5 things I did that shifted my life
I work with a lot of clients who want to shift something in their life. Whether it’s their health, their career, their relationships, or something else. Working with a coach is a great way to help flush out the ideas that are already in your head, but perhaps buried by 101 other things on your immediate to-do list.
I was reflecting on how I shifted my life from one that was good, but not great. I was working a good job, with a great time, but something felt off. It felt like I had more to give & more to accomplish. It felt like I wanted to make an impact in a bigger, more meaningful way, and I felt like I had to at least try and see if I could make it work.
In today’s blog, I’m sharing 5 key things I did that shifted my life. Whether you're feeling uninspired in your job, or with your health, or maybe some other aspect of your life, I hope some of these tips might resonate with you and spark something for you ;) Although I wrote these thinking about my business, there are strong parallels to what works in the long term in regards to improving your health.
1. I invested in myself.
Years ago I went to a leadership conference in Vancouver and it had a great line up of inspiring speakers. They were all selling their courses, workshops or books after their sessions. The last speaker was Brendon Burchard and I was so energized hearing him speak.
After his session I signed up for his online course and received a ticket to his in-person seminar in San Diego later that year. I often credit that seminar to changing everything for me. But when I think back to it now, I truly think the thing that really changed it all was me committing to myself. The course I purchased was $1000. It wasn't cheap for me, it was an investment and felt like a bit of a risk. But that investment paid off big time and also shifted how I viewed myself and my career trajectory. Instead of waiting for someone else to promote me, or approve my request for professional development, or tell me my worth (in terms of salary), I decided to take charge of myself to learn, grow and advance on my own terms.
2. I let go of what I thought it would look like.
When I left my job at the university, I had two businesses, and one of them (FitCity tours, which I no longer run) was the one that I actually thought was going to be the bigger business and sustain me, while I continued to do some personal training on the side. My goal was to be self-employed and do what I love. As it turned out, my PT client base grew. It no longer made sense to hold time in my schedule for tours, waiting for tourists to book those spots, when I had clients who wanted those times. So I eventually let that business go and leaned into what was working for me. Don't get so caught up in the process, and how you think it should look or be, that you lose sight of the goal.
3. Nobody is noticing your failures, so just keep on going.
We are our own worst critics. When things don't go as planned, don't let the failed attempt sour the whole thing. A ‘failed’ business (see FitCity mentioned above) could’ve been enough to send me running back to the comfort & security of a day job. Instead I let it go and continued to focus on what was working well. I tried to host several Health Retreats in the early days that I didn't get anyone signed up for, so I cancelled them. I could've stopped right then, taken that as negative feedback and not tried again. But I didn't, I rescheduled, promoted and tried again, and eventually it all came together. Now my Retreats often sell out in the first month of me scheduling and promoting them!
4. 20 minutes every day.
When I was working full time and trying to grow my biz on the side I committed to doing 20 minutes of work ON my business (not IN my business). I broke down massive tasks into bite sized to-do's and added those into my calendar each day. Those 20 minutes added up, week after week. It's also an approach that I encourage my clients to adopt when trying to focus on their health. 20 minutes isn't nothing. 20 minutes is substantial, when done consistently over time.
Now I definitely spend way more time on my business, but I still keep this rule in mind. If I have 20-30 minutes between clients I'm thinking if there is something productive I can do to check one thing off my list.
When I'm creating to-do lists, I try and break down the tasks into smaller pieces. This helps me be very specific on what I need to do and gives me momentum as I am able to get them done in a short period of time and can see the progress I am making.
5. Don't listen to that mean voice in your head.
We all have it. It's louder for some than others. The voice that tells you you're not good enough, you don't know enough, you don't have enough experience, you don't look the part, you can't charge as much as someone else because xyz, you're not unique enough...blah blah blah. It's so boring and predictable if you think about it. It's always there, doubting us, trying to make us go back to the known and comfortable ways we are familiar with. Notice it, acknowledge it, realize it's only doing it's job...keeping you put where you know the outcome. Then tell it to shut up and keep on trucking towards where you'd rather be. Hey, worst case scenario, you can always come back to comfort-town, but it's worth a look around to see if you like it better on the other side.
Curious about working with me to shift an aspect of your life? Schedule an info call and let’s chat. This gives us an opportunity to connect so I can learn about what you’d like to work towards, and I can share my coaching style to see if we’re a fit. I find this is better than more emails in already clogged inboxes.
