Cheers to You 🥂
Hello dear reader,
We’re coming into land and 2024 is almost in sight. The advice at this time of year is to look back and remind yourself of how far you’ve come. But what if you find spotting your successes quite tricky to do?
What if this year has felt a bit, well, average?
Do you find it hard to celebrate your successes?
Do you struggle to see what you’ve done because you can always see what’s yet to come?
I have to say because I am often one hundred miles an hour in thought and deed, I can easily bypass this practice. I forget to stop and see how far I have come. I am trying to make reflection (on the good, bad and the ugly) a monthly thing, but now it’s the end of the year I want to encourage us all to see what we’ve done well. Maybe you’re like me, and life’s moving too quickly to do it.
Maybe you’re super critical of yourself, and you can’t see what you’ve done, or who you’re becoming. Perhaps efforts haven’t panned out as you’d expected and so you’re feeling like you’ve failed. Or this year has just been a bit ‘meh’ and so you can’t see growth or the good.
Whatever your personality, whatever your reason, it’s important for us to do. It gives us a boost of motivation, it reminds us of our strengths, it helps us see where we are growing and what we need to focus on next, increases our confidence, sharpens our focus and lifts our gaze.
If you find this sort of thing tricky, let me help you. I’d like to give you a few reflective questions, and also share how together we have achieved something fantastic…
Some questions to get you celebrating…
1. In what areas have you seen personal growth?
2. What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?
3. What achievements are you most proud of this year?
4. What new skills or knowledge have you acquired?
5. What moments brought you the most joy and fulfilment?
6. How have you strengthened your relationships with others?
7. In what ways did you step out of your comfort zone?
8. What lessons have you learned from your experiences this year?
9. Have there been moments where you demonstrated resilience and perseverance?
10. What positive habits have you developed, and how have they impacted your life?
11. What feedback or compliments have you received from others?
12. How did you contribute to your community or make a positive impact?
On top of this, I’m delighted to say that every single one of you that has worked with me, bought products from me, had coaching from me, supported me or simply cheered me on has enabled us to support some incredible charities throughout this year through our giving.
If you missed it, we give 10% of all sales (not profits) to charities that are working to make the world a little fairer, by eradicating poverty, providing decent work or reducing inequalities.
Here are some of our partners for 2023…
• Medair (humanitarian aid)
• War Child (helping children in conflict areas)
• Kids Club Kampala (supporting children in Uganda)
• Urban Devotion Birmingham (transforming lives in Birmingham)
• Kujuwa Initiative (ending period poverty in Africa)
• Worth (supporting domestic abuse survivors in UK)
• Elayos (providing a no-cost doula service for those that need it the most, UK)
• Open Doors (supporting persecuted Christians across the globe)
• Love Your Neighbour (demonstrating practical help and love to local people)
• Choir With No Name (a choir for homeless people)
• Helena Kennedy Foundation (bursaries for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to enter higher education)
THANK YOU!
On a personal note, you’ve been brilliant this year. The email replies, DMs on socials, feedback from coaching, courses and workshops never fails to lift me and spur me on to keep going. I’m not going to pretend this year hasn’t had some tough moments in it, but you have played your part in cheering me on and supporting the work that I do.
Love,
Hannah x