Well that was novel. For the first time in more than a decade, I took an actual holiday and by that, I mean that I did no work whatsoever for more than a week while we shacked up at the seaside.

I did do a teeny bit of social media scheduling, but that was it. My able assistant held the fort and I ignored messages from clients who insisted on firing questions at me, even though I’d said ‘I AM ON HOLIDAY!!’

As a self-employed person, I always reasoned that I couldn’t afford a holiday. I’d add the cost of the break to the money I wouldn’t earn if I didn’t graft for a whole week and on paper, it always looked eye-wateringly expensive. Clearly progress has been made because I took a rest and nothing bad happened. I still got paid and now I feel full of vim and vigour.

I like living this way and I intend to make it even better. Easier. More fun. I have been inspired by a book called Becoming Genevieve. It’s written by a woman who isn’t really called Genevieve. That is her pen name.

Not that long ago, she was working in a factory on minimum wage, living in a grotty flat, single, fat and prone to bouts of depression. One day it struck her that she was the creator of her miserable life. Nobody was going to save her, nobody was coming, if she wanted things to change, the buck stopped at her door.

She’s a great writer. It only took me a day to read the book and she managed to distill the whole spiritual message into something hugely accessible.

She writes: “You’ll be able to create things with an ease you probably can’t comprehend right now. Once you get the inspiration to create your desire, and start acting on it, you’re going to discover just how much the universe is going to help you out. It will offer you opportunities and resources, serendipitous circumstances, putting all the right people and events in your way to make everything easier. It will give you insights that will blow your mind. It will provide you with suggestions you might never have dreamed of.”

Now, I wouldn’t mind a slice of that, but thus far, I have been unable to just be and trust in the universe. I still believe that life is one long hard slog and then you die. Genevieve’s life was just that. She was doing 70-hour weeks in a factory and hating every minute of it. Things aren’t that bad around here and if she can do it, why can’t I?

Apparently, the first step is to stop complaining and feel grateful. That much I can manage. I have felt really thankful this week – for my Dad’s renewed health, for family, for beautiful beaches, butterflies, silky sea water, fantastic food, a hilarious husband, quirky kids, a healthy body…I could go on, really. I’m brimful of gratitude after my holiday. Clearly it is something I must do it more often.