I have just met Lisa O’Neill via the internet – she is a breath of fresh air and a newfound female friend.  A mum of 4 kids, lively, loving life and encouraging women to take responsibility for their own lives and happiness.

Why?

“I spent 25 years in the fashion industry, with all these unhappy women and they weren’t in charge of their stuff.  And they’re like ‘Oh, my life’s really bad” and I’m like  “who’s in charge of that?”… So I thought we should fix that, really.”

Here she is, advertising her own planner, in a social media blast:

Because it’s a farcebook broadcast, it’s a tiny bit disconcerting to see her suddenly saying “Hi Gina!”  “Hello lorna from Sydney” etc.  But she is an unstoppable force, she gets right back on track.

Her planner has large pages, so she can write it all in, but then she just takes a photo on her phone and that’s all she needs to work with, on the day.

Getting over January before it starts

Start of the year, she says to put in big events and birthdays: “Get your big shit in there, that’s the key”.  (She is refreshingly free of management-speak).

As she goes over the start of the year, she’s all about health, with a new naturopath, “she thinks I should be having NO coffee” (Lisa pulls a face and takes a swig of wine).

She gives us a good realistic piece of advice on the start of year health craze

“You can only do about 3 or 4 things at a time, so I don’t want you go mental like people do at this time of year: They think: ‘I’m stopping potatoes, I’m giving up coffee,  and I’ll run every day and I’ll drink 45 glasses of water and then  I’ll like my children and I’ll spend time with my family’…. you’re not going to get all that done, so just stop right now!”

Have a Meeting with Yourself

Lisa has a meeting with herself twice a week.  She checks in: “How’s it all going?”  “How are things working?”  “How are they not working?”  She has a checklist – not a perfectionist self torture device, but to make you think:

• in this last week, how’s my food?
• how’s my hydration?
• how’s the head – are you a bit mental/stressed?
• how’s the health
• fitness
• relationships
• your children
• your jobs
• friendships
• extended family

For the meeting, she has a fancy pen and pencils and makes it fun.

Your life is your masterpiece

Her favourite quote is “You must edit your life ruthlessly: your life is your masterpiece.”

So she recommends to write some stuff down in your planner that you want to do – and make the year amazing.  It’s our own responsibility to plan in interesting stuff and people into our own lives.  For her, she has to have a massage each week, it’s non-negotiable – and she will also plan in a coffee with a friend and/or a film at a cinema, as they both bring her joy.

Better than the average

I have seen too many bland young women saying brightly “Hi! welcome to my channel” from their white and beige samey rooms in YouHoo video land, before laying down the law on what you should be wearing or how to organise your life.  Thankfully, I’ve come across a handful – who are slightly older and have sense, life experience, more colour and humour.  Lisa is outstandingly excellent and head and shoulders above so many wouldbe self-broadcasters.

Creative Takeaways

We should all be a motivational speaker – at least to ourselves.

Why not give it a whirl?  Arrange a meeting with yourself twice a week, and begin asking how it’s going with your own list of what is important in keeping your life on track.

Don’t be scared to consider a life change.  After 25 successful years working in the fashion industry as a stylist, she changed her career to write the book “Juggling in High Heels – how to organise chaos” and launch a career as a motivational speaker.  Why?  Because she realised women needed more than just a fantastic top which suited them.  Do you have a skill or gift which could benefit others – and which you have a nagging feeling may just be why you’re on this earth to do?  Investigate that.  Make time for it.