Great Quote!

Always one to start the week off on a positive step, I wanted to share this with you......

"The most wasted day of all is that on which we have not laughed." - Sebastine Chamfort

So see how much laughing you can do today.

Last week I went to the Comedy Store in London's West End on Wednesday evening and laughed for two hours solid. It was a tremendous evening and I am in complete awe of the talented band of players whose whole show was decided by the audience. If you're looking for a great night out, I urge you to try it.

Happy laughing.....

She's a star!!

I have been working with my wonderful VA Susan Moore since early 2007 and it's really made a difference to my business. I am well aware though that there is so much more I could use Susan for so it is very likely that she will be even more of an asset than she is already.

I am so delighted to let you all know that on Saturday, Susan received the award of VA of the year for 2008 at the Virtual Assistant Coaching & Training Company Annual conference. It is a well deserved award and as you can imagine I've no hesitation in recommending Susan to any oif you who may be considering a VA.

Susan is professional, totally trustworthy, extremely personable, a great communicator and a pleasure to work with. She totally enhances all that I do, is there to bounce ideas around with and although we work through email and phone, she is close enough to me to allow us a few face to face meetings in the year.

I wish her continued success and if you want to check her out, visit her at http://www.mooreva.co.uk/

PA for a day!!

It was Mother's Day in the UK yesterday and I hadn't a clue what to expect.

What happened was wonderful and I was totally spoiled. Ellie decided to be my PA for the day and I was waited on hand and foot from I got out of bed until more or less when I climbed back in.

First I got a couple of gifts, one of which was a voucher for facial or other treatment and then I had brunch made for me. Later in the day, my wonderful PA gave me a very relaxing pedicure, brought me cups of tea and made sure I had all I needed.

As a family, we sat down in the late afternoon to watch Carousel, one of my favourite films and I was then treated to a three course all cooked by Ellie and supervised by her dad. It was wonderful and the highlight for Ellie anyhow was the desert.

Here she is displaying it and her PA badge.



I consider myself a very lucky mum indeed and what a wonderful idea. I did try to get it to last a week but I think I was pushing it......

Glad to be alive

Two weeks since I blogged, so not doing too well on the intention for 2008 that says I will blog more regularly. I have let go of the need to blog every day because I feel I should - hurray but there's still some work to do on being more constant.

It's not that I forget, but I put it aside until later and later doesn't always come.

What kind of days are your glad to be alive days?

Here's a photo of the beautiful miniture daffodils in my window box, just the sight of them make me smile. In fact it's hard to be sad when faced with such happy flowers.

There seems to have been such little time without leaves and flowers this winter and I don't seem to have walked in the dark lots either. Now I'm looking forward to the bluebells as the carpets of them in Epping Forest as a sight worth seeing.

The birthday girl

It's my baby's 11th birthday today. Not a baby any longer, she is rapidly approach my 5ft 6inches and has already overtaken some of our female friends in the last couple of months.

I cannot believe so much time has passed since her birth and each year seems to bring more and more great opportunities for her. This year she is off on an outward bound trip again, is on a school's trip to Spain, singing at the Royal Albert Hall and just been nominated for a science competition. Then in September it's off to Secondary school, a new era.

As you can tell I am very proud of her. Yes, she has her moments, don't they all but she is great company, loves to chat and we have some great girlie times when her dad is away.

So Ellie, have a great birthday. I look forward to pizza tonight and your party on Saturday and here she is at breakfast this morning

Customer service on the slide

Ever feel you've been had? I did this weekend.

My husband and I have been contemplating whether or not to retain our cleaner whose work seems to have deteriorated since she started.

In those days, the place sparkled and we were all very happy but in the last couple of months, things have got slack and the ironing she would do if she had extra time, has been non existent. She spends time on the phone (her mobile) and there is dust where it should no longer be.

My first reaction was disappointment and I said so when I talked about things needing to improve . Yes, they did for one week and then slowly went back off the boil.

I cancelled her last week and decided to clean the house myself this weekend. I can tell you that this is not my favourite pastime but everyone, even Ellie pulled their weight. Only problem, things were so grubby that it took all weekend.

When she first came to me I would recommend her to others but now....

In a service industry, your service has to remain high as often there are many others that can take your place. I think we might do the cleaning ourselves now having made this weekends investment but it is a lesson to us all.

Today I have been reflecting and thinking about how good my service is? I hope it's still excellent. I try to make it so and constantly review it, asking clients for feedback. I have measures in place. Did my cleaner? Not in my view and now she is going to lose the work.

Could this happen to you?

It's only January.

Where has the hibernation period gone?

I was out walking about 8.00a.m. this morning which was wonderful as it was light, makes a change from my weekday 7.00 a.m. although even that is not as dark as it was...

Anyhow as I strode out, saying 'morning ' to the numerous dog walkers, I was struck at just how many leave there were on the bushes. I think most of them were hawthorn but there they all were bright green and spring like.

The daffodils in my garden are up quite high to and the winter jasmine, meant to bloom in Jan/Feb, has blossomed in Dec for the last couple of years. The earth is giving birth to all manner of things that used to still be fast asleep at this point in the year.

So has nature started to reflect our fast paced lives, where there is no longer time to recharge batteries?

Since I started coaching and set up my own business, I have learned to pay more attention to the rhythms of nature. Instead of detoxing in Jan, I have learnt that, like nature, this is the time of the year to seek out good wholesome, comforting foods like soups and stews and steaming cups of hot chocolate and to curl up with a good book or a film. To sleep more and recharge.

I am still doing it but what is nature doing now? Yes, it's lovely to know that spring is coming but let's just slow the pace a little again and enjoy the comforting time.

Beautiful dawn

Dawn seemed to come earlier this morning and evolved into a pale blue sky and wonderful gold and pink tinged clouds that just seemed to illuminate.

Keeping to folklore, it might not have been the best forecast for the day - "pink sky in the morning" and all of that but it was a joy to see and I do wish I'd had my camera. I think I shall have to add that to the necessary pile when I go out from now on.

The giant and the dark clouds

On my walk yesterday morning, the sky looked really dark and heavy, you know the way it gets when it is a sort of midnight blue colour. These dark and ominous clouds rolled around looking threatening and very angry and made me think of a giant or a god, like those I learned about as a child in Greek mythology. I had in my mind these images of a bellowing figure venting his anger and I felt chilled.

However as the clouds rolled around more and dawn broke they thinned out and soon disappeared, allowing the morning light to penetrate and soon there was no sign of the angry giant at all.

It had all happened relatively quickly, over 30-40 minutes and I found myself thinking of the process of changing our moods and not letting an incident affect our mood for the whole day. Sometimes one thing can change your mood dramatically and often at the start of the day, set up a chain of events that makes us want to crawl back under the duvet. How much better to recognise that things do not have to be like that and to choose to swap the black mood for a much lighter one.

I am not always successful at this, sometimes, I want to wallow but in most cases I'd love to put on the calm cloak, so I'm going to make an effort to try. Are you?

An inspiration!

I received two emails in the past few days which said "I'm inspired to get up Wednesday morning at 7am and go for a walk! I'll let you know how I get on!" and "Thank you for the emails I'm almost inspired to get up early tomorrow and go for a walk."

It's very nice to be an inspiration and for me it comes easily when I am writing and talking about something that I love. It's also what makes getting up early in the dark on a cold winter morning possible too.

What and who inspires you and why? What do you inspire others about?

Is being an inspiration something that you aspire to be? Let me know.

Pretty good so far.

Sunday tends to be view time for me and looking back to Jan 1st, I am pleased with how things are going.

Although one major focus this year is on me as a business women, my overall focus is one me and my self care. If that is not right, then I am not going to be in the right place to be that effective and successful business women or the great mum, best friend, loving partner etc.

Since New Year's Day I have been walking regularly, setting my goals and building in relaxation and family time.

This weekend, the family time has been on paining my daughter's den - the spare room which she has acquired so she can entertain friends, do her yoga, play guitar etc. Never have I seen her so enthusiastic about paining and what a great job she has done. I shall post a photo when it is finished.

We have also had some film time, meal time and I am now out for a walk to enjoy some of this great sunshine. Looking forward to an equally positive review next week.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!!!!

I hope, that wherever you are in the world that you had a great New Year's Eve and were able to welcome in 2008 in health and happiness. I also hope that this New Year brings you more of that health and happiness as well as lots of other thing that you hope for. I hope it is one of your best year's ever.

Since the very end of November I have been working on my plans for 2008 and ensuring that it is my Best Year Yet. I have worked through Jinny Ditzler's great book and now am full of excitement, hope and expectation and after not having blogged since Dec 5th, I am putting that right straight away.

In fact it has been a day of getting started again. After not having gone for a planned walk since Boxing Day, I was out this morning with my friend and neighbour Jude. She is doing a sponsored walk along the Great Wall of China in March so we are picking up the pace and the distance so she is bang on target when she gets out there.

Today we walked for 2 hours and covered about 6.5 miles, not bad. I left her with the instructions to lie with her legs up against a wall for about 15 minutes to let the lactic acid drain away and then to have a hot bath. Hopefully then she'll not feel it too much tomorrow.

We're out again on Thursday evening and I am out there tomorrow morning, not at 7.00 I would think as it's the last luxurious morning without an alarm and I want to savour that!!

Enjoy the rest of your day and that great year to come.

The path ahead

About an hour into my walk in Scotland's borders last Friday and this was the path ahead!

The walk had already been a little frustrating and now this. Looking back on it this morning and I was reminded of the path ahead in our everyday lives.

Does your path ever look like this?

On first sight, the path in the picture looked almost impossible. Thistles, shoulder height plants, nettles and thorny bushes and of course the trees on either side.

So what do you do when faced with such obstacles on your life path?

Well sometimes we give up immediately. At first sight of this path, that could have been my reaction but then I looked more closely. This is what we need to do on our life path too. We need to get closer, to study the options, to weight them up and then to make a decision.

Was there a clear alternative route for me? No.

Was there another way through this blockage? In some places yes. There was an opportunity to take a slightly different route in places but only for short stretches so it helped.

Was there anything I could use to help me get through? I did not have a machete which would have made a great difference and there were no broken branches lying around. I had my legs and arms which I used and I had a walking partner so as a team we could move through.

What or who do you have to help you?

What are the dangers you may face? For Janet who was following on it was branches springing back, nettles and thorns.

How do you cope with them?

At the end of the day our path became completely blocked by a building site which had eradicated the path and perhaps this blockage was an indication of what was to come. However, even having had to turn back, we were able to learn from the experience and we would never have experienced the colours and great views had we not pushed on.

Wonderful autumn colours

The weather is superb at the moment and has been for weeks, plenty of sunshine and dry too. I wonder if this is why the trees seem to me to be even more beautiful this year with their vivid colours.

Of course the weather makes the walking more enjoyable and today I was back in Greenwich Park walking with a good friend who lives in the area. She has recently been made redundant so I was doing some coaching as we walked. She was challenging me by finding the highest and steepest hills to walk up so I have the feeling that my legs will be hurting a little tomorrow. And Jude, if you are reading this, I now know that Greenwich Park is even better than I thought for that Great Wall training!!



Just wanted to share with you the photos of France last week and that lovely late afternoon light and those colours.


Here is Ellie and me on our circular walk around the outskirts of the village and below, we are coming back down the lane into the village.

Isn't the light wonderful? It is the best time of the day to take photos and Alan loves to be out experimenting and trying lots of different shots.

Going by the colours back here, I bet the French ones are even more vibrant now.

Blow is the view you get from half way up the hill when you look back at the church which is 12th and 16th century and gives Oudan it's status as a UNESCO heritage village.

Wow moments!!

Have had two wonderful moments today and have had to stop on both occasions and appreciate them. Sadly on neither occasion did I have my camera.

The first was this morning when I was walking in the forest with Marina. We were deep in conversation when I looked up to see this beautiful tree clothed in its gold and rust leaves lit up by the sun and it really did look as if a light bulb had been switched on within the tree. It was magnificent and we both just soaked up the sight before moving on. That's one of the reasons I walk so much. You have time to stop and take on board what is around you.

This evening it was the sunset. I looked up from my desk to see the sky a deep pink with streaks of white and grey which just emphasised it's brilliance even more. If the sayings are to be believed, we are in for another good day tomorrow and I am meeting up with a client to walk in Greenwich Park. How lucky am I?

Just step away.

At the end of the day on Tuesday I felt as if I was in a washing machine being juggled and spun around. There were so many emails to be answered, pieces of work to be actioned, reading to do etc. etc. I really was not sure what to do first and the piles of paper on my desk were threatening to take over.

So on Wednesday, I stepped away from it all and sorted it out. I made lists, I cleared the piles of paper, I collected things together and put them into plastic files and at the end of the day I had a feeling of peace and calm.

Was it worth it? Yes.

I may have lost some time in that a few things did not get done but the clarity that is now there and the fact that I can see the surface of my desk and know where to find things means I am back being efficient again. Walking into my office this morning was blissful. and so conducive to working.

French Leave

We are chilling in France in our house at present and it's wonderful. It's also a much needed break as we have all been going flat out since the start of September, Ellie included. She has so many commitments to school clubs and other activities that Sunday is the only day with nothing happening. That has meant the discipline of homework being done dilligently every weekend or else trying to cram it into the week - not pleasant.

What a change here - the half term homework was carried out while walking along the fields and lanes around the village and the data collected was then written up this morning.

Yesterday was beautiful and reminded me yet again as to why this is my favourite time of the year in Burgundy. The colours are stunning at the moment as the leaves turn and in our local town of Clamecy, the autumnal fruits such as squashes and pumpkins have been used in the floral arrangements round the streets. The shop windows are all decorated for Halloween with cobwebs and witches and the supermarkets are full of Halloween sweet displays.

The sun is shining too, making the days warm and mellow although it gets very cold at night when the sun drops in the skies and is frosty when we awake. I do like it like this though and a wander to the recycling area yesterday morning turned into an hours walk as it was basically too good to miss.

Before I knew it I was striding off along the lanes and across the fields. All over the village were apple trees laden with fruit and the ditches too were full of the fruit that had got too heavy for the trees and had dropped to the ground. It was sad to think that all of this was just going to lie there so on my return to the house I headed down to our "wild garden" to pick apples from our own trees. These are now stewing and filling the kitchen with wonderful aromas.

It's colder today as the sun has not shown itself and we are staying in warmed by the blazing logs in the Godin. Some friends are joining us for dinner tonight and tomorrow - who knows? How good not to have to plan.

Have a look at http://www.frenchhideaways.com/ and see where we are.

Intuition

We were given intuition for a reason so pay attention to it. It's that 'inner voice', that 'gut feeling', that churning in your stomach and it's never wrong.

It's there to guide you and how often have you said after something - 'I knew I should have done that'.

Learn to trust it. I am pretty good at relying on my intuition now but today I paid the price for not listening. Something happened in July and I responded offering as much help as I could in the time available. I was able to help but there were other issues and I should have passed on it a few months later but I didn't and since then alarm bells have been ringing. Softly at first and then louder and even then I thought I knew better.

A few days ago, I took that action I should have taken months ago and immediately was at peace.

Listen to your intuition, practice and practice and always go with what it says.

I have learnt a harsh lesson but I know that this is often how I learn best. I won't be doing that again.

Chocolate

Do you like chocolate?

Did you know that it was Chocolate Week? Lasting from 15th - 21st October it is indeed a week of indulgent chocolate celebration throughout the UK. This is being celebrated through talks, tastings and demonstrations so have a look at http://www.chocolate-week.co.uk/ and see if there is anything near you that you can tap into.

I love chocolate but have been weaning myself off the milk chocolate variety as when I have some, I have been known to scoff the entire bar or even box if in the right mood. It's that wonderful sensation when it melts on your tongue and that velvet touch - mmmmm......

I am now into dark chocolate as I can have all the same sensations but I find a couple of squares satisfies my chocolate need. To make the enjoyment process as easy as possible I break up the chocolate bar into 2 square chunks, store it in a container and keep it in the fridge. Then when the nibbles come, I always have some to hand.

What are your chocolate tips? Any you'd like to share?

I love all the different types of dark chocolate you can get now especially Green and Blacks and all the chocolate shops etc that are setting up such as Hotel Chocolate where I spent many happy hours last Easter choosing a wonderful dark chocolate egg for my husband.

Alan manages to keep chocolate for ages so I would tempt him with a really good glass of deep red wine to we could enjoy the mix of it and good dark chocolate - together they are a great romantic treat.

Where have the weeks gone?

Does this happen to you too?

If you remember I'd decided not to beat myself up if I didn't blog every day. Well that was OK but it has now been nearly 2 weeks and every day I think, I've gotta blog today. I'll do it when I get this piece of work done but then that leads to something else and before you know.......

I bet a lot of you out there are agreeing with me.

I know I fill each day too full. Sometimes it all goes to plan and is great, but other days, it goes very astray and I have had a few of those recently. I am learning to ease off on the packing the day but I now have a back log and for my sanity I need to clear it.

So today and tomorrow are office based days and I am lazering through things and feeling better moment by moment. However, How do I ensure that I do not let this happen again. How do you do it? What is the learning here for me?

Will keep you posted but hey, it's good to have got this out on paper.

You can join in too...

I think it must be infectious this de-cluttering. So many people are now doing it and even more are asking for tips etc.

Yes, I am doing it but am no expert so I was very grateful to Rachel who came to my rescue with her Top Tips. No excuse at all now......

1. Set your intention... if you know clearly what you want your room or home to look like it's so much easier to let go of stuff that isn't going to fit your wonderful new look.

2. Draw up a timetable ... if you're contemplating doing the whole house work out a timetable, but do at least one room per week. If the task feels really daunting start with either the easiest or the room you currently hate the most. Getting either one of these sorted will give you a real energy boost and motivate you to get the rest of the house done.

3. No spare room... don't have a 'spare room' in the house, these automatically become dumping grounds, every room should have a purpose and be available for that purpose immediately, i.e. guests could arrive unannounced for the week and all you need to do is get the spare towels out!

4. Limit the boxes... have a limited number of boxes for storage and do not allow yourself to exceed the limit.

5. Six months or so... items you're not sure about letting go of yet but you're not using currently should go in a box with the date on. If you haven't opened the box in 6 months to a year (absolute maximum.) then get rid of it.

If you tend to keep things for emotional reasons or out of obligation, e.g. my auntie gave it to me10 years ago, then remember the gift was in her love and attention, not the actual item.

You can find out more about Rachel and what she does by visiting her website - http://www.spacerenovation.org.uk

Concise and simple, yet very powerful.

As a result of all the de-cluttering, I am now working may way through various piles of things. There is the 'to do' as soon as possible pile; the 'write up' pile, the 'sort through' pile and of course the 'reading' pile.

In this last pile I found an article about Rachel Elnaugh in which she stated three tips for business women and entrepreneurs. They were as follows:

1. Innovate
2. Be determined. Never say die, never give up, be relentless and try different ways
3. Have a strong brand, values and culture and really know what you stand for.

Simplicity in itself and with only three key points it makes this process much easier to remember. In those three tips you can sink or swim as every one is key to your business success.

Are you willing to follow them diligently and put in the work required to get your focus and clarity?
If so,congratulations.
If not, perhaps you should ask why you are in business

Visit Rachel’s website http://www.rachelelnaugh.com where you can take Rachel’s free profiling test to see what kind of an entrepreneur you are and can also access her Top Tips for Business Start Up Success.

The process continues with ever increasing positive results.

What a pleasure it was to walk into my office this morning. It seemed to have doubled in size or was that trebbled? Whatever, it has all happened as a result of my de-cluttering and taking it a stage further and moving things round.

For ages we have struggled with the lack of possibility to move furniture around. All seemed to be so essential. However, my creative husband spotted the opportunity of getting rid of a small area of work surface and that made it all happen. Bookcases that recently sat out into the floor are now all back against the wall and we even have room for an easy chair. In honour of that I bought the chair a bright red cushion!!

I love the space, I love the light it now seems to let in, or was that me cleaning all the windows? It feels fresh, vibrant and efficient.

Yes, there are still some piles of papers around to be sorted and a few files to go through. We don't really need all those books so Alan and I are going to work our way through those but it all seems so easy now and we really want to do it. That makes all the difference.

This morning I received an email from a colleague who is also going through a major de-clutter and she too is experiencing a growth in energy and clarity. She says "it feels like emerging from a chrysalis, very very slowly - but as we work through each cupboard, room, shed etc I feel the shift happening inside me, on so many levels. As I shift the clutter outside, so the stuff I have hung onto and has brought me down, down, down, is shifting inside."

Powerful stuff. If you feel inspired to join in, please do. I'd love to hear how you get on.

Buzzy times!!

Life is buzzing at the moment with loads happening.

Yesterday, I went to my first networking session since the holidays and what an energetic group it was. Lots of great women, many of whom I have either agreed to meet up with already or I will be in touch with and it was so nice to see Anne de Suisa there who I know from my days at Women in Docklands.

The networking was an Athena Event run by the lovely Rachel Daniel. Athena are spreading their wings with lots of new groups starting up. Visit http://www.theathenanetwork.com/. to find out your nearest group.

Then last night I was involved in two great teleclasses both full of ideas and inspirational advice. Trying to find time now to put it all into practice.

Today I have been re-launching my Tales from the Pavilion newsletter and getting to grips with new systems, what fun. It's swimming tonight so a chance to unwind. Hope you're having fun too.

Set up for the week ahead.

Did you have a good weekend? Mine was lovely.

On Saturday Ellie had a friend round to play after yoga so I had the time to really get even more into the office cleaning. So much better to do it at the weekend as there were no calls and I coule be in my oldest clothes. Not finished yet but the difference already is great and my energy levels are higher too.

On Sunday, Ellie and I had to go and buy a few more things for school and although neither of us really wanted to tramp round the shops, it was a good trip. The rest of the day I spent relaxing and then sharing a bottle or two of fizz with some really close friends.

A good weekend always sets you up nicely for the week ahead so there was no problem in hopping out of bed this morning and into my walking gear. Now that is my favourite start to the day and as usual I can back with lots of ideas. The problem is now finding the time and space to make them happen.

I can sense a great week ahead.

An unplanned and unexpected therapy session.

In 2000 I trained to be a coach and realised that I had been coaching for years as a manager, acquaintance and friend. I resigned from my job and set up my own business and a very good friend who I had met through work got herself on email.

For some reason I kept all our emails for the next 5 years. I was never sure why, it just seemed the right thing to do.

Today, in the middle of mega de-cluttering, I took time out to go through those emails. The experience was powerful.

I left my job, one I had been very happy in for most of my 10 years, because of bullying. At the time I did not realise that this was what was happening so as well as building my business, I was rebuilding my life.

Tineke, my friend in Holland , was also thinking of becoming a coach and was doing an NLP course and through our emails it was clear that we were providing great support to one another and she was providing great challenges to me through her questioning.

I was clearly on a journey to self-discovery and by revisiting this time in my life I was able to see the process through which I worked. Some of the questions I have re-answered today and they have been just as useful. I am also feeling proud of myself for how I coped and what I achieved. It has all spurred me on and as I work within the evolution of Walkers' Coach I feel more positive and confident about its future than ever before.

Thanks so much Tineke for all you have done and now I know why keeping the emails was so important.

Today, I have been able to throw out the emails, recycle the paper and move on.

Those summer intentions.

You may recall me setting a number of intentions for what I wanted to achieve this summer, well, I figured this was the time to review these and come clean on how I had got on.

This is what I set and in red is how I got on:
1. To have a fun and loving family holiday in the States - we really had a great time and saw and did so much. I have to be honest and say that on a couple of occasions I craved my own space. Being together, all three of us, for 23 days and virtually 24 hours a day does take its toll.
2. To see and experience at least three new things and three new places on holiday - no problem here. The three new things were riding on 'Soaring Over California' at the California Adventure park in Disney; Matanza Creek Wines at their wonderful winery just outside Sonoma; seeing a black bear in the wild when it walked out in front of our car in Yosemite. The three places were Yosemite - what an amazing place; San Diego - we had 5 days here with friends and packed in so much and the Inn at Playa del Rey - I want to go right back there, it is the most wonderful place I have ever stayed at.
3. To hike a little of the John Muir trail - a very little as I thought it might be due to extreme heat, touching 100 degrees and only having two days in Yosemite park with so much to see.
4. With my birthday money to buy a fabulous designer handbag - I bought a designer bracelet instead from a wonderful guy called Ramon who both designed and made it. Why not the bag, well my deal friend Carolyn in San Diego very generously gave me a designer coach bag that she had never really used. It is gorgeous and she was so delighted to find the right person to give it to. I love it.
5. To finish my 365 ways book - I have got it out, I have added a few more tips to it but I have not completed it yet. It is sitting here though and is scheduled in my work planner now.
6. To tidy the office and get everything off the floor - I have done much better here than I thought. Everything is off the floor, no more piles to trip over. I have been really ruthless and really enjoyed making space and of course the space is in my head now too. I have not finished yet (where did I get so much stuff?) but I am not giving up now until it is complete.
7. To lose another 5 lbs weight - as you might imagine I put some weight on in the states, all those breakfasts that I love but since I came home I have shed that weight and am back on track for losing more.

Looking back at all of this I am really quite delighted at the results. The whole reason for doing it was because so many of us at the end of a period like the summer wonder just what we did with the time. I know if I had not set these intentions, I would not have done as much and thought I did not complete 100% I feel I achieved a lot and will definitely try this again.

Seize the moment

For those of us living in the UK, hasn't it been an awful summer? Not at all what we had hoped for and in many cases so much rain that great flooding and subsequent damage was caused. August was better than July but for some that was little consolation.

Now there are some people who do not like the sun but I'm not one of those. I love the warmth on my skin, the opportunity to eat, work and play outdoors. It makes me feel good, increases my energy and is a favourite tonic.

In London we have had some sun over the last few days but somehow when I was ready to go out and enjoy it, the clouds had covered it up again. Well not yesterday.

I had been busy at the keyboard all day and also had a large

pile of reading to get through. The sun was shining so carefully checking the cloud cover I spent the next hour swinging in the hammock chair, cup of tea on the ground beside me and a huge pile of journals etc on the table. It was blissful.

You can see me in the photo oblivious to the world around me and do you know, it was so easy to get through the reading in such a lovely location.

It was about 5 when I finished and blue skies still reigned above. A glass of wine at 5.00p.m. on the Pavilion veranda is often reserved for a Friday but I found myself thinking "what guarantee is there that on Friday there will be sunshine and blue skies?"

The result was inevitable and I had to twist no arms at all to get my husband to stop what he was doing and join me.

You can see below that we look very relaxed and happy people.

It was definitely a moment or 60 worth savouring and yes, my blog did not get written yesterday but I'm sure you will forgive me. The bonus of that time in the sun just cannot be measured and I urge you to seize the moment too on a regular basis.

What's in the planning now?

It's that back to school time and even if you do not have children everyone notices the differences it makes.

There seem to be more cars on the road especially at the beginning of the school and at the end too but that doesn't coincide with as many people; public transport is busier as people come back to routine - I always notice it on the tube; people are easier to get in touch with again and newsletters and other information starts to flow more freely.

I get that new start feeling again, do you? I have never been able to shake off the school term/school term feeling. It's the chance to take that new canvas and start again.

Think of what you want to achieve. What would you like to do between now and Christmas? It can be as small or as large as you like but I'm sure there's something. Let us know what you pick.

I'm getting back into my walking with the East End Girls and no doubt planning some challenges. I'll keep you posted on what they are. I can feel the excitement building.......

Walking rocks!

Catching up on my reading today, I came across a recent poll by the American Council on Exercise who asked fitness experts which was the most important exercise in a workout.

I was delighted to see that walking was in top six. The others were squats; running; ab work; lunges and push ups. Many of the above go hand in hand with walking. I use lunges and squats and after I walk and also some ab work especially as it is so good for strengthening your back and it was trouble with my back that got me into walking in the first place.

Review your workout and see just how well you are doing.

The end of the summer...

Well that's how it feels.

The weather has been cloudy and overcast and the house seems to need the lights on so much earlier. Still it has been a good one and a long one for us too.

In our house we are getting geared up for back to school on Wednesday, all activities which start this week too - yoga started this morning and my diary has loads of appointments in it for next week. Alarms - I am not too keen on those.

If you live in the northern hemisphere, I guess many of you are in the same situation. How are you going to make it a great autumn?

I am not going to give you many ideas, well not now but one strong is to get into the walking. While Ellie was at yoga, I went exploring and found some great new places to walk. IT was fun and as it was hilly, a good workout too!!

Long live long summers and lack of routine.

Although the weather is currently cold, grey and wet in London, I was just thinking today about how much I love the flexibility that running my own business gives me.

During term time, I am in much more of a routine tending to work from 7.00 a.m. if I have early clients through to 5.00p.m. Sometimes I am in the office, other times I am at networking events, meting up with clients or colleagues or training but I try to keep evenings free for the family and I do not, as a rule, work weekends.

It has taken me a while to get to this point and it is only when something urgent needs delivered or a deadline looms that I work late or am away from home. I work hard but it also means that I can be there for school events and if we have guests I can take some time off and catch up on other occasions.

Actually without realising it, I do more work outside my hours that I realise because I am often reading - either books on my own personal development or business building or I am researching walks and catching up on events etc that I feel we should be part of.

In holiday time it is different and I am well aware that the long summers will draw to an end as my daughter gets older and does not need, or want, as much of my time. That makes it all even more precious.

Since she has been at school we have tried to take the summer off. However, it is not completely off, it is more about knowing that there are a few things I want to do and then doing them when the time is free. Hence the reason I am blogging now. I worked in the office this morning planning for September and then we had friends and their children for lunch. On Monday, I took Ellie to meet up with other friends and we visited the British Museum and planned to climb the Monument but sadly it is closed. Yesterday Alan took Ellie to the cinema and we have entertained other friends, organised sleep overs, gone swimming etc. We have had some great family time and of course had over three weeks in the States too.

There is no alarm to wake us up, breakfasts are leisurely and long and it's doing us all so much good. Tonight my mum arrives so I will be entertaining her too. I know, however, that the conversations will spawn thoughts relevant to work, we will try out some new walks and I'll use the down time to catch up on my emails, blog and read as the flow suggests.

Get ahead

I came across a new website today which those of you looking for new jobs or careers might be interested in.

One of the things that I often stress to my career devleopment clients is the need to invest time and effort in their job and carer searches so that they are ahead of the rest. This is also what www.targetchances.co.uk suggests and offers you the chance to do so by attending one of their events. Have a browse at the site and see for yourself.

They offer you "an expenses-paid taste of working life that give an opportunity to meet recruiters and talk to representatives from the industry."

Sounds good to me.

The Importance of good friends.

We had a dinner party last night with 5 really good friends and their children.

When planned, we had hoped that we would be able to enjoy a balmy summer evening on the patio while the kids, especially the boys could run off their excess energy on the lawn. Instead it was grey and wet and the children took over the house apart from the dining room and kitchen.

Alan cooked a fantastic 4 course meal with the theme of lemons running through; conversation and laughter, like the wine, flowed freely and as we climbed into bed about 2.30 this morning, we considered ourselves very blessed to have such great friends whose company we value over and above many other things in life. People who help us out in a crisis and vice versa, people whose company is so easy and comfortable and people who we can debate and discuss all issues with and still raise a glass together.

Travelling light?

Have you had your holiday yet? Is it on the horizon? Are you planning the next one?

One issue re holidays is the amount of luggage you take with you. I always have this plan to travel light and I recall sitting in the sun on holidays last year , making a list of what I would take this year. I was taking on board that once again I had packed too much. Of course when this year's packing came around, could I find my list? Of course not and of course I packed too much.

My justification was the fact that I was travelling around and wasn't sure how much chance I would get to wash things out but I did get the chance and I also bought new things as it was all so cheap. Wherever you go anyhow, it is nearly possible to buy a new t-shirt or toiletries.

It also depends how long you are away for. I do recall travelling very lightly once on a long weekend and I felt so smug only having hand luggage and being so co-ordinated that it all worked.

Vicky White looks at the whole packing light issue as a metaphor for life. She says "Travel lightly through life, and you'll be more present, more passionate, more on purpose, and open to your inner journey in a whole new way."

Now this puts a whole new perspective on it and it's one that I like. That needs to be kept somewhere safe for my next trip no matter how long it is for.

Happy travelling.

Job satisfaction - what gives you yours

There have been a number of surveys regarding job satisfaction recently and I would just like to mention two.

The first brought to my attention was one carried out by Office Angels here in the UK. They asked office workers what they wanted and what came out over and above money was: - a one hour lunch break; the return of the tea trolly; an annual outing and subsidised canteen. We know that a break helps to recharge batteries, clear your head and therefore make it easier to bring creativity and energy to the fore in what can be a draining 'after lunch slump'. As you know, I am a great advocate of getting out there for a walk at lunch time. Why not try it and see for yourself? Make yourself your own guinea pig for a month and see what happens. Why a month? Well all research says that it takes 28 days to change a habit. Are you up for the challenge? If I can help, let me know. I can send you tips or have a chat with you.

The other things people want, well I would say it is down to feeling cared for and valued. Again they all encourage people to take a break and to socialise. Your thoughts are very welcome.

The other survey was featured in the Atlanta Journal Constitution last weekend. I found out about this through Vicky White's excellent newsletter - Design Your Life. You can sign up to it on her site http://www.lifedesignstrategies.com/.

The newspaper quoted a job satisfaction survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. As a result, the most satisfying jobs were among professions that involve caring for, protecting or teaching others as well as creative pursuits.

27,500 random workers in 198 occupations were questioned between 1988 and 2006 and those most satisfied were members of clergy, followed by physical therapists and fire fighters then other occupations in the top 10 were education administrators, painters/sculptors, teachers, authors, psychologists, special education teachers and operating engineers.

The people questioned defined job satisfaction as doing work that really mattered to them, being creative, helping others and providing an opportunity for life long learning.

Food for thought indeed. Are you satisfied with your job? How could it be more satisfying to you? What would you need to change? Perhaps you know that you are not doing what you want, what then would you do? Don't you owe it to yourself to have that satisfaction.

I did it again.....

... got involved in other things and ended up not blogging. Now you probably don't notice, it's me being hard on myself so I should just stop it and accept that on some days I may not blog and on other days you may hear from me more than once! Why oh why do we beat ourselves up? Shall we decide not to go there anymore? Great.

A video cam in my home this morning would have given all a laugh as I awoke suddenly to see my husband look out the window and then rush out the door clutching the waste paper bin and muttering something about forgetting the rubbish! Half asleep I leapt out of bed and followed him, gathering up the waste bins from various rooms and heading down the office to get the rubbish from there too. I could hear the bin lorry in the street outside.

Next thing and all the excitement was over as Alan walked slowly back into the house with all bags bar one and a box. 'Sorry mate' the bin man had said 'too late'.

Now what harm would it have done to stop for a minute or two and collect two extra bags. It's all back in our own bin until next week and we consoled ourselves with a cup of tea in the sunshine... and laughed about the lack of customer service.

Now we have been putting the rubbish out for years on a Thursday night so what made us forget? Lack of routine probably. We are working on school holiday time where all days seem the same and I was convinced that yesterday was a Friday. That means today must be Saturday.....

I'm off bowling.

Failure.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better" so said Samuel Beckett.

That makes me feel better as the number of steps I managed yesterday was far far below my total of the day before. I am quite embarassed to say that I only managed 3,130 - how awful is that?

I know why it happened. It was a horrible day so I did not walk first thing due to pouring rain and then, as happens, I got engossed in other work and the weather was still uninspiring. It is scary though that I walked less than 1/3 of what I did the day before.

I will of course keep at it and I am wearing my pedometer as I write but I have decided that the rest of August will be the trial and shape up and I shall start my experiment in September so there is plenty of time if you want to register your interest in being a 'stepper' too.

...and did you know that failure is a crucial part of the creative process? You see again Simple Abundance has given me the info I need when I need it. Sarah Ban Breathnach goes on to say that authentic success arrines only after we have mastered failing better.

Oodles of blackberries.

I passed bushes of soon to be ripe blackberries last week and noted this. Then this morning I passed those same bushes resplendent in bright sunlight and laden with ripening fruit. Some glistened in the sunlight and others have yet to reach their potential.

Must come and pick some I thought and I have.

I have to admit to being propelled by a few lines written on blackberry picking my my friend and colleague in her recent newsletter she mentioned doing it years ago when she first came to Essex and then proceeded to say that she had picked 3 lbs yesterday.

I looked at the dark clouds and thought about the forecast warning of rain to come. It seemed wrong to let the fruit get damaged by the rain so I now have a large container full of fresh glossy black fruit and am planning blackberry puree to have with baked peaches, blackberry crumble and anything else that comes to mind.

More meaningful messages.

Wow, the first piece of paper I pick up after writing my blog and it says:
"Within each of us is a hidden store of energy. Energy we can release to compete in the Marathon of life"

Mine is being released and I believe that it is an unending supply. There is all the energy there that I need for all I need and want to do and more. This is also true for you, so what are you waiting for?

Such a buzz!

My energy is so high today, I feel a bit like Tigger. It feels so good to have had all the insight from my recent readings and to feel that everything is coming together again.

I was dancing around the kitchen as I made breakfast and I have been so productive in my decluttering.

I wish you energy and clarity too. Have a great day, I am.

Just what I needed.

Thanks to the Universe for serving me exactly what I needed, yet again.

I have been letting my gremlin sew seeds of doubt, I have been lacking in self belief and in the confidence of my ability and although I had hoped that it would all come together again when I was on leave, it didn't.

I now know that I was meant to begin reading 'Simple Abundance' again the other day as the dated insights had the messages I needed to read.

As I commented earlier today, first there was the need to rediscover my personal gifts which I have started work on and now I read that to explore my talents and to discover or recover my creativity, I just need to offer and open heart and a willingness to serve and I do. I welcome in whatever the Universe wishes to give me to make me that creative conduit and to manifest my dream which is my walking business, the lifestyle it will bring to me and the many, many benefits it will bring to others. Yes, please bring it on now.

The responses to my ideas for walkers' coach that I received when in the States plus my own belief will now be concentrated on and just watch what happens.

As Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe says -
"Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it;
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."

I am there.

Do it at the time.

How did I manage not to blog yesterday? I even read something fairly early in the day that was meaningful and that I wanted to share but somehow it never got on the blog.

I kept thinking 'I'll do it when I have done 'x'' or 'after lunch I'll set aside time to blog'. My new mantra has got to be to 'do it at the time' - then it is done and I feel better and I have also given you something new to read. If 'the time' is not ideal then I need to write it down on a post it note and give my blogging the next priority. Let's see if it works as the following week pans out.

So what was I going to share?

It was a line out of August 9th's Simple Abundance - a great book by Sarah Ban Breathnach which I have just gone back to reading. In it she writes - "Commit to discovering, acknowledging, appreciating, owning and honouring your personal gifts."

This was very meaningful for me as I have recently been questioning what my personal gifts are? I seem to have got lost in the fog a little and have a lack of focus.

As Sarah writes " it is hard to be true to our gifts if we do not know what they are". From my experience of all my clients, I know that I am not the only person who is a little lost concerning my gifts. What are yours? You will have loads.

Get out that pen and paper and start writing and if you are struggling ask others what they think. As people you trust who you know will be honest with you and ask then what they feel you are good at? What they would say your skills are? What is it about you that they envy? etc. Put aside some questions and ask face to face or telephone or even email them - this is how I am going to do it as I believe the email approach gives people time to think through the question and respond with thought and consideration. I shall do mine next week and will report back. I would love to hear how you get on, email me on heather@waringwell.com or heather@walkerscoach.com

You'll find out some wonderful things so step out of that comfort zone and give it a go; it could change your life.

Life Organisation

I bought a book in the States (who am I kidding, I bought lots of books) but this particular one - The Life Organiser, was bought in a beautiful minimalist shop that had only been open for two weeks. Holly the owner, was a lovely lady who suggested her favourite winery as one we should visit (we were in Sonoma at the time) and more about that later but she also stocked a few carefully chosen books and the most wonderfully soft shawls from Nepal and the most divine candles which sadly, were far too heavy to carry home.

I started to work through the book today and had to smile as I was reading it. The term 'Life Organisation' in the sense of 'let's sort life out' has been one I have used for ages and one of my closest friends used to get quite agitated when I would say this. She always felt she was in for a deep and serious session on the state of her life when it was often my way of saying 'OK, let's give some thought to the present situation and where we want to go'. Often it was about deciding what to do for the rest of the day. When I became a coach I think she felt that I had found an outlet for my 'let's sort life out' needs.

The book is about tuning in with ourselves by asking powerful questions and really listening to our feelings and our heart when coming up with the answers. I know this is something that I could benefit from as although ruled by my heart and not my head, I do find my brain buzzing with ideas and thoughts and often dragging my concentration away. I often ignore or not give the priority to the messages that my body is sending me. I need to find ways of focusing more so I am hoping that this book and it's insights might help.

There is a website with the book http://www.lifeorganizerbook.com so have a look at it and see if it brings you any useful insights too.

Settling back in........

The holiday we have just had was very different from chilling out in our house in France or round the pool of my favourite hotel in the Costa Brava; both of these are what we have spent the last few summers doing. This USA one was action packed and the longest we stayed in any one place was 5 days. With hindsight, it would have been good to have fitted in a few chill out days - point to take on board for future similar trips.

As a result I am now taking some of that time to chill but also to consider how I want to move on both in terms of future strategy and workload but also how I want my life to look and feel for me. There is so much learning and therefore adjustments to be made as I strive to find the ideal balance for my lifestyle. If this is something that you too are searching for, keep striving and like me, review constantly taking on board what works well and eradicating that which doesn't.

One thing I am very aware of as I write is the tension I get in my neck and shoulders. It is always worse when I return to my desk and I am very aware that I do not keep my shoulders down as much as I should. This is going to be a priority for me over the next few weeks and months. What might your priority be?

Whatever it is, make sure you build in the 'me' time - it really does pay. The investment in you can make you less stressed and hassled and more of a pleasure to be around and if you are a mum in the middle of the school holiday season, we need as much help as we can to remain calm and ready to provide organisation, entertainment etc.

My daughter is currently on a 'High School Musical' theatre workshop so is away from 9.00 - 4.00. Having to get her there has been a blessing as has the car being unwell, honestly. Yesterday I opted to pick her up as I knew it would mean I could fit in a 50-60 minute walk there and today I took her there by cab so I could walk back. It got me back into my daily fitness routine quickly and as the weather here is so great at present it has helped to top up my tan too.

As I left her off this morning I walked past a lovely little cafe which had just opened and decided to take the opportunity of some time out. I spent a glorious hour sitting in the morning sunshine enjoying the most wonderful cappuccino and croissant and watching the world go by. Did I feel guilty? No. I had already got my daughter to her workshop; had done a little unexpected networking with a mum and business woman I met there with her son; I was just about to walk back therefore fitting in my exercise and thinking time and I had also had some me time. This is just the sort of thing I want to be a daily occurrence in my working life. I now feel laid back and productive so bring on more of it. I just need to work out how this will work for me once the pace cranks back up again and I will share any observances.

Have a great day, I intend to.

Long time, no contact!!

Yes, it has been a while, hasn't it? Also my blogging was anything but regular prior to going on leave - still I have now returned from a fantastic trip to California and aim to get right back into the blogging, well I do have loads to tell and as usual, I have returned full of ideas and inspiration. So watch out over the next few weeks.

California was wonderful and we all agreed that one of the highlights had to be the black bear that ambled across the road in front of the car as we drove down from one of the tremendous view points in Yosemite. We had seen loads of animals on our trip but as you might expect most were in the zoo or at Sea World in San Diego. On our first evening in Yosemite we had seen squirrels but there were so many of them I became rather blasé, and they were all grey as opposed to the red one I saw when walking in the Isle of Wight.

We also saw a deer at quite close proximity and on the last day the chipmunks that Ellie so much wanted to see. We also heard about Cougars being spotted by the staff on the Sugar Pine Railroad but here was a wild animal and we were in its territory. I still have to pinch myself.

Throughout the States there are many bears in the wild and they put the coward in me off walking some of these long distance trails as you do have to camp out but perhaps I shall overcome that one. Interestingly when we were away the newspapers ran a story about a number of people who had holiday homes in the Lake Tahoe area arriving to find their homes inhabited by bears! It was all put down to the fact that people do feed the bears although all signs we saw warned against this and also the close proximity of food overall.

I started the year off aware that I needed to blog more and I was very successful, keeping it up until I went off in May to Peru. This time it is my intention to be even more successful - keep in touch to see just how I do.

Intentions.

Last month it was balance and I am still working on this one, this month the word is intention and I intend to integrate this back into my life in a stronger way than has been the case recently.

So what is an intention? Well a couple of definitions that I like here - 'an underlying sense of purpose or planning' and 'an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions'.

I have intentions of what I plan to achieve every day as I am sure you have too but sometimes they are subconscious and at other times they are unrealistic. At one point, not that long ago I would use my walking time first thing in the morning to set my intentions and then they were well thought out and were regularly achieved. That is what I aim to get back to. So as I walk along I shall be setting my intentions for the day and bedding them into my thoughts.

Would that work for you? Not necessarily as you walk but at some point in the day. It need not take long but you will be amazed at how efficient it all is.

I've got a task for you. Instead of turning around at the end of the summer and wondering where all that time went, how about setting some intentions now which you can revisit at the start of September and then you can evaluate your success.

As usual, I have lots of plans so let me share them with you and in that way they will also be act as extra accountability. Here goes:-
1. To have a fun and loving family holiday in the States
2. To see and experience at least three new things and three new places on holiday
3. To hike a little of the John Muir trail
4. With my birthday money to buy a fabulous designer handbag
5. To finish my 365 ways book
6. To tidy the office and get everything off the floor
7. To lose another 5 lbs weight

Wish me luck and have a go at setting your own. It would be lovely to hear what your intentions are.

What fun!!

The forecast for yesterday was not quite as expected so perhaps we could have walked after all but it was nice to have some time at home. Sunshine was also nice and apart from the big shower just after I put out my washing - typical, we have enjoyed sunshine again. Is July going to be a drier and sunnier month? I do hope so, it always puts me in a much better frame of mind.

What I wanted to share with you today though, was a wonderful quote which I found scribbled on a scrap piece of paper. It says "Life is uncertain, eat dessert first" How wonderful, I just love the sentiments and it makes my thoughts turn to chocolate and the permission to eat it. You have permission too so have fun.

Grab each moment and enjoy it to the full.

Last year I dedicated my Breakthrough Breast Cancer Walk to many women but two were singled out, one was Roo whose wedding I attended in France a couple of weeks ago and the other was Bev.

Sadly, very suddenly and unexpectedly Bev died last night and I have just found out.

Everyone deals with cancer differently and for a long time, although I was in regular contact with her, I did not see Bev - it was what she wanted. However, her battle did not always run smoothly and when she had to have more treatment she invited me to visit. Her shoulder length auburn hair had fallen out and was now wispy, short and grey but she still looked the 'beautiful Bev' I had always named her. She told me that getting back to everything being perfect again might take longer than she hoped so she had decided to stop punishing herself and see people. We spent a wonderful 3-4 hours together laughing, reminiscing, eating pastries and enjoying each other company.

I did not see her again but I am so glad I had that time with her. Bev would be the first to say, enjoy each moment so for my dear friend, please do.

The journey continues.

What is happening? I am even calmer and more laid back than my daughter and three times in the space of a couple of hours, my husband commented on my calm state. I love it.

Alan arrived back from 5 days in Dubai so we took the opportunity to go out for lunch as tonight he will be exhausted. We should do it more often or perhaps it is because we don't do it too often that we appreciate it. It was a lovely way to spend some of Friday though and with a long walk tomorrow and a chilled out Sunday, it is a weekend I am very much looking forward to.

It all keeps the balance in mind too. How are you getting on?

The balance journey.

I have been investigating the balance issue and looking to learn from the recent past as to what has brought about this relaxation and calm. For me, I feel that will be key in helping me retain it and I hope it will also be of help to you in terms of your creating your own calm and balance.

When I sat down at my computer this morning, the first thing I saw was my 'balance' card and it really is a great reminder. Just before starting to blog , I found myself thinking about how I felt and whether I was retaining balance.

I must add though that balance is always in flux and it is important that you know this. It is not static, well not over a long period of time anyway as things in our lives are not constant. The challenge is to make sure that overall we have the balance we want in our lives and need.

There will always be times when life is hectic, fraught with tasks and things to do and at times like this balance is hard. If this is for a short period of time, we can cope and we can catch up later but if it goes on too long that is when the problems start.

So what do you think? How are you on all of this? Do you need to make changes? Do you even know what balance means to you? If not, spend some time over the next week or so just noting when you feel good and what causes that. What is happening when things flow and you feel in control and able to get things done? Then what happens when the reverse is true?

In the photo above I can recall very easily how I was - relaxed; calm; grounded; at 'one' with the world; in control; doing what I wanted; in the company of lovely people; had just achieved a great goal; had been able to have a shower etc.

It's interesting that when I first went to find a photo of me relaxed, I went to look at beach photos and although I am relaxed lying in the sun, this one fits so much better. I use my walking to relax me and to ensure that I get balance in my life. In fact over the last 2 years walking has revolutionised my life.

Well back to where I started and the factors that have brought about my calm and relaxed state of mind and therefore enabled me to work more easily on my balance. In Peru where I chilled out I was :- getting a good nights sleep; in the fresh air most of the day and all of it when I was on the actual trek; exercising regularly and eating healthily. In France, I was :- getting lots of sleep, relaxing and doing what I choose to do - even though the dishes, shopping and gardening still needed doing; in the fresh air as much as I could; exercising through gardening and some walking and eating well and healthily.

In France the healthy eating did tail off a little towards the end of the week due to wedding preparations and the day itself and the sleep was well eaten in too but both those things I have been careful to deal with since I came home. I could have let it go but I know how feeling this way benefits not only me so I have worked at it and catching the demise early is always easier.

I hope there are insights for you. Let me know.

Where has the last month gone?

Well of course I know, but I cannot believe that so much time has elapsed since I last wrote. It seems no time at all that I was in Peru and I have been in France since then too.

First and foremost, yes, I did it, I walked the Inca Trail and so did the whole of the wonderful group I was with. It was a great experience and I have to keep looking at my photos as already the reality of it is fading as life just moves on.

Here is a photo of our group on the morning that we started the trek. We were on our way by coach to Km 82 and we got out to take photos at this wonderful spot.




Some of the peaks seen here were with us on the entire walk and that was very comforting. This photo was taken about 7.00a.m and it was still quite cold but as you can see very beautiful.

There is so much to tell you and share with you about the trip and the only way I am going to be able to do it is bit by bit so please bear with me.

Although the clear focus of the actual trip is fading, the one thing that I brough back with me, which I still have, is a great feeling of calm and relaxation. I have now maintained that through a week of working and a sometimes hectic half term week. I plan to keep it as it feels really good and I have not raised my voice once or got angry since. Quite amazing really. I am exploring the whole issue as I want to take the lessons and pass them on to others. I have to say that I feel great.
Just one last thing to share and that is that the word for the week is balance.

What am I talking about? Well, a number of years ago a friend and fellow coach bought me a pack of cards with different words on them. There are many ways to use them but I tend to pick a random card and then work with it in the way that seems relevant and beneficial to me. Today I picked 'balance' which felt a really good way of working on maintaining the balance that I currently have and am enjoying.

It is placed beside my computer and is reminding me of the need to have that balance all through my day. It's made me ensure that I take a lunch break, something I do not always do, and I also made sure I fitted a walk in today even though I could not do my first thing in the morning one.

If your word was also balance, how would it work for you? What could you do to ensure that you had balance in your life? What would balance be like for you? Have a go and see what you achieve.

Back at home again.

The last week has gone very quickly due to us all being out of routine but now we are all back home again now after our adventures. Ellie has been on an outward bound trip with school and Alan and I took advantage to get away ourselves and headed off to do some Pointless Odyssey in the Welsh Border area. - http://www.pointlessodyssey.blogspot.com/ We've all had a great time but more about that when I blog on the Pointless Odyssey site over the weekend.

It's the last weekend before I had off to Peru for my Inca Trail so I have a list of things to do and have just discovered that the bank have not sent me my replacement bank card so I have some issues to sort, namely access to money.

I also have some flights to America to sort out. Watch this space and find out how it all pans out. I am sure everything will be fine.

What progress!

One of the things I wanted from this weekend was productivity and boy have I got it. I am feeling very calm and prepared now as I move into the last week before I go to Peru.

I had the trial run with the kitbag today and got everything in, it was really that easy and that is with my big jacket which I have not decided whether I am taking or not. There is extra room too. I emailed my packing list to the girls, some of whom are feeling rather lost about knowing what to take and Teresa (always on the ball) has added that hers is similar. Smile on face.

Really there are only last minute things to do now and some shopping for suntan cream and wetwipes.

Ellie is all ready and the accommodation is booked for Alan and me. I am really looking forward to having some one to one time with my lovely husband and some exercise is great walking areas. We are going to be on part of Offa's Dyke Path on Wednesday - I can feel the wish to walk it all rising!

I have also found out loads more about what we can do in California and to Ellie's pleasure there are a number of waterparks. Alan will be delighted with that too. I can spend time on the lazy river or go off walking.

Finally sorted through some of my mega paper piles and threw things out - great feeling and everything is so organised for more productivity tomorrow. Another good week coming up.

Lists and more lists

Due to my dedicated list making time on Friday, I started off yesterday with a pretty good idea of what I wanted to achieve.

Ellie is off to Glasbury in Wales tomorrow on her first outward bound trip so it was here that I started. In my subconscious thoughts I clearly was worried about not having the clothes list to handy so when I awoke at 6.00a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep, I started searching.

Searching for something usually has positive side effects and this was no exception. In going through piles of paper I was able to organise the filing, retrieve a few bills that needed paying and find the paper in question. The rest was relatively easy - the only challenge the old trainers which I shall go and have a final look for in a moment or two.

I also managed to research the ferry times for the Isle of Wight and perhaps I can leave Susan to finalise this when I am away. There will no doubt be responses from the rest of the girls today.

OK off on the shoe search......

Random Huggers

Do you want to be one? Do you want to meet one?

Well until today I was no wiser than you, but then again what an assumption to make, you may be one of these generous people. If you are, I salute you and if you aren't read on.....

A couple of weeks ago I met a loved lady called Margedand she sent an email saying "I did this last year. It is *amazing* and absolutely worth it. Feel free to pass on to anyone you think might like to join in the loveliness." so I had a look at the website and am now so much better informed. Have a look at http://www.randomhuggers.com/

Random Huggers day is Sunday May 6th and you can join in on an organised random hug - sounds a little strange to organise something random but you will understand when you read it, or you can organise your own.

With all the negative things happening in the world, we could all do with a little more affection.

If you do go to the website, click on 'power of a hug' on the bottom left of the home page, it's such a wonderful story.

The Inca Trail is not forgotten, I am still out there walking and working on my lists, today I had a great pedicure in preparation....

The challenge of organising.

Organising anything is never easy and definitely not straight forward and the more people involved the harder it gets. I am sure many of you have experienced this in everything from family get togethers, to meetings, away days and for me walking trips.

The hardest thing, especially where pleasure is concerned is having to disappoint someone at some point as the dates suit everyone else better.

On going for the final confirmation for the Isle of Wight Walk, people's circumstances have changed since last discussed - that's why you go back for final go ahead but once again we are in flux. We'll get there but it would be so lovely to be able to wave that magic wand and take everyone.

Great networking last night at Business Junction's (BJ) Business Directory Launch.

The venue was stunning - Christ Church in Spitalfields which is a Hawksmore Church and is now often used as a venue for an array of different events. It was an evening 'do' which I prefer and it was so nice to meet up with some 'old' faces and then meet some new ones too.

Having experienced both lunchtime and evening networking under the BJ umbrella, I do find the latter much more relaxing and less frenetic. At lunch time more people seem intent on rushing around trying to get round as many people as possible and collect as many cards as they can. In the evening, it's more relaxed. I suppose people are in 'wind down' mode, they enjoy a glass of wine or two and the emphasis seems to be more conducive to building relationships.

I came away from last night with some really good contacts which I feel could lead to some great business and perhaps that is why I have been in such a positive and reved up frame of mind today.

I decided it was time to 'go for it' and see what I could organise so I have been following up business leads, making contact with possible partners and just exploring ideas. It's been great and of course has a motivating effect. If you don't ask, you don't get and the worst that can happen is that people say 'no'. What have you really got to lose?

That little patch of heaven.

There is a little patch of disused land between houses not far from me and I often pass it on my walking routes. Sometimes it looks pretty desolate, sometimes a bit of a dumping ground but in April it is a haven of blue when the bluebells come out.

The scent is very strong and for me evocative taking me back to my childhood where spring and summer were spent in the woods behind our home.

Today I noticed that the land has been cleared to make way for yet more houses. Benefits for some but it just seems as if no plot of land can be free from development now and I for one felt great sadness because this year there will be no bluebells to brighten up my day.

Keep going, it will all pan out in time.

Out walking with one of my clients this a.m. I was asking if she had seen any changes since we had started working together - this was her fourth session. Her response was yes, and then she paused. I must admit that I was wondering what was coming next!!

She added that she was both energised and tired but on further analysis it became clearer. She was mentally energised as a result but physically more tired. Phew, this is something I would expect.

Walking is as important for our mental health as our physical health and mental energy is a great benefit - it's an addition, partly due to clearing the head and also due to the endorphins. As in my clients case, it came fairly quickly, often it is immediate but in the case of our physical health we have got to expend the energy first. We need to use those muscles that perhaps have not been used as much and we also push them at a harder pace.

Initially that is going to tire those muscles, hence the tired feeling. However, keeping at it, the muscles will soon be able to cope and will adjust to this new level. Of course then we'll work them harder still so there will always be short periods of that tired feeling. All perfectly normal though and the result is a situation like training my team for the Breakthrough Walk last year when we started off with one hour walks and graduated to being able to walk for two days covering 22 miles on one and 16 on the second.

What action!!

Further to yesterday's post, I have been singing Sarah's praises. I feel so much lighter and really empowered as a result of our wardrobe session.

I continued sorting through things yesterday evening and discovered a number of pieces of clothing that my new slimline figure could get into - what joy. So now the liberated space in my physical wardrobe has been refilled but that's OK.

I also made a list of all the things I had to do regarding my clothes - alterations, big and small. New things to buy etc and sent off a list of 12 to Sarah today. I have now completed 6 and am I pleased with myself? You bet I am.

I think this is my new approach.

Wardrobe makeover

It's been rather an exciting start to the week as this morning I had a wardrobe makeover. This is something I have been interested in doing for a long time and through a contact it all came together.

I wasn't sure what to expect but I wasn't disappointed. Sarah takes a very holistic approach which fits nicely with my take on things and we started by having a long chat so she could get to know me. It all makes sense really as how can you advise if you do not know people's lifestyle, likes and dislikes.

From there it was upstairs to have a good look at my clothes. Many she approved of - always good, others we clearly had joint views of 'well that's OK' and there were a couple of things she just refused to talk about. By this time, I had got a feel for her too, so cast those things aside straight away.

It was all very liberating and as with all decluttering I can feel the mental space that has resulted. There is also physical space in the wardrobe and I have made a decision that something being 'OK' is no longer good enough so I had added considerably to the 'cast out' pile. The charity shop will love me as I pitch up with loads of bags and there are a couple of things that have never been worn at all which hopefully will make someone's day.

The message that came out loud and clear for me was the need to buy some new shoes and boots with killer heels and to invest in a new bag or two - Bicester village is definitely going to get a visit from me. I also need to make a visit to the seemstress near the station to get some skirts and jackets altered and to John Lewis to buy some new buttons and update a couple of jackets.

I'm looking forward to it and would urge some of you out there to have a session too. You can contact Sarah through her website http://www.sarah-jean.com/ where you can see the packages she offers.