I saw my client’s eyes slightly glaze over.  I’d just asked her “so how have you celebrated this huge achievement of yours?”

Let’s call her Janet.  Janet had just been through rigorous interviews, psychometric tests and a lot of doubt-mongering about whether she was able to step up into a much bigger role inside her organisation.

• We prepared her for the interviews.  
• We discussed the questions she’d ask.  
• We thought about the way she’d respond to certain questions.  
• We got her ready to be ready AND discussed how to stay loose and present.

Then, just like a footballer or tennis player – she’s out there, in the game.

They told her, that very day, she’d got the job.  The Board were so impressed with her, her responses and how she composed herself.  Yay – Janet really deserved it.

When we met a week later on one of our calls, Janet said “Oh I’m not prepared for our call Kay, I’m not sure what we’ll discuss about what to do next.“

Hmmm.  I had a bet with myself that she’d very likely not really considered all she’d gone through, learned, tried, experienced.  

Janet was – as so many women do – going straight into ‘Execution Mode‘ as I call it.

“Right, now what do I do, first things first, what dates/deadlines etc etc.“

Instead of this, I suggested we have a recap on the process.  

Discuss how it actually went in the moment.  What she’d learned, felt like etc.

Janet got quite emotional doing this.  

She realised just how much she’d poured herself into the process and then – true to her form – gone straight into her “Execution Mode”.

So, asking how she’d celebrated brought her back to earth with a bump.

“I haven’t.“

Do you do this?  

Do you go from one achievement, piece of work or project straight onto the next without giving yourself time to think about it all AND to celebrate it all?

Janet’s decided to give herself a gift.  A special and expensive pen she’s always wanted.  It will remind her, when she’s using it in her new role, how she came to buy it and why.
It’s so smart to do this.  

Not only for your own sake at the time but for the moments and tests you’ll have in the future.  The secret smile you might have as you look at that thing.

Whatever it is, I do encourage you to take time to celebrate AND reflect before you go into Execution Mode…

I recently brought a large corporate coaching project into land.  

Since October, I’ve worked with women for many hours of private coaching and delivering webinars.  I loved it AND it was exhausting at times.  It finished on Thursday.

On Friday I’d arranged a day (I called it a Day of Beauty 🤭) just for me at a local Spa.  

Lots of beauty treatments and things to make me feel good, no computer, no phone, no catching up – just me being self-ish.  Loved it and felt so much better for it.

In other news…

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The hounds tend to sit looking out of my office window waiting for me to come home.  Snow took this whilst I was at my Spa day!  

My friend Bizzie has written a book about her travels as a pillion passenger on a Harley Davidson motorbike all around Saudi Arabia.  Crikey, hair raising stories and such a cultural shock too.