Getting back on track

We intend, we make decisions, we take actions. We work towards our goals. Then something happens that trips us. We slow down slightly or we might even fall.

What happens next?

Do we give up on ourselves thinking we were not cut out for this after all? Do we think our dream was too big for our abilities? Sometimes we do.

But not always. Luckily, there are friends, mentors and resources around us that help us to get up, re-commit to our dream and continue working towards our goals!

The victory is not about not having bad days anymore. The victory is that you can get back on track after having one.

… …

I have not posted in my blog for over a month, and this is after writing here regularly since the start of the blog in October 2010!

I am now getting back on track with few new posts being drafted. But before my first post appears after such a long break on Monday I just wanted to say “Hello! I am here and doing fine! How are you?” and briefly reflect on what has been happening in my life during the past few weeks.

My first ever mentoring program (a web-based “Make 2011 Your Most Productive Year Yet!” guide) was running for 5 weeks through February and March and I was editing and polishing the lessons as we went along the program. It was quite intense for me to keep up with the commitment of providing a lesson every working day: 25 lessons in total!

Two days after my mentoring program was finished I was on a train to London to present a science poster at the SET for Britain event in the Palace of Westminster – the home to the English Parliament.

I was starting to feel quite overwhelmed working on these two major projects while keeping up with all my other duties at the University and caring for my two little boys! In the end I needed to print out my own poster on Overcoming Overwhelm and follow it step by step to remain peaceful and productive.

When I was back from London, I thought this would be the time I finally get to posting in my blog, as sharing insights into peaceful productivity with you is truly one of my passions!

But it turned out differently. With my mentoring program finished and the poster event at the London Parliament over, I was completely drained and was in need of a break for one week, taking the following week easy as well.

I took it super easy on myself to allow a speedy and complete recovery. I have even summurised the simple and effective steps for dealing with burn-out I followed on my way to becoming the energetic and excited Olga you know!

In addition, after the coaching call with my new coach Elaine Bailey this week, I got to just sit still and quite and take it all in what I have been achieving during these weeks!

As Christine Kane wrote in her latest blog post, to continue on our path “we need to acknowledge our successes, celebrate our milestones”, express gratitude.  “Otherwise, we run on fumes, reaching for fuel from unhealthy sources.”

So before I could get excited about the projects at work and begin posting here again, I sat down and reflected on my milestones and achievements of the past weeks.

I have created and run for the first time my web-based mentoring program, and I have already got very positive feedback from one of the participants! And the best things is that the program is now ready to be opened for registration in a few weeks time and I am getting excited about it.

I have travelled to London to present a science poster at the Parliament and I met and got to talk to Prof. Brian Cox – my science communication hero! 🙂 I love his Wonders of the Solar System and Wonders of the Universe BBC series.

A scientific paper with me as a co-author got published in a high-profile journal of Physical Review Letters. I enjoyed preparing a press release for the European Synchrotron Radiation Source, a large central facility in France where we performed the experiment, that will appear online next week.

And of course my duty of being a mother to two very energetic boys is on me every day and night, no matter how many projects I am running or how I am feeling. And I am grateful to the boys that they are so joyful and so present in the moment – the two things I am constantly learning and mastering with them 🙂

With these milestones acknowledged I feel much more grounded and complete, and getting excited about new undertakings. Talk to you Monday!

Related Articles

• Register for Olga’s mentoring program (mostproductiveyear.com)
• Brian Cox’s star rises after double win at Broadcasting Press Guild Awards (guardian.co.uk)