Rest and relaxation

What a lovely weekend.

My dear friend Janet was in London for the weekend and what a chilled and relaxed time we had.

On Janet's agenda were some long and leisurely breakfasts. Breakfast just happens to be my favourite meal, especially at weekends so that wasn't hard to provide. In fact I spent a fair amount of Friday making sure that I had all the ingredients for a fairly healthy, yet tasty feast. As we sipped our coffee we planned the day which included walking - surprise, surprise peppered with coffee stops.

As those of you who read my newsletter may know, there are plans to demolish Borough Market, the wonderful food market on the South side of the Thames, so we headed down there and had a great couple of hours sampling cheeses, picking mushrooms, queuing for hot spiced cider and just taking in all the sights, sounds and aromas. Our evening meal consisted of home made carrot and corriander soup, mushroom risotto with a green salad, a trio of amazing cheeses and a desert of slivers of three different tartes all washed down with red wine. Most of the ingredients were care of Borough Market - This place must stay!!

Today after yet another a fantastic, long breakfast we headed off to the Barbican to see 'the Curve' - check it out. Then wandered down to Smithfield for a very late lunch in Smiths and from there we walked to St.Paul's and across the 'wobbly bridge' to the Tate Modern and the slides. Ellie and Alan had been down one a month or so ago and today Ellie had a go on one of the smaller ones. This would be a great place to meet up with some of her friends over Easter. Then I can have a go too.

From there it was back home and an evening of all those things you need to do on a Sunday evening to get ready for the week ahead. It also meant a trip to Stanstead to get Janet on her Glasgow flight. It will be June before we get together again and by that time I shall have walked the Inca Trail and as a family, we will have done some more of Pointless Odyssey. Alan will have been to Dubai and who knows what Janet will have been up to.

There will clearly be the need for another weekend of rest and relaxation and some more catching up.

The evolutionary process

My wonderful VA, Susan, came to see me today. I am still bringing her up to speed on Walkers' Coach and the different areas we want to work in. I had the mindmap out and was aware that even as I talked through the plans and hopes we had, that other areas were raising their heads and even more opportunities were available.

One of the things I love in having Susan on board is her enthusiasm for the initiative too and therefore she is forever making suggestions and bringing me information. Her ideas are inspiring and I know she is going to be a great person to bounce ideas off too.

In our planning today we were looking at the possibility of Walkers' Coach developing its own basic walking standard which can become a national tool. I did talk to some people at the Outdoor Show about the existence of something like this but I am not sure it exists. If anyone reading this knows otherwise, please let me know.

I am also aware that there are other things I need to put in place before this grows much bigger and the need too to start planning for 2008 and get dateson the planner for our PR and Roadshow.

Well, it will keep us all out of mischief for a while longer....

The power of clearing out.

In the office this afternoon, I found myself with a little free time on my hands and nothing specific that I needed to do. Joy of joys, it was a bit like being let loose in a sweet shop.

I finally could spend some time going through old computer filesand the delete button was in continuous action. Why oh why had I kept half that stuff? When was I ever going to need it?

In fact much of what I had filed is well out of date due to my career change. It felt great seeing the files shrink and the deleted file expand. As before , not only space in the files but in my head as well and I am feeling so energetic.

That may also be due to the start to the day when I was scraping ice of the car at 7.00a.m. in temperatures of minus one. Energising? Well knowing that I was going walking was, as was the brisk tramp round Clissold Park in the sunshine and an elevated temperature of 1 degree. Oh, I so love my life.

Juggling

I seem to be doing much more of this than usual and I am getting pretty good at it but I would like to ease the burden a little.

It's all the result of a new regieme and my priority has got to be a new time management strategy. Networking has increased as Walkers' Coach is making its presence felt more and that means lots of new contacts to keep in touch with and explore possible partnerships with.

Visiting shows like the Outdoors Show again brings lots of new contacts and more to write about and include and as we are still growing the evolutionary process takes another step forwards.

I am loving the excitement and openings all this provides, in fact I seem to be in permanent buzz phase. It does however bring paralysis sometimes as you try to work out what to do next. I am getting clarity but Susan, my wonderful VA is also visiting on Thursday and she will help knock me into shape no doubt at all. I can sense a blissful Friday.

That six o'clock alarm....

Well it was 6.30 actually but the Monkeys sang about the 6.00 o'clock one and I am at the age to remember that. Confused? Don't worry it's not really that important.

However, I was up at 6.15 a.m. as I was off walking with a client first thing. So easy to get up when you are going to do something you love and I love my walking. All this client walking is great for getting to know other areas of the city too and it's such a energising way to start the day. When I left my second client, her Monday, which had started off badly when she couldn't find the car keys was looking much like a different day and it was only 10.10.

A packed day or two.

The last few days have been so action packed that there has literally been no time for blogging.

On Thursday I felt like a weather lady as I went out and then back to the office for 30 minutes or so, out again and back in etc. etc. Finally I arrived home at 6.45 p.m. in time to grab some food and my daughter and head off to her 'Mother and Daughter Pamper Evening' at school. It was a really good event nice and I had the most wonderful reflexology session. Meanwhile Ellie had reflexology too, her nails done, hair spectacularly designed and then a mini cover girl make over - not bad eh but somehow we got a bit of an uneven deal!!!

Friday saw me off to Birmingham to the 'Outdoors Show' and an airing for our 'Walkers Coach' branded fleeces. It was a great day but wow, so much to see. I was very pleased that I was not into water sports - at least I was able to miss out that entire section. Gary and I both made some good contacts which I shall follow up this week and I managed to get some really great bargins in new gear for Peru and beyond.

Yesterday I was off walking my hills all be it in Buckhurst Hill and not out in the wilds. I was pretty impressed though as I did not find the continuous ups and downs particularly taxing. Yes, I know, they are not what I am going to find in Peru but I am building up to those. I shall head up a bit further in the West Country at Easter and then further afield in the next 6 weeks or so.

Finally today in the UK was Mother's Day and I hope those of you who are mums had a great day and were spoiled. I had my early morning cuppa in bed and then was given some lovely pressies - smellies and a beautiful green glass heart, I have been wearing it all day.

I was also taken out for brunch to a very trendy new restaurant. I have to admit that I thought Alan had lost it as we were in a rather run down area and he had to keep stopping and turning round as the street we were looking for was so small. Finally we found it and as we drove down I could see nothing that resembled a restaurant at all. Standing in the biting wind waiting for Ellie to get out of the car, I found myself wondering just where we wre going to but true to his word we found our destination off a small courtyard, then through a grey door and up some concrete stairs.

I shall be back. It was fabulous - the food, the service and the setting which used to be an old garment factory. Very cool and trendy and so out of the way you gotta know it is there. I think I will only share this with very good friends.

Energy, bring it on for all of us.

This week has been such a fantastic one on all fronts. There has been so much energy and interestingly a number of people have commented on how energetic I am. Gary my business partner said 'You have great energy and I feel a real buzz every time we exchange news, ideas, etc.' How great is that? Even if I had not been feeling as I had, this would have pepped me up.

Someone else commented on the fact that 'he knew I was smiling when I answered the phone ' and that he 'loved the energy I brought to our relationship'.

I have so much energy because I love what I was doing and again this week someone told me that they knew that 'I was doing the work I was born to do'. I knew that too but how lovely to get the confirmation.

As Annie Meacham would say - ' I am vibrating at a very high level' and that just attracts more.

Even the weather is in alignment, happy yellow daffodils, aromatic pink and blue hyacinths and sunshine in a blue sky. Spring has come and I hope that wherever you are in the world you have got what I have. If not, how can I help you get it for yourself? Walking might just be the key so email me and let's see how I can help - heather@walkerscoach.com

Energy and passion

I have just spent a wonderful afternoon with four other fantastic women. What energy and dynamics!

For all of us there is so much going on, on all levels and at times it was as if we were fighting to get a word in edgeways. There was so much we all had to say, wanted to ask, desired to suggest.

The other wonderful thing is the totally safe environment and great support. We all want each other to succeed and we can put all sorts of ideas and thoughts on the table knowing they will be respected and given space.

This is how I love to do business.

Have a great weekend.

Live in the moment

For five minutes today, I just stopped, sat on the bench in my garden and drank in the warmth from the sun. It was blissful, it was energising and it felt so good to just take that time.

Tomorrow the sun may not appear, I'm glad I enjoyed it today.

Body over mind!

Really enjoyed my walking this morning. I have been finding it a bit of a struggle this week and I know that I have been walking more slowly. PMT? Tiredness? A mixture of both? Not sure.

I have had some late nights and on those occasions I have been eating late and no doubt consuming more than usual so that's definitely a contributing factor. What has also been interesting though has been my mindset as I have climbed into bed. I have been telling myself that if I am 'zonked' when the alarm goes off it is OK to stay in bed and walk later. - I do know myself well though and walking later on a work day never works as well for me.

Anyhow on all occasions this week, I have been awake before the alarm and no matter how much I try to allow myself to drift back to sleep, I can't. Clearly this body of mine has other ideas and knows that I need the walk.

Of course I always return happier, more 'settled' and feel virtuous. This morning though, the buzz was there again and I sped off. As I walked I was milling over the conversation I had had with Diana yesterday and planning her walking programme options. It's that new challenge and I love it.

Meeting preparation

Do you look forward to meetings or dread them? Do you think about the outcome you want in advance? What preparation do you do?

Generally I look forward to meetings, and have tried to prepare in terms of the outcome I want. It keeps me focused on why the meeting is happening and how it benefits me. Since working on the whole issue of 'attraction' this preparation is even more important to me and it is amazing how often I get exactly what I want.

Today I had two very major meetings, one was face to face and delivered just what I wanted and it was a very pleasant experience too. The second meeting was on the phone and although I had prepared, I was still not sure how it would all come together. I thought about my outcome which was that we would get a plan in place easily and lo and behold everything just flowed.

So two great meetings, two great outcomes and I have caught up on my email and my blog and can soon do the reading I want and bring the working day to a smooth end.

If you don't get the outcomes you want, try out this process, believe that it can happen and then go for it. Don't give up if it does not happen at first, be determined and try again, you will get there.

Wind down now.

I am really going to enjoy today because this weekend this is the only real break I have.

Last week I was snowed under due to all the new networking I was doing and also because I was in 'single mum' mode. I know that there are lots of woemn who bring up two or more children on their own but when you are used to having someone to share the load, having to do it all yourself means a rethink of your day or in this case, week.

As a result I made the decision to work yesterday, get rid of the backlog and therefore ease my peace of mind. It worked although I spent more hours than I would have liked away from my family.

Thank goodness I visited Emily, who is a real ministering angel ,at the end of the day on Friday. One of Emily's facials relaxes me totally and sets me up for the week ahead and I don't even think she realises how wonderful she is.

Sunny Daffodils

What a wonderful start to March.

When I woke this morning it felt as if it was quite cold outside my warm and cosy bed and that was not helped by a text from my husband in Dubai telling me that it was a sticky 26 degrees and that was in the morning. I like the heat and at this time of the year crave some of that warmth.

However, when I pulled back the curtains the heat didn't matter so much. A cloudless blue sky and sunshine, what a joy. A real ‘glad to be alive’ day and I challenge anyone not to be in a good mood when it looks like that.

The miniature daffodils in my window boxes seem full of happiness as they bend their heads in the breeze and for the first time this year the daffodils in the border that I can see from my office window are also out and on my desk the budded ‘daffys’ that I placed in my blue, yellow and white jug are starting to unfurl. Isn't nature wonderful and doesn't it give you a lift and hope too for the future.

Taking the necessary action.

I am proud of walking my talk in more ways than one but I am human just like everyone else and do go off the track from time to time. This is one of those times.

As things are taking off, I have been doing more and more networking and somehow this week managed to totally sabotage my development week by organising something for every day. I can rationalise some of this as there were two networking events I wanted to go to and they are all about development but I have not been as diligent as usual and have allowed other appointments to make their way into my diary.

Now it is time to redress the balance, so tomorrow I am moving a few commitments so I can have an office based day and catch up on a number of outstanding emails and phone calls as well as things on my 'to do' list that are just a bit overdue - even if only where my own deadlines are concerned. It is also the first of a new month so a review of the past month is due and this is important as it will enable me to plan for the month ahead.

Now some may argue that this is not ideal but I believe that this is part of an ongoing evaluation of where we are and how we are progressing and it is about stepping in to redress the balance. I know that taking this action will restore some calmness, take a load off my shoulders especially where things are piling up and getting the clutter out of the way will clear the decks for the way ahead. Yes, of course I would rather be able to continue to move on and not have strayed but that's life and although I am full of positivity and am always striving ahead it is tempered with reality too.

So if you find yourself in a similar situation, stop, review, don't beat yourself up and take the action needed. You will feel much better for it. Have a great day.

When the time is right.

How good do I feel today after doing what I had to do yesterday and taking the final steps to concentrate on Walkers' Coach? It's all down to that crucial element of timing and I was reminded of that today when at a networking event.

I was talking to a relatively new coach about her business and we touched on the issue of her website. She was telling me how she had written a number of versions but they were all different and she was not sure what to use or how to move on with it.

Could it be that the timing is just not right for a website yet? I think so. I believe that when the time is right she will know exactly what to do and what information to use. Just like I knew that the right time had come, after months, to tell Eric where I wanted to put all my energies. Like when the time was right to tackle family issues or to move to being the Walkers’ Coach.

So how do you know? Well that is the million dollar question and you have to look inside yourself, trust in your intuition, yes there it is again, and ask yourself some questions. If you feel resistance, explore that further to see what it might be. Ask yourself what would happen if you made the move now and what it would mean? What about if you waited? What would the outcome be then?

Don't use it as a cop out for not taking action, you'll know if you do and don't try to work all this out yourself either. If you need help talk to others or find a coach to work with. Why not use Walkers' Coach and get out of your usual environment and into the fresh air where walking and taking engages with your creativity and makes those questions easier to face.

Integrity

Do you have integrity?

Apologies for starting with what might be seen as an offensive question but this is something else that I believe passionately in and I am amazed at the number of people who just do not have it.

So what is it? Well for me it incorporates honesty, being true to yourself, operating from a place of good and being ethical. Below are some of the dictionary definitions:-
Moral or ethical strength: character, fiber, honesty, principle. See strong/weak. The quality of being honest: honesty, honor, honorableness, incorruptibility, upstandingness. See honest/dishonest. The condition of being free from defects or flaws: durability, firmness, solidity, soundness, stability, strength, wholeness. See better/worse. The state of being entirely whole: completeness, entirety, oneness, totality, wholeness. See part/whole.

Integrity Quality characterized by honesty, reliability, and fairness, developed in a relationship over time. Customers and clients have much more confidence when dealing with a business when they can rely on the representations made.

I believe that if you operate from a place of integrity that you will say the right thing and do the right thing and that it is right for you but it is not always easy.

For the past few months I have known that something I had committed to do was no longer what I wanted. The problem was telling others and I kept thinking that I was letting someone down and that they would be disappointed and angry with me. So for a while I still went along with it and did what I committed to but my heart was not in it. I was relieved when a meeting was cancelled but as time went on and I felt more strongly about the path I had to follow, I knew I had to have the conversation. I had to be true to me.

So today I did stay true to me and of course the person was not annoyed, they understood and even if they hadn't I knew I had done the right thing. Things had moved on for them too and we were able to discuss how to move on and take well considered decisions. Tonight I feel lighter and pleased.

If you are in doubt, follow your intuition, go with what you know to be right and act with integrity, it will be the correct course to take.

Visitors in my area.

I've had such a lovely weekend and it's all thanks to Pauline who had Ellie for a sleepover. As a result Alan and I found ourselves with 28 hours all to ourselves - oh goody!

I caught up with a girlfriend for a coffee and Alan got his act together as he is off to Dubai early tomorrow morning and then we chilled yesterday afternoon and watched some of the rugby. I was rather delighted to see Ireland thrash England but that sentiment was not shared by my husband whose football team had also been beaten - it's a good job we can move on and put things like that to one side.

Food and wine are two of our shared passions so a free evening nearly always includes both. I owed Al a birthday meal so her choose to head to Wapping Food on Wapping Wall. Although being based in an old hydraulic power station the place is rather hard to find in the dark when following directions from the tube but we succeeded at last and walked into a caverness space bright and welcoming with large pieces of machinery sitting around as well as large, and I do mean large, photos.

The food is Mediterranean, the wine Australian and the staff friendly and efficient. The whole evening was a wonderful experience topped off with a visit to the art gallery which given the size of the place took our breath away and then we took a trip to the roof where we could look out over Shadwell Basin and enjoy the view.

Still child free this a.m. we decided to go out for breakfast and headed off to Spitalfields Market. Unfortunately some of the old market has been demolished to allow concrete and glass development which is a shame but the juxtapositioning of the old and the new is quite interesting as is the ever growing collection of designer clothes stalls allowing young designers to show and sell their wares. It was a good job Alan was with me otherwise I may have parted with more money than I should.

As we set off home, I felt I'd been on a weekend break and this one couldn't have been more timely.

Creativity on the hoof!

Another long day yesterday which ended workwise about 9.15 p.m. but what a day!

After dealing with the urgent emails, I then attended a local tourism and leisure show which was great for sourcing information about walking. It is very interesting to note the higher profile that this leisure pursuit now has and the increased leaflets available. I came away with bagfuls of information which I will probably spend some of this weekend sorting through. Thanks to the ever efficient Susan Moore http://www.mooreva.co.uk:80/who alerted me to the event.

In the evening I attended my first Business Junction Networking event http://www.businessjunction.co.uk/and I was bowled over by the interest and enthusiasm people had for walking. People were very willing to share ideas and give me contacts and it was great to finally network on the whole Walkers' Coach concept.

It's been a busy week so it was good to get out of the office today and walk. You have no doubt heard me talk about the many benefits of walking before so I just want to remind you about the increase in creativity when you are out in the fresh air and a world away from your desk. My business partner and I schedule in monthly walking development days. We plan a walk that will take about 3-4 hours with a lovely pub or coffee shop half way round and off we go.

There is never a time when we don't come up with new ideas or manage to solve an issue that has been tossing around for a while. On many occasions we come back richer due to taking the odd call while on the hoof. It reminds me of the late Thomas Leonard who would take coaching sessions as he hiked in Yosemite.

Why not try this development process for yourself or if you feel you need a facilitator, let us know and we will send someone out with you. http://www.walkerscoach.com/

The spin offs.

My trip to Hebden Bridge was a great success although rather exhausting. I rather felt that I hadn't had a weekend and this week is just jam packed with things to do and events to attend. Look out for more news on Hebden Bridge in the Walkers' Coach newsletter on the 28th.

I spent most of Monday catching up on contacts made at the 'Walkers are Welcome' Launch as well as following up on leads Gary and I are persuing with regard to getting some branded merchandise. As my sister works in the design field she has been helping too. There are a couple of options and more to look into tomorrow.

Yesterday I did a teleclass on 'Being Fit for Business' with the emphasis on all the wonderful benefits of walking and I am now looking at how I can develop this further for other teleclasses and talks.

One of the women on the call emailed me today with a contact and a possible opportunity and I am delighted to announce that it looks as if Walkers' Coach may be featured in a national magazine in the next few weeks. I shall let you know.

We have also had a number of enquiries for people wanting to walk so I am in touch with them too. I wonder what the rest of the week has in store?

A hint of romance.

I hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day yesterday, I did. We don't make a big thing of it but do swap cards and a little token. Often the token is books and this year Alan bought me 'Wanderlust - the history of Walking' by Rebecca Solnit. It looks really interesting and I may just get a chance to start it tonight.

My gift to Alan was a 'Valentine's Package' - a bar of his favourite chocolate - Green and Black's Organic 70%, his favourite coffee - Monsoon Malabar, a copy of Conde Nast 'Traveller' magazine and a bottle of Pink Champagne which was to share and we did so last night.

We used to try and go out for dinner on February 14th but in London the evening is the perfect excuse for restaurants, even the very good ones, to up the price and often have three sittings. I am not sure about you but I do not want to be 'slotted in for 2 hours', pressured to move on and be expected to pay a fortune too. Also when you have a child, trying to get a babysitter on that evening is a nightmare too.

A number of years ago we saw an 'ad' for a Carluccios 'Take away Valentine's meal' and decided to try it. Everything comes prepared, there are full cooking instructions and the meal is a 4-5 course with wine. It allowed us to dine in the comfort of our own home, to time it when we wanted and to take as long as we wished, ah, bliss.

Last night the meal was just as wonderful as before and today a call from the manager to see if we had enjoyed it, let us see just how concerned they are to keep it going and make sure it is up to scratch. They will get our business for a number of years yet.

Interested? Well try it out for yourself next year http://www.carluccios.com/

Did not plan to miss another day.

Full intentions of blogging yesterday but my neck got in the way. What? I hear you ask.

I clearly slept crookedly on Sunday night because I woke up in pain and with a really stiff neck that I was virtually unable to move. Not the state I like to be in, in which to start the week.

It was the beginning of half term, I had a long list of work things to get through and I was due to meet up with all the Inca Trail Babes to have a meal and discuss trek info etc.

As usual I was looking for the reason as to why this had happened, so far no real insight although I did recall that February is not always my best month. I wonder if there is a trend and why? This month I was so energetic that the possibility of hitting a slump never entered my head. Is that why it hit me so hard? As you can see lots of questions to ponder.

What do you do when things don't go as you had planned or hoped? Do you just accept? Do you question? Do you look for the reason? I'd be interested to hear your take on this.

I managed a full day at work yesterday although not as efficiently as hoped, I was not in a fit state to go out so that one fell by the wayside although Gemma, Chris and Helen enjoyed themselves and have now met so success in part. I had a hot bath, applied some 'tiger balm', drank hot chocolate made for me by my lovely husband and then had an early night and a really good nights sleep. Although still there this a.m., the stiffness in my neck has now gone and the energy has returned.

I'm off to share a pizza and a video with my daughter and have a girl's night in. She got her first mobile phone today and what excitement!!!!!

Recovery underway.

I seem to get further through the day now without yawning so I know that the recharging and therefore recovery is underway. I had a good night's sleep last night after watching'LA Confidential' so that has helped. Even being woken up by cracks of thunder and flashes of lightening does not seem to have had a detrimental effect.

I planned to chill again today and in a way I did although it was not at all planned and I am sure some of you reading this may be appalled. I have spent this afternoon in the office further decluttering the files that I have been working my way through for a few months now. The thing is on a day to day basis there is no time for this and in a few hours today I could really concentrate. The big plus is that I now feel that a weight is off my shoulder and that is the benefit I always experience as a result of de-cluttering. More energy now to approach the week ahead.

The need to recharge

I fully intended to blog yesterday both on this blog and the Pointless Odyssey one but I became rather like the bunny with the less superior batteries in the Duracell bunnies ad - yes, I ran out of power!!
Ellie's school had an inset day yesterday which afforded us with the perfect opportunity to do some more county top visiting and to ensure that she was not bored we were taking her friend Beth, along with us. The rest of the weekend was also planned - dinner at Elaine’s on Friday evening, stay over and then Al and I would set off from there to bag 4 more tops while Ellie and Elaine enjoyed the rest of the weekend together. We were all looking forward to it.

However, the best laid plans....
Beth decided she'd rather go home and see her mum, understandable as she was then going skiing for a week with her dad so the girls opted to do that. Amazingly for Ellie it was a difficult decision so being out with the folks on Pointless Odyssey can't have been that bad after all?

Al and I set off and I had images of a bit of walking in mind and getting some steps in. As we got into the Chilterns the snow was deeper and there was more of it. I was rather excited at the opportunity to take photos and was thinking how much fun the girls would have had.

You can visit http:pointlessodyssey.blogspot.com for all the details but everything did not run as smoothly as planned resulting in my frustration making itself known. I have now taken on the co-ordinating role but that is another story........

What did happen was a lovely walk through a snowy wood and a delicious pub lunch, well they sort of go together don't they?

So we set off back home and that is when I started to run out of gas. I was feeling weighted down my exhaustion and my eyes were heavy - not good when you are driving. It was great to arrive at Angie’s to pick up Ellie and a pot of coffee was very welcome. 'This will perk me up' I thought. Wrong - by the time we drove home the only thing I wanted to do was go to bed, very unusual for me. I was feeling very cold and buried down under two duvets with my socks still on and I dozed for an hour or so.

At 5.30 I knew that I had to have a shower, pack and get out of the house in 30 minutes flat but I was too exhausted to move and even the temptation of a great meal at Elaine's - she is a fab cook and the opportunity to meet some great people - she also excels as a networker was not doing it for me.

It was Alan who finally told me as it was an once the decision had been made I could relax. Listening to my body is something I have got so much better at but even then the 'I am letting others down' still get's through. Alan was right Elaine totally understood.

So today, I chilled. I took time out and listened to the messages. I had a leisurely breakfast, read a book from cover to cover, had a long bath and did not much else. I acknowledged that I had 'been going like the clappers' since January so I gave in and the power is slowly returning. Thankfully I also have tomorrow because there are lots of things to be done next week.

The trees are not quite as laden as this now as the thaw is underway but this is how they looked earlier this morning.

What a lovely day I have had, since restoring calm. I kept away from my email so I could go through some notes from Gary, my partner in crime with regard to walking and what an amazing load of stuff he has sent me.

My mind is racing, the buzz is there and I am feeling so lucky to be doing exactly what I love.

An unpredicatble start.

'But it's not the alarm' - somwhere in my brain these thoughts were surfacing and then I realised it was the phone. That was my introduction to today . The call at 6.56a.m. was from the infant school head wanting to advise my husband (chair of governors) that she was intending closing the school. Alan was in Wales and I had not even looked out the window.

I did of course after the call and was welcomed by a winter wonderland, even more perfect at the back of the house where no-one had ruined the virgin snow. As you can imagine one 10 year old was very excited and hoped upon hope that her school would be closed too. That was not to be so rather resolutely she and Beth trudged off to school knowing that there was a distinct possibility that the snow may have gone by the time school came to a close.

Meanwhile in Cardiff Alan waited to see what his day would bring. At 10.00 the course was officially cancelled as only 10 of the 50 participants had made it but there are no trains running in Wales at present so Alan is stranded until further notice. I wonder will my husband return tonight or not.

As with any situation though there is good to come out of it. Ellie's parent's evening has beenn postponed and both myself and Angie are pleased that the dads will hopefully be able to make the next date. After the rather rude awakening and confused start to the day I had the opportunity to have coffee with Angie which restored calm and having done the ironing while the office warmed up, I can tackle the day.

I hope your day is working out well wherever you are. If hassled by it, take a little time out and think how you can make it work for you and reinstate some calm and flow.

Frost and snow

I wonder how the daffodils are today due to last night's heavy frost. Will my geraniums, which are still blooming in the window boxes, finally get killed off because of the cold weather? Perhaps the snow forecast for tomorrow will be their downfall.

Having heard that 6 inches of snow are forecast for tomorrow and that it will be the worst snow for ages, I looked up the forecast for London today. Well there are a few snow showers prediced but nothing too much. Alan is in Cardiff and the country's worst snow is meant to be in South Wales but not according to the forecast where 6 degrees is forecast. Guess we shall just have to wait and see when we wake up.....

This morning was a beautiful morning to walk and next to the sunshine I've decided that it is my favourite weather to walk in. Yes, it is cold but you can wrap up easily and strip off the layers depending on how much you warm up. There is a sort of an ethereal feel when it is frosty and although I could not see the sun directly for much of the walk, I could see the effects of it reflecting from buildings. Those that were white or pale were touched by a pinky/golden light - just stunning. Then finally as I turned for home and rounded a corner there was this golden ball in the sky. It looked so powerful and full of energy and totally opposite to the moon which looked pale and fragile but none the less beautiful. I just wanted to keep walking and kept lengthening my route until I really had to go back. What a great way to be.

I know that amongst all these walking benefits, one that I should add is my growing awareness of nature and its beauty and in turn the appreciation and gratitude of it. It really is magical.

Daffodils.

Clearly yesterday's blog struck a cord so thanks for the feedback.

Building on from that I want to pass on a story that a friend and colleague Zoe forwarded to me.

The Daffodil Principle

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead "I will come next Tuesday", I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren."Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!"My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother." "Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.

"But first we're going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this."

"Carolyn," I said sternly, "Please turn around." "It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, "Daffodil Garden." We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.

It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn. "Just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking", was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958.

"For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.

That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world ...

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!

"My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.

She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"

Use the Daffodil Principle. Stop waiting.....Until your car or home is paid off. Until you get a new car or home. Until your kids leave the houseUntil you go back to school. Until you finish schoolUntil you clean the houseUntil you organize the garageUntil you clean off your desk. Until you lose 10 lbs. Until you gain 10 lbs. Until you get married. Until you get a divorce. Until you have kids. Until the kids go to school. Until you retireUntil summer. Until spring. Until winter. Until fall. Until you die...There is no better time than right now to be happy.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So work like you don't need money. Love like you've never been hurt, and, dance like no one's watching.

I have seen too many people miss life out due to putting things off, don't let that be you. What have you been putting off? One thing that comes to mind for me is the wish that I had written a letter to Ellie, my daughter when she was born and on every birthday. I did not do it and I think of it with sorrow every year. Now however, I am going to write that first letter tonight.

Gremlins.

Over the last couple of days I have run out of steam. Not surprising in a way given the amount I have been doing and the speed at which I have been adding things to my routine but of course I have been giving myself a hard time.

My gremlin has been telling me how useless I am etc but you know what? I am now on confront time. We all have gremlins, that little voice that makes us doubt our abilities and question the goals we have set. The natural response is to try to ignore them in the hope that they will go away but that encourages them even more. What you need to do is to turn right round and your gremlin why he/she are talking a load of rubbish.

When I slipped into 'down' mode in the past it could take ages before I came back out of it but slowly I have been improving and this time it only took a couple of days to confront my gremlin and send it running off. I tell you, do that enough and it doesn't appear quite so often.

The gremlin issue always reminds me of a lovely client called Anita who would go running when she felt down and would imagine that she was pounding her gremlin underfoot. It always worked for her.

Think about what you can do to silence your gremlin.

And finally when you hit a bad patch organise some treats, it helps. Today I spent about 5 hours with my lovely friend Marina. First she showed me round her wonderful holistic dental practice - the Lavender Barn, then we walked in Hatfield Forest in the sunshine and finally we had a relaxing and long lunch in the Lemon Tree in Bishops Stortford. Lots of talking , loads of brainstorming and just great company.

I am so grateful for this fab day and for getting back on track so quickly.

Moving on.

I really missed my walking over the last two days so it was great to get out this morning. Am having a few niggles with my left knee, not when walking but when coming down stairs so a massage session with Mike was timely.

Happily, nothing worrying to report just need to do some extra stretching and Mike demonstrated. I was determined that it was nothing serious.

This year so far is all about learning to juggle all the things I want in my life and slowly introduce them. I am also learning new things that my 10 year old adapts to like a duck to water. After ripping loads of CD's on Saturday I was disappointed that none had made it through to the ipod. Well I cracked that one today so another step in the right direction and another little achievement.

It's all coming together.

I'm feeling a little smug. I went to my second Pilates class today (remember this is me getting back into it after a long gap) and Mike was asking how I felt after last week's session. I remember thinking at the time that I would probably ache. 'Fine', I responded 'no aches or pains at all.' I then added 'so I am either fitter than I thought or I did it all wrong'. I was so pleased when he said he'd been watching and I did it well, seems I am fitter after all.

I was not so smug after meditation though as I had not done any since December - tut, tut. It was good to get back into it though and I feel I have had a good kick start. So I shall try to do some between now and Monday and then it gets added to the mix.

I am enjoying this way of adding things. It means the first ones get bedded in before the next one comes along and it seems to be working well. How are things going for you and your intentions for 2007? If I can help, let me know - heather@waringwell.com

Winter wonderland

My world was beautiful this morning when I went out to walk. Not as cold as yesterday due to the snow and it was a real pleasure to be outside and be part of it all.

I know it all sounds a bit strange to say all this but it was like entering a magical world. Part of me wished I had the camera although I realised that it was still too dark for photos to come out and to use a flash would not capture it as it was. Instead I just drank it all in.

In so many places I walked on virgin snow and left only my trail of footprints. There is that lovely muted crunch sound that you get when your foot presses into the snow and the slight muffled squeak when your foot moves onto the next step. In fact all the sounds were muffled and the quietness more silent than usual. All the result of the blanket of snow, I guess

Snow brings out the child in me but there was nowhere to make snow angels and snowball fights on your own don't really work. There was a boy I passed who tried though and then I was brought back to my mum role when a voice said 'James, come in and get ready'. 'I am', came the reply. Have you got your....' - I didn't hear the word. 'no' answered James. 'Then you aren't ready are you?' Well at least it's not only me having that sort of dialogue.

As I neared home there were more people about and more cars and the snow was beinging to get slushy and slippy. Where I'd been striding out 30 minutes before, I had to watch my feet and move more slowly. The magic world was slowly fading away.

It all came as a bit of a surprise when I opened the curtains this morning, I wonder what tomorrow will have in store.

Blue Monday!

Today has been designated as the most depressing day of the year in the UK. So how does that make you feel? Will it effect your day at all? I am not sure it will make much difference to mine as I am just getting on with things. I had my walk, now I'm working my way through the tasks of the day and looking forward to a meeting at 2.00 and a pleasant evening later on.

I wonder if labelling today makes people feel worse. Does it draw attention to feeling low and in fact make people feel that way when they aren't? Are we saying that you should feel low today? OK, the weather is not very good but I still have geraniums growing in my window boxes and the clematis and winter jasmine are both out. I saw some great friends on Friday and there are lots of things to look forward to.

Does telling you that this is the most depressing day at least give you hope for the rest of the year? I mean it must be uphill from here, mustn't it?

At the end of the day we are individually responsible for our own happiness. Only we can take control and bring about the change in our lives so let's show ourselves and the world that this day does not have to be depressing after all. What could you do? Meet a friend for lunch. Go for a drink after work. Get some holiday brochures. Buy some flowers for your desk. Phone or email a friend. Book a massage. Go for a walk. Take 15 minutes 'me' time. The possibilities are endless.

The good news is that 'a total of 85 per cent of Britons expect to be happier in the future than they are now', a psychological study for Standard Life Bank found. Scots were the most optimistic, followed closely by the Irish, while those from the West Midlands had the least positive outlook on life, researchers discovered.

The study shows work will become less of a focus for Britons this year, with taking up a new hobby the top tactic for being happier in 2007. Is this what you are planning? Those interviewed also said they planned to reduce their working hours or retire and take a gap year in order to improve their quality of life. The research – entitled the Freestyle Happiness Index – also found that the nation's optimism is being boosted by a falling interest in material possessions. People also said they hoped to make themselves happier by clearing their debts, paying off their mortgage and achieving financial security.

It all sounds good to me. If you are struggling, have a think about what would make you happier and start now by taking one small step. See you are on the journey already.

Sad and angry.

I am in a sad and also angry place as I write this blog as I have just heard that one of my wonderful East End Girls' breast cancer has returned. She is a larger that life, wonderful lady who is a real inspiration to all of this and if anyone can get on top of this she will. I am behind her fully but I am angry that she is having to fight this again when there are so many other things that she would rather put her energies into...

I am angry that this disease is attacking so many of my lovely girl friends and acquaintances and it just makes my resolve even stronger to do what I can to help.

I know no-one knows what causes this, they are still researching and that of course makes it harder to prevent but we do know that giving health a top priority cannot do any harm. So ladies think about how you honour your health. Are you eating well? Are you getting those fruits and veg that are so beneficial? Could you give up those cigarettes or that addiction to chocolate - I am fighting mine, this year. Are you doing enough exercise? Can you fit more into your life? Why not try walking, that's how I did it and a friend said to me last night 'You are so much more centered when you are walking regularly'. Clearly it is noticeable and it helps me in so many other ways too.

Gents, I know that you can get this too and that you lose people as well through breast cancer so I am not overlooking you too, I am just reacting as me.

This sort of thing should make all of us realise just how important every day is. Are you loving every day to the full? If not, start now. Stop putting things of until.........you do not know if that day will come. Enjoy it and live it now for the gift every day is.

Tina, you can rise above this in your wonderful sunny, full of life style. Go fight it girl and know that I am there for you in whatever way you need me. Much love. xx

Comments please

I was thrilled to hear from one of Jason Vale's staff regarding my experience and feelings about 'turbo charge', that I posted right back. In fact I have told so many people about 'turbo charge' that they are now getting into it too and Lindsey's whole family may get on board.

It would be so good to hear about what you all think of it and also what you think of the blog and what I post, so come on let's have some postings from all of you next week.

Were you affected by the storms yesterday? It was hard not to be aware of them at least and by the look of some of the trees as I drove through the forest today, there were a lot of branches coming down.

On my walk in the morning, I was struggling against the wind one moment, thinking at least that I would be burning up lots of extra calories and then the next moment was being blown along with such gusto that all the hard work (calorie wise) had just been undone. I suppose that is rather like life - sometimes it is a hard struggle and at other times it literally breezes by and you actually have to experience both so you can fully appreciate it all.

There are lessons to learn at all stages - things that we can take forward, things that we can leave aside never to be repeated and ideas of new things to try. Rather than take my word for it, start now and take as much as you can from all that happens in your life and use it. My guess is that there will be much more times in life that 'breeze on by' as a result.

I took a longer walk that usual this morning as I was going straight to see Sanna Anderson for a nutrition consultation. Sanna is the walkers' coach nutritionist so I know her fairly well. We have discussed at length issues around nutrition and walking and are working on a dual approach to weight loss that we will be able to tell you about soon, but I had never experienced one of her one to one consultations.

Well I was blown away and came out feeling so much more informed and very empowered by what I now know I can do to help me overcome the obstacles I have to even better health.

In advance I had filled in an online questionnaire and this was the first thing Sanna went through. There was plenty of opportunity to ask questions and Sanna is so good at explaining everything, giving examples where possible which really helped. Everything I needed to know was written out for me and I now have an action plan.

One of my questions was about the need to take supplements, vitamins etc and this was all explained and recommendations given for the best I could use. She made it as easy for me as possible and I really did feel that this was a highly personalised consultation.

Our health is so important, should be our first priority and I feel we all could do more so if you can, go and have some of what I had, you won't be disappointed. http://www.sannahealth.com/

Benefits already!

I am loving my 14 day turbo charge and I think I may have another convert for you Jason. Geraldine was having a look at the book yesterday as I was waxing lyrical about it.

This morning I pulled on a pair of jeans which last week were tight on my waist and all day today I was pulling them up as they are rather loose. As one of my intentions for 2007 is to lose one and a half to two stone before I go to Peru, this is a great start. What a feeling.

And due to turbo charge and walking daily since Monday my energy levels have improved so todays walk felt so good - I am looking forward to walking with the East End Girls on Sunday.

Finally I finished my working day with a facial, always great especially when given by Emily who commented on how good my skin was looking.

I think I well deserved the trip to the cinema with my friend Paula and our daughters. We went to see 'Miss Potter' which was such a lovely film and as much of it was filmed in the Lake District, the scenery was superb. I kept thinking ' I have walked there' and it made me want to get back up there again soon.

A great week.

Is it Friday?

Well it feels as if it should be.

So much has happened this week in terms of very productive meetings, client sessions, following up and keeping up with my emails (one of my new year intentions) that I am convinced I have done more than 4 days work. Of course, it has also been the first full week back at work!!

Then today from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. I was involved in a brainstorming session with a good friend and fellow coach as we explored all aspects of walkers' coach. It was challenging and inspiring but also exhausting so I am now going to get a cup of tea, sit down beside the fire and read some of my novel.

I shall let all we discussed marinate in my brain and the tomorrow will see what comes to the surface and alerts me to what will happen next. Guidance for me is often to 'go with the flow and trust' and I can't think of a better way to deal with this.

Walking , it is so good.

I am amazed I managed to get out for my walk this morning!

Poor Ellie, whose cold and sore throat has gradually worsened, woke me three times during the night. It's an unusual occurance for her so I don't mind but standing in a cold bathroom for 15 minutes or longer in the middle of the night is not what anyone wants.

The last awakening was at 6.3o and the alarm goes off at 7.00. As I was whacked, I climbed
back into bed telling my husband that if I was asleep at 7.00, he was to leave me until 8.30. I actually do not think I slept again, just dozed so when the alarm went, it seemed churlish not to get out there, so I did.

I never go for a walk and come back in a worse frame of mind, something for all of you out there to bear in mind. It always energises me and just puts a different perspective on things. It is also so good for clearing your head and as for that physical activity - well, need I say more.

I met a great lady yesterday called Alison (more about her at a later date) and although walking was not what brought us together, she is into her walking too. She was telling me that when her business was home based that she would work from 6-8 a.m. and then go for an hour's walk in the park which was close by. This, she said , was her equivalent of 'walking to work'. What a brilliant idea for all you homeworkers. Often when we work from home the need to move from base is limited so this is a way of getting out there, benefitting from walking in all the ways there are and no doubt getting to know your community better - another win:win. Thanks for that one Alison.

Success with intention setting!

Setting that intention works, at least for me. It is rather like accountability which of course you can easier fake if it is with yourself, but not this morning.

This was the day that I had decided that the Inca Trail training started properly so even though I had not slept well - small child in bed with me for some of the night as she was not too well, I managed to get out of bed once the alarm sounded.

At this time of year my 7.00a.m walk starts in the dark, well seems like it anyhow but dawn breaks as I am pounding the footpath and it's quite a privilege to watch the world wake up. This morning my walk was accompanied by birdsong and the moon as well as the numerous dog walkers I met on my way.

Most people speak at this time, perhaps because we are in the minority and I just love being part of the relatively quiet world before it gets cranked up to its ferocious pace.

I know walking at this time is not everyone's 'cup of tea' but it is amazing how good you feel once you get out there and there is something about coming back to have breakfast knowing that you have already done your exercise for the day. I feel positively virtuous.

This morning was also when I started the Jason Vale 'Turbo Charge your life in 14 days' programme so breakfast consisted of a wonderful Turbo-charge smoothie. http://www.thejuicemaster.com/ With all that fruit and veg coursing through your body it is hard to feel anything but healthy and at 11.55 I am still not hungry. Teresa has also started this on my recommendation so I am looking forward to comparing notes.

Finally just to show how wonderful I am, I also started the old body brushing technique this morning before my shower and braved 60 secs under the cold shower before getting out - hard at the time with lots of yelping sounds coming from the bathroom I am sure but what about that warm glow you feel immediately after. I used to do this all the time.

So, I have set quite a few things in motion, keep reading to see how we all progress and let's hear your comments either on the blog or email me at heather@walkerscoach.com

The strength of commitment.

I know, not much movement on the Inca Trail training yet. Well it is happening slowly, mainly due to me fighting off a cold and listening to my body - something that I was not always good at. I did walk on New Year's day and I have been working on my core stability thanks to all the information available from Mike Edwards who writes a column in the Walkers' Coach newsletter - sign up by visiting http://www.walkerscoach.com/ In fact I am returning to regular Pilates classes on Jan 18th. This is not only because of the Inca Trail walk but part of putting my health as the number one priority.

One of the things I have not been doing so much of lately has been networking as work has been flowing in regularly. However, as I now want to promote walkers' coach it is one thing I intend to do lots more of in 2007.

I have been contacting people I have not seen for ages and arranging 'one to ones'. So many have replied in the last day or too and my diary is now getting busy. I also made the decision before the end of December to get out there and attend more networking events and the first one was this morning.

My lovely coach Judith Morgan has moved one of her Starbuck Clubs to Canary Wharf so I emailed her yesterday and announced that I would be joining them - great. At 11.00 last night as I was heading to bed my husband commented on the fact that I would have to be up early in the morning - networking event forgotten by me, oops. I started taking down the Christmas tree, listening to the wind and wishing that I had not told Judith I would be there. I knew how warm and cosy my bed would be the next morning....

However, I had committed to going and the intention ensured that I woke at 7.45 and was actually there first. What a lovely event . There was a small, select group, everyone contributed and I found myself adding to my intentions for the year, inspired and delighted that I had made that commitment.

The effect of others

How do you feel when you have spent time with others? Do you feel inspired, energised, drained, sad, happy, weary, motivated......?

Perhaps different people have different effects on you - how long do those effects last?

As it is the beginning of a new year and hopefully you are looking out optimistically at all there is on offer, then I suggest you ponder these questions. Consider very carefully how you feel and if your relationships, meetings, colleagues, friends etc are not leaving you feeling upbeat and ready to soar then what action do you need to take as a result.

Today was my first day back at work since Dec 22nd and I started the day with a meeting with a fellow coach and walker, Geraldine. It was great to see her and as usual we chatted continuously. Two and a half hours passed and I felt as if we had just begun, better still we had supported each other, discussed numerous ideas, laughed and planned a development day to discuss some business ideas further. I left the meeting full of energy and buzzing with excitement.

A couple of hours later I was on a call with one of my business partners who lives in Italy. She called to discuss a potential joint training and coaching project and also to discuss some great walks she had discovered which would be great for walkers coach. Jacky is working with me on that too from the Italian perspective. Once again I came off the phone inspired and looking forward to taking this further.

Is this how you feel? Is this how you would like to feel? What can you do now and in the next 7-10 days to ensure this happens more and more? It's over to you.

Getting back to routine

This is the last day of my holidays and I am enjoying the lack of time constraints and other boundaries. Tomorrow Ellie returns to school and that means the 7.00a.m. alarm - I much prefer to wake up naturally.....

In one way though I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. I have had a great holiday and know that I have benefitted from the break but my head is filling up with all the opportunities out there and I can feel the buzz.

Today I have been decluttering and in doing so have been collecting images for my treasure map and dream book and I have also been sourcing information for the next walkers' coach ezine. If you do not get it in your inbox, visit http://www.walkerscoach.com/ and sign up immediately, you don't want to miss out.

It's another bright and sunny day today which is such a welcome and positive start to any new year. Have you noticed how much happier people are when the sunshines? Are you happy? Are you smiling? If not, what could you do so that you could smile.

Yesterday I indulged my love of walking straight away by bundling the family into the car and going in search of Hainault Forest Park. I'd heard of it before but had never sought it out so we took some action and found a great area of land - a mix of common and forest only 15 minutes drive from home. Armed with cameras we headed off around the lake all in competition to see who could come up with the best New Year's Day photo. We also came across part of the London Loop walk which goes through the forest and there's a children's farm to explore too.

I did notice a nearby tube station which means it is accessible by public transport and I shall be heading back over there to suss out the trails and see whether it is a viable place to run walking groups from. It has a couple of vital ingredients in addition to the walking itself - public toilets and a tea hut - what more could you ask for?

Happy New Year

Did you have a good one? I hope so and I wish you a fun, successful, happy and most of all, healthy 2007.

What I need to celebrate a new year is good friends, good food and good wine and we had all of those last night. After planning a party it was a select few who came together but that did not matter at all. Those who could not make it were in our thoughts and we raised a glass to absent friends but in the meantime, we chatted, laughed, told stories and enjoyed the great company.

Earlier in the day, Alan , Ellie and I had watched the Sydney fireworks on TV, remembering the year when we had been lucky enough to actually be there. That prompted us to call the Aussie cousins and wish them a happy new year. We thought of them again later when we watched London's tremendous display using the London Eye as a backdrop. At last London has found something that rivals Sydney and I have to say , I think those Aussies will have to think about making the trip to see our New Year spectacle now!!

I'm off to have a doze now and to chill a little more enjoying the last few days of the holiday. Take care.

Don't you just love synchronicity?

I do and there is so much of it about.

This morning, my business partner and I sat down to have our monthly development day. It is always a very positive and inspiring time and even more so since we moved it away from the office environment. With more space and distance, we now seem to be more creative so I recommend this for any of you who do similar. You can get another person or a small group together to use as a sounding board about business, career, potential or in fact anything.

A scientist by training, Alan is rather sceptical about things that cannot clearly be explained but is slowly moving in the right direction. Today, as we reviewed last month’s tasks, he reminded me of the fact that nearly all the people he had elected to contact had contacted him first and many were people he had not heard from for ages. Synchronicity at work indeed!!

I recently attracted two rather large cheques into my personal account after thinking of how I would like to have some more money and over the summer when I was thinking of how I needed to bring some coaches interested in walking on board, three just happened to contact me.

Today I was made aware of myspace. Not once, twice but three times and what's the bet it will appear again tomorrow. How do you feel about this synchronicity? Let me know and have fun with it.

Did you know that Woody Allen suggests that 70% of the secret of networking is "being there!" If you aren't there, no networking will happen. Are you using networking not only to forward your business but also to help you build your career? We have a couple of e-courses that help you do just that. - http://www.waringwell.com/

With WaringWell I network sporadically, much of my business comes from my website but it also comes from those I have networked with in the past. It often comes from those in the same business but in areas where we complement.

Many people shy away from working with people who do the same thing as they view them as the enemy. The opposite is often true and as my business partner says 'better to be on side and know what is happening than to be kept in the dark'. How about you review your so called competitors and see whether forging relationships makes sense. It could be a win:win for all concerned.

I know that as I build walkers' coach, I am going to be out there networking more regularly and building relationships that will benefit as many as possible.

Heightened senses

I returned from my summer break with the best of intentions but somehow regular blogging has evaded me. Sorry therefore, to anyone who has been looking for regular updates. I do hope that the month of October will be better though, I intend to make it so.

The lack of blogging has been due to an increased work level which has been brilliant and each month I seem to be attracting more and more of my ideal clients and doing even more of the work I really love to do. It's such a delight. I hope this is happening to you too. If not, and you want to make this happen, consider working with me for a while.

September was the month of my fundraising walk and what a pleasure that was. You will find more information on the walk on http://www.walkerscoach.com/ by the end of the week. As a result of doing the walk I allowed myself a few days off my early morning walks and then because of being busy, my walking was developing along the lines of fewer days but longer walks and that was good too. I found it was all about not beating myself up but allowing myself to find what worked for me in the situation. I think that this is something we could all explore further. It was great fun doing it differently too and it brought different and additional things into play.

This week, the pattern is a bit of both but what I have discovered is that in the early morning, my senses are so much more alert especially the sense of smell. On two of my routes, I pass rosemary bushes and I love to squeeze a few bits of this to release that wonderful aroma. I cannot walk past without doing this. I also love lavender and basil. This morning as I walked the scent of citrus filled the air and it was a while before the gentleman eating an orange passed me. It took me back to Seville and to summer mornings and eating outside.

Walking is good for us in so many ways and not always how we expect.

Would love to have your comments on some or all of this. Until the next time, which I intend to be soon, take care and get out there walking.

The Best Time

Well it is one of the best times.....For what? For starting walking.

Many of you, you will have returned from holidays where you had time to relax and think about what you wanted in life and that can often include being more energetic. On the other hand you might have over indulged and feel the need to lose a few pounds. Perhaps you have decided to train for a charity trek.

It doesn't matter what the catalyst, the fact is that it is September; we still have light evenings and mornings, the weather is good and you are motivated so don't let it all go. Start now and then you will have a well developed habit in a month's time and that will carry you on.

Not sure how? Now that is often the reason that people do nothing. Don't fall into this trap. Make an appointment in your diary, pull on some comfortable shoes - trainers are the best and get out there. It need only be for 15/20 minutes initially and the pace does not matter at all, what does matter is that you will have done it. Aim for a couple of walks per week and build up.

Can I help? If so , give me a call on 07941 246619 or email me heather@walkerscoach.com or of course go look at http://www.walkerscoach.com/

Time to get back into the swing.

September 1st and that familiar buzz of excitement is there. Guess I have not quite lost the 'new term' feeling so this is a time of the year that is once again filled with opportunities. It's the time to start anew, to set new goals, review old ones and get excited about what is possible. Anyone else out there share this positive feeling too?

I have so many plans which I shall share with you as the weeks and months pass and I hope you will feel free to share yours with me too. I am sure we can help each other, after all two heads are better than one.

The art of meditation

In my Attraction Mastermind Group we were discussing commitment at great length and decided that we would all commit to something that we would work on. One suggestion was to do this over a period of 30 days which very much appealed as when that time is up, I shall be off on leave.

I have toyed with meditation off and on and decided that this was what I was going to commit to. I started last Saturday and the intention every day is to meditate for 10 or 15 minutes. I am taking it in small steps.

The hardest day so far was the second one and since then it has been bliss. The time has gone much quicker and I have felt so calm. The calmness is coming into all parts of life gradually. I had a call today from a lady who had to cancel my walkers leader training course and she was so impressed when I said 'that's Ok, it's life. I shall come on another one later.' I had been so looking forward to it and yet I felt that it will happen when the time is right. Then the friend who was due to start her meditation course in June and postponed, called and asked me to be her guinea pig so she is doing a one to one with me on July 12th. It is all falling into place.

Last night though I learnt a valuable lesson. It was not to leave my meditation till too late. So much happened yesterday so that I sat down to meditate at 11.00 and I was just so tired. I managed 5 minutes - better that I thought but I did not feel good and I was annoyed with myself too. For me it is also the fact that I let slip something that is good for me and therefore my life as a whole and I let it go from being a first priority.

What have you let slip that you can place back at the top of your list?

Interesting reading

I have been de-cluttering today and it is so energising. I have been finding articles I had forgotten about and inspirational writings too which I am now organising so that I can act upon them. I also found lots of papers that were able to go straight in the recycling - why did I ever think I would need them?

I have a clear vision for my office which although not paperless - do they exist? - will be much tidier than it is now. The time goal? September after the summer holidays.

One of the articles I found was around giving and the fact that as well as giving to others, we should remember to give to ourselves. At the very top of the suggested list was 'go for a walk to clear your mind'. I was of course delighted, it backs up my walking benefit theory. Then just a few minutes ago I opened a video about caring on the net. It asked that people set aside at least one fraction of time in their day when they were number one on their list instead of at the end. And how can they care for themselves? Very simply, go for a walk.

There's a message there, are you going to act on it? www.walkerscoach.com

Lots of love

I am thinking of my darling husband as I write this. He is miles away in Dubai currently training senior staff in media skills at Dubai International Financial City. He left here at 2.00p.m. yesterday after already having been away from home for most of last week in parts of the UK and Ireland. He had about 16 hours at home to sleep, catch up with some emails, write a proposal or two, pack and get back on the road again. Who says a life spent traveling is glamorous?

Just think of that lovely long summer holiday Al, and lots of family time. If you are reading this Ellie and I love you lots.

I should put a message like this on Steve Wright's Sunday Love Songs. I was listening to it yesterday morning while on the croissant run and I found myself 'oohing' and 'aahing' as well as letting a few tears slip as I listened. I found myself thinking what a lovely positive programme this is and how there should be more opportunities to express our love and gratitude.

So send a message into Steve or if that is not your thing, find another way to tell your loved ones how much you care. In fact find a way to do it every day and send a message too………and they play good music.

10 ways that this is perfect for me now!

When things are going well, it is not too difficult to find 10 reasons/ways/things why the situation is perfect. However, when things are not good, it is a different matter.

I was first asked to do this exercise by Annie Meacham not long after I joined her attraction marketing masterclass and I did not know where to start. 'It's not perfect at all' was all I could think and trying to do it was going against everything I felt, thought etc. Others seemed to be able to do it so why not me?

I guess it is all about where you are.

As time has moved on I have found this easier and helpful and then last night I hurt my back!!! I was just about to settle down to a girlie evening with my daughter Ellie and as I got up from my seat to put the DVD on, my back went. Now my back was the catalyst for taking my health more seriously and some of you will remember the summer saga from last year. I have had no problems since then. I took a couple of painkillers, propped cushions around me and watched the DVD but after I got rather down. I was meant to be doing my first walk with my group again this morning and I had put all the organisation in place. I could hardly move so I had to leave messages and try to deal with my pain, my frustration and my wonderment.

After the initial depression, I reverted to trying to understand the reason why and wrote the following 10 reasons why this is perfect me for me now.
1. I will go to sleep earlier as I am so uncomfortable.
2. I do not have to walk tomorrow.
3. It's a catalyst again to change my habits further.
4. I can sit in the sun tomorrow.
5. Ellie can demonstrate how helpful she is.
6. I can get on with de-cluttering7. It's a great opportunity to start writing my journal again.
8. It gives me the chance to use the attraction principles more.
9. No alarm in the morning.
10. I can become more committed to my Pilates.

As I said, I used to find these 10 things so hard to do but this wasn't and what came out was really helpful as hopefully you can see. I am now taking action and am feeling positive.

If you do not believe that this can work, try it out for yourself. Persevere and it will all come together, I promise you.

Go with the flow and trust.

My heart sank when I saw a couple of emails this morning because they asked for change of dates at short notice. Many of the dates given as options had already been sent out as possibles to another person. It was all like a moving block puzzle.

'Go with the flow and trust' - I am doing it more and more so I trusted and wow! The person who had the options emailed back with a date and the date of choice was one not mentioned by the others. This enabled me to say 'yes' to the first choices on the other emails. So easy.

Then the phone rang and it was a friend I had not seen for nearly a year. So when can we meet up? I have a few spaces between the 3rd July and 21st I said knowing how busy is dairy is. The 7th was his response and guess what lunch is now booked on that date.

Thanks. Things like this make me trust more and more....

Celebration

What was the last thing you celebrated? Today I celebrated getting all my files back in order by awarding myself 15 minutes to sit in the sun and yesterday Ellie and celebrated the end of her cello exam with wonderful ice-cream - she was allowed to have a tripple scoop strawberry for the great sum of £1.80.

People have interesting views about celebration; some choose not to mark occasions at all. They view birthdays as not worth celebrating as they are getting older - their excuse not mine and other things as too commercial. Other people feel that celebrations cost money and yes they can but I hope I have demonstrated that they can be cheap or cost nothing at all.

If you think things are too commercialised, decide to celebrate other things instead - after all you can choose.

In our house we celebrate lots of things. Any excuse, we often say. Sometimes things cost money, like a nice bottle of wine as a result of winning a contract or lunch out, although where I love lunch out can be as reasonable as £5.00 and that's not breaking the bank especially as you are not going to do it every day.

You can celebrate and you should do to mark your achievements like getting a new job or walking for 5 miles and what about occasions like catching up with old friends, finishing a bit of work or the fact of a sunny day. Do it as you would like to, spend as much or as little as you want. Take 10 minutes now and think how many ways you can celebrate and for what reason. Have fun and then put it into action.

Off again...........

I've started walking again and it feels great. It amazes me that when the time is right, things do happen. I had been feeling that I should get going and then after a weekend when I had carefully planned some gentle integrated walking, I really wanted to get up and out on Monday morning.

OK, my time was slower and I didn't go so far but it was a beginning. I met one of my walking group who told me I looked terrific - nice to hear so at least she knows I am trying. I am hoping to join the group for a short walk on Saturday and I will hopefully fit in another a.m walk in the morning even though there is a little discomfort. But then again perhaps a little unusage.

On my call tonight, Judith (my coach) said she was wondering what the reason for the sprained ankle was. Funny I was wondering that too. However, tonight it became clear as I spouted all the latest ideas and developments. I needed the time to plan and that is now in full swing.

For the new Training for Treks programme have a look at the site - www.walkerscoach.com and keep posted as other things fall into place.

Phew!!!

I have been a single parent since early Sunday morning which might help explain the lack of blogging entries. Alan has been in Dubai and is due to return there again in a week or two. Such is his growing reputation out there that the work is expanding. Like all things there are two sides to this, one that means he is away from us and we all miss that but then the coming back together is joyful and it is good for business. As long as he enjoys it and it fulfills his wishes then I am happy.

Now regarding the single parenting, I know many of you do this all the time and many of you also have more than one child. I take my hat off to you, it is such hard work and I know for me that is because I am so used to have an excellent partner to share things with. With him gone, I have to do all of it and the hours available just seem to shrink. This week I have been trying to find time to ice my sprained ankle and to put it up for about 15 minutes a day - small things really so why then am I struggling to find the time?

It's been a challenging few days over and above everyday life. We have had to deal with sleepless nights due to the extreme heat. After the second restless event, I recalled the existence of two fans bought in the heat wave last year so off I went to the attic. To add a little extra to the scenario, I want you to factor in a rather sore ankle, it having been worked on earlier in the day by my sports masseur. The attic was boiling and the fans were nowhere in sight. I ended up looking in every bag, bin bag, box and other receptacle I could find at the same time swearing profusely at my dear husband who had put them away all those months ago. By now I had rivers of sweat running off me, my ankle was throbbing and I kept hitting my head on the low beams. ....and yes, just as I was about to give up, I found them in a box which had been abandoned and mostly hidden under the eaves - success.

On the same evening as the fan search, we also discovered the existence of nits in Ellie's hair. This was a regular occurance in reception class but since then nothing. Fot those parents familiar to this and I am sure that includes most of you, the process is lengthy and needs repeating daily. Did I need this, no!

Finally when I should have been on a conference call with my attraction marketing group on Tuesday evening, I was baling water alongside my wonderful neighbour to try and save my office from being flooded. The torrential rain caused a back flow from the drains as they could not cope with the quantity of water and this in turn led to one of the flag stones on my patio being pushed up by the force of the water and it all flowed down the garden. At first I was quite energised by the power of the storm and then realised what was happening. I was in the middle of calling my neighbour when she turned up at the door so that was why Ann and I ended up clothed in cagouls and wellies wading around the garden moving the water into plant pots, borders and all surrounding gardens. It took quite a while to sort out but we did it and what a sense of partnership and achievement we had. However, every time the skies darkened after that I was a little concerned. I did what I could and lifted everything off the floor in the office and then asked the Universe for help in not sending any more torrential rain. A result and I was able to sleep. The job in hand is now to have the whole thing looked at by a builder and re-built if necessary.

In the meantime, the gratitude is that it happened when it did and not in the middle of summer when we, and many of our neighbours would have been away. Also the reminder that building and maintaining good relationships with your neighbours is so important and not only for times of stress. We have a great community and know lots of people in the area. Of course like all relationships, you have to put some work into it but having great neighbours is a lovely feeling and has so many benefits. You feel part of something, there are people who look out for you, in our situation we get together on a regular basis and help each other out when we can. Ann and Matt have become very dear friends and we help and support each other a lot so as she left on Tuesday evening I knew she meant it when she added 'If it all starts flooding in the middle of the night, call us'

On the mend

As you can tell my sore foot and the forced lack of walking is of major consideration to me at present. I am delighted to say that for the first time today, I was able to walk on my foot without hobbling - progress indeed.

Not planning to overdo it though I am now about to put my feet up and sit in the sun with a good book. It should be peaceful as most of the country is preparing to watch England's first match in the World Cup. Peaceful until they score a goal of course then due to open windows and doors, I bet you I hear it in all round sound.

Whatever you are doing and wherever you are take some 'me' time and do what you want to do. Enjoy.

The balloon and stick

This morning I came across a balloon on a stick lying by the side of the footpath. No doubt someone was very upset to have lost it but as it struggled to take flight it was hampered by the stick which was holding it down, its weight just too much for it to become free.

As the breeze caught it, I couldn't help but imagine a dialogue whereby the balloon was trying to get away and the stick was keeping it grounded. How frustrating for both.

How often do you want to fly and something holds you back just like the stick and balloon? What would you have to do to shake the stick off in your particular situation and soar into the sky? Lots of things drain our energy and weigh heavy on us. What could you do with releasing yourself from and what would it take?

It would have been very easy for me to lift the balloon and free it from the stick so perhaps detaching yourself from the weight on you is not necessarily that difficult. Why not give it a try?

I'm getting there.

So who was baffled by MFEMF then? Yes, I was too and haven't a clue how it got into yesterday's blog. When I wrote it, it said Ellie and I but somewhere in the publishing things changed. Hope I had some of you baffled though, it keeps the interest up.

I am back in the office with my foot encased in an ankle bandage and up on a chair supported by cushions - all I really need is the chaise longue and someone feeding me grapes but then I would probably not be able to reach the keyboard. The foot is on the mend so the TLC is working. No swelling at all after yesterday although it was quite painful. Today the pain is lessened too. I am hopeful for the weekend especially as my MBT walking shoes are so supportive.

Sadly the high strappy sandals I had envisaged wearing tonight when I go to Elaine’s party will have to be swapped for more sensible footwear otherwise I think I could do even more damage this time.

Elaine is one of my dearest friends and tonight is celebrating 10 years in business. She works hard, plays hard and is great at celebrating so tonight will be fun. Elaine runs her own medical PR company and I am so in awe of all she has achieved, she is a great lady. If you ever need her services, have a look at www.snell-communications.net

Thanks by the way to all who have sent their best wishes and to dear Lindsey for all the tips especially the arnica cream. I shall add that to my ever growing list of walking (or in this case falling down tips)

walking's off

Well it is for a little while, my walking that is. I have sprained my ankle and it wasn't due to an over indulgence of alcohol or because I was dancing on the table. Shall I tell you more?

Last week MFEMF and I went off to France for half term. Although I knew I wasn't going to be able to do any of my long 10-12 mile walks, we packed the gear so that the mother and daughter bonding could continue over some of my favourite walks in the woods and along the hillside. Unfortunately, unknown to me my walking days on this occasion were numbered.

We stayed with some friends on the Monday evening (we had just arrived on Sunday) and I got to try out the brand new bedroom. The bed was so comfortable that when I woke in the early hours the thought of getting out of bed to go to the loo was not at all appealing. Need got the better of me though and I made my way in the darkness along the corridor being careful to remember the few steps from one level to another. However, I did not remember how many steps and the next moment I crashed to the floor having dropped a bit further than planned. The shock hit first and then the excruciating pain followed by that horrible cold and hot period when you feel you are going to be ill.

I am not sure how long I sat there but all sorts of scenarios passed through my mind from wondering how I would get home if I had broken my ankle or foot to thinking how I could still do my 60K walk. I managed to get back to bed and lay as still as I could while my foot throbbed.

Well its not broken just badly bruised and swollen. I managed to get my trainers on the following day and my little accident helped Chris and Roo realise that perhaps they needed some light in that area before they rented their house out. At least my falling had its uses.

Now I sit in the office with my foot up on a chair and an ankle bandage for extra support. I had to cancel my walk on Sunday as I figured 10 miles may not be a good idea. I am taking loads of care now and hoping that walking at the weekend may be possible. This lack of walking is getting to me but that is also a good sign as clearly it has become so much part of me that it is not a trial to do. It's the way I wanted my exercise to be.

Any tips orsuggestions regarding my predicament very welcome.

Evolution and mergers

Evolution seems to feature strongly in all that I do at present and I have decided that I really quite like it. I like it especially when I am in the right mind set to trust that things will go as I want them to. It feels natural and calming.

My Walkers' Coach site is continuously evolving as ideas flow and I try out and toss around many new things. The site is out there but I am well aware that it is unlikely to remain static in any way for the next number of months. It needs to be used and then to grow as a result. For me I like this flow and momentum. How about you? Can you go with the flow or does it make you uncomfortable? Would you like to be able to be in that mode or are you happy where you are?

When I started blogging about a year ago my blog was around the work that I did but as I introduced more walking into my life a walking blog also was established. However, coming back to evolution, I have found trying to regularly write two blogs and three newsletters a bit of a challenge so I am going with the flow and merging my blogs. Now you will get one that is the essence of me and my passions - my coaching, my walking, my love of travel, food and drink. They all sit well together.

Making the most of the moment

Today was truly one of those 'glad to be alive days' and it was like that right from the moment the alarm went off. If the truth be told, I was awake anyhow but not wanting to open my eyes - I was savouring every moment. When I did open my eyes though , I could see the blue sky through the curtains and that was all I needed to propel me out of bed and into the walking gear. I hit the streets at 7.15 a.m. and it was bliss. Not that many folk about, clear air, space and I loved it. It's such a great start to the day.

Breakfasted, showered and feeling great I opened the door just after 9.00 to Ginny who I had not spent any really good quality time with for ages and we proceeded to catch up while enjoying the sun in the garden as we sipped on glasses of water - the simple things in life but how precious they are.

Today I did what I wanted to do. Today I enjoyed the sunshine and the lack of deadlines. Today I took time out for others who I wanted to spend time with.

Recently there have been incidents regarding health, mostly of others which pull you up fast and make you aware of how we do not know what is in store for us. In so many cases, people need to go through traumatic times to realise how precious things are. I am trying to learn from that and live in the moment and make the most of what is on offer. Today it was the sunshine. I shall try and do the same tomorrow. Are you making the most of things?