Blog

  • Blog, Home, Manifesting, mindset

    I had this on my vision board for the longest time

    I don’t know about you, but I love a vision board, and have used one for years.

    That said, I’m not really into cutting out pictures of what I want as I’m not actually a very visual person. Instead I have a notebook that every time I think of something I want to Be, Do or Have that’s a bit out of reach I write it in.

    The cool thing about this is that I can see what I’ve wanted over the years so when it pops up and actually happens I always have a mini melt down of ‘OMG that’s on my list!!’

    And that’s exactly what happened recently.

    Years ago I wrote…’perform at Edinburgh Fringe’ on my list.

    If you don’t know what this is, it’s a big comedy and performance festival that’s held in Edinburgh, Scotland, every single year and it’s globally famous. People come from far and wide to perform and watch all the acts.

    Now, at the time I wrote this on my list I’d just done a bit of stand up comedy and loved it, so maybe that’s where that came from…I’m not all that sure…but it was on there. Written in magic pen!

    The other thing that’s worth mentioning is that I’m in a choir. Something that I absolutely love to do. I’m not a solo singer by any stretch, but singing with a group of fab people is totally my jam.

    Anyway, at the beginning of the year it was announced that our choir’s tour would be performing this year at the Edinburgh Fringe!

    Yep, I had a mini melt down!

    So, that’s what’s happening this weekend. YAY!!!!

    I’m beyond excited that something that’s been on my list is coming to fruition and just goes to show that even though you might not see immediate results, it doesn’t mean that its not going to happen. Sometimes things just take a while.

    Like chess pieces moving around a board.​

    This is how I visualise manifesting. The universe needs time to move the pieces to line everything up with whatever you want – and often there are a lot of moving pieces to consider, especially when we keep changing things too.

    So, the lesson here is, keep taking action, focus on your goal and don’t lose faith that what you want is on it’s way to you.

    If you’re interested in seeing what mischief I get up to at Edinburgh Fringe I’ll be posting it on my Instagram stories so click here to follow along.​

     

  • Blog, confidence, personal development

    I got a whole room to do the power pose…here’s what happened

    Last week I ran an event focused purely on growing your confidence.

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE doing these as having tools in your back pocket to boost your confidence when you need it most, or improve your mindset in the moment is probably the BEST thing you can have in your personal development tool box.

    There we were, doing our thing, when the topic of the Power Pose came up (if you don’t know what this is watch this TED talk, it’s a good one) and the person was nervous about giving it a try…even on their own.

    You see the benefits of doing a Power Pose are that they discovered a link between doing the power pose, and an increase in testosterone and a decrease in cortisol (which is the stress hormone) and an increased feeling of being powerful.

    So, without even thinking about it I invited the whole room to join me for 2 minutes and stand like wonder woman (hands on hips, head in the air…the whole deal)

    I set the timer on my phone and we were off…and here’s what happened!!

    The first 30 seconds felt like a life time. People were fidgeting. Looking embarrassed struggling to find their place…

    Then all of a sudden the room fell into a quiet state of calm and the energy shifted and everyone just embraced it.

    After the full 2 minutes I asked everyone how they felt and they said ‘Amazing’

    Now, I have no idea whether there were any changes to hormones but in that moment we felt great…and all it took was 2 minutes to stand (30 seconds to feel a bit silly and 1.5 minutes to go with it) and you’ve got something you can use in the moment when you need it.

    It all starts with you!!

  • Blog, Business, Home, mindset, Podcast

    5 powerful life changing questions

    I’ve been called ‘the Queen of powerful questions’ more than once because one thing I know for sure, when we ask ourselves deep questions we get great answers.

    It’s actually something we do on a regular basis in the Smash Your Own Ceiling world, so today I’d love to gift you some questions that the SYOC Community have loved!!

    All you need to do is get yourself your favourite drink, a notebook and a pen and write the question at the top of the page and answer it. There’s no right or wrong answer with how you do this, just answer the question and see what comes up.

    Have a listen and let me know which one spoke to you the most.

     

    I’d love to know what your favourite question is (and any light bulb moments that you might have had.) Let me know by hitting reply in the comments and if you’re ready to join the Smash Your Own Ceiling Community click here

  • Blog, mindset

    How to side step Imposter Syndrome

    Have you ever struggled with Imposter Syndrome?

    That feeling where even though you really know your stuff and have got all the skills, knowledge and experience, that you’re going to get found out, and it was all just luck?

    If so, you are definitely not alone.

    In fact, I probably get asked about this at least once a week and ​I know from experience that even though you know rationally that you’re not an Imposter, that it can just come from no-where to stop you in your tracks and it can be really tricky to shake the feeling off.

    So, if this is you, give these a try

    1. Don’t claim your Imposter Syndrome

    Yes, you might be experiencing Imposter Syndrome, but that doesn’t mean it’s something you have forever. So, avoid saying ‘I have Imposter Syndrome’ or ‘My Imposter Syndrome’.

    When we claim something it makes it harder to get rid of, so instead know that it’s just something you’re experiencing at the moment, and is a mindset block, and a thought like any other and is something you can side step going forwards.

    2. Look for evidence

    It can be easy when you’re feeling like an Imposter and not good enough, that you only see evidence of when you’ve not been good enough. Instead, it’s time to flip this on its head and start to look for all the evidence of why you’re NOT an Imposter and how you do really know what you’re doing.

    So, write down, the qualifications you’ve got, your experience, the things you’re proud of; the things you’re really good at and the things you’ve achieved. This alone really will help, and will remind you that you do know what you’re doing.

    3. Ask yourself  WHERE you’re an imposter

    More often than not you’re feeling this way because you’re stretching your comfort zone in some way.

    Maybe it’s because you’re doing something new at work or in your business, and behind the scenes you’re learning or acclimatising to your new situation. If so, give yourself permission to learn and be new and be a work in progress.

    4. Know that it’s just a phase

    Just because you’re feeling like this now, doesn’t mean you always will. It’s not who you are, and even though you feel like an imposter doesn’t mean you are one. So, breathe yourself through it, and give yourself some grace.

    5. Choose another thought

    Although it feels really real, imposter syndrome is just another thought that you’re thinking. But just because you’re thinking it, and feeling it, doesn’t mean it’s true. Practice thinking another thought when the imposter feeling pops up (see #2 and #6)

    6. Have a pattern Interrupt

    Pattern interrupts are great when you’re overcome with a feeling like imposter syndrome. Here’s what it is, it’s where you do something completely different to jolt out of the feeling. Things like listening to music, going for a run / walk (or exercise in general) doing another task; calling a friend about something else; or giving yourself a bit of a shake can work wonders.

     

    Download your FREE Guide – 20 POWERFUL QUESTIONS – to take you from where you are now, to where you want to be

  • Blog, Business, Home, mindset

    What would you do if you were really brave?

    This question made me think this week…

    What would you do in your business or career if you were really, really brave?

    It was a text back and forth with one of my friends and even though I’d asked the question, it really made me think for a couple of reasons.

    1) All of the things I wrote down were things I could actually do now

    But most importantly

    2) The next question that came up pretty much straight away was…why aren’t I doing them?

    Cue a list of excuses…

    The thing is excuses are sneaky little blighters as they feel like actual real life reasons…but they’re not.

    I know this because of a game I lovingly called the ‘Million pound drop’

    Here’s how it goes…

    Think of something that you’d do in your business / career if you were brave.

    Got it?

    Now think of why you can’t do it.

    OK…would you do it if I was going to give you £1 million??

    If the answer is yes you’ve just caught yourself an excuse.

    Because all the ‘reasons’ why you weren’t doing them have just literally vanished.

    Give it a go, then see whether you can have a go at the things on your first list.

     

    FREE DOWNLOAD – Get your copy of 20 powerful questions to get you from where you are now, to where you want to be

  • Blog, Business, Home, mindset, time

    How creating space in your diary can help when something unexpected happens

    Life happens sometimes!

    At the end of last year my eldest daughter got ill and had to go into hospital for a few days

    So, I did what any mum would do. I dropped everything, completely cleared my diary and focused on her and being a mum, because this is actually the reason I resigned from my corporate life back in 2010…and it’s something I have never ever lost sight of.

    I’m a mum first!

    I know how real the juggle is!!

    My diary was full to the brim on this particular week as I was trying to clear things off before the holidays…so there was a lot of emails saying we had to push back to the New Year and it reminded me of something that I fiercely protect.

    SPACE!!!

    I learnt this skill from my corporate life and from working with hundreds of CEO’s, Managing Directors and Senior Leaders…

    SPACE IS QUEEN!!!

    When you consciously protect space in your diary, you can nudge things around if you need to without frantically searching for a day or even an hour to have that call that you needed to re-arrange.

    And when you cultivate space, you have time to think, reflect, or even take the afternoon off for a cheeky coffee and cake date with your best friend that you haven’t seen in ages.

    So,  take a glance at your diary and add in some space.

    Add in the school holidays or just normal holidays

    Add in dates with your other half (even if they end up being dates with yourself ?)

    Add in thinking and planning and strategy days

    And add in just the odd day here and there for unexpected fun.

    Creating space is magic!!

     

     

    DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE GUIDE – 20 POWERFUL QUESTIONS TO GET YOU FROM WHERE YOU ARE NOW TO WHERE YOU WANT TO BE

  • Blog, mindset

    How to boost your mood and raise your vibration

    My 15yo Rosie says this a lot…

    ‘It’s Vibey!’

    At first I thought it was something kids say these days and then the other day when she turned down a lift home (I was going that way) and it was all misty and rainy and she said…

    ‘Nah it’s ok Mum, It’s vibey out here’

    I decided to ask her about it.

    And what she said was GENIUS

    She said she loved to put herself in places that make her feel Vibey so that she felt like she could do anything!!

    OMG! Smart, right?!

    So, this week I want to challenge you to do one thing a day that makes you feel vibey…because how we feel matters!

    When we feel amazing, we do amazing things!

    We’re less likely to second guess and self doubt…we just do it!

    This is where magic happens.

    PLUS…when we’re in the right vibration we start to attract the things that we actually want, and acclimatise to what it feels like before we get it so we’re less likely to self sabotage.

    So many good reasons for being Vibey!

    Want some ideas on how to do this?

    These are the things that always work for me:

    1. Kitchen Dance Party…Always!! Put on your favourite tunes and have a right good old boogie…you’ll feel AMAZING!!
    2. Working in the nicest hotel in your area. Being in luxurious surroundings, drinking the world’s nicest tea / coffee never fails to make you feel like you belong there!!
    3. Get Moving…whether that’s your favourite Yoga class or a walk in nature, don’t put this off!!
    4. Wearing clothes that make you feel FANTASTIC!! Even if you’re working from home.

    ​

    Take your pick or let me know what works for you by replying in the comments.

     

    DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE GUIDE- 20 QUESTIONS TO GET YOU FROM WHERE YOU ARE NOW TO WHERE YOU WANT TO BE

  • Blog, mindset

    What to do when you just can’t be bothered

    You know those days where you just can’t be bothered to get anything done?

    Where you know you’ve got things to do, but you’re feeling sluggish, and tired, and all you want to do is binge watch the entire box set of Greys Anatomy?

    This is the topic on the table this week because it’s OK to be all pumped up and motivated and ‘I’m on a mission’…but what about when you’re not?!

    What about when you just want to curl up in a ball and hibernate?

    Full transparency here…This is exactly how I felt yesterday, and so many people have been saying the same thing to me right now.

    Maybe it’s the time of year as the nights are longer, or maybe you’re feeling like that, because you just do.

    Whatever it is…here are some tips that really help.

    1. Ask yourself the power question – What do I need right now?

    This is always a great starting point as it gets us thinking about what’s important to you in that moment.

    Maybe it’s a walk and some fresh air.

    Maybe it’s a really nice cup of tea

    Or maybe it’s to call a friend and have a natter.

    Whatever’s right for you, start there.

    2. Give yourself permission to change the rules

    Sometimes rules just need to be tweaked for a while. For example – if you normally get up early to get some work done, but you’re feeling tired right now. Tweak it for a while.

    If your evening run isn’t working for you right now, switch it up.

    Your business, your life, your rules.

    How can you tweak your routine to make it more effective for where you’re at right now?

    3. Focus on the things that really need to be done or that will move the needle for you the most?

    Instead of trying to battle through your entire to do list, focus on the things that will make a difference, or that really need to be done, and everything else can wait for a while.

    You’ll also find that by doing this you’ll start to make faster progress as you’re not getting busy just being busy.

    4. Nurture yourself

    If you just need time to rest, do it. Have a bubble bath, watch a good movie and eat some amazing food. It’s ok to go slow sometimes.

    5. Change your state

    It can be tempting just to veg out on the sofa and wait for winter to pass, but instead you might find that giving yourself your own motivational push is what you need.

    So, put on some great clothes, get out of the house and go work in the amazing hotel lobby or cafe down the street.

    Just by changing your environment can have the best results.

    Give it a try and let me know what works best for you.

     

    DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE GUIDE – 20 QUESTIONS TO TAKE YOU FROM WHERE YOU ARE NOW TO WHERE YOU WANT TO BE

  • Blog, mindset

    4 Ways to Stop Fear of Success from Holding you back?

    Something that isn’t talked about a whole lot, is Fear of Success…

    This block can bring up all sorts of things like:

    What if I can’t sustain it?

    What if I get so busy that I never watch Netflix or hang out with the kids again?

    What if I fail or do something wrong?

    What if I burn out?

    What if I decide I don’t like it?

    What if everyone wants my money?

    What if my friends desert me for being too successful?

    All of which can cause you to put your foot firmly on the brake pedal, even though you’re still trying to push on.

    So, what do you do if this is going on for you?

    1. Shine a light on what about success worries you

    Just being aware of what scares you makes a massive difference, because you can start to see it for what it is.

    Just a fear.

    This isn’t an excuse to judge yourself or think that success isn’t for you, but an opportunity to think differently about it.

    2. Surround yourself with cheerleaders

    Who you surround yourself really matters. If you surround yourself with people on a similar journey who are all supportive and cheering you on every step of the way, and most of all understand how you feel, it becomes so much easier (and a lot more fun too.)

    Find your people (and if you’re struggling join my FB Group or the Smash Your Own Ceiling Collective)

    3. Celebrate every step

    This is such a simple thing to do, but works an absolute treat. By taking the time to write down the things that you’re proud of that day, the things you’ve achieved and the things that have gone well, you’re telling yourself that it’s these things that matter and not the things that have gone wrong. Plus it’s a great way to raise your frequency and to log your progress.

    4. Remember it’s all a matter of choice

    This is probably the most important of all.

    To remember that you get to choose.

    You get to choose what success looks like for you

    You get to choose how you’ll behave

    You get to choose who you get to spend time with

    You get to choose what everything looks like.

    This doesn’t have to follow old paradigms and beliefs or things that have happened in the past. Instead, you get to create the success in the way you want to.

    You get to step up…and step INTO your new version of you that will THRIVE and not just survive in your version of success, and to choose to be excited rather than afraid.

     

    SAVE YOUR SEAT ON THE SMASH YOUR OWN CEILING MINI MIND

  • Blog, mindset, Uncategorized

    How to stop the mid-year goal panic

    So today I woke up and realised it was the middle of the year!

    Seriously…where did the first half of this year go?

    I don’t know about you but in my head it was Christmas like 5 minutes ago!

    Want to know how I realised it was nearly July?

    My social media feed was crammed full of ‘we’re half way through the year, have you completed your goals yet’ posts.

    Now, I know that these are all well meaning posts but sometimes when I see posts like that all it does it create a bit of a panic inside me that I’ve been wasting my time or that I’m no-where near where I want to be…even if I’ve had a great year so far.

    I know I’m not the only one.

    So if you’re reading this and thinking ‘OMG the year is half way gone and I’ve nothing to show for it so far,’ don’t worry. I’ve got you.

    1) Know that you can literally start again at any point

    You don’t have to wait until a Monday, the start of the month, your birthday, New Years or a New Moon to start afresh…any day works for that. So, if you’re not where you want to be right now just make a decision to get started from today…it all works.

    2) Simplify your goals

    A big part of my job is sitting down with amazing business owners who come to me with all of their goals that feel like a tangled ball of wool in their head. I then untangle the hypothetical knot, and lay down 3 strands in front of them and say ‘focus on that’ they breathe a huge sigh of relief and get started and amazing results follow.

    I know from years of experience that so often we make things a lot more complicated than we need to…and one of the ways we do this is through our goal planning. I know there’s loads you want to do…but for now, pick a max of 3 things. Just 3 things to focus on for the next 6 months. That’s it.

    You’ll feel much lighter, you’ll have more time AND you’ll get results faster.

    3) Focus on how you want to FEEL

    Want to know a secret?

    Every single time I have a meeting with a client they mention the F word….FEEL

    ‘I feel as though….’

    ‘I feel like…’

    It pops up every single time without fail.

    Yet, we don’t often give how we want to FEEL any focus when we’re looking at our business.

    We look at money and clients and so many other things…but feelings???

    Never!!

    But this is what enables you to show up motivated, and happy and energised….when you’re not feeling great you don’t.

    It’s that simple!

    So, how do you want to FEEL by the end of the year?

    AND…what tweaks can you make to feel like that?

    SAVE YOUR SPACE ON THE SMASH YOUR OWN CEILING MINI MIND