Sunday 7th November 2021

For what feels like forever I’ve had a slower Sunday and I could breathe.

Went for my normal swim at the lake, it was cccccold about 10°C in both the water and the air temperature, the sun was out which helped a little and although it was cold, it felt amazing being in the water and afterward too.

I did some work and prepped ready for the coming week, felt alien at first not being so busy and able to take my time with stuff but also very comforting.

Need to get my focus back on this transformation as feel like I’m going backwards and time is creeping by…

October 2021 – In a blur

I know I probably say this every month but October is just a blur to me!!

At the moment my life is rammed full of doing, for most of October I worked full time at the uni to help the team out as well as run the business. At the time of being asked to go full-time tempoarily the business was fairly quiet, I was in the process of reviewing what I do with the view of moving the business forward I had invested in some marketing support from a great friend who runs a strategic marketing agency and was excited about the potential. As soon as I started full-time enquiries for the business started to come in. I’m not in a position to turn down work so had to say yes to it all and workout later how I’d get it all done!! I got it all done…

However, this meant working 12-14 hour days for over 3 weeks straight even at the weekends!

Eventually, I realised it wasn’t sustainable and had taken on too much and as much as I love the lecturing, the team I work with, and my students I realised that my heart was firmly with the business, and lecturing part-time is what works for me and although this might be the tougher path to take, I’m up for walking along it.

With working so much my exercise routine went out the window, managed to maintain my eating and sleep routine quite well but was far too tired to do anything other than work, sleep, and eat.

I don’t feel like I’ve had time to take a breath at all this month, it’s all just go go go! It’s a nice problem to have, having work coming in as it is, it’s just finding a balance between doing and being!!

Hopefully in November that balance will come…

Saturday 6th November 2021

Managed to convince myself to go to intervals this morning, last night I was having an argument with myself about going, and really glad I did. It was hard, I feel that I’m more unfit than I have been in years but felt good once I was done and I guess you have to start somewhere.

Usual Saturday routine of going food shopping afterwards, it was a small top up shop and I was home by about 9.15. Breakfast and slow morning.

Did some housework and replaced some light bulbs, some of which haven’t worked for probably a decade, it’s amazing what you get used too isn’t it!! God knows why I’ve not replaced them before as it was a 10-minute job to do, it feels great that some rooms are lit so much better unsurprisingly.

I am doing my best to keep on top of both the housework and keeping it tidy so that it’s a nice place to be and spend time, I am starting to plan clearing out some cupboard too, just not sure where to start, I’ve been spurred on by the TV programme here in the UK called Sort your life out with Stacy Solomon. They work with a family over 7 days and take all of their possesions and lay them all out in a massive warehouse with the idea that 50% is either thrown away, donated to charity or sold to help them sort their life and home out. While the family is out of the house, Stacy and the team clean and transform the house with clever storage ideas and solutions. It’s truly inspirational and that’s the plan I have for my house.

Slightly earlier than usual post as I’ve got a friend coming around for tea tonight so wanted to get this done so I can focus on her and catching up.

Friday 5th November 2021

In quite reflective mood at the moment, and today has been no different.

Another day, another gym session skipped to work before I had to the uni for lectures. Still feel little behind with my business work but I hope to address this over the weekend catch up so then I can start next week as a bit of a clean slate. Try and get some kind of order/routine back into my days with the uni, business, exercise and eating.

After work I met a friend, we walked into the bail which is an area of the city of Lincoln which is beautiful we had grabbed a hot chocolate and cake, then had a wander round the cathedral as we caught up on each of those news, it’s amazing how quickly the weeks pass when you don’t realise that you just in the zone of working that weeks come & go and you don’t see people. I feel like my mission in 2022 will be to try and spend more time with my friends and less time on my own.

Being on match.com few days and connected with a few people which I’m chatting too making sure that I don’t get too attached to people too quickly and too many expectations upon myself for it to work so in a way it’s been good that I’ve been busy because then I haven’t really had the time to think too much or too deeply about it but it is triggering lots of emotions for me and it scares the living crap out of me.

Thursday 4th November 2021

Today was all about catching up on the forever growing to-do list! I’ve not sat at my desk in my home office during the week for over a month so at first, it felt a bit alien being here but also very comforting at the same time.

I was mainly doing nutrition recipe work for a long standing client, I’ve been a bit behind with their work for a couple of weeks trying to juggle too much and technical issues with a website I use to complete their work. Not quite caught up just yet but feeling a lot better about it than I did this morning.

Also received amazing feedback from the events I did on Tuesday so feel the buzz of that all over again.

I had a session with my physio today as my knee issue doesn’t seem to be getting any better and it’s annoying me now as it just doesn’t feel right and not sure what’s wrong with it. Feels a bit sore now that it has been prodded and played with but hopefully, over the coming days it will feel better, will need a few sessions.

This evening went to watch some fireworks with a friend as where I live there is a free display for residents on the estate. They were great for a free display and slowly walked home, another great thing about where I live is that you get to see the stars, there is very little light pollution and I dawdle home looking up at the night sky, meserised by it’s beauty and vastness and all the possibilities…A bit philosophical I know but that’s how I feel today and know I don’t do enough of just stopping and being!!

Wednesday 3rd November 2021

Today I’ve still been coming down from yesterday, I didn’t sleep very well even for my standards as I was just so energerised by the day and had to stop myself from telling everyone I met today about it and how awesome it was.

My energy did start to wane mid-afternoon and productivity ground to a halt and this evening I’ve literally sat in front of the telly for a couple of hours, I don’t think I’ve done that for weeks although I do get twitchy as my mind is still buzzing about stuff and I don’t feel like I’ve actually taken in anything I’ve watched but I guess it one step better than working.

No formal exercise this week but have managed to do over 10,000 steps both Monday and Tuesday. Next week I’m back to part-time at the uni so am hoping that I can get back into the routine as should have more time to do my business stuff on the days I’m not lecturing. Well that’s the plan anyway, I’m sure I’ve said that before a hundred times.

Not really sure why I can’t seem to find the motivation to exercise, yes I know that I’ve been busy which fills my brain and tires me out, in the past I’ve managed it so finding it frustrating now I can’t find the groove… I need to be patient with myself more I think.

Tuesday 2nd November 2021

Another ‘what a day’ days today!! Early start to finish off a presentation for a workshop I was delivering to a regional team at a global bank and printing out handy guides for them to take away, last minute.com I know but I ran out of head space last night.

Then took my students to a business conference for them to meet business people locally and understand what is going on in our country.

Then I drove 80 miles across the country for the bank workshop and then drove home.

14 hours working including nearly 4 hours driving and even though I’m tired beyond belief. I haven’t stopped smiling all day, things in my life might not be as I wish them to be but right now I care less about them as today made me realise that I have a massive positive impact on other people’s careers and lives and that’s the best feeling in the world!

I smashed the workshop out of the park, one of the best I’ve done… all unrehearsed but totally in my element/flow and it reminds me why I do what I do and the enormous privilege it is to help others to improve their lives.

Monday 1st November 2021

Wow, today has been a long one, been at my home office desk, work desk at the uni or stood in front of students for 14.5 hours, one of those days where there is simply not enough seconds in the minutes and minutes in the hour to do what needs to be done.

Normally I would thrive on the adrenaline of all this work but right now I just feel shattered and sometimes feel like I can’t go on… and just want to sleep for a week.

I will of course, and will be fine once I get this week out of the way and I’m sure I say that every single week! But after this week I’m going back to 3 days working at the uni which will help me get some balance back into my life (I hope anyway).

The only thing I can do right now is just doing what I can to ensure I’m fuelling my body with good food, keep the sleep routine I do and where possible do some exercise and hope that I can hold out until it eases up.

November does look a little quieter on paper in terms of committed days working, lets see if I can stick to this!

Sunday 31st October 2021

Three months into this challenge it’s not going as well as I had hoped! Life just seems to get in the way!

However, I did bite the bullet last night and joined match.com!! I’ve been thinking about it for a while but have a love/heat relationship with dating apps as feel I am more than what I look like and hate the fact I’m being judged for it! And yes I know that if you met someone in a bar you will be judging how they look but it feels so very different when you are just seeing faces on a screen. Anyhow I’ve committed to a 6 months subscription so will have to put some effort into it so that money doesn’t feel wasted.

I went to the gym and did a great workout and then headed to the lake for a swim which was one of the best swims I’ve had, not in distance or speed but just the fact that it was pissing it down with rain, windy and just made me feel so thankful to be alive and at one with nature I didn’t actually want to get out of the water…

Came home and had some food then worked until it was dark.

While working I also cooked myself a feast of a roast dinner! It was truly epic – this also made me realise how lucky I am to be able to cook, both my parents are chefs, I studied food technology at college and have worked in the food sector on and off for over 25 years. It just comes so naturally to me, I don’t really have to think about it and it isn’t until someone comments on the post I put on Facebook that I realise not everyone can cook.

So despite feeling like this challenged has stalled, I’m actually loving writing these daily posts as I bet that if I look back over the last 3 months I probably have made some progress…

Saturday 30th October 2021

Had a bit of a lie-in today as felt it was needed, fed the cat around 5.40am and came back to bed, woke up again at 8.32!!

Although my Fitbit said that I slept for over 9 hours, I still woke up tired… need to investigate this further as it’s frustrating me that I feel completely shattered most of the time. I try not to let it affect me but it’s tough.

Had a pretty slow morning which was also needed but did make a meal plan for the week and a shopping list.

I met up with a lady who had organised a “Genius” meet-up local to me which was fab to meet someone new and chat about our personal development journeys.

Food shopping was next on the agenda and felt weird doing it at a different time to normal, won’t be doing it late again as a lot of the shelves were empty!

Came home and did a couple hours of work as yet again I’ve got a full day of work to do tomorrow so was doing a few things that will help me tomorrow hopefully.

Then a chilled evening and yay we get an extra hours sleep tonight as the clocks go back here in the UK marking the end of British summertime!

Got a full on week coming up so that extra hour will hopefully keep my tiredness at bay.