The juggle is real peeps. There’s always something to do, isn’t there?
Sometimes the busyness is overwhelming and I just fluff about, not really getting anything done. I feel like I’m either working, cleaning, moving things from one place to another, dusting, washing, cooking, or walking Foxy…
People think when you don’t have kids you have a lot of spare time. The reality is that we fill our lives with other activities so nope, we are just as busy as the mums and dads. It’s just a different kind of busy.
When you’re also single, you do it all! Even when you’re sick you have to get sh*t done. Most of the time, I’m completely relaxed about it all but after a week of having Covid and a week of recovery…I am exhausted. I had a lot of help from an angel called Grace (and her partner Rico) last week, but this week I’m dragging my feet. (PS. Foxy loves my smelly socks)
Everyone has their version of a busy life. Working hard at the day job, Monday to Friday. Walking the dog morning and night. Shopping and cooking healthy meals. Household chores on the weekend. And, of course, socialising. That’s the soul-food isn’t it – the people connection?
By the way…my vote is for a 3-day weekend. Actually, I cannot wait until I’m in a position to flip that and only ‘work’ 3 x days …#dreamlifegoals
So how do I fit in family/friends, promoting my book, writing, and volunteering into this busy-bee life?
I do the best I can! Including being forgiving (of myself). Sometimes you just got to pick your battles. Unfortunately for me, writing and volunteering often fall to the bottom of the to-do list. #pivot
It’s a shame as I love volunteering. I love giving back. I love sharing my skills to help others. There is nothing more satisfying than the smile on the face of someone you helped.
It’s called the ‘helper’s high’. (I talk about it in my book). Random Acts of Kindness Foundation states on their website that according to research from Emory University, when you are kind to another person, your brain’s pleasure and reward centres light up as if you were the recipient of the good deed—not the giver.
So, when my charity partner, StreetSmart, connected me to Scarf* to help them with their training, you can imagine my excitement…. yep, effervescent joy! This is the perfect blend of volunteering my skills to a charity that is making a meaningful difference. Yes, please.
Scarf provides front-of-house hospitality training, mentoring, and paid work experience opportunities to young people (18-28 years) seeking protection, and those from refugee or migrant backgrounds facing barriers to work. #makingadifference
Now you’re wondering… what gives? How will I fit this sort of volunteer work into my busy-bee life?
I’m blocking out time in my day and letting everyone know it’s not negotiable. It’s important to me and if that means I have to flex my hours and work a little earlier, or a little later, I do it. If that means I have to give up some play time on the weekend because I’m doing something meaningful, I do it.
It’s the same as finding time to write ….or insert whatever your vocation/passion is…. If we really (really, really) want to do it, we will. Yep – something will fall down the list but that’s ok. This is life and we have to adapt, pivot, and flex (just like yoga practice!).
I guess this is what we do when we love something so much. We find a way.
A few weeks ago, I helped out at Scarf with some interviewing practice sessions and it was incredible. You could tell the trainees worked hard to prepare and they really know how to sell themselves. I wish I had a cafe I could employ them in…maybe one day! I cannot wait to spend more time with the Scarf team. Stay tuned for photos.
Well, that’s it from me.
Foxy sends a woof and a head tilt.
Take care winter bunnies!
Peace and love
Janine xo
*Scarf is a registered charity with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status, and there are heaps of ways you can support them. Check out their website for more details.
At the moment, I’m busy creating courses. My day job as a learning designer keeps me in the creation zone and I really enjoy the creativity it brings.
When you create a course, you have to think about the objectives as well as the best way to deliver the information. Learning delivery is constantly evolving. Technology is creating an appetite for unique ways to learn. It’s thrilling…and a little scary. I sometimes wonder if I’ll ever keep up …or will AI will take over my job?
That said, the best part of my career is that I have to evolve along with the industry. I need to look at innovative ways to get my messages across. I need to continue my own learning journey, which I love. I think if I play my cards right, and keep learning, I may just be at the forefront of innovation and other future of work skills.
I’ve discovered something interesting on my writing journey…
While I create courses, and more recently wrote a book, I realised that both are at the core, storytelling. I approached both with the same objectives. To tell a story that shares a viewpoint and may even shift a mindset.
Just like storytelling, writing a course has the same structure:
There’s a beginning – the WHAT and WHY. This sets the framework of the subject and why it’s important/interesting to know. In a book, you introduce characters and locations. In a course, you introduce concepts and the why.
There’s the middle – The HOW, WHEN, WHO, ETC. This gets the reader into the details of the how and anything else you need to know. In a book, this is the main body of the story. In a course, this is all the juicy details to make the learning sticky.
There’s the end – the CONCLUSION. Bringing everything together with key insights into a lovely conclusion. In a book, this is the finale, the moment you leave your reader satisfied (or not, depending on your story!). In a course, this is when you leave your learner with an a-ha moment, or a shifted mindset, or a hunger for more.
Whether writing a book or creating a course, it’s all about capturing attention. Who wants to go on a boring course? Who will ever finish a boring book?
Us humans have been storytelling for centuries. And, we remember stories. They make us FEEL something.
What story will you tell? What course will you create?
Love and peace
Janine
Want to buy my book Wanderlust and Misadventures? Or find out more about my learning design biz? Click on this fancy link here.
Having embraced my unique approach to life, I will continue doing things my way without expectations of what success ‘should’ look like. I’ve always done things in all aspects of my life because it ‘feels’ right (for me).
As I share in my memoir, I went through a lot of challenges that lead me down a path to despair. I questioned everything. It was a time of deep reflection that lead to a life-changing discovery… I can do whatever I want with my life my way. I do not have to follow the status quo. I embraced my past and I am now open to the potential of the beautiful life that I want. That’s called freedom.
I’m more determined to continue working on my dreams and creative passions as well as building my skills for the future. I am excited about the potential. I love learning and evolving.
Learning is much fun!
What I love most about my learning design work is the diversity. I work with different businesses and people on so many unique projects. I am constantly challenged to learn from the subject matter experts (SMEs) and find a way to bring the required learning to life. It’s exciting to work on different projects and I love being able to use my creativity in all the work I do.
With the world changing so rapidly, particularly with remote working the norm now, I’m wondering what the future hold for learning. This year I’ll be diving deeper into how I can diversify and expand my skills to meet the demands of future learning. How exciting is that? I get to constantly evolve with this career. And, it gives me the freedom to do my other projects such as blogging, writing, learning French, as well as other artistic endeavours. I’m also about to start building the framework for my next book and I’ve got a few other fun ideas in the pipeline (stay tuned). Plus, wanderlust is brewing for me in 2023!
Are you loving your career? Send me a message anytime I’m always up for a chat!
I like to look at every new year as 365 new opportunities! So many new exciting chapters in my book of life! I always start the year in the right headspace and that means letting go of the previous year and all that happened (the good and the not-so-good) so I am vibrationally ready!
REFLECTION
Spending time reflecting on the previous year is a great way to reconcile. I celebrate what I’ve achieved and feel gratitude for all that I have. I consider the challenges I’ve experienced that made me stronger. I also re-evaluate the opportunities where I could have done things differently. This is part of evolving as a human and important for growth. #lifelessons
PREPARATION
I set myelf up with a positive start of the year so I’m kicking goals and keeping motivated. I’ve always loved being organised. It’s one of my favourite things to do. I even have a paper diary or three! I set myself up for success with a neat and tidy TO DO list with little boxes on the side. Every day, I look over the list and tick off a completed task. For me, it makes it so much easier to get s*&%! done, particularly with my current menopausal brain fog (if it’s not written down, it doesn’t get done). #sosatisfying
CHOOSE A WORD FOR THE YEAR
What do you want to achieve this year? For me, I find a word that becomes my beacon. I write it out in a creative way and put it on my desk so I can see it every day. The word is inspirational (to you). A word that motivates you to keep going. This words becomes part of your purpose for the whole year. If you are more of a spontaneous type of person do not worry! You can always change your word or add new ones throughout the year.
I am excited to share my word for 2023 this week …Stay tuned! #inspirational
I’ve got big plans for my year ahead so I’m excited to continue my roller coaster ride of life open-hearted and inspired.
I’m really grateful for my life as it is. I’m single and I’m happy about it. At this time of year, I can do whatever I want – when I want. #singal [I’m creating a new hashtag for us single gals!]
I usually find this time of year an effort. I kind of drag myself around….All the parties and celebrations and ‘get things done before Christmas’ shenanigans takes its toll on me by year’s end. Don’t get me wrong, I do like some of the silly season festivities. I simply find it difficult to be ‘festive’ all the time. As a social person, I desperately need my introvert time more and more these days. Is it because I’m older? Is it because I prefer a good night’s sleep to a night out drinking? Probably both!
By the time I turn my cute-fireman-holding-an-adorable-puppy-calendar to December, I’m exhausted. And this year has been pretty full-on. I know I’m not alone. I think we are all still dealing with post-pandemic fatigue. Or maybe it’s the upcoming new moon putting us in a spin!
For me, it’s been full on the past 6 months.. my day job has been a big learning curve, and my ‘weekend’ job blogging and promoting my book has challenged me. […insert a tired but satisfied sigh here because this is life when you are chasing your dreams]. But, I am grateful for the opportunities and for the continued resilience.
So what does a single girl do during the silly season?
She does whatever she wants to do. Whoohooo…that’s the benefit of being solo. #lovethelifeyoulive
We do what makes us happy... we can go out or not. We can drink the night away …or go have a massage. Volunteer. Fundraise. Buy fun gifts for your loved ones. Catch up with family/friends …or hang out with our puppy/cat/neighbour [or insert preferred option here]. The options are endless and this is what makes single life so precious.
Janine and Foxy cuddle time
Holiday time…
The day job is done for a whole month (whoohooo) so I am feeling a little lighter today. For me, I’m all about starting 2023 with a BANG. I’ll share more in the next post. I cannot wait to turn the page of my cute-fireman-holding-an-adorable-puppy-calendar to January 2023. I wonder what the new year will bring for this #singal?
One of my big lessons over the past few years was to let go of the idea of control. We can only control certain aspects of our lives and how we react to situations.
In my learning and development world, we call this the Circle of Concern and Influence. Stephen Covey (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People), introduced the concept a long time ago but it is still meaningful today.
The “Circle of Concern” are the things we worry about, such as the weather or a global pandemic. The “Circle of Influence” are things we have some power over, such as our work output. The “Circle of Control” is where we hold nearly all the power, such as our attitude and how we react to things that happen.
An example of this is when I was stuck overseas. I was at the beginning of a pandemic and I had no control over anything that was happening around me. All I could do was take care of myself. I could influence some aspects, such as the food I needed or preparing contingency plans if I couldn’t get back to Australia. Ultimately, what I could control, was how I reacted to the situation.
THE SURRENDER EXPERIMENT: My Journey into Life’s Perfection by Michael A Singer
In the Surrender Experiment, Singer explains how letting go of the idea of control (outside of us) can positively impact our lives. Through sharing his life story, Singer gives us insights into how we can pause the worry. Pause the hustle and bustle of life. Yes, I found his story mindblowing in its simplicity. This is a wonderful example of a human surrendering fully and reaping the benefits. The beauty of it is that you can do this yourself. Anytime. Anywhere.
I won’t share anymore and let you discover it yourself. I highly recommend this book. It’s one of my favs and I often buy it for friends who I feel will connect with it.
