A fresh start.

Lizzie Chantree blog dancing

Happy 2018 everyone! It’s a new year and time for a fresh start. I had an exciting 2017, but still want to try new ideas and have a good clean out of anything that doesn’t belong in my life now.

I am going to try to be more efficient with my time, so that I have space to be creative and have some fun! I believe that getting a balance will help me do more when I am at work or play. Being fully present in all that I do is beneficial too. If I am worrying about something else while I am seeing friends, in a meeting or at work, then the task at hand is wasted. I might as well be in the place I am worrying about.

Taking time out to truly nurture your inner-self, can bring fresh ideas, a zest for life and a whole lot of new energy to the workplace. I’m going to try it. I’ll let you know how I get on:)

Have you started the year with a New Year resolution and have you broken it yet?

 

Don’t forget to grab your pre-order copy of Ninja School Mum as the release date is fast approaching! viewBook.at/NinjaSchoolMum

 

Too much information.

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Last weekend I had been trying to manage my work tasks, plus organise Christmas for my family after a week of being unwell. Sometimes my head felt like it was full of too much information for it to be productive at all. After climbing a mountain of wrapping paper and filling the cupboards with two Christmas puddings and various festive treats as we have people coming to stay, I decided to stop worrying about what I had to achieve  and do something completely different.

I was probably thinking of a brisk jog with my dog or getting some housework done, but I must have walked past the kitchen and I cooked and scoffed one of the Christmas puddings… it was a very small one… instead! The change of thinking (and probable sugar rush) from the process of stepping away from my work load, managed to clear my mind and I was then able to sit at my desk and complete most of the work I had been fretting about finishing for two days.

We sometimes overload ourselves with useless information that holds no relevance to what we need to do. By thinking of them over and over and procrastinating, we are adding to our own confusion and wasting precious time not doing the things we are thinking about. This week i’m going to try not to overthink and also to not walk past the Christmas cupboard too often, as although it was helpful in this instance, the repeat journey to the shops to replenish what I ate is definitely not the way forward!

Working while asleep.

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This week i’ve had an awful cold and have been half asleep at my desk. What has surprised me is that i’ve still managed to complete quite a lot of work, when I feel like i’ve slept through half of the week. A friend on Twitter said she was up working at 2am and I mentioned that sometimes we are more productive when we’ve had a rest. Time away to restore and recuperate can mean you achieve twice as much when you do get back to work. I know I haven’t actually done any work while asleep, but the amount i’ve accomplished while awake, means I feel like I must have done!

Do you feel more productive after time away from your work, or does it make you panic and feel like you are not getting enough done? I’d be interested to hear how you all manage time away from your daily tasks.

Believe in yourself. Be you.

believe in yourself

I love this photo. It can be easy to doubt yourself as a writer, but learning to believe in yourself and be who you are, can help tremendously. Here are a few ideas to bring inner confidence.

Do something that you love.

If you can find small pockets of time during the week to do something that you love, this will bring more confidence, as you will feel happier on the inside.

 

Stop procrastinating.

Don’t keep putting off getting things done. Task left unfinished will just drag your mood down.

 

Put on a happy face.

Research has shown that smiling makes us feel happier, even if we don’t fully commit to it. Try smiling a few times during the day when you wouldn’t normally and see if it lifts your mood.

 

Celebrate your achievements.

Pat yourself on the back for even the smallest achievement. If you did something well, feel proud of what you have done.

 

Be kind to others.

This is something that makes everyone feel good. Kindness to others is not something everyone can achieve.

 

Getting active.

Moving your muscles every so often increases oxygen flow to the body and helps your mind to focus. You won’t have time to doubt yourself when you are on the move.

 

Throw away any negative thoughts.

You don’t need them. Bin them!

 

Be you 🙂 

Relaxing view