Overly Ambitious Goals: How They Impact Your Work-Life Balance

Overly Ambitious Goals: How They Impact Your Work-Life Balance

by | Goals

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Have you ever found yourself swept away by the intoxicating thrill of setting goals that may be overly ambitious, only to question later if it is aligned with your overarching “why” or if it was set more as a vanity goal? While the goal may be achievable, is it a goal that is truly fulfilling? I must confess I've fallen into this trap recently, especially when juggling my commitment to publishing podcasts while still being there for my clients and family. I had to step back to look at my goal to reach 100 podcast episodes before the end of the year. Come on, Friend, let’s explore the alluring tap of overly ambitious goals and finding balance. 

A Personal Journey into Overambition

Yes, I must admit I was too ambitious with my content creation goal. Do you set goals that may be overly ambitious out of pure excitement?  Well, this was me with the number of podcasts I could publish consistently and finding balance to be present for my clients and family.

This was my thought; it will be so cool to have 100 podcasts before the end of the year. It’s doable. Totally doable cause I set the alluring ambitious goal only looking at the numbers and not considering the possible effects.

I kinda wish I could tell you this was the first time I’d done this, but it would be a lie, and most of the time, I’ll push through because I set the goal. Ask my husband, I’m stubborn. What happens to me when I do this instead of enjoying the progress toward the goal? Suddenly, it is a box that I need to check off, no longer a goal I feel aligned with. I’ll go through the motions not with excitement but with dread. I have a hard time throwing in the towel. I’ll tell myself you can do this, and I’ll run myself ragged.

A Quick Recap From Last Week

I touched on this briefly last week in episode 17. On the point of knowing how much organic content you can create without feeling overwhelmed. Friend, this question is so very important. It will vary for each of us. We all have different things on our plates.

I discovered really quickly that putting out three podcasts a week, while doable, was causing me to say “no” to things that I wanted to say “yes” to. Seriously, my ambition gets the best of me sometimes.

I’ve had enough failed attempts at creating consistent pillar content that I know my sweet spot is one piece of organic content a week. This is the right amount to allow me to find a balance between running a business and my family. I ignored this when setting my goal of 100 episodes before the end of 2023.

I thought no big deal, I’ll batch record and have my VA handle everything else. Well, until something happened to the recordings, eight episodes of batch work were gone. Well, not gone exactly; I sounded like a super fast-talking chipmunk. Let’s say I was in complete horror when I found this out, just as we are getting into one of our busiest times this year, graduation time. My three kids are graduating from either college or high school this month.

Are you sitting on the edge of your seat, wondering about my reaction? 

Of course, you are wondering, LOL. 

At first, I cried a little frustrated with myself. Oh, and believe me, at one point, I would have pushed through and batch-recorded all eight of them again.  With the thought, no big deal, I can find time.

But you see, that “time” that I’d be required to find would cause me to say “no” to a lot of important things we have going on right now. Only to say “yes” to my overly ambitious goal.  

You may not be impressed with me, but I truly was. Instead of batch recording them again, I asked myself what is the lesson here? What is the message that God is sending me? I stepped back to look for my message; everything happens for a reason, am I right?  

Is this goal aligned with my why? 

Asking this question tends to give me insight when I set or want to set overly ambitious goals. Sometimes I’m selfish and want to do things for vanity or what I’ll receive in return.

We are not intended to serve ourselves in this life. We have been given specific gifts from God to help serve one another. 

For this reason, I had to step back, reflect on my overly ambitious goals, and find a balance that allowed me to say “yes” to the things that truly mattered.

Was it hard? Yes, I feel the desire creep in,100% I do. 

However, I set the goal without sitting down and determining if it would be realistic and achievable with everything I’ve already committed to this year. 

Do I feel out of integrity, going back and changing only after a short period of time? Yes, a little. But, this goal in only a few weeks infringed on my overarching why: to create an impact while being present for my family. 

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The Lure of Overly Ambitious Goals

Oh, yes, they bring feelings of exhilaration when setting goals with high aspirations. C’mon, you know that feeling when you totally crush a goal that has been working hard to achieve? 

You can already feel the joy that will come when the dream of accomplishing that extraordinary goal is a reality. All the atta girls you’ll get from your clients, friends, or family members only reinforce the desire to set overly ambitious goals. There is one small problem when these types of goals are made from a space; it would be so cool without thinking through how they will impact finding balance for the things that truly matter. 

The Reality Check: Juggling Clients, Family, and Ambitious Goals

The initial enthusiasm will start to wear off, and the mounting pressure of meeting aggressive deadlines will force you to say no to the things you want to say yes to. In the end, this realization will be the reality check to help make the hard decision of letting go of this goal. 

The Turning Point: Acknowledging the Need for Change

Let me tell you; it takes a whole bucketful of courage to look at yourself in the mirror and say, “Hey, I think I bit off more than I can chew.” You see, there's a certain charm in admitting that you've been overly ambitious – it’s kind of like eating a whole pan of warm, gooey, fresh rice crispy bars by yourself; initially, it seems like a great idea until you're halfway through, and the guilt of keeping them all for yourself kicks in. That's when you know it's time to quit while you're ahead and share it with your family. 

Pause, and reevaluate your priorities. It's about taking a long, hard look at your why and asking, “Is this goal truly in alignment with my why or is it more of a vanity metric?” 

And sometimes, it's about admitting that it wasn’t completely thought through it was a goal made from excitement, just like my 100 episodes. 

Finding Balance and Redefining Success

You know, there's a certain finesse involved in setting realistic goals. Not every goal is a good goal to strive for, yes, they should challenge you, but not to the point where you’re overwhelmed and questioning what the heck you were thinking setting this goal. 

It is okay to step back and readjust the goal to be a little less ambitious so that you have the space to say yes to the things that matter and the people that matter. 

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The ongoing pursuit of balance, growth, and happiness

I’m guessing we both want to pursue all the goals that grow us personally and our businesses. If you find yourself in the future contemplating if your goal is a little on the ambitious side or if it is simply stretching you. 

  • Be sure to sleep on goal; heck, you may even need a week.
  • Circle back on the goal and ask yourself the following questions for a better gauge. 
  • Is this goal in alignment with my why? 
  • If I say yes to this goal, will I have enough bandwidth to be present for my family, clients, and potential growth opportunities that may come up? 
  • What is driving my desire to set this overly ambitious goal? 
  • Am I realistically able to achieve this goal in this time frame, with all my prior commitments? 
  • Will setting this goal allow me to maintain balance in my life?

It’s important to clearly understand what you want to achieve and what steps you need to take to get there. However, it's equally important to recognize that you can't do everything. As much as we want to, our goal must be prioritized and either let go of, the end date readjust or moved out to a future start date. 

If you struggle with a goal, remember it is okay to reevaluate and redirect. As a busy online business owner, you have enough going on without the added stress of an overly ambitious goal.Heck, if you’re looking to Find Balance in your life and business, I invite you to download my free resource, Find Balance.

Thank you so much for reading, friend; I hope this was helpful. I appreciate you, and I hope you have a wonderful week.

Find Balance Digital Download
Consistent Content Creation: 3 Tips to Keep You on Track

Consistent Content Creation: 3 Tips to Keep You on Track

by | Life and Success

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Hey there! Do you ever feel like creating content is a total rollercoaster? It's tough to keep things consistent. But don't worry, I've got some awesome tips for you! By using the right systems, you can make sure your content creation process is smooth sailing. Do you want to dive into some super helpful ways to stay consistent with your content creation goals? These tips allow you to create amazing content regularly – even when life gets crazy! So buckle up and get ready for some seriously useful advice!

What is the point of the content? 

Are you looking to create content that really packs a punch for your online business? Well, first things first, you need to understand your content goals! Setting clear goals is super important for ensuring your content is effective and aligned with your overall business dreams. 

But how can you do this? It's all about determining the intent of each piece of content. Are you trying to educate potential clients? Build brand awareness? Increase website traffic? Grow your email list? Narrowing down the goal of each piece will help you figure out how it should be structured and what topics to cover that your ideal client will find helpful.

Another important factor to consider is your ideal client. Who are you trying to reach? Knowing who you’re talking to will help you tailor your content to their interests and the problems they are trying to solve. You’re organic content should not be created with the thought of only checking a box off the list; make sure your ideal client will find value in what you’re providing to them. 

What is the right amount of content for you? 

This is essential, how much organic content are you able to create without finding yourself overwhelmed? Friend, this question is so very important. I’ll touch on it more next week but I discovered really quickly that putting out three podcasts a week, while doable, was causing me to say “no” to things that I wanted to say “yes” to. Grr, my ambition gets the best of me sometimes. 

Know what is the right amount of content that you’re able to create consistently. For years, YEARS, I’ve known that one piece of organic content is the right amount of consistent content creation for me, my business, and my family. I ignored this when setting my goal of 100 episodes before the end of 2023.

I thought no big deal, I’ll batch record and have my VA handle everything else. Well, until something happened to the recordings, eight episodes of batch work were gone. One may think that my first thought would be to record them again; no big deal, right? 

Instead of recording them again, I asked myself what is the lesson here? What is the message that God is sending me? I stepped back to look for my message; everything happens for a reason, am I right?  

This reflection made me understand I set a goal not for the greater good of my family, God, or my ideal clients. I set a goal for myself, a vanity number of having over 100 episodes. 

Moving forward, for this time in my life, the right amount of content for me to be able to serve my clients and be present for my family is one piece of content each week.

Establish A Doable Schedule is Tip One

Once you know the right amount of content, set yourself up for success by establishing a schedule. For me, I’m sticking with Wednesdays when my new content will release each week. What is your consistent schedule for your content? 

You see, once you know the right amount of content and what day you’ll release your long-form content, create a content calendar. This is a great way to stay organized and keep track of deadlines. 

This helps ensure that everyone on the team, including yourself knows what needs to happen next. 

Using a content calendar and a project management tool eliminates the decision of what you need to work on today. It also eliminates that decision for your team. The best way to do this is to create a template workflow of all the steps from idea to publication in your project management software. If you do not have project management software or have tried to implement one in the past and have failed, please schedule a 30-minute mini-session. We will figure out which one to use, and I’ll set you up with a template to get started.

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Tip Two Planning Ahead Is A Key To Consistent Content Creation

Planning ahead is essential for consistent content creation success. In fact, it allows you to be purposeful with your content so that it aligns with your goals. By doing this, you'll be able to stay organized with your launch schedule and cover the right topics at the right time with an effective plan.

Moreover, at either the end of last year or the beginning of this year, did you sketch out a plan for where you'd want to be by the end of the year? While I'm a big believer in 90-day planning, there is a huge benefit when you stretch out or create a rough draft of when you'll be in growth mode versus nurture mode. This way, even if you work one on one with clients, it is nice to onboard new clients simultaneously. 

By doing this, you'll know the right topics to cover at the right time based on what mode you're in. For example, if you have a group program or a mastermind alongside your one-on-one practice, you'll likely not promote these at the same time. Or perhaps you have a few different online courses. These, as well, you're probably not promoting at the same time.

To help with this, create a high-level overview of your year. By doing this, you'll want to be specifically making content that is attracting the right people leading up to those launches. Ashlyn Write does an amazing job of this inside her business, and it's a great example to follow.

If you’ve not done this, no worries, Friend now is the perfect time to schedule time on your calendar and sketch out until the end of the year. 

Taking the necessary steps to plan ahead, such as determining what topics must be covered and when will ensure success. 

Laying out your weekly topics in your project management app is a great way to look at the road ahead. It can also map out a template that can be duplicated from start to finish when creating content so that everything runs smoothly. No missing steps! 

It's also important not to forget about promotion; make sure there are slots in your schedule dedicated solely to marketing activities like social media posting or email campaigns once the piece has been published.

Setting a schedule for content creation is essential to staying consistent and organized. Planning ahead can help ensure that you are creating the best possible content in an efficient manner.

Track Your Progress is Tip Three

By tracking progress, you can identify areas for improvement and gain insight into how well certain pieces of content have performed over time. Our numbers give us clues and valuable insights into what content works and which topics aren’t doing so hot. 

It's also important to observe how viewers are receiving your content. Are they clicking through to other pages? Sharing it with their network? Taking action based on what you wrote? These insights can help you determine which topics resonate most strongly with your audience and focus more energy on those areas going forward.

Monitoring statistics such as visits to your site, page views, and conversions can assist in discerning which content is more successful than others so that future changes may be made. If your primary long-form content is a podcast or YouTube, be certain you’re checking those numbers! 

In addition to your website stats, pay attention to your social media. Are you getting people clicking through to your website, saving and sharing your content? 

For this, I have a great resource for you. “Know Thy Numbers” is my free resource for tracking profit, metrics, email stats, sales calls, ads, and last but not least, price for profit.

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As a quick recap, we’ve covered three key tips for creating content consistently. Firstly, understanding your content goals is essential for ensuring your content is effective and aligned with your overall business objectives. This means determining the intent of each piece of content and considering your ideal client to tailor your content to their interests and problems. Secondly, planning ahead is crucial and involves establishing a doable schedule, creating a content calendar, and mapping out a high-level overview of the year. Finally, tracking progress is important to identify areas for improvement, gain insight into the performance of content, and monitor statistics such as website visits and social media engagement. Following these tips, you can create amazing content regularly and stay consistent even when life gets crazy. 

Get started on tracking your results today with our free Know Thy Numbers resource!

Simply click the link below to access the Google Sheet and make it your own.

Don't miss out on this valuable tool for analyzing and measuring the success of your content marketing efforts.

Grab my template
Free Resource for coaches and course creators. Track your results to grow your business.
Daily gratitude in your everyday morning routine

Daily gratitude in your everyday morning routine

by | Planning-Organization-Productivity

Daily gratitude in your everyday morning routine

It’s Sunday Funday, time to set the tone for the week ahead by exploring how planning and daily gratitude can help us achieve success and happiness. So grab a cup of coffee, and with your favorite pen in hand, let's dive into the power of intentional weekly planning and adding daily gratitude in setting us up for a successful and fulfilling week!

With all the beautiful marketing out there telling you in order to be happy, you need more and more. It can leave you feeling as if what you have in your life is not enough. Having all the new and better will lead us to be happy. Instead of chasing and needing, look at everything you already have and give thanks. You feel more pleased and satisfied when you look at all your blessings. In other words, find time in your busy schedule for daily gratitude. How do you find time, you plan it of course!

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How do you set up your day to include daily gratitude?

When you add daily gratitude into your morning routine, this practice will start your day with the right mindset.

But here’s the thing, a morning routine does not need to be extravagant to start you off on the right path. Most people don’t realize that you already have a morning routine, but does your routine set you up for a great day or a day filled with chaos and overwhelm?

It’s time, my friends; grab your calendar or planner.

Why is planning your week essential? I’ve found unplanned weeks to end up being stressful and unproductive.

Because I leave it up to my in-the-moment decision-making, I can guarantee that I will not be working on the right thing at the right time. 

I know, I know cut to the chase Michele. 

Here are the items to include in planning a week that adds in daily gratitude. 

  1. What is your long-term goal, and what are you working towards this month or this quarter? If you’ve already created a project plan, this will be simple to know your big three actions that must be completed this week to move forward.
  2. Schedule appointments and meetings: Block out time in your calendar for any appointments or meetings you have scheduled for the week. Be certain to include your family activities and events. This will help you plan your work around those commitments.
  3. Set priorities for the week: I eluded to this one earlier. Identify the most important tasks or projects you must focus on for the week and prioritize them based on their urgency and impact on your business.
  4. Break down big tasks into smaller ones: If you have a big project to tackle, break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks. This will make it easier to stay focused and motivated throughout the week.
  5. Plan your content: If you're an online business owner who creates content, review your planned content for the week. Is every ready to be published or posted for the week? Are you part of the last-minute club? No worries, I’m not throwing any stones here; while you’re planning your week, why not schedule time to create a content calendar for the upcoming week and if you’re feeling really ambitious the upcoming month.
  6. Review your finances: Financial Friday, anyone? Look at your financials for the week and ensure you have enough money coming in to cover your expenses. If not, brainstorm ways to generate more revenue.
  7. Take care of administrative tasks: Don't forget to do administrative tasks, such as responding to emails, updating your website, or paying bills.
  8. Schedule time for self-care: As an online business owner, it's easy to get caught up in work and neglect your own well-being. Schedule time for exercise, meditation, or other activities that help you recharge and stay focused.
  9. Practice daily gratitude: Of course, last but not least, Include daily gratitude into your week planning by reflecting on what you're grateful for and how it can help you achieve your goals.

Remember to stay flexible; this can be accomplished by adding buffer blocks and fire blocks. A buffer block can be used for anything your heart desires. I encourage my entrepreneurs to have fire blocks sprinkled throughout the day. A fire block is planning for the unknown. No, I don’t think the unknown will magically happen at that exact time; it allows you to shift the action items that were replaced by the unknown into that set aside planned for fire block. Allowing you the space in your calendar to adjust your plan as needed ensures your entire day or week does not get derailed. 

At the end of each day, review the day and take a look ahead. Does anything need to be adjusted? 

Not one minute of extra time for daily gratitude; weave it in.

Let me guess; as you planned out your week, you concluded you needed to get up earlier. If your first thought is dread of getting out of bed even earlier. Stay with me now; here are a few ideas for incorporating daily gratitude into your morning routine without getting out of bed one minute earlier.

While you are brushing your teeth, list in your mind what you’re grateful for that day.

When you’re getting dressed, this is the perfect opportunity to give daily gratitude that you get to choose from an ampule supply of clothing.

What about the food that you mindlessly eat as you hastily run out the door? What a blessing to have food for your body. Am I right?

In the car alone? Turn off what you’re listening to and take time for giving thanks and gratitude. When I’m in the car alone in the morning, this is my time to pray to God.

I challenge you to sprinkle in gratitude for one week, and surely you will begin to see daily gratitude throughout your day. All those things you took for granted, suddenly you’ll see them differently with an appreciation for what you already have.

I understand your dread.
You see, I get it. The thought of getting out of bed early in the past always was met with resistance. Until one day, I decided I didn’t want to be that person anymore. Instead, I wanted to be the person that popped out of bed early, ready to start the day.

Daily gratitude in your everyday morning routine

Always Changing

Life is constantly changing; that is a fact. Sometimes it changes slowly, and you hardly notice. Other times it changes quickly and leaves us wondering why things change.

Honestly, my morning routine varies depending on the clients and family circumstances. No matter what, two consistent things in my morning routine are daily devotionals with the Bible App and gratitude.

Do you have one or two things that, no matter what, happen at some point during the day for you?

How can you start with daily gratitude?

What at that very moment are you most grateful for in your day?

As for me, most days, my daily gratitude revolves around the people in my life.

Hey, I’ll admit some mornings, I’m just very grateful for a cup of coffee in one of my favorite mugs and my warm home.

A cup of coffee, tea, or maybe you prefer hot lemon water, whichever you prefer, is not a privilege for everyone. You see my point, right?

You'll not take them for granted when you give thanks for what you already have. Suddenly, you’ll look at what you have, big or small, with a grateful heart.

Daily gratitude in your everyday morning routine

Today I am grateful for my coffee while writing this post from my warm home. A daily gratitude routine sets my day off on the right foot. It allows me to focus on what I have instead of worrying about everything I do not have.

What are you grateful for today? Enjoy your day; I appreciate you!