So, I have been quiet on the blogging front for a while.   Partly because I've been working hard, (new job)  and partly because I've been trying to make more time to listen.

There is just so much to do everyday, and I realise that more and more I am not really listening to my kids, as I chase them through the daily routines so I can get to that job I need to finish.

It feels like we are living in the age of  "infobeasity" where we are constantly bombarded with stuff from e-mail, texts, Facebook...
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 Yesterday I ditched work and took the kids sledging after school.   In 6 months time will I (or my client) remember what I did in January?   I bet my kids will remember 2 hours of sledging one cold Monday after school forever..

Today I am twice as productive, as I feel good.

Mum - the memory maker.
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 So on the first day of Christmas flu I gritted my teeth, tidied the house, made up 2 double air-beds, one spare bed and a party lunch for 5 ..    I smiled through the nativity service drunk my way through a few G&T's in the pub after (purely medicinal of course) and struggled to our Christmas Eve pub dinner all before collapse.

On the second day of Christmas flu I cooked about half a Christmas dinner for 9  before collapsing asleep on the sofa ....  and it was all down hill from there.

I haven...
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I HATE SHOUTING.  Sometimes its good, (e.g. when they do something dangerous), but mostly its a horrid thing, only a few steps from bullying.  So why do I do it? The last week or so I've been trying to track when I get cross enough to shout and why.  I've also been talking to my friends about their shouting habits, and together we have come up with some thoughts on how to avoid shouting so much.

 

1) Find The Shouting Button: 

Shouting happens when they have pressed your but...

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So its the end of an amazing Diamond Jubilee weekend here in the UK.   I have, like many mothers worked hard to create some great memories for my kids, as the whole country got behind the festive spirit...    After a weekend full of village fair, raft race, Jubilee Parties, a London trip, and kids staying up late I for one am exhausted!

So I am sparing a thought for the mother of mothers ...  our Queen, who must be totally shattered after a weekend of constant dinners, ceremonies, concerts, sa...
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Changing career at any point in your working life journey is seldom easy, but it might not be as hard as you think.  

If you have determination, courage, and a realistic plan there is every chance that you will join many millions of mothers who have successfully travelled this path before you.  In many ways being a mother is a career change in itself, as you have suddenly acquired a whole new job description (often on top of your paid one).   You have rapidly acquired a whole different set of ...
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So this week I have a big project on.   In fact I'm super busy, trying to cram a 12 week project into 6 weeks (of which 2 I am away on holiday!)....   

When I am working, its always quite full on, as I try to juggle the kids, house, and demands of a busy client global client, who really don't want to hear that I actually already have two coaching sessions booked this week with another client, let alone kids to collect from school... a couple of suitcases to pack, and a fancy dress costume to p...
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So for ages I resisted the Facebook thing ....   I always used to think that it was something for people with too much time on their hands...   Living in a world of 'infobesity', why on earth did it need another stream of information coming into my already over-cluttered in-box?

A few months ago, largely through my work, I realised I had to get with the programme, and learn about social media, so I could talk to my clients about how this fits in with their HR strategies of the future.   I have...
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So today is International Women's Day ... don't normally bother with this kind of stuff, but it made me reflect on people who have inspired me throughout my life....   here is my list:

Authenticity

I once worked for an amazing and very senior woman, who refused to behave 'like a man' to succeed.  She came to work as a complete person, and was not afraid to draw reference to her family, and role as a mother in her work.   People respected her for being genuine, and authentic.   I learnt that you...
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If you are thinking about having a portfolio career, the good news is as a mother you probably already have one, and if not you certainly have the skills to do it.

A Portfolio Career is, for me just a fancy way of saying people work on a set of different things to generate their livelihood. Women have been having portfolio careers since the invention of money, through raising a family whilst trading favours/earning additional money in any way possible.  The range of moving parts that mothers h...
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 Was talking to a friend the other day, who wants to start doing some different things now her kids are getting a bit older.  Every idea she had was shot down with barriers by other people, and it got me thinking about how negative we often are when anyone has an idea.

The training starts young ...  how many times do you see the faults in your kids' ideas, and point out why things won't work?   How many times do you look awkward, and stop them telling other people how clever they are, or how w...
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So after my no-life-balance.com January, comes perfect life balance February.  

At work I do loads of 'strategic stuff', so why not apply the same thinking to my W L balance problem.   On giving some thought as to how I was going to make this happen, I realised I have been going about things wrong for most of my life.   So after quite a bit of contemplation - I thought of the 3 things I need to change to break the work-washing-kids-homework-taxi-double dinner-not enough sleep cycle.

1) Write my...
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Oh dear, not even reached the end of January, and I find myself already in no-life-balance.com world.   I realised last week when I noticed I had 3 UI's (un-identifiable injuries) on my leg...   Used to be un-identifiable partying injuries somewhere back in my youth, but now its just bruises from bumping into tables and chairs as I rush around 10 minutes late for the school run, and fearing the 'late token' for missing the school gates!

Other symptoms include the re-emergence of scary mummy (d...
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Early this year I lost someone special.  She was only 20, at least she knew she was loved.

So as I think about what I want to achieve this year, it was a huge kick up the back side to set myself some goals about people I love.   My first goal is to laugh with my boys every day, and make sure they know they are loved. 

Ok so this morning when I was yelling at my oldest for taking ten minutes to get his coat on, it all went down the pan a bit!   But seriously, you never know what might happen tom...
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I've been thinking about this site for ages, and just before Christmas someone said, 'stop talking about it, just do it'.  So here we are, the start of my 'small thing' to enable someone somewhere to change for the better.

I hope that people will like the concept, and the life-balance-planning tools on offer, and most importantly I hope that we get loads of feedback so the Mum-Life-Balance Project develops into something really amazing that touches the lives of men, women and children all roun...
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