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2017, expectations, overwhelm and keeping it real

Jane Binnion

Running a successful business, juggling family life and all other commitments isn’t easy – it can be a lot of hard work. But it can also be worth it. Jane Binnion, founder of The Growing Club, shares some words of wisdom as we move into 2017.

Welcoming in a new year can be filled with both excitement and anticipation. 2016 was billed as a terrible year and many had high expectations of 2017 being the end of the bad and the start of the good, as though at midnight on December 31st everything would magically change.

If you were hanging out on social media over the New Year break you could be forgiven for believing that everyone else had had a great party, run a marathon, looked gorgeous and smashed their business goals already. If like me you were still sitting watching box sets digesting your Christmas pud that could leave you feeling a wee bit intimidated, inadequate and overwhelmed as it’s all too easy to compare ourselves with the image that others present and judge ourselves lacking. Because in truth what we see on social media is what people want us to see.

They share their successes, and why shouldn’t they?  What we don’t see the 100 times they fell on their bum getting there. We don’t see the bits that I call the snot and tears side of running a business. The reality is that people often share those annoying inspirational quotes to make themselves feel better when things are in fact far from rosy. I started 2017 at the local hospital sitting at my daughter’s bedside. Not quite the plan we had in mind, but it reminded me of what is important and I was hugely grateful for the NHS. And that is real life. If you woke up in 2017 a tad disappointed that the world was actually exactly the same as it had been 24 hours before then I encourage you to do 2 things...

  1. Review 2016 and notice all your achievements, everything that you did well.
  2. Get a piece of paper and make a note of your priorities. Now set your intention to focus on them.

That’s it! The world doesn’t change at midnight on New Year’s Eve, but a New Year does give us a chance to pause, reflect and prioritise. As for me, yes I have some exciting plans but also I’m re-grouping to sort my time to have more play time with my daughter.

Because I started my business to enable me to lead the life I want, not for my business to rule my life. Happy New Year. Jane x

 About The Growing Club

Launched by Jane Binnion and Rachel Holme The Growing Club is a business coaching club for women business owners and founders of charities and social enterprises.

What is the The Growing Club?

The Growing Club is an affordable alternative to traditional coaching. It is a  business growth club where a group of 12 women work collaboratively for a year to grow their businesses. It was established to bridge the gap in business education for women as we know what it’s like to juggle the various roles we have. This is a 12 month commitment to help you grow a healthy and sustainable business

  • Members meet monthly for a taught input and group work
  • Each woman has a buddy to meet with between sessions for support and accountability
  • Each woman will receive a one to one coaching session

Is The Growing Club for you?

It’s certainly not for everyone.  The group is aimed at women who are sole traders, micro business owners and founders of not-for-profit organisations and who are committed to growing their business. The membership cost is £295 which can be paid in three instalments.

For further information or to register your interest visit https://www.janebinnion.com/product/the-growing-club/ or email Jane@janebinnion.com

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