14 Monday Sep 2026
Posted in Celebrating, Cheat sheet, health and wellbeing, Living, Printables, Weekly posts
So you want to achieve big results? I have been blogging since 2013 and it has been amazing seeing it grow.
Here is a Cheat Sheet with a list of what you need to achieve results if you too have a blog, exercise or in a job.
These weekly and free to download and print. I enjoy creating them and please subscribe if you want to be notified of when I blog on here. Remember I am doing my Autumn Reset and so if you like to read these : Autumn Reset
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
01 Tuesday Sep 2026
Posted in Goal setting, Printables, Weekly posts, Autumn Reset, Yearly Reset, Living, health and wellbeing
≈ Comments Off on My Autumn Reset Begins
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21 Friday Aug 2026
Tags
being a good friend, changing your ways, life coaching blog, Self development, summer project 2026
Watching Madonna’s Confessions concert it made me ask myself. What makes a Superstar?
I feel they have a recipe to success that is indescribable and that not just pop stars but nurses, doctors, cleaners because without these people we wouldn’t have nobody who could make us feel better, have dirty spaces everywhere and just make a difference no matter what they do.
I call my son a superstar when he does something good. It doesn’t mean you have to be wealthy but what actions you take for others and what impact that person has on you and others.
When I think of the word Superstar I think is someone’s else’s view of someone and not something you feel yourself. I feel it can be disused and that it should be saved for the right purpose. I like it when people have said to me and it makes you feel good but not something I take for granted; It is a terminology that is abused because there’s been those so-called Superstars and they’ve hurt others and turns out they’re the not the person you thought they were. Example a guy I met before my husband who left the holiday camp, where I was living as I worked there, was not a nice person and was glad to have been free from him.
When you get excited about seeing a friend then you know that person is to you a Superstar they give you a buzz and can chat about everything and anything. They’re not going to judge and you can really be your true self. If someone makes you feel uncomfortable then chat with them, no matter how hard it is and often people don’t realise how they’ve made you feel. I have not always been a good friend and so had to spend time away to see that noone is out to hurt me and it’s not a competition and that I have been selfish. I have been self centred and drove people away.
I would shy away from people. I went to a birthday party then waited for her to talk to me at a school open day and that mum didn’t and we became strangers and I knew that it should have been me who had to make the effort not them all the time. I was still that girl who would sit on a bench waiting for someone to come over. With dancing class though I was totally different, because I went with a friend and it still took a while for me to come out of my shell but then a friend from secondary school asked if I wanted to go and watch rugby.
It was so different and I really let my hair down and it changed my life in many ways. The supporters I met spoke to me as if I had been going for years and I fell in love with it. I see my friend who took me as a superstar and other friends from Secondary and felt that it shaped the rest of my life until I then went to work at a holiday camp. There were people there who I saw as superstars and who helped me survive it, as many who I had started when I did at the Holiday camp had left soon after but it suited me and with rugby meeting who I think were Superstars and my mum, step dad and family too and that you have to wake up to your own behaviour and of others and who truly have your best interests at heart and that you and them are Superstars because of the experiences you’ve had with them and how they make you feel on inside and outside.
Soon my Summer Project 2027 will be over. I will be doing my Autumn Reset. This will be begin in September 1st September and will be completing another book, sorting my sons and mine bedroom and cleaning part of my home such as my Food Cupboard and finally clearing my baking cupboard. I have been doing a Squat Challenge in August, doing 100 squats a day raising money for Cancer Research check out fundraising page and my Vlog Channel:https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/carries-giving-page-23102806, https://www.instagram.com/carriechalloner/ and https://youtu.be/j9odgBsvQlY
To let you know My Autumn Reset will be Subscriber only to help grow my challenge but content I share will still be for free.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
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
07 Friday Aug 2026
The more you do something the more it continues. I now have implemented habits that set up my day. This is due to repetition.
My son knows how to put his shoes on. Repetition. I learned to dance. Repetition.
When my son learned to walk he had little falls, nothing serious, but the more he repeated the motion the more he finally conquered and walked without needing use his walker and like eating it becomes natural. My son knows the words to the Proclaimers songs. Repetition. Putting in to practice is by repeating.
I remember in an interview I said that my work was repetitive and I wanted to move up and they were like “Well this job is repetitive” and felt like an idiot. Employers want someone who will come in and be able to repeat the work because that is the heart of learning. If you want to impress be willing for repetition. Its like Barista’s they make coffee everyday, clear tables and learn how to heat up food and the only way they learn is by repetition. The more you do a job you can then move onto the job that is your dream but still means that you will have to do repetitive work. That is how you get better.
Weight Lifters learn by repetition, jockeys, Tennis players, singers and businessmen and women. When working in a call centre it would be repetitive. You learned codes, how to be great over the telephone, processing problems and my step sister is a Air Hostess/cabin crew and has to go through safety checks, make sure passengers are okay and what to do when the plane takes off and land.
So yes it is important part of life and if you want to be successful in your field it is by repetition. It is a positive word not negative and dart players are good because they repeat and how they count down and know what score to get that beats their opponent and crickets would have boiled over a 100 times to be able to aim for the stumps, jockeys have to learn by repetition to help the horse know when it is time to jump, sprint and be fast. The practice is repetition. Doing the the same consistent throw or bowling. My uncle plays bowls. He plays every year and he has learnt and learnt but repetition. So never fear it but embrace it.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
31 Friday Jul 2026
Tags
being more present, enjoying the school summer holidays, health and wellbeing., taking time off screens
I have been having less screen time. A few weeks ago I had a migraine and I just needed to take a break. So now I am having less time on my phone, laptop and TV.
Yes I do watch Youtube but the holidays have helped me get off my phone, get off my laptop and not watching TV all day and just read and been doing my Wordsearch. I found a good one that has 365 wordsearch book and still with Youtube but to listen to and go for walks, play sports and just having some good holiday fun and it is only been the first week. I like how we explore and focus on just having days out and try different places to eat, would like to have a picnic whilst we are away. Having Mother and Son days and including his father.
Visiting London it seemed that we have become an unsociable city with people on their phones and laptops. Except a few people who knew each other and must have met up were chatting, but people not chatting with strangers. I like a coffee shop and there are a good place to socialise. So we will go to a coffee shop, go swimming and tomorrow we are going to the cinema which is a big screen but we have had a full on couple of days and been a while so is an end of the week treat.
I just wrote a blog about how being a parent has kept me fit: https://getfitgetactivewithme.blogspot.com/2026/07/how-being-parent-has-kept-me-fit.html We are off out next week and be our first mother and son holiday and been a summer of firsts. We did the Guilfest. I like going to see bands play. I love a theatre show and each year we see at least one show per holiday. Not planned one this time, but is on the list of things I still would like to do before the Summer Holidays are over.
My son will be travelling on a Ferry and first time visiting the Isle of Wight and its good to take a break from being online all of the time. I love seeing live events and just make the most of the time I have on this earth to forget my phone, but have in case of an emergency, but not be looking down, paying attention to pings and have good quality time with my son.
When I am on the laptop and my son is on his tablet, when we are at home I will journal and do my wordsearch. We don’t take our devices out unless away and won’t have the TV on. We will play out in the garden and I love to hand write. Why I love journaling and love a notebook to plan. I like to listen to music but sometimes now I realise that it is good on some days to write with silence.
Enjoying the outdoors always does me a world of good. I do get a bit annoyed. Today in the Café after playing tennis this woman kept moving her chair and so was squashed in. Yesterday it was Cyclists and just daily annoyances but do try to stay happy and not allow people who aren’t nice, stop me from having a good day.
It beats being online all the time and meeting friends. I find it rude when your having a meal and they’re on their phone constantly. I want conversation and full attention and scroll but not to the point they’re not engaging. I like a good natter and just a good old fashioned catch up and keeping my phone in my bag, paying full attention with friends because we don’t see each other a lot now.
Yes phones keep in contact. I use Facebook to wish someone a happy birthday and what they’ve been up to but not all the time and was at one point checking my phone every 5 minutes and being on my phone all day. I would watch Youtube when I should be getting my son ready for school and so I spend less time and it has made a difference and just be with the world. Travel on he bus or train, looking out of the window or chatting and we will see what number buses we can see, if we see planes flying over or helicopters and I love it. I’d rather be having a coffee watching the world go by, rather being on my phone or laptop. Its amazing what you see and so when not on devices.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
24 Friday Jul 2026
Something I have fought with since a kid. As soon as I’d hit my pillow my mind would switch on and it would be hard to switch it off.
I now take medication to help, I do watch or listen to something on my phone, but I also read. I tried not being on my phone all the time but I love to listen to the radio or BBC Sounds and been watching the World Cup when in bed as I don’t have a TV in my bedroom. However to quieten the mind I will make sure I brush my teeth, have a cup of tea or hot chocolate anything that helps with relaxation and winter time a nice hot bath.
What does Google say about an overacting mind: it’s usually just your brain stuck in “problem-solving mode” or dealing with an activated nervous system.
It can trigger anxiety if you fear your home. I lived on ground floor of a block of flats in an Housing Estate as a child and was scared of someone breaking into my room or if I had watched something scary on TV, a news headline or if I had a bad day.
I dream a lot. It can be varied on what and when I started to have really bad nightmares I would try and stay awake. This can trigger the mind of resisting to sleep and there are clinics you can go to and tried many different medications but the one I take now is the one that really helps, it is Haloperidol and it does have side effects, but I take another medication to lower the side affects and sleep through the night and feel better for it.
Get medical help. Not sleeping is exhausting and I felt sick with tiredness because I could lay awake all night and at one point I didn’t sleep for a whole week because of my mind being active. Yes it can be trauma that causes that. It became a habit that has taken a lot to change. I am not one that can sleep for too long. I find it makes me feel rotten by doing so and insomnia is hard to kick. This can cause overthinking and 5 to 7 hours is enough for me and not going to bed too early. I find this can trigger my overactive mind and wake up at midnight, so then I find I can’t get back to sleep. I do sleep in a bit at the weekends but I am still awake early.
Letting my Overactive mind run whilst walking helps. It is good to just let the thoughts flow out of my body and a good walk does that for me. I also like to work in silent some days and sleep in silence. The temperature of a room. The heat has got to me and can trigger my thoughts. A nice cool shower and a wet flannel on my body can help and listening to a podcast, he said that just feeling good in bed, helps and just listening to something and reading is my main sauce of helping my mind be quiet and sleep.
I do think it is heredity because my mum is the same and my Nan (my mums mum) and my mum did used to sleep in until she had me and my brother, but wonder if this is due to taking ages to get to sleep because of having an overactive mind.
Put a Yes me in the comments if you have gotten to the end of this blog and if you relate. You can use the comment box below. It would like your point of view and helps me in knowing that my blogs are helpful.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
17 Friday Jul 2026
Tags
health, reduce screen time, thinking of the good out of bad situations, turn your mindset around, wellbeing
When it comes to how we feel about the way we feel or had a bad day and you can’t stop thinking about it write about it. This will help to make sense of what happened and what would make you feel better. I had a Migraine a couple of days ago and it really hit me hard so I decided to take a break from screens and wet to bed and now limit my screen time.
If I have made a mistake when doing radio, I go over what I would do differently and what I have learned.
I learned in my last show to create some scripts for introducing my show better and with cooking a meal that I did wrong. I tried to make a Carbonara but I didn’t make enough sauce so took note of that and know for the next time.
Address the bad and how will you turn it around?
We saw that the traffic was heavy going back to the A3 to get to Tolworth to go home so we went a different route and life is like that too. Still focus on the destination and workout how many ways you can get there. You may need to do a U-turn, but if you can still reach it. I was having issues with posting Youtube videos as my software kept crashing so I thought well I have my phone so film on that now and use the software to edit videos for Youtube on my phone and I am getting so much enjoyment from that. I have no schedule and like being sporadic as I will plan but like today I wanted to do some cleaning I write it down but say Clean One Area and that instantly makes me do it. Lower the pressure and how can you make everyday yours and get much more out of your life. I went to the Guilfest and it was crowded and flying ants and I was a bit dubious and it meant moving away from that area and when we returned it was fine and I thought no I am going to enjoy it no matter what is swarming and just move away. We got a drink, found the toilets and so my anxiety faded and I didn’t want to spoil it for my son as he’s favourite band was playing and why I booked it and next time take chairs and get there earlier perhaps move and gave us a chance to look around. I do feel it needed more organisation because people were scattered all over the place and I may pay the extra year and pay for the VIP section.
My laptop crashed and luckily have been able to use my husbands laptop and now hand write books I want to publish and use Google Doc and so learned not to save everything on my husband’s laptop on Word but google docs I can use it via another laptop as many of my book ideas have gone and so not to rely on technology and go analogue still. If I use a notebook and write out a its less likely to go missing.
So I now make the bad into good by thinking of what went well and how could it be better next time.
Evaluate like you would in an accident. Is it safe? Did anyone get harmed? could it have been a dangerous situation?
Are you still breathing? Was it that bad now you have answered those questions?
I laugh now when my dad would say there are doobie noshes after us as he would say when walking from the entertainment venue to our caravan where we used to holiday and it was great fun. I take so much from that. I loved family holidays and being with a mixture of people. Yes I got sick on holiday and my nan did, but we still had fun and enjoyed those times and I love the things we do now.
We still went for a drive like we do each weekend, we had a nice breakfast and with my migraine going to take more care when it comes to screens and do things away from a screen like having a sort out, read or now I like to watch a bit of the World cup and the tennis.
Today continuing this blog sorted out my sons toy cupboard in the living room and put it off but glad that was done.
It helps to shape your life, check this blog: Shaping Your Life
I hope you find this blog helpful and please share if you have any tips too of dealing with the Good and the bad. You can leave a comment below.
Please check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Carriechalloner
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
Everyone can build a castle 