Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day-in, day-out. Not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years. And working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint. – Angela Duckworth

Hello Sheila,

Welcome to September, the 9th month of 2024. One-third of the year and 121 days remain to fill in the pages of our stories and lives of the year. What will you do with the gift of each day?

In September we see the daylight waning and a freshness coming back into the air. We also experience the Earth energy of Virgo and may be inclined to revise and upgrade our organizational systems. This is so perfectly aligned with the start of the new school year when families are adjusting and creating new routines for the coming year. It's also a mutable time when we are enjoying the last warm days and preparing to transition. Later in the month, we move into Libra season seeking balance in relationships and various areas of our lives while we also pass through the global equinox and progress into the new season in earnest.

Thank you to those who got in touch about my injury last month. I am on the road to recovery and getting back on my feet one day at a time.

Mark this newsletter and share it with friends. It contains lots of useful information for September including menu ideas, calendar, and monthly challenges. Be sure to have a look at the announcements section with some new offerings you'll want to know about.

I love writing these newsletters each month to mark the journey through the year and each new month, and as we continue on, this decade continues to take us through twists and turns. We are having collective experiences and we are also on our individual journeys of growth, restoration, and renewal. The main idea has been to keep us connected on a upward thread of learning and growing and transmuting challenges into valuable learning experiences.

Sometimes it all feels like a lot and it can be very easy in these times to lose the plot and fall off the path that we started on. Success with each endeavor comes when we keep getting up and orienting ourselves back to the path like a GPS. It's the intersection of perseverance. of moving forward to be the best version of ourselves, and waking up and doing it again the next day.

The focus of September is GRIT.

September is one of those points in the year with a great opportunity for a reset. That may mean moving on to the next level of a project, making some shifts, or starting something totally new. According to Angela Duckworth in her book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, most people find the greatest satisfaction when sticking to something to the point of becoming an expert. This requires pushing through challenges and sticking to it. Have you started something earlier in the year, or the decade, that you want to get back to? or are you ready to go all in on a new venture?

During September we are settling into a new season and exploring new routines. Give yourself some grace as things might feel hard at first coming off the more relaxed days of the summer. It's also important to make adjustments as necessary and don't try to do too much at once. In terms of health, one small change consistently is worth more than a larger change inconsistently.

And there's good news here, according to Duckworth, Grit can grow. One way to foster more grit is to recognize negative self talk related to goals and passions. The idea gets muddled when you have a great desire to pursue something and then voices in your head telling you it's not possible. Notice when those thoughts come through and let them go on their way. For example, instead of, "that's so hard, I don't know if I'll ever be able to do that," change the story to "that sounds like a challenge and I'm sure I will learn a lot figuring it out." Take it one day at a time and embrace mishaps as opportunities for improvement.

Grit may be harder to achieve than it used to be because we are surrounded by so many distractions. And while grit sounds easy enough, it does require setting an intention, making a plan, executing the plan, and committing to the plan. When my kids were small we had au pairs. I made very detailed schedules for them to follow. I had one who told the kids, "Respect the plan," when she encountered an uncooperative child. I love that. Make your plan, respect your plan, and be prepared to deal with any obstacle that may come up.

All of that being said, Grit also requires having grace and compassion when it just doesn't work out and be willing to get up, adjust and get back to it. I think we all know by now, life is a marathon, not a sprint.

I hope this finds you restored and with vigor to move ahead into the work of the coming weeks. Take some time to observe the changing season. Some of the leaves around here are already changing and falling on the gusty days. For me, I have started pilates sessions for the first time in my life and being challenged each week in new and unexpected ways. Looking forward to connecting in some way or another with you all this month.

Cheers,

Sheila

sheila@sheilascoaching.com

“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” – Japanese Proverb

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL Friends & Family discount (20% OFF) available for all 3-month packages booked by 22 September. Reply to this email to get started. This is a great opportunity for referrals.

• New Online offering: Monthly Chat- Once a month I will hold an open session with a short teaching and then open for questions. The topic for the first session is Healthy Hormones. I'll give an overview of how to support female hormone health from menarche to menopause including diet and lifestyle variations to consider throughout the cycle. Includes discussion of anxiety, brain fog, night sweats, sugar cravings, and more.

14 September 5PM BST (9am PDT/10am MDT/11am MDT/12 noon EDT/6PM CEST) JOIN TUESDAY TALK HERE WITH THIS LINK.

***Please email me or reply to this email if you plan to attend this session and if you have any specific questions. Then I will send a reminder prior to the meeting. Thanks!

• NEW local offering! Monthly outings for those living in London or South England, I'm going to be offering a variety of outings once per month weaving in healthy living themes.

26 September: Country Walk and Local Pub Lunch - Join me for a country walk a short train ride from London and a lunch in a local pub along the route. Click here to Sign up for Country Walk.

• New client intakes are currently open for individuals or for guidance and support on behalf of a family member, and working on the goal of diet and lifestyle that works for all members of the family. This process starts with a free consultation of approx. 20 minutes to discover what will work best for you.

Coming next month:

5-Day Healthy Habits Reset

Click here to schedule your Free Consultation

All calls are confidential. I have extensive personal experience with mental health like anxiety, depression, or mania, family wellness, inflammation, weight management and pre-diabetes, stress, and hormone balance.

Featured Blog Post: Get a Positive Vibe from Negative Ions

Feeling low and tanked of energy? The changing season with winds and weather fluctuations can create instability in the environment around us. Read more about it in this blog post.

September 2024

Focus of the Month: GRIT

2 September - Labor Day (USA)

2/3 September - New Moon - The new moon carries the potential for new beginnings and growth, a great time to reflect on what you want to bring into your life in the coming month

14 September 5PM BST - Monthly Chat - see details in announcements section

18 September - Full Moon - The full moon illuminates the fullness in our lives and is an opportunity to practice gratitude and recognize growth.

18 September - Partial Lunar Eclipse

22 September - Libra season begins - This cardinal air sign wisps us into the new season. Ruled by the planet Venus, we experience the beauty the autumn has to offer; or spring for those in southern hemisphere.

22 September - Global Equinox - Day and night of equal length, seasons change, a rebalancing

26 September: Country Walk and Local Pub Lunch

Welcome the new season with a a country walk a short trainride from London and a lunch in a local pub along the route. Click here to Sign up for Country Walk

Resources:

For Fun:

1980s video New Moon on Monday by Duran Duran to celebrate this month's first lunation.

Books: Here are some books for exploring the topic of Grit and related ideas.

• Grit:The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
• Mindset by Carol Dweck
• Essentialism by Greg McKeown
• The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson
• Stolen Focus by Johann Hari

Featured Blog Post: Just One Day at a Time

Sometimes we have to slow way down and build from there. Remember, grit is about consistency and about doing the work one day at a time.

Challenges of the Month - GRIT

“Grit is not just simple elbow-grease term for rugged persistence. It is an often invisible display of endurance that lets you stay in an uncomfortable place, work hard to improve upon a given interest, and do it again and again.” — Sarah Lewis

Choose one challenge and commit to it for the month of September. After a couple weeks you may experiment with adding another if you choose. Tell someone what you are doing for added accountability. Reply to this email and let me know!

Even better, get in touch for a a couple of Jumpstart Sessions to discover the best challenges unique to you.

Monthly challenges are about being in a state of continual renewal and restoration.

It's important to remember that our body, mind, and spirit are all connected. Many things will support more than one simultaneously. Also, when we focus on one area we may find ourselves uplifted in other areas as well.

• SPIRIT:
• Keep a daily gratitude journal
• Begin the day with a 2-10 minute meditation
• Pursue an opportunity to volunteer in your community

• MIND:
• Read a challenging book
• Learn a new skill
• End each day with a daily reflection

• BODY:
• Daily exercise or movement or stretching commitment
• Turn off screens and devices at least one hour before bed to optimize sleep
• Reduce or eliminate sugar consumption

FAMILY/COMMUNITY CONNECTION: Share the monthly challenges and ask family members which one they are most interested in trying out. This is a great way to connect collectively or individually. You can get a pulse on how everyone is doing while strengthening honest and open communication which gives everyone the opportunity to support one another. That's a WIN - WIN - WIN in my books!

I love focusing on just a couple of things at a time. Remember this is about building strong foundations one brick at a time. Continue to stay well hydrated, get plenty of movement throughout the day, don't skimp on sleep, and practice gratitude.

MENU OF THE MONTH:

Apples are coming into season this month and there are usually plenty to choose from. Try out some different varieties. Look for organic ones from a local farm when possible.

Aim to prepare your meals from whole, unprocessed foods. If you are noticing dysregulation of mood and energy it may be a good idea to experiment with greatly reducing sugar and refined carbohydrates for a start.

These menus, like my coaching sessions, are made for you to customize them according to your likes and preferences and what fits best into your life and your regular meals. They are a framework meant to be adjusted for yourself and your family.

Get in touch if you would like more menu support or would like a specific recipe.

Email me at sheila@sheilascoaching.com

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Apples - I love Mireille Guiliano's recipe from French Women don't get Fat

Lunch: Lentil Soup and/or Roasted Beet and Goat cheese Salad

Snack: Grapes and walnuts

Dinner: Stuffed Peppers with your choice of ground turkey or ground beef and rice

Remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day and listen to your body's hunger and fullness cues.

1:1 Health Coaching, Certified and Insured Health Coach

A Health Coach is an expert at sorting through the details to identify the source of the challenges and works together with you create a plan towards an obtainable solution.

All 1:1 clients get fully customized support to find the most simple adjustments to reach their health and wellness goals through a variety of holistic modalities.

GROUP COACHING:

Want your family to be in a better mood or your team to be more productive? Or do you just want to team up with others towards better health and increased energy? Diet and lifestyle choices make a huge impact especially in terms of longterm vitality.

This can range from a one-time workshop or talk to a full extended program with weekly sessions.

All of my work is totally bespoke to you and your group. Email me at sheila@sheilascoaching.com to discuss how we can work together.

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