Sabudana (tapioca) a food for fasting The theme of 'faith' has come up a fair few times in the exercises and discussions I've been having as a category for focus. I'm a big believer that this is quite subjective for all of us; however, I had quite a serendipitous few days in this regard and wanted to share the story. I wouldn't consider myself religious, but I do feel connected to some teachings I learned by choice and affinity growing up. As we enter a season of religious fe

When you're in a state of flux or transition, there's a sense of discomfort that can also land with it. Although I've had a great year living in these 6-12 week blocks, what I was anticipating the start of September to look like isn't quite there yet. I'd also realised that two of my 6-12 week blocks didn't yield what they needed to - the reason, dilution of focus within the focus I'd set. It was time to really look at where I was spending my time. So for the month of Septemb

Although I've had a fabulous month, as I come to the end of it and recognize that I'm about to go into my next season, figuratively speaking, I've also realized that I've lost my momentum with certain things - one of which was writing. A focused start to the week as I get ready for the month ahead also saw my first trip to the sauna in a good few weeks, which came as a welcome break in the day for 'thinking time.' A chat with one of my accountability partners also helped me c

If we can agree that 5 hours is the optimum number of work hours in a day, is it sensible and safe to assume that this can be reduced further to 4 hours if you're in a different time zone to normal, you have a few quiet hours in the day before everything else gets started and you're clear on your goals/output for the day? Is 4 hours enough 'work' for one day when you are a travelling portfolio person? On a recent trip to California, I managed to buckle down and focus on work

Last week, I had the opportunity to take myself away for a few days and I had the place to myself. The purpose was mental rest, enforced physical rest (I had a bad knee!) and to some extent emotional rest. It also gave me focus time on the 'work' I needed to get done. This included: Creating content Working on proposals Wine writing Reading - where pleasure meets wellbeing - refreshing myself on fasting (like a girl) concepts and future of work concepts Personal Finance - pra

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the evolving answer to the question: What are you learning? that I received from a good friend at the start of the year. A few weeks in, I can say that things have moved forward on the learning padel front. I first had a lesson approximately two years ago and was very lucky to have a 1-1 session with the coach that I received. Last week, I went back and had another 1-1 session with an equally supportive coach. I knew this time I needed to get my

Love it or hate it, or never tried one because you think they're for older people...I recently returned from my second Norwegian Fjords cruise. The first was pre-pandemic with a different company. Every now and then I do embark on this kind of downtime as I have a parent that has a penchant for cruises. Whilst some parts of it were challenging - service was not as good as previously and it was half term meaning that a significant figure of the 4000 or so passengers were young

A bank holiday weekend really allows for reflection! The Anchor If I had to pick the thing in my portfolio that was the anchor for the second six weeks, it would be homework. Defined here mainly as 'family' with a sub-theme of getting the house in order in the more proverbial sense. Much like for the first six weeks, as a known natural gap appeared, it becomes an opportunity to define what matters most and get organized for what is to come - you know, clear the old to make wa

I write this as I come to the end of my second six-week cycle of 2026. The first two have been as successful as they can be. Cycle one - health and fitness focus - anchored with a specific work contract Cycle two - exploring/traveling - anchored with family and a focus on the home While being aware of what the next cycle is to be the focus, I was struggling to visualize it in a 6-week block - it is too broad, and within it, things need to be broken down differently. Perhaps t

I woke up this morning full of a head cold. One that I knew was coming. The type of sick that comes when your body shuts down after something ends. With a contract ending last Friday, and my travelling to Madrid for my anchoring break early on Saturday, it took a little longer than it may have otherwise done. Madrid in itself was energy consuming in its own way - through rich conversations, the brain was still mentally active. The habit of walking that I have gotten myself in

Reflecting on Change and Growth I write this across the last day and the first day of the financial year change in 2025 in the UK. On the...

As we come to the end of Q1 of 2025, I've managed to refocus myself. March has been a month of a few curveballs however with that, I'm...

My accountability buddies - cute cat not normally included This month began on a high note! I quickly realized I had reclaimed a...

Making space in the English Countryside with a fire As we hit the last week of February, I'm already aware how my March portfolio is...

Over the last couple of days, I've been exchanging messages with a family member in India - and I recall saying to a friend yesterday,...

After sharing my previous post about my UK adventures in 2024, I eagerly grabbed my diary and photo gallery to dive into the thrilling...

On the coast in Devon, March 2024 Pretty much every chat I've had in the last month or so has brought up how much I was traveling in...

In a recent post, I reflected on how we make decisions about career or job moves based on where we are in our lifecycle. This is a...

Photo taken onboard Queen Anne, taking being 'on the road' to being 'on the waves' That's it - Four weeks done in the new contract. It's...

Photo taken on a weekend walk along the Thames Two and a half weeks into the new contract and I realised that I was still 'hotdesking'...