A Habit Isn’t a Habit if You Take Days Off

I was doing my physiotherapy exercises for my shoulder every single day in November, and I would feel guilty if I missed a day. 

When I shared this with my physiotherapist, she said “Oh don’t worry, having rest days is okay.” 

Bam. Just like that, I stopped doing my physiotherapy exercises entirely.

Because what harm can a rest day do?

And another?

And another.

As soon as my brain was given permission to have days off sometimes, it decided it was okay to slack off all the time. 

I’ve discovered that moderation is really, really challenging for me. I do much better when I discipline myself to do something always – or never. 

It’s easier to keep a habit going if I never have to think about it, rather than trying to decide each day, “Does today count? Is today one of the days?”. 

Don’t let yourself off the hook. It’s a trap.

Reminder to self: If it matters, do it daily.

Mastermind: Day 1

Today is the first day of my mastermind and I am kind of out of my mind with excitement.

I’ve been waiting three months for this. 

(And it’s been on my vision board since April last year.)

And I was working on this goal for several months in 2020 – but I was trying to get accepted for next year (January 2022).

But I realised if it's impossible in one year, and it's impossible now, what's the difference?

I've never had to show up with this much conviction and certainty that I could do something I had ZERO evidence I could do.

And today, I’m starting that process all over again.

I’ve done a ton of work on the kind of person I will show up as.

Who I need to BE to create results in this mastermind (I haven’t even chosen what results I’m going after yet, but I know they’ll be impossible).

I’ve journaled pages and pages. I’ve listened to my hype playlist for hours. I’ve done all the homework.

I’m ready, because I’m deciding I am.

Thoughts I’m choosing:

• I was made for this

• I am unstoppable

• I have won the lottery

• I am ALL IN

I’ll keep you updated! 

Today is an Epic Day

Today is an epic day.

Last January, I coached my client Nancy on her ability to create just $10 in a business of her own.

She told me she wasn’t sure if she could do it yet, because she didn’t have anything to offer.

We brainstormed ideas that included:

• Selling $1 tickets to a premier viewing of her latest YouTube video to 10 of her friends (including free popcorn)

• Editing someone else’s YouTube video

• Making and selling t-shirts

Eight months after that first conversation, Nancy quit her job because she was making enough money in her YouTube freelancing business to support herself full time.

Today, just 12 months after her first $1 popcorn viewing, she is MOVING TO COLOMBIA to officially begin living as a full time digital nomad, just because she can.

Her self-concept has transformed.

She is no longer Nancy the corporate office worker.

She is Nancy the digital nomad who works and lives from anywhere in the world.

It wasn’t straight forward at all.

She had to finish her degree.

She had to work in a job she despised.

She had to disappoint family members.

She had to fire a client.

She had to overcome her mind drama.

And she still made it through.

One. year.

You crushed it, Nancy.

Send us a postcard!

Guest-Posting From The Past

I found more iPhone notes – this time from 2018. 

Clearly I’ve had the same message since day one:

Show up every single day and take action.

The only difference is now, I’m my own proof that it works.

(And apparently I had creative insomnia back then too – what else can you do when inspiration hits at 4am?! 😂)

January 2021 Goals

I got so caught up in sharing my 2020 goals that I realised I didn’t even share my January Goals 😂

So, even though we’re half way through the month, here they are (I’ve been working on them, I promise!)

1. Attend the Mastermind with an open mind, ready to take any coaching on board.
   I noticed that I’ve been having some unhelpful thoughts about what I might be coached on during the mastermind, so I decided to do some self-coaching ahead of time. Helpful thoughts I am choosing: My coach wants me to succeed, and everything she says and does is to serve me. We are on the same team.
   

2. Slowly move myself onto New York time a week ahead of the mastermind (and wear a watch set at Eastern time to remind me)
   Each day starts at 9am NYC, which is 3am my time in New Zealand, so  I’m getting my body used to waking up earlier and earlier. Today I got up at 3:30am and tomorrow I will get up at 2:00am. I’m not allowing myself to have any drama about it. Just do it.
   

3. Do my physiotherapy exercises daily.
   I realise that I need to strictly discipline myself to do these, otherwise I end up asking “Do I really need to do it today? It won’t matter if I leave it until tomorrow.” That’s a slippery slope that has led me to neglecting my shoulder therapy almost entirely, I’m embarrassed to say. It’s only five minutes, girl. Come ON. So my commitment is to do them every single day this month, no matter what.
   

4. Actually create all of my content on Fridays
   In December I started creating all of my content weekly, but I discovered that if I miss the day I planned to do it, suddenly I’m seven days behind – which creates a big mess in my schedule. So in January, I have committed to writing my weekly content on Fridays (and not leaving it until the last minute of the day, either!).

Did you share your January goals? 👇

Quarterly Planning

My Quarterly Planning:

I have decided to split my 2021 Goals up into quarterly sections so I know which goals to focus on, and when.

Quarter 1:

• Hire a Facebook growth manager

• Uplevel my photos and graphics

• Heal my shoulder (I want to make sure this is part of every quarter, but really focus on it in the beginning to maximise my progress by the end of the year).

• Ultimate relationship program

Quarter 2:

• Create a beautiful office space to work in

• Start and continue a podcast

• Do weekly classes (art, singing, languages, sport) with Daniel (beginning in Q2 because then we’ll likely be settled in Wellington)

Quarter 3: 

• Create a video series

• Go to a Tony Robbins live/virtual event (Probably UPW in September)

Quarter 4:

• I will easily do 20 perfect-form push ups in a row

• Double my emergency fund

Habits for the entire time:

• Donate at LEAST 1% of my income (COMPLETE for January already!)

• Delete and not use social media on my phone (only on the computer)

• Do content creation on Fridays

• Finish working by 6pm daily

• Be 5 minutes early

Has anyone else tried quarterly planning for their big goals?

Advice to My Past Self

If I could tell my past self something it would be this:

1. Find out the 3 most important things you need to be doing each day that will move you closer to your goal.

2. Uncover what is ACTUALLY stopping you.

3. Do whatever it takes to overcome that (buy the tools, take a course, hire a coach, get therapy, journal on it etc).

4. Do those 3 most important things every single day, no matter what.

What are your three most important things?

P.S. This image is for reference to the past self I’m dedicating this advice to. This was my first ever “business photoshoot”.

Note to Self

I found a love note from my 2019 self. Thanks for believing in me, girl. 

Does anyone else find random old stream-of-consciousness notes in their phone? 🤷

Motivation Isn’t Supposed to Last

There’s this idea that we should be totally motivated, all the time, and if we’re not, there’s something wrong with us.

Um, no.

Lasting motivation is a lie. You cannot rely purely on motivation to get shiz done. EVER.

Motivation is just a feeling, just like sadness or fatigue or excitement.

It’s not about getting motivated once and staying that way, it’s about bringing yourself back to a motivated state as often as you can. (It doesn’t even matter how long you’ve been unmotivated for – you can become the most motivated person on the planet with a single thought).

When we’re motivated, it’s because we’re choosing motivating thoughts.

Thoughts that motivate me:

• Michael Jordan would do it.

• I am the kind of person who does what she says she’s going to do.

• Someone out there needs me to do this right now.

• My success is inevitable.

• I eat fear for breakfast.

• All I have to do is take one tiny step forward. And then another.

• I am literally unstoppable.

• I want this more than I want anything.

• I will look back and be SO proud.

What thoughts motivate you?

Play Your Goals

Instead of working on our goals, I like to think we play our goals.

We play a game that never ends.

And we don’t want it to end.

Because the point is not to win.

The point is to continue playing.

After all – we don’t climb mountains to get to the top, we climb mountains because we love to climb.

Impossible goals aren’t about achievement.

They’re about pushing our limits and blowing our own minds.