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How To Guide: Curating a year you really want

Life is unpredictable and in some ways, my go to motto is to go with the flow. However, there are ways to meander and go with the flow on purpose. Just like the way we handle our own brand, there are things that are ‘on brand’ and things that are definitely ‘off brand’ and so it’s the same with our own lives.


Not a lover of fixed goals and resolutions in the the New Year, I think setting intentions and maybe creating some boundaries and guidelines can be super useful to help us curate a year we want.


As in all things micro, life and business cross over, so I guess you can attribute any of these measures to all areas of your life that you think might need it.


Here are some things to ponder that might help you curate and drive your next 12 months, whatever time of year you’re reading this.


  1. Re acquaint yourself with your values. Without any suggestion that you don’t innately know your own values, it’s all too easy to accidentally meander into behaviour, actions or planning that moves us away from what we truly believe in. A sign that this is happening is that you’re attracting customers you don’t like, your marketing isn’t ‘landing’ well or you’ve ended up doing work you don’t like. I love the Brene Brown value identifier (check out her website and search at the top) or you can simply try to narrow down 2 or 3 things that are most important to you. For me, it’s making a difference, connection. If what I’m doing in my business isn’t trying to make a difference or I feel disconnected in my life, I know I need to adjust and refine what I’m up to.

  2. Learn to set boundaries and stick to them. Wowsers, is this a life lesson for me. As a people pleaser and super empathic person, and with my core value of wanting to make a difference (!), I have so often not quite managed to do what I wanted or needed because I’ve been blown off course trying to do too much, or sort someone else’s life out etc etc. Work out what you most want to work towards or what makes you more productive each day and then let those around you know that this is now a non negotiable. For example, you need to do yoga everyday or you need 2 hours of total peace in the office or you decide to not answer your phone in work hours. Prioritising what helps us do better, is more important than anything. We are our own business’s biggest asset above any products, building or expensive equipment.

  3. Stay as present as possible. If you’ve not discovered Eckhart Tolle yet, I can highly recommend (podcasts and books) because he talks so well about the importance of presence. This doesn’t mean a constant state of zen (wouldn’t that be lovely!) but more that we take a moment at every crossroads in the day to check in on ourselves. It’s almost like slowing down to achieve more. Presence can mean you feel less anxious if you’re taking a moment for some deep breaths but it can also be a moment when we’re asked to break our boundary or make a pressured decision and we decide to stop and check in with what we really want to do. Imagine a year, when we slow down to achieve more, when each little fork in the road, each decision and each day is approached more mindfully and with less fear.

  4. Set magic as your guiding star rather than striving for cash. In a strapped world such as now, and when the news is never good about money, it’s very easy to shrink back or drive harder. Of course we have a bottom line and a minimum level of income requirement but if that’s our only focus, then we risk the true connections we can make with our customers and audiences and dilute our magic. Setting a daily goal of working in your best light, with your best energy, in your best mindset (as is possible in any given day – no perfection here folks!) all adds up to your particular magic and the good customers and money will follow.

  5. Fill your cup up each day. You will have all seen the memes about how we prioritise charging our phones up every day and yet let our own energy levels drop to dangerous levels far too regularly. How about treating ourselves like our ever important mobile phone? What small things do you need each day to ensure your brain, body and mindset is at its best each day? I used to avoid this because I assumed it meant I had to be a Duracell bunny with an American guru style, shouty enthusiasm (nothing wrong with that but not really me!) but in fact it simply means operating at our own best levels. You know the drill – good sleep, plenty of water, fresh air, coffee with friends, a cuddle with the dog, a cup of tea in bed etc etc. think of 5 things you can rotate that will ensure your cup doesn’t run empty.


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