Author: Sara Southey

A Story about … Musical Chairs

A Story about … Musical Chairs

This week it has been Shed Social week. One of my favourite times! I started the Shed Socials this year as an opportunity for people to come and hang out over nibbles and coffee/tea. A space to chat about nothing and everything. A time with […]

A Story About… best laid plans

A Story About… best laid plans

How do you deal with a big change in what you had carefully planned? At the weekend we were meant to plant our hedge. The trench was dug in readiness last week for 100s of plants to go in. And then it rained, a lot […]

A Story About… life experience

A Story About… life experience

Do you have a seemingly unconnected job in your past which has given you skills you use now?

 

After taking delivery of these beauties I am facing a weekend of revisiting a past career as a garden designer ????

 

????And it got me thinking about life experience. And life experience in terms of what we do for a living.

 

As a child I wanted to be a ballet dancer but at the age of 9 I was told I was the wrong shape so not to bother. As a young teenager I decided I wanted to be a fighter pilot. Different times meant that as a woman I wasn’t allowed. They offered me air traffic controller as an alternative option ????

 

After this influence it meant that I never quite found the answer to the question ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’

 

Until I was in my mid 40’s when I found my purpose and set up The Southey Way (growing up is still not an option!)

 

Between then and now, in rough order, I have been:

Typist
Recruitment consultant
Secretary
PA
Contracts manager
PR
HR
Project manager
Outplacement consultant
IT Trainer
Personal development trainer& coach
Unemployed abroad
Mother
Gardener
Garden designer

And now Health & Fitness coach/Mentor

 

If I had to put all those professions on a CV it could look like a right hodge podge with no logical flow.

And that thought could be justified.

However now, looking back at my working life, it all makes sense. As they have all contributed to how I work now.

All these jobs have given me such a wide range of learning, influences, and experience that I use on a daily basis to help support each and every one of my superstars on their life paths.

 

????My magic is in listening and hearing people. In building those relationship with individuals and providing what they need at a given moment in time.

Sometimes the path we take doesn’t have a visible destination. Or we can’t currently see it.

By looking back at where we have already travelled we can see the purpose to the past journey and the path opening up into the future.

 

What seemingly unconnected job in your past helps you in your work now?

……………………

Group, Online or 121 Memberships – what works for you best? You choose. PM me for a chat to find your best solution.

Contact me

A Story About… Habits

A Story About… Habits

I have a habit of messing up taking videos of important stuff – as you can see from this clip of my daughter’s first ever rock step climb in Wales this weekend. In my excitement I pressed the record button twice ???? I like to […]

A Story About… The Shed Social

A Story About… The Shed Social

A Story about … The Shed Social March’s Shed Social was epic ???? We got warm and cosy over Dr. Jenny Gordon fresh baked scones ???? and talked about so many things. Some work, some personal and some just plain funny ???? The Shed social has no […]

A Story About…CBA Days 2

A Story About…CBA Days 2

Do you get them? What do you do?

For those of you not familiar with the term CBA stands for Can’t Be Arsed

We all have those days, even people who seem to regularly have all their ducks in a row!

 

Some signs of a CBA day looming:

  • Drained after a bad nights sleep
  • Feeling under the weather, not quite right
  • Family being more challenging than normal
  • To Do list is too long and too challenging
  • Everything you touch seems to go wrong
  • Get up and go seems to have got up and gone
  • Exercise is not appealing.
  • Teetering on the edge feels more like clinging on by your fingertips!

This time of year can trigger more of those CBA moments than normal with the unpredictable weather, the darkness and dreariness.

It can all seem too much. The desire to bin out and just hunker down under a blanket with a plateful of biscuits and hide from the world can be very strong! Or is that just me? ????????‍♀️

 

Here’s how I manage a big case of the CBA’s.

I give it a score out of 10. And then take action accordingly.

1-5 out of 10 – A mild CBA DAY

 

Often a mindset change can change the course of the day. So planning and actioning a few tiny steps can get me back on track

  • Drink some water
  • Take a walk
  • 10 mins sat quietly with no distractions
  • A chat with a (supportive) friend
  • A hug
  • Writing down the crap in my head
  • Some gentle stretching
  • The ritual of making a proper cup of tea (or coffee)
  • A nap

And then moving on to something small and not arduous that will give me the feeling of achieving something that day.

Like:

  • An easy item ticked off the To Do list
  • Some exercise – something that is enjoyable and not too challenging
  • Clear some clutter

 

Action is so much easier to take once you start taking it. And the tiny steps create momentum to the small steps that then make the larger steps more manageable ????????

6-9 out of 10 – A medium CBA Day

 

These are the times when the overwhelm seems overwhelming!

These are the times I treat myself to permission to change the plan for the day.

Some things I do

  • Give myself permission to not achieve
  • Write the angst onto paper and burn it
  • Recognise that I am not superwoman
  • Take the morning/afternoon/day off all non essentials
  • Choose to do something that is comforting and nurturing and enjoy it with no guilt
  • Hunt for and celebrate all and any positives and silver linings I can think of
  • Stay away from media/news/challenging tv
  • Decide what I want the next minute/hour/day to look and feel like
  • Take the tiny/small actions that will help that happen
  • Celebrate each and every step

 

CBA days can feel overwhelming.

But we can still choose how we act.

 

What causes your CBA days? And what actions do you take?

…………………………….

Group, Online or 121 Memberships – what works for you best? You choose. Contact me for a chat to find your best solution.

 

A Story about…Time Out!

A Story about…Time Out!

What does Time Out look like for you? I held my, now monthly, Shed Social this week. There is no agenda. It’s just a Time Out to socialise, meet new people, chat about life the universe and everything. It’s space held for whatever those coming […]

A Story about…It’s Personal

A Story about…It’s Personal

Have you felt it was truly personal with your PT or coach? I’m often asked what makes me different from other health & fitness professionals. Here’s one of the main ones: For me, it’s personal. By that, I mean I’m all in for each and […]

A Story about …New Year’s resolutions

A Story about …New Year’s resolutions

This is me doing it my way so that some of you can do it your way.

 

I am not a fan of making those sweeping resolutions that tend to happen in January.

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

Every year I see the same thing happen.

Resolutions to get fitter, healthier and happier. And do it all in January – arguably the most miserable month of the year.

Then 2-3 weeks later, most if not all of those intentions have fallen by the wayside as life happens.

And we think we have failed.

And it’s not worth trying again.

Until next January!

 

Often these new year resolutions don’t stick because we:

Didn’t really want to but thought we ‘should’

Didn’t know WHY we were doing it

Didn’t consider HOW it was going to happen

Didn’t factor in real life into the picture

Changed too much too quickly

Had no support or accountability

Let’s not get insanely carried away with NY Resolutions this time.

 

Do different in 2023!

Let 2023 be the year you:

Know WHY and HOW you will be fitter, healthier and happier

Make the small changes that make great differences to YOU

Take the actions that fit in with YOUR life

Create habits that are consistent and sustainable long term

Are supported by likeminded positive individuals who are making change too

Have the accountability for the choices and actions you commit to

TSW SOS is my monthly membership that will help you DO DIFFERENT.

 

Sustainable, actionable change.

Starting from 25th January 2023

(deliberately after the NY chaos)

A guided monthly space for you to plan, resolve and sort your shit out once and for all in a way that works for you.

Bring your questions to the Shed table, each month, share it with the small confidential group, get supportive help & ideas for actions to take. Then choose where you will focus, mentally, emotionally and physically. Commit to your action and be held accountable throughout the month. And review & celebrate and go again the next month.

No insanity

No failure

YOUR results, YOUR way.

Fancy doing different in 2023?

Don’t wait for the new year, choose different NOW – Book your place with a message

 

A Story About … Christmas Charity Shed Social ?

A Story About … Christmas Charity Shed Social ?

The last Shed Social was a lot of fun. We had good chats, hung out in the shed with new and existing friends. Drank tea and coffee of different varieties and grazed from an amazing sharing platter provided by The Oxford Grazing Company. If you […]