Happy New Year, and I hope 2024 is off to a good start for you. So far, I have enjoyed a gentle start to the year; in any case, here is my round-up for January as a coach, writer, and human being.
Opening your world to new possibilities
If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine; it is lethal – Paulo Coelho.
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all – Helen Keller
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? — Mary Oliver
Which, if any of the above resonates with you, one, two or all three?
I’m still on the theme of restlessness and trying new things. Last weekend, I attended a writer’s development day in Brighton and was fortunate to hear the Nigerian-born writer Irenosen Okojie speak about her journey to becoming a published author. Despite my best intentions, I came away with her debut novel, Butterfly Fish, and her collection of short stories, Nudi Branch. But, I also came away with the message – put yourself in the way of opportunity- which Irenosen did when she shared her stories at live, open mic sessions – food for thought there.
So, my question is, how might you put yourself in the way of opportunity?
And if you are looking to open your world to new possibilities – have a read of my latest post on careerresilience:
How might you shake things up in 2024?
Often, at the start of a new year, I experience a sense of restlessness – a feeling that I want to shake things up and try new things. So much so that in the past, I’ve signed up for a couple of stand-up comedy courses, comedy improvisation and a few writing days.
In a few days, I will attend Jenny Garett’s retreat in February. I am beyond excited to participate in this for the first time – especially as the theme is how to be the author of your story. Brilliant timing for me as I approach my sixtieth birthday and start to think afresh about my next chapter and how I might choose to reinvent myself. I think I’ll be aiming for re-invention rather than retirement 😉.
For those of you who might be interested, you can find out more about the retreat here:
So, if you are not signing up for the retreat, what might you think about doing to shake things up in 2024?
Every day is a gift.
Every day is a gift, a phrase I have started saying to myself as we move into 2024. And then, at the end of the day, I can reflect on the gift from that day. Yesterday, the gift was the opportunity to work with a fantastic group of women, to talk and share experiences about how we communicate.
When I first started career coaching, all I wanted to do was work individually with people – the thought of delivering workshops or coaching with groups was scary and something I actively avoided until I landed some work with British Airways. Then, there was nowhere to hide, and my colleague’s gift to me after we had delivered our first workshop together was, ‘I think you probably just need to relax and enjoy, Janice.’
I will be forever thankful for that because I still pull it out when needed.
But what about you? What phrase or saying are you taking into 2024?
Getting six people in a room
Past or present, who would you like to get together in a room to see what they had to say to each other? Seeing the show Six at Brighton Theatre Royal recently reminded me that I had already asked myself this question about the six wives of Henry VIII. Tudor History has long been an interest of mine.
The Book of Henry is what I imagine would happen if these six women came together, like some exclusive book club. What would they have to say? How would they be with each other? Who would claim to have the biggest grievance? And then how might the encounter end?
The link to the story is here. If you have time – I hope you enjoy it.
So, who would be in your group of six, and what outcome would you hope for?
I’d love to hear.
Until next month
