Joanna Martin

Emerging Leadership: Starting a business during quarantine

April 29, 2020 By Joanna Martin

During this time of unprecedented change, we’ve been humbled and inspired to see how graduates of the One of Many programs are applying their tools to navigate the difficulties we’re all facing. So, over the next week or so, we’ll be sharing some truly inspiring interviews with women whose leadership is helping steer their families, teams and communities towards an emerging future that brings us great hope.

These empowered women are living demonstrations of the opportunity we have to step up and define what comes next. We may be living through lockdown, but even as the current crisis brings great challenges it is also a time ripe with opportunity. To let go of what no longer serves us, to embrace new ways of looking at the world, and to fight for what really matters.

And we hope they inspire you too…

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Wendy McCristal, Founder of The Mental Wealth Company. A graduate of Lead the Change, Wendy has transitioned from working in the rail industry, burning out, and crafting a career that works for her and her clients powerfully. She’s a great role model of compassion and prioritisation.

Please let us know in the comments what lessons you hear in Wendy’s story…

One of many voices with Dr Joanna Martin: Rod Cartwright

April 16, 2020 By Joanna Martin

In times of crisis, leadership and communication go hand in hand. Which is why I’m so thrilled to introduce you to someone with a wealth of expertise in both. Meet our guest panellist at our March, 2020 “Clarity in Chaos” livestream conference – Rod Cartwright.

Rod is a senior independent advisor specialising in issues management, crisis communication, leadership communication and corporate reputation. Over the past 25 years, he has held leadership positions at global agencies Text100, Ketchum, H&K and GCI.

His sharp-end crisis experience includes advising the CEO, Chair and Board of Malaysia Airlines following the tragic disappearance of Flight MH370 and on the subsequent restructuring of the airline.

Leadership and Communication in Times of Crisis

Rod’s recently been hosting a series of webinars on the key crisis communication principles and crisis preparedness best practices for COVID-19 – for the Institute of Leadership & Management, the European Association of Communication Directors and the Public Relations and Communications Association, among others.

So we were truly honoured when Rod was able to step in and join our panel for the conference. Especially as we have been quoting his research for more than 5 years. (One of those “Meant to be moments” that we are proud to share with you now!).

I think you’ll find Rod’s insights valuable when it comes to your own leadership – and I’d love to know your biggest takeaways from the session.

Follow Rod Cartwright

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Do you need more coffee, or…?

March 13, 2020 By Joanna Martin

What do you actually need? Is it more coffee, or something else? It might sound like a strange question, but many of us aren’t great at identifying our needs, day-to-day. For example, we get to the end of the day and find ourselves knackered. That’s it, we think.

"I need more coffee!"

But far too often, we're really only treating the symptom, not the cause.

And if you’ve ever lain awake at night regretting that 6pm caffeine boost, you’ll know it can have unintended side effects.

In this video I explain a bit more about how this works.

Do you need more coffee, or...?

Needs aren’t always about physical things, like sleep or hydration. Many of us have a basic need for seclusion or alone time -- time for us to gather our thoughts.

You might find you’re not OK unless you’ve been able to get out and get some fresh air, every day, or had a warm hug from someone.

So why don’t we meet our own basic needs?

It’s also true that many of us find it surprisingly hard to know what our needs are. That’s often because we’ve spent much of our life operating it what we lovingly refer to round here as ‘Superwoman’ mode.

Superwoman is 100% motivated by wanting to please others and win approval.

So, when we’ve been in Superwoman mode for a long time, it can really feel impossible to know what it is we really want. Because she’s that part of us that wants to achieve the most, get the most praise, and do the most -- at the expense of her own wellbeing.

Superwoman would far rather neck a double-shot latte if it meant she could deliver a project on time, than set boundaries with a client over what she could and couldn’t deliver.

She'd definitely prioritise baking the "perfect" cake for the school fair than having the sleep her body desperately needs.

Get the picture?

How can you begin to understand your needs?

Getting to know the you that isn't Superwoman can take a bit of effort. We explore some tools to help you find out what your needs are – and, crucially, to begin to implement them effectively in your daily life – as part of our BeFruitful program.

If you've ever tried other "productivity" or "time management" training you'll know how radically different this already sounds. We use an approach you won't find anywhere else – designed by women, for women – to help you use your time and energy to optimal effect.

Click here to find out more

Our intention is simple. To support professional women to handle the day-to-day so they can unleash the bigger impact they feel called to make in the world.

We believe real leadership is less about skill, and more about having a well of physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual strength to draw on. Every week we support thousands of grassroots leaders globally with our free articles, videos and online trainings with powerful tools and methodologies created BY women FOR women.

Become One of many™ women creating strong, meaningful connections in our community.

Where women get it wrong when we try to change the world

March 11, 2020 By Joanna Martin Leave a Comment

“Since they are especially skilled in nurturing compassion and human values, we need women to take the lead in creating a more compassionate society.” said the Dalai Llama in honour of International Women’s Day 2021. In other words – it’s up to us to try and change the world.

Mmm. Are we talking about the same women? After all, I’m one of them.

One who’s been known to spend 20 minutes ransacking the house for her mobile phone, cursing like a sailor, while she was talking on it?

One who’ll snap at her husband, growl at her children and upset cause chaos for her colleagues, all the while internally berating herself in the cruellest of terms.

You too?

If you can relate to the deep desire to create change – and at the same time, sometimes struggle to keep it all together day to day – you’re not alone. But let’s start with the good news, shall we?

Women are ready to change the world

Around the world right now intelligent, capable women sense that something is afoot.

There’s a shift occurring. Slowly, imperceptibly, but undeniably.

We, and you, are at the centre of it.

Women.

And I believe the balance of power is shifting.

In the corporate world, the calling for greater equality and diversity on boards is growing louder by the year. (It doesn’t hurt that all the evidence points to greater equality leading to greater profits)

This shifting of the balance of power is occurring not only in the business world. It’s echoed among spiritual communities too. His Holiness The Dalai Lama proclaimed at the Vancouver Peace summit, somewhat controversially, “The Western Woman Will Save The World”. That was one of the quotes that personally inspired me to step up and be part of this movement for change.

Even the world’s richest investor, Warren Buffet, has said that women in leadership are the key to rectifying the economic crises we face.

Around the world, across all areas of life women are coming to the fore.

And yet something can often get in the way of our deep desire for change. If you instinctively feel that you want to be part of creating a fairer, more sustainable world where women can thrive, but are not sure why it feels so hard to get there, you’re in the right place.

Because there’s another side to being a woman

The side that feels like we’ve never quite got it together.

With the demands of the 10am meeting, the school run, the birthday lunch, the merger and last night’s argument to deal with… who has time to find their mobile phone, let alone step up and create massive societal change?

We’re caught in a place where we are feeling called to give more. But with no spare time to give it.

And so often, when it comes to our desire to change the world? We find ourselves derailed by the emotions we’re struggling to keep down.

After all, there’s no time for tears over the fate of the planet when there’s a community group to rally.

We can’t afford to reflect on that special moment with our partner when the team expect answers on our new strategy.

If we started really thinking about the difference we want to make, we’d never be able to turn our deep feelings into action…

…or would we?

Today I want to share a really critical thing I’ve learned when it comes to creating big change.

It lies at the heart of the biggest dilemma many of us face:

When it comes to our own needs and feelings… we tell ourselves they’re just a ‘distraction’ from the ‘real work’ of changing the world.

In fact, the opposite is true.

In my experience — and the experience of our hundreds of Certified Women’s Coaches and their clients around the world — our real power comes when we stop avoiding our feelings, and start tapping into their potential.

It’s only when we open up to experiencing our emotions that we finally discover the power that was there all along.

Your power to change the world lies in your capacity to feel

I’m not talking about aggressive, blast through barriers, power.

I’m talking about soft power. The power that is inherently female.

We can be daughter, mother, wife, efficient colleague, family social club captain, and chief homework tutor simultaneously.

But it’s going to take a shift in focus, and a shift in behavior for us to create the change we want to see in the world.

It’s going to take working together in a way that feels new and sometimes uncomfortable, because of the “achievement and competition” culture we have been educated in.

It’s going to take getting straight with yourself and others about what you need, and what you can give.

And most of all, it’s going to take the courage to open up to all of those feelings and emotions that our culture tells us are ‘silly’ or ‘distracting’ or ‘unprofessional’… and discover the power that lies within.

Change the world AND feel… all of it

This commitment to embracing and learning from our emotions is radical stuff.

For the first ten years of my coaching career, all the training I received essentially told me that emotions were simply problems to be ‘let go of’. I think it’s that approach that has left even the wisest, most emotionally intelligent women among us fundamentally afraid of our feelings — convinced that if we take the lid off and let them out, they’ll leave us unable to function.

But at One of many, we do things differently.

Our coaches are trained to support their clients, bot women and men, to come back into rapport with their emotions. To trust their anger, and their righteous rage, and their joy and their fear and their pleasure. And to use them as sources of incredible energy and purpose when it comes to creating change.

I was reading to my son a few nights ago, and the particular book we’d chosen was a really tender one. Really moving. At one point, I found myself so emotional I couldn’t read without welling up, and I told him I’d have to stop.

That’s when he told me something really, incredibly profound.

He told me:

‘Mummy, you can read it. You just need to cry as well.’

And that’s what I want to share with you today.

You can do it, the thing you want to do.

You can have an impact, you can create change, your actions matter.

You just need to feel the feelings too. Recognise you’re a human being — an emotional being — and you need to find space in your life to have those feelings.

Rather than distracting you, you might find they become the source of your greatest power.

My thoughts are just One of many. So I’m interested in yours.

You see, we believe no one woman has all the answers. We all have our unique strengths and perspectives to share.

We see ourselves as a platform for the sharing of wisdom. A platform that was once as simple, and informal, as the preparation of the communal meal for the tribe, an age ago.

Let’s reinvigorate the community, using the magic of technology to transcend the distance between us… and we might make some magic!

It’s one of many things that happens when women get together.

Become One of many™ women creating strong, meaningful connections in our community. Click here to join the BeOne community and share your thoughts.

7 tiny ways to stop feeling tired all the time

March 4, 2020 By Joanna Martin

As an in-house coach one of the most common challenges I see in my clients is a lack of energy. Most are combining multiple priorities: building a business whilst still in corporate life, raising a family, taking care of elderly parents, and doing their best to try and outrun that pesky inner critic. Is it any wonder so many of us feel as though we’re tired all the time?

I frequently ask, “When did you last stop or do something just for yourself? When did you last do anything to replenish?”

And the answer is always met with silence and then an embarrassed whisper of, “I can’t remember…”

Tired all the time… Does this sound familiar?

I’m just as guilty.

It seems our number one soft power principle of replenish, replenish, replenish is one of the hardest to allow.

What the bloody hell is that all about?

Well, I suppose I could write about all the challenges and excuses we make that stop us from being kind to ourselves, but quite frankly I’m too tired!

So instead I thought I’d share with you the fundamental principle to follow when you’re tired all the time.

“Just stop it!”

I’m kidding of course – kind of. Have you ever seen the comedy sketch with Bob Newhart – he plays a therapist imparting words of wisdom. It’s hilarious – and there’s more than a grain of truth in it.

Of course, yelling “stop it!” at ourselves when we know we’re already on the edge of burnout isn’t actually a very helpful approach. The thought of taking a whole day off, a week’s holiday, or even an entire lunch break can be enough to send us into a spiral of panic.

The secret to getting your energy back

So instead of exhausting yourself further, with radical lifestyle changes that will take even more energy to organise and implement, why not try a different approach?

When we’re running on empty and everything seems like a mountain to climb, sometimes the only way forward is with small acts of kindness everyday that will take you from overwhelmed and burning out to energised and vital.

Don’t know where to start? Try one of these tiny micro-acts of kindness.

7 tiny ways to stop feeling tired all the time

Drink enough water. Fill up a glass and keep it on your desk – don’t forget to sip it throughout the day.
Morning pages – the daily journaling practice that helps you offload, reflect and connect to yourself.
Good quality sleep. If your worries are keeping you up at night, research some ways to help yourself get fully rested.
Walking in nature, even if it’s just a brisk 20 minutes through the park on your way to work.
Mindful breathing. There are lots of videos and apps that can help you find a 5 minute way to connect to your breath.
Learning who and what you need to say no to. Setting boundaries is a powerful act of kindness to yourself.
A good film or drama where you can just switch off. I’m very late to the party as I’ve only just discovered Call The Midwife – 50 minutes of loveliness and feel-good stories and I’m restored!

Where to begin

You might be thinking that one of those tiny actions would be the perfect place to start – but you might also have some better ideas of your own.

Give yourself permission to take a moment for yourself and your first act of kindness – go watch Bob Newhart, have a good giggle and then get a pen and paper.

Draw a line down the centre and in the left hand column brainstorm all the small acts you can do for yourself that will leave you feeling replenished.

Then, in the right hand column write down the boundaries you need to put in place so you’re able to take those baby steps back to life.

As you start to take care of yourself in tiny ways every day, you’ll find the balance gradually shifts. With more energy you’re better able to set boundaries, and so the cycle continues.

Share the kindness

If you know you could be a bit kinder to yourself, let’s help spread that commitment. Share ONE tiny act of kindness in the comments below, and let’s inspire each other to take that first baby step.

About Kat

How to live life on your own terms

February 20, 2020 By Joanna Martin

One of the greatest privileges we have is to make choices. When it comes to knowing how to live life on your own terms, it’s so important that we take stock of the many freedoms we now have, compared to generations of women before us. That’s not to say it’s always easy. Today I want to share some practical insights into why that is, and how to live life on your own terms.

Recognising how lucky we are

Discrimination, inequality and massive imabalances in power are very real, even in today’s world. And yet, there are many choices we’re able to make as women that would have been unthinkable for our mothers, grandmothers, and generations before them.

I loved hearing Michelle Williams acknowledge this at the Golden Globes 2020. She said:

"I’m grateful for the acknowledgment of the choices I’ve made, and I’m also grateful to have lived at a moment in our society where choice exists...

I’ve tried my very best to live a life of my own making and not just a series of events that happened to me, but one that I can stand back and look at and recognize my handwriting all over, sometimes messy and scrawling, sometimes careful and precise, but one that I carved with my own hand."

Now, if you’re rolling your eyes a little, I get it. A Hollywood actress, receiving a glittering award at a fancy event… it’s easy to feel like she’s got it all sorted.

As though it’s easy to talk about “choice” when you’re wealthy and privileged.

And yet most of us are extremely fortunate to also have choices. If you’ve received an education, have access to clean water and healthcare, and are able to make fundamental decisions about contraception, finances and marriage, you’re better off than millions of women around the world.

So why do we end up feeling like we’re stuck?

Gratitude for your good fortune is one thing. And then there's the daily reality – bills to pay, kids to wrangle, relationships to navigate, jobs to do.

Sure, we might have more freedom than many, many other women throughout history. But it's also very normal to feel as though right now, today, you don't have an awful lot of say in the demands being made of you.

At One of many we use “archetypes” to explore common patterns of being that show up in the lives of many women.

As well as the 5 Women’s PowerTypes, our models of powerful feminine leadership, we also see 3 “disempowering archetypes” show up.

These can help you understand what’s happening at those times when it doesn’t feel as though you’re living life on your own terms.

We often feel powerless when...

We’re in “victim” mode: We feel helpless, and as though we can’t do anything to change the situation we’re in.

We’re in “martyr” mode. This is the archetype of the woman who sacrifices everything for others, and never has the space to give to her own needs or desires.

We’re in “bitch” mode. This is where our pent up anger and resentment comes out, and we lash out at those around us (yes, often with the people we love most).

How do you find your way back to the life you want?

If these disempowering archetypes help us understand why we’re feeling boxed in or lacking in power, the Women’s PowerTypes are a framework that allow us to connect to the choices we do have in ay given moment.

These might be as simple as the choices you have about how to respond to a situation. The details you notice, the lessons you take, or the aspects you choose to let go of.

We become conscious of our choices when…

We get to know ourselves. We start to explore what we want, what makes us feel good, what our fears and patterns are. This might be through journaling, talking to a trusted friend or coach, or taking time out regularly without an agenda to enjoy some space that’s just for us.

We give ourselves permission. We allow ourselves to (shock, horror!) do things that are only for us, not for anyone else. If you’re someone who spends their time making other people’s lives easier, this can be a truly radical step.

We get support. At One of many we believe that collaboration is key to changing the kind of world we live in. When we support each other and share our journeys, we’re all able to thrive and grow further than we ever could by ourselves.

Do you want to live life on your terms?

At One of many we’ve developed a specific set of tools to help women find their power and take control of their lives. And our mission is to get those tools into the hands of as many women as possible.

Would you like to be part of this turning tide?

Take a look at Living the Change – our groundbreaking community providing the support, community and tools you need to create the life you want.

Click here to find out more.

You’ll find out what makes our approach so different, and how it’s helping women around the world live life on their own terms.

Our intention is simple. To support professional women to handle the day-to-day so they can unleash the bigger impact they feel called to make in the world.

Become One of many™ women creating strong, meaningful connections in our community.

How to change your career without burning bridges

February 18, 2020 By Joanna Martin

Knowing how to change your career without burning bridges is an invaluable skill these days. You might have been through a few iterations of your working life already. Or perhaps you're experiencing for the first time the feeling that what's next for you might look very different to what came before.

Whatever the circumstances, here's what you need to know about how to change career gracefully using the power of gradual transitions.

Finding your life's work is a journey

At BeFulfilled, our retreat all about finding fulfillment, we talk about your life's work. The work that you're here to do in the world, which is something I believe exists for every one of us.

And then, as a separate thing, there's how you currently make money.

Now, for some people, your life's work is what makes you money. These days I am fortunate to be in the blissful state where my life's work also feeds my family. It's a really lovely place to be – and there are many, many stages that have got me to here.

What I want you to recognize is that finding fulfilment, and choosing a career path, is a process. You can feel as though you know exactly what your life's work is, but it's potentially a two or three-year journey, or six to eight month journey, or decade-long journey even, to get the two lining up.

You might have a few "transition" steps where it moves a little bit closer, and then maybe just a little bit closer.

And then finally you get to full alignment, where your life's work is what makes you money, and even then that can change and flow and shift. It's a process – and enjoying and embracing that process is part of our growth.

Creating a map that works for you

I want to give you an example of what this "transition" process looks like in practice. Because if you want to change your career without burning bridges it can be really easy to point at where you want to go and say "I can't do that. I don't have the first clue about it".

The key thing to realise is: That doesn't have to stop you from setting out on the journey.

A process of change

Now, you may or may not be aware that the "Dr" in my title isn't an academic qualification – I actually trained as a medical doctor before quitting medicine to go to drama school.

Wait, what?

Yes, that's right – I completed my doctor's training, only to realize once I was working in a hospital that it wasn't, in fact, the way I wanted to spend my life.

I could see down the trajectory of my life and I could see a moderately happy doctor, moderately successful with two moderately well-behaved children... and moderately bored to tears. Do you know what I mean?

Whereas there was an area I was completely passionate about, and that was calling me. I'd done drama the whole way through school. I'd always loved it. It really was my passion.

And in that wake-up moment, when I was reassessing everything I was doing, I thought: I want to give this professional acting thing a shot. I don't want to live with regrets. So I auditioned for drama school. And that was where I first got introduced to a subject called life coaching.

As it turned out, being a life coach wasn't The Thing I wanted to do either. It was a stage on the journey. But through following that thread, and then seeing where it took me, and onwards through many other transitions and experiments and lessons on the way, I've ended up where I am now: doing my life's work as my career, and sharing it with women like you.

When I was at medical school if you'd have asked me if I could lead a team, or run a business, or be an entrepreneur I'd have been pretty floored.

Back then, I really didn't have any of the skills I needed. But that didn't matter, because when I trusted my intuition and took each step as it came, I was able to gradually transition to a point where I did know what to do – or at least enough to take the leap and do it.

Transition steps in action

Let's take a different example. Say you've got this great idea for a software business, that's going to transform the lives of mothers all around the world.

But you've never run a business before.

You've never built software before, you've never done any of that sort of stuff.

So what it might look like is a journey where the first step is for you to start perhaps working as a PA, because at the moment you've got great skill sets in organization.

The next stages can flow from there:

1. Working as a PA for an inspiring digital company CEO, you get into the industry, bring all of the skills that you have, create trust with someone in the industry, and learn the ropes.

2. You build your network and trust by contributing freely to other people in that industry, as they're doing stuff while you're still in that role where you're learning.

3.Next, you educate yourself in marketing because to start a business you know you need to understand marketing.

4. The final step might be starting the software business.

Now that might be a six-month journey, it might be a six-year journey. The key is, you're:

Taking it slowly – but not waiting to be "ready" before you move into action
Building connections, and cultivating them into a support network as you change
Using your existing skills and strengths to cultivate the new path as you go.

How to change your career without burning bridges

Napoleon Hill, in his great book Think and Grow Rich, says "burn your bridges".

I say: don't.

For women especially, we often find that our masculine energy and the "superwoman" mode many of us operate in will respond positively to that attitude.

Burn the bridge, and masculine energy goes, "Okay! There's no going back. We must go forward. Let's hunker down and push through and get stuff done".

It can often be a driver forward, so if you want to operate like that, then yes – burn your bridges, take giant leaps, and leave your previous "self" behind.

Personally, and for many of the women I know, operating like that is too stressful.

I like to have a back-up plan. Women often have a nest we need to look after. Our babies, our friends, our home, our fur babies... Whatever it looks like, we've got a base that we need to look after, and we want to know that's safe before we start leaving what's familiar behind.

That's why I like gradual transitions. They make it possible for you to set a course and move there gracefully and gradually, and in a way that feels good.

What transition are you making?

If you're planning a career change, whether you have an end goal or are just hearing a "call" to do something different, your next action might not be giving it all up to go all-in on your new passion. Perhaps it's getting some education about what interests you, or making a "sideways" career move to a similar role to your current one in an organization in the industry you want to move to.

If you've made a move like that or are planning one I'd love to know your experience. Leave a comment below and share what small steps you're taking towards a big dream.

Our intention is simple. To support professional women to handle the day-to-day so they can unleash the bigger impact they feel called to make in the world.

Become One of many™ women creating strong, meaningful connections in our community.

How to take control of your day

February 6, 2020 By Joanna Martin

Picture this: You’ve got a big deadline to meet. You wake up feeling sluggish but still manage to scarf a coffee and get to your desk early. Time to get going. But from then on, things start to rapidly unravel. Emails need tactful – and immediate – responses. A colleague comes to you with a crisis you feel duty bound to help with, even though your own time is slipping away. By the time 6 o clock rolls round you’re no closer to getting the work you needed to done. Today’s been a write off, but could you have done anything differently? Here's how to take control of your day.

The power of finding your rhythm

One of the biggest shifts for women who take our BeFruitful program is shifting from a focus on best utilising their time, to focusing on their energy.

What does this look like in practice? Well, it starts by taking a step back and observing the way your energy flows over the course of a day, a week or a month.

Most of us know whether we tend to be ‘larks’ who hit the ground running at the start of the day, or owls who find our flow later in the evening. (These days there’s a lot of focus on optimizing your ‘morning routine’, but if you’re someone who doesn’t get going until the afternoon that’s probably not going to be helpful. Don’t feel bad – just pay attention to what works for you.)

Then there’s the pattern of your week, some of which will depend on your schedule. Maybe you have a meeting on a Monday that tends to leave you fired up and motivated, or a day when you work from home and know you’ll have more space to concentrate.

Finally, it’s important to look at how things change for you over the course of a month. If you’re menstruating, hormonal shifts are likely to have an impact on what you’re able to get done. But many women who don’t have periods also notice an ebb and flow in their energy, sometimes connected to the moon cycle.

Focus on observing what’s true for you and ignore what anyone else might share. We’re all unique when it comes to this stuff.

What to do when you know your energy flow

So, you’ve established more or less what your energy flow looks like. This is the most important step when it comes to discovering how to take control of your day without burning out. You don’t have to go crazy over the exact detail (although when you see how effective this approach is, I have no doubt you’ll add to this data!).

But hopefully you'll be able to identify a pattern that makes sense. Let’s say…

The week before your period you tend to feel short tempered, decisive and very clear about what’s not working in your life.
You’re usually sluggish before 12 but tend to get a big burst of energy at 9pm, and can happily work until midnight if you don’t have an early start ahead of you.
Monday has you feeling a bit scattered as you respond to colleagues at the start of the week, but by Tuesday the priorities are clear and you’re able to tackle big tasks with a bit more headspace.

Can you see how developing this kind of picture suddenly opens up a whole lot of options?

How to take control of your day

When you start to look at each day not as a linear progression of hours within which to cram your tasks, but as a fluctuating model of energy which you can choose how you focus, things get a whole lot easier.

Rather than feeling frustrated with things not going to plan, you can prepare yourself to optimise your energy on any given day. We use a tool called "Batching for Energy Matching" to assign tasks to the times when you're going to be most effective at doing them.

So in the example we started off with, it might not have been that the world was against you.

Perhaps you weren’t in the right time in your cycle to be looking at a deep-dive piece of work. Certainly, with hindsight, the pull you felt to support your distressed colleague and respond to those emails indicated that you might have been better off prioritising supporting the team rather than working on a solo project. And getting to your desk early doesn't really have helped if your best thinking time isn’t until later in the day.

This approach to planning can transform how you're able to juggle the competing tasks on your list.

Elizabeth, a BeFrutiful participant, found that focusing on her own energy made a real shift in the way she approached each day. In fact, she started implementing the technique as she worked through BeFruitful, to help her get the most out of the training. She wrote to tell us:

“I am so enjoying the modules, and in the spirit of finding and embracing my own rhythms have begun to 'identify' the most fruitful ways for me to watch, listen, reflect and implement the elements of each lesson.

I have found this week's rhythm and cycles work in lesson 2 fascinating and am now beginning to look differently at the emotions I have so far attributed to hormones, life's knocks, the attitudes and behaviours of others or external factors that come from nowhere.

I'm stopping and taking a different look at each situation as it arises and even though I know I can't stop all the external stuff coming at me, I'm aligning my own responses to a soft power or archetype response which in itself is bringing a very interesting perspective and a deep sense of calm.”

– Elizabeth Jane Kent, Director, Learning Teaching Leading

What about the things you really can’t control?

OK, you might be thinking, that’s all well and good. I’ll take a week off a month for PMT, never have a meeting before 11am and just tell that client that my “energy’s not right” for their pressing deadline. Is that a pig flying past the window I just saw?

Of course, in the real world we can’t shape every event to fit with our understanding of our energies. We’ve all had to call on “Superwoman” to get us through from time to time. The presentation that falls on a day when you really want to be in bed weeping over a soppy movie. Or the gently meandering “visioning session” that frustrates the hell out of you -- you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and take action!

What matters is that you're not in that misaligned place for the parts you can control.

Learning to work to your rhythms won’t stop the rest of the world from working to theirs. But when you understand what works best for you, you can do your utmost to make sure you’re working as effectively as possible – and forgive yourself faster when life throws you a curveball.

Want to learn how to take control of your days?

If you’re curious about learning to apply these tools to your own busy schedule, BeFruitful could transform the way you approach life. In fact, it’s guaranteed to free up at least 4 hours a week, minimum, for you to spend doing what you love.

This 6 week online program allows you to learn at your own pace from anywhere in the world, and is packed with helpful tools, practical exercises and new ways of approaching the daily juggle.

Click here to find out more.

Our intention is simple. To support professional women to handle the day-to-day so they can unleash the bigger impact they feel called to make in the world.

Become One of many™ women creating strong, meaningful connections in our community.

Sorting out your finances: 20 ways to start

January 23, 2020 By Joanna Martin

Let's get real: When sorting out your finances looms on your to-do list, it can be easy to keep putting it off. There’s often a big scary task (getting honest about your pension situation, facing up to debt, or figuring out what your investments are doing, perhaps) that you’ve been avoiding.

But the truth is, there are countless ways to move into action around your money. And it’s often the smallest, simplest ones that will get you feeling empowered and confident enough to move onto the scarier items on your list.

By the time you get there, they might not even seem quite as daunting after all…

Our mission: To help women take control of their wealth

We’ve helped hundreds of women get control of their finances through our BeWealth retreat, one-day events and online programs, and the feedback we get is inspiring. Take Boryana's celebration after she attended our Wealth Insights workshop.

"The biggest impact of Wealth Insights for me was the realisation that wealth is achievable by ordinary people and that when you know how to appropriately manage your money, you can create predictable results. The second big aha moment was that you are not born with the knowledge of how to multiply money. It comes with education. I cannot thank you enough for these insights. They have started my ongoing journey to wealth in a sustainable way."

And every woman’s journey is different. So today I want to share just some of the ways we’ve seen women in our community make a start. My hope is that one of them might be the first step for you when it comes to sorting out your finances.

Let us know which one you’ll choose in the comments!

20 ways to start sorting out your finances

1. Get clarity

Don’t worry about changing anything, just find out where you arewhen it comes to one area: Maybe your pensions, savings or investments. Could you fire off a quick email at lunchtime and get access to the data you need?

2. Write down every penny you spend for a week

Perhaps the simplest and most effective way to start changing your financial habits. A spreadsheet is great for this. Not a tech fan? A little notebook works just as well!

3. Set up ‘jam jars’ or allocated pots for your money

This is a really powerful tool to use when it comes to taking control of your finances, and it can go well beyond spending and saving. We teach this and lots of other helpful tools around managing your money as part of our 10 Week Wealth Turnaround training. Give the office a call if you'd like to know more.

4. Explore your limiting beliefs around money

Is it the root of all evil? Goes as quickly as it comes? Causes stress and arguments?

What did you grow up believing about money, and how might that be holding you back? Taking time to journal about these feelings is free and easy -- and it’s often the biggest barrier to getting things on track.

5. Teach your kids the basics of saving, spending and investing

How do you manage issues like pocket money, and what do your children understand about money? Start having conversations with them and make finances feel fun!

6. Have an honest conversation with a friend about your finances

Many of us are happier confessing the deepest details of our sex lives than broaching the topic of money. Find a friend you trust and have a money chat. What do they earn? How do they spend, save, or invest? What are their challenges? You might find common ground.

7. Book an appointment with an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA)

Whether you’d like to be sure you’re investing ethically, want a financial MOT or need advice on handling an inheritance, separation or windfall, an IFA can give you qualified, impartial advice. And if you're imagining a stuffy old man in a suit, think again. We have several IFAs in our own One of many community, who love helping other women feel confident and empowered about their finances without patronising or making assumptions. Pop a post in the Facebook group if you'd like to find them!

8. Schedule a time to talk money with your partner

Hint: Not in the middle of an argument or when the joint bank statement’s revealed a nasty surprise. Find a time when you’re both ready to get honest -- and have a frank talk about where you’re at. Bonus points for making a date night out of it: win-win!

9. Print out your bank statements

Simple. Powerful. Grab a highlighter and see what's going in and out. Any surprises? Get familiar with the numbers. It’s the first step towards taking back control.

10. Update your CV

Make sure it accurately reflects your achievements, training and growth. Even if you're not actively job hunting, this can be a great way to identify the value you’re bringing to your organisation, company or clients. Might it be time to explore a promotion, pay rise or career move?

11. Write a list of your financial values

What’s more important to you: Freedom or security? Providing for your family or feeling independent? What would you like to be doing with your money? Spend some time exploring what matters most to you.

12. Find out about One of many’s wealth training

If you’d love to get control of your finances, book in a chat with one of the team to find out if our training can help. We have a few different options, and if there’s someone else we think would be a better fit, we’ll happily signpost you.

13. Listen to a podcast or read a book about money

This is a great one if you’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious about your own situation. Start by listening to what other people have experienced -- it might be just the inspiration you need.

14. Get clear on WHY

Feeling guilty or unclear is never the most positive motivation to get started on change. What’s your vision for your financial future? What would you do if you had zero financial worries? Draw a picture, write down some ideas, don’t be afraid to dream big.

15. Find an accountant/bookkeeper who can help you

If you’re self employed or an entrepreneur, having the right support in place will make all the difference.

16. Shop around

When it comes to renewing your insurance, the difference between quotes can be surprising. Or perhaps you'd prefer to be with a company that aligns better with your values? Spend an hour shopping around, and celebrate what you can achieve.

17. Commit to a regular money check-in

Like going to the gym, it’s little committments that can add up to big changes. Book in half an hour a week and commit to making that your money slot. How you use the time is up to you, but knowing it’s there will enable you to make a difference.

18 Up your self care to give you the energy you need

If you’re burned out and exhausted, looking at money stuff can feel like the last straw. Can you go to bed an hour earlier, book yourself in for a massage or have a long bath to recharge before you tackle the task?

19. Spend an hour journalling about your relationship with money, starting with your childhood

How have you felt about money, how much have you earned, what have you spent it on? Watch out for any patterns that recur, whether it’s online shopping binges when you’re feeling low or avoiding money conversations with those close to you.

20. Identify where you are on the Stages of Wealth - and what your priorities need to be

Knowing where you are on the stages of wealth means you can quickly identify what you need to focus on first. Read more about the different stages, and how they can help you focus your energy most effectively, here.

What's your first step?

As Boryana realised at Wealth Insights, nobody's born knowing how to manage their finances. Feeling confident and in control around money is something any of us can achieve, with the right support and education. So if you know you want to sort out your finances, take one small step today. Ask for help, share your journey, and celebrate every way you move forward. You've got this!

Our intention is simple. To support professional women to handle the day-to-day so they can unleash the bigger impact they feel called to make in the world.

Become One of many™ women creating strong, meaningful connections in our community.

How to feel more awake and energised

January 16, 2020 By Joanna Martin

Want to feel more awake and energised? When you’re feeling sluggish and exhausted, it can be challenging to know where to begin. If you’re at the point where you’re ready to make change but nothing seems to ‘stick’, it can feel especially frustrating. You want to spring out of bed instead of dragging yourself up every morning. But how can you make change when you feel as though you’ve got lead weights attached to your feet? Where do you start, and how do you keep going?

Here are 3 ways to feel more awake and energised

#1 Track your energy

If you’re feeling exhausted and run down, the last thing you might feel like doing is noticing just how tired you are. But before you start throwing things at the screen, let’s slow down a little. Observing how your energy changes over the course of the day, the week or the month doesn’t mean you’re resigning yourself to things never changing.

What it will do is give you the data you need to make shifts that will actually last.

After all, feeling wiped out after a day picking up your team’s slack at the office, will take different adjustments to addressing a monthly slump around your period.

Instead of feeling hopeless about why you lack energy, it’s time to turn detective.

Keep a journal for a month and track your energy levels and mood. It doesn’t have to be complicated -- perhaps just a smiley or grumpy face, and a rating out of 10 for how much energy you have.

Then, look for patterns. Do you already feel awake and energised at certain times, even if it's not as often as you'd like? Perhaps they correspond to:

Something you do (Does fresh air wake you up? Do you sleep better the day after exercising?)
What's going into your body (Do you notice a particular slump after a night of drinking, or a heavy meal?)
Who you spend time with (A friend who always lifts your mood?)
What's happening around you (Is there a work task that has you feeling like you’re flying? Maybe you can't sleep on Sunday nights because you're anxious about what Monday will hold?)

Positive and negative, start to map the ebb and flow of your energy, without judgment. Identify the main areas you think could be factors, and then you can begin think about what you could do differently. A conversation about boundaries? A health check up? A career change?

But first -- a note.

There is no ‘magic bullet’

Getting your energy back so that you feel as awake and energised as you'd like isn’t as simple as eating superfoods or taking the ‘right’ supplement.

If only!

If the fundamental issue is that you’re doing too much, too often, without ever replenishing your energy, no amount of beating yourself up or adding extra activities will make a difference.

I know that can be hard to hear. But it's true.

Making time to rest, play and enjoy yourself is critical. And if you’re slipping into burnout, that might take more of an adjustment than your inner Superwoman would like. Think reducing what you're committed to, or letting yourself off the hook for not doing everything on your list to 100% of your ability, 100% of the time.

This is an aspect of 'self care' that's often glossed over when we think only about adding to our plate (more yoga! more sleep!) and don't consider what we'll need to take away in order to make space for that. But getting honest about your expectations, your commitments and your own capacity is really important.

If you’d like support with this, working with a coach can be a great place to start.

And when it is time to make a change, bear in mind the second vital step.

#2 Start with what feels good

When we think about changing our habits, it’s really tempting to begin with a list of what we’re not going to do. No more carbs, no screens in bed, no working late…. When you’re desperate to stop feeling so sluggish, those hard and fast rules can feel really seductive.

The trouble is, over the long term that motivation often fizzles out. As soon as you start to see a slight improvement that ‘I’ll do anything not to feel this way’ feeling slips away. Before you know it, you’re back at square one.

So, as you review your energy journal, try to focus on times when you did feel energised instead of focusing on when you were most exhausted.

Was it when you’d got a proper 8 hours sleep?
After a weekend catching up with old friends?
Or the day you went outside for a walk at lunch instead of eating at your desk?

Try to connect to how you felt in those moments when you were at your best. What words would you use -- energised, vital, spacious, free, playful…?

When you shift your motivation to the way you’d LOVE to feel, and take steps to get more of that into your life, the momentum you can generate is astonishing.

Feeling good can start to become addictive, and with every boost you get you’ll feel more inspired to keep going.

#3 Take it one step at a time

When you start making changes, it’s important to go slow and steady. Remember step one? Approaching the shifts you make with that spirit of research and experimentation means making a change that feels good, and then observing it.

Maybe an earlier bedtime does the trick, and you find yourself thrilled by how awake and energised you feel in the morning.

Maybe choosing soft drinks over wine has you reconnected to the sparkle that was missing, or having a conversation with your team about the ‘presenteeism’ in your industry takes a weight off.

With every change you make, take notice of the effect it has -- and don’t be tempted to add in anything else straight away. Give yourself time to absorb the difference it’s making, and celebrate yourself for every small win along the way.

Know that things won’t happen all at once.

You’ll make mistakes, you’ll feel frustrated, you might even feel as though you’re going round in circles. And if you really don’t know where to begin, or feel that nothing you do has the effect you want, it might be time to get some support. If that’s the case we’d love to have a chat!

A frank (and free!) talk with one of the team can help you identify exactly what it is you need to focus on -- and whether one of our retreats, trainings or online programs could give you the support you need.

Click here to book a time to talk to one of the team about getting your energy back for good

Our intention is simple. To support professional women to handle the day-to-day so they can unleash the bigger impact they feel called to make in the world.

Become One of many™ womenBecome One of many™ womenBecome One of many™ women creating strong, meaningful connections in our community.