What do you want?

24th August 2019

Sept 2019 – June 2020

For many years now, I’ve coincided my ‘New Year’ with the start of the academic school year. Making plans for the year ahead in the depth of winter and at the end of a busy festive period doesn’t feel right for me. Whereas there’s something refreshing as we near the end of the summer to consider how we would like our next 10 months to be (I say 10 months as it’s nice for the summer holiday months of July and August to be just that: carefree and chilled).

What do you see?

For parents with school just gone back and others with holidays mostly over, we can build a picture of how we’d like our coming year to be. As the years have gone on, I am less likely to set specific goals instead focusing more on how I want my year to look and how I want to feel. I keep planning ahead simple,  starting by reflecting on my previous year. I then choose a new word for the year ahead to capture how I would like my year to be (why write a whole chapter when your brain easily gets the gist from a single word or two?).

What’s in my year?

Last year’s mantra was Slow. This year my word is Meditate. I had dabbled in meditation before but never fully committed. Meditation was a big part of the Yoga Teacher Training course I did earlier in the year and by the end I was sold on it. With the reported health benefits including improved attention, self-discipline and better sleep in addition to the obvious lowering stress and anxiety, I plan to make it part of each day.

With health and wellbeing the focus of my Think Healthy Be Healthy blog it’s useful to consider the following:

  1. What are the key indicators of your health and wellbeing? Years ago a tape measure, basic scales and whether you could touch your toes were common measures. Later came BMI, cholestrol and blood pressure. Whilst the former are still relevant, many others have been introduced from: waist hip ratio to body fat level, daily steps to bleep test, how heavy you lift or how long you hold plank and even the number of hours sleep you get or your NERA (non exercise related activity). Are you still using outdated health measures of a tape measure and scales? If so, choose three better measures to monitor your health over the months and year ahead.
  2. The Pareto Principle is a much loved concept of mine (proving there was some benefit to all that abstract learning in university!). In simple terms, Pareto’s 80/20 rule says that roughly 80% of the benefits come from 20% of our efforts. Applying this, what three changes could you introduce that would have the most impact on improving your health?
  3. Often one single word or a few simple words in the form of a quote or mantra are more powerful than a whole book. What word or words would you choose to keep with you over the year ahead as a reminder to prioritise your good health and wellbeing?

Latest News

At the time of my last blog post, I had just finished my Yoga Teacher Training and was offering complementary taster yoga sessions. I had a great response to this and went on to run block bookings for seven weekly classes including small private groups and one-to one (combining my new yoga classes with my coaching clients explained my lack of summer newsletters!). Over the weeks, the classes enjoyed a mix of yoga styles from the more powerful Ashtanga to the longer deeper stretches of Yin Yoga and the variety of a vinyasa flow to the nurturing of restorative. The classes progressed very well, most starting as beginner and adding in more challenge as the weeks went by. Crow, side plank and dancer were a few we played with in later weeks.
I’m currently planning my yoga offerings for the year ahead and would love you to join me:
  • Rally up a few friends and come along as a group
  • Join a small friendly group to bond over yoga through the year or
  • Choose 1:1 yoga tailored fully to your body and your wants.
Many of us sign our beloved children up to clubs and activities without a second thought. What about us? (- yes we matter too!). Remember the wisdom in the advice to Fill your Own Glass First. For parents, juggling the multiple demands on our time, responsibilities for ageing parents and even navigating the school run (arguably the most stressful of all!). Yoga is the perfect all round exercise for our physical, mental and emotional health.

I am offering my final discounted prices for any sign up over the next two weeks which you retain for any continous future bookings. Following this, my normal prices will apply. Places are limited so if you are at all interested, get in touch now and I will send you further details including many fabulous comments from those already enjoying yoga with me.

Work/Career/Purpose

If you’re interested in work/career/purpose for the year ahead, subscribe here to my monthly nurtureHR newsletter to receive this month’s blog direct to your inbox. Remember to click on the email you receive to activate your sign up.

Tips and Techniques

Health and wellbeing are so much more than the food we eat the exercise we take. Ask yourself:
  • How do you feel when you wake up every morning and how much energy do you have?
  • How strong is your balance and flexible your body?
  • How stable are your moods and how calm do you remain when your buttons are pushed?
  • How sharp is your brain and how retentive your memory?
Do you have any new priorities for the year ahead after asking yourself these questions?

Want help to restore healthy weight, build a healthy relationship with food, your body and yourself, improve sleep and much more? For a FREE no-obligation telephone consultation, email me today at Think Healthy Be Healthy.

Photo courtesy of Negative Space