Joanna Frankham Coaching

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Joanna Frankham Coaching

50-something former Sydney-based health coach who moved to a lifestyle block in NZ... It's lovely! If this floats your boat, I'd love you to follow along.

I moved home to New Zealand in 2021 after living abroad for over twenty years. This change has given me the opportunity to slow my pace of life, start each day with a morning walking ritual, and spend time with my octogenarian parents, among other things. After over a decade as an AIP Mentor, coach, and blogger at joannafrankham.com, I'm not currently taking clients. I'm (still) not quite sure where this move home is taking me, but I do know that as a 50-something woman, I want to give myself every opportunity to become a healthy old person. This page reflects my choices to help me do just that plus a little 'life at the bottom of the world for a former urbanite in the country'. Contact me at [email protected]. Cheers,
Jx

16/10/2026

I don’t expect people to get everything right. God knows, I don’t.

But I do find myself increasingly paying attention to what happens when things go wrong.

Can we own our part? Have the uncomfortable conversation? Apologise properly? Find a way forward?

I’m less interested in whether we get it wrong than in what we’re prepared to do about it after the fact. How ‘bout you?

08/10/2026

How do I stay in the driver’s seat without pretending I’m the only person in the car?

Something I’ve been thinking on of late…

05/10/2026

We make a choice. And then we keep making it. And eventually, it can become so familiar that we forget there was ever a choice involved.

Not everything we keep choosing needs to change.

But every now and then, I think it’s worth asking: “Would I choose this again?” And if the answer is no, or even if I’m not so sure...

What then?

01/10/2026

I’ve been thinking about how often we use something we can measure as a proxy for something we actually care about.

Steps for movement.
Weight for health.
Likes for value.
Followers for influence.
Money for success.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with measuring things.

The trouble starts when we forget what the measurement was supposed to tell us in the first place.

Because the thing that’s easiest to count isn’t necessarily the thing that matters.

What are you measuring that might not actually be the thing you care about?

24/09/2026

I’ve been thinking a fair bit about control lately.

And not because I’ve suddenly discovered that I can’t control everything. I’ve definitely known that for a good long while. 😂

But I’ve noticed how easily “what can I control?” becomes a very unhelpful question. Because so much of life sits somewhere between ‘my stuff’ and ‘not my stuff’.

I can’t control what someone thinks of me.
I can’t control whether someone says yes.
I can’t control what ageing is going to do.

But there are things I can influence.

How I show up.
Whether I ask.
The conditions in which I age.

22/09/2026

I moved to this spot because I love the view.

At the time, I didn’t know what it would do for me.

Somewhere along the way, this wee patch of green became a humongous part of my world...

Now, I notice the seasons. The light. The weather. The birds.

And also, Bob. Of course.

It got me thinking about how much the places we live in might be doing for us without us really noticing.

What environments help keep you well?

17/09/2026

David took this photo at the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum in New York.

I was completely entranced by an exhibition of mouth-blown glass bulbs, each containing a hand-fabricated insect replica. Amazingly, they individually came to life when you moved your hand towards them. It was spellbinding.

I stood there for ages. I could have stood there for ages more.

Revisiting this pic got me thinking about how rare it is to be completely absorbed by something. Something that transports you somewhere new.

What makes you forget about your bloody phone? 

14/09/2026

Because relationships are never equal, are they?

Sometimes you need to go first. Sometimes you need someone else to.

Sometimes you need to give a little more. Sometimes you need to receive a little more.

What matters is knowing you’re both in it. That there is trust, generosity and enough in the bank to carry each other when the balance shifts.

I’m beginning to think that’s a better measure than fair.

10/09/2026

I recently came across the phrase ambient belonging and it stopped me.

That feeling of belonging somewhere without necessarily belonging to anyone.

The people you recognise on your walk.
The person at the market who knows your name.
The pup who always comes over for a treat.

You don’t necessarily know these people.

But they become part of the texture of your life.

I’d never thought about that as belonging before.

Where do you get your ambient belonging?

29/04/2026

My friend, Eileen (whom you may know as the woman behind Phoenix Helix), did an awesome thing - she wrote her first novel, and it is now out in the world.

I couldn’t be happier for her.

Celestial River is like a big hug - full of quirky and charming characters, set in a town you wish you could move to. And best of all, it is just like Eileen - real and warm, but smart and honest, too.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love this book. Especially in these crazy times. It is a story about inclusion, personal values, and connection.

If you’d like to learn more about the book - how to get your hands on a copy (hard, soft or audio), or if you’d like to hear Eileen and me chat about her book writing process, head on over to the Phoenix Helix website (https://www.phoenixhelix.com/phoenix-helix-writes-a-novel/)

And if you’re looking for your next read, I can highly recommend Celestial River!

(Twice in one week. The sky must be falling in!)

Address

2 Matakana Valley Road
Matakana
0985

Website

https://joannafrankham.com/stuff-and-nonsense-signup/

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