by Amy Matthews | Jan 14, 2020 | Inspiration, Mindset |
Last week I talked about creating intentions and what you want most this year. Have you taken the time to write them down? Created a vision board? A list of what you’re saying YES to and NO to? Yep, I’m your accountability partner.
Let’s say you now have a vision. It’s time to create your plan.
A solid plan has structure, clear goals and priorities. It’s realistic and attainable. If goals are too lofty, you may be setting yourself up to fail and who wants that! Be honest with yourself – with what you want and how much you can do. You don’t have to boil the ocean because it’s 1) impossible and 2) exhausting.
Some thrive on planning and structure. Others don’t. A client of mine avoids structure because it makes her feel confined but now realizes she needs it to reach her goals. Another client, an astute planner her entire life, after giving birth, says her planning has gone out the window! She realizes that planning is about the future, not the present. She also found it super stressful. She feels happier, grounded and more at ease with herself and in her life.
Structure has always helped me accomplish things. Yet in the past, I had a tendency to get hyper-focused and not see what was right in front of me. I was too focused on the goal. I now balance structure with spaciousness which allows me to be creative, open to magic and at the same time, ‘get er done’.
I’m simplifying my plan this year and my theme is quality over quantity. Only 3 priorities for my business and 3 for my personal life. The less is more approach. I think I’ll be more focused and get more accomplished because of it.
Everyone has an approach that works for them. What works for you? Reply to this email, would love to hear!
If you don’t have clarity about your game plan this year, I’d love to help. Sign up for a free 30-minute call with me here.
by Amy Matthews | Jan 8, 2020 | Blog, Inspiration |
Last week I wrote about looking back at all you’ve accomplished in the past year and how you’ve grown. Have you done that yet? It’s super important to be complete with the past year before moving to the next. If you aren’t yet, decide what you want to do about the things that aren’t complete and are preoccupying your mind. Perhaps you need to have a conversation or write about it. The objective is to be present as you create your goals for the new year.
You know what I mean. No shouldas, wouldas, couldas as you envision your future.
Now let’s look at what you want in 2020. You can choose to make it a daunting exercise or an exciting one. I say make it the latter! Buy yourself a new notebook, cozy up with a cup of your favorite tea and answer these questions:
What is my intention for the year?
What do I want to create?
What do I want my life to look like?
What am I saying YES to?
What am I saying NO to?
Once you have your answers, by all means, create a vision board. I created two this year, one for business and one for my personal life. Why not? Have fun with it. If you’d rather do it with others, invite a few friends over for a simple dinner and make a night of it.
To let more of what you want in, start saying NO to people and situations that zap your energy. Start saying NO to obligation and YES to what brings you inspiration, joy, and ease.
Each day, you get to decide what to bring into your life. Be intentional. Choose wisely.
by Amy Matthews | Dec 17, 2019 | In-Power, Mindset |
Someone asked me the other day if I’ve written about boundaries. My first reaction was of course! I looked at all my blogs and realized I’ve referenced boundaries but not written about them directly. Here’s my attempt to do just that.
We’ve all heard about the importance of healthy boundaries but many of us struggle to create them. Here are some indicators when we don’t have them:
We say yes to people or situations that don’t interest us.
We accommodate and over function for others.
We give unsolicited advice.
The underlying reason? We want to please. We want others to like us. We want others to be happy. We get emotionally involved and care too much.
Caring deeply may sound all well and good. We were brought up to care more about others well being above our own. It’s what we do. The truth is, when we overextend ourselves, it leads to exhaustion, stress and even burnout. Eventually, not having boundaries will get the best of us.
If this resonates, ask yourself these questions:
Am I doing what I want or am I doing it out of obligation?
How do I feel when I am with this person?
Why do I feel I need to offer advice?
You can be kind. You can be helpful. You can prioritize what you want. To realize your highest potential of success, ditch the people-pleasing and stay in your own lane. Create boundaries that serve you and the people in your life.
by Amy Matthews | Dec 11, 2019 | Inspiration |
A friend of mine sent me this article, The Joy of Being a Woman in Her 70s. I love it, it’s a must read for each and every one of us.
The author, a psychologist, makes this point: by the time a woman is in your 70’s, she’s resilient, comfortable in her own skin, ok with saying no, more loving to herself, seeks joy and always knows she has a choice. She’s an Unruled Woman.
Here’s the thing:
We don’t have to wait until we’re 70 to stop living by the “shoulds” of life. We don’t have to wait until we’re 70 to be comfortable with who we are. We all yearn to not worry what others think of us, to not feel less than, to not seek perfection and to not have expectations that rob us of our happiness. We all yearn to be kinder, more accepting of ourselves.
We don’t have to wait. No matter whether you’re in 30’s, 40’s, 50’s or 60’s, start Now.
Give yourself permission and encourage all the women in your life to be their most powerful selves. Be aware of behavior that gets in the way of not feeling good and start making authentic choices that support what you really want.
If you’re ready to choose Yourself, sign up for your free 45 minute coaching session here.
by Amy Matthews | Dec 10, 2019 | Business, In-Power |
In conversations with clients this week, all who are solo entrepreneurs grappling with growing their businesses, I found myself saying the same thing.
“You get what you think you are worth.” “You get what you think you deserve.” “You get what you are committed to.”
The good news is, as an entrepreneur, you get to define yourself and your business. Whether you’re pricing art, product offerings or a consulting project, you get to decide your value and what you are worth. That can be daunting because we are trained to define our businesses by industry benchmarks or what competitors are doing. But to differentiate yourself and stand out from the crowd, define yourself on your terms.
Don’t be afraid to ask for what you are worth. Claim it and own it. Don’t be afraid to lose business. Exude confidence and the right clients will be attracted to you and respond accordingly. “Like attracts like.”
If you believe you are worth it, then you are. It’s that simple.
If you are ready to expand your vision for your business and your capacity for success, book a call with me here.
Life is too short to not go big.
