Blog Posts

“Am I being unreasonable? Am I asking for too much?” Why you can have it all.
Relationship to Others, Relationship to Self Katarina Polonska Relationship to Others, Relationship to Self Katarina Polonska

“Am I being unreasonable? Am I asking for too much?” Why you can have it all.

Do you ever find yourself wondering:

“Am I being unreasonable?”

“Am I asking for too much?”

“Are my expectations too high?

“Am I too demanding?”

“Do I need to calm down?”

“Do I need to settle?”

And within that, is there a heavy, looming sense of self-doubt? Of self-doubt, perhaps some self-criticism coming out as a frustration with yourself, an irritation, a sense of, ‘why can’t I just figure this out? What’s wrong with me? Why am I always the one with problems in this part of my life?’

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10 Ways to Create Healthy Lov</a>e
Relationship to Others, Relationship to Self Katarina Polonska Relationship to Others, Relationship to Self Katarina Polonska

10 Ways to Create Healthy Love

It’s the 15th January 2024, and that means it’s my birthday.

And as I write this, I already know that this year feels very different to my last.

Something feels quite, quite different.

Aside from the fact that many things in my life have changed in the past 12 months, there’s a more profound change I feel.

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Can you keep your new year resolutions?
Relationship to Others, Relationship to Self Katarina Polonska Relationship to Others, Relationship to Self Katarina Polonska

Can you keep your new year resolutions?

We’re in week 2 of 2024.

I’m so curious: how is it going for you?

Are you still full of joy and excitement, eager to tackle your goals, wake up at the crack of dawn to get going, and zoom through everything you want to get done?

Or have you slowly reverted back to your old life? Your normal life? Your December 2023 self, as if nothing had really changed? (Because in many ways, it hasn’t?)

Have your resolutions gradually fallen by the wayside? The shiny feeling of 2024 worn off already?

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2024 is here. What are you calling in?
Relationship to Others, Relationship to Self Katarina Polonska Relationship to Others, Relationship to Self Katarina Polonska

2024 is here. What are you calling in?

So here we have it. 2024 is here.

As I write, on the 2nd of January, 2024, I feel a delicious sense of possibility. Openness. Expansion. A sense of wonder at what will come. With the whole year ahead of us, each month a new page that remains yet unwritten, we welcome in a clean slate, a fresh start.

Whilst I’m not a huge believer in New Year Resolutions, recognizing how frequently we fail to keep them and how unproductive that subsequent shame spiral is, I am a big believer in fresh starts. And what is a new year, if not a beautiful, long opportunity for a fresh start?

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What to do if you’re feeling alone this Christmas? 5 ways to feel better
Relationship to Others, Relationship to Self Katarina Polonska Relationship to Others, Relationship to Self Katarina Polonska

What to do if you’re feeling alone this Christmas? 5 ways to feel better

Christmas is meant to be a time filled with festivities, love, and lots of people around you. Whether it’s family, friends, colleagues at work parties or cosying up with your partner. But for many of you, this just isn’t the case.

Some of you are physically isolated, either unable to be with loved ones, or don’t have loved ones to spend it with. Some of you are with loved ones, but feel alone - despite all the Hallmark merriment outside. And I don’t know what is worse, really. I’ve spent Christmassess feeling both.

It can be a time of intense pressure and isolation, intermingled into a strange blur of feelings.

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“It’s lonely at the top” (Part 2)
Relationship to Others, Relationship to Self Katarina Polonska Relationship to Others, Relationship to Self Katarina Polonska

“It’s lonely at the top” (Part 2)

Your standards are higher than the average

You recognise that you bring a lot to the table and you expect the same from a partner. You look after yourself, you maintain your appearance, you keep abreast of socio-political issues, and have good manners. You’re also well-travelled, well-educated, have a strong network, and of course, an excellent career. You know you can always do more and there’s much more of the ladder to climb, but you recognise that you are a catch.

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“It’s lonely at the top.” 5 reasons why finding and keeping a life partner is that much harder for executives and entrepreneurs - and what to do. Part 1.
Relationship to Self, Relationship to Others Katarina Polonska Relationship to Self, Relationship to Others Katarina Polonska

“It’s lonely at the top.” 5 reasons why finding and keeping a life partner is that much harder for executives and entrepreneurs - and what to do. Part 1.

I still remember crying my eyes out, gulping down sobs of despair on the couch of my Kensington apartment, one sunny Saturday afternoon in June a few years back. I’d been working hard all week and had the whole weekend ahead of me, but felt exhausted, disheartened, and lost.

I was over it.

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“When will I be ready to meet my life partner? Is there ever a right time?”&nbsp;</span>
Relationship to Others, Relationship to Self Katarina Polonska Relationship to Others, Relationship to Self Katarina Polonska

“When will I be ready to meet my life partner? Is there ever a right time?” 

A terrible false belief I hear a lot of is:

"Now isn't the right time for me to focus on my relationships. I need to get my life/work/investments/home in order first, and then I'll look at them".

Sigh. Ooooh sigh. Alright, let’s break this down.

What comes first, a strong relationship with yourself where you know yourself inside out, have clarity and vision around what you need and what you want out of your life, plus a beautifully clear strategy

OR

Accredited professional support with proven behavioural science methodology to help you figure it all out, know what you don't know, and get there quickly?

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“Why am I still single?” 6 reasons and what you can do about them.
Relationship to Others, Relationship to Self Katarina Polonska Relationship to Others, Relationship to Self Katarina Polonska

“Why am I still single?” 6 reasons and what you can do about them.

Even though I work with married couples, relationships, and singles, one of the main questions I hear time and time again - probably THE main question - is ‘Why am I still single’?

It fluctuates from that, to the slight variation of, ‘Where is my person?’, to ‘When will I meet them?’ to ‘How is it possible that I am still single…?’.

In all the clients I’ve supported over the years I’ve noticed certain trends and themes which I’ll share with you below.

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Do I need a coach? Why we all need help when it comes to love
Relationship to Self, Relationship to Others Katarina Polonska Relationship to Self, Relationship to Others Katarina Polonska

Do I need a coach? Why we all need help when it comes to love

One of the biggest fallacies I come across in the world of self development and relationships is this idea that we can figure it all out ourselves. I can understand it. As high-achievers, we like to think that we generally know a lot of things, and we’re smart, so if we put our heads down, we can figure it all out. We can dig deep, learn, read books, follow instagram accounts, digest and put it all together.

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Am I destined to die alone? What the science says
Relationship to Self, Relationship to Others Katarina Polonska Relationship to Self, Relationship to Others Katarina Polonska

Am I destined to die alone? What the science says

I remember when I began to seriously think that this might happen to me. I was asking my friend if she believes people actually do die alone, whilst we walked through Stanley Park in Vancouver one cloudy, autumnal afternoon. She met my gaze with a bemused expression, blinking back at me as she uttered, But of course.”

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Why is what I’m trying not working? Common steps I see high achievers doing in their dating.
Relationship to Self, Relationship to Others Katarina Polonska Relationship to Self, Relationship to Others Katarina Polonska

Why is what I’m trying not working? Common steps I see high achievers doing in their dating.

Finding a partner is one of (if not the) most important decisions we will ever make in our lives. Endless studies show it affects our health, wellbeing, finances, business, and whole future. Something so high stakes and important seems too important to just leave to chance. Yet no one stops to guide us - and those who do, often operate from a pretty toxic place of superficial advice, short-term solutions, and rarely get the drive and ambition behind our goals.

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Why are dating and relationships harder as a hardworking high-achiever?&nbsp;
Relationship to Self, Relationship to Others Katarina Polonska Relationship to Self, Relationship to Others Katarina Polonska

Why are dating and relationships harder as a hardworking high-achiever? 

When we’re hardworking high achievers, it comes down to a pretty rational and systematic way of evaluating a mate’s potential and discerning to what extent they are a good match for us long term. It integrates the heart and the gut just as much as it integrates reason and intellect.

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How do I build an action plan? I have an idea - what next?
Relationship to Self, Relationship to Others Katarina Polonska Relationship to Self, Relationship to Others Katarina Polonska

How do I build an action plan? I have an idea - what next?

Insight is nothing without action. We can have all the clarity in the world about what does and doesn’t work for us, but if we don’t put it into motion, it’s just an idea. The things we struggle to get clarity over – the important things in life – are often the hardest things to build action plans around. If it was easy, we would have likely pulled together a grand strategy and executed. With low stakes come low risks.

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What’s wrong with me? Everything I tried to find a partner.
Relationship to Self, Relationship to Others Katarina Polonska Relationship to Self, Relationship to Others Katarina Polonska

What’s wrong with me? Everything I tried to find a partner.

How many of us have gone on dates with someone that seemed ostensibly great on paper, but felt that pang of disappointment when we realise that there’s just no connection? That sense of fatigue when you find yourself reinstalling dating apps for the umpteenth time, mindlessly swiping.

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Are relationships really that important? Why I’m concentrating my focus.
Relationship to Self, Relationship to Others Katarina Polonska Relationship to Self, Relationship to Others Katarina Polonska

Are relationships really that important? Why I’m concentrating my focus.

In a bid to serve people quickly, and heed the calls for help that I heard in the world of entrepreneurship. I started working with incubators, startups, and founder networks, supporting founders with everything from burnout to productivity challenges, rekindling motivation, time management, delegation, communication, and all the flurry of stresses that entrepreneurship brings.

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