13 | Dare to Dream: Crafting a Detailed Plan For Your Dream Life and Business

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Hello and welcome to Women in the Coaching Arena podcast.

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I'm so glad you are here.

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I'm Jo Lott, a business mentor and ICF accredited coach, and I'm on a

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mission to help brilliant coaches build brilliant coaching businesses.

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In this podcast, I'll be sharing honest, not hype, practical and

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emotional tools to support you to make the difference that you are here for.

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Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone): Welcome to episode 13 of

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women in the coaching arena.

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I'm so glad you're here.

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Today I'm really excited because we are going to unleash your vision and

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create your dream life and business.

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Because I was fortunate enough to attend a vision and planning workshop when I

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first started my business and it was really transformational because it does

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take that deep fire within you to keep going on this journey of entrepreneurship.

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So I would love to light that fire for you today.

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And you either might want to grab a pen and paper and find a quiet

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space, or you might prefer to just listen and reflect while you walk.

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Either way this episode will help you to expand your dreams

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and vision for the future.

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In our busy day-to-day lives we often don't get this opportunity

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to really think about what we want.

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And actually it's something that I really struggle with.

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I don't find it that easily when someone says, what do you want?

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Usually my answer is I just want to go for a walk and have some time to do some yoga.

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Like I don't want much in life.

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When I first started my business, I had a really huge mission,

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and it came really easy to me.

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So it's funny how things can change, but I do still think that deep mission from

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years ago is still burning brightly, and I do want to have a massive impact.

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But yes, I also would love some time to do yoga and walk.

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So that's why I'm excited to create this space today because we often don't allow

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ourselves this space that we need to do the basic things, like, think about

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our vision, go for walks and do yoga.

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So it as a business coach I understand that power of making

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room for you and your desires.

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So consider this episode, your personal coaching session with me.

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So, let me start with a story of commitment to the cause.

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No matter what.

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So Carrie Green from the Female Entrepreneur Society worked for two years,

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sharing female entrepreneur stories.

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Gaining absolutely no income from this.

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Everyone said she was crazy.

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Go get a job.

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How you intending to monetise this?

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She had loads of money blocks and just couldn't bear charging for her services,

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which I know a lot of women feel the same.

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I love sharing this story because it's super inspiring that her company

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and how generates millions of pounds every single year, which came from

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really addressing those money blocks.

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And then allowing in all that should built over that time.

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To be a successful entrepreneur you have to be prepared to start from nothing.

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And that is really hard.

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Zero followers.

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Zero email list.

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And I think it's even harder when you have been really successful in your

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career to date, which most coaches are.

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They have worked their way up and they've been super successful in what they do.

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And so I think that identity piece can be a real struggle when you first start

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your business and you do need to be prepared for things not to be perfect.

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And you need to be able to deal with those uncomfortable feelings when

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people say, how's your business going?

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And you think, oh my gosh, please don't ask me that.

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And you just say fine, and you try and change the subject as quickly as you can.

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So whenever I feel like things are not moving fast enough in my business.

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I just literally think back to Carrie Green's story and think my

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gosh, the commitment that she has to get to where she is right now.

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And that's what it takes.

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It takes being able to handle everyone saying.

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Is this a complete waste of time?

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Why you doing this?

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It takes the commitment to get through those moments where

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it isn't going fast enough.

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Cause I think it very rarely feels like it's going fast enough.

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So, let her be an inspiration for you as well.

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So now it's your turn.

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Let me ask you a question.

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What do you want?

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And feel free to pause this episode.

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If you want to write it down or have some time to actually think about this.

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Another great way of doing this is to start writing.

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I'd love it.

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If.

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dot.dot.

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And that helps you to really feel into this if that first question

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is bringing up a blank for you.

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So, this is the great opportunity of teaching what I need to hear really,

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because if you were to ask me.

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What do you want?

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Other than walking and yoga?

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I would probably say I want more support.

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I want to feel really supported with my kids' schooling because I

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think often now I feel like it's down to me to keep nagging and doing

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homework and that isn't my forte.

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So I would love to be able to receive in huge support to make learning fun

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for the kids and allow them to be able to find their own natural strengths

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through play rather than it being like, gosh, I've got to get the homework done.

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So, yeah, that's one thing I want.

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I also want to become known in the coaching industry for helping coaches

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build their business because there is so few people that you can trust.

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And that's really sad considering thousands of people are becoming coaches

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every single year and then they enter this new reality of all of these hopes and

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dreams, but not really having the know-how and support to make them a reality.

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So I would love to become known in the coaching industry as the

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person that you can go to, to help you to build your business.

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I also want I'm on a roll now.

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I also want to have more holidays.

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I have just been away to Suffolk, which was absolutely lovely, and I'm

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really starting to enjoy my time off.

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I think the first three years in business, I just wanted to work all the time.

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So it definitely did steal quite a lot of my free time because I had so

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many ideas and so much to do to build that business from the ground up.

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That I genuinely didn't really enjoy the holidays.

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Cause I was like, oh my God, I just love to get on with this.

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Whereas now I'm at the place in my business when I have

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those foundations built.

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I've worked consistently and systematically to be able to

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have systems, to allow me to enjoy my term time only career.

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And yeah, that feels really good.

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So I would like to utilise that and have more holidays and travel more.

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So, what about you?

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I would love to I invite you again to consider what you want.

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And sometimes it's not always the obvious things.

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Sometimes it's the most basic stuff that we have already.

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So if you do have the things that you want already take a moment now

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to think my gosh, you know what I've already got the ability to leave the

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house and go on holiday or whatever it might be that you really want,

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and that you actually already have.

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So now let's take the next step and craft a detailed plan of that dream life.

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So you can choose a specific timeline.

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Of have, for example, two years, five years, or even 10 years.

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You can otherwise focus on the vision itself without

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worrying about the timeframe.

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I think the timeframe causes a lot of stress for people.

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So I always say the goal is not about reaching the goal by that timeframe.

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It's about being brave enough to set the goal in the first place

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and get closer to it than you would have without setting that goal.

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So I do struggle slightly with the time-bound goals.

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Because of this tendency to then feel depressed that it didn't happen.

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Versus continue, keep going, because guess what?

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It might happen two weeks later than you expected.

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In crafting your plan be daring disregard practicality for now.

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We spend plenty of time considering what's realistic and this exercise

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is about dreaming without limits.

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So really think about that vision.

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Now, describe your physical environment.

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What does your Career?

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Relationships?

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Health?

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Finances.

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Personal growth?

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Look like, write it all down and remember you can make changes along the way.

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The goal is not the goal.

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The goal is there to be a north star, to remind you that you can do this.

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So have fun with it.

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Let your creativity flow.

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And you are probably if you're anything like me on a walk,

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listening to this podcast.

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So I invite you when you get back if that's you.

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To write it down because I think that is a really powerful step of being

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brave enough to write that vision down.

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And there is loads of evidence to prove that this really works.

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It's like turning it into reality.

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If you've read the book think and grow rich, they talk about writing

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down your goal several times a day.

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So I would love to invite you to read your goal aloud to yourself twice a day,

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morning and evening would be amazing.

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Speaking your dreams into existence is a really powerful act.

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And notice how you react to your own words.

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So do you feel resistance or disbelief?

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Does it resonate as a future that feels within reach?

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And if you feel discomfort or doubt, don't be discouraged, keep writing

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and reading your vision aloud.

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Until it becomes familiar and comfortable because there is something about

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it becoming so normal in your mind.

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That then it starts to feel easy.

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Your mind doesn't resist it because it feels like, well, that's obvious because

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you've been saying it to yourself so often it's a bit like affirmations.

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Which have worked really well for me.

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And now I'm like, oh yeah did I ever believe that they weren't true because I

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genuinely now believe that they are true.

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So it really does work.

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Make the uncomfortable, comfortable.

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And remember there is no right or wrong on answer.

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Your vision is unique to you.

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And it may align with norms or it may challenge them.

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I was brought up by parents saying you just need to keep a proper job, stay

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there till you're 65, get the pension.

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That's what you need to do.

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And so that's what I did for the first 20 years.

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I had never considered entrepreneurship because it was so

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drummed into me to just get a job.

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That's the safest option.

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So when I did go off on my own, my parents were confused as to why I would leave a

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good well-paid job to do my own thing.

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But fortunately I had the courage to do that.

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So that leads me on to my next step.

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See, if you can seek out someone to share your vision with who

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also dreams big rather than says, oh, but don't be so ridiculous.

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Like, how are you gonna make that happen?

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Which sadly is a lot of our family and friends because they want to keep you

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safe by keeping your expectations down really low, so you don't get disappointed.

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So I'm sure they're not doing it to be unkind in any which way.

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But they will try to keep you back often and say like, you do

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realize this is going to be hard.

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You're not gonna be able to do this.

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What makes you think you can do that?

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Why don't you just stick with what you're doing?

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They will probably do things to keep you at your baseline because we are all in our

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kind of patterns of behavior with people.

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That most of us want everyone to just continue on being the same type of

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person that they have always been.

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So it can be very triggering when you start to do something

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different with your life.

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So now you have your detailed vision.

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It's time to identify the first steps that you can take to bring

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it closer into your reality.

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So break it down into actionable goals and create a plan to

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start moving in that direction.

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And remember that every single journey begins with those tiny steps.

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And when I reflect back on my journey, for example, the first thing I did

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was host a women's workshop on zoom.

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And I put it out to my personal Facebook because I clearly had no other

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social media presence at this point.

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And I was so fortunate that I really was supported because I put video out, which

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was super brave to put on my personal Facebook, a video, I was like crying.

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So often prior to making that video.

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Because it felt so raw and all consuming that I was asking

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for help and being vulnerable.

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But I fortunately did get 10 amazing women come to my first women's workshop online.

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I was completely petrified.

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I had never hosted anything like that before.

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But it really was a turnaround point in my business.

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For start, I got great testimonials straight up and not just one that I'd

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have to work like six months for, but 10, which I had to work two hours for.

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So it was a really great way of fast tracking those testimonials.

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It was also a great way of gaining people who wanted more help.

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And it was also a great way of showing me that I can do things that

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I didn't think were possible, like host a a event of 10 amazing women.

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So it was a really amazing moment.

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Then a public speaking event I did about imposter syndrome for

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the women of Silicon roundabout.

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Big conference near the o2 in London.

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And again, I was really petrified standing up there in front of hundreds

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of women doing an hour long talk.

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But somehow I did it.

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And then I suppose my next one would be my group programme.

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Which I just adore, I have built.

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And my most recent one was my Dare greatly in-person events, which again,

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I was absolutely petrified to run.

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But it's a real turning point in my business because now I do see

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that that could be a real integral part of my business going forward.

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So remember that these small steps can completely transform your business.

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So, what are your first steps to get there?

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Say out loud or write it down, commit to that first step right now.

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So let's move on to what resources, skills or support you might need along the way.

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Are there courses or training programmes that can help you to

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acquire any new knowledge you need?

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Can you seek mentorship or guidance from someone who's

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already achieved a similar vision?

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Think about what's potentially in your way and come up with

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some strategies to overcome them.

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How can you create reminders and affirmations to keep you

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connected to your vision.

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So for me, for example, I still have mine pinned up on my wall

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and I used to look at it often.

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I must admit I don't look at it often anymore, but it is there.

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So occasionally I catch sight of it.

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And I'm wowed that at the time.

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I had no idea and was brave enough to dream such a huge courageous vision.

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So allow yourself to visualise your vision as often as you can and

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engage your senses and emotions.

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There are great youTube meditation, visualisation things that I do often to

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really feel into what that feels like.

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And actually Carrie Green from the female entrepreneur association, who

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I mentioned earlier he says that she visualizes every single morning, what it

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will feel like to gain what she wants.

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So my next point is to surround yourself with supportive community that believes

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in your vision and encourages your growth.

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And like I mentioned earlier, this is often a real big blocker

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when you go into entrepreneurship.

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I certainly found that it was my friends who weren't really

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happy for me to succeed.

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I suppose it can be quite triggering when I had always been someone who I

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don't know if it was a bit negative, but like, I would never be saying

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things were going pretty well.

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I would always be saying, oh yeah, I know.

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I did pass that, but you know.

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this is wrong.

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This is wrong.

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This is wrong.

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Whereas I suppose being coached has helped me to really focus on.

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What is right and what is positive.

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So whilst I'm not like obsessively positive, and I will still be

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realistic in my conversations.

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I don't really get much out of whingeing all day long, which is

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probably what I used to do before I really understood coaching.

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And what I think most of the world does.

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Like who has the worst life versus who has the best life.

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So that's why I think finding your community who believes in

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you is really, really important.

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And you might be super lucky, you know, maybe your friends and family

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are absolutely rooting for you.

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And I'm sure mine are too but I think at the start, there is

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definitely that slight power struggle.

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I suppose.

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I'm just thinking that Deepak Chopra said once about power struggle.

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Because you are shifting.

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You are changing massively when you start your own business.

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You will have huge personal growth.

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And you will change dramatically.

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So, I guess again, that is a threat to the entire relationship, which is

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why I think these things often come up with friends and family when you start

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to do something slightly different, or again, if they're he started to do

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something slightly different, everyone generally wants things to stay the same.

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Just be easy, not have any huge change.

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So collaboration and connection will make your journey more enjoyable and fruitful.

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And finally remember that your dream and vision may evolve over time.

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So as you grow and learn, and as your business grows, you will

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start to want different things.

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So have the courage to chase your dreams dare, greatly in

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going after what you want.

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And you will be ahead of 99% of the rest of the world.

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Who are too scared to dare greatly because it requires a lot of courage.

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So thank you for joining me today on this journey of self discovery.

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I am excited to hear what you are going after.

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Please do drop me a message on LinkedIn letting me know, or email

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me on joanna@joannalottcoaching.com.

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And let me know what you are going for this year.

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And like I say, at the end of every episode, Trust yourself, believe

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in yourself and be the wise Gardner who keeps on watering the seed.

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Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.

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Please come and say hi to me on LinkedIn or Instagram and let me

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know how you are getting on in your coaching business and how you are

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gonna go for your dreams this year.

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My name on LinkedIn is Joanna Lott and on Instagram is at Joanna Lott Coaching, and

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I'll also put links in the show notes.

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Let me know if you found this episode useful.

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Share it with a friend and leave me a review, and I will

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personally thank you for that.

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Thank you so much for listening.