2024 Reflections / 2025 Aspirations
With love
Welcome to the second instalment of the How To Date Yourself series on Be Your Own Date.
At its heart, Be Your Own Date is about focusing on your self-care and wellbeing as well as getting to know yourself better. Making space to cultivate awareness, balance, self-confidence and self-compassion in a way that feels authentic and meaningful to you. I invite you to extend the grace, energy and attention to yourself that you so readily give to the people you love — especially during this holiday season. If you’re new here, or in case you’ve missed it on previous visits, you can find out more about my inspiration for the name, Be Your Own Date, in the About section.
With intention
Know that I am deeply motivated to support you in feeling empowered to take good care of yourself and live your best life — whether through individual coaching, group coaching, Way of Council (more on this later), or simply exploring the self-care and wellbeing insights on this platform. The choice is yours. Coaching clients, readers and viewers from all backgrounds, industries and career stages are always welcome. You belong here.
The method for this series is simple: I am sharing pearls of wisdom (often overlooked) to date yourself in support of your holistic wellbeing, sprinkled with my personal and professional experiences.✨ I was in flow when I came up with the idea, so I hope you enjoy this collection of articles and can take something meaningful away from each one.
Your future self will thank you! 🙃
Still sharing pearls of wisdom or, in this case, lime caviar pearls! | Photo by Amy-Jo Lynch
2024 reflections / 2025 aspirations
As 2024 comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on the transformative journey this year has been — full of growth, challenges and new milestones. It’s a time for me to pause, express my gratitude and share a glimpse of my experiences with you. After all, it’s your support that has made so much of this possible. I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the highlights of my year and look ahead to the aspirations I hold for 2025 and beyond. I’m also keen to learn more about you, your reflections and your aspirations. Feel free to reach out on social or email — I’d love to hear from you!
On a professional note…
Starting with career growth and achievements, here are a few key moments from my professional journey this year:
1. Coaching and empowering clients
I had the privilege of holding space for over 100 coaching sessions, with individuals from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds. Together, we cultivated a connection and trusting relationship, creating opportunities to navigate life and career challenges. It’s been incredibly rewarding to coach clients through the joys and discomfort of growth — helping them find clarity and purpose, prioritise wellbeing, and develop tools and actionable steps toward their goals. Coaching with me is a collaborative process, and witnessing my clients overcome obstacles and step into their courage to embrace new possibilities has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my work.
2. Returning to group facilitation with WHEN
I also returned to my roots in group facilitation — a role that I first found so enriching during my early career in Mental Health and Social Care. This time, I had the pleasure of joining the Women’s Higher Education Network (WHEN) as a Small Group Facilitator for their Career Accelerator Programme at University College London (UCL), drawing on my experience in Coaching, Executive Search and Higher Education. This initiative focuses on empowering women from the research and technical staff communities, and it was an honour to support these incredible women in reflecting on their careers — often a rare opportunity in our busy lives — and helping them navigate their professional aspirations.
3. Leadership at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation
Re-entering the health equity space, I rose to the occasion of leading a team of 16 at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation during a time of growth and change. In my role as Head of Administration and Facilities, I apply my coaching leadership style, fostering a collaborative, supportive and empowering environment for my team.
4. Completing Council 1.5 Facilitator Training
I enhanced my facilitation skills by completing Council 1.5 Facilitator Training. Way of Council is a deep listening and storytelling practice that strengthens community, collaboration and connection in groups of 2 or more individuals. I’m excited to continue to bring these new tools and insights into my coaching practice, helping create even more meaningful connections with individuals and teams.
Holistic wellbeing
“Wellbeing is a way of being and feeling encapsulated by a sense of happiness, contentment, satisfaction and relaxation that is aligned with your authentic self, values and purpose in life. Holistic wellbeing acknowledges the different aspects of wellbeing including the emotional, physical, social and spiritual dimensions. Therefore, nurturing holistic wellbeing offers you greater balance, taking care of your mind, body and spirit - a bit like a full body stretch to support your overall physical and mental health.”
You can read more about this in the very first instalment of the How To Date Yourself series, Wellbeing Check-In: How To Date Yourself For Winter Wellbeing.
One of the key benefits of personalised wellbeing coaching and the initial consultation is the opportunity to have an in-depth conversation about your holistic wellbeing, perhaps for the very first time. This unhurried deep dive supports you to thoughtfully explore your overall wellbeing and consider what you want to achieve through coaching moving forward.
On a personal note…
2024 has been a particularly exciting year! I’m thrilled to share that I’m on maternity leave, embracing this new chapter in my life with deep gratitude for the support I’ve received from my trusted circle of loved ones and healthcare professionals. It’s been such an enriching experience, though I’ll admit, it can be a little nerve-wracking at times, especially as a first-time parent.
With my full attention now focused on my family and journey into motherhood, I’m currently not coaching or accepting new clients until late 2025. I look forward to reconnecting with you then!
Reflection of my Monstera plant | Photo by Amy-Jo Lynch
The beautiful reflection of my beloved Monstera plant at night recently took me by surprise. It’s a gift from my mum that continues to grow — somewhat unwieldy at times — yet it blooms with such grace!
Pro Tip: I enjoy taking a moment to close my eyes and gently touch the leaves, giving myself the chance to connect with nature indoors.
Looking ahead: Aspirations for 2025
As I embrace the new beginnings unfolding in my life, reassured by the calming power of being present, I’ve also given some thought to my vision for 2025 and beyond. The future holds many exciting possibilities and I’m committed to growing my coaching practice whilst maintaining a healthy work-life balance, living my values each step of the way.
Empowering parents and mothers
Going forward, I’d love to focus more on supporting aspiring, expectant, solo and new parents — particularly mothers. I’ve seen firsthand how valuable it is to have a confidential thinking space to pay attention to boundaries, balancing personal and professional responsibilities, career direction, and coping with stress and burnout. It’s essential for us to practice self-care and look after our wellbeing, especially when navigating the ebbs and flows of motherhood.
Recognising the “mum guilt” and unsolicited (yet well meaning) advice we often face, alongside the difficulty of putting ourselves first, has deepened my commitment. Understanding that we are in a better position to live a full life and take care of our families when we also prioritise ourselves in a way that feels realistic, authentic and sustainable is key.
As I reflect on my own motherhood journey so far, I’m more dedicated than ever to helping others navigate this important transition in their lives and flourish. This inspiration led me to create the Mama Wellbeing section of Be Your Own Date (a growing hub of resources and work in progress) — feel free to check it out from time to time for updates or subscribe to my mailing list if you haven’t signed up already!
A special place to jot down your reflections and aspirations
Pause: Take some time to reflect on 2024 and set your aspirations for 2025. You can revisit this later to expand upon your ideas, if you wish, and stay motivated.
If you’re looking for a thoughtful gift — for yourself or a loved one — and would like to support Be Your Own Date, consider purchasing the Wellbeing Planner I’ve lovingly crafted with your wellbeing in mind. It’s a simple, accessible digital planner that you can download instantly to use on your trusted device or print out if you prefer pen-to-paper (or both!). It’s undated, so you can reuse it as much as you like — the gift that truly keeps on giving.
A final note: Be kind to yourself
As the year wraps up, I want to leave you with a little reminder: take time to be kind to yourself. This holiday season, I encourage you to reflect on your own journey, celebrate your achievements, and make space for the things that bring you growth and joy. We all deserve to be well; it’s not something that you need to earn.
I truly appreciate you taking the time to read this article. Let me know how you feel about it in the comments or connect with me on social — I’m excited to hear what you have to say when I return from maternity leave. Who will you share this with today?
Be kind to yourself. Be Your Own Date.
~ Amy-Jo ☀️
Disclaimer: The content of this blog is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. For that, you will need to speak to your GP and/or local health provider.
