NatalieClaire

The older I get the busier I am and that’s certainly true for most people… well… most of the time – or it might be the fact that we have more responsibilities now. ( Compared to when we were young ). Sometimes we can get so busy that we forget what is really important? For me; things like networking, attending courses/workshops, socializing and work – these are the things that pull me in many different directions. I enjoy meeting new people, learning new skills and being out of my comfort zone ( face a fear- right! ). There are endless, events, workshops, programs…etc and before long all of my free time is gone. So I wanted to put a little more effort into doing what is most beneficial for my own well-being, personal growth and happiness. And to be honest I just got feed up of being pulled left, right and centre by everything. Being happy

Do you ever feel like some times you are so concerned about everything and everyone else that you forget about taking care of yourself ? August has been a challenging month for me: ups, downs and everything in-between. In both my personal and professional life – they have been extremely demanding of my time, skills and capabilities (more like a complete shake up in my work-life balance ). Although I had a lot to deal with I still felt that I had to complete and attend to all my regular commitments as normal.

The power of the internet has made this happen. Jacky (currently in Australia ) and I met through a mutual Facebook group that focuses on personal development . After spotting each other as engineers in the group we connected and started exchanging emails. She is a real woman in STEM and this lady is definitely one to watch - a female engineer with a great future ahead. Bio:  My name is Jacky Ayo-Opio. I am 22, and an engineer . I love all things creative - sketching,  painting, braiding, designing and building; and all things active - from running to playing various sports, and random outdoor activities. Picture 1 ( Right). Christmas in Uganda 2015 - I am of Ugandan heritage, I didn’t get to go there often as a child, however in the last 6 or so years I have gone every 2nd year with my parents and brother. It is a place that is, though unfamiliar, has a feeling of belonging, because it is where my family is from - it is such a strange feeling to hold about a place. This

Goal setting: If you've been struggling to achieve your goals – I have a few tips that will help you achieve them in 10 steps. See my previous 2016 goals - HERE. 1. W rite a lis t of the Top 10 goals you want to achieve. 2. Decide which one is your most important goal, which will have the greatest impact on your life right now.    o Think about why it is important to you.    o What will the result look like?    o Other than yourself who else will benefit once you achieve this goal? 3. Visualise your end goal . (How will you feel once complete? Write down some notes - we all need something to look forward to, so see your end goal.)

This is where I am at the moment - mentally and physically I feel that by becoming the best I can be, will result in gaining the best that this world has to offer. So I stop chasing and stating being who I want to be and the rest will come naturally.  Does this resonate with you? If so comment below and let me know.                                        Natalie- Claire x PS:  Don't miss my next post -  Subscribe  to my blog and get a  FREE  pdf guide to being more organised! 

I am happy to present to you another great woman in STEM Dr Rosine , who is a good friend of mine. We met at university during our undergraduate degree - civil engineering and although we have taken different paths; she continued in academia and I am venturing out into industry. We are both very passionate about engineering and encouraging other women to go out there and have a career in STEM. Bio: My name is Dr Rosine Tepondjou originally from Cameroon. I recently obtained my PhD in Geotechnical engineering at the University of Salford with an undergraduate degree in civil engineering.  Brought up in a bilingual country, I speak both French and English fluently. As I was growing up I was always fascinated by nature , infrastructure and soils which has my driven ambition to study civil engineering and specialise in geotechnical engineering (Soil study). Besides my passion for engineering, I enjoy cooking, watching movies, crochet and spending time w

Inspiration  I came across this quote one afternoon while doing some personal development tasks.  I was  starting to wonder if all this ' personal development ' I'm   doing for myself  was actually helping in any way. And when I read this quote I realised something important:  working on yourself  actually helps you to  improve  all the other parts of your life that you wouldn't think need any improvements.  It slowly creeps into every area of your life - in a good way of course. For example being able to  recognise  when something is not working and you need to either  change it  or improve it. 

Event: CodeGirl Movie Screening Venue: Co-operative Head Office, Angel Square. Manchester  On arrival, we were welcomed with a drinks reception and a guest pass to enter. The event began with an introduction from Danielle, one of the organisers [ Ladies of code ] and the tech director of our host The Co-operative Group.  They both focused on the importance of encouraging girls to get involved in tech and to start learning how to code from any age.  The Movie:  T he movie is more of a docu-film, it is about  an  international competition  for girls in high school to take part in. They have   to create an APP that solves a problem within their community. They have to design and code the APP themselves and present a video demo of how it works as part of the competition entry. 

This was a wake-up call for me, I had a number of goals in mind but didn't actually make a plan to complete  (some)  them . And this is where your goal ends and becomes a wish. If you are not willing to take the time to create a plan, on how you are going to accomplish it just remains a pipe dream.  How hard can it be to sit down one evening and write out a simple step-by-step plan to how you will accomplish your goals . Easier said than done most of the time right? Because we get too busy with work/family/friends and  life in general gets in the way. The daily routine  takes over, I would be the first to put my hand up and say I do it: getting my daily tasks, projects and chores done (although not necessarily more important) but it needs to get done, so I procrastinate on planning and tell myself I'll do it tomorrow...

Getting through my early twenties was a challenge .  (A little scary to admit but I felt completely overwhelmed to become this adult everyone expects you to be).  At times I felt like I had no control over my world, both p ersonally and professionally . I needed to do something about it. And these three books saved me from crumbling.  1. The defining decade by Dr Meg Jay.   I started reading this book just before I hit 25 and honestly, it was a life saver. It helped me realise that this is the decade to define who and what you want to become. Dr Jay as an expert writes about the lies and misconceptions society tells us to believe about what our twenties should look like, the reality, however, can be a little disappointing. And she helps us make sense of it all.   The three main areas  of focus  highlighted in the defining decade are Work; Love; The brain and the body. Work Using your twenties to build your identity in the field of your choice, by building

I am happy to present another great woman in STEM, who is loving life and her career. She is a computer scientist with a passion for helping people. Name:  Anne Ssuuna About: I am a gal who loves and thrives on technology . As a Seventh day Adventist Christian I always say to God you are the IT expert and I am the hands. I love helping people resolve their technical issue. Every day is a new day with new problems ready to be fixed. Subject/Industry:  Computing (Computer Science) Job title- what you do:   Infrastructure Analyst Typical daily routine : Communicating and providing support to staff, students and visitors within the school of computer science and the University either face to face, via the phone or through email.

Inspiration   This quote has helped me many times when I have felt that people have judged me due to my appearance, circumstance or any other unknown reason. At the time I would feel hurt but after reading this quote, I find myself re-evaluating the situation and thinking to myself: why am I so concerned about how this person is treating me. Instead, why don't I just stop worrying about them and focus on how I want to treat others. The quote reminds me that if I want to see change, I should start with myself. How will I treat others and interact with them. If I treat others well that is a good and positive action.  I hope this short message inspires you today!  Now it's your turn: What quote has made you re-evaluate yourself instead of judging others? Natalie- Claire x PS:  Don't miss my next post -  Subscribe  to my blog & get a  FREE  guide to being more organised!