Wrapping up 2019!

So as I close out 2019 and look to 2020 I wanted to take some time to reflect on, what has been a crazy year.

When I look back to where I was in January 2019, I wasn’t in a good place. I was suffering terribly with a bad back which was causing me physical as well as mental pain. And what I would later learn was mostly stress related. On the 1st January my husband told me that he wasn’t going back to work until the 3rd. A whole day of working whilst he was at home relaxing caused my head to go into a spin! So I immediately booked the day off!

Sooooo, what was I dreading, ahhhh where do I start?!! I was working in a job that without me realising it was causing my back and hips to ache daily, at times I could barely walk. There were many nights, and days in fact, spent in tears. Many days called in sick because I mentally couldn’t handle it. Add into this mix the amount of travel I was doing, a week a month of travel, sounds luxurious, and don’t get me wrong staying in the presidential suite of a hotel was a high, but looking back I would have taken it all away to not be in pain anymore.

A good friend asked me why I wanted a baby, my answer ‘So I don’t have to do this job anymore!’ In that moment I realised that this job was no longer serving me, and I was no longer giving it my all. And that all happened in January! I had set up Helpful Alys by 7th February and in March I had handed in my notice! And by May I was a free women, running my own business and already had a freelance contract in the bag! What a few months that was!

The last 6 months have been amazing, and hard in equal measure. I have learnt my worth, more than any corporate could have ever taught me. I have learnt that I don’t have time to be lazy, that you don’t really get a day off, and that its really really lonely working for yourself. I am fortunate that I have been doing some contract work for a company that means I get some human interaction and don’t drive my husband mad! Whilst it is tough I finally feel empowered, and that I have a voice that is heard and respected. I really love being in control of my own life and I get to decide who I work with and on what terms.

So what does 2020 hold for me! Well, I am very excited to say that I will be welcoming my first baby into the world in the summer and will continue to work with my clients as I transition into motherhood. The reason I set up Helpful Alys is so that I could have a business and a family and not compromise either. I am looking forward to growing my business and my family at the same time, and whilst I was always worried that couldn’t happen together, now I am a firm believer that there is nothing to stop me from having both. I really can have it all!

I am very proud of what I have achieved and the lessons learnt in 2019 and I am looking forward to more of the same in 2020! A big shout out to my clients for being amazing, I love working with you all, and to my husband for being a total rock!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and kickass 2020!

Helpful Alys x