059: 3 secrets to knowing when self care > action in your biz
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How do you know when it’s time to work hard and go the extra mile on your business goals… or when it’s simply more productive to relax? Tune into today’s Podcast to find out!
Welcome to the love light and business podcast, the radio show for introverted, intuitive and empath lightworker bosses…
Before I get started, I wanna invite you to head to http://bit.ly/lovelightandbusiness to submit YOUR questions for me to answer on the Podcast so you can get the answers that you need on your business journey. Again that link is http://bit.ly/lovelightandbusiness! I can’t wait to answer your questions on future episodes.
Alright, so let’s get into it!
Today I’m diving in to talk to you about how to know when it’s time to work hard, and when it’s actually more productive to relax and step back.
Learning how to tell when it’s time to SLAY and take action in my business, and when it’s time to lean back has allowed me to create a successful business AND joyful, aligned life.
It wasn’t always this way.
In 2012, I discovered meditation and yoga, and I remember feeling SO MUCH RELIEF when I realized I wasn’t alone – the Universe always had my back, and always would.
Before that, I only knew how to PUSH MYSELF, control everything, and work very very hard, sacrificing myself in the goal to ACHIEVE beyond what any normal person did. I set the bar high for myself… and ended up getting panic attacks and having anxiety. Imagine how good it felt when I realized… there was another way to live life.
SO, I meditated my butt off, and prayed for clients as I worked on my coaching business while I was still in a 9-5. I watched coach training videos during the day, and business trainings on the weekends.
Plus, I hired a coach who told me to just work harder and go to every networking event I could until I booked clients.
And… nothing was working. I felt so frustrated that nothing was working, so I got on the phone with a transformational coach, who helped me realize I was running this old belief in the background – that success meant hard work, unhappiness, and putting yourself last. Which is what I was doing.
Since then, it has been my journey to heal that belief and learn how to have a successful thriving business AND a sense of inner joy, a happy marriage, a thriving home life, and authentic friendships.
I still LOVE to work on my business and there are times when I push myself to get things done when I have launch deadlines, but the difference is that now, I understand that this comes in seasons. I’m not working my ass off 24/7, every single day out of the year. Cause… that leads to burnout, and resenting my business.
So how do I know when I’m in the take action & do all the things season, or when it’s time to simply enjoy life and receive all of the blessings that I’ve been granted?
I’ll share 3 techniques with you on this Podcast – the ones I have learned along the way, and literally, save me from going into burnout OR just being so lackadaisical in my business that my business disappears off the earth.
I will never forget the moment when I heard Abraham Hicks, a spiritual medium (side note - please YouTube Abraham Hicks right now if you don’t know Esther Hicks!) share this analogy:
Imagine yourself as a train… the direction is based on your energy, and the speed in which you’re going is based on the action you’re taking.
So, if you are feeling bad, and thinking fear-based, scarcity thoughts, freaking out about your business, why things aren’t working, how hard everything is, or how you just feel so tired and overwhelmed all of the time – you’re direction is gonna align with that.
Meaning… what you manifest is gonna align with that energy. SO – when you’re feeling this way, the logical choice would be… to slow down. Take a break. Walk away. Heal some things. Then come back when you’re feeling more aligned, high-vibrational, and excited to show up for your work again.
Because you don’t wanna be a fast moving train and hit an inevitable tree – you wanna be going slow, and ideally, switch tracks before that fallen tree comes into your path.
When it feels good again, take action.
Does that make sense?
Alright, so the second technique is this –
Always have a milestone, a goal that places your actions into a container.
I set 3-month business and personal goals by combining two of my fave goal planning strategies, Desire Mapping and Tony Robbin’s RPMs (results, purpose, massive action plan).
I know my burnout signs well, and I pay attention. If I’m not working out, and I’m eating out all the time, not cooking, and I’m always on my phone… chances are, I’m starting to gain momentum in the wrong direction.
Cause for me… being centered, grounded and joyful in my business is a must. And when I do those things, I feel anything but. When I feel that way, I go back to the train analogy and realize… it’s time to slow down.
The other scenario, which is hiding from your business goals used to happen to me a lot when I was a new coach, and even sneaks its way into my business today.
This one is more tricky to catch, because it’s easy to justify “taking a break” as much needed self-care, and no one is gonna fault you for resting when you need rest. BUT it can also become an excuse.
Recently, I did this with my Podcast and website migration! I had set a 3-month goal last June to finish a project to migrate my website, funnels, and Podcast to my new platform. I was paying for DOUBLE services on almost everything, and I had enough.
Sure enough… 1 month into the RPM, I started to act like the RPM didn’t exist.
I worked on my 2 other RPMs, but I ignored this one – I gave myself a million excuses, but if I sat down and was honest with myself, I knew the truth – I was procrastinating. I looked at my RPMs again, and asked myself – is this still important to me? Is this RPM still aligned? And the answer was YES. I asked myself… why is this aligned for me?
Written on that RPM Excel Sheet was the Purpose I had started out with, and I’ll read it out for you:
I feel SO strong, peaceful and confident in my business structures and know that my systems are designed to support me fully. There is no waste - only fluidity and flow. I'm using the software that is MOST aligned with me, and I am supported and present, proud of my business' simplicity and effectiveness in doing its job to help my clients and tribe, and me!
I only had to reconnect with that purpose, feel the why behind it, and recommit to that deadline.
Can you see yourself using this technique? It’s cool right?
Alright, so the LAST technique I use is more of a check-in point for me to see if I’m still on track. Since my goal in my business and life is to LIVE ALIGNED, I’ve found that following the seasons, my period cycle and the moon offers me a practical, and rhythmical way to plan.
In the week leading up to my period, I tend to be more withdrawn, and have a desire to be alone, cherishing time to myself and not really being “out there.” So, I don’t plan to do any videos, lives, or anything of the sort AND this is key – I don’t pressure myself or make myself guilty for not wanting to.
Because I know, that in two weeks, I’m going to be ALL ABOUT videos, stories, and showing up.
Knowing where I am in my cycle gives me permission to feel what I feel, and work on my business in a way that aligns with that.
How does that sound? Good, right?
Now, can you see yourself using one, or all of these techniques in your life to consciously decide if it’s time to take action, or REST in your business?
If so, try it out now on a goal that you’re currently working on.
Until next time, LIVE ALIGNED!
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I would greatly appreciate it, because it would help me reach more introverted, intuitive and empath lightworker bosses who could use the support on their own journey. Thank you so much! Love & Light.