Listener, thinker, do-er, be-er, coach, mentor, teacher, speaker, writer, podcaster.
Gentle wisdom and loving insights freely shared.
Bold opinions – lightly held.
Underachieving perfectionist.
Non-conforming conformist.

A curated, and yet incomplete, list of achievements and underachievements from this month…

Update Jan/Feb/March 2025

  • Personally…
  • I got new glasses and Mr W says I look like Timmy Mallet!
  • One of my boys passed his driving test and turned 18
  • Afternoon tea for a 50th birthday party – the BEST type of party IMO!
  • Huge haircut – 6 inches off. It was getting like candy floss!
  • Day at a spa
  • All my cancer scans were clear 🙌🏼
  • Alcohol Free Insiders meet up in London
  • Log cabin holiday between Christmas and New Year
  • Watched: It’s a Wonderful Life and A Muppet Christmas Carol
  • Watching: The Diplomat. Reading: Murder for busy people by Tony Parsons, Geneva by Richard Armitage, The secret language of the body by Jennifer Mann and When the body says No by Gabor Mate
  • Professionally…
  • Dry January – what else can I say!
  • Booked to deliver more First Aid for Mental Health Training
  • All the other professional things can be found here

Updated 2nd December 2024

  • Personally…
  • Time away in the Lake District on a fitness retreat and then a coaching conference
  • Read: The list of suspicious things by Jennie Godfrey, The outsider by Jane Casey and Summer romance by Annabel Monaghan
  • Cannot stop thinking about Poor by Katriona O’Sullivan my FAVOURITE book of 2024
  • Continuing to be very cautious about not over committing to events in December
  • Watched: Lost Christmas (recommend) and How to fall in love by Christmas (do not recommend)!
  • Professionally…
  • Passed more qualifications NEBOSH – Wellbeing at work and Managing stress at work
  • Delivered First Aid for Mental Health training to small business owners
  • All the other professional things can be found here

Updated 8th November 2024

  • Personally…
  • Long distance walk in the Wye Valley with two friends a perfect 26 miles/42 KM
  • Sober Social Event in London
  • Read: Boy Swallows Universe
  • Watched: Ludwig – Brilliant/Slow Horses – New series please!
  • Professionally…
  • Finished my Level 3 Qualification in Education and Training. This training and assessment takes most people who do it between 9 months and a year. I had already completed all of the practical education I needed for it so I set myself the task to do it in 3 weeks – and I did!
  • Accredited FIrst Aid for Mental Health qualification completed.
  • A visit to Glasgow for a conference!
  • Interviewed on Far to Fabulous with Julie and Catherine – listen here
  • All the other professional things can be found here

Updated 1st October 2024

  • Personally…
  • Visiting College open days with one of my boys
  • Night out with my girlfriends – Dinner and comedy show
  • Sober Social Walk in Surrey
  • Read: We all want impossible things by Catherine Newman and Poor by Katriona O’Sullivan – both brilliant
  • Watched: About Time movie đź’–
  • Professionally…
  • Visit to The House of Commons
  • Interviewed on Project Me Podcast listen here
  • Interviewed on Well Well Well podcast listen here
  • Interviewed on JĹŤrni Podcast listen here
  • Interviewed on Off the Hanger watch here
  • All the other professional things can be found here

Updated 1st September 2024

  • Personally…
  • August 2024 might go down in the ‘story of my life’ as a month best glossed over. There was far more medical intervention within my family than anyone would wish for and it was all slightly less than ideal.
  • I have, however, managed to fit in some training for a 42km walk I’m doing next month
  • I spoke at (and cried at – see my email dated 1st September if you want to read why) The Trauma Responsive Therapeutic Coaching Conference in Birmingham.
  • Volunteering: I am a volunteer Samaritan Listener and am also a volunteer leader in a refugee/asylum seeker group, I had a break from both roles through August. My Samaritan branch was closed for a refurbishment and my refugee/asylum seeker group had four weeks off. I’m so happy to be back at both now, I love having these roles in my life.
  • Read: Several books on Trauma (just as well after this month)!
  • Watched: The Phantom of the Open (brilliant)! Mrs Harris Goes to Paris (life affirming)! Blinded by the light (wonderful)! I’d tell you that I’m not really a movie kinda gal – but turns out this month I was and I loved what I watched.
  • Professionally…
  • Alcohol Free Insiders (my tiny membership group) had our annual day out in London – It was perfect. Coffee, walking, talking, lunch in an amazing Greek Restaurant, more talking, a visit to the Poetry Cafe, tea and cake! If that isn’t a good day out – I don’t know what is!
  • Featured on Quiet the Hive podcast – listen here
  • All the other professional things can be found here

Updated 7th August 2024

  • Personally…
  • Another visit to Glasgow for a wedding – see my dancing and plenty of kilts on my instagram page
  • Training for a 26 mile walk in September
  • Read: The heart’s invisible furies – John Boyne (WOW)!
  • Watched: All the beauty and the bloodshed

    AND The final episode of Ted Lasso – ask me about it – go on!
  • Professionally…
  • New article published in OM Yoga Magazine – read it here
  • Interviewed on Move Daily Talks with Tracy Steen – listen here
  • All the other professional things can be found here

Updated 1st July 2024

  • Personally…
  • Family W flew up to Scotland for the huge Clan Gathering we have every 10 years. 38 of us now!
  • The Samaritans – long distance fundraising walk completed
  • Read: Notes on grief by Chimamanda Adichie
  • Watched: The Duke
  • Professionally…
  • Launched my new website www.sarahw.com please take a look
  • My invite to The House of Commons this month was rescinded. Apparently the general election takes all the time and attention at the moment!
  • Trauma Responsive training and qualification completed.
  • All the other professional things can be found here

Updated 1st June 2024

  • Personally…
  • Attended my favourite wedding of 2024 so far – Now I want every future wedding to feature a Drag Queen!
  • Read: Why be happy when you could be normal – Jeanette Winterson
  • Watched: Gone fishing
  • Professionally…
  • Invited to and attended Garden Party at Buckingham Palace
  • Invited to The House of Commons in July – watch this space!
  • Spoke at the amazing BEE WILD weekend event – It was life affirming
  • Spoke on The Midlife Wisdom Stage at the Mind, Body and Spirit Festival in London – Loved every second
  • All the other professional things can be found here

Updated 2nd May 2024

  • Personally…
  • Went to see Sister Act in the West End with some friends. Total blast! Visit to theatre dressing room to hang out with one of the cast, visit to fancy hotel for after-show drinks (alcohol free obvs) and home without missing the last train!
  • Expedition season begins! Last weekend I was out with 140 teenagers supporting them to navigate and camp in the Surrey Hills. I took Martha (my dog) on her first expedition – she loved it. We were both exhausted!
  • Read: Age of vice by Deepti Kapoor – thrilling!
  • Watched: Nothing at the moment actually. Reading is the thing!
  • Cooked: Experimenting with getting more protein into my vegetarian diet. It’s a learning curve.
  • Professionally…
  • A visit to meet someone new from an online training I participate in. We met for coffee and brilliant personal and professional life-affirming chats!
  • Two in-person events! One was networking and I didn’t love it. One was training and I did love it.
  • I’m booked to speak on stage at the Mind, Body and Spirit Festival in London at the end of this month. Get your tickets here.  Let me know when you’ve got your ticket and let’s have coffee together!
  • Started a new training course… it’s mind blowing and brilliant.
  • All the other professional things can be found here

Updated 3rd April 2024

  • Personally…
  • Funtimes with the enormous teenagers – went to a sushi making workshop – I’m here to tell you… It’s harder than it looks!
  • I didn’t run in our local half marathon this Spring.  I’ve retired myself from running and I feel OK about that.  I did an excellent job of cheering, flag waving and shouting unhelpful stuff.  I stood about 500 meters from the finish line and LOVED shouting “You’re nearly HALFWAY there.”
  • Read: Anything you want by Derek Sivers
  • I’ve got such a lot of time for Derek… one of my all-time favourite clips from a TedTalk is this
  • Read: Operation Moonlight by Louise Moorish (delightful)
  • Watched: The Gentlemen on Netflix.  Fabulous cinematography!  The colours, the costumes, the music!
  • Professionally…
  • I had a day out in London with my AFI’s (Alcohol Free Insiders). Every second was either a joy or thought provoking!
  • I’m booked to on stage at the Mind, Body and Spirit Festival in London in May. Get your tickets here.  Let me know when you’ve got your ticket and let’s have coffee together!
  • 1:1 Coaching my new clients through Alcohol Free April…. Squeeeee…. Brilliant new people in my world… my heart and their heart… heart bumps!
  • Read: Blurb your enthusiasm by Louise Wilder in preparation for new TOP SECRET project!
  • All the other professional things can be found here

Updated 4th March 2024

  • Personally…
  • Went to the cinema to watch ‘Wicked Little Letters’ with a girlfriend – brilliant, I loved it!
  • Visit to comedy club (by myself)
  • Decluttered a bookshelf – felt very good!
  • Reading
    Non-Fiction: Prison; A survival guide by Carl Cattermole
    Fiction: The Knot by Mark Watson
  • Professionally…
  • Successfully loaded the Drink Less; Live Better Podcast onto You Tube
  • Got featured on electronic billboards as part of a campaign
  • Featured on The Andy Ramage Podcast
  • Featured on The Tickle Time Podcast
  • All the other professional things can be found here

    Updated 2nd February 2024
  • Personally…
  • This is a birthday month in our family (4 in one week) – lots of cake to be baked and eaten!
  • Using my habit tracker to track when I’ve been completing my stretching exercises. Want a copy of the tracker? Click here
  • Watching Mr Bates Vs The Post Office – a scandal!
  • Watched 3 movies in a month (this NEVER happens in my world) Nyad, Faraway and Sister Act
  • Reading – The Art of Enough by Becky Hall. Lovely read.
  • Professionally…
  • Building my new Expert Speaker Website
  • Enjoying the author events I’ve been invited to speak in at local independent bookshops
  • Follow on February for those people continuing their Dry January and want support and bespoke resources 1:1
  • Loving hosting Rest Club come check it out!
  • Allll the other professional things can be found here

    Updated 7th January 2024 – 2024? Wow!
  • Personally…
  • Reflecting on a lovely few days away with my husband, teens and dog!
  • Celebrating my 46th birthday in a way that feels great to me
  • Walking using an app to map my routes – game changer
  • Watching Slow Horses – just LOVE it
  • Reading – A therapeutic journey, lessons from the school of life by Alain De Botton
  • Professionally…
  • Meeting with a book publisher to discuss Drink Less; Live Better
  • Putting together my new website to promote my corporate well-being speaking/group workshops/1:1s
  • Loving hosting Rest Club come check it out!
  • Writing this page and committing to update it once a month or so.
  • Allll the other professional things can be found here

    Updated 1st December 2023
  • Personally…
  • Booking diary days with my husband/teenagers for things we’d like to do this month
  • Getting the Christmas Tree decorated
  • Worrying less about keeping traditions that don’t ‘fit’ anymore
  • Looking forward to a bit of time away from work
  • Reading – What’s that lady doing by Lou Sanders (very good)!
  • Professionally…
  • Getting excited about my Drink Less; Live Better Dry January Book Tour of Independent Bookshops.
  • Loving hosting Rest Club come check it out!
  • Writing this page and committing to update it once a month or so.
  • Allll the other professional things can be found here

    Updated 3rd November 2023
  • Personally…
  • Watching Series 3 of Ted Lasso – I’ve put off watching it for ages because I absolutely don’t want it to end. I’m on episode 11 and I cannot bring myself to press play on the final episode.
  • Reading Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.
  • Waiting for MRI, mammogram and ultrasound followed by appointment with consultant to discuss results.
  • Waking at 4.15am. YES! 4.15am in the morning – One of my boys has a new Assistant Greenkeeper job and I’m taking him to work
  • Finishing a loooong training course for my volunteering role.
  • Professionally…
  • Preparing to speak at the Mind Body and Spirit Festival Birmingham in November.
  • Lining up my Drink Less; Live Better Dry January Book Tour of Independent Bookshops.
  • Loving hosting Rest Club come check it out!
  • Writing this page and committing to update it once a month or so.
  • Allll the other professional things can be found here

This NOW page has been inspired by Derek Sivers and you can read all about the brilliant idea here