the hamster wheel of working life and take some time out to reassess the direction that my career was heading in. I wanted to see if I could finally find some answers to those tricky questions that many of us grapple with: Early in my career I had gone from job to job not really giving these questions much thought (just being grateful for a monthly wage that paid the bills!) However, I found that I did keep gravitating back to them. Trawling through copious amounts of…
