In 2011, I began picking a word of the year. I’d researched it in 2009, and picked one for 2010. It felt good to have a way to turn from goals to a reflection at the end of the months. But 2011 was when it all came together for me. This gave a new approach toward resolutions and goal-setting. I chose “Strength” and three particular facets: Mind, Body and Spirit. I… Read More »Reflection on the Year: Part I
Back in September, my business coach Michelle asked me to define how I wanted to feel, how I want people to feel after working with me. We spoke for a while, I did some reflection, but the very first word I came up with on that call was “steadfast.” I wasn’t quite sure how I got there, but there was this very clear message in my mind that this is… Read More »Word for 2020 — Steadfast
One of the most common obstacles I hear from reinventors, is that of not having enough time. Now, to some extent, there may be a truth to how much free-time your specific situation allows you. You may be a carer or have two jobs in between meals and sleep: often the only pauses to breathe are those transitions between tasks. However, in many cases, this is a choice of prioritisation, where… Read More »How to Make Time out of Transitions
Delilah Dawson, whom I follow on twitter, had a set of tweets back in 2018 about being okay with emotional triggers and the thoughts which often follow them. On Being Okay She commented that when she is close to burnout, and does something which triggers her (certainly for me, triggers occur when I feel afraid, I am mentally taken back to a past negative event or a genuine sense of… Read More »Being Damn Fine as a Work in Progress
I began supporting young adults in Anger Management courses back in 2011. The groups ran for 6 sessions, mixing lifestyle choices, peer-support and neuroscience in the education aspects. Practically speaking, we led mindfulness exercises, drew on flip charts, and used boxing gloves. Integration This was the job where I truly learned the power of mixing education and theory with practise and guided support. During one session, a phrase about commitment came… Read More »Lessons from Anger Management: The Strength of Commitment
I began studying the psychology of my own experiences in 2004 with a book on Psycholinguistics and one on Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Since then, I’ve studied a bunch of qualifications, and have worked in social care, education, mental health and youth work fields. Yet, there are some ‘lessons’ you don’t fully comprehend until you’ve lived them. Mind-Training A few years ago, Christine Kane wrote an article about smiling after challenge, and… Read More »Happiness: The Truth about Self-help Tools
There is a culture of wanting ‘fresh starts’, usually focusing on making new choices. Most of us have experienced ourselves, or someone we know saying “oh, well I’ll start again tomorrow / next week / in the New Year” when that person has made a choice that does not fit in line with their overall goal. People have a few ways of describing behaviour, but today I want to think about ‘falling… Read More »The Myth of Fresh Starts: How to Stay ‘On Track’
