Hello again, beautiful souls...
Another week, another insight drop! And this week, I’ve been reflecting a lot on how I’m actually managing to balance everything right now.
Training to be a coach isn’t something I’ve just slotted into an already quiet and spacious life. Far from it. I already wear many hats, Reiki Master/Teacher, practitioner, retreat host, Mum, Nanna, and sometimes carer for my elderly dad, all while trying to keep up with everyday life. Now, I’ve added intensive training, practice coaching sessions, coursework, and self-development on top of it all.
I knew from the start that this wasn’t just going to be a case of finding the time. It was going to be about MAKING the time and accepting that some things would have to shift along the way.
But, like we ladies are prone to do, at first, I tried to do it all.
I kept up with my usual workload, my commitments, my personal life, and then squeezed coaching training into whatever gaps were left. Except... there weren’t any gaps. Not really. So I ended up creating them by sacrificing my own downtime, my self-care, and my energy levels.
And surprise, surprise... it didn’t take long before I started feeling completely drained. We all know that you can't give from an empty cup and sometimes, when we take on too much and ignore our own welfare, the Universe has a way of making you stop in your tracks. And that's exactly what happened!
At the beginning of December, I came down with a virus that forced me to take time off work. Then, just as I was finally ready to begin my practical coaching sessions - on the very day of my first session - my dad had a fall and ended up in hospital. Then, right after Christmas, I got flu, which knocked me back again. I had to cancel all my practical appointments throughout December until the new year, I fell behind on my training, and juggled everything all while making sure my Dad was okay. He finally came home on New Year’s Eve and everything seemed to settle. As you know I went off on adventures in January so I planned to use that time to catch up with my studies but poor internet meant I just couldn't, and then, on my return I had what I thought was the worst jet lag ever but actually turned out to be another nasty virus (I did go to GP and check I hadn't brought some dreadful tropical disease with me, I felt so bad). And finally, just as I was starting to find my rhythm again, my dad developed an infection, had another fall and was back in hospital until this weekend.
All these setbacks were a reminder of something I already knew but clearly needed to relearn. When you try to do everything, you end up doing nothing well. So, I had to take a step back and ask myself, "What actually matters right now?" Not in a let’s-write-a-to-do-list-and-colour-code-it, kind of way, but in a what-do-I-want-to-feel-in-my-daily-life, way.
And here’s what I realised.
I don’t want to feel like I’m just 'getting through' my training. I want to immerse myself in it, enjoy it, and actually absorb what I’m learning, rather than rush from one task to the next.
I don’t want to put everything else in my life on hold either. My business, my personal life, my self-care... these things still matter. But instead of trying to fit everything in, I needed to make choices. Real choices!
That meant letting go of some things, even if just temporarily. It meant setting firmer boundaries with my time and allowing myself to do things “well enough” rather than perfectly.
Some days, that looks like choosing rest over ticking off another task.
Some days, it means saying no to something I would have automatically said yes to before.
And some days, it means accepting that my version of balance doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
Balance isn’t about doing everything equally. It’s about knowing what to focus on in each moment and being fully present for it.
I’m happy to say that my dad is now well and home from hospital, and this time, I didn’t fall behind. Instead of cancelling things completely, I worked around it and used the travel time to and from hospital visits to catch up on my studies. So I’m now fully caught up with my training, and I’m working my way through my practical coaching sessions....and loving them!
So, am I managing it all? Some days, yes. Some days, not so much. But I’m learning. I’m adjusting. And most importantly, I’m giving myself permission to find my rhythm rather than force one that doesn’t fit.
Until next week 
Jayne x
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