Stephanie Varda: She’ll Make You Work Harder!

At the tail end of 2017, I decided that 2018 was going to be a year of great change; instead of being the back half of a pantomime horse, being led by others in a direction I didn’t always agree with, this year I would throw off the arse-end of my well-worn costume and stop flogging that particular dead horse.

Having made the bold decision to sprinkle salt on the slug of self-doubt and reveal my true self,  it was a huge relief to shrug off the oppressive costume, stand tall once more, and draw in a deep lungful of the fresh air of opportunity. However, when the curtain fell on the last act of 2017 and I packed up my old life, it was with some trepidation that I eyed up the new persona which was waiting for me in the wings.

As the calendar flipped over to the first month of a new year, I cautiously tried my new life on for size. It felt slightly uncomfortable, like anything new. You’ll need to get used to it, wear it in a bit, I told myself. Like a new school blazer, it felt scratchy; a touch too big for little old me.

Fortunately, just as I wobbled and considered slipping back into that comfortable old pantomime horse outfit (metaphorically speaking, of course – you know I wasn’t really a panto horse, right?) Stephanie Varda appeared like a fairy godmother, waving her magic wand. As happens too often to be mere coincidence, I asked the Universe for help…and there she was.

I was introduced to Stephanie, a life coach, quite by chance by a mutual contact, Kelly Topping @mktgfreelancer whom I’d met a week earlier on Twitter (Kelly has also given me other opportunities – check out her Twitter #journorequests, fellow travel and lifestyle bloggers!).

What is a life coach?

A life coach will ascertain which aspects of your life you’re keen to change and then guide you through the process of making those changes happen – through questioning, positive encouragement, breaking goals down into bitesize chunks and setting weekly challenges. My blog may be called Life: A Bird’s Eye View, but I needed an outside influence to take a bird’s eye view of my life and how to get to where I wanted to be. Stephanie was just the woman to do that.

Who is Stephanie Varda?

Stephanie is a qualified life coach who lives in Athens. After employing the services of a life coach herself, she was so impressed with the transformation in her own life that she decided to train as a coach. She has a background in teaching and volunteering, so listening and helping others has always been at the heart of her career. She advises on all aspects of life improvement and achieving your goals, but her forte is stress management and image consultancy.

What does she offer?

Stephanie offers various packages according to the needs of the client, which you can view here. The first step is to send her an initial enquiry, either by email or using the contact form on her website. She will then arrange an initial complimentary consultation, usually via Facetime or Skype, to ascertain exactly what the client requires, explain how she would help, and to discover if the client would like to proceed. If so, they will agree a course of sessions, either face-to-face or via video call. These sessions are usually weekly, with Stephanie setting tasks and exercises between sessions and checking in via messages or emails throughout the process as and when required.

What results can I expect?

Like anything, you get out what you put in. Stephanie will guide and advise you, but only you can take action. Having a savvy cheerleader on your shoulder providing useful tips, practical advice and positive encouragement is often enough to keep clients moving forward on their path to a happier, more successful future.

How was it for me?

After a few email exchanges, my initial consultation takes place via Facetime whilst I’m on holiday in Thailand. I briefly explain to Stephanie the main things I’m looking to achieve in 2018 and we agree a plan of action: 3 hour-long weekly sessions, starting soon after my return to the UK.

Session One: 6th February

Back from my holiday and feeling refreshed, I’m eager to crack on with my exciting new life. At first, I feel slightly self-conscious speaking to a stranger about my innermost hopes and dreams, yet Steph soon puts me at ease. I explain that I want to make a career of writing, blogging and ultimately write a book and have it published. I acknowledge that this may be a part-time career alongside a retail role, which I have 25 years experience in, or perhaps, given the right focus and contacts, it could be something that I’ll be able to do full time.

Stephanie listens, asks probing questions and gets me to do a few exercises, such as closing my eyes, envisaging my dream life and describing what I see. She also gets me to list three things I like and dislike about myself. She speaks in a very positive, motivational way, pushing aside my doubts and encouraging self-belief. She gives me positive affirmations and mantras to repeat. Those readers who know me IRL will know that I am an extremely energetic ‘Type A’ kinda gal, so her calm, soothing manner is completely at odds with my own fast-paced style.

Trying to tame my monkey mind can be like herding cats, so she advises me to create and adhere to a written schedule, factoring in periods of relaxation. I’m eager to spend 100% of my time on my new venture, but she explains the importance of self-care and downtime too. It’s about being productive, rather than busy, and this approach helps to manage stress levels and avoid that sense of overwhelm at the task ahead.

Session Two: 13th February

Having exchanged messages via Whatsapp since our first session, Stephanie kicks off by following up on what I previously said I’d achieve. I read out the list the things I’ve done from my daily journal and she heaps on the praise, making me feel good about the baby steps I’ve made in the right direction. She has recommended potential income channels, and we discuss where I’ve got to with those.

Although outwardly self-assured, I feel able to confide my fear of failure, thus revealing a potential chink in my armour, and Steph recommends affirmations to strengthen my positivity, and breathing exercises to de-stress and stay focused on my goals. We agree my plan of action for the week ahead.

Session Three: 22nd February

One thing about having a life coach is the accountability factor. Whilst you may be able to kid yourself, kidding a professional life coach is a tad more difficult. I squirm as I admit with a sigh that I haven’t achieved some of the things on my list from the last session. Undeterred, Stephanie helps me address the reasons why and resets goals for the week ahead. She does not judge but gives me a nudge; reminding me that it is her job to challenge me and push me forward.

Where am I now?

It’s been four weeks since my first session with Stephanie. In that time I have written 14 blog posts (I was averaging one or two a month before), one article for a travel company called Adventure Meetups which you can read here, several collaborations with brands, won a competition, attended a swanky blogger event, Luxuria Lifestyle Blogfest, where I made some great contacts for future writing opportunities and was gifted a fab goody bag, written (and rewritten 🙄) a few chapters of my book, grown my followers across my social media channels, been interviewed for Walk In Our Shoes and invited onto a podcast. I’ve vlogged about International Women’s Day and dyed my hair purple for a IWD-related campaign.

I’ve blitzed my house from top to bottom (read my post: Tidy House, Tidy Mind) and performed a full life laundry. Perhaps the positive affirmations have been subconsciously driving me forward in other aspects of my life too, as I found the courage to end a relationship which was no longer making me happy. I’ve been approached to write for a major publication and there’s a possible new job on the horizon too. The list goes on!

Would I recommend Stephanie?

You betchya! Whilst there are some aspects of my life that still need work (such as sticking to my schedule and not falling down the social media rabbit-hole 🙄), there’s no disputing that I’ve achieved a lot in the last month. By applying the approach that she’s taught me, I’m confident that my list of achievements will continue to grow.

So what are you waiting for?

Get in touch with Stephanie Varda – and see how she can make YOU work harder!

Stephanie’s website, Twitter account and Facebook page.

Sam x

I am not affiliated with Stephanie Varda, life coach, in any way. I received a package of life coaching sessions in exchange for an honest review. 

Fancy reading my back-story before you go any further? You can find my other blogs at:

www.costaricachica1.blogspot.com
www.samgoessolo.blogspot.com
www.mummymission.blogspot.com
www.worldwidewalsh.blogspot.com

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