Hello You
I often use the expression "Let's crack on". And over the Christmas holidays, I noticed someone else on TV using it in the same way that I do. I paid attention but I forgot to note who it was. I will let you know when I see it again. Did you notice/remember? In which case do let me know please. It's scratching at the back of my brain now, annoyingly. It'll come, for sure.
And it got me to thinking because another expression we all often use is "Onwards and upwards." It's kinda cheerful. It helps you crack on, perhaps with something you know you have to do but don't particularly want to, a theme this week. It's galvanising. And yet...
Onwards. Yep. Count me in.
Upwards? Hmm. I'm not so sure actually.
I'm quite a fan of downwards, sideways, backwards and sitting perfectly still where you are. You'll see in a mo when it comes to offering you a couple of ways to plan your 2019 that I'm drawn to ease, acceptance, trusting ourselves, loving ourselves, being self-compassionate, loving and free.
Words are important to me, as you know. And I am going to talk to you quite a lot this week about words, whilst trying to write fewer of them than I have in each of the last three weeks. Now that we are all back to work, who's got time for that?
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Planning Your 2019 Intentions
Every year I cast about for the perfect way of planning my 2019 Intentions. Here are the three I’ve discovered for use this year.
- What we “think” we need v what we really want, see the first image below. I find this very compelling. It’s another version of shoulds v wants. I don’t do shoulds or New Year Resolutions. Resolutions? Non merci. I do want comfort in the body I have, to fully accept and trust myself, to have self-compassion, self-care and freedom. And how fascinating to be reminded that those in the first column do not lead to those in the second. This resonates hugely with me. I hope you love it as much as I do. It is worth making into a screensaver, isn’t it? That's if I wasn't already using that image with the overlaid quote by Rilke I shared in last week's newsletter, the one about the things that have never been.
2. This wonderful piece on TUT.com called Start the New Year with Love: 5 Elements of Effective Intentions. They are :
- Clarity
- Detachment
- Keeping quiet about whatever you intend and why that’s a good idea
- Not worrying about the details, and
- Gratitude
Let me encourage you to click that link by sharing this excerpt:
“Most of the resolutions are about fixing yourself. But, you are not a problem. You don’t need to get fixed. Usually, resolutions are guided by the ego, by the belief that something is wrong with you and you need to correct it. They reflect the mentality that you don’t measure up to the expectations the world has of you and they mirror what you perceive as not acceptable within yourself. Most of the time resolutions are based in self-criticism, not love.”
3. When working with a client just before Christmas we were shining a torch on her gifts. And I thought to myself I was overdue to update my own sense of that too.
Another lovely client wrote to me with her own list of what I do: engaging, writing, coaching, mentoring, inspiring and encouraging. And it’s very close to my own list which is: listening, conversation, helping, supporting, writing, podcasting, content creation and curation and creating and leading inspirational small online communities.
My job in 2019 and beyond is to make sure I do more of the things I really love, employing my true gifts.
How about you?
What’s your job in 2019 and what are your true gifts?
Let’s make the most of them. I do hope you’ll allow me to help you create a one-woman business of out them, or find a way to enjoy them in your day-to-day life if you feel you cannot go the business route (yet) for any reason.
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The Me I Want to Be
In my Outlook calendar this week I wrote myself a note to recur on each of the day days starting on Monday 7th. It asks "Am I going to write every day?"
And in anticipation of that, on Sunday afternoon and evening, and in preparation for the new school term, as it were, I went into a frenzy of writing. I simply couldn't stop writing and sharing.
Having enjoyed the time to write three very lengthy newsletters while we were on holiday and two wordy blog posts measuring my 2018 in numbers first and then emotions next, I celebrated on Sunday by sharing longish pieces on Facebook about my gratitude over the Christmas period, a funny experience I had on Saturday with a stranger at my door, what I had enjoyed about Christmas TV and what I'd learned from my annual check-in with the alumni 10 shows of University Challenge, mainly that I STILL do not know anything about Greek mythology. Will this by my year I wonder? I think Stephen Fry is going to be my tutor in this, perhaps on Audible.
When it comes to the thing I mention above about listing and using my gifts and the things I love to do, expressing myself in the written word so that I will be read and then corresponded with is one of my very favourite things. In 2019 it might possibly be regarded as rather old-fashioned, a bit Jane Austen, when in this day and age we might prefer a text, an Insta or (Gawd help me) another bloody video. Faster. Easier. More convenient. More effective too, or so they tell me.
But I still derive so much pleasure from reading something well written; it is still my own #1 way to take in information and learn about our world, via my iPad, Facebook, the news apps.
I want to be a part of that, and since this is what I encourage you to do then I must go first.
The frenzy seemed to be about documenting my three weeks' holiday before I forgot all of its treasures. About what I wanted to write and curate and share, the thoughts in my head and heart. The hope is always that you, my Gentle Reader, will enjoy it too, but that's not a given, nor (I think) even a requirement, though it is gratifying when what I write or say on the podcast resonates and gets you thinking too and writing to talk back to me about it. Thank you if you've been one of the many to do that at the turn of the year when we all had more time for that sort of thing.
I still don't have the answer to that question yet, will I write everyday. I don't think I shall do it every day. And yet if you wait, it never happens. So, like this newsletter, every Friday at 10 without fail, I do have to decide on what will be my unbreakable promise to myself as Marion taught me to call it.
I've made a couple others of those in the last few days. Have you? Do share if you feel so inspired.
Patreon has written me a useful email. It is so rare that anyone does that, I've saved it in my inbox to have a think about as part of this. Their email offers - amongst other things - a very useful round-up of the business models that work well thereon, plus a list of tips about what to offer patrons and few other bits and bobs too. I've read some of it and I am still feeling my way with it. So many places to write, why would I introduce another in Patreon when I have:
- My newsletter
- My blog
- My Facebook profile
- My Facebook page
Despite much crossover, they all seem to have different audiences and different reasons for sharing written and other content in each place. I quite enjoy that aspect of it actually which is why I am minded to put together a couple of groups about online writing including improving your Facebook page, see below.
Here's the Facebook Note about Christmas 2018 gratitudes.
And here's the post on my profile about the funny thing that happened on Saturday.
All these outlets enable me to get out of my head and onto the digital page the thoughts I am having about my business and my life.
So many words, so much water under the bridge. There is a satisfaction, but is there a point?
There's a marketing point, for sure. There's also my very real and human requirement to communicate, and a strong desire to love and appreciate and use the wonderful English language in a way which engages, inspires and encourages as Sam said. From the very first year I was a coach, I always knew I wanted to do this and so done it I have. That hasn't changed, though the marketing landscape around us has, the business landscape too. So many changes in those 17 years, my life and business are unrecognisable except perhaps in this one way. It's a constant. It's part of who I am. It is certainly a part of who I think I am, the me I want to be. Who is the you you want to be? There's something you could write to me about. Please.
Every year when I ask myself what I really love to do, there it is again, stubbornly. Writing. My psyche must be wondering why I still ask.
I do love to write online because you can press Publish and it goes out into the world instantly. That's mostly good and occasionally bad, but in the latter event, I can unpublish too if I don't want to take the heat or negativity. Or if I simply change my mind as I am wont to do. That's always a useful thing to remember too. And comforting.
If you want to write more online, especially for business marketing purposes, then read on Macduff.
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Newsletters and Facebook Pages
- Would you like to get out a regular weekly, fortnightly or monthly newsletter?
- Would you like to up-spec your Facebook Page?
I was minded last week to offer two paid groups to help and support you in doing one or both of these because I find them both easy and lovable. I've had two people take me up on it so far, put one on pause and sent the other off with some homework (!) while I promised I would ask you here today if you'd like to join up with us, to make a quorum as t'were.
No takers on the newsletter front so far, both of my yesses are in the Facebook Page group.
That thing I also said about creating and leading inspirational small online communities, this'll be another of those. So do let me know if you'd like to swell our ranks. We have two. Ten is about right. Enough to help, support and inspire but not enough to overwhelm. Just perfect, in fact.
You in? I haven't dreamed up a price yet but like everything else I do, it'll be affordable. It might even be PWYW simply because this is yet another thing I would love to do, share what I've found to work and help you commit to an unbreakable promise to get that online writing into your life and business too.
Until next time...
Judith
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