Wednesday 5th October 2016 - deadline developments - plus chasing

Posted 1:50pm

After living with this for so long, it is actually nice to have deadlines to work to.  Over the last couple of years the closest I have had that is when I have had my meetings with my Job Coach, or with the Job Centre - and that has encompassed paperwork.

Now, I have clear deadlines to aim for.  I want to start my first Izzwalkz in Clissold Park in November, so have to get marketing materials out there - I am doing this one in partnership with Highbury Grange Health Centre, and have a meeting booked for tomorrow morning to discuss this issue, plus others.

I also have the 8 November deadline - just five weeks away - when I will be presenting the course to SHP - and that is particularly exciting as I develop that.  It is all in my head, and I have started working out the titles for each week, and therefore the content - more than anything it is meant to be fun, educational, and a chance to involve everyone in the proactive approach that I have been shouting about.

I have also been chasing up on a lot of emails and contacts - these include:

Circle Housing, Business in the Community, Family Mosaic Housing, and Change Grow Live - all of which I want to run programmes with too.

I have also asked for meetings with Voluntary Action Islington, Disability Action Islington, Arsenal in the Community, and the local NHS Commissioning Group.

There is a huge amount to get done before the end of the month - so four weeks!!!!  Bring it on!

Tuesday 4th October 2016 - The Programme

Posted 10:55am

A big part of the concept deals with "mindset" - and developing it in a proactive, practical, and hands-on approach.  Part of this means clearing away all the clutter that one is allowing to accumulate in order to move on with a positive attitude.

When I think back to when I first came up with the idea of HMHB - and then Ajani and Izzwalkz - I was struggling to do that, but knew that was the way forward.

Part of that deals with procrastination - something that we need to deal with sometimes.  All of us put off things that we have to do for various reasons - it may take time, or involve doing things we do not like to do, or not understand.  But until we can get them done they will always be a chain around our necks.

I have just put in process an action that will hopefully remove one of those chains - and it is something I have been sitting on for over four months.  I am my own Ajani guinea pig, and it this is inspiring myself on.  I also saw a picture online of my friend Stephen, who has recently lost over two and a half stone - he looked amazing, happy, and I am delighted for him, as he had wanted to do this for a while.  Another spur for me.

I now need to work on getting the Ajani programme down on paper - I know how it will go as it is formulated in my mind.  However, I am still changing things constantly, depending on different meetings and conversations.  I changed things slightly following the SHP and Scott meetings last week, when just hearing a certain sentence would light a bulb in my head.  Exciting times.

I need to have several things ready for the end of Friday 14th.

I want the website just about finished - my wonderful friend Kacper has other work to do, and currently doing this for free, so I very happy with progress.

I need the Programme outline ready - so we can thoroughly review it.

I need to get Izzwalkz marketing out - so have to have start dates and venues organised and also have arranged for some volunteers.

I need to have arranged meetings with the other companies I want to work alongside.

I have to look at the other funding opportunities and actively have started applications.

A lot going on - and there are still the videos, social media, CRM, and others to keep creating. :-)

Sunday 2nd October 2016 - Izzwalkz - plus personal

Posted 8:30pm

It's been a weekend and after all the hard work of the last week I decided I needed to have a little rest away from the project for a couple of days, especially as the next week is going to be mega busy.

So yesterday was a day of rest.  Today, though, I was sitting for an elderly friend, watching the Premier League, and I had to do some paperwork to do with a different issue.  However, I finished that early and decided I had to do some project stuff - despite having no wifi where I was sitting.

I started working - to be honest, editing - a brochure for marketing Izzwalkz - I am going to launch four walks around Islington.  Using Publisher, and some formats already on the software, I have developed, what I have to say, a terrific brochure.  It's an A4 size, with two folds in it.  This means you have six different faces.  There is the front headline page - four pages, one for each walk - and the sixth page gives the reason walking is good, and contact.

Very proud of it.  I wont put on here as yet, as it needs looking at and adjusting.  It needs an Izzwalkz logo, a map for Clissold Park, and some small changes.  A good start to the week maybe.

Tomorrow morning I will do my second video for my own personal journey - this will go on Facebook as well as on our Youtube channel.  Last week, on Monday, I was 88.5kgs - which equates to a disappointing 13st 13.175lbs.  I am honestly disgusted at myself for getting back up that high.  So really hoping that I have done okay this last week.  As long as it is going down that is the main thing.  I have worked hard, but let's wait and see.  :-)

Thursday 29th September 2016 - programme presentation - personal

Posted 9:25pm

It's actually quite emotional at the moment - I feel it all coming together beautifully - although there is an enormous amount of work to do before actually meeting clients.

One thing that has been niggling away at me for a while is the actual substance of the course and how to provide it properly.  And then today, during my meeting with Scott, it suddenly came to me - and it was a mixture of certain ideas I had been mulling over, something that Amanda at SHP said to me the other day, and then Scott mentioned a certain direction we should be looking at - and all at once it came to me - the perfect way.  Funny how it happens.  Now I just have to get it all down on paper!!

The next eight days are crucial - and there is a huge amount to do.  But I am looking forward to it all.

On a personal front - I am doing a weekly video and weigh in - and talking about my targets.  That will be on Monday morning - although I have just done a sneaky weigh - but I am not saying what is currently is - but I will say I am delighted at progress.  The trick, as I have said before, and acted on before, is keeping it going - and staying on track.  This time!!!!  :-)

Thursday 29th September 2016 - Blog News, plus website

Posted 2:30pm

Sitting in the Canary Wharf area before meeting my business coach/mentor Scott, (and will report on that later), time to make an entry re blog news, which seems quite ironic as I am reporting it on my blog.

I was running two blogs - as I wanted one directly about HMHB and the projects, and the other on research and news issues surrounding the subjects we deal with.

However, with the construction of my website by my young specialist, Kacper, coming along - we decided to have a page on the site which would show the blog as well.  Unfortunately it appears we can only show the one.  Therefore this blog, my main one, will now incorporate any entries I would have put into the other - which was www.hmhbnews.blogspot.com - which I have now finished with a closing entry.

For those who had been looking at it I will probably transfer some of the posting over into this blog, as I found them interesting, and hopefully others would too.  It will also give me a chance to get this blog out to people - as I am hoping to grow it substantially over the next six months, and pick up quite a few followers.

I am proud of what I have managed to achieve so far - it has taken an enormous amount of work, effort, and stress!!  But, it is also important to me to look and appear professional - that way people believe in you, in what you say, in what you do, and I am anticipating it motivating and encouraging people onwards.

Wednesday 28th September 2016 - college courses, plus chance of small grant

Posted 8:10pm

After the furore of SHP - I think I floated down the road towards St Pancras afterwards - I headed off to the Recovery College.

I had to enrol - which was fun - and I was able to sign up for three half day courses:  All three are in November - and ironically all three at the same venue in Islington (the courses are not held at the College venue).

1. Understanding Anxiety - I should be okay with this one after a few experiences in my life
2. Getting a Good Night's Sleep - oh please, let this be my saviour!!
3. Introduction to Mindfulness - it just looked an interesting subject

Another reason I was on a high, was that Amanda, at SHP, had told me she could get me up to a £200 grant for equipment I would need for the project.

So, I have emailed her some details this evening:  I have requested:

1. Digital Video Camera - for Youtube and feedback, we intend to record a lot of stories, and there are the fitness info we want to produce, and we have found a very decent one for £90
2. A better printer/copier/in colour too - certainly at first we are going to have to produce marketing flyers and literature ourselves, so a decent printer - plus inks - is vital:  £66
3. I want to have a separate logo for Ajani, and for Izzwalkz: and using an online tool you can get it in all the necessary formats for around £22.50 each - so that is £45.
4. Grand Total - £201.

No harm in asking!!!

Also had contact back from BITC, meeting them around the middle of October.  It's all go!!  Seeing Scott tomorrow - and the next week is really about producing walk flyer, Ajani flyer, and papers for clients.  Also reviewing website, Facebook, add a couple of videos to Youtube, learn about Instagram and general papetwork - adding to CRM too - not up to date yet

Wednesday 28th September 2016 - SUCCESS!!!!! It's a definite launch

Posted 12:30pm

It has taken over seven years (on and off), hundreds of meetings, thousands of hours, a lot of my own money, and being told on many occasions that it wont happen - but today, finally, it all paid off.

Cracking meeting with SHP - I walked in and they wanted to set a date to start.  What we have organised is that I will attend a team meeting at the start of November - then run a half day course at the start of December - and if all goes well with the taster session I will start a thirteen week course in Camden in January.  We have already breached the subject of contracts - and very happy to talk about money.  Not only that, they have already mentioned doing stuff in Haringey too!!!

Yes, I have quite a lot of work to do in the couple of weeks - because they want me to produce a flyer for the December event, that they can start giving out from the end of October.  I also have to sort out a Camden walk - which they would like to partner up with me on.  I also have to sort out proper videos with Adam in November and get them on Youtube channel before the December day - which is the 6 December.

It's the culmination of so much hard work - and fantastic support I have received, especially from Scott, who has been with my the last two years, guiding me, and steering me.  Thanks mate.

Also, the support and friendship from Rosemary over many years - and inspiration - not only on watching her build up the Charity where she is CEO, but lately her fantastic weight loss and positivity surrounding it - I'll be there too Rosemary.

And also Adam - who has motivated and encouraged me on - and hopefully this is the start of something big for both of us.

Couple of other good things came from the meeting - I can get a £200 grant that SHP will organise - and I intend on getting a decent digital video camera - as we intend to record a lot of stuff for our Youtibe channel and website - and also I want to get a couple of logos and domains.  All in all - a cracking meeting