Why Wait til Retirement to Live Your Dream Life?

January 19, 2022March 4, 2022 JayneLeave a comment

I’ve written before about my Nan and Grandad on my Dad’s side, who lived and worked in London and Essex for most of their lives and then moved to Lowestoft to enjoy their retirement by the seaside. They both worked hard their whole lives to enjoy a little slice of the quiet life in their old age, but if the pandemic has taught us anything it’s that life can be short and we should be embracing everything we can while we still can.

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Home

Futureproofing Your Forever Home

January 19, 2022March 4, 2022 JayneLeave a comment

Photo by Mischa Frank on Unsplash

If you are one of those people who is lucky enough to have found the home that you want to live in forever, you might find that, while it is absolutely perfect for your needs right now, it might need some futureproofing to allow you to live in it right into your old age. These kinds of adjustments don’t need to be hugely expensive or obvious although there are some structural changes that you could make which will both future proof your home and add to the overall value. Here are five suggestions of things that you can do to your forever home to make it truly future proof.

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Adulting

Minimising Excess Complexity In Your Professional Life

January 19, 2022March 4, 2022 JayneLeave a comment

Pixabay CC0 License

Everyone wants to thrive in their professional life as well as in their personal life, and to enjoy the greatest possible degree of success and accomplishment.

Whether you are trying to excel and get promoted as an employee, or whether you are trying to achieve entrepreneurial success, however, there is a lot to be said for “keeping things simple,” and looking for ways to minimise excess complexity in your professional life.

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Adulting · Business · Parenting

How To Balance Business and Parenthood

July 20, 2021 JayneLeave a comment

Working parents understand how difficult it is to juggle a career with child care. Parents who own their own businesses, on the other hand, face an additional layer of difficulty. To an extent, business-owning parents are trying to juggle two kinds of infants: the children they are trying to raise and the business they are trying to build. To be successful, both require nurturing and attention, especially in their early phases, and business-owning parents must learn to meticulously plan and prioritise their time to make sure that each receives the care they necessitate and expect.

Here we look at some tips to help you to balance parenthood and business.

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Delegate, outsource and learn to say no

As a business-owning parent, balancing your venture and family time can be tricky, as both require a significant lot of time and resources. The sooner you realise you can’t be in two places at the same time, the better. Prioritize the moments with your children that require your full attention, and make sure you have someone to stand in for you during those times. Outsourcing is a popular strategy for many small business owners, for example, paying a digital marketing agency to handle your online marketing or an SEO specialist to get your ranking up. This frees up valuable time for you to spend with your family.

Prioritize your health and wellbeing

Use mindfulness or relaxation techniques. Set your well-being as a top priority. When life becomes an unending demand on your time, the first thing to go is your self-care. However, with 40% of firms not having a succession plan in place, taking care of yourself is critical to the future of your business – as well as ensuring you are the best parent that you can be.

Create clear boundaries between home and work – and stick to them

Establish firm time limits. Define when you are and are not available, and stick to those boundaries. This is a good lesson for your kids to learn. When you are not available, you are not available – unless it is an emergency, of course. However, when it is time to be with your family, you leave work behind and be entirely present with them. Create home/work boundaries and stick to them.

Don’t expect perfect balance every day

If we believe that we can remain balanced every day, it is easy to fall into the trap of believing we are pushing extra hard or disregarding our business. Reassure yourself that your children benefit from seeing you work hard at times and that spending quality time with your children benefits your governance

Be in charge of your own calendar

One of the benefits of being your own boss is that you can control your own calendar and be in charge of your schedule. Arrange meetings with clients when the children are at school, switch off completely when they come home from school, and do your admin work when they are in bed, for example. Find a routine that works for you and your family.

Mental Health · Personal

Summer’s Here – It’s Time For A More Positive Outlook

June 14, 2021June 14, 2021 JayneLeave a comment

There aren’t many people who can say they’ve enjoyed the past year. The pandemic has been hard, and has had a huge impact on most people’s mental health and wellbeing.

But with things looking more positive at the moment, it’s also time for you to start looking on the brighter side, ready to enjoy a great summer and get your health back on track.

Shake off the past year with the following tips for ensuring a more positive outlook this summer.

Image Credit: Unsplash under Creative Commons

Make plans

After a year of not being able to make many plans, it’s time for plans to come back on the menu! Keeping busy ensures you don’t stay at home moping, and instead gives you the chance to go see friends and family as well as enjoy different experiences. Spend time with positive people who make you feel good about yourself. Check out some great things to do this summer and start making plans!

Get outdoors

Spending time outdoors is good for your mental health. It can help you feel a lot more positive after spending a long, wet winter indoors. From going for walks to dining al fresco, there’s a lot to love about spending time outside. If you want to boost your fitness this summer, you can also check out some outdoor workout ideas to keep you busy. Get that vitamin D and spend some time in the sunshine – don’t forget your sun protection!

Think about your future and your goals

The past year might have meant that some of your plans have been put on hold, but that doesn’t mean they have to stay on hold forever. Start setting some goals for yourself that will help give you motivation, serving as a positive way to move forward. You might want to consider going down a more spiritual route with Psychic Lights and see what your future holds. If you’re feeling particularly lost or unsure of your future, you could also consider speaking to a life or career coach, who could help you think about things differently.

Prioritise your mental health

Your mental health is important, but like your physical health, it needs taking care of. Find ways of reducing stress so that you can enjoy life, and making sure that you don’t bottle up your feelings. Don’t put pressure on yourself and make sure you take enough opportunities to relax – isn’t that what summer is all about?

If you are struggling with your mental health for whatever reason, make sure you speak to someone or seek help.

Summer is when a lot of people will feel more optimistic and hopeful. The longer, brighter days can work wonders for your wellbeing, as well as help you get out and about more. Give more time to yourself and let go of all of your negativity so that you can really make the most of the summer months.