Lift Magazine for Solo Mums Issue 4

LA DOLCE VITA! SIMONE NOVELLO ON LIVING THE GOOD LIFE, ALIGNING YOUR VALUES & LEVERAGING YOUR SOLO MUM ASSETS

FOUR SOLO MUMS SHARE THEIR CAREERS

BRAIN POWER & HOW TO BOOST IT

WHY DIVORCE CAN BE THE PERFECT TIME FOR A CAREER CHANGE

PRODUCTIVITY APPS FOR HEALTHIER WORK HABITS

the e-magazine for any mum flying solo

DivorcE iS transformational.

Whether it´s for betteR or for worse is entirely and 100% uP to you...

Come and join us! The 365 Day Sanctuary is Lift Magazine’s private Facebook support group where you can come to recover, seek advice and meet women who have been where you are now. Email naomi@liftmagazine.com.au for an invitation.

ABOUT LIFT

Lift Magazine is for the mother who can never be broken. The mother who could get knocked down a thousand times but will keep getting up. Every. Single. Time.

She is strong, she is resilient. She wears a thousand hats and deftly juggles her role of mother, friend, career woman, chef, entertainer, comforter, chief snot wiper, educator and funny little teapot... Although, she often forgets to give herself enough credit for all she does.

Yet she does it and she does it solo, a quiet determination upon her face, her battle cry ‘I will not be defeated’ hidden not far below the surface of her cool, calm exterior.

But at night, as she turns out the lights and kisses her dear ones upon their tiny brows, she may feel a weight upon her shoulders, the pressure of being a good mum, of being the one who fixes everything and the one who says it’s going to be alright even though she has no idea if it really will be.

Lift is the online magazine and support group for single mums.

We’re here when you need a lift, we’re here when you feel like you want to give up, we’re here when you need new ideas because your brain is drowning in a fog of sleep deprivation, and we’re here when you need a coffee and a conversation.

You may be flying solo, but you are definitely not alone.

And you are fabulous.

contents PRODUCTIVITY APPS FOR HEALTHIER WORK HABITS

50 BOOST YOUR BRAIN POWER

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THE 3 ESSENTIAL HABITS TO LOOKING RADIANT EVEN ON ONE OF THOSE DAYS

FOUR MUMS SHARE HOW THEY’RE ROCKING THE SOLO WORKING MUM LIFE

48 Q&A WITH THE HAPPY FAMILY LAWYER

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OVERCOME OVERWHELM WITH A SANKALPA

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12 BRAIN-FUELLED REASONS TO COMMIT TO YOUR HEART-CENTRED BUSINESS IDEA

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HOW TO TACKLE A CAREER CHANGE AFTER DIVORCE

44 MONEY MATTERS WITH HELEN BAKER

Q&A WITH LEANNE HALL: WHAT TO DO WHEN WORK GETS TOO MUCH

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A letter from the editor

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A NEW STUDY OF 50,000 ADULTS IN 25 COUNTRIES BY THE HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL HAS SHOWN THAT HAVING A WORKING MOTHER HAS LONG-LASTING POSITIVE EFFECTS ON CHILDREN. I’m not saying that means you should work or that you shouldn’t work.

What I do hear a lot though is that those of us who do choose to pursue our careers often feel some level of GUILT about it. That big old G word.

I do believe we can firmly give that G word the boot when it comes to our careers. Because whether we consider staying at home to raise and educate our children to be our career, whether we work part-time and have a hobby, whether we volunteer, work five days a week or run our own businesses, it’s when we take the time to explore our values, prioritise them, heal ourselves, take responsibility for our lives and deal with our own bullshit blocking our way that we are able to raise happy, thriving children.

So solo mums, here’s to filling our own cups and creating long-lasting positive effects on our children, however that looks to each of us.

Naomi

CONTRIBUTORS NAOMI GORA Lift Editor / Graphic Designer / Trekker / Single Mum After documenting her bumpy landing into single motherhood in her award-winning daily blog ‘365 Days, a Diary of a Newly Single Mum’, Naomi started Lift e-magazine and support group as a place where newly single mums can find hope and empowerment as they journey into this transformational new phase of their lives.

REBEL TUCKER Yoga Teacher / Single Mum Rebel is a mum to three kids and step-mum to two more. She’s a yoga instructor and is a keen student of all things natural and spiritual; holding qualifications in naturopathy, homeopathy, shiatsu, reflexology, remedial therapies, aromatherapy, counselling and NLP. For Rebel, yoga is not just a practice, but a way of living.

MICHELLE SMITH Founder and CEO of Start Up Mum / Single Mum Michelle is founder and CEO of Start Up Mum, a community for mums in business in Australia. Whether you already have a business or are looking to start one it’s place where you can come for inspiration, advice and resources to help you run a successful business.

CARRIE MERRICK Founder of She Baked / Single Mum of two glorious taste testers Carrie’s happy place is the kitchen. The clanging of pots and pans is her favourite stress relief and nothing gives her more joy than finding new people to feed! She’s a firm believer that love, good intentions and laughter are the only essential ingredients in life. You can follow her at ‘She Baked’ on Facebook.

CONTRIBUTORS CLARISSA RAYWARD ‘The Happy Family Lawyer’ / Director of Brisbane Family Law Centre Clarissa is a family lawyer, wife and mum who is passionate about relationships, people and family. Clarissa uses her skills to change the way Australian families experience divorce and separation and believes that your divorce can be a part of your marriage you can look back on with pride. She’s also the author of the weekly ‘Happy Family Lawyer’ blog, providing tips on issues relating to divorce.

LEANNE HALL Psychologist / Personal Trainer / Re-partnered single mum Leanne was at the end of her masters degree in clinical psychology when she gave birth to her first child. 3 years later, she became a single working mum. Today, she is married with 2 children, consults as a clinical psychologist and personal trainer and is the mind & body expert on Network 10’s the Living Room and Studio 10.

HELEN BAKER Financial Advisor / Author of “On Your Own Two feet” Helen loves to empower women to financial freedom and has a heart particularly for those who are newly single or planning to be so soon. She helps them re-establish their foundations, provide financial advice and walk along side them through their journey so they can get back on their own two feet.

CONTRIBUTORS GAYE BARLOW Nurse / Founder of The Skin Care Clinic / Single mum Gaye is a registered nurse with over 15 years experience in skin aesthetics. She created The Skin Care Clinic in 1996 when she was working in a leading plastic surgery practice. Her passion is creating healthy skin through a combination of small lifestyle changes and results driven, proven skin care ranges that are toxic-chemical free.

VANESSA JENKIN Dietitian / Nutritionist / Avid foodie Vanessa is passionate about empowering women to achieve sustainable and positive health changes and believes there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach as every mum is unique. She does this through supporting women to find balance, freedom, enjoyment & health with personalised nutrition plans.

MIMI FONG Career Change Specialist / Life Change Coach Mimi runs an online Dream Job Program that draws on 15 years of recruitment, head-hunting and career coaching experience to provide a step-by-step platform filled with ten modules, videos and worksheets that will help you not only identify your dream job, but also show you how to make it happen successfully.

How to tackle a career change during divorce (and why it can be the perfect time) While entering the world of single motherhood is foremost a change to your personal relationship, it’s effects are far-reaching and to some extent, infiltrate every part of your life. It’s a time of upheaval, it’s a time of reflection, and as I’ve seen, it can be the time that women make the most deeply fulfilling changes to their career.

Written by MIMI FONG career change specialist & life change coach

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ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES I’VE SEEN PEOPLE MAKE IS TO JUMP RIGHT TO THE END OF THE CAREER CHANGE PROCESS.

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While the thought of a career change during divorce may at first seem counter-intuitive, it can actually be the perfect time to re-align your life with what matters to you most and steer your career in a direction that will support you emotionally and financially, not just now, but for many years to come. It may help you with the practical considerations of having greater financial responsibilities as a single parent, it may help you close the chapter on your old life and focus on new beginnings, or it may let you dream big and fulfil your life’s purpose in ways you couldn’t when you were in a relationship.

And while the actual process of a career change may seem overwhelming along with

all the other changes that separation and divorce brings, it is absolutely achievable. You just need a plan of action to tackle it!

One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen people make during my 15 years in recruitment, head-hunting and career coaching is to jump right to the end of the career change process.

They start scouring job boards, online portals, social media news feeds and newspapers for career opportunities only to become even more discouraged, stressed and overwhelmed as they can’t seem to find what they are looking for. Often, this is simply because they don’t know what they want, what best suits them and what would make them happy.

So then, where do you start?

1. KNOW YOUR PURPOSE Your purpose is your why. It gives you that all-important sense of fulfilment, meaning and focus and therefore happiness. It’s been shown to be one of the key habits of highly successful people because it provides you with a career framework, a path for success, and, even more importantly, it gives you permission to say no to the things that are distractions.

So ask yourself this – What is my purpose in life? What on earth was I put here to do?

If you’re having trouble defining it clearly, answer these questions: What would you like to be remembered for in your life?

What would you like your legacy to be?

What would you like your kids to remember you for?

Think as big as you can!

And don’t worry about the ‘Hows’ right now.

How much will it pay? How would I get a job when I think I don’t have the relevant skills or qualifications? Or how would I pay for training if I need to re-train? Just give yourself permission to dream. Once you find your why, you’ll find the how.

2. DEFINE YOUR PASSION I’m not referring to the things you like to do or find remotely interesting. A passion is something that you LOVE to do! It brings on a feeling of intensity and excitement when you talk about it and it’s what fuels you and helps you stay on course when obstacles get in your way. It makes you go that extra mile and open yourself up more to new possibilities.

Right now you might be thinking ‘Nothing!’ or ‘I have no idea’ or ‘I’m so tired I have no energy for passion!’ As children we’re naturally

passionate creatures, but as we grow up our passion can get buried under the need for financial stability, our dedication to our roles as wives and mothers, and just getting through the day… but it’s still there.

If you are struggling to come up with anything, think back to when you were a child. What did you want to do when you grew up? What did you dedicate many hours to? Who do you admire the most in your life now, and why? If failure or money was no object, what would you spend much of your time doing? What would get you excited, fired up and out of bed in the morning?

The key to this is letting your imagination soar. It doesn’t have to be something serious, conventional or practical. Be playful!

Once you’ve taken some time to identify these two key elements, you will be well on your way to having a much clearer idea of what your next steps need to be… whether it’s knowing exactly where to start to look for that new role you want, acknowledging that you may need to find a new mentor or coach or perhaps even that you actually really do enjoy your current career and it may just need a some tweaking, perhaps a change in hours or a new employer.

Whether it’s a simple job change or a whole new career path, don’t let your circumstances or financial pressure stop you from putting your toe into the water to start the process.

Your career path is a life-long journey, and every little step towards your dream job will set you up for long-term happiness… because when you are happy in one important area of your life, it will flow onto all the other areas which is a win-win for not just you, but your whole family.

THE 365 DAY SANCTUARY

k e r T g n i l a e H e s e l a 2015 Nep

Walk away from your past and into your future in one of the most stunning and spiritual destinations on earth...

DATES CHANGED TO APRIL 2016!

Starting in Kathmandu, our ten-day, child-friendly healing trek takes us from the imposing landmark of the sacred Boudhantha Stupa on to Pokhara where we walk through local villages and rolling hills surrounded by breathtaking panoramic mountain vistas to our final destination of Poon Hill. During the days we’ll trek, with children carried by porters or riding donkeys if they’re not old enough to walk, we’ll also nap (mostly for the children’s sake, but hey, why not treat yourself to one too?) and visit local tea houses, then in the evenings, when all is quiet and calm from the day’s activities, we’ll take time for ourselves in workshops created in collaboration with some of Lift’s expert contributors - to heal, to forgive and to empower ourselves to create the brightest futures we can possibly imagine.

Dates: April 2016 I Child-friendly I Prices start at USD$2,749 For more information contact: Naomi Gora Lift Magazine/The 365 Day Sanctuary 0409 322 977 I naomi@liftmagazine.com.au

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Tanya Kellen - Mobile Travel Agents www.mtatravel.com.au/tkellen ​ 0421 986 733 I tkellen@mtatravel.com.au

LaDolceVita!

SIMONE NOVELLO ON LIVING THE GOOD LIFE, ALIGNING YOUR VALUES & LEVERAGING YOUR SOLO MUM ASSETS

With a desire for a simpler life born from her Italian heritage and a belief that we, as humans, do better together, single mum Simone Novello gave up a corporate career in Sydney and moved to the Blue Mountains with her sons Sebastian (14) and Jasper (6) to set up her own partnership business called Partner2GROW. Simone is a firm believer that your fairy tale may just be found in places you would have never discovered had life gone according to plan.

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