Lifes TreacleWisdom to navigate through life's challenges
Welcome to our site, we’re really glad you’re here. We’re sharing our experiences weekly in blog form to help anyone feeling a bit stuck, wanting to progress or try something new. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we enjoy writing them.
Rachel & Kelly
The holiday season is in full swing here in the UK and we are loving the sparkle, fairy lights, and feeling of festive anticipation. As we are now more than halfway through our advent calendars, we wanted to share some light-hearted insights into what Christmas is like for Rachel and me.
Last week marks my one-year anniversary in a new organisation and what an amazing year it has been! Working as a Success Architect (Business Transformation Specialist), in a Fortune 500 IT software company, continues to be an exciting and remarkable journey.
My third blog was about planning for the year ahead – an anti-procrastination plan for the niggling to-do’s. A year is a long time though, what about the more pressing stuff? How does someone who is prone to putting things off, actually get stuff done on a daily basis?
Last week, I was an unintentional observer of a poignant scene within the hospital ward. An elderly woman, who was a patient on the ward, was reduced to tears and experienced a mini tantrum due to sheer frustration. The situation attracted my attention as it was evident from her persona and the language she used, that the elderly woman was a well-educated intellect, consequently the public emotional turmoil she was experiencing appeared out of character.
Being hospitalised and in isolation with Influenza and exacerbated asthma, I was suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar world where I could hear; hushed voices in the corridors, beeping machines and hurried footsteps. There is something very humbling and sobering about hearing the excited buzz of the aftermath of someone being saved from a cardiac arrest and the realisation that the next time the emergency buzzer rang that person wasn’t so lucky. Sat in my bed thinking about how the hospital ward ran like a well-oiled machine and reflecting on what an amazing job all the staff do, I had an unexpected encounter with the hospital cleaner that had a lasting impact.
I love December, not just because there’s a ton of sparkle and spirit – but it’s also the time when I start to sketch my plan for the year ahead. It started in my corporate goal setting days: reflecting how the year had gone for me and my team, preparing for our end of year review meetings, and thinking what we wanted to do in the next financial year.
Now, I’ve translated it into something I do purely for myself: How has 2023 gone, and what am I going to hold myself accountable for in 2024? There are no managers required to review and sign off this one – it’s just me, being 100% in charge of me.
On the eve of welcoming my second grandchild, I’m a myriad of emotions; apprehensive, worried and nervous for my daughter’s wellbeing and in equal measure, full of excitement, joy and happiness to welcome my new Granddaughter into this world. As I sit pondering my emotions this causes me to reflect on the journey I’ve been through and the lessons I’ve learned over the last 4 years, since my exciting adventure into Grandparenthood began. Little did I know how much I would change along the way.
A blog about my first real setback, and how it kick-started my career confidence journey.
I had a chance discussion with someone at work who told me that when she was younger, she really wanted to become a midwife. We were stood in a call centre, the two are not very similar. Her dream never went anywhere, the opportunities for her back in the day just weren’t there – this was how she summarised it.
I’m a fairly private person, and if you already know me then you won’t have seen me share too much on social media (beyond holiday photos). I’m an introvert, and I’m perfectly fine with that. Why on earth then, am I embarking on a venture to write and publish a blog, along the way sharing things about my life? Really good question.
It was a Sunday just after lunch when my daughter rang me on my mobile. My usual bright and cheery “Hello Darling” was greeted by inaudible gasps for air. I instantly knew what was happening, trying to stay calm and knowing I was about two hours’ drive away from her. I asked how long she had been struggling to breathe and how much reliever she had taken.