The power of midlife!

It's been a month of pausing and reflecting on the enormous possibilities that open up when you find your purpose. And why it's time for organisations and brands to take note...

Hello! Hi! Welcome. Come on in, and take a breath. A big warm welcome to anyone who is new around here, perhaps you found me via my new novel Bad Influence and the fabulous Instagram giveaway we ran recently with the lovely Claire Lopez. It is so good to have you here.

Swerving the road to burn out

As I sneak into your inbox just ahead of 1 December, I am well aware that we've hit that time of year when overwhelm looms large. The endless To-Do lists, panics in the middle of the night that the turkey is yet to be ordered (I just reminded myself there), Christmas cards and gifts to think about and anxiety over where the blow-up mattress is located. It's A LOT to hold in our brains, let alone physically carry out. Which makes me feel all the more grateful for this amazing community we have formed, where we speak openly about our challenges and spend precious time together learning the tools and lessons from coaching experts, so we may avoid the slow creep of burnout and the impact it has on our health. In midlife we hit a time where the same rules don't always apply, and we need a few nips and tucks to our life trajectory so we may enter a more purposeful, sustainable way of living that is powerful and joyful in equal measure. But HOW? That's the big question we set about answering on our latest Rosie's Reinvention Retreat last week. For those who couldn't join us, or are intrigued to learn more, here are my takeaways...

Reinvent, Reimagine, Rise! Rosie hosts our latest Reinvention Retreat at Corinthia London - we love hosting in this beautiful, serene space.

Periods of change are inevitable

What matters the most is how we navigate through change. We dug into this topic on the retreat using my Reinvent Like a PRO formula - Pause, Reflect, Organise - which offers a simple but powerful framework when you work through each stage in turn, in this order:

• Pause: Calms the nervous system. Step back, breathe and root yourself in the present without trying to fix a problem.

• Reflect: Get curious about how you are feeling, identifying what matters most now.

• Organise: Now you're ready to move forward with clarity and from a place of calm. Think small steps to reach larger goals and prioritise accomplishments for each day.

We reminded ourselves that our experience of life is within our control. Don’t give that power away, because you’ll never create the life you could be living. When you feel overwhelmed, it is always within your power to give yourself permission to pause while you work through what needs to happen.

The Four Pillars of Sustainable Vitality

I was joined on this retreat by leadership coach and author Lynn Blades who led a session on the four pillars of sustainable vitality.

Pillar One is all about protecting your energy and building in micro-breaks for yourself throughout the day. Pillar Two is emotional balance and Lynn had some powerful words to share with us on the importance of upholding boundaries by creating boundary statements and using them - the most impactful one being saying 'No' with kindness and not back tracking. This one especially called to me during this busy festive season.

Pillar Three is about living by your values - because misalignment drains energy much faster than workload and people who live by their values report higher wellbeing and lower stress. I have my values ( written on a post-it note by my desk for a regular check-in. Pillar Four is about relationships and resilience through finding a circle which truly champions you.

Did you know that strong relationships are the #1 predictor of long-term happiness?Surrounding yourself with women who refuel your energy is not a 'nice to have' but essential.

I have absolutely no doubt that this is one of the reasons why our reinvention retreats are so special - because the peer support is palpable!

You can find out more about Lynn's work and order her book here

I have my 5 core values written down on a Post-It on my desk - seeing them regularly helps me to do a quick sense-check about what matters most before I decide on an opportunity

We were then joined by double olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes, a former army sergeant who made history at the 2004 Athens Olympics by winning gold in both the 800m and 1500m races - becoming the first Briton in over 80 years to achieve this incredible double victory. Kelly is now one of Britain’s most inspiring voices on resilience, reinvention, and mental health. I am also extremely proud to call her my friend. And yes, she will make you do a Park Run when you hang out with her over a weekend - and obviously she will come first! Her journey to a global podium is a masterclass in mindset and transformation, yet having peaked in her sporting career aged 34 it was then a big question of 'what next?' and Kelly had to adopt a reinvention mindset to navigate that time.

Kelly spoke with incredible honesty, which had us all close to tears, about her mental health struggles during lockdown, and her decision to come out as a gay woman after decades of feeling she was not living an authentic life. I greatly admire her attitude that to move forwards you have to take action, yet passion and purpose must be at the heart of what you create in your life.

Author and coach Lynn Blades and double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes shared their wisdom on our most recent reinvention retreat

The midlife revolution

This came at the end of a busy week for me, when I was delighted to be honoured as one of Edelman's Power of 55 - a global list of creators making a difference to midlife audiences. you can read the full list here

This list reinforces the fact that midlife is no longer a quiet chapter - it’s a revolution. Across the UK and beyond, women are rewriting the rules of age, work, identity, and ambition. We are unbound by outdated expectations, unbound from linear life stages, and increasingly unbound in how we express purpose, creativity and reinvention. This isn’t about decline. It’s about rediscovery. And I'm here for it all.

The next Reinvention Retreat!

Which brings me neatly on to a date for your diary. Our next London Rosie's Reinvention Retreat will take place on Friday 6th February. We will be 'Reinventing Success' - giving you permission to pause, to outline goals for the year ahead and to optimise vitality and your work/life flow. Tickets will go on sale very soon via my website and I'll make sure you're the first to know. Why not add it to your Christmas List.

And with that, it's back to list-making!

Love