I launched my first blog post back in June and I promised myself I would be consistent and get another one out within the next week or two...Then we went on vacation. Then it was the 4th of July. Then summer kept going faster and faster until August flew by like a strike of lightning. And here I am. Just finally getting back to it.
Just so you know, I wrote about 10 different blogs in my head during all of that time and I never put a single one down into actual words. Just thoughts in my head. I'm sorry for this, because I know some of them were SO GOOD in the moment and you may have needed to hear and feel what I was feeling in those moments. You may have needed the message and I kept it to myself out of fear based in perfectionism.
You know what the funny thing is? The perfectionism, most of the time, wasn't even about the blog. Most of them were a slam dunk, at least in the version I had played out in my head. They felt so inspired in those moments. As the days have gone by, I definitely cannot remember all the content or recreate them in my head. The perfectionism wasn't about the blog. It was about EVERYTHING. ELSE. Everything else in my life, business, relationships, etc, etc that I wasn't doing perfectly. I didn't allow myself the time and space to put the words down because FIRST I must take care of all the other things and make sure I'm doing them well and getting it right and THEN can I sit down to write. Or the story would be something like IF I get up early in the morning, THEN I can spend some time on the blog post. [Insert baby waking up at various times throughout the night + toddler + back & forth to bedrooms...hahaha! I didn't get up early!]
Welp! Here we are. About two and half months after the last (and first) blog and I'm allowing myself space to do this again. I'm not giving up. Just restarting. If you feel like I'm rambling- no biggie. That means this probably isn't connecting with you and how your head and mind works and you might think I'm nuts! That's okay! However, if you TOTALLY get me and know where I'm coming from, then you probably fall into this same trap of perfectionism that holds you back from doing things that move you FORWARD. Ever felt that way? Yes? Thanks for helping me feel better!
Now...what to do about this? Take ACTION! That's it! That's what I'm doing and that is the key to nipping perfectionism in the butt. JUST. TAKE. ACTION. Do it now! Don't wait until tomorrow to do the things you actually WANT to do! Think of this as a muscle to flex- your action muscle. The more you use it, the stronger and more powerful it becomes. When we hold back too often and just think about things, we stay stuck in our head. That's where I spent too much time these past couple of months. Stuck in my head.
I listened to a book on Audible recently, "The Big Leap," by Gay Hendricks. One of his quotes in the book that has stayed with me is related to time and how we spend it. You need to read the book to learn about the concept of Einstein time (mind blowing!), but he mentioned this in that chapter. "You'll never have enough time to do the things you don't want to do." It really hit me when I realized how I had been thinking of time when I heard that very message. I had been feeling like I just couldn't keep up with my house and all the cleaning and the laundry. I had been thinking about how there just never seems to be "enough time" to get it all done. Then I realized...it's because I don't WANT to do it. I don't! I love having a clean house and everything nicely organized as much as possible, but I don't want to spend all my time doing it! So in moments that I feel like I "should be" cleaning my house, I'm not really using the time allocated the best that I could be. I find distractions and excuses (and I also get interrupted by my kids- ha!), and it takes way more effort and energy than it should. As a result, it seems never ending. Never enough time. And the time wasted eats away at opportunities to do the things I actually WANT to do.
I don't have a cleaning service yet, but at some point, it would definitely be in my best interest to get one. Not because I'm lazy, but because there is a bigger and better version of myself that can be tapped into when I am taking action and pursuing the work that I actually want to do. What would that look like for you? What are things you are doing on a regular basis that you don't want to do and also feel like you don't have enough time to do them? Then flip that. If you didn't "have to do" those things, what would you want to do? How would you spend your time? And most importantly, WHO WOULD YOU BE if you spent your time doing only things you want and choose to do??? Take a few moments to think that over. Maybe even close your eyes and let your thoughts drift into that reality. Who would you be? And who is missing out on that wonderful person? Is it worth it to step into that version of yourself?
It's time to kick perfectionism to the curb. Do you expect others to be perfect? Probably not. So don't hold yourself to a different stand. I've got some progress to make on this one, but it's time to commit to ACTION and keep moving FORWARD and stepping into the highest version of myself. Are you coming with me?
I'd love to hear from you! Let me know if this resonates and how we can partner together in ACTION!
Have an awesome weekend ahead and I hope you create all the time you desire doing things you WANT to do!
Hello!!!! You have arrived!
Let me start this off by letting you in on the real story….
I’ve had intentions of launching this blog for close to a year, and I’ve fallen into the cliché of having an inactive website that I wasn’t utilizing for the past year. I could beat myself up about that a little more than I already have, but why? Yes, my whole mission is named Fierce & Free and this story isn’t sounding so Fierce & Free, is it? From that perspective, of course not.Let me tell you what is Fierce & Free is about. It’s the ability to dust yourself off and get back up again. The ability to keep putting one foot in front of the other even when you feel defeated by the challenges of life, womanhood, motherhood, relationships, career, entrepreneur life, and the world as we know it.
Being Fierce & Free does not require that you are constantly ready to conquer the world. It does not mean that you never take a break to simply just enjoy life as it is, for what it is. Fierce & Free is not about perfection or always having it together. I sure as heck do not! Fierce & Free is a mindset that you hold with you, to guide you when the going gets tough. Fierce & Free is the ultimate combination. Use them together or focus on them individually. There will be times when you just need to focus on being FIERCE and times to focus on just being FREE. At the end of the day, this duo mindset is the fuel to keep GOING after the life of your dreams, even if that means one baby step at a time.
Three years ago, on a 9-day trip down the west coast, I decided to open up my mind and allow myself to dream of creating a life that I truly loved. I had been so focused on my career with my head down working the grind to achieve my "career" goals, that I had completely lost track of my LIFE GOALS. I didn't really know what they were any longer. Of course marriage- I was already married to my best friend and high school sweetheart. Kids- we had our first daughter and second on the way. Motherhood brought me so much joy. That trip really reminded me of how much life I had been missing out on. The whole time, I couldn't help but ask myself...how do I get MORE of this. More time with my family. Time to truly watch my kids grow. Time to relax and enjoy life with my husband rather than just constantly working the grind and feeling stressed along the way. Time to travel. Time to see the world. Time to explore, play, laugh, dance, and so much more. I was tired of not having that playfulness in my life. I was tired of feeling so serious all the time, just because I was trying to keep my sh*t together with balancing it all. I was exhausted by being a people pleaser. The word "No" didn't get used much in my vocabulary. It was time to say "No" to a lot of things and say "Yes" to ME and my family. Baby Steps. For the past three years, this is exactly the path I have been on. I've often felt like I'm in one of those dreams where you just want to take off running and you can't figure out why you are moving in such slow motion. Why can't I just run? Why can't I just sprint to the finish line? What is holding me back? Pretty much every time I start to feel that way and then stop to evaluate my life & situation the arrow always points in the same direction. ME. I'm what's holding me back. It's been the stories in my head. The fear of failing. The desire to do it all "right" the first time. Feeling like I don't know enough to step into a new journey. Holding on to pain & emotions from the past. Worrying about what others think of me and will I be accepted in this new "free" version of myself.
So three years have gone by and I've worked through a lot of these "thoughts" and I've learned a lot about myself and I'm continually striving to grow in my mind, body, & soul. I've stepped away from my career. I'm continually growing in motherhood, being a dual business owner, and striving to build the Fierce & Free life of our {my family's} dreams. The one where WE call the shots. The one where we have time & financial freedom. The one where we are free to make our own schedule and literally BE wherever we want to be and when we want to be there.
Baby Steps. We're still building this dream, and in some ways, we always will be. I never want to stop dreaming bigger and reaching for bolder visions. If I could go back three years, I would tell myself just this: "Just relax and enjoy the ride. You don't have to sprint. It's a marathon, and there is so much beauty to soak in along the way. Embrace every minute. Know you are powerful and more ready for this than you can even imagine. There's going to be some rough patches, but they will make you stronger and better every step of the way. Enjoy these moments- they are precious. This life is filled with abundance and it is here for you. Stay consistent and just keep moving forward. Let your heart guide you. It knows the way. You've got this."
I'm so happy you have arrived. I can't wait to learn about your own Fierce & Free journey and the life and dreams you are building. Baby steps or giant leaps...no matter what...YOU are Fierce & Free.
