Just over a year ago a shared a photo (and most of this post) after picking 378g of blackberries.

Today I picked over 2 Kilos! Which makes all of the points I mentioned then feel relevant again today as I’m still doing them and have just shared what I picked today on Olio the local food sharing app.
Also, interesting that I was doing the thoughts and questions back then too.

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But what have blackberries growing in my garden got to do with business?

Let’s see what we can think off:

Maybe it’s, recognise and working with what you have. They are in my garden and rather than fighting them, digging all the roots out and planting something else, I kind of like blackberries, so let’s make the most of them. (What resources have you got that you undervalue?)

Maybe it’s, having a plan and doing the groundwork. Earlier this year when I was clearing the garden I deliberately left some growing along the wall. I also let some wildflowers grow to encourage the bee’s so the blackberries would get pollenated. I also maintained them to ensure they would be easy(ish) to pick. (What do you want to have an abundance of in 6 months time and what are you doing to nurture that now?)

Maybe it’s, giving. Do you have a surplus of something that others would benefit from and enjoy?

Maybe it’s, remember to take time out every day. Twice a day I go into the garden and pick what is ripe. A short break from to relax and be present with the world around me. (How do you relax and switch off from your work?)

Or maybe it has nothing to do with business and I just need suggestions as to how best to use them in a more creative way. (feel free to comment below)

Questions:

What resources have you got that you undervalue?
What do you want to have an abundance of in 6 months’ time and what are you doing to nurture that now?
Do you have a surplus of something that others would benefit from and enjoy?
How do you relax and switch off from your work?

#BusinessCoach #businesscoaching #business #wellness #abundance

One of the big questions about this project is explained in more depth on Day 4

Goals, targets, KPI’s milestones.
Whether they are personal or business, you speak them out loud or writing them down, declaring them publicly or define them privately. They can be SMART or scruffy (the one in the picture certainly it, but it is at least there).

The suggestion is to always have some. (And to monitor your progress towards them)

Yes, this is also a cheeky link to the @lionesses. Good luck today, I for one am rooting for you.

Questions:
What goals have you got?
How do you formulate them?
Are they private or have you declared them?

#businesscoach #businesscoaching #goals #businessgoals #personalgoals

One of the big questions about this project is explained in more depth on Day 4

The words ‘be gentle to yourself’ were part of a longer reply within a conversation on yesterdays post.

They were in a specific context about a specific topic but have stuck with me throughout today with regards to the ‘pressure’ I put on myself about writing post.

Rather than just posting a photo I want to add value and (as per day 51) do more than expected. The thing is I think I have changed my expectations. I think I now expect myself to write something every day and I must remind myself not to force it, but to share what comes up.

If nothing springs to mind that is fine. (Even though a part of me wants to explain why nothing came to mind)

So today have been very much about being gentle to myself, and that in turn has given me something to write about (without the pressure).

Question:

Where could you be gentler with yourself?
What would grow from that gentleness?

#businesscoach #businesscoaching #begentle

One of the big questions about this project is explained in more depth on Day 4

It would be easy to stop, to skip a day or to simply post ‘when I have an idea’ but that would change the dynamic for me. (It certainly did back in 2015)

The fact that I’m continuing past 50 days and there is no longer a target (other than to keep going) somehow makes it feel more important for me to post every day. If feels like it would be a lie to skip a day and claim it was still worth counting the days under this tag (and I like the tag, it still makes me laugh after 7 years!).

I could start counting again. To do this it feels like I would have to start a different count and do a different theme/tag and currently I don’t know what that would be, so I’ll keep going here.

I say this as I want to reaffirm to you that whatever you do you can start recounting. It is doing the thing (me posting regularly) that is important, not getting to a number. The number is just the mechanism I’ve chosen here.

If you stumble or lapse you can start again and you can do the thing again the next day. This is as relevant to a diet, nutrition, exercise or not drinking etc as it is to working in your business, doing the marketing, keeping accounts, making and maintaining connections etc.

Everything can be started fresh.

But that is not what I am choosing to do, I will continue.

Also stopping (now, for me) would not create the inspiration for post like this. Which is what the project was about for me. To share what I experienced and the thoughts that come up in posting every day.

Question:

What have you stopped, that you want to restart?

(When are you restarting it?)

#businesscoach #businesscoaching #dontstop #keeppushingforward

One of the big questions about this project is explained in more depth on Day 4

Today my photos were just a couple of quick snaps, no real thought to them other than the first one looked a bit dark, so took one from the other side. Cropped the second photo up and left it at that.

It was not until I looked again and realised the first photo was not terrible that I saw the two images side by side. It was then that the topic of ‘two sides to every situation’ came to me.

Now, for clarity, I’m not talking about ‘always look on the bright side’ right now my garden would really appreciate some rain clouds. So, it’s not a clear-cut version of what is good or bad, or even right or wrong. But more a reminder to at least look for (listen for) the other side of the story.

At the moment there are lots of very polarising conversations taking place in the world.

From what I can see most people are going to battle having already decided what they are going to say, the point they are going to make and the argument they are going to shout down, the blanket insults they are going to throw.

I see very few real discussions. Where people listen (read) what someone has actually said, their fears, their insecurities, their pains and address the actual nuanced issue that has been raised (There are also plenty of post where these are not expressed so there is only a generic topic to respond to).

Most of these situations quickly turn into polarised ideological posturing with neither side willing to even hear the other. It’s as if they are both arguing without the other person even being there and they have just been given an opportunity to talk (invited or not).

I am far from perfect, I have my own beliefs, frameworks and politics that I understand and hold a position on. If it gets personal and emotional, I can easily step back to defend ‘my corner’ but the core for me is to ask questions to be curious about ‘the other side’. The, what am I missing here? What could be wrong with my knowledge, logic or understanding?

Question:

What are your blind spots?

#blindspots #businesscoach #businesscoaching #ebbandflow

One of the big questions about this project is explained in more depth on Day 4

Over the last few days, the energy I’ve had for 50days has been up and down.

This feels especially heavy as a) I’ve passed the ‘official’ 50 days, but want to carry on, and b) I have moved to only posting on my business page and Instagram. It feels like to keep going there ought to be lots of informative content straight away to prove the validity of continuing.

But this is a perfect example of why I am continuing. For thoughts and feelings to come up for me and be shared. For those feelings, maybe, to resonate with something you have going on and to be a mirror for or shine a light on them.

The important thing it to recognise the ebb and flow, to know that a pause or a step back (to create some space) is sometimes the best way to move forward.

The trick is recognising it as, or forcing it to be, a pause and catching it before it spirals backwards.

So, I will continue to post the photos and hold my hand up when it gets tough, as well as having a smiley face the rest of the time.

Question:

How often do you recognise/acknowledge the ebb and flow?

#businesscoach #businesscoaching #ebbandflow

One of the big questions about this project is explained in more depth on Day 4