Top 5 from the last five

Today I celebrate officially starting my business, Something Nutrishus Counselling & Coaching, 5 years ago on July 7, 2010. A lot has changed in that time, but I'm still here, I'm still self-employed, and I'm still able to pay my bills.

I have gradually been redefining my business as I figure out my passion, niche, motherhood, and areas I want to work in. After five years at this, I am able to be a bit pickier, but I still struggle to say no at times (I think it's the entrepreneurial concern of where the next pay cheque is coming from).

I can't say these are my top 5 memories or learnings, or the best of the last five years, but these are the notable things that came to me when writing this post and reflecting on how I got to today.

1) I am fortunate to have the support of my loving husband.
I could not do this without him. He helps in so many ways and I often feel like he's my business partner as I bounce ideas off of him, seek his advice, and seek his embrace when I get overwhelmed. He's my biggest fan and has always believed that I could work for myself and be successful (even when he has to help me define my success).

2) I do what I do for the freedom and flexibility.
I am not rolling in cash, but I am able to contribute to our household. Instead, I am able to enjoy the moments when I get to take my dog for a walk mid-afternoon, join a friend for coffee, spend time with my daughter, spend time in the kitchen, and be my own boss.

3) Self-employment is hard work.
My husband (refer to #1) often reminds me that many people have ideas, but few act upon them. I figured out in university that I was likely going to end up in private practice. I spent time emailing other dietitians, networking with other entrepreneurs, and going back and forth between loving what I was doing and wondering if I was crazy for choosing to do it. I now have a 7 month old daughter, and being self-employed means no formal maternity leave, but for me it also hopefully means more time with her each year, not just her first.

4) Having an off button is important.
Most people go to work, come home, and leave their work at work. For various reasons there are some people who are not able to do that (myself included). Perhaps they have clients contacting them at all hours and expecting responses, they love their work and surround themselves with it intentionally (ie. reading about the subject in their spare time for continued understanding and improvement). For me, I am always thinking about social media posts, helping/inspiring others and trying to stay up on the field (although I keep being reminded that I'll never 'catch up' and that my to-do lists will never be complete).

5) I love that I can evolve and change what I do.
I often have too many ideas of what I could do, so I have to have perspective and bring myself into focus. However, it's great to look back on what I've done, who I've worked with, and how I have found focus in my chosen career. I don't know what the future holds (as I have so many ideas), but I look forward to figuring it out as I learn more about myself and what I want to do when I grow up!

I googled top 5 lists and thought these two sites were interesting if you like lists and have time to spare (or waste):
- the top 5 of anything
- top 5 lists (daily lists from well-known personalities)

Thanks for the support and for reading over the years,

Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus
www.nutrishus.com

Start asking why

Perhaps you end up answering why all the time, especially if you have a curious youngster in your life (why? why? why? why?).  It can seem like a never ending game, but they're intrigued, they're learning new information and we can learn a lot from them.

Last night I attended the Lululemon Saskatoon Sultry Summer Solstice Soiree taught by Joos Yoga's very own Jan Henrikson.  She started the evening class by asking us to think about our intention, or who we were dedicating our practice to.  For this, she asked "why do you get up in the morning?"  It may be a person, a pet, an activity, a job, a day off, etc. - whatever or whoever it is, she asked us to stop asking what and start asking why.  I liked this because she brought mindfulness to the practice, and those who know me, know that mindful eating is something I often speak or write about.  The whole idea of being in the present and making a conscious decision is very important to our health.

These days there are so many distractions, and I know many clients end up multitasking and working through lunch, or eating in the car - they're aren't finding time for a mindful meal (whatever they're choosing to eat).  We eat for so many reasons (not just hunger), but we've lost the family meal, we've forgotten to pass cooking skills on to the younger generations, we've put our health too low on the priority list.

Jan mentioned her children and her desire to get up each day and be the best version of herself, for them.  I love that, I am totally a believer in self development and my competitive spirit drives me to be a better version of myself everyday (and help you do the same).

For me, that means feeding myself nourishing foods, finding time to be active (even if it's just walking my dog), spending time outdoors, taking a moment to unplug and just be with my thoughts, and taking time to continue to educate myself.

Throughout the practice, she kept reminding us to think of our 'why'.  She also talked about leaving the past behind, which I think is very important when we're talking about emotional health.  Even thinking about nutrition and diets - forget what you've struggled with, move forward and be the best you that you can be.

Too often we compare ourselves to an unrealistic ideal.  I will continue to be me, and that's just who I am.  We can only know our own 'why' which is also important to remember when someone cuts you off in traffic or is rude to you at the check-out - you don't know their story, so don't try to create it.  Focus on you and making your health more of a priority.

Have a great weekend!
Namaste,
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

Being Stephanie

I received Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project as a birthday gift and have been enjoying reading her goals and personal testaments.  One of her personal commandments is to "Be Gretchen" and that reminded me of a conversation I had years ago with a very inspiring person.  In that chat, we discussed the importance of being every part of who we are.  What does that mean?  For me that means, being:
- a wife/spouse/partner
- a daughter
- a sister
- a daughter-in-law
- a cousin
- a granddaughter
- an aunt (soon!)
- a dietitian
- a food lover
- a runner/active individual
- a yogi
- a cook
- a friend
- a dog lover
- a world traveller
- a craft lover
- a book worm
- an entrepreneur...

There are many roles that we fill each day and the important lesson I learned was that we have to remember to devote time to each role, rather than getting all wrapped up into one.  Spend time each day to fill those roles and be the best version of yourself.  Healthy eating and nutrition are a passion of mine because I try to take care of my well being, but that includes a work-life-balance, being active, attending social events, and curling up with a great book (for me anyways!).  In my upcoming blog posts I hope to help you become the best version of yourself and continue to nourish yourself so that you can do all of the things you love to do and fill all of the roles that make up your life.

Cheers,
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com