Reflection on Q1 and looking ahead

A lot has happened in the last 3 months 
so it's time to reflect and look forward


It feels like a lifetime ago since I wrote my blog in January about setting intentions for the year ahead, yet here we are at the end of Q1.  An awful lot of things have happened in the last 3 months which have affected all of us, the whole world, which is difficult to comprehend.

My intentions for 2020 were to 'Be Bold, Be Brave, Be Better'.  Certainly over the last few weeks, these have kind of happened anyway as I've been forced into situations I've not had to face before.  

As a recap, I set myself 6 key areas to focus on for this year.

Blog
Fit for It (my business)
Nutrition
Exercise
French
Skills

So let's take a quick look to see how I've been getting on throughout Q1:

Blog - On the plus side, I've continued to be consistent in my weekly blog which is great.  I'm not progressing as fast as I'd like in terms of trying to improve the overall look of the blog but I am doing things in the background which will eventually come to fruition.  A lot of it has been down to having the time and you know how much I hate using that excuse!

Fit for It - I've introduced some new locations which my clients have really enjoyed.  Langsett has proved very popular (or it could have something to do with the very nice cafe that we go to afterwards!), along with new routes around some of the more familiar locations.  However, following a difficult week for the whole nation and a ban on even the smallest of gatherings, I've had to think of new ways to reach out to my clients.  So this week, for the first time, I've done PT sessions and boot camps via Zoom which I have to say has worked really well.  To be honest it's opened up a whole new world to me that I will continue to explore when we all get back to some kind of normality.  As I was writing this part of the blog, I received a text message from one of my boot camp members and I quote "There's nothing virtual about the way my ass aches this morning!!"  Hee hee, there's no escape from my evilness 😈
Nutrition - I'm doing ok with this.  I've made a real effort to make my own lunches for work and have healthy snacks.  However, I could be tested now that I'm working from home and nearer to the fridge!

Exercise - I'd set myself the challenge of doing some new and different races this year and although I'd got quite a few booked in the coming months, they've now all been postponed until later in the year.  As much as I love running, it's always good to have a goal to work towards so I don't develop a 'plodding' mentality.  So I've created a plan that will include specific sessions such as hills, speed, intervals but using different routes that I'd normally do.  I love off-road running at the best of times but I'm now trying to find even more remote and hardcore routes in the hope that I'll see as few people as possible.

French - I've let myself become distracted over the last few weeks and I haven't done as much practise as I'd like, so it's time to knuckle down again.  Having said that I have managed to stick to my goal of going back to basics and learning all the essential verbs again.

Skills - I wanted to improve my technology skills to help me at work which has kind of happened anyway due to recent events!  As everyone continues to find their feet in this new way of working, I've had to get my head round this pretty quickly.  Taking minutes via Zoom is quite challenging!!  I've absolutely no excuse for not progressing this intention and I've already been in contact with some of my PA networking groups asking for tips now that I'm a VA (Virtual Assistant) for the foreseeable future!


So, how have recent events affected your Q1 intentions that you set yourself?  What do you need to change to achieve any intentions that you're carrying forward into Q2?

The hardest thing I'm finding to deal with is that everything around me feels out of my control and I hate that.  Nothing is certain any more and that's really challenging for me.  I love change and trying new things but when they're in MY control.  Here's a few things that I'm finding are helping me establish some kind of routine in my new life:
  • This is really, really difficult but try to accept that many things are out of your control.  Instead of worrying yourself sick about what may or may not happen, focus on those things which are in your control.  You still have control over the basics such as eating, sleeping, exercise.
  • Establish new routines that work for YOU.  For example, I no longer have to commute to work so I have more time to exercise.
  • Find new ways to keep in touch with people.  I often used to meet people on Fridays for coffee and catch-ups after my PT sessions.  Last Friday I hosted a virtual coffee morning via Zoom and it was so lovely to see and speak to everyone still.
  • Aim to stick to your usual time of getting up and going to bed, even if your working day has changed somewhat.
  • Use online networks to find out what other people are doing in your situation.  Being in a support role, I'm used to being there in person to help everyone so I'm feeling concerned about how I can still do that for people from afar.  One of the PA networks I contacted gave me some fabulous advice on how I could still be 'visible' and provide the professional support that my directors and team need from me.
  • Take a big deep breath and go with it.  You can do this.  You got this.  We'll get through this.

#2020
#BeBold
#BeBrave
#BeBetter


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