Category Archives: having bad days

I talk about success an building your life but we all have bad days but these blogs will are to help and support you, and making life a success

Its Good to Start over

26 Friday Jun 2026

Posted by in Everyday living, having bad days, health and wellbeing, life coaching blog, Living, Personal Development, Planning 2026, Summer Project, Weekly posts

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My dad used to say “When one door closes another one will open” and it has stayed with me. My dad was severely hurt in around the 90’s and he lost part of his memory and doesn’t remember what happened to him. He kept leaving the hospital because he thinking he had to go to work and it was a tough time. He couldn’t work for a while and it was so hard when your life gets swept under your feet.

One of my Uncle’s who worked on ships, sailing around the world had a nasty stroke and it was heart breaking.

Photo by Jorge Urosa on Pexels.com

They had to start over. It taught me a valuable lesson to not sit around waiting and do the things you want, even if you have to start over and my dad had a good life, but it took a while for him to recover. He had a lot of friends and the became like a second family and eventually his memory returned, but still unaware of what happened, and I am going to keep the rest private but he had to get used to not working for a bit, because he was a window cleaner and would be high up sometimes to clean windows and with a head injury you can get after effects from the trauma and my uncle had to learn how to use a wheelchair, live in a Care Home and so you have to keep going however hard it is to live. It taught me to not sit on your arse all day and go out.

I ended up in a Mental Health hospital and it was the best thing because I got my life together. I now made up with friends and family and now I work voluntary work for my hospital’s local radio, been to concerts and festivals and my son does sports clubs which has helped me to meet people and doing more now than I have ever done. That doesn’t mean that’s it. I want to build my income, take my son to different places and live life like it could end tomorrow and go for a walks, play a certain song in the morning, have a good breakfast and just live.

You have to get out there. My habit that I have that I have had to stop is to to jump in with both feet to stop being overwhelmed and not commit to too many things and so manage my time better and be realistic in my decisions, but not wait around but do the things I want to do. I am learning a lot like never before. I journaling everyday, read, write books and take my son to different places and I still get annoyed at things. I am human but I am learning to stop being bothered by past events, someone not saying thank you when I have done a good deed and just feel good. I can still be pessimistic, like England’s football matches and the world cup 2026, but do that out of hopefully being surprised and hoping, but not expecting too much and just be more present. I could day dream all day and would switch off as I found reality hard. Now I enjoy living each day as it comes with planning and creating projects, writing and spending time with my son.

When my mind wonders to the past I now will try to change what I think about. I can’t mend the past but celebrate it. I can’t fix arguments but I can forgive and as you get old your mindset changes anyway, you do get wiser when your older and not care of what people think, not trying to please everyone and be real.

Please check out my Youtube channel where I share parts of my life: https://www.youtube.com/@Carriechalloner

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Your Not Always Going To Be Top Form

25 Thursday Jun 2026

Posted by in Everyday living, having bad days, health and wellbeing, life coaching blog, Personal Development, Summer Project, Weekly posts

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No This is True! I still get days where I am not happy. Mainly hormonal. I always get stressed leading up to my monthly cycle. Check out his blog I wrote on one of my other Blog Platform: https://buildingselfconfidencetud.blogspot.com/2026/06/handling-your-hormones.html

I can often feel hot and bothered and not able to sleep.

Sleep plays a huge part in my mood. I have suffered Insomnia from a kid and some nights I wouldn’t sleep at all.

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When I had my son I didn’t sleep for two days. Not having a good sleep can catch up with you. I take medication now to help and have had help with my health from the Mental Health teams in Surrey and Merton and has made a difference. Let me just clarify I don’t rely on my medication, but making lifestyle changes too. I read every evening and yes I do watch something on my phone but mainly the world cup at the moment or a Youtube video, but still get a goodnights sleep and I still wake up sometimes during the night but I am able to easily return to sleep and eating well too.

What I watch on TV can affect how I am feeling. I remember watching a programme, not going to say the name as I do like it but it really got to me and so even though it is a good series I can’t watch it. I like podcasts, listening to the radio about music mainly and walking. I love my morning walks and made a huge difference in my wellbeing and how I feel each day.

I no longer live in a dream world and spend time with those important people to me and like to watch my son do his sports and taking him to different places. We often go on a bus or train ride, we like to play sports too and just hang out and love doing that with my son and days where I will go out for a coffee and write. I love to journal and do this every day and throughout the day and so when I feel bothered by something I write about it in my journal to address my thoughts and feelings and it just releases the tension and stress.

There was a time when I was at Secondary School I had ulcers in my mouth. The first time I had Glandular Fever but the second time when they were all at the bottom of my mouth it turned out to be stress.

Let it all out, enjoy your own company. I love mine aswell as socialising and writing. I love creating stories, share my life through blogs and videos. Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Carriechalloner

Watching England play in the World Cup gets on my nerves. It is frustrating and at the same time like to watch sport. I loved playing sports as a kid. One thing I enjoyed at school aswell is writing stories and singing and dancing. I would still get down about it, if I made a mistake, arguments that would go on and I remember a boy at school when I would be painting come over and just start criticizing my art work. I should have told him to sod off but would get upset and not say anything back.

Now I would have told him to bugger off but I can’t change that and it makes me smile now. The arguments we’d have about a tennis ball. So I no longer have petty arguments. Why allow someone ruin your day because they don’t like your hair, your clothes you wear. Embrace who you are and once you work on your mind and not feel so sensitive and once I address my feelings I feel a whole lot better.

Having a good cry can do wonders and sitting in the garden watching nature and walking with nature around you can really pick you up.

I hope you find these blogs helpful and please sure your thought. You can leave a comment below.

I also have a Youtube channel so check this out too: https://www.youtube.com/@Carriechalloner

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

What If You Don’t Want to Change?

08 Monday Jun 2026

Posted by in Cheat sheet, having bad days, health and wellbeing, life coaching blog, Living, Personal Development, Printables, Summer Project, Weekly posts

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In this weeks Cheat Sheet is inline with my Life Coaching Programme Summer Project 2026 and about What if you don’t want to change?

Check it out here:

What If You Don’t Want to ChangeDownload

I like reading everyday. It helps wake me up at the beginning of the day and at night for relaxation and love it. I like journaling everyday and working out with my weights and other fitness tools and helps give me energy and at the weekends having a alcoholic drink and just have one.

So if you like how your life is then fine. It is all about how you feel within you and your current lifestyle. I like to scroll on my phone in the mornings but only for a short time and not in bed. Its only if something is not working and its getting on your nerves and want to change. Your free to do what you want to do Do Your Own Thing

These cheat sheets are free to download and print and post them at the beginning of each week and I hope you find them useful.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Do Your Own Thing

01 Monday Jun 2026

Posted by in Everyday living, Financial Living, having bad days, health and wellbeing, life coaching blog, Living, Personal Development, Planning 2026, Positive Habits, Printables, Summer Project, Weekly posts

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I like to be inspired about books, different fashion styles and planning etc but often enough it can have a negative effect.

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Watching Hauls when we are in debt. Feeling paranoid about our health and that we don’t have the perfect lifestyle so we stress over not having the next best pillow for the bed or people moving house and it can be a vicious circle.

You don’t have to follow, do your own thing.

I am no longer interested in Hauls, seeing kids with so many gifts given to them or people moving house.

It is nice to have the house you dreamed of. That is fine but it can often make us feel inadequate because of someone on Youtube for example has a big house, with a gym and don’t get me wrong I like to splurge but not to the point I have no money left and so I will make sure I have the money and have learned to switch off from impulse shopping because sponsored videos and just go into a store buying exactly what I had gone in there for.

It can be make up. I rarely do a full face. I sometimes just use face cream and face spray, others days may use a bit of concealer, eye liner and eye shadow it all depends on what I feel like on the day and what my plans are. My mum wears make up everyday and she has done this her whole life, so she will pay for make up regularly because that suits her lifestyle. It not about being trendy but what makes you happy.

I have friends who like a boy band still, a friend that loves rock music and I like all kinds. I am someone who loves many different things and I go through phases and again it all depends on my mood. I don’t read books because its new but is interesting to me and not because its a bestseller and a top read. I like books that take me into the past, crime, non fiction and chick flicks. Again it depends on what I fancy and why I leave the door open to my plans as I will often change my mind and seeing that that is okay. I take notice of my gut, mind and what I want to focus on and I now like to switch off from the noise of having to consume so much and scrolling all the time.

I rarely check Instagram all the time or Facebook. I will send a birthday message and like some posts but not all the time anymore and go for walks in the morning. For some people it can be the worst thing ever for some people and that is okay. Do what suits you and is safe of course but do what you want and not listening to others to decide for you.

Be honest with yourself and go through Youtube of what you are no longer interesting in, unsubscribe and go analogue. I like to write things down, rather than use Notion all the time. I like to use what I have already got. I find it stays in my mind better when I write things down. It helps to have good hand writing skills as they can be affected typing all the time and just listen to nature. I wrote a blog about how listening to the rain or the birds can be so nice and peaceful: https://mystylewayofliving.blogspot.com/2026/05/listening-to-rain-can-be-peaceful.html

I am not saying that you should shut yourself away but not being influenced so much we forgotten about what truly makes us happy. I don’t want the latest trainers. I not interested in upgrading my phone and think about what I truly want to watch, listen to buy and be who I am and what is important.

I like watching writing vlogs. I like to listen to those about finance and like to use Youtube for training my mind but not to see what the latest gadget is. So it up to you and just live. Be happy if not then it is time to change.

Check out this weeks Cheat Sheet:

Managing Your MoneyDownload

I also write book which you can on Amazon in Kindle and paperback under Carrie Challoner and Carrie Holmes.

My new one is called When Mothers Are Real: https://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Mothers-Real-Carrie-Challoner-ebook/dp/B0GTYJS3S1

My Cheat Sheets are are full of tips and information and post every Monday and free to download and print.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Does It Pay to be a Perfectionist

17 Sunday May 2026

Posted by in career building, Celebrating, Everyday living, having bad days, health and wellbeing, Inspirational TV, journal, life coaching blog, Living, Personal Development, Summer Project, Weekly posts

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Listening to a podcast and documentaries of Queen and Live Aid it made me realise that Queen were perfectionists and to Freddy he had a good attention to detail. A song had to make you feel excited and their Live Aid performance was out of this world and one that will always been remembered and when I spent time in a Mental Health Hospital it would be played and Bob Geldoff too putting it together and changed the music scene that not only can you write music but could create a master piece to be used and fame to make a difference. I have said “I am not perfect” but like my books and blogs to be perfect and have felt such an amateur when their have been a typo that I missed and reading my books and J.K Rowling her books had to be seen that this could be real, the same with the Hunger Games and The Lord Of The Rings.

Myself set up in Radio Studio that I’d like to perfect.

Yes mistakes do happen and can improve our focus and attention to detail as I can see that perhaps I need to do more of an outline on a book and not be in such a rush in publishing it but that my blogs and my message is put across. Its taking pride in what you do and I like my days now that I have had attention in making sure I have slept well, that my clothes are not super creased and that the home is tidy and that there are no crumbs all over the place, that the sink is shining and I am a perfectionist and I think now in observing people, we all are. We all want to have a home to give you comfort so spending time on the look of a home, like furniture, the perfect bed that we like to help have a good nights sleep.

It means you care. Yes you can get things wrong that is part of life but when you keep building and growing being a singer, dancer, writer or a Housewife you it perfect for you and for others you live with. Then there are things that you think are going to be bad, turn out to be a masterpiece. Boy George didn’t like his song “Do you really want to hurt me” and didn’t want it on their album and yet it changed his life and Culture Club, but again it is perfectionism. It can work against you like the example of the Boy George and Culture Club sometimes it can cause confliction.

You only know when something is good when you get feedback both good and bad. I have had criticism, but people will. It doesn’t mean you have to stop but may need to make changes and feedback is a must.

A chef will always want feedback. They need to know if people like their dishes to learn how to make a meal better and it depends who it is for. A child may not go for a steak that is within the specials. I do not like Liver because of school dinners but then I didn’t eat Tuna but had Tuna Steak, which made me realise it could be tasty. So it was perfection for me. It was cooked well, it was flavour and that is where it pays off and so when you do something check it, taste it and makes us succeed by being consistent and attention to detail, which is the key and what you like. What puts you off? What could you make that you can master that will help build a website and what outcome using the Worksheet I created in first blog: https://everyonecanbuildacastle.com/2026/04/29/introduction-to-my-yearly-programme-summer-project-2026/

I like to see things develop and watched how they put together Bohemian Rhapsody. It was really clever and every bit of was important in the making of it. Seeing Strictly Come Dancing live. Being there was such an thrill, because how much work goes into to making it. It was different the clips that they had to do and film and so much goes into it and it is perfectionism because if the presenters can’t talk, the cameras not working it could all have been a disaster so again it is attention to detail and consistency.

So what do you want to focus on?

Focus on what result you want. Who could help you perfect a skill or if its your weekly routine you have been working on?

Dig deep and be honest. It was journaling that helped me put this is blog together and by journaling each day has really been a great. It has helped me to slow down and keep going. Writing a book is a hard process, because how I see it the readers will see it differently and its making it understandable, engaging and that they will read more books I write. All to down with perfectionism and tip you toe in the water to start and learn the craft that you want to perfect.

I do a radio show for the local hospital and its not just pressing buttons, but choosing songs that the patients or family of patients may be listening to and like. Making sure the last song fits in with the news and not cut half the song and playing the Promos and not playing the same songs, it is a whole process and you have to enjoy it and music that may be personal to people. I have made mistakes, but the more I do it the more I will perfect it and try different themes and what a song makes me feel when I hear it.

So having good attention to detail and consistency means you are a perfectionists and now as I become aware of the world as I grow in age, it is okay because its about using to build your skills and abilities and let work for you not against you.

You can Follow me on Pinterest aswell and X.

https://x.com/typical86285

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Life Coaching blog: Setting Your Goals Too High

08 Friday May 2026

Posted by in career building, Creating a vision, Goal setting, having bad days, life coaching blog, Living, Summer Project, Weekly posts

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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?

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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

Life Coaching Blog: Lets get started with having a System

01 Friday May 2026

Posted by in Everyday living, having bad days, health and wellbeing, journal, life coaching blog, Living, Personal Development, Planning 2026, Positive Habits, Printables, Reflecting

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Hello! So it is the beginning of my Life Coaching programme Summer Project 2026 check out previous blog: Summer Project Introduction to My Yearly Programme Summer Project 2026 I included a worksheet which is free to download and print.

So to get started I suggest to create a plan. So I journal every morning and it helps me with my creativity and whilst I listen to an audiobook or music. Develop a playlist. I have one for podcasts, videos about writing as I have books out, for my different books and Parenting videos and so it is good for getting the mood to change and learn.

I train my brain everyday. I like to educate my mind and the first thing in the morning once my son has gone off to school.

So to make a change by going through the worksheet:

Good Systems:

Plan, Plan Plan = Have a good set up and create one that will help you focused on and inspire you to make a change. If there are particular things that you are interested in. #so start with developing a plan and do a list, but concentrate on one area or item at a time.

Ask for help, who can help you or what will help you So my husband always cleans the kitchen and the bathroom, so I will do the areas such as the windowsills, put m sons clothes away and my mum has helped with gardening.

Do you have a quiet time of the day or space you can plan? I love to use the sofa or my desk and in the garden.

Drink? Water, tea and Coffee. I am having a glass of juice each day for Vitamin C and especially in the summer life a fizzy drink but only have one and Zero Sugar.

Is there a time where you feel more energized? I like to work in the mornings and then chill in the afternoon and have time off such as the weekend.

I find spending time planning helps to reset, asking for help as we are not built to do everything and my husband loves to clean and only he is allowed to use the vacuum and the iron. This has helped me to function concentrate on other area so I can then move to onto others.

So sit down with a drink and lets make those changes.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Introduction to My Yearly Programme Summer Project 2026

29 Wednesday Apr 2026

Posted by in Celebrating, Everyday living, having bad days, health and wellbeing, Joural, life coaching blog, Living, Personal Development, Planning 2026, Summer Project

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Hello! It’s that time of year when I start sharing blogs about things I’ve done to feel good about myself and my life.

This is all about focusing on abundance and recognizing what’s working in your life.

Make one change at a time and concentrate on what’s important to you.

I have a free worksheet for you to download and print. If you want to stay updated on my posts for this program, please subscribe.

As you work through the worksheet, take time to reflect. I suggest journaling every day, like I do. You can get a smart journal or use an app to track your progress. Begin by focusing on one thing and keep using the worksheet. See Below.

This isn’t a test; it’s an opportunity to face your fears and improve your relationships with yourself and others.

The program will run from May 1, 2026, to August 14, 2026.

I invite you to join me in making positive changes to feel better about yourself and your life. Please share your thoughts in the comments on my blog. I’ll also create a board on Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/carriechallonerholmes/ and update my X account: https://x.com/typical86285.

Thank you for reading,

Carrie X

Worksheet:

Summer Project 2026Download

Weekly Cheat Sheet Doing Joint Tasks

27 Monday Apr 2026

Posted by in Cheat sheet, Everyday living, having bad days, health and wellbeing, Living, Planning 2026, Printables, Weekly posts

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Hi all! I hope you didn’t mind me taking a break from posting on this site. Please check out my last blog of my Monthly Newsletter: April Newsletter 2026

It is a new Cheat Sheet today and it is all about doing Joint Tasks and it can become a ritual and now I am listening to a podcast whilst posting this blog.

To Do Joint TasksDownload

These are free to download and print and there won’t be one next week as it is a bank holiday but will be the week after.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X