Monthly Reflections: December
Welcome to my monthly reflections! This is where I get personal, sharing my monthly highs and lows of running my business as a solo founder, whilst navigating life as a girl in her 30s, who loves to not take life too seriously whilst also having existential thoughts most days. This is my 8 for December.
What I’m Loving
I have been loving doing my website refresh; to think I never thought I would ever create my own website and here I am updating it every two years! If you haven’t already, please do have a scroll through my updated website and let me know what you think. Something else I have been loving is The Sopranos documentary, Wise Guy: David Chase and Sopranos, honestly, it’s so good. If you loved the series, you’re going to love this!
What I’m Grateful For
I’m so grateful for being able to go on a walk every day. It has become such a part of my routine now since getting a dog and I feel so grateful to be able to do that! It has such a positive impact on my wellbeing, it gives me time to think, be in nature, slow down. Honestly walking is one of my favourite past times! If you fancy a beautiful walk and want to feel like you’re in the countryside, I highly recommend Wimbledon Common.
What I’m Reading
My Therapy Supervisor recommended Your Body Speaks Your Mind: Understanding how your emotions and thoughts affect you physically by Deb Shapiro and I’m just starting to delve into it – you can look up different symptoms and illnesses to understand what they could be telling you. If you’re interested in the mind and body connection, then this is definitely one for you to look at!
Also, I have to share my reading light with you as it has transformed my evening routine, I honestly love it so much. Would highly highly recommend!
My Upcoming Goals
Personal: Finish my essay for my Masters, which is due on the 17th of Jan!
Business: I’ve decided to host a free Masterclass at the end of January, once everyone has settled into the new year. I will be sharing more details in the coming weeks so keep an eye on my Instagram for details to join. If you feel stuck then this will be perfect for you!
A Challenge I’ve Faced
December has been a whirlwind and although as I write this I’m having a peaceful moment on the sofa, the first half I had a lot on. All exciting so I felt a lot of motivation but I was really practising what I preach to help me stay grounded and avoid overwhelm. 4 things I swear by to support me when things get busy:
Time blocking: I shared my thoughts and tips on this, in a Stylist article which you can read here.
Gantt charts: My husband introduced me to Gantt charts and I am obsessed! They help me keep on track of projects and help me focus on what needs to be done that day or week, rather than feeling too overloaded by the entire project.
Setting intentions: Honestly this is a gamechanger. When you set your to-do list, also set 1-3 intentions of how you want to feel and be that day while ticking everything off your to-do list.
A work playlist: I have created a specific work playlist with songs that I know help me get into the zone with work, really think about what music helps you focus? For me, I need electronic music!
Monthly Win
On one of my lovely walks, I was reflecting, and I realised how proud of myself I am. The shifts I’ve experienced this year aren’t necessarily things I can put into words, it’s not something physical I can take a photo of. I entered this year feeling like I just needed to be with what I had created the previous years, it had been big goal one after another. And although that had been amazing, it was almost like I needed to recalibrate to all the newness I had in my life, step into this new version of me, ride the wave of change. I won’t lie, it felt uncomfortable at times, but I feel so proud of navigating through it and getting to the other side with so much more trust, faith and patience than I could even imagine. Just when I think I know myself, I’m hit with another layer of self-awareness, and sometimes it’s bloody tiring but I’m also so grateful I get to understand myself more and be more of who I truly am.
Client Breakthrough
One of my clients came to me, feeling paralysed by the need for every detail to be perfect. It had always been something she struggled with but became even stronger when she started her business. We worked together to dismantle her belief and fear around perfectionism, so she could begin to step out of her comfort zone, delegate tasks and embrace imperfection as part of the journey. A huge breakthrough came this month when everything clicked, and she could see how her ability to let go of control allowed her business to flourish. She now has the freedom to focus on what truly matters.
Favourite Meal
December has definitely been the month of the pub. If you do venture over to Wimbledon Common, I definitely recommend visiting one of the lovely pubs there. I went to The Hand in Hand recently and had a delicious roast. I also went to The Cadogan Arms recently and loved the cosy downstairs room, perfect for a long catch-up with a friend over a glass of red wine.
Have a lovely month and I’ll see you in 2025 for my 8 for January!
Elyssa x
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