Janine Langdon-Lee
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Changes Afoot

/ Body, Inner journey, Mind, Soul

I am a considerably happier person these days compared to who I was this time last year and two years ago. What happened? I made one change which created a ripple effect into the rest of my life I want to share some of the aha moments that I discovered along the way.

Listen to your inner voice

The truth is for some time; I had been unhappy. Outwardly I was happy – inwardly, and on a soul level, I was miserable. I could tell you a long-winded story about why I was unhappy; however, that’s why I wrote my book Changes Afoot. Writing that book was a healing experience for me.

You know when something needs to change – you feel it. For me, I felt the changes physically; my body felt heavy and cumbersome. Some simple everyday tasks felt difficult. I also felt it emotionally, as my moods were up and down. On a soul level, I was being sent messages through my body that things needed to change.  While I put my unhappiness down to grief – which in part they were. A big part of my problem was that I was carrying too much weight. I knew I had to start moving since  I wasn’t interested in changing what I ate.

Where do you begin when you need to make changes and it feels overwhelming. Instead of trying to make radical changes in a few areas of my life, I focussed on one area – health and wellbeing! Now that might not sound like a big deal to you – however, it was to me. You see I had a crappy relationship with exercise – you can read more about that here. I knew I had to start exercising.

If you know you need to make some changes, why not do a life audit. If you have identified that several areas of your life are out of synch, focus on one aspect. Come back and work on the other areas later.  Small steps applied consistently creates change!

hands holding blue glass heart

Make a plan

I sound like a broken record when people ask me where do they begin – my answer is always the same.  “Start where you are”! Don’t wait for things to be perfect; they will never be. I learnt that the hard way when I hit rock bottom at various times of my life.

Create a plan of what you need to do – It could be a simple list, or it could be an elaborate mind map or a specific goal and activities. Make this plan work for you.  I had one big goal, and that was to move again consistently, and one of those steps was to work with a personal trainer who would see me at home.  I didn’t want to go to the gym.  During a conversation with a friend, I mentioned that I wanted to find a personal trainer who would work with me at home. This friend said how her trainer had helped her. She passed on his details, and that was back in June 2018. I had my first session with him on 2 July 2018, and we are still working together. What I could do then compared to now has improved, slowly and gradually over time. I won’t lie – it was challenging due to my mindset. This one action created extensive and positive changes in my life.

I still have a way to go in terms of my physical abilities – however, I now know movement is for life. No matter what age, we need to keep moving. Whatever your goal, break it down into small goals and actions. More importantly, celebrate your progress and milestones.

laptop and notebook and pen on a table

Help/Support

A considerable part of my success has been surrounding myself with excellent professionals and cheerleaders, aka loved ones and friends. I knew that going to classes hadn’t worked for me in the past. I would drop out or find reasons why I couldn’t exercise. Working one to one with professionals in yoga, pilates and water-based exercise meant, I couldn’t hide.  Knowing I was paying for one to one sessions helped me be consistent and show up each week.

My end goal when I began working with them was to move from one to one to sessions to classes.  In February 2020, I started water exercises class and in March Pilates classes. In term 2, I can’t wait to begin yoga classes. I love that exercise has become a part of my life – something I try to do every day in some way – shape or form.  These professionals were my accountability buddies.

Ask for help from friends and loved ones. I know that this is may be difficult for some of you. However, we all know someone who we can count on to be an accountability buddy or cheerleader. Mike was my biggest cheerleader along with a few close friends, who would check in on my progress.

Expect the unexpected

Along the way, expect a few detours. The journey is never as straight forward as we would like. I re-injured myself a few times, and each time I felt like it was the end of the world. I have learned to accept that there will always be moments in our journey where we need to rest – the mind, body and soul. Pushing yourself physically to the limits can lead to further injuries or problems. At the same time, it’s finding that balance of not using excuses not to show up and do the work. Trust me; I was good at that too. Sometimes we focus too much on the destination we forget to stop and enjoy what is around us.

While the latter part of 2018 was about movement. 2019 was about nourishing my body with food and sleep. These are a work in progress, and I am continuing to work on these. My focus for 2020 is around work! I want to focus on my writing and speaking to groups of women. With a bigger goal of helping other women who may feel stuck to create a life they love and whereby they genuinely love who they are with one to one coaching.

woman walking down road with a suitcase

Filed Under: Body, Inner journey, Mind, Soul

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Want to create a brighter future for yourself? The Want to create a brighter future for yourself? The secret lies in your daily routine!

You can unlock a brighter future with a successful routine! 👇👇👇

🐢Start small by changing one or two habits and build from there. 

🐢Consistency is key, so aim to do your new habit at the same time every day. 

🐢Keep track of your progress to stay motivated and to help you stick to your goals. 

🐢Remember, building a routine takes time and effort, but with patience and persistence, you can see big results
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🎂I recently celebrated my birthday by spending a night alone in the inner city, reflecting on the past year and journaling about what I want to embrace at 54. I then spent my actual birthday with Mike in the Wairarapa, and the highlight was enjoying fish and chips for dinner while drinking champagne at home. 

📃I created a list of 23 things to do in 2023 as an alternative to setting goals. One item on the list was to write to other women living overseas. I took part in InCoWriMo in Feb & now have penpals from Italy, the UK, & Australia.

📚I spent the last few months reading fiction for pleasure & managed to read 37 books, after feeling mentally tired from reading a lot of nonfiction in 2022.

📵I stopped using the WW app & program after four years because I was tired of tracking. I have embarked on a new part of my wellbeing journey. At the time WW gave me the structure I needed, Now I am experimenting with what works best for me now.

🏥A family member had an extended hospital stay, this led to comfort eating, & withdrawing from life. Later on I recognised the impact of stress and created a list of things to look out for in the future to better recognise stress to improve my overall wellbeing.

🐌In 2023, I chose "Savour, Slow & Simplify" as my word of the year. After a stressful few months, I decided to declutter my home and donate items to the Hospice shop. I am trying to be more intentional with my consumption and breaking up with my attachment to "stuff".

🧎‍♀️I have been dealing with a knee injury since January, which has prevented me from taking walks around the neighbourhood. Despite previously disliking walking, not being able to go out 3 to 4 times a week has been a challenge for me. However, I am a solutions-focused person and decided to hire a treadmill, which has been helping my knee slowly improve. I am now enjoying using the treadmill.
April commitments: Simplifying my space, diving in April commitments: Simplifying my space, diving into my TBR pile, and nurturing myself with slow moments and seasonal rituals 🌸📚💆‍♀️ 

#selfcaredaily #decluttering #declutteringmyhome #bookworm #slowmoments #simplify #wordsoftheyear
Embracing mistakes as learning experiences, practi Embracing mistakes as learning experiences, practicing self-compassion, celebrating progress, and sharing our stories are all important steps in cultivating resilience and growth. Just like Kintsugi pottery, we can use our imperfections and challenges as opportunities for transformation and empowerment.

✨️Embrace mistakes as learning experiences: Just like how Kintsugi uses gold to highlight and enhance the cracks in pottery, we can use our mistakes as opportunities to learn and improve ourselves. Instead of being ashamed of our mistakes, we should embrace them and use them to become better versions of ourselves.

🙏Practice self-compassion: When we make mistakes or face challenges, it's important to be kind to ourselves. Just like how Kintsugi treats broken pottery with care and respect, we should also treat ourselves with compassion and understanding. By showing ourselves the same kindness we would show a close friend, we can build resilience and bounce back from tough situations.

🎉Celebrate progress, not just perfection: Kintsugi celebrates the beauty of imperfection, but it also celebrates the progress made in repairing broken pottery. Similarly, we should celebrate our progress and growth, even if we're not perfect. By focusing on progress rather than perfection, we can build confidence and motivation to continue moving forward.

🎤Share your story: Kintsugi pottery tells a story of resilience and transformation. Similarly, sharing our own stories of overcoming challenges and embracing imperfection can inspire and empower others to do the same. By being vulnerable and sharing our experiences, we can create connection and support for ourselves and others.

How do you celebrate progress in your personal or professional life?
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Create your own list of activities that bring you peace and make them a part of your weekly routine. 📝 Whether it's taking a stroll in nature, reading a book, or simply enjoying a cup of tea, make time to acknowledge and appreciate those slow moments. 🔆

Remember, to be intentional with your time and prioritise activities that bring you joy and inner calm. Don't feel guilty for taking time to slow down and recharge. 🙏 Share in the comments below what activities you enjoy to find your slow moments!
Choosing a word of the year has been a game-change Choosing a word of the year has been a game-changer for me since I discovered this 12 years ago.

This year, I have three words &, I am focusing on savouring, slowing down, and simplifying. These words act as my North Star and remind me of what truly matters.

What's your word of the year for 2023?
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