It’s January and many of us make resolutions for the year ahead. “It’s going to be a new me – I’m going to lose weight, exercise more and read every day.” Perhaps the reason we often fall short is that we are aiming for the wrong thing, or we don’t explore ways of achieving it that are in line with how we actually want to live. Maybe it’s more helpful to think about the true you rather than the new you. Societal pressure can make us feel that we should be doing certain things, but are we really taking the time to think about how we would like to live? Exercising more can take many forms. I’ve never found running enjoyable, but I love swimming, and it took time to discover this. If we pick the “wrong” thing, it isn’t a failure; it might simply mean we need to explore other options until we land on something that feels right for us. I’ve just finished a book by Roman Krznaric called Work and the Art of Living. One line in particular has stayed with me: “Is your work big enough for your spirit?” I love this idea of seeking the aliveness in ourselves and questioning whether our work – or our life, for that matter – is truly fulfilling. Sometimes it is fear that stops us following our true calling rather than anything more practical like money or stability. And we all have our own version of this. The more we can look inward and find our own inner spirit, the more fulfilling and alive our lives can become. Whenever we make a decision about how we want to live and work, we have a choice. In the busyness of life, we often find ourselves on autopilot, saying yes to a project because it’s what we’ve always done. We make decisions quickly because our to-do list is overflowing and we just want to tick something off. We don’t always stop, pause and ask whether there is another way, or whether we even want to be doing it at all.  So my invitation to you today is to give yourself permission to pause. Take a moment, create some space, and consider, as Mary Oliver writes, “what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

As the year draws to a close, it is natural to reflect on the past twelve months. I often find myself torn between wanting to capture every achievement and simply being present for the moments themselves. I know I will rarely look back over a list of what I have done, yet I recently realised I had forgotten a couple of small but fulfilling projects from earlier in the year, lost in the fog of everything else that had been going on. It is often those smaller moments that bring the most unexpected joy. I recently heard a lovely word: glimmers – “small, brief moments that make you feel safe, calm, connected or quietly joyful.” While the iconic moments of the year may be what spring to mind first, it is usually the glimmers that make me feel most connected: a random chat with a stranger after a swim, an uplifting read, a shared smile on the tube, a chat with a friend. When you start looking for them, these moments are everywhere, offering tiny resets and bursts of joy throughout the day.​ For me, 2025 has been an uplifting year, from celebrating a big birthday to undertaking a big swim. But more than anything, I am remembering the glimmers: with friends and family, with strangers, in something heart warming I read, in the times I could make a difference to someone else. When I really pay attention, those glimmers are never far away. So as the year comes to an end, my hope for you is that something brings a little sparkle and joy into your life – and that you notice it when it arrives.

I have come to a little pause in my working life after a busy year and busy birthday celebrations. As I slow down and pause, I’m noticing a tussle between the unease and uncertainty of not knowing what’s next and the excitement about getting other things in my life done. I used to fight these uncomfortable feelings, but I’ve learnt to listen to them and explore what’s going on. I know that some of the unease is linked to social norms and the fact that when people ask me what I’m doing it may sound as if I am sitting around not working, despite my full days. Some of the unease is linked to the uncertainty and knowing that I want to find the right thing to do next. And on the flip side, I take the opportunity of a lighter workload as a signal to try and achieve everything else I want to do in life and that, in itself, can cause some unease and overwhelm! I have been reflecting on my coaching practice. When I started coaching, I wasn’t sure that I would be able to add value without giving solutions. I soon realised that the more present I was and the more human the connection, the more powerful the conversation and impact could be. And when I look at the next steps to take in my life, it really is this simple – the more I’m present and the more I anchor myself with my values and what’s important to me, the easier it becomes to make decisions about what to do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis; the decisions about whether to take a project on or not, can be viewed through this guiding light.  Last year I did a course on Ikigai – the Japanese concept of your ‘reason for being.’ I love this concept as it gives you an opportunity to explore your passions, skills, what the world needs and what you’re paid for. From this, I designed my Ikigai which is ‘To energetically connect with kindness, creativity, integrity, respect and joy, inspiring myself and others to shine brighter’ As I navigate these new paths, I will hold connection at the heart of what I do and ensure that whatever I’m doing, I’m enabling someone to shine brighter. So, what’s your reason for being today?

I’ve written in the past about the benefits of embedding healthy habits. It’s something that I have found very helpful in my life. When I started a habit tracker 8 years ago, I would track absolutely everything on a weekly basis – how many times I swam, how many steps I walked, whether I had a meat-free day…the list goes on! I loved the ritual of it but over time, I noticed that I would happily tick off the habits that were well embedded to get that dopamine hit but brush over those that were a little harder. I then started to focus more on the habits which weren’t so easy with mixed success. Some of them worked after a bit of tweaking but others resolutely failed to be part of my life. I found myself wondering if they were really things I wanted to do or was this an obligation or feeling that I should be doing them. I recently read Meditation for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman and I was struck by his thoughts around information overload and the fact that we are never going to get everything done. It’s something I have struggled with. A lot of this is self-imposed, but there never seems to be enough time to get it all done. And while we can always blame a lack of ritual for inaction, the truth may be that some things are not in line with how we want to live our life. Perhaps we can let go of a few things which we feel we should do and focus more time on how we can live life more meaningfully. Whilst reading this book, I was reminded of one of my early mentors in the events industry who’s mantra was JFDI (think Nike with an extra word!!) We spend a long time overthinking things or waiting for the ‘right’ moment to do something and that time may never come. Sometimes we just need to take action. Having read the book, I have become less of a slave to my To do list. It has been liberating and actually the things that mean a lot to me do happen. I had been waiting for ages for a Thursday or Friday night to meet a friend and ended up emailing and saying could she meet on a random afternoon and she could! So much wasted energy waiting for the right moment. I heard Matt Haig say “get a routine baggy enough to live in” and I love this. Routines and habits can be helpful, but we also need to flex, improvise and just do stuff when it crosses our mind. Ironically one of my habits of being early is exactly to allow for random chats on the way. Not everything needs a ritual - sometimes we need to seize the moment and take action and knowing what makes you come alive makes it easier to make those choices. Do more of the meaningful stuff that will allow you to shine.

Last Tuesday, I took on my biggest swim to date, swimming from the Principality of Sealand to Felixstowe. I wanted to mark turning 50 with a positive challenge, that would allow me to grow. Why this swim? I have been intrigued by the Principality of Sealand - a micronation on HM Fort Roughs, off the coast of Suffolk. I wanted to challenge myself to do a solo endeavour, take on my single longest distance swim and to train to be able to do it without a wetsuit. It was advertised as 7 miles but ended up being about 9 miles! I signed up in December 2024, giving myself an 8-month training period. And what have I learnt? For something like sport, which I find intimidating, having a long lead time was good for me. I got comfortable with a Personal Trainer, I pushed myself to attend SwimDoctor sessions (still not always loving them), I went on a long-distance swimming week to build confidence and found a group to train with in Dover. Having the time to get into a new scary routine was helpful. It also meant that I had the time to flex training around busy and less busy work periods. I am more resilient than I give myself credit for. In areas of my life where I feel more confident, I recognise my strengths, but sport has felt like a big weakness at school and through my 20s. It has taken me a long time to celebrate what I bring to the swimming. I have learnt that I am quite happy in cold water and that when I set myself a swimming goal, I push myself to do it, despite the fear and discomfort. In fact, I think it’s because of the fear and discomfort, that I am driven to push through! I also know that I enjoy long distance more than trying to sprint so I shouldn’t worry as people whizz past me in a class. My swim was postponed twice and those postponements taught me not to wish away a key milestone. So often we want to tick something off and move on to the next thing, but this was too special to wish it away. I was so nervous the day before my original swim date that I think I got some of the nerves out of my system! By the time my date was finally confirmed, I was more excited than nervous and that felt magical! I thought about coping mechanisms for when things might get tough. I chose a butterfly swimming costume because one mantra that has helped me through training is ‘Let your butterflies fly in formation.’ I channel my nerves to spur me on to do more and accept them as a sign that I care. I learnt to accept what was thrown my way. After 14.5km I was disappointed to learn that I was being swept out and that I would need to get on the boat to be dropped further up the coast to finish the swim (a result of hanging out with too many channel swimmers where this would not be allowed!!) However, I soon made peace with this – there were no rules on this swim to say that this couldn’t happen, and there was so much positivity to celebrate rather than focussing on this. My community has never felt stronger – during the last 8 months, I been supported by swimmers in London, Croatia, Dover and Felixstowe. Friends, family and colleagues have cheered me on endlessly. And the outpouring of love and support (as well as the financial support to charities I am swam for) on the day was truly incredible and overwhelming. It has reminded me that I don’t have to do things on my own. I can share my hopes and fears and the right people will support this. I learnt to enjoy the journey – during my swim, I looked up at the looming Sealand platform, I admired container ships whizzing past, I smiled and joked with my crew, I thought about my Mum, I tried to improve my stroke, and I had a fabulous time. This was a huge difference from previous swims where I have felt amazing afterwards but found the actual swim very challenging and stressful. When things feel hard, we want them to be over, so it was refreshing to lean into it and enjoy every minute of it. I didn’t even realise when I wasn’t moving due to the currents!  “Despite choppy waters, I found my way and my stride, and I loved it!” This was me describing a practice swim to my coaching supervisor and she replied saying she thought it was a great metaphor for life! This swim has taught me to be kinder to myself, to believe in myself, to push myself to do things I never thought would be possible, to find the joy in the journey and to shine brighter. It’s not a bad way to start my 50s and I’m looking forward to whatever comes next.

Last week, I was hoping to complete my big sea swim that I have been training for, for the last 8 months. Unfortunately, the weather gods had other ideas, and my swim has been postponed. This has been an intense focus for me this year with all my training and healthy eating geared to this date so to have it postponed was strange. I am a quick decision maker and knew it was the right thing, but it still felt a little numb and disappointing. Reflecting on it over the last week, I realise that I don’t want to wish it away in that one moment. This is a journey that I am enjoying hugely. It started off as a way to celebrate entering a new decade and to push myself on my swimming journey – my birthday present to myself! Throughout the year, I have expanded my swimming community with incredible new connections, I have put myself in swim classes where I feel very daunted, I have lifted weights I never thought were possible and I feel fitter than ever before. What’s more, I am thriving on the exercise and feel more resilient and joyful about life. I’m embracing a happier, fitter, more resilient, me, one that even 10 years ago, I would not have thought was ever a possibility. With this comes growth and expanding possibilities – who knows what’s around the corner! The arbitrary date of the swim is useful to give me a focus, and I am buzzing to do it, but I don’t want it to be the end, I want it to be a milestone in a continuing journey. So, whilst it is a little frustrating to have to wait, I am going to continue to enjoy the journey, knowing that force 3 winds would have been tough. I am going to embrace uncertainty and know that this week has been so productive and exciting in other ways because I didn’t swim. I’m going to know that it will happen when the time is right. And most of all, I am going to try and enjoy it and not wish it away.  So much of our lives are busy rushing and ticking things off so we can move on to the next big thing. This is too important to me and who I am becoming to rush it and see it as another tick box exercise. This postponement has shown me that I need to enjoy this phase of the journey for a little longer and know that in every moment there is growth. So next time you are wishing away a milestone, take a moment to enjoy the journey, celebrate the wins, recognise how it has transformed you and hold on to what you will take forward in the next exciting chapter of your story. (And in case you are wondering, I am hoping to complete my swim in the next 3 weeks, weather permitting, so I will keep you posted 😊)

When I worked on the Thames Diamond Jubilee River Pageant in 2012, I was bombarded with jargon…SAG, LOSPG, C3. The job was a step up for me and trying to navigate the acronyms didn’t help with my imposter syndrome. A few weeks in, I realised that lots of people were struggling with the same thing. We’d all sit in meetings, and no-one wanted to look silly. It took one brave person to ask for an explanation and you would see the relief fill the room. I even changed the LOSPG acronym in one meeting to see what would happen and no one batted an eyelid or had any idea what the acronym was supposed to be! Over the years, I have got braver about asking when I don’t understand something. I think this also comes with confidence. Yet I did experience the same feeling when I started swimming training sessions this year. It took me a long time to sign up to classes because I was worried that I wouldn’t understand the jargon around swimming drills. And as expected, I didn’t but the more I talked about it, the more I realised that I wasn’t alone. I also realised that people are only too happy to explain it to ensure that I understand what to do. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of wanting to understand fully, in order to do your best. The fear of asking is often tied up with how we perceive we will be judged. When I think about when people ask me things, I don’t have that judgement so why should they have it about me? We are often wrapped up in our own thoughts and our perception of what people think of us, is simply not true.  I know that acronyms and jargon are supposed to make our lives easier but sometimes it feels like it’s being done to look good. Often a simpler way of communicating can be far more powerful and effective. We don’t need big words or jargon to prove we can do our jobs. By complicating things, we often exclude people. So have a think about whether your language is serving you and your community and whether there is a more effective way to communicate. We are all responsible for creating an inclusive, open and welcoming environment and we can do this by communicating clearly and being prepared to be vulnerable when we don’t understand.

Earlier this year, I set an arbitrary time target for my big swim. The following week I was sea swimming in very choppy conditions, and I was aware that so many elements are out of my control and setting that goal was not going to serve me. It’s a similar theme in my life when thinking of goals and habits - how much of a tangible goal do I need to set and how much do I leave to enjoy the journey and let things emerge. For anyone familiar with Insights Discovery, I lead with sunshine yellow energy, closely followed by fiery red and sometimes those two sides of me have a little tussle about the best way forward! I know my goals need to have flexibility and I also know that having targets is a helpful way to keep me on track, but they key for me is working out what it’s useful to measure. Is that goal serving and motivating me? Am I allowing for all the uncertainty and elements outside of my control. For my swim, I realised it was three things. The first is about preparing myself to be in the best shape that I can be - for me this is a goal around regular swimming and gym training and eating well. By doing this, I’ll be in the best shape to face the unpredictable conditions on the day. The aim is to be the best that I can be and that is motivating enough to keep me training The second is about preparing mentally to face the cold and unpredictable condition – for me this is about me reflecting on my swimming journey, celebrating my swimming successes and building my resilience The third is about enjoying the journey and reflecting and learning about myself along the way. I continue to push and surprise myself about what I can achieve when I put my mind to it! The time goal was not pushing me to train more as I’m already training enough. In fact, I could be setting myself up for failure as there is so much that I cannot control.  Often, it’s about doing something consistently, seeing those successes and enjoying the journey. Sometimes the destination changes or you get knocked off course. So, whatever your habits and goals, choose them wisely, measure what is serving you and step back and celebrate the successes along the way.

I’ve found myself navigating a busy period of work – not just busy but a lot of brain-switching between wildly different projects. Amazingly my swimming doesn’t suffer during these busy periods – I still manage to fit my swims into the week, no matter what’s on the agenda. However, I noticed that other elements of my life have been neglected in the last couple of months. In particular – reading. I finally started a book at the weekend that I have been trying to start since the beginning of March. Why does the swimming never suffer, and yet other things do? I’ve thought about it and think there are a couple of things going on for me: The benefits of swimming radiate through all aspects of my life – mind, body, spirit – I always feel better after a swim, and I know that feeling so well that I always know that it is worth carving out the time for it I have found times that are flexible and work with my routine. I build enough flex into the week so that when things get busy, I can find another way to make it work Swimming is always front of mind when I am planning my week In essence, swimming is a big non-negotiable part of who I am and my whole being. When I started my book this weekend, which is about walking alongside grief, it was an incredibly uplifting read. However, I realised that the perception I had been carrying beforehand was that it might be hard going and so had prioritised something seemingly lighter like watching TV over reading. It comes back to what James Clear and others have said about habits – you need to find a routine but also recognise the reward and benefits of doing them. So how can I work on this? I know I need to bottle the feeling of when I started my book and remember how it nourished my soul I can be more creative about when and where I read, particularly when the rest of life is busy I need to accept that there are some ebbs and flows in what I can do in busier period BUT I have a choice and, for me, it’s about listening to my heart and making more mindful choices My own fulfilment suffered because I didn’t truly appreciate the rewards I would get from reading. So next time you are doing something and get in flow, think about how it makes you feel and write down that feeling. The more we keep those feelings front of mind, the easier it becomes to prioritise what makes us come alive and in turn, we can live a more fulfilled life.