Category Archives: life coaching blog

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

STOP Shaming Yourself Because Of Your Past/Last Blog for this years Summer Project 2025

31 Sunday Aug 2025

Posted by in Celebrating, having bad days, health and wellbeing, journal, life coaching blog, Living, Personal Development, Summer Project

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This follows my the blog before this one: let go of the past.

Does your past making you feel ashamed? In my life I have not always been kind and had dark thoughts, but I know that this has made me put them to bed as thoughts are what they are and didn’t carry out anything that would have been harmful and often it just I quick thought, in the moment because if I didn’t say anything and been able to see the lighter side of life.

Photo by Anastasiia Chaikovska on Pexels.com

My brother and I never got on as kids. We would argue and fight a lot, but now we are fine. If you constantly feel shameful then what specifically is making you feel that way?

I thought I was being unkind to a girl I work with and apologised and she didn’t have any ideas as to what I was talking about. So, I know longer felt shame and so talk. Let people know how you feel and speak to a psychologist, therapist or a Social Worker, if your thoughts of the past are haunting you and was as bad as what you thought?

Stop giving yourself such a hard time. Everyone has a past. Done the wrong thing or said something that was taken out of context. I remember when working in a Call Centre, one of the new people I spoke to I couldn’t see there face. I thought it was a man. I was chatting about it in the Staff Canteen and she comes over and says “Apparently I sound like a man” and she thought one of us (chatting to some of colleagues) called her a Cow, which we did not and she wanted to hit me, in particular. I felt dreadful and she spoke to one of the managers and I told it was an innocent conversation, and said I am sorry and I did feel ashamed, but it didn’t stop me from talking it made me be more self aware and next time I should have introduced myself and asked who the person was as I not met them and I not into gossiping.

In the end this was resolved she didn’t hit me, I didn’t keep on and the issue was solved, ,so I moved on.

Thinking of the past can drain you and be full of regret and not able to move on, but time has a different idea. Do you want to be happy with who you are? Take it one day at a time and address your feelings. I was so sad when my Nan died. She was my last grandparent and kept forgetting and would have dreams about her still being alive and it really changed a lot. I had a friend who lived by her and so whenever I could would pop in, I did. Suddenly I couldn’t do that anymore.

She would not want me, to not get on my my life. She lived to old age and it was her time.

My parents was getting divorced, I was in a very demanding job, but loved the social life. I then changed jobs but I hated it and it was the wrong move. I then decided I would follow my gut and had to be selfish and do what I felt would lead me to following my dreams. It lead me to a job where, it was a culture shock and what I needed and no longer regret the decisions I made and did what I was hopefully lead me to building a life of my own and it happened.

You never know what path to choose sometimes. It makes me think of a game of chess. What is the right move? Will I need to move my Queen or not? Reflect, write and leave it there. Take a step forward and trust your gut.

When I look back on events now, I loved the people met, good and bad. I like the journeys I have taken and will keep living and not feel ashamed. It happened, noone died so it is time to let the shame go and create more abundance and self belief.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Life Coaching: Let Go Of the Past

29 Friday Aug 2025

Posted by in life coaching blog, Personal Development, Summer Project

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I had a real tough time letting go of what went before. I still remember how I felt when playing in the Estate I lived, when we were running to a car and back, the girl who’s parents who owned the car told me off, even though there was others doing the same and the parent even went to see my mum, has bothered me.

Can I change what happened? Of course, no and I still remember how I felt. It made me avoid playing on the Estate and wished I had spoken up for myself. I wonder if the girl who told her mum, is thinking about that time? Probably forgotten and so now, does it even matter?

No one can turn back time, no matter how many times we watch The Time Travelers Wife or Doctor Who. If I could choose a time to go back to, it wouldn’t be that incident with that girls parents car, but to the 60’s and visiting the Kings Road.

I’d love to be around for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth 2nd and see Elvis Presley and the Beatles.

When I was a school the girls in my class at Primary school, ripped up my cards I gave to them for Christmas. I was alerted by it, when playing in the other playground, but I wasn’t angry, I was like “ok, so what?”. I didn’t react and suddenly they all started crying. I wonder if they remember?

So when I look back now i think of the lessons I have learned. I think of now and bless each day I live. We have all made mistakes and things like someone passing, can affect us, but I know my grandparents would not want me to be sad. They would have picked me up and told me to move on.

Change is hard and there are people who are set in their ways, but life will change, it is part of it, as looking back, I can’t amend it and people move on, met other people who they now want in their life.

People grow, give birth to form a different generation and it doesn’t mean they have forgotten about you and focused on the time you took their toy in nursery, but what you say to them now and the one thing I like is to be keep in contact with old school friends and on the good times and sending messages when it is their birthday. What do you want to focus on and learned? How can you deal with the times that burdened you from the past? Journal, chat with them and often the arguments you had, have been forgotten and now you can laugh back it, rather than beating yourself up, about it.

Living in the present tense is how I have overcome the past battles. The things that haunted me, are flowing away and a I am more awake. I have let the girl who used to cry a lot, because my time with friends has come to end for the day, who got hit by other kids, got called names and think well I am here now and I love my son and family and not vision of the life I didn’t have. The girl who day dreamed all day and stayed in my room afraid to go out and love being out. The past is exactly what it is and I found that I have become wiser and strong minded. I am glad that I didn’t react to those girls that tore up my cards. Often kids who do things like that, probably wanted a different kind of reaction, which they didn’t get and a friend I made, when following a sports team said “They felt guilty” because after that time, they didn’t do it again.

I have been a bit of a twat, as French Saunders one woman show is about. I was a girl who wore a Liverpool FC cap, a Chelsea Plastic Bag and a Tottenham Scarf and was called a twat by a steward and to some they would have wanted to ground to pull them down, but I didn’t, I felt proud and why should I support more than one football team?

In the end there is one team for me, but do like to also support other local clubs and love going to see a football match and as it is down the road from where I live in Wimbledon, go to see AFC Wimbledon. I even been to see Leatherhead team play.

I would like to take this opportunity for those that have read my blogs for this years Summer Project. I have one more blog to write and then it will be my Autumn Reset.

If you’d like to be alerted when I post on this site then please subscribe and if you have any further advise on dealing with the Past, then please share. There is a comment box below.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Life Coaching: Loving The Image you see.

24 Sunday Aug 2025

Posted by in Everyday living, Friendships and relationships, having bad days, health and wellbeing, life coaching blog, Living, Personal care, Personal Development, Printables, Summer Project

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I did a video about this, please click here to see it: life Coaching Video for my Summer Project programme about Changing Your image

Originally when I wrote this down it was about Body Image, but I now realise it is not just about that. It is all to do with how you treat yourself. This is not treating yourself with a box of chocolates, I mean being verbally kind to yourself and in your mind.

I am in a good place now. I have changed my thoughts of myself and my life in general. There are times in the mornings where I see my hair is all messy, I see unwanted hair growth but also, my room or home is chaotic and have no sense of, Is this it. Is this what my life looks like?

I have just come back from Wimbledon with my mum and step dad and I have case full of clothes, bag full of my notebooks and journals and I have believe it or not I did a declutter. So I am working on it. I will spend time tidying, unpacking and know I can get it back into shipshape.

I wrote a blog about if you were looking in the mirror, what would I’d like to see. Not self image but your life and what changes do you want to make. Self Development: If you had a mirror showing Your life what would you like to see?

Spend time filling in my printable to go through your days, what would you like to focus on and making changes to how you feel now.

The Free Printable for my Life Coaching programme Summer Project 2025 (1)Download

This is free to download. It is reprogramming your thought patterns. I now make sure I read each day, because it slows me down and feel calm in the mornings now. I will have breakfast and go for morning walk. I do a bit of writing each day. These have really helped with stress and anxiety.

What one thing do you want to change in the mornings?

Write down in the printable or notebook of What is the first thing you in the morning. It used to be, for me get up, watch Youtube and before getting my son ready for school and it became a habit that would not help my day, because I would be lazy. It should have been to get my son ready for school. My son was close by, but had to get my priorities right and me and my husband would argue, because of it and if it were the other way around, I wouldn’t have been happy.

There was a time where I would come home angry. I was working in a Call Center, where people would call in, not happy, because I worked as a technical advisor/call agent and would go home and would bring what happened each day, home.

So are you have a lot of arguments?

Is a job, sleep or a relationship?

Is the food that you eat?

It is making sense of it all and creating a picture of yourself and your life and what do you want out of life?

Who do you spend time with?

I make sure that my son is okay and say good morning to him, have breakfast together, read and make sure my bed and his, is made and that my life is functional and do the things in my life that will help me grow and everyone in my life grow. Checking in on them and make the effort to have a good day, facing challenges but not making them stop me, from living.

It is also good to be selfish at times, check out this blog: Its Okay to Be Selfish

Not having too many commitments, but that I have some social interaction and my son does too. I like to have a day off from everything and last Tuesday had a proper lazy day. I still worked on some content but stayed in and it felt so good.

I wish you all the happiness in the world. Life can be joyous and the image of it. Feel good about yourself. I write another google blog site, called Building Self Confidence – The Ugly Duckling: https://buildingselfconfidencetud.blogspot.com/

I really hope you find my Life Coaching Programme helpful and please give me your feedback and what would like to see in my next one.

What is coming up?

My Autumn Reset. Where I will be working on various areas and getting ready for the new season.

My new book is out. It is available from amazon: https://read.amazon.co.uk/sample/B0BGSS7H9K?clientId=share

There are two more blogs to come and so this Programme, I had created two year ago, is ending for 2025, making room for Summer Project 2026.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Life Is Full of Lessons, Summer Project 2025

08 Friday Aug 2025

Posted by in Everyday living, Financial Living, having bad days, health and wellbeing, life coaching blog, Living, Personal Development, Planning for 2025, Summer Project, Weekly posts

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It is August 2025 and the last month of this years Summer Project and the it is my Autumn Reset programme and so more to come.

In this blog I talk about How Life Is Full of Lessons.

Shouting: I have found by shouting has made matters worse when my son wouldn’t eat his food and one work place, there was a manager who screamed and shouted a lot and it just made you want to pack your bags and go. I am not saying that I am perfect, it can be the first thing you do but it has made matters worse. Go into another room, stay calm and with my son now, giving him two choices, as soon as I feel like shouting I will take breath and say “You got two choices and if you do not choose I will choose for you. Check out his video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQs5l6ojlOI&list=PL0AyektQNGDGF_ms_qIrBILXsIM_rTjp_&index=6 I give into my son when he begins to get annoyed and have a tantrum but you can’t please your kids all the time and staying calm and not shouting, has better results in your child see getting angry and kicking off leads to me make the choice and take my seriously. In shouting my son would laugh and it really got to me. Now I have stopped myself, it has had a better reaction.

Switch off: One Saturday I was seated on the sofa and every five minutes I was looking at my phone. This was driving me mad and so now I don’t have my phone always near me. I am not always on laptop and found sometimes, to do bits in silence. Like writing, cooking and having a drink.

Being out of debt: It feels so good not to be in debt. I do have a Youtube Channel dedicated to money. https://www.youtube.com/@financialliving I needed to rebuild my relationship with money. My spending was getting out of hand. I did have store cards, catalogue Accounts, overdrafts and an Amazon credit card. I was doing buy now pay later. Now out of debt my life has changed financially and monitor what comes in and what goes out. It feels so good to not to have so much “Money Stress” I call it and I do no spend days and use what I got.

Feeling defeated: Began Park run this year and it was good but wasn’t enjoying it. I was getting self conscious about being last. Since then I have been doing walks with my son, walking in the mornings when he was at school and this week did 30,000 steps. Now I feel ready to go back to doing Park run and even run part of it.

So what have you learned. What is now good in your life and how did you go about improving the way you feel about yourself and your life. Please leave a comment below. It is good to see your life changing for the better by what we have learned about areas in our lives.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Creating Long-lasting Habits

02 Saturday Aug 2025

Posted by in health and wellbeing, journal, life coaching blog, Living, Personal Development, Positive Habits, Summer Project, Weekly posts

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I have not always been happy with life. I would put myself down and it became a habit.

This was along with being bad with money. As a kid I was very good with saving and then I started earning and working in Camden I would splurge and would be reckless. I ended up in debt by spending money that wasn’t mine and what I didn’t have, avoiding my bank account and now thankfully being 46 saving again and be cautious.

Living badly can have long lasting effects and falling further down a hole and not sure what to do. I would be so self critical. it got on my nerves and wanted to feel good. I felt I was fat, got easily upset and alone. I never felt part of anything as a child and really wanted to fit in but it seemed impossible.

I never made my bed, I was untidy and was addicted to crisps. When I first lived away from home, I would wait until I had no clothes left to wash my clothes, never ate breakfast and just wasn’t respecting myself and my life.

It is hard to be happy all the time but I know how to manage my feelings and emotions now and I got help. I was in a mental health hospital and this helped me get back on my feet. I make sure I sleep well, I have things to look forward to and becoming a mum I didn’t want my son to be affected by my thoughts and feelings and he has his moments of not dong the right thing, but to me that is part of the process of being a child. I want my son to know what is right and what is wrong. Also express himself. I will say now if I am unhappy but not getting angry, but by chatting rather than it be an heated argument.

I will be honest if I don’t know something and feel comfortable in doing so. I will ask myself questions to challenge the critical mind such as “No” when I get anxious about going out and What My focus is. This has really helped. It has slowed me down. I remember a colleague called me “Mrs. Rush Rush” because I would speed around the call floor and a colleague when working at a holiday camp asked me, why I was always rushing and it was a habit. I think part of it was living in the city and following others.

So I take my time now and give myself plenty of time to get ready for the day, have a cup of tea and read. I will make my bed now and make sure my son and I have breakfast and plan ahead.

I look after my body. My nutrition needs a bit of work but doing this a bit at a time, by eating different things, like I will have a yogurt, cereal or toast and not deprive myself, but insuring I do eat some fruit and vegetables and that I take care of my skin and journaling a lot, addressing issues and challenges but keeping a good open mind, allowing myself to think things through and having days away from my laptop and cleaning, tidying. I love taking my son out and playing sports and just living a good happier life. I set myself goals, I do workout and active. I walk a lot and do weights and other exercises and just listen to my mind and body.

Habits are not just a one time thing but something that grows into being good and get rid as you grow, the bad.

I hope you enjoy my blogs and what habits have you changed? Please leave a comment below.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Life Coaching Blog: Creative Planning

23 Wednesday Jul 2025

Posted by in Creating a vision, Everyday living, health and wellbeing, life coaching blog, Living, Personal Development, Planning for 2025, Summer Project, Weekly posts

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I like to Plan a lot. It is something I have naturally done and was bread in me. People think because you are planning, that your organised. That is not the case. Its because I am disorganized I plan, I have forgotten when my son has had own clothes day, when he was doing a show at Christmas and not ordered his lunches for school, as he has school dinners, so I see it as a tool but also, a fun exercise.

I keep a written diary and use a Calendar on Notion and google Calendar and make sure I check my emails daily. It is good to have a nice diary or planner as it can feel like a chore but it doesn’t have to be.

I love journaling too and I like to design them so I can flick through and to remind myself of the main things I want to focus on.

I like using photos, images on line to create vision boards along with Pinterest and Canva, and mind maps.

It is great to get your kids involved too and designing and being creative.

Have a Family Planner that your kids can design and write on. Having a List for your children to complete where they can add stickers too once they have completed a task, adding a treat once they have done four things on their list.

I have a writing journal as love to write books, a daily one, gratitude journal and cooking.

You can create your own stickers and cut out words from a newspaper or magazine and books. I have been cutting out notes on my notebooks into my journal. I like to use colouring pens and washi tapes along with labels.

You can be a inventive as you like and can take no more than 10 minutes.

So get Creative and Get Planning.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Life Coaching: Treating life As If It Is a Competition

09 Wednesday Jul 2025

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

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Have you ever chatted with with someone about say, You had a nose bleed and they then say “Oh well last week I had a massive migraine and was in bed for two days”. Now I am not saying you should not be sympathetic, yes migraines can be painful, but a nose bleed is still bad and then you say “Well that is bad yes, must have been painful” and now the conversation has swept passed your problem because that person feels that theirs is a lot more worthy and now you feeling somewhat like “oh mine is not so important.

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

We are all allowed to have fears and we all face challenges but we are all worthy of someone sitting down and listening to you and that your problem is not worth the attention because that persons felt more hard done by, by what’s happened to them.

Yes of course there are people who can’t climb stairs, but you can. #in meeting people who have a disability, never allow their problems to affect on yours and we are all have bad days or challenges and so life is not a competition. It is being on an even ground and have a good chat, without any resent or judgement. EVERYBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO SAY OUCH, HAVE A COFFEE AND BREATH IN AIR.

The one thing I like is to have is a good chat or discussion. I loved the team of people I worked with in a call center because we would just chat. A conversation works both ways and we all like to be heard and to feel that they’re not wasting someone’s time. There was one or two who wanted me to move aside for them to be the center of attention, but I would not entertain them and if they wanted to fly a flag to be noticed I’d just let them continue and put my head down to do my job no matter their feelings were and that when that happens its their own insecurities and in the end they went elsewhere.

Working for me is important to me and doing the job I have been asked to do. I would represent the department too as we did a good job and I felt that there was a resentment towards the department because we would work our butts off.

The best relationships are where you are on the same page and yes I am not saying we shouldn’t have a different point of view, its about having equality and not be snubbed because they are self centered and just think they’re story is more important. So life is not a competition and if you want a good relationship then give eachother the same amount of time to listen and talk.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Life Coaching Blog: When Your Mind Says No

01 Tuesday Jul 2025

Posted by in Everyday living, health and wellbeing, life coaching blog, Personal Development, Planning for 2025, Positive Habits, Summer Project, Weekly posts

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If you are not wanting to meet with friends, then ask yourself, “Why?” and talk to that critic that’s in your mind. It will always be there. because its part of your brain protecting you but we have to push it away and meet with friends and if it doesn’t go well then noone can keep you there and it is your choice.

Will you feel left out?

Like you are missing out?

I would often feel like that a lot and I realise it was because I wouldn’t go with them and it was a personal attack, when seeing pictures on Facebook. Now I have realised, is that, no they’ve not sending me a message to say I was uninvited and often too caught up in seeing other people myself and when I did got out I would want to stay out all evening.

When I hear the word “NO” I feel like I am in a car stepping on the breaks all of sudden.

My mind is resisting right now. I want to clean the Freezer but its given me a dread feeling. What if I can’t get it clean? Should I film in a vlog? My mind is overactive and the doubt just seeps in and before I know it, that job does not get done as I weighing up the dos and don’ts.

I have my finances to go through. I feel my mind resistance in doing so and it drives me up the wall. So I am going to go through my finances, no matter what my mind is saying, but listen to my gut and know that once it is done this weekly task then that’s it updated, until next week.

It is up to me and what I want to get out of this day. I enjoyed yesterday writing whilst having the tennis on and watching a bit of Youtube. So lets see what I do next and yes if my mind says NO, then I listen to be my gut and ignore the self doubt and weighing up the Consequences.

It’s about get up and go.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X