It’s Okay To Change Your Mind

If saying no when you’ve already said yes makes you feel guilty, embarrassed or flaky, then nobody has told you this:

Saying yes is like flipping a coin.

The point isn’t to lock yourself into a decision, but to reveal your true desire.

Often, saying yes is the only way to find out you’re actually a no.

So buy the item and return it.
Get engaged and call it off.
Sign up and drop out.

Allow yourself to say yes, then say no.

The earlier you find out what you really want, the better.

But even if you don’t discover you’re a no until the last semester of your five-year law degree, or until you’re standing at the alter in front of your entire extended family, or until you’ve already signed all the paperwork and there’s a costly exit fee – don’t stay a yes if you’re a no.

Commitment doesn’t mean sticking to a decision forever.

It means being all in until you’re all out.

It’s okay to change your mind. Even when it’s already done.

Uncommitting is a highly underrated, powerful act.

It’s not the mark of an unreliable person, it’s the sign of an honest one.

Accepting this truth will free you, and make all your decisions feel a thousand times easier.

“Your brain can play tricks, your heart can be blind, but your gut is always right.”

– Rachel Wolchin

How To Let Going ALL IN Be Easy

1. Identify what needs to happen to create the result. Not what your perfectionist brain wants the process to look like. You can have a messy process and produce a killer result. Do you REALLY need to do all those steps you think you need to do?

2. Commit to doing what needs to happen.

3. Commit to NOT doing any extra stuff.

4. Relax. No one is going to die if you let it be easy. Goals are just for fun.

This Is What Success Looks Like

Hearing yes, then hearing no.
Receiving hate mail.
Questioning your decisions.
Getting locked out of your Facebook ad account.
Missing a day. Missing an opportunity.
Wanting to do more. Wanting to do less.
Having a meltdown.
Getting a refund request.
Being overwhelmed with things to do.
Having to fire a team member. Struggling to hire someone better.
Regretting doing something. Trying to fix it. Making it worse.
Accidentally deleting something unrecoverable.

Success is just managing bigger problems that you had before.

All these struggles aren’t on the path to success, they are success itself.

The problems you have now were your past self’s dream problems.

You will outgrow them, and the next level of problems will come.

This is what success looks like.

Success Leaves Clues

Success leaves clues.

Here are three questions to unlock those clues:

1. Why are you at your current level of success, and not further behind?

2. Why are you at your current level of success, and not further ahead?

3. What’s the difference between future you, who has achieved your goal, and current you?

Here are my answers:

Why am I at 2600 YouTube subscribers, and not at 1000 subscribers?

• I uploaded weekly for 12 weeks

• I started making videos FOR YouTube rather than making videos and putting them ON YouTube. Just because it’s on YouTube doesn’t make it a YouTube video.

• I hired an editor that made my videos a lot more watchable.

• I focused massively on titles and thumbnails

• I focused so much more on

Why am I at 2600 subscribers and not 5000 subscribers?

• I stopped creating/publishing while I moved countries (And therefore I paused hiring my editor)

• My titles and thumbnails can use so much improvement still

• The quality of my video structure isn’t at 100k level yet

What’s the difference between future me (who has 5000 subscribers), and current me (who has 2600 subscribers)?

• She puts way more thought into the titles and content

• She trains for YouTube like Michael Jordan trains for the NBA championship (and has a dedicated YouTube mentor)

• She doesn’t shy away from the hard work of creating more engaging content - she is willing to go the extra mile to get a better shot or create a better script.

• She is extremely comfortable in front of the camera (she talks to it every day until the camera feels like a person)

• Immediately she hires support again

• She has a permanent set up so all she has to do is turn on the lights and camera and GO, there’s no “set up time” required.

How would you answer those questions?

This Has All Been Given To Me

From left to right: Me, my mother Jan Arnold, and actor Jason Clarke. Shot by Greg Williams at the Everest Premiere at the Venice Film Festival in 2015.

“I walk into a room, or a location, and the first thing I think is… this has all been given to me. The sun is at that point in the sky for a reason. Or the window is letting some light in for a reason. Or the light next to the bed is there for a reason. The environment has been dressed like that, all for me. It’s a little game I play. And then I think, okay where do I want to make my photo within that?” – Greg Williams, Photographer

This has all been given to you.
The impossible challenge you’re facing has been given to you so you can become exactly who you were meant to be.

So you can create a legacy that only someone with your specific combination of beautiful and brutal experiences could create.

This has all been given to you.

Gradually, Then Suddenly.

“How did you go bankrupt?”
“Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.”

– Ernest Hemingway

My overnight viral success on Twitter occurred after publishing more than 1000 pieces of content online.

My burst of $10k months began in September 2020 after more than two years of barely making a part time income.

Gradually, then suddenly isn’t just the path to bankruptcy.

It’s also the path to success.

If you’re in the gradual part of your journey right now, don’t be fooled into thinking that’s all there is.

The sudden part is coming.

It’s THIS CLOSE.

But only if you embrace the gradual part and keep going.

So if it seems like nothing is working, do not stop.

Do not switch tactics.
Do not change strategies.
Do not seek new solutions.

You’ll sabotage the momentum you’ve built up in your current direction, and end up back at the starting line.

Gradual progress means it’s working.

Someone said no? It’s working.
Someone said yes? It’s working.
Small win? It’s working.
Big fail? It’s working.

It’s working. It’s always working. It never stops working.
As long as you don’t stop working.

Keep going. The sudden bit is coming.

The Energy Shift You Actually Need

Last week, a client told me she wanted to feel more grounded.

I googled the definition:

Ground.
Verb.
“To prevent from flying.”

She changed her mind.

The energy you’re craving isn’t grounded. It’s uplifted.

So ground yourself just long enough to refuel your jet.

Then do something that makes you feel alive, energised, connected, inspired and uplifted.

You’ll experience life on a whole different level.

You Didn’t Come Here To Be Good

You didn’t come here to do your best.
Or please your mother.
Or stay on top of your laundry.

You didn’t come here to meet expectations.
Or commit to forever.
Or purchase a 3 bed, 2 bath.

You didn’t come here to be liked.
Or attend university.
Or be good in bed.

You didn’t come here to follow the rules.
Or give your parents grandkids.
Or shave your legs.

You didn’t come here to be good.
You came here to be free.

Future Thinking

When you think from the future, you’re not asking yourself the question “What do I want?” but instead, “What does future me want?”.

Sometimes, it’s the same thing.

But often, it’s something totally different.

Current me wants to take today off. Future me wants to feel accomplished.

So I’m working.

But it doesn’t feel hard and I don’t resent it.

Future me? I love that gal! I’d joyfully do anything for her.

My Favourite Thoughts Right Now

I am my own magic pill.

I know exactly what to do.

It’s working.