“What you do for yourself, you’re doing for others, and what you do for others, you’re doing for yourself.”
Pema Chödrön
I'm feeling proud of myself.
This week, I am taking some time out to focus on my business strategy, and on me.
This is the first time I have been away on my own since I was 22 when I backpacked alone through South-East Asia and Australia.
It feels weird.
It feels empowering.
It feels good.
I utterly LOVE being a financial coach.
And yet, I have recently felt like I have been fire fighting in my day-to-day.
I'm trying to balance both the work I currently do (121 financial coaching) along with the areas I would like to expand into (employee financial wellbeing and financial literacy in schools to name just two).
3 opportunities to expand have manifested in recent months and I couldn't see how I could prepare for this new and exciting chapter, without having some time to focus and plan.
And here's the thing (which may feel familiar to a lot of you) ...
... along with being a financial coach, and a small business owner, I am a mum, a home-maker, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a wife and (currently) a loft conversion project planner.
And I love being all those things (well, excluding the loft planner)!
But for me to move forward, something needed to give ...
And so I booked some time off from all the home stuff. Jumped on a plane. And am now in the beautiful Algarve for a few days to concentrate on me and Mint Coaching.
Bliss.
Seriously. BLISS.
I have booked in coaching sessions with my own coach, to work on some of my own limiting beliefs and stuckness.
I have cleared 2 hours in each day for a self care walk to admire the incredible coastline (see the photo above).
I am getting up a 6am (a lie in for those who know me well!) to exercise, journal, remind my husband of where and what the kids are doing that day, and to enjoy my green tea in peace.
And I am starting work at 8am, focussing on what is important to me and my business.
I know this is an incredible privilege.
And I am enormously grateful for it.
To do this, I have fought off feelings of guilt for taking the time for myself.
I am reassured that my children will gain a positive lesson in self care by seeing me take time for myself and my business (even if the younger one did facetime me 5 times yesterday evening!).
I am working with my inner cheerleader to support and celebrate my decision and its benefits.
And I am reminding myself regularly of the quote at the start of this blog:
“What you do for yourself, you’re doing for others, and what you do for others, you’re doing for yourself.”
Pema Chödrön
And now?
Well, I am about to go and have a glass of red, a Reserva from the Douro region to be precise, and make dinner for one as the sun sets.
Thank you for supporting me and my work.
I hope this blog inspires you to find time for yourself and focus on what is important to you.
If this article has struck a cord with you, perhaps you are struggling to find time to focus on what is important to you, please contact me for a free mini 121 to chat about ways I might be able to help (don't worry - there are many other ways to achieve time to focus other than jetting off somewhere!).
And don't forget to join my mailing list for more tips on money and time management!
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