The mountains you have climbed

Almost every morning, when I wake my son up for school, he asks whether we have time to play – just the two of us – for a while before his father and sister get up. Since, like most families, our weekday mornings are timed more precisely than an Ocean’s 11-style heist, most of the […]

Know your why

How many “How to make your resolutions last beyond 5th January” articles have you read so far this year? What about “How to set SMART goals for 2024”? I have, thus far, studiously avoided them as I’m a little bit resolutioned out in January, to be honest. As a coach, I support clients with goal-setting, […]

Back to school: rocking the rentrée like a français

This September, I am celebrating the 18th anniversary of life in France. Since my arrival with one suitcase, a seven-month teaching contract, and a tiny room in a sort of Parisian YWCA, my life has undergone numerous metamorphoses. These days, there’s a husband, a house, two kids, good friends, a business, citizenship, and a much […]

Making resolutions you will keep

1. Make them SMART. That’s Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. SMART resolutions are clear and have criteria you can use to measure progress. They take into account your starting point and fit with your lifestyle and constraints. Lastly, they have a defined timeline with a target date. 2. Only make one or two. Human […]

Making the New Year mindful

Making the New Year mindful New Year’s resolutions might give you the chills, but there are lots of other practices and rituals you can use to ensure you step into the new year mindfully and with intention. It has been said that April is the cruellest month. However, with all due respect to T. S. […]

Lighten your load

January is traditionally a time when we start expecting more from ourselves, imposing diets and exercise regimes on our bodies, beginning new projects and giving up vices. But what if, this year, you chose to lose a different kind of weight? Happy New Year, readers! A bit late this time in the month but a […]

The forgotten commandment: Thou Shalt Not Whine

In the long grey winter months, it’s easy to be negative and hard to act cheery, but just as you are what you eat, so too you feel what you focus on. Choose to change your focus. You can’t really argue with the Ten Commandments. I mean, as rules for happy and harmonious living go, […]