Leslie Anne is back talking about her mission to be super organised in 2012.
I’m on a constant mission to be one of those super organised people – every year I get a little closer! Last year, I discovered three essential organisational tools that I couldn’t live without now. Maybe they’ll help you too?
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Do you take regular pictures of you and your family? Leslieanne shares her year with us in a photo blog.
On one hand, I can’t quite believe it’s almost Christmas again – on the other, looking at this photo-mosaic of our 2011, the arly shots feel like a lifetime ago!
It’s been a busy year, but a really good one.
My little man has gone from a one year old cherub to a two and a half year old mini-monster! Two is definitely harder work than one – but it’s loads of fun too- everyday he learns something new and finds another way to make me smile. He’s such a happy little dude, and so funny, I wouldn’t change him for the world. We’ve had lots of fun at home together – baking, crafting, gardening and lots more – plus plenty of brilliant days out as a family too (I think our trip to London for in September for Postman Pat’s birthday party was Dylan’s highlight!)
We’re already looking forward to Christmas – last weekend we went to pet some of Santa’s reindeer, so festive feelings are certainly high!
2011 has been a lot of fun – I can’t wait to see what adventures we’ll get up to in 2012!
As part of reviewing my life this summer, I realised that I wasn’t doing all the things that I like to do, and this was making me a little bit miserable.
I’m a giver, and love doing things for other people. I’ve always been involved in some type of voluntary work, until the last year. I guess I used the excuse of the business to stop working on the project that was taking up my ‘spare’ time. But it was more to do with not being valued as a volunteer, than time pressures. I believe that if you want to do something you will make the time to do it, however busy your life is!
But what could I do? How could I now fit something in to a very busy business and family life? Well, if I can’t give 1 hour a week to support a project, then there’s something wrong isn’t there? I’ve been given so much and so many skills, that 1 hour out of 168 in a week is not a lot to give to someone/something else.
My sons, particularly the eldest, spend a lot of time on computer games. He also loves sport and reading. So I wondered if I could help him learn a bit more about the internet to develop useful skills on the computer and understand how searches and websites work. After discussing my idea with school, and seeing if they’d be interested in me helping a small group of children to develop a website about book reviews by children, the project was born.
I’ve been going into school for 3/4 hour every week in a lunchtime to support a group of 10 gifted and talented pupils to create a website about book reviews by children, for children. We’re launching it to the rest of the junior school on Thursday! The project is growing, and as you know websites are never finished, so who knows where this project will go?
That doesn’t matter. In a few short weeks I’ve achieved my goal. I’m feeling useful. I’m helping 10 young people learn a little bit more about the internet, how it works and how to use it for something useful and fun. I’ve got my mojo back. And it’s only taken a small step on my part to get ME back again.
Both my boys are talking about the website every day, and their friends are excited to be able to publish their work on a website that other people can see.
In this month of talking about reviewing our lives and our businesses, just check out that you feel like YOU. What’s missing? What can you do about it? Small steps remember can make a big difference to how you feel about yourself, which has a knock on effect on the rest of your life.
Think about what makes you YOU – does it feel right at the moment?
Liz Weston founded the New Baby Guides in late 2008 and added Weston Communications (a PR, Marketing and Social Media solutions agency) to the fold in 2010. In 2011 she bought www.ukbabyshows.co.uk She’s got plans in place for growth for all three businesses in 2012 and has agreed to tell us how she’s made a decision which will enable her to put them in place.
There’s so much going on in my mind right now around “reviews”, “moving on” and “making decisions” so I hope that this blog post makes sense. I’ve made a decision that I’ve found difficult. I’ve decided to let one specific thing go, despite the fact that I’ve been festering on it for months.
The background is that someone said something, about me that was factually untrue. The problem was that it could potentially, have affected an important business relationship for me earlier this year. Thankfully, I had emails in place to show that the suggestion was not true about my approach to my work and there was no fall out from it for me.
I took it so personally though, that someone would do something so self serving, trampling on me as part of his or her attempt to climb the greasy pole. I spent time in the shower, in the car, whilst with the boys, scripting what I’d say to them, when the opportunity arose. I was ready and waiting. And kept on revisiting it, wasting time on it.
But actually, 6 months later, I’ve reviewed everything that both the team and I have achieved in 2011 and decided, that it’s time to move on. To forgive myself – not them, I hasten to add, but myself for wasting time thinking about it. I did what I did and it’s done what it’s done – nothing. A big fat nothing. Just think of the time I could have spent coming up with new business ideas, great headlines and ways to make life better for my team and my family. Reviewing it, I realise that I’ve been nuts.
It’s time to move on. And give myself a house point for doing it. Better late than never.
Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity. I’m going to make sure that for the rest of what’s left in 2011, I’m going to be prepared, so that when opportunities come along, I get lucky. And then when 2012 begins, we’ll already be ahead of our goals.
I thought I was doing so well. Staying focused, getting things done off my lists. Making sure the boys have done their homework and done their activities, (May’s been a busy month!). But I’ve missed things.
My niece Alice
I’ve missed my niece’s 3rd birthday.
I still haven’t planted seeds for my vegetable patch.
I haven’t caught up with friends who need support and encouragement.
I haven’t revised the website that I’d planned for April….and other such things.
And now I realise I’ve missed a month! A whole month.
My employee told me she’d got another job on 20th April, and all I’ve done since then is keep things going. I’ve done nothing new. I haven’t created. I haven’t even cooked that much, using meals from the freezer for quickness and ease. I know I’ve been positive about Change, but you still have to move forward don’t you?
Yes I’ve come through the last month achieving the basics. Supporting customers at bras4all, ensuring the bralady team have what they need to grow their businesses; and attending a Baby Show at NEC with bras4mums. I’ve kept things going. I’ve missed a month, and missed important events.
But now it’s time to regroup, review what’s needed to move forward, in business and at home, so that I don’t have to miss a month again.
Any advice?