Um, whose goal is it anyway?
If, like me, your inbox is full of motivational stuff about hitting Q1 goals, this is the antidote, the permission slip to stop the grind and sit back on the couch (blanket totally required).
Sure, I want you to do amazing things.
ALL OF THE AMAZING THINGS!
I just want to make sure the things you are doing feel like they are YOURS.
Say whaaaaat, Giff?
When we set goals, aim towards them and do the baby steps to 'Get Them Done, Dammit', we often lose sight of whether the goals were actually ours in the first place.
Right now, I am starting to write my next book, 'Brilliance Unboxed', and I am delving into materials, immersing myself in research, and revisiting my past posts.
As part of this process, I am devouring a book called 'Happy Ever After' by the wonderful Paul Dolan; in it, Dolan looks at the social narratives around each drive to "succeed" and obtain the perfect life. I cannot recommend it highly enough, peeps.
The pressure to go bigger, to earn more, to break the next income ceiling can be paralysingly overwhelming.
And we just don't necessarily need to do it.
For example, as Dogan says,
'“We need to stop judging others as lazy, uninspiring or unambitious when they report being happy as they are. The narrative of reaching for wealth stigmatises those who don't want more money.”
The pressure to get rid of money blocks and earn more can all too often go from being a positive encouragement to "hey, look what's possible!" to a more unhelpful "I am doing this, YOU should too - or you need to look at why you are happy at being Less Than".
Hands up if you have ever felt that pressure 🙋🏻
The question is, do you realise it when it happens?
I have been talking recently about taking time away from social - Facebook, in particular - which is especially useful when checking in with myself on what makes me happy and where to spend energy.
Received wisdom is that my business and brand would suffer for this.
Reality is that I have had the best January EVER in terms of both sales and happiness, and I am actually booked out with ease, joy and doing what I love.
To quote, well, ME from 2015: "Without realising it, it is SO easy to get swept along by the tide of our friends, families, co-workers, colleagues - whoever - and we take on ideals as if they are our own."
Live the dream, just make sure it's yours.
This, for me, is why brilliance is also so important here.
Being sure of your brilliance from a personal branding point of view helps you to be super clear about who you are and what you want - then the messaging and content around that is a doddle.
From a human point of view, it stops you from trying to be all the things, all the time, without applying appropriate filters or questioning what you want, what you really, really want".
So, back to those Q1 goals.
Are they yours?
Or are they the received wisdom of your coach, your mastermind, your industry, your peeps, your family, your friends?
Check in with yourself.
Have a chat with the Brilliant You and join our discussion in the Own Your Brilliance group right here (if it feels good to do so!).
Jo x
P.S Don't forget to check out the free Brilliant You goodies here.