Blog posts

How Do You Set Goals? My Top Tips

Sometimes it can be a little daunting embarking upon the task of Goal-Setting. Maybe it’s an alien concept to you, or maybe you’re an old hand! There’s so much great material out there on goals so we have no excuse! Goals are important for us to have in all areas of life, not just in business.

Here I share a general approach and some top tips that have helped me set my goals, and some teaching from an awesome success coach that I follow.

How Do You Set Goals? My top tips

5 Truths About Fear Everybody Should Know

5 Truths About Fear Everybody Should Know

Fear and his well known partner Doubt, are militant and rife, on a mission to wreak havoc and secretly collaborate with us to sabotage our new goals and projects. However, Fear can be minimised and rendered less effective when you know how, and have the tools.

I love the iconic book, Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway, by Susan Jeffers, and she helpfully leaves us with some bite size chunks of knowledge to take away from her book. She summarises what she calls the 5 Truths about Fear which I take you through in the video. Great ammunition for us all, on our journey to achieve our goals this year.

Let’s talk about Fear

Farewell 2020. Thank You For Being A Great Teacher.

It’s New Year’s Eve. I’m in my favourite hoodie-pyjama combo, my new 2020 WFH look (apparently); dinner’s in the oven, one of my favourite vegan pies; and I’m enjoying a second glass of Prosecco (yes it’s 9pm so that’s allowed); whilst singing at the top of my voice to ‘Lonely Stranger’ by Eric Clapton (OMGoodness I love this song! Sorry neighbours, yes I know the CD is on repeat, but I’ve been such a good quiet neighbour; at least wait until track 6 ‘Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out’ until you start thinking about knocking at my door!) Anyway……… I’m feeling all this creativity bubbling up and just felt the need to write. So the oven timer has 25 minutes left so here goes…….

If I had to describe 2020 in one or two words, I would say it’s been character-building. Character-Building.

Feeling creative on New Year’s Eve

So many people seem to have nothing but negative things to focus on and recollect, but that just doesn’t sit well with me. We have all lost something, or someone, in some way. Granted, losing a dear one to Covid is not in the same category as losing a boyfriend or girlfriend due to the realities of lockdown living, or losing the ability to feel the joy of spending time with others when you’re shielding as a ‘clinically extremely vulnerable person to Covid’. Isolation is challenging, and we’ve all had that in some small way.

However, I choose to see the joy in this character-building year. I see that I have been given some lessons to learn. I only hope that I have been a good student, and improved my life in some way because of this year.

If I could use a second/third word to describe 2020, it would be gratitude. Gratitude. OMGoodness! The overwhelming feeling of being carried, guided, protected and loved brings me to tears. I’m talking about His Presence. God. In the absence of anyone else in my isolation, any physical person, His Presence has been palpable, like a heart-beat, a warm blanket around me, a feeling, a throbbing hug; sometimes it feels like a big belly laugh that fills me with laughter and a deep down feeling of joy; joy amidst the lockdown; a silent joy amidst the gloom; a feeling of hope ahead.

I’m so grateful for my life. I love my life. Warts and all. It is a gift. As Jake Ducey says in this affirmation:

I hear the oven beeping, so dinner’s ready and it’s time for me to wrap up. Eric Clapton is on his second play and I’m ready for another Prosecco top up.

I look to 2021 with excitement and hope. I am a different person now, compared to 12 months ago. I think it is even more important now, to show up and be counted; share your message; share your gifts; reach out to others; spread the joy and love; be your authentic you as I am going to be, and anticipate good things for your future by entering into this new year with the right intention.

Can you set your intention now? How would you like your 2021 to be? Who are you going to be? What brings you joy? How can you contribute? What do you have to say? Whether you know it or not, you are blessed! You have so much to give! You have something to say! You are very powerful (provided you know just how powerful you are!) Don’t let any of that go to waste because of a pervading and continuous negative outlook on life, perpetuated by the media, and people who don’t understand the damage caused by their negative, draining state of mind and energy, who persist in rolling in it like pigs in mud.

I wish you a 2021 filled with joy, peace and much love. May you be filled with good things; all those things your heart desires; proclaim them and call them to you; don’t be afraid to say them out loud and most importantly, write them down. Start being that person that you know you can be, that you dream of being!

Sending you my light and my love.

Dinner time! (I’m easily pleased)

Tessa x

Simplifying My Lockdown Life By Shaving My Head!

One of the many actions I took during 2020 lockdown to simplify my life was shaving my head. The idea of not being able to get to see my lovely hair stylist at her salon, was just too big a headache to contend with. So like many others I invested in a set of hair clippers and took matters into my own hands! A small thing perhaps, in the whole scheme of things, but a little more significant than I anticipated.

Shaving your head is not always the most flattering look; I felt quite exposed and stripped back and sort of trusted my finger tips to let me know if I’d missed a bit at the back! I looked very different in my own eyes, and the person looking back at me in the mirror looked a little familiar, but someone I needed to get to know better.

Simplifying lockdown life – how do I shave my head at home myself?

I’m starting to really love this new person. Turns out I had quite a few layers that needed pruning and the hair thing was a way to open myself up to the pruning process. It’s been good.

Now I feel this isn’t a ‘lockdown’ habit, it’s just me, Tessa, out there in all my #buzzcut glory! It’s interesting how we change over the years, and how an outer change can pave the way for inner change whether we intend it or not.

So thank you lockdown living in 2020, for gifting me with the courage and opportunity to make this change.

What changes have you made to accommodate lockdown living in 2020, that have become good and ‘normal’ for you now?