17 Monday Aug 2026
Please see this weeks Cheat Sheet. It will be last one done using AI to help me as I feel like I am cheating you and I don’t want that and will be back to me write them completely and this one I felt helpful with the help of AI. Let me know how you feel about them. Use the comment section below.
They are free to download and print.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
14 Friday Aug 2026
So if you’ve joined me in this years Summer Project then that is great and tell me what you changed and how it is going, how do you feel?
Here is my printable:
This printable is free to download and you can use it anytime really. Please let me know if you found this useful and what you would like to write next time? Just to warn you that next year it will be subscribe only next to grow this site and if you’d like more free resources, like worksheets and EBooks. The Worksheets and blogs I write will still be free.
It is time to reflect. There will be a few more blogs and then it will be my Autumn Reset beginning in September until end of October. It will be subscriber only to grow my channel, but still be free to join me in having good reset, finishing projects, admin tasks and what you want to start to do.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
10 Monday Aug 2026
Yesterday in the coffee shop with my Husband and son I, saw this lady who wasn’t on her phone or reading or anything but enjoying her coffee. She looked a bit like Celine Dion and it made me realise that sometimes just having time just taking in the moment is much better than looking at a phone or not watching what is around you.
This made me think of a challenge. I am doing a challenge for August. Doing 100 squats a day for the month to raise money for Cancer Research: https://youtu.be/oaImghC1on0
So in September doing my Autumn Reset going to challenge myself to write my blogs, sort out my sons and my bedroom, complete the editing of my next book as the Reset will continue into October, is to do all those thing in silence taking the moment. Not have music on, tv or Youtube and enjoy my coffee. Not on my laptop or phone drinking but sit in the garden as we go into Autumn and just enjoy the moment.
On the train coming back from London, see Vlog: https://youtu.be/eZ3sHtml_8k on train I decided to not be on my phone and enjoy the journey. On the train to London looking around every one was engrossed on their laptops and phones that I realised have we lost the will to use travel to chat with people~? I think we just so concerned on what is on social media to look and chat. I feel we want to be liked on Instagram to feel adequate. So it will be a realisation for me. I am going to use my laptop to write but not with music on or a video on. Be on my phone too much and enjoy a coffee like that lady without a book or notebook and enjoy the moment better and see what happens.
This weeks Cheat Sheet which with the help of AI I have created on challenging yourself. My Autumn Reset will be the first subscriber only content, but will still be free to read and will be from the start of September to the end of October.
There are many challenges you can do and I really feel I am ready to take on more. Just to say my blogs are not written by AI and are from me, I just needed a little help with my Cheat sheets and that I have been learning from them too.
Do walking challenges. I challenge myself to walk, 4000 steps a day instead of 10,000 too much so be realistic and there are writing challenges too. I often do sprints from 10 to 30 minutes not consecutively as that is not realistic to me and there are loads you can do on Youtube but only using this to help make sure I don’t go over time.
So take sometime to just enjoy your coffee and take in the world and not have headphones in or on the phone and just be free to chat with someone. It is good to look around you and sit and not have any noise.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
15 Wednesday Jul 2026
There are times where we have all gone down the wrong path. We have done things that we think “I shouldn’t have done that” but at the end of the day you did, but I can’t fix the past. We can learn, but you have to move on and redirection doesn’t have to be hard because it is good to try things out and we only learn by experience.
Dealing with regrets. Instead of thinking about changing what we didn’t do or did do, what about if we looked at it, “No I didn’t do that but I did this instead”. I didn’t continue working with the Groundsman at Fulham FC and become the first professional Female Coach in the football leagues, but I did find a good job to build my experience even more and working with the groundsman got me ready to have a paid job. It taught me attention to detail, not having a sneaky cup of tea with the maintenance workers, being on time, completing jobs, following instructions, getting out of my comfort zone and having a routine.
Its not never too late. My mum went back into education and did a degree in her later years and now retired, but she went to night school and Lee Child didn’t start writing books until he was 40. Madonna singing career didn’t take off until she was in the 30s and Olivier Newton John, was Sandy playing a high school kid in her 30s. Is there anything more to say?
Write down what you are happy with. So I am happy that I now do morning walks, read in the morning and evening, workout through out the day and having my morning coffee. I get to play football with my son, I get to cook nice meals and I like to journal each day. So do I want to change that? Is your life best ever? Would you give your life a 10 or you feel miserable a 1? What would make a difference? Change can start anytime but you’ve got to do it for you.
Turn the noise off. If your finding constantly hard to function mentally turn it down. I like to listen to the rain and wrote a blog about it: https://mystylewayofliving.blogspot.com/2026/05/listening-to-rain-can-be-peaceful.html it can be just what you need to switch off from social media, emails and to gain sense and what will make you move forward not backwards.
Make plans. I love to plan. It is one of the things that lifts me and feel that I can make logical decisions and I always make sure I have something to do each day. It helps to redirect if the bus is late, that I planned to get and how else can I get where I want to be and if it will be a good thing or perhaps I should think of other options?
Go analogue. Yes I have a the Journal APP but love writing in a physical journal. I do use Notion, but sometimes I love to write it down because I find it goes in and tried planning my whole life on Notion, but it hasn’t really worked for me and my laptop died and so I had to sign in again and not able to view it on my phone because it used up the storage, so now I use a physical system, with Notion and it has helped with my memory and using google docs and so mainly use Notion for planning my yearly programmes. The Summer Project, Autumn and last year started Winter Wellness.
It is all about not feeling bad because something didn’t work out and that looking back is a trigger you need to re-direct and decide today to think about now to move forward. Forgive those that have hurt you. No longer holding on to possessions that trigger your negative emotions and just live a a life that suits you using the tips above. Not all may work but it is worth dipping your toe in to see and figure things out.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
10 Friday Jul 2026
I have gone for jobs where I it has been a disaster. I remember going to one and I said I’d looked at the website and it was obvious I hadn’t and yet I was so close in getting the job and they didn’t like the fact that I had turned up early, which now I am somewhat glad I didn’t get it. For me if I was running a company punctuality would be top of the list.
I tried to apply to be a red coat a Butlins and I don’t even think my application had reached the time or day.
My first time I applied to work at Butlins I was rejected and applied again the year after and finally got a role and it was persistence that finally got me the chance to fulfil a childhood dream. My first holidays were staying on a holiday camp that we’d go to with our grandparents and I loved it.
Rejection is a good thing because it helps to see if this is what you want can happen, but if you really want it and what can you work on that will make you successful next time. I was desperate to get a role and auditioned for Haven, applied for Pontins and when I first left school I was rejected by gyms I had applied for as at school I did Leisure and Tourism and got the roll sending my C.V to football clubs as a Steward at Fulham Football club.
Never allow it to get you down. The famous writer Jojo Moyes first books she wrote were rejected. Kevin Keegan was told he was too small to play professional football when he trained at Liverpool as a kid until years later he was one of their top scorers. Only Fools and Horses was going to be scraped, the double act Cannon and Ball came last when they went on Opportunity Knocks and Les Dawson also did that show too and didn’t win.
Rejection can still lead you to opportunities. Mariah Carey trained for many years as a backing vocalist until she became an artist and was waitressing when she finally got noticed. Paula Abdul was chorographer before she had hits and was a dancer, before a singer.
Listening to Jojo Moyes speak on Davina McCall podcast, begin again proved that you should never give up and get to know your trade and enjoy the process. I like that I get to spend most of my days with my son, building my blog sites, working on books and Youtube videos when he is at school and just learning.
So never feel if you have been rejected that your dreams aren’t going to come true.
Be consistent and persistent.
Please check subscribe if you’d like to read more and if you’d like to check out my Youtube channel and subscribe there too. There is not cost then please do: https://www.youtube.com/@Carriechalloner
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
03 Friday Jul 2026
I have never felt good in all of my life as I do now. I feel so good because I am not allowing the inner critic get to me, that talks me out of things but now I am Shaping My life because I’m following my dreams to get closer and have experiences. I look forward in achieving my goals, by not putting hurdles in the way. So take that trip around the world, go to see the World cup, go on a cruise and see a family member who’ve you’ve been meaning to see but never got round to it. Make the time and you’ll feel better for it.
I am doing things that I never thought I would do. No I am not a millionaire. No offence to those who are but I am living. I am going to be going away with my son for the first time. Just him and me. Part of me is nervous but looking forward to it at the same time. A friend of mine travelled solo for the first time, just her and you have to live. Take the chance. I have been full of excuses in why I shouldn’t do something putting hurdles in the way and my mum said it once “If you want to do something you’ll always find a way if it is something you really want to do”. I have had opportunities. I could have trained every week in a local football team but I just couldn’t push myself but it was seeing the players who were built like bricks and put me off rather than using that to work towards learning football, but then I did some Courses later on and coached a team and so I achieved that goal, With dancing I went every week. With football I feel that I wanted the glitz and the glamour be the female version of Gazza and run rings around the other players rather than just enjoying the moment.
That is okay but I wanted to be Wonder Woman not seeing it as a learning experience. Back then women’s football was still being overshadowed by men’s football and I ended up running a team but fell pregnant and the team was taken our of my hands and even though that was disappointing I am grateful for it now as I could just enjoy my pregnancy and glad I had the experience.
I did dancing because I was good at that. I played football because I began playing at school but one of the girls made a remark and once again stopped going. It would matter to me when I was called a name by someone. Now I have gotten older got a lot stronger and why I got into running, now do a radio show and write. I published another book this year When Mothers are Real.
I took Henry to music festival in Hampton Court and got another this year and then with my mum going to see Bon Jovi. I am taking my son on a Ferry for the first time and he now plays tennis, which he has done well at. He finally got a school placement and so my aim now is to publish a new book I am working on, continue with my radio show I do for a local hospital, continue with my yearly Life Coaching programmes I’ve created and there is still a long way to go but I am no longer allow fear to follow my dreams and doing what I said I will do.
Take chances. I was listening to a Podcast hosted by Davina Called Begin Again with Jojo Moyes and it was so interesting. Here’s a link if you’d like to watch it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpTd0zOyg8Y&t=2894s and how you should never give up and enjoy the process. Jojo talks about how much she’s done now since she spoke to someone about her life and her failures. We all fail that is how we long and it makes you stronger. I feel that we can feel bad in taking some time wanting something for ourselves.
I like doing my yearly reading challenges. I love reading everyday. That’s helped with shaping my life because it has helped me with my books. It has helped me with writing and seeing the different styles. Going on my morning walks and watching a concert. I have been enjoying watching the world cup and listening about music. I love creating my show, even though the inner fear makes me resistant and get nervous but at the same time feel like “Wow I can’t believe I am doing this” and I did write a blog about Its Okay to Be Selfish as we need to help our world shape to help others we care about have shape. I want my son to have experiences, friends and a life that he is happy with. I love it when we play table tennis, go to the cinema, take trips on buses and trains and he is looking forward to seeing the Proclaimers and now I am being more intentional and it feels good.
So Shape you life and own your goals.
For more content why not check out my Youtube channel. I could do with some support and share parts of my life as a mum and a writer. Please check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/@Carriechalloner
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
29 Monday Jun 2026
So I was going through my google docs as there are some that I created and never used and came across this one. It is a goals template I had created for 2020 so used it and thought I’d share it with you too.
These are free to download and print. I post them every Monday except on bank holidays.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
22 Friday May 2026
Watching Live Aid, Queen the band, for the 100th time. They owned the stage and Freddy was out there and one of the best performers and every time I watch it, it still feels like it is the first time watching it and it was 40 years ago and if you want to change, own the stage. You are part of this world so you deserve to have the things you want, unless it is hurting people.
OWN THE STAGE!
It is good to say “You want to be the best” OWN THE STAGE in whatever field or area you are interested in. Watching Robbie Williams film Robbie was treated like a pain in the arse but once he started to see that he was good enough to be a star and create fantastic music he shone and he OWNED THE STAGE and made people see, by getting help and facing his demons, a superstar and he is a up there with the best.
Your going to have setbacks, but it is how you manage them is the key. I wanted to win the trophy for the highest marks when I did dance and I got it and it was because I OWNED THE STAGE and athletes OWN THE STAGE. They do the work, they eat what their body needs and many have had struggles leading up to success but they see they are part of this world and so they have taken over the world by their determination and working on your strengths and their weaknesses.
So set some goals. Change a habit and write down what has worked out for you in your life and why and making the things that haven’t worked out smaller. I want to make you see your part of this world. You are important and you can achieve goals and change. I never felt good than I do now because I write thar blog, I write that book, I go for a morning walk, I worked in a coffee shop and I have made a good dinner. So OWN THE STAGE and yes their are hurdles but it can work out and when it does it feels fantastic.
Please check out my Pinterest where I post my blogs and on X too.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
11 Monday May 2026
Tags
check you bank account each week, financial tips to spend less, free printable, having no spend days, managing your money
Hi I am a bit distracted today. It was a busy weekend and in recovery mode you know when you’ve exerted yourself so much that I need an extra day rest but want to crack on and get things planned and the one thing I do everyday is monitor and check my bank account.
I like to save each week and has inspired me with this weeks Cheat Sheet. It is tips on managing your money and use the tools I have and learned and if you are new here then I post these Cheat Sheets each week and they are free. So please check this weeks and I am posting on here for my Yearly Life Coaching Programme Summer Project 2026.
I am posting blogs every Friday, but cheat sheet every Monday except Bank Holidays.
I have added a blank sheet should you wish to write or take notes on what you feel my tips are helpful and you’d like to do first and I work by making gradual changes. Each Monday I put money into my savings and I will see what has come out. You’ll see I put down that I have no spend days. I wasn’t going to buy clothes but I want to change my wardrobe a bit and I am into dresses and being a bit more feminine and I like to changing my style.
There are weeks where we don’t have enough food as it helps use up what we have and stop having too much waste. I wasn’t junk journaling but now I enjoy it and want to junk journal and love scrapbooking and invest in a nice journal and I making my own. Not sure when they will be available, but will let you know.
I have a planner dedicated to my finances. I did have a spreadsheet but my laptop stopped working and so lost all the files I had created and so write them down and prefer that actually as they won’t get lost.
There was a time where I was in debt and now I have paid it off I am glad I have money to save and more financially stable.
You can subscribe to this site and it is helpful to me and like if you like these posts and will help build and grow this site. It helps me to know what content you find will be helpful and share what you do to manage your money. See the comment box below. Have a great week and now I have a new X Account where I post my content as I have other blogs. See link here: https://x.com/typical86285
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
08 Friday May 2026
How high are you setting your goals?
How often are you changing your goals because they seem impossible to achieve?
What one thing do you want to focus on?
Life is full of decisions and paths. It is full of challenges and when we set goals we are told to manifest and visualise. This can help but what is the outcome you want and write a list of goals and then ask yourself, what are realistic, what is important to you right now and what is giving you the strongest feeling that is you don’t do it, because you jumped in with both feet.
Been so guilty about doing that too and so to avoid what one step can you do today.
I write books so the first thing I focus on is putting the first draft together and how many pages can a right that I know I can do to begin with. Once I have completed the first draft, then next edit ready for the second draft and so it is about gradual steps and taking your time.
Changing my diet and be more healthy and I say I am going to have salad all this week, I know that that is impossible for me as often I don’t want the same meal each day and focus on what do I want now, do I have the food I want? How much money will it cost me and will it satisfy me? I am not one to prep meals for the week but set ideas and do it day by day now. I would write down meals for the month and I’d change my mind. I like to decide more or less on the day.
I do plan but this year I wanted what I wanted last year. Right now my goal is to grow and continue with my blogs, write and create books, my sons first year of his new school and educating myself on writing and growing my content.
So what one thing can you do today that will help you to your ultimate goal. So my books the outcome is to get it published to the work on the next book and let them “Grow”. My word for this year.
Check out my blog I did that I attached my Worksheet for this programme Introduction to My Yearly Programme Summer Project 2026 I as I write this blog looking for something to listen to whilst I write this blog and came across this short by Jennifer Lopez about skincare https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Q7MdZPUBFu4 It is being consistent and doing daily rituals and how we organise our lives.
So take it each step and in the worksheet it asks about the outcome and so workout what you want to happen in your life by focus on one thing as it comes and planning as you go.
I hope you find these blogs are helpful and if you want to be notified when I post on this site then please subscribe.
Please check out my Pinterest that has more content: https://uk.pinterest.com/carriechallonerholmes
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
Everyone can build a castle 