Power word for 2022:
I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting about my word for the year.
I started a tradition of choosing my word for the year back in 2014 and I will admit, it has always helped me create a consistent theme and a focus to everything that I work on in my business. I even make time in the middle of the year to review where I am and how my Power Word has helped me stay on track with my path for the year.
My word this year is TRANSFORMATION.
And when I looked up the definition online, I discovered this explanation:
A complete change in the appearance or character of something or someone, especially so that the thing or person is improved
Which then led me to an additional Power Word – BECOMING, which is best defined as the process of change; any change involving realization of potentialities, as a movement from the lower level of potentiality to the higher level of actuality.
Last year, I celebrated my 22nd year in business and this year I’ll celebrate the transformations that I’m making as an entrepreneur. I know that along with the transformations that I’ll be making, I’ll also uncover new things in my life and business that I’ll find myself becoming true to who I want to be and how I want to work.
I understand what I need to do and the path ahead of me to get that done. And I’m also moving through my transformational year as I push through my comfort box and do the work to take my business to the next level.
The real reason most of us don’t get to that next place is that we don’t make the time to do the deep changes. I get it, doing the deep work is hard and uncomfortable.
But the main reason we hold ourselves back from making these hard changes is because of fear – whether these fears are real or imagined.
So this year, I’m all about choosing to be in those moments where I can live in the freedom from fear. When we can learn to be free to make our own choices and when we learn how to truly be You Doing You, we can breakthrough that fear.
How do You Do You and find the way where you can work the way you want to work?
It’s really quite simple. You Do You.
The idea behind working the way you want is based on the premise of you no longer following all these 10 step-processed programs that all the big name coaches are pushing with claims to get you six figures in 12 weeks.
It’s more than just learning a template process but working through it and finding a way to make it yours based on your life, your work style and even looking at your energy times of day.
Let me show you how this works.
Take a look at this example to show you how you can take ideas from the experts or your favorite blogger and turn them into a way that You Can Do You — and in a way that feels more in tune with who you are and what you do!
How to move through your day YOUR WAY:
Tools are great to help you work every day but what’s really going to help you reach your goals? You need to develop solid habits that will not only help you stay focused, but they’ll motivate you to keep moving and growing and getting more done.
We’ve all read the posts about all these high-end coaches and six-figure CEO’s talking about their morning routine. You read it and you’re like, “I’m so doing this next week” or “I’m getting up at 5am to start my day like this CEO and I can get more done before lunchtime hits!”
But is that how your life works?
Can you honestly get up at 5am and go to the gym to do a hot yoga class when you’re a single mom who spends her morning helping her kid get ready for his day in third grade?
Nope because that’s not your life.
And quite honestly, someone might call the cops if your 7 year old son starts a fire in the toaster oven because he has to make his own breakfast when you’re off sitting on a foam mat in some crazy hot room.
You Do You and prioritize your day your way.
Your weekly to-do list that you need to sort through is going to be based on your schedule, your life and what’s important to you. Your list could include just some of these items: Home, Kids, Clients, Social Media, Networking, Writing/Videos.
Or if you’re doing you, your list could include: Full-time job, Taking care of my dog, Side-hustle client projects, Website updates.
You review your planner and ask yourself, “Do I have client calls or taking care of something with my son that day? What’s going on today that will take my focus off the work on my desk?”
And that’s how you prioritize your day.
Then base the order that you work on things by on how much time you have to work uninterrupted at your desk and what time of day do you have the energy level to get the work done.
If you try to force yourself into a hot yoga at 5am schedule that doesn’t fit with your life, it’s becomes something uncomfortable and literally, feels forced.
And then you’ll find every excuse NOT to get it done.
It’s not about using some precise format but taking these ideas and creating a process that works with the way that you work and how you live your life.
What really works for You to Do You
Be careful when you’re reviewing your options and opportunities! Sometimes when we get wrapped up in this idea of creating a plan, we tend to over analyze what we’re doing and what we need to work on.
How do you know when you’re fallen down the research rabbit hole? When you’re reading way too many blog posts or, worse, you’re signing up to a bunch of DIY online courses because you’ve convinced yourself that this one will be the quick fix to make this stuff work.
When you catch yourself in this place, take my simple advice – just make a decision.
Stop thinking about what’s the perfect solution and just make a decision about what you want to work on and move forward with that plan.
Remember, your decision isn’t set in stone. It’s not something that you’ll tattoo on your forehead. Your decision is a direction for you to stop cycling all those ideas in your head and keep you moving towards your goals.
There is no such thing as the perfect strategy plan to reach your goals. Accept the fact that you’ll keep working and adjusting your plans.
There really isn’t some secret formula to create this perfect plan. You Doing You isn’t the place for perfection.
Perfect is stressful. Perfect is time consuming. Perfect isn’t achievable.
Do you want to know what does work?
Give It A Try
Suspend your judgements about a certain app, program or process. Most people will read something and say, “Oh, that’s not me. I can’t do something like that.”
Try it out, even if it’s a smaller version like spending 10 minutes on Instagram when you’ve never shared a photo before. Give it a try on your phone before you decide that you can’t add this to your day.
Sometimes when we take a couple of steps outside our comfort box, we realize it’s not so bad out there. And there’s no better feeling than to accomplish something that we thought we never could do.
Have Realistic Expectations
Understand that this is a learning process and you will be imperfect. Give yourself a break and know that you’re doing your best but expect that there will be setbacks along the way.
Don’t expect big changes to happen overnight.
Find your your own process. And if you can’t find what you need – make your own! Create your own printable to track what’s important to you, use the tools that you feel comfortable using to develop a system to help you consistently post on social media.
It’s about creating a plan to help you grow your personal goals and not what someone else is doing.
Because in the end, You Doing You isn’t not about doing everything or trying to be everything for everyone. It’s about finding that balance to work on your business and do the work for your business in a way that works for you.
Want to see how this works?
If you want to dig deeper into how to find your way to be You Do You, I’d love to see you order a copy of my book:
“I Just Did a Thing … A Creative Approach to PIVOTing and Designing Revolutionary Changes in Life and Business”
In this book, you’ll learn how to develop your own process of taking the usual things that you ‘think you’re supposed to do’ to build your business and find a different way to take action that’s true to you. With a few simple steps, you can develop your own unique way of working the way you want.
This book is for you when you’re ready to push through the fear of change because you know it’s greater than staying in the feeling of discomfort by not doing anything.
This book is for you when you’re ready to make a shift in your business and make that big PIVOT that will change your life in a different direction.
