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MAKE IT HAPPEN

1
I have fond memories of the phrase MAKE IT HAPPEN.

In my early twenties I did a fashiony job at The Daily Telegraph. After a big catwalk show in Paris, our legendary fashion Editor Hilary Alexander was writing her show report for the next day’s paper and the rest of our team were drinking wine in support. We often drank wine in support, it was a very hard job.

A song played during the show and Hilary needed to know who it was by for her copy. Immediately! This was before Google, let alone Shazam. ”MAKE IT HAPPEN. MAKE IT HAPPEN. MAKE IT HAPPEN.”

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Hilary shouted, banging her hand on the table dramatically. But however much she repeated it, and however loudly she shouted it, none of us had a clue.

That was until Natasha, Hilary’s quick-thinking assistant dialled the paper in London and held the phone out so a bemused member of the music desk could listen in. The song, it turned out, was by Trevor Jackson’s Playgroup.

Whenever I think of MAKE IT HAPPEN I think of Hilary banging her hand on that table. And well, if anyone knows how to make things happen, it’s Hils. She’s now an OBE and that

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says plenty; she’s an inspirational lady who knows how to get stuff done. She doesn’t dilly-dally. She does it there and then. I’ve learnt loads from her.

Recently I’ve been thinking MAKE IT HAPPEN a lot. Over the last week or so I haven’t been able to get this phrase out of my head. Is it the reason I’ve been mildly more productive than usual? Or is it the large amounts of coffee? By thinking MAKE IT HAPPEN I’ve been – well… making stuff happen.

These words kick procrastination out the door. Which is apt in February, when we’ve looked up

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and realised that suddenly the year doesn’t seem so shiny new any more, so we best get on with things.

For instance, my sister and I have said for years that we’d like to book a night away together, leaving our kids with our men, so we could have some indulgent Time Off. But we never did it. Something always got in the way.

Until last week when I thought MAKE IT HAPPEN, and I arranged it for her birthday. Turned out it wasn’t a hassle at all, a quick call to her husband, a note in my husband’s diary (look after kids!), and an online booking

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later – it was done.

We went away, the hotel was alright, but the experience of being together, doing nothing, chatting with no distractions was absolutely priceless. I’m really glad I made it happen.

There are oodles of other things on my ’To Make Happen’ list. And, armed with this phrase, I think some of these TTDs might actually, erm….. happen.

If you see someone muttering MAKE IT HAPPEN and banging their hand on a table, you’ll know you’ve bumped into me…

MAKE IT HAPPEN
MAKE IT HAPPEN
MAKE IT HAPPEN
*Bangs hand on table

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- 5 Feb 14

I have fond memories of the phrase MAKE IT HAPPEN.

In my early twenties I did a fashiony job at The Daily Telegraph. After a big catwalk show in Paris, our legendary fashion Editor Hilary Alexander was writing her show report for the next day’s paper and the rest of our team were drinking wine in support. We often drank wine in support, it was a very hard job.

A song played during the show and Hilary needed to know who it was by for her copy. Immediately! This was before Google, let alone Shazam. “MAKE IT HAPPEN. MAKE IT HAPPEN. MAKE IT HAPPEN.” Hilary shouted, banging her hand on the table dramatically. But however much she repeated it, and however loudly she shouted it, none of us had a clue.

That was until Natasha, Hilary’s quick-thinking assistant dialled the paper in London and held the phone out so a bemused member of the music desk could listen in. The song, it turned out, was by Trevor Jackson’s Playgroup.

Whenever I think of MAKE IT HAPPEN I think of Hilary banging her hand on that table. And well, if anyone knows how to make things happen, it’s Hils. She’s now an OBE and that says plenty; she’s an inspirational lady who knows how to get stuff done. She doesn’t dilly-dally. She does it there and then. I’ve learnt loads from her.

Recently I’ve been thinking MAKE IT HAPPEN a lot. Over the last week or so I haven’t been able to get this phrase out of my head. Is it the reason I’ve been mildly more productive than usual? Or is it the large amounts of coffee? By thinking MAKE IT HAPPEN I’ve been – well… making stuff happen.

These words kick procrastination out the door. Which is apt in February, when we’ve looked up and realised that suddenly the year doesn’t seem so shiny new any more, so we best get on with things.

For instance, my sister and I have said for years that we’d like to book a night away together, leaving our kids with our men, so we could have some indulgent Time Off. But we never did it. Something always got in the way.

Until last week when I thought MAKE IT HAPPEN, and I arranged it for her birthday. Turned out it wasn’t a hassle at all, a quick call to her husband, a note in my husband’s diary (look after kids!), and an online booking later – it was done.

We went away, the hotel was alright, but the experience of being together, doing nothing, chatting with no distractions was absolutely priceless. I’m really glad I made it happen.

There are oodles of other things on my ‘To Make Happen’ list. And, armed with this phrase, I think some of these TTDs might actually, erm….. happen.

If you see someone muttering MAKE IT HAPPEN and banging their hand on a table, you’ll know you’ve bumped into me…

MAKE IT HAPPEN
MAKE IT HAPPEN
MAKE IT HAPPEN
*Bangs hand on table

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Molly Gunn is the Curator of Goodness at Selfish Mother, a site she created for likeminded women in 2013. Molly has been a journalist for over 15 years, starting out on fashion desks at The Guardian, The Telegraph & ES Magazine before going freelance in 2006 to write for publications including Red, Stella, Grazia, Net-A-Porter and ELLE. She now edits Selfish Mother and creates #GoodTees which are sold via TheFMLYStore.com and John Lewis and have so far raised £650K for charity. Molly is mother to Rafferty, 5, Fox, 3 and baby Liberty. Molly is married to Tom, aka music producer Tee Mango and founder of Millionhands. They live, work and play in Somerset.

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