Sometimes, the way we think about ourself or our life can change in an instant. A remark, a conversation, an idea, can throw things up in the air and rearrange them in a different way.
We suddenly see with startling clarity - what’s not working, what needs to change, exactly what we want or where we need to be.
It’s absolutely brilliant! Now we know!
It can also be utterly overwhelming.
This post sparked to life in conversation with a brilliant coaching client. There were so many big changes to celebrate when we looked back!
And just as importantly, smaller ones too, which they had decided to capture in a weekly “Well done” list.
I loved this idea SO much!
I know how much it helps to look back - if we don’t pause for perspective, it’s easy to miss our progress - and this sounded like a fun way to do it.
It’s been over 4 months since I started Couch to 5k and I’ve just completed the final run of Week 4 for the 5th time.
Can you tell it hasn’t gone to plan?
It’s really not been the consistent, steady process I hoped for when running and I started dating again. There have been false starts, frustrating setbacks and ever decreasing motivation.
At the start of the year, I hit a low. What was the point? Was it even worth keeping going when it felt this hard?
There are 2 things making my everyday life a bit better this week:
#1, a new fan | Oh how I love it - and Claire Pedrick for the recommendation and the wise words that accompanied it.
With temperatures in the UK hitting over 30 degrees recently, my west facing coaching space and me have been feeling the heat. I really needed to make some changes. This fan is super effective, portable, and the colour puts a smile on my face.
#2, an index box | I often draw something during a coaching session, and have compiled a number of postcards over the years. Useful coaching prompts had turned into a messy pile that was hard to find things in. Now they have a home and the neat organisation makes my heart sing.
I love fitting pieces together to create a picture - in all areas of life.
It’s such a joy to make sense of things and see how they come together, to join the dots, to see the clarity emerge and the wood for the trees.
I know now that taking time at the beginning to sort through the pieces is an important part of the process.
In a puzzle that’s finding the edges, grouping obvious colours, gathering things to build around. And it’s a pretty similar process in other situations too.
I know how useful it is, and I am always, always tempted to skip it, because I’m impatient to get going and want to be onto the satisfying part!
I started knitting when my first child was born, lucky to be patiently taught by a lovely older lady in a local shop.
It was super fun to make cute, small things and I found it creative and relaxing.
Over time it became less fun. As my children got bigger so did the projects, and then (when no one wanted to wear my knitting anymore!) I thought I should challenge myself with 4 needle socks in the round…
I haven’t knitted since - I took something I wanted to do and I set too big, too hard a goal. I took the joy and the sense of creativity and achievement out of it.
Until now. One ball of wool + the simplest, easiest pattern they had in the shop. Starting with something I want to do and can do :-)
It’s also how I’m approaching this year.
When I was little, I used to love to eat chocolate biscuits from the outside in.
I would nibble around the edges and work my way to the middle. It was fun to take it in sections and break it down into its component parts, rather than crunching through the whole thing.
It’s still my favourite approach for most things!
Have you ever tried to create the perfect habit… and ended up never getting started?
For a long time I wanted to add some strength training back into my life.
I know it’s important, I feel better when I do it, it feels good to feel stronger.
And yet for a long time I didn’t do it.
And then felt bad about not doing it.
And still didn’t do it.
