On all the good things in 2022
Including tools, practices and cowboys!
2022 has not been an easy year for us, personally or professionally.
However! Gratitude is the only way forward and as we come towards the end of another year, I’d like to share with you the best things that have kept me motivated this year, and the most useful things that have made my life easier. Perhaps they will spark something for you too.
Tools that have saved me SO much time
Notion - has kept me productive and organized: Earlier this year, I started using Notion, a genius all-in-one SaaS no-code platform that allows me to build a personalized dashboard where I can store, write, plan and manage - everything.
Using this tool makes me so happy because I don’t waste time looking for things when I have some spare time to do something productive; I just log on to my Notion and can find exactly what I need in that moment and get on with it. For those interested in knowing more, I wrote a detailed post on Notion here.
Notion is the all-in-one workspace that combines into one notes, docs, project management, and makes them all customizable helping you plan better, track tasks efficiently and be more productive.
Hello Chef - has saved me time, money and helped us eat clean: Food planning, shopping and preparing is a huge time sink; yet having home cooked meals ready for my family is a non-negotiable for me.
Hello Chef and our home help who can cook, have made this possible and given me back the time I would take to think about weekly meals. My husband helps me pick the meals; we spend less than 1 minute on that a week and voila - home cooked meals every day and enough for lunch the next day. Hello Chef will solve your family food planning and preparing needs at a reasonable price. Use my referral code here to get a special deal on your first order.
Activities that have kept me motivated
Ice-baths - have showed me the power of my mind: Since I did my first ice-bath at the end of last year, we have been doing regular ice-baths at home. Not only has this helped us recharge and destress, it has become a nice way to spend time with my husband and the kids get to play and eat the ice 😄 More on the benefits of ice-baths and how they can strengthen your mind, here.
Working Mums Club - connected me to some amazing working mums: I am so proud of building this community of 299 (!) working mums who subscribe here to see how we can continue to develop ourselves whilst being great mums. I have interviewed so many of them, so if you are looking for inspiration or solutions - you can check them out here under the Working Mums Wisdom (WMC) titled articles of this newsletter.
(NB: Who will be my number 300 subscriber? Please pass my newsletter on to anyone you think might benefit from it)
Triple Pundit - kept my writing sharp and social interest alive: I’ve always missed writing for myself since I’ve been back in the corporate world. Aside from this newsletter, when I get time, I still write for Triple Pundit. They are an amazing team to write for. Their feedback keeps my writing skills competitive and journalism skills sharp. This year I interviewed the CEO of micro-lending site Kiva and the founder of UAE based Manhat who has invented an incredible technology to create potable water from evaporated ocean water. You can read about them, here.
Communities & courses - helped me realize beyond my imagination what is possible: I must be part of at least 20 online communities where I learn from others about the latest in social media, Web3, writing, online trends, building communities, growing a business; you name it and I am part of it. Huge growth curve here and I have connected with some amazing people and widened possibilities in my mind.
Canva - new colouring sheets for my children on demand! Canva has enabled me to give my daughter new unicorn outlines to colour anytime she asked! Huge win, and the delight on my daughter’s face is priceless.
Much needed good television for couch time with hubby
Yellowstone - brought back the joy of watching TV: Last but not the least, as working parents, we do not have spare time and whatever time we have is precious. So if you are using that free time to watch something, it better be worth it, right?
We don’t watch much TV (we are in bed at 9!) however we have started watching Yellowstone and it’s been the highlight of our evenings on the couch lately. Some outstanding television there, incase you are looking to watch something this holiday season, I highly recommend it!
Goal setting for 2023
I’ve just done a vision and planning session with my coach (my last session with her for the year). I feel it’s been a super useful activity to set some intentions for 2023 and earmark some tangible goals to work towards.
As we close this year, I hope you set aside some time to see how far you have come and be grateful for all that you have.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead.
Abha x
*This post contains some affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase from any of them, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share products, tools and solutions I truly believe in.