jo hodson 01/01/2015 jo hodson 01/01/2015

Your 2015 'Dream Sheet'

Reflection and gratitude was a big part of this previous post as I looked back on my first year in business, but let's not simply reflect but also look ahead to our dreams for the coming year!

The biggest takeaway for me this last year? The importance of self care! As life ramps up and gets a little crazy, your self care practices need to follow the same tangent! You simply cannot live a life of optimal health otherwise.

I learnt this the hard way as I have suffered some digestive issues (low stomach acid through stress) and adrenal fatigue. It was a slow process and I wasn't aware of the extent of the impact until it was too late. BUT awareness is the key to change, and I am intent on re-structuring my life to allow for the self care I know I deserve- body and mind. I know it won't happen over night, but I am intent on exploring this over coming weeks and moths and hope that you will also share my journey.

2015 looks set to be equally and exciting and scary for me as both aspects of my business... coaching and Wholeplus take even bigger steps into the unknown. But i'll be ready!

Dreams are the essence of life, but it is only action that powers them forward into a reality. It is the action part that is often so scary and overwhelming.

I wanted to create you a 'Dream Sheet' where you could document your goals and dreams and remind yourself throughout the year of your goals and keep yourself acceptable. I was just about to design you one from scratch then I came across this beautiful version created by Emma Paxton. She has provided the graphic to be shared freely so I decided to share it with you all here.

save and print the image to use this dream sheet yourself!

This Dream Sheet was found at Emma Paxton's Facebook page Drawing Lingo.

Here are also a few extra resources, inspiration and words of wisdom from others whose voices I respect...

Live Bold and Bloom: Top personal development posts of 2014

How to let shit to go and make 2015 the best year yet!

Inspirational wellness videos of 2014

Kate Northrup: don't make a new years resolution until you do this.

The Passion Junkie: 2014 takeaways

Why not sign up for my newsletter in my sidebar where I feature roundups and special offers plus my FREE ebook. If you are new round here check out my 'About' and 'Getting Started' tabs up top. To buy nibbles you can also find me over at Wholeplus.

Day to day you can always find me hanging out in these places:

jo hodson 31/12/2014 jo hodson 31/12/2014

A 2014 reflection.... what my first year in business has taught me!

Wow... What. A. Year!!

At the beginning of this year I had big dreams and a huge amount of excited anticipation. But like so many dreams, it is only action that powers them forward into reality. It is the action part that is oh so scary and overwhelming!

The difference with this last year is that for the first time ever I played full out and embraced the overwhelm. Oh man, there was a lot of it. I'm steel reeling if i'm honest and the entire year has been such a roller coaster of emotions. So many times I said to myself "why couldn't I just be content with a regular job" but in the moments of the highs and when I look back and see just how far I've come, I really have no regrets.

A few big highlights from the year:

Wholeplus had it's first full year in business
A became a contributor to a number of great magazines I truly respect
I graduated from the Institute if Integrative Nutrition as a health coach
I took on my very first coaching clients who continue to amaze me every day
I launched the '21 Day Lemon Water Challenge' with 400 participants

I would also like to say at this point, that so much of this may never have come to fruition in the way it has without the never-ending support of my family (I know I annoy the hell out of them at times- but I thank you!) but also another two key people in my life, who exist largely behind the scenes but are amazing in enabling me to be the person I am today...

My business coach, Erica has worked with me throughout this entire year. She has been there right from the very start (before I even realised I needed a coach) and grounds me yet pushes me beyond my comfort zone, all the while pushing her own personal boundaries. They say every good coach needs their own coach, and I whole heartedly agree with this statement!

My personal trainer, Toby. Fitness is a huge part of my life. It has come to be even more so this last year as it is my 'down time' and an escape from my own head at times! Toby deserves extra kudos for putting up with numerous floopy moments and tears of frustration when I rock up to a session after a stressful morning. He had been a great support during both my highs and lows and also shares my plant based food philosophy... we have shared so many hours of interesting debates over the least 12 months and so here's hoping for 12 more!

A few things this year has taught me:

There are some truly amazing genuine people out there! In exploring who I really am and taking my business to the next level, I have come into contact with some genuine and amazing people and companies. Above and beyond Erica and Toby, it has affirmed my belief that so people are there to help each other and not simply out for themselves. One of my biggest concerns going into 'business' is that I can be very naive, too nice and very honest. Right back at the beginning a few people told me that I wasn't cut out for business and that I would hate it, but I have proved them wrong. Yes, I might pour too much emotion what I do and yes I might get hurt somewhere along the line. But I honesty woudn't have it any other way!
I need to be more organised! I am a creative on all levels. I think in colour, texture and shapes, I enjoy the random places my mind wanders, I never sit still, I love creating cakes with perculiar ingredients profiles, I like designing, I like asking questions and exploring answers BUT I do not like spreadsheets, business plans, tax returns, systems or anything remotely regimented. The more creative I have become, the more my brain seems to move away from that other side of things. I need to get better (simple) systems in place for 2015... and address my areas of weakness!
I need to put myself first! In throwing my self into business I focussed on working so hard my personal health has suffered. As much as I know (and preach) that self care and relaxation time is so intrinsically important in everyday life, I have struggled to implement this myself. It was as if I hadn't 'earned the right' to relax even though I know that's ridiculous. I have taken some time out this Christmas and will be on a mission in 2015 to balance both areas of my life. No doubt this will be the focus of my blog from time to time.

"Life is a constant journey of discovery. One I never want to stop"

Do you remember this post from August, when I had just finished my final module with IIN? I posted a quote which I still resonate so much with. Here is is again.

May 2015 be an incredible year for you all.

Day to day you can always find me hanging out in these places:

jo hodson 09/01/2012 jo hodson 09/01/2012

A Mantra for Monday no.2

I love to dream, to slip off into my fantasy world where everything is possible and I can be whoever I want to be. But, I forget that I can actually be whoever I want to be. It all within my own control...and your own control. This is easier said than done, I know, and believe me I suffer the same crises of confidence as everyone else!

The difference between dreaming and doing is often courage. Courage to face our fears, courage to go against expectation, courage to take the risk….. This links back to my previous post on being in charge of your own experiences. I believe the bridge between impossible, improbable and inevitable is thinking it through and takingthe steps to make it happen.

Something like this:

‘Impossible’: lots of thoughts and dreams swimming around your mind in their own little happy existence safe with no contextual reality.

‘Improbable’: you refine your dreams and ideals through giving them a context in real life. It is still all in your head and there is still no commitment, but a greater sense of the logistics and meaning within your own life. You begin to ask yourself the deeper questions.

So far so good….all nice and simple….safe and comfortable.

The jump to the inevitable? Commitment.

‘Inevitable’: for me, this involves making the change from mind to reality. Putting it out there for others to see and proclaiming your 'commitment'. This is not necessairly as scary as it sounds. Break it down and take small steps.

Talk through your ideas with a friend. Talking about an idea immediately makes it more real and also enables you to gain extra support through others.

Sign up- join the club/society/dating website or whatever it might be. You don’t need to launch yourself into the scene right away but simply signing up gives you that initial boost and gives yourself physical proof that you are committed- plus once you’ve had a 'look around' is it really that scary?

Write it down- sounds odd? I write all my thoughts down, in particular things I find overwhelming or confusing. I often find that simply through writing something down a greater sense of clarity is achieved naturally. You find the ability to answer your questions and justify your own reasoning in a logical way. Write when you are in a positive mindset and refer back to your notes when your confidence in yourself wavers.

There are many other ways that commitment can be manifested, but I just wanted to highlight that commitment isn’t a scary word and it isn’t the deal breaker it often seems to be. It is not finite and it doesn’t mean that there is ‘no going back’. It is simply a confirmation to yourself along the pathway towards your dream…so that it can soon become the inevitable.

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