After returning from Bali, I was ill and it took a couple of weeks to get back to being 100%.  When February arrived, I tried to jump straight back into everything.

Work, domestic admin, pilates, yoga, riding, coaching & mentoring, calls with the communities I’m a part of. My evenings and weekends were packed out.

I wanted to do all the things, and I gave it a good go, until last Tuesday….I’d had a session with my business mentor in the morning, and afterwards I reflected on our conversation. If I want to move my business forward this year, I need to make some decisions around what I want to prioritise in my life.

I sat with it for a while, went for a walk, let it percolate round my head for a bit and sat down with a pen and paper to map out a healthier week. A week where I could get the important stuff done – make progress with the business, rest, spend time with friends, Jessie (my horse), as well as all the routine stuff which needs to be done as well as create some breathing space for myself.

My aim was to create more balance in my life with a healthy dose of realism and my weekly (flexible) plan was born.

Now it’s a mix of working on the business with a plan of things I want to achieve and which step me out of my comfort zone in terms of putting myself out there and learning new tech skills.

It means I have a week where I move, build connections with friends and in the various communities I’m a part of, sleep, coach and mentor, and learn new things. This year I’ve also decided to lean into creativity through writing and drawing and make time, even if it’s just 10 minutes in my day.

Already it feels better, and I have a visual I can refer back to. It’s also helped me be kinder to myself when the plan doesn’t stick.

On Sunday, the plan was to work on the business after a riding lesson in the morning. But the universe sent me on a house viewing instead which ended up taking up a lot of the afternoon and when I got home, I was tired. Coupled with a Saturday which consisted of a house viewing in the morning, followed by a catch up with a friend, lunch and a 9km walk around Bradgate Park in Leicestershire and seeing Jessie.

So on Sunday, I made the conscious decision to honour where I was at – I watched TV and rested, knowing that would be better than pushing through and it was the right decision.

I’ve got my flexible weekly plan sitting on my desk now as a reminder to check in with myself and it helps me stay on track. This is my plan that flexes around working full time.

If you’re feeling all the feels, give it a go and I’d love to know what changes for you.

With love

Nicky x