It’s that time of year again; the final stretch before the holidays. A time of year when it can feel like you’re on a countdown and you’re just hanging on until a break. A time of year that can feel like a sprint towards the finish line. A time of year that comes with endless to-do-lists and when there’s never enough time in the day. When there is an underlying feeling of needing to tie up loose ends, rush through everything, when you are hopping from one task to the next and where your mind is always ten steps ahead of what is right in front of you.

If you’re feeling stuck in a cycle of negative thoughts, it’s time to rewrite the story. Infertility does not define you, nor does it determine your worth. You are more than this struggle. The path to motherhood may not be as linear as you imagined, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

Consider what it would look like to approach this journey with a mindset of possibility rather than limitation. What would change if, instead of focusing on what’s not working, you began to open yourself up to what could work?

Have you ever found yourself stuck in a pattern of behaviour that no longer serves you? Perhaps you've noticed that no matter how hard you try, certain negative thoughts and feelings keep creeping back into your life, influencing your actions and holding you back from living the life you truly desire. This pattern is no accident. 

Because our actions and behaviours are generated by our feelings, which come from our thoughts, which are created by our core beliefs which are formed by our life experiences. 

As someone who loves the personal-development space, I know all too well the trap of attempting to consume ALL of the free or low-cost content available. The podcasts, books, YouTube videos, Instagram posts and endless Google searches—they all promise to hold the key to unlocking your potential. And yet, despite your best efforts, you might find yourself going in circles, dabbling in a bit of everything but not seeing the tangible results you crave.

It’s a frustrating cycle. You try one approach, only to be distracted by the next shiny object that promises a quicker fix or a deeper insight. Before you know it, weeks or even months have passed, and you’re still treading water, feeling stuck and wondering why you’re not making the progress you hoped for.

And so there are three main factors I’d like you to consider as you navigate this journey.

With my background as a nurse and midwife, and particularly my experience working in the early parenting space, I am very aware of how influential the early years are and how our earliest experiences in life can shape who we become. The research surrounding “The First 1000 Days” emphasises this, highlighting the critical period from conception to a child’s second birthday. Essentially this research shows that what happens during this time can impact and shape health and wellbeing right through to adulthood.

And then interestingly when I went on to study hypnotherapy, one of the main principles here reflects the neuroscience that our core belief systems are formed by the age of seven. Core beliefs refer to how we perceive the world, how we perceive the people around us and how we perceive ourselves. Our core beliefs are more than just thoughts or ideas; they are the lens through which we interpret every experience and make sense of our lives.