Want an adventurous, enriching 2026? Try this different approach

Video on my Instagram.  There are people who commit to huge goals in January and go all year, like those watch ads and there’s the other 99% of us who get the watch and it stops there. 


If you’re one of the 99% I have a radical idea: don’t set yourself up for misery. Do 2026 differently. 

Try my suggestion that will enrich your life.

There’s a push towards constant development: work hard, improve yourself. 
There’s a second push that says: do one thing and get really good at it.

My view: meh. 

Strategic investment of your time and energy is key. 
Plan your career carefully. 
Spend some time looking into yourself and being the best you.
But there’s such a thing as too much push. Life is about having fun too. 

So for 2026, make it a year of exploration. 
Don’t commit to one thing; do things for a fortnight or a month.
In January, I walk around three parks. In February, I check out two museums. In March I take a three hour salsa class.

Think of it as a taste testing of life. Broaden your horizons, relax and have some fun.

That’s it! Happy New Year. Wishing you lots of laughter 

The Hidden Cost of Humility: How Staying Low-Key Can Hold You Back

“Don’t show off, it’s unattractive.”
“It’s not nice to tell people you’re good at something.”
“Be humble!”

Many of us, especially women, were taught from childhood to be quiet about our achievements. Our parents and teachers may have meant well but it has had a very unfortunate effect: our invisibility means we lose out on opportunities.

The World Has Changed

In the past, we stuck to one career, with one or two employers, and often in the same town.
Today, we live in a global society.

Today we are constantly connecting with new roles, bosses, stakeholders, and companies. We can’t expect them to know us, the world is too big.

So what happens?
They check around to see who’s about – and the attention is taken up by those who are most visible.

We Know It’s True — But It’s Still Hard

We know it’s true, we see it and yet, it can be hard to motivate ourselves to shine in public.

When I talk to clients, I often hear fear:

“What if people criticize?”
“What if they think I’m arrogant?”
“But I’m not clever enough!”

These fears are real, and they’re not a sign of weakness — they’re proof that you were trained to put others first.

Ask Yourself This

I suggest this: who benefits when you take up less space?
Exactly.
You owe it to yourself to shine so you can have proper opportunities.

Start Small — Build Confidence

You can tame nerves with slow and sure exposure.

Kick off by commenting on a few posts.

Then repost something you see and like.

Work up to posting a picture with a caption.

And when you’re ready, write a post.

You can do it!

Need Support?

And if you need support, I can help. I work with people just like you — smart, capable, and ready to stop hiding. Message me today via email ellen.whyte@gmail.com or WhatsApp: +44 7514 408143for your free 15-minute consultation. 

 

Reviews Are Killing Your Happiness. How To Build Resilience, Reduce Anxiety and Put Some Adventure Into Your Life

Online reviews can be useful for avoiding crooks but they also fuel mental health issues, including anxiety and low resilience.

If you compare living in 1980 (yes, I'm that old!) to living in 2023, there's a huge difference: there is very little spontaneity.

Too much information isn't good for your health

Deciding where to eat

1980s lunch: walk past a new place, like the look of it and go in – or your friend calls to say let's check it out

2023: Google for reviews, to see the menu, then check influencer opinion, maybe Google the owner or the chef, see if anyone you know has been and what they say – oh, and TripAdvisor

 

Picking a hotel for a week's holiday

1980: look at a travel brochure that lists a dozen or so hotels there and pick the one with the prettiest picture and a price tag you can afford.

2023: Google all hotels and airbnbs, check the different room photos, work out how far local attractions are, see what food they offer and read the top ten good reviews and the top bottom reviews on Google and TripAdvisor, then check Twitter and Insta

The Pros of Checking Online Reviews

Online reviews give us a sense of security. Reading reviews means we can predict what kind of experience we are likely to have and therefore it is easier to avoid poor experiences.  

What's great is that if you are making a big investment, like buying a car or luxury holiday, you are less likely to pick a model or destination that doesn't work for you.

Hyper focus on positives has consequences

How Checking Online Reviews Impacts on Mental Health

What sucks is that we hyper focus on having only joyful or positive experiences.

We are so keen to avoid anything uncomfortable or neutral, that we become less adventurous. We actively avoid taking chances, so we end up removing potential fun and adventure out of life.

Also, it is massively time consuming. You may spend more time fixating on finding the perfect dinner or hotel than you do eating at the restaurant or spending on your holiday.

Hassan won't go to a new restaurant unless it rates a 4+ over more than fifty reviews – and misses out on the 3 star coffee shop that does noodles just the way he loves them.

Jenny spent four evenings checking for rooms with sea views before booking her long weekend break at the beach – time that she could have spent having fun

Maura checks the reviews for every coffee shop in the new mall before deciding where to meet her friends for a trip the cinema – overkill much? It's just coffee!

Bill visits new pubs recommended by influencers even though he walks past two new places on his way to work – missing out on adventure and experiences

Finally, checking reviews is really about trying to control our environment. That is poor strategy because the world is complex. We cannot predict everything, it's not possible.  

As a result, trying and failing to control our environment fuels our anxiety and reduces resilience. We are less good at navigating neutral or poor experiences. So our coping skills suffer. In addition, the false belief "If I'd googled better I would be having a 5 star time" adds to our discomfort, piling on irrational blame and guilt.

Mental Health Boost: How To Add Adventure To Your Life

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

So for the Year of the Rabbit, I suggest you embrace adventure. Introduce a bit of 1980 into your life:

·         Go to the mall and eat in the third restaurant you see.

·         Go to the cinema and see whatever is on first.

·         In a restaurant you know, try the dish you've never had before.

·         When you walk past a new place, go in.

Live a little, learn to have a good laugh at stuff that doesn't work out perfectly well.  Embrace life!

Gong Xi Fa Cai! May the Year of the Rabbit bring you lots of good luck and health, prosperity and love.

Need friendly, professional support? Message me today via email ellen.whyte@gmail.com or WhatsApp: +44 7514 408143 for your free 15-minute consultation.

Images by Public Domain,  Raka C. and Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

One Tweak Made My Year Much Happier

Talking to Target makes me happy

You know how it is: at New Year you're determined to have a relaxed time and be a better person but by February you're uptight and back to being stressed and bad tempered. This year, I've managed to do a little better and it was surprisingly easy.

I've written about happiness scheduling before. This year, I've worked at putting it into practice. 

Basically, the theory goes like this: we schedule shitty things like dental appointments and bill paying but we dismiss the fun stuff like chatting with friends or going for a walk. So, with the happiness scheduling system, you focus on shoving the fun bits back into your life.

I now spend time every morning consciously enjoying the moment. On Mondays, I chat with a friend for an hour and afterwards Target and I go outside to have a purr and to listen to the birds. For the rest of the week, I have my coffee while the cats breakfast, and then Target and I sit outside.

Basically, that's it! Just taking a few minutes out to connect with nature and cat purrs is enough to give me a happy boost.

Although it's super simple, it's surprising how often I'm tempted to skip it because I have things to do. Dull things like write up notes. But I catch myself and remind myself that I deserve to have fun.

Target is the chief office snoopervisor

After all, life is for living and enjoying, otherwise, what's the point?

I know it but between you and me, that focusing on the joy thing can be awkward. I sometimes catch myself thinking, "Sheesh, Ellen. Conscious appreciation of joy. Seriously? What's next? Astrology and retro-phrenology?" because I'm skeptical.

But, I'm also super practical and this stuff works. Over the year it's become a part of my day, boosting my day. And as the habit has matured, I'm not trying to talk myself back into bad habits anymore either.

So there you go. I'm sharing in the hope that it helps you.

5 Inspiring Thoughts For A Monday

5 Thoughts For A Monday

Laughter is good for the soul. Surround yourself with people you can giggle with.

You don’t have to forgive yourself for being human. Apologise for your mistakes and move on.

Bad stuff happens to good people.

If your inner voice is constantly criticising, denigrating and badmouthing you, it’s probably not your conscience but more likely depression or low self esteem. Unless you’re a serial killer.

We all have several versions of ourselves: embrace them all with love and try to make the best you the dominant one.

With thanks, image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay