It has taken me over 2 years to write this post it!
Over 2 years of feeling a burst of irritation anytime anyone has a wee in our downstairs loo while I’m coaching (it’s the room next door).
Over 2 years of thinking ‘do they not realise I’m coaching?’
Over 2 years of wondering if the sound is audible (!)
And over 2 years of not actually saying anything to anyone in my family…
Until now.
…how can you let the rope do the talking?
Last summer my sister and I spent a day in London with my mum, celebrating her 75th birthday.
It was a complete treat. A proper afternoon tea and The London Eye, with a visit to Covent Garden in the middle to visit the Charlotte Tilbury store and find a great lipstick.
The experience was magical.
Fabulous service, feeling spoiled and laughing a lot, leaving with absolutely the right thing.
But first, waiting to be invited in.
A few months ago, I booked a hotel and went away for the night.
Just me.
I walked there, took chocolate and a good book, and did nothing except relax, read and be in my own company.
I don’t think I said a word for hours.
It was a wonderful treat. It felt indulgent and exciting (and maybe a little weird?).
And it was EXACTLY what I needed.
Scrolling back through photos recently I found this, taken by my daughter as I attempted to recreate a teenage eye roll.
It made me laugh. And also perfectly summed up how I felt (and most likely what I looked like) when my coach first asked me the hardest questions I find to answer:
What do you want to acknowledge yourself for?
What skills or qualities about yourself are you celebrating?
Does it feel like you’ve been working towards, or through, something for so long and you’re not there yet?
Are you longing to be the other side of something (an illness, a decision, a project) and can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel?
Are you frustrated and a little overwhelmed? Doing everything right but it doesn’t seem to be coming together?
If so, this one’s for you.
How are you feeling at the start of this new year?
Raring to go, or feeling like you want to take it slowly?
Keen to set a big goal for the year, or still emerging from the last one?
Off to a fast start, or worrying that everyone else is out of the blocks and you’re being left behind?
If you are feeling like you need a little time, you’re not alone.
“The Pause is the full stop that allows us to consider the next sentence of our life” Danielle North
Around the end of December my husband and I sit down with our family calendar, take a look back at the year and reflect on what’s happened.
Where did we go? What did we do? What were the big events and the little memories (we are always astonished at how much we have already forgotten about!)?
I am the proud owner of a standing desk. I’ve had it for about 6 weeks now and I LOVE it.
I stand up to coach and feel both more grounded and more flexible. I am less tired at the end of the day - less crunched up.
I get a ridiculous sense of joy when I press the button to move it up and down!
So, how did I make the decision to get one?
When you need to make an important decision, what comes up for you?
Do you agonise over the choices, worrying about what will happen if you make the wrong one?
Do you instinctively know which one feels right, but can’t quite bring yourself to make the final call?
Does it feel like you are stuck in the same thought cycle of pros and cons?
