So Much to Do so Little Time

Oh boy it is so easy to get overwhelmed when you have BIG plans! The new house is mine. The winter weather is on its way and time is limited to get cracking on the things that need to be done to make it ‘workshop’ friendly.

I’m a planner, so laying out what needs to happen and estimating time and funds to do it is the simple part. Looking at that plan and knowing that there are only two of us, a million things to do and only 18 months at most to achieve it… Well that raises the heart rate a little.

So much to do and so little time is the first part of the equation.

What if?

Then I start thinking about the amount of effort and funds I am about to invest in this property and new adventure and wonder, what if?

What if I don’t finish it in time?

What if I finish it and no-one wants to come?

What if people think it’s a shit idea?

What if I’ve missed something?

There are so many what ifs I could take up this whole page. In my old corporate world this would be called a risk analysis. We would put things in place to mitigate those risks from ever coming to fruition and action plans in place in case they did.

So why is it so hard when it is personal? I’m in control of most of these things (to a point) and those things that I can’t control, I can control how I react to them. This is easy to write but not so easy to put in place.

Picking My Hashtag

My life is out there, on my Facebook Page, my Instagram account so my successes and failures will be there for all to see.

This is scary, but also comforting as I am lucky to have a whole bunch of really cool and supportive friends that don’t care if I fall on my arse.

One of those friends runs a highly successful media school. She encouraged me to pick a hashtag that related to what I thought next year would mean for me.

At first I thought this was a bit woo-woo to be honest. But no sooner had that thought passed, I had my hashtag flash up in front of my brain. I wrote it down and have included it on all of my posts since buying the new house. I keep going back to it when I drift into the simplicity of overwhelm.

That hashtag is #trustmyself

Cracking On Regardless

So, I’m going to listen to my hashtag and crack on regardless. I just have to take one task at a time and not let it get on top of me. I have to learn to #trustmyself.

We have been so lucky with the weather up to now, I have even had time to rotavate the garden. When the cold weather hits it will break down the soil nicely, ready for planting up in spring.



We also brought in a tree surgeon to take down an enormous mulberry tree that was growing into the back of our small barn.

It might not seem like much progress, but both of these tasks are vital to the success of my new venture.




I have two week-long residential events planned in 2022 and I would like everyone to be fed uniquely from the garden or other village resources. Therefore, my garden and its produce will be life or death for my guests…a slight exaggeration for dramatic effect…but you get the idea.

The small barn will be renovated and become a shower / toilet block with yoga studio and meditation platform above. The tree had to go!

No this will not be just another ‘yoga’ retreat!

What’s it All About?

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Well I’d love to tell you, but then I’d have to kill you! It is not because it is a big secret, it is just that me and the team (oh yeah, it’s not going to be just me) have so many ideas that I’m figuring out what we can logistically fit into a week-long retreat.

What I can say is what there WON’T be

  • I will not be cooking for you! You will be fed by a professional chef, from produce so local you can touch it, pick it, taste it before she creates magical dishes so full of flavour you will start to question the origin of your current food chain.

    We are working on the menu as we speak! Largely vegetarian.
  • I will not be teaching you yoga! I’m like a drunk racoon hugging a pavement. Once I get down, getting back up is a struggle, I kid you not. I got you covered though! We have an amazing lady that oozes femininity and grace with a large dose of skill, humility and humour.
  • There won’t be any men! This is a women only retreat, providing a safe, supportive and emotionally freeing space for us to be just ‘us’ and let down our defences.
  • There will be no access to the internet for the week, this will be an unplugged retreat. Focusing our interaction. Allowing us to forget the expectations of others. Providing a level of privacy to allow us to relax and rediscover the real you.

We have workshops coming out of our ears. Ideas you are just going to love. Opportunities to learn new things.  

Including a once in a lifetime event that I am planning that I haven’t seen anywhere else.

This for the time being is a secret. In fact it might remain a secret – something only those that come will experience.

I guarantee you have never done this before. And if I pull it off you will be one of the first women ever to do this. It will definitely be a talking point with the ladies who lunch.

In the next blog I will introduce you to the team. In the meantime maybe you would like to tell me what you think so far. What you think the ‘secret’ event will be. What you wish I’d include. What you hope I don’t.

Next Blog – Ask The Audience
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8 Comments

  • Claire

    I’m intrigued but don’t have a creative enough imagination to get anywhere near guessing what the secret event will be! Could it involve bees?!

    • Jane

      Ha ha thank you! You will never guess, I promise, this has never been done before… at least I can’t find anything remotely close 🙂

  • Trish

    Oh well done, think this sounds wonderful. Best of luck in your new venture.
    Bet you are going to include watercolour classes, since you are quite good at that.
    It all sounds similar to what I was going to do, but have chickened out.
    You go girl…

    • Jane

      Thanks Trish – it will have something very different included though… exciting times! I don’t think I’m qualified to teach watercolours though – all workshops will be run by people who know their craft 🙂

      • Christine Mitchell

        Are you writing lists again Jane??!!! No wonder you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed 🙂 Take each day as it comes and trust that you will get there in the end Xx

        • Jane

          The lists stop me stressing, because I know I have noted it somewhere. If I had to rely on my memory I’d never sleep ha ha 🙂 I will get there in the end though, thank you!

  • Islandlifer

    Trees coming down can trigger deep and unconscious feelings , overwhelm was indeed the problem . It will lessen , now , I expect .

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