Wow, that last 2 mins hit me like a train. I've also had a similar revelation recently 🤦🏻♀️ I've been putting myself last / zero priority, and running around doing everything for everyone (to my own detriment) for too long. I'm burnt out mentally and physically, and honestly rather angry/bitter about it. Keeping myself in 1 piece (vs the painkillers, knee braces and walking stick from overdoing everything) and going at my body's REALISTIC pace is my goal. I think that's my word for 2025. I've spent too many years going for the A+ with too long to do lists, and never stopping or recharging in between. It's definitely long overdue for me to be a human BEING rather than a human doing; not forgetting to truly live, rather than just exist and accomplish. I've been doing your "dry run December" approach; taking more time to read and colour while resting my legs up, in between other tasks, and it's helping me no end! Thank you as always for your honesty and insights, as well as all your tips that have legit made a positive impact on my life. You're made of awesome (and rainbows) don't forget it! 😜💗 Sending love and best wishes for the rest of this season and into the new year, from Hannah & G 👏😘
Short list: 5 good habits: 1. Weekly marriage meetings 0:54 2. A morning wellness routine 4:21 3. Meal planning 7:05 4. Baking 10:30 5. Using ChatGPT as my life coach 15:14 1 bad habit: 1. Suffering in silence 18:30
I'm done suffering in silence too. I'm also done putting everyone else's needs ahead of my own and having nothing left to take care of myself. 2025 is going to be my year of doing things differently.
Thank you. I am a person who have suffered in silence. This year has been one of the hardest year in my marriage. My all time low was last December. I am a very independent person and an only child. So all my life I have have kept things inside, not able to communicate my feelings. I just turned 49 a couple of weeks ago. I have decided this is a year to work on me and keep working on my marriage. Keep posting!!
I am so grateful for your honesty about depression. As someone who has also really struggled this year and was bouyed by the return of your videos I am bringing into 2025 weekly meetings with myself, more creativity through art and leaving behind couch rotting. The balance between your videos and muchelleb’s definitely helps so thank you 🇳🇿
I’m new to your channel and let me tell you I know exactly what you are talking about the depression and you should be very proud of yourself and that you are able just to get out of bed and make bread and cookies etc, I am so proud of you and I don’t even know u !! I am so happy I found you also I love your kitchen it’s so clean and beautiful and shiny ❤❤❤❤
Great video, Laura. I love your decluttering videos, but these deep dive Life videos are excellent! I am coming to the end stage of decluttering and have been asking, "Now what?" lately and trying to decide what the new me will be doing.
I love your "Labyrinth" door knockers. Your habits are sounding like a few of things in my life, too. I'm glad you did get a good grasp on your life. Thank you for sharing your journey. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
I feel that all (except one) of your habits are very doable and will try to incorporate them in my life. The one thing I can’t imagine doing is speaking up for myself. I’m pretty convinced that I’m not really that important in the grand scheme of things. Anytime I’ve made that effort in the past has backfired big time, so I’m ok with working thru my “issues” inwardly. I avoid conflict at all cost - I have a 100% lose record with conflict, and peace is more valuable to me than any delusions of my self worth. But I’m very happy for and totally encourage those who can assert themselves! Thank you for a great video❤
Gail your comment struck a chord in me but I didn't want to just put a 'like' and affirm your description of your self-worth as a "delusion"! You - your presence - are your most precious gift in your time on this beautiful planet. I agree, sometimes the work needs to start inwardly. I wondered if you've come across 'The Artist's Way' by Julia Cameron? She finds lovely ways of helping us find and listen to our voice within and affirm our way forward. Wishing you well!
I too go into depression rather than rock the boat, so I know that one only too well. Laura, could you give any more information on your life audit workshop? I am retiring later on this year, and would like more information to see if this could be for me. (It's scary, as a single person living alone, and who has been in the same job for over 20 years, but I am getting so tired, and various changes at work, plus arriving at 65 make this a good time.)
Thank you for the encouragement, and great job on your progress! I too have struggled with depression my entire life. I was diagnosed with PTSD from childhood trauma about 2 years ago, and this year I also struggled with a LOT of anger! What helped you finally believe you deserve to put yourself first and are worthy to just exist...I still struggle with this daily at almost 60 years old. I am in therapy, she says I'm making progress, but most days it doesn't feel like it.
Marriage meetings, love that. Me and my usvand rarely can have a conversation uninterupted. Or we are both exhausted. Or i am doing house stuff. Or we watch shows but don't always have the convos.
I don't consider myself a people pleaser but I will not suffer in silence either. I've been bold at straight up about things, currently, nothing has changed but I let it constantly be known how I feel and my expectations. He doesn't like it and is tired of me saying the same stuff...well ... if changes were made...🤷🏾♀️ I wouldn't have to keep saying it. I shouldn't hqve to keep saying it. I'm tired of saying it too. But, it will be done and I will come out on top in the end. It's lonnnnng over due. Glad you overcame some things and have also come out on top. 😊
Omg the bad habit has hit hard because this is me. I love the good habits especially the first two. Thanks as always for the great advice and encouragement you share with us all. Wishing you all a happy, healthy and peaceful 2025. Mary, Joes wife. 🙇♀️👏💪👍🙏💐🐕🦺🎆 🎉🎊
I also struggle with cooking . Bannana bread is awesome and making your own bread ! Awesome . Might i suggest bundt cakes ! So simple everything in one bowl cooks in one pan and wala a yummy cake . Many of them start with a boxed cake mix. Always enjoy your videos .
It's very important as wives to remember that our husbands need appreciation. We wives can easily focus on what's wrong, what's missing or what's bugging us.
I love moments with strangers out in the world. I have them all the time. I take peoples carts back all the time at Aldi. If I have a quarter I will give it to them. Sometimes I don't and offer anyhow. Especially if I see a mom with some kids or a person who maybe older or have a cane. But I do it to everyone. I also give my cart away all the time to people. I help people in stores find things and will go out of my way to let them know if I come across it myself. I handed out coupons one time for $5 off that was expiring that day. That was fun. I really struggled during the pan demic. It really felt isolating to me because I definitely need those little everyday moments and convos. I had a couple wonderful interactions still but those moments of not being close to others greatly effected me. I am an extrovert though. But a friendly cashier and a joke in the aisle at a store has made a huge change for me on rough days. Your sunshine I am sure has brightened lots of others days. ❤🌞
I definitely need to meal plan better. I am the sole cook in the family. My husband easts the same thing every day and the kids have various dietary needs so it gets annoying and i have been burned out. And so many dishes all the time. And i have had to hand wash. 😩 I also didnt have a working oven for like half the year. It is fixed now thank goodness. But i definitely hav been kitchen bitter this past year. And I actually liked cooking. 😢i think the enviroment and the stress just sucked the joy out of it. That definitely n rds a refresh and a plan in the next year but simplified.
Hi Laura, a big fan of your work and many haircuts , your journey . you are a typical Irish person around phrase 😉 but the white balance is a bit off as you look like a ghost on the TV or the Irish girl on the sandy beach 😂😂photo , the one with 2 girls ....😂 did you see the second girl
@HowToGYST I am glad you are feeling better as I know your struggle as I have been dealing with it since 2011 and I am in a much better place now with the help of a new doc in Naas and a lovely councillor helping me to see the light or the woods for the tree 🌳
Oh no, not ChatGPT. Sorry Laura. I had liked this video but feel very conflicted now because I can't support AI and I feel sad that you gave away your intellectual property to it- I'm glad you had a positive experience right now, but I worry about the long term impact on your business and creativity when your wisdom been stolen and imitated.
It wasn't my intellectual property, it was just some little life events. And ChatGPT chats are private and aren't used to train AI. It's more likely to be stealing things that I publicly share in these videos or on social media. But I get it, it's still a very uncertain and worrying technology overall.
@HowToGYST any sentence you write is your intellectual property though- and I know that uni lecturers have been having huge issues with the students feeding their words in so AI can summarise the lecture for example so I was worried it would affect you too. I'm probably a massive reactionary, I acknowledge that (I turn off every AI feature I can, would never have an Alexa etc listening to me in my home) but I feel so so sad about a machine that only exists to be fed human creative outputs and to plagiarise and imitate them. I hope the bubble bursts and it all goes away like NFTs did.
Wow, that last 2 mins hit me like a train. I've also had a similar revelation recently 🤦🏻♀️ I've been putting myself last / zero priority, and running around doing everything for everyone (to my own detriment) for too long. I'm burnt out mentally and physically, and honestly rather angry/bitter about it.
Keeping myself in 1 piece (vs the painkillers, knee braces and walking stick from overdoing everything) and going at my body's REALISTIC pace is my goal. I think that's my word for 2025. I've spent too many years going for the A+ with too long to do lists, and never stopping or recharging in between. It's definitely long overdue for me to be a human BEING rather than a human doing; not forgetting to truly live, rather than just exist and accomplish.
I've been doing your "dry run December" approach; taking more time to read and colour while resting my legs up, in between other tasks, and it's helping me no end!
Thank you as always for your honesty and insights, as well as all your tips that have legit made a positive impact on my life. You're made of awesome (and rainbows) don't forget it! 😜💗
Sending love and best wishes for the rest of this season and into the new year, from Hannah & G 👏😘
Short list:
5 good habits:
1. Weekly marriage meetings 0:54
2. A morning wellness routine 4:21
3. Meal planning 7:05
4. Baking 10:30
5. Using ChatGPT as my life coach 15:14
1 bad habit:
1. Suffering in silence 18:30
Thank you so much for making this list
"...the closest I'm ever going to get to performing actual magic..."
Thank you for sharing about depression. I have changed my meds, and i am doing a lot better. Hopefully, 2025 will be a better year.
I'm so glad to hear you're doing better! 💖 Fingers crossed for 2025!
I'm done suffering in silence too. I'm also done putting everyone else's needs ahead of my own and having nothing left to take care of myself. 2025 is going to be my year of doing things differently.
Thank you. I am a person who have suffered in silence. This year has been one of the hardest year in my marriage. My all time low was last December. I am a very independent person and an only child. So all my life I have have kept things inside, not able to communicate my feelings. I just turned 49 a couple of weeks ago. I have decided this is a year to work on me and keep working on my marriage. Keep posting!!
10:08 lol! My ‘this banana is good to eat’ window is about 30 minutes I think 😂
I am so grateful for your honesty about depression. As someone who has also really struggled this year and was bouyed by the return of your videos I am bringing into 2025 weekly meetings with myself, more creativity through art and leaving behind couch rotting. The balance between your videos and muchelleb’s definitely helps so thank you 🇳🇿
I’m new to your channel and let me tell you I know exactly what you are talking about the depression and you should be very proud of yourself and that you are able just to get out of bed and make bread and cookies etc, I am so proud of you and I don’t even know u !! I am so happy I found you also I love your kitchen it’s so clean and beautiful and shiny ❤❤❤❤
Love the meal planning tip! It's a new approach & perspective that I'm excited to try😊 Meal Planning is the bane if my routine😅 but necessary❤️♾️❤️
I've made is as simple as I possibly can for myself and it's working wonders!
Great video, Laura. I love your decluttering videos, but these deep dive Life videos are excellent! I am coming to the end stage of decluttering and have been asking, "Now what?" lately and trying to decide what the new me will be doing.
I love your "Labyrinth" door knockers. Your habits are sounding like a few of things in my life, too. I'm glad you did get a good grasp on your life. Thank you for sharing your journey. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
I feel that all (except one) of your habits are very doable and will try to incorporate them in my life. The one thing I can’t imagine doing is speaking up for myself. I’m pretty convinced that I’m not really that important in the grand scheme of things. Anytime I’ve made that effort in the past has backfired big time, so I’m ok with working thru my “issues” inwardly. I avoid conflict at all cost - I have a 100% lose record with conflict, and peace is more valuable to me than any delusions of my self worth. But I’m very happy for and totally encourage those who can assert themselves! Thank you for a great video❤
Gail your comment struck a chord in me but I didn't want to just put a 'like' and affirm your description of your self-worth as a "delusion"! You - your presence - are your most precious gift in your time on this beautiful planet. I agree, sometimes the work needs to start inwardly. I wondered if you've come across 'The Artist's Way' by Julia Cameron? She finds lovely ways of helping us find and listen to our voice within and affirm our way forward. Wishing you well!
@ thank you for the recommendation, I’ll definitely check it out❤️
Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year!
I too go into depression rather than rock the boat, so I know that one only too well.
Laura, could you give any more information on your life audit workshop? I am retiring later on this year, and would like more information to see if this could be for me. (It's scary, as a single person living alone, and who has been in the same job for over 20 years, but I am getting so tired, and various changes at work, plus arriving at 65 make this a good time.)
Thank you for the encouragement, and great job on your progress! I too have struggled with depression my entire life. I was diagnosed with PTSD from childhood trauma about 2 years ago, and this year I also struggled with a LOT of anger! What helped you finally believe you deserve to put yourself first and are worthy to just exist...I still struggle with this daily at almost 60 years old. I am in therapy, she says I'm making progress, but most days it doesn't feel like it.
Marriage meetings, love that. Me and my usvand rarely can have a conversation uninterupted. Or we are both exhausted. Or i am doing house stuff. Or we watch shows but don't always have the convos.
We do ours right before we watch a show. Lovely way to connect and then relax.
I don't consider myself a people pleaser but I will not suffer in silence either. I've been bold at straight up about things, currently, nothing has changed but I let it constantly be known how I feel and my expectations. He doesn't like it and is tired of me saying the same stuff...well ... if changes were made...🤷🏾♀️ I wouldn't have to keep saying it. I shouldn't hqve to keep saying it. I'm tired of saying it too. But, it will be done and I will come out on top in the end. It's lonnnnng over due. Glad you overcame some things and have also come out on top. 😊
Omg the bad habit has hit hard because this is me. I love the good habits especially the first two. Thanks as always for the great advice and encouragement you share with us all. Wishing you all a happy, healthy and peaceful 2025. Mary, Joes wife. 🙇♀️👏💪👍🙏💐🐕🦺🎆 🎉🎊
I so agree with you about bananas. A little green is great.😂
You are truly amazing!!!😮
Thanks! This is great. I have started to compile some ideas for 2025.
I'm thinking of combining a monthly marriage meeting with meal planning... thanks for the inspo!
I also struggle with cooking . Bannana bread is awesome and making your own bread ! Awesome . Might i suggest bundt cakes ! So simple everything in one bowl cooks in one pan and wala a yummy cake . Many of them start with a boxed cake mix. Always enjoy your videos .
Thanks for the great video! I have the same sweater........love it!! Home Alone 1and 2 are my favorite!! Appreciate your honesty.
Thank you for this amazing video.
This was super helpful (also, how did I never notice your tongue piercing before in 6 years of following you?!) XD
I was able to hide it from my parents for ages after getting it (without permission) as a teenager. 🤣
First habit - basic tenet of the Marriage Encounter program - well done!
I am working on my listening skills.
Lol, I also taught myself how to make macarons in my 40s!!
I got a macaron baking kit for Christmas! 😍
It's very important as wives to remember that our husbands need appreciation. We wives can easily focus on what's wrong, what's missing or what's bugging us.
They also need to step up to the plate without us having to ask.
I love moments with strangers out in the world. I have them all the time. I take peoples carts back all the time at Aldi. If I have a quarter I will give it to them. Sometimes I don't and offer anyhow. Especially if I see a mom with some kids or a person who maybe older or have a cane. But I do it to everyone. I also give my cart away all the time to people. I help people in stores find things and will go out of my way to let them know if I come across it myself. I handed out coupons one time for $5 off that was expiring that day. That was fun. I really struggled during the pan demic. It really felt isolating to me because I definitely need those little everyday moments and convos. I had a couple wonderful interactions still but those moments of not being close to others greatly effected me. I am an extrovert though. But a friendly cashier and a joke in the aisle at a store has made a huge change for me on rough days. Your sunshine I am sure has brightened lots of others days. ❤🌞
I make babana muffins. The bread mixture in muffin pans. People can just grab as they want.
I definitely need to meal plan better. I am the sole cook in the family. My husband easts the same thing every day and the kids have various dietary needs so it gets annoying and i have been burned out. And so many dishes all the time. And i have had to hand wash. 😩 I also didnt have a working oven for like half the year. It is fixed now thank goodness. But i definitely hav been kitchen bitter this past year. And I actually liked cooking. 😢i think the enviroment and the stress just sucked the joy out of it. That definitely n rds a refresh and a plan in the next year but simplified.
I am going to mget back to quilting.
So, sourdough recipes please!
Congratulations on the baking! I’m 65 and have been baking since I was a kid!
I’m not a cook but I can bake. 🥰
Same
Thankfully my husband can cook! 😂
It's fun to give your kids a night to make dinner.
💛
🥰
Hi Laura, a big fan of your work and many haircuts , your journey . you are a typical Irish person around phrase 😉 but the white balance is a bit off as you look like a ghost on the TV or the Irish girl on the sandy beach 😂😂photo , the one with 2 girls ....😂 did you see the second girl
😂 I'm pretty luminous at the best of times 👻 but yes, the white balance might have been a little off in this one.
@HowToGYST I am glad you are feeling better as I know your struggle as I have been dealing with it since 2011 and I am in a much better place now with the help of a new doc in Naas and a lovely councillor helping me to see the light or the woods for the tree 🌳
Biker babe or banana bread baker? Tough call.
Doesn’t have to be one or the other. 😉
@ Banana bread baking biker babe! It does have a certain ring to it 😄
Oh no, not ChatGPT. Sorry Laura. I had liked this video but feel very conflicted now because I can't support AI and I feel sad that you gave away your intellectual property to it- I'm glad you had a positive experience right now, but I worry about the long term impact on your business and creativity when your wisdom been stolen and imitated.
It wasn't my intellectual property, it was just some little life events. And ChatGPT chats are private and aren't used to train AI. It's more likely to be stealing things that I publicly share in these videos or on social media. But I get it, it's still a very uncertain and worrying technology overall.
@HowToGYST any sentence you write is your intellectual property though- and I know that uni lecturers have been having huge issues with the students feeding their words in so AI can summarise the lecture for example so I was worried it would affect you too. I'm probably a massive reactionary, I acknowledge that (I turn off every AI feature I can, would never have an Alexa etc listening to me in my home) but I feel so so sad about a machine that only exists to be fed human creative outputs and to plagiarise and imitate them. I hope the bubble bursts and it all goes away like NFTs did.