SlayCrastination

Inner Fire Series Week 4 - Building routines to take care of ourselves

These trees look an awful lot like Uplifters reaching toward new beginnings.

Hey Uplifters!

I've spent the last 4 amazing years diving deep into the world of Uplifters, uncovering the secrets to their success through coaching, our incredible Daily Practice Survey (thank you to the nearly 1000 awesome Uplifters who responded!), and The Uplifters Podcast. We've learned so much about what makes Uplifters shine, but now it's time to tackle the juicy stuff - why we sometimes struggle to prioritize ourselves and how we can show up with the same rockstar energy we bring to everything else in our lives!

Let's face it, "shoulding" on ourselves is a total energy drain. But guess what? We have the power to change that! 💪 It's time to embrace our curiosity, ask ourselves some big, beautiful questions, and play around with different approaches until we find what makes our hearts sing.

Why do we sometimes put our self-care on the back burner? Let's break it down:

• We haven't discovered our powerful "why" yet

• We're trying to force ourselves to do things that don't light us up

• Our expectations are out of sync with our lives, making it feel overwhelming to get started

• We're missing a clear roadmap for positive change

Now, amazing Uplifters, are you ready for a fun experiment? 🎉 Think about something you'd love to do more consistently. Got it? Fantastic! Grab a pen and paper, set a timer for 5 minutes, and let your thoughts flow as you answer these questions:

1. Which benefit(s) of doing this routine really matter to you? Yes, you, not “the experts”. YOU are the expert in you. When your "why" resonates deep in your soul, you're so much more likely to make it happen.

2. How could you amp up the pleasure of this practice? Identify a way to bring more joy to whatever you’re asking yourself to do, whether it’s a chance to be alone or with friends, to listen to music, watch trash TV, listen to a podcast, or breathe fresh-ish air, or any other reward that excites you.

3. What is making it hard to do? (It’s ok if this turns into a full-page list.) Let me be very clear: You’re not skipping out on your self-care because you’re lazy. You’re skipping it because of a very real mental or physical barrier. What is making it harder for you to do the thing you want to do? How could you tackle these blocks one step at a time by moving them out of your way or making your expectations of yourself smaller and simpler? Could someone or something else help make it easier?

4. What is one super simple step you could take toward doing more tomorrow than you did yesterday? Sometimes, our biggest hurdle is our own ambition – we want to conquer the world overnight! But remember, progress is progress, no matter how small. One brilliant client of mine felt overwhelmed by the gym, so he made his goal simply to touch the gym door. Guess what? That small win led to big changes! I've been there too – last week, I celebrated two full years of lifting weights at least twice a week. It took every tip listed here to get me started and keep me going strong.

5. What wisdom does practice reveal? The most valuable insights come from taking action. Your first attempt might not be perfect, and that's absolutely okay! Show up for yourself, notice what feels good, identify what didn't quite click, and use that knowledge to fuel your next experiment. Keep fine-tuning your approach – you've got this!

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This is part four of a 10-part series on Burnout.

In part one, you’ll assess your current burnout risk and learn the costs and symptoms of burnout. In part two, you’ll learn a clarifying technique for deciding what to say yes and no to. In part three, you’ll learn an easy trick for boosting your energy. Stay tuned for the rest of our series, where we will cover:

• Time Mastery: Planning, prioritizing, ninja productivity 

• Boundary Boss: Protecting your time from energy vampires

• Stress Detox: Mindfulness, relaxation, and coping skills

• Boundary Buddies: Cultivating encouragement and accountability  

• Doing it is Crushing it: Recognizing progress + self-compassion

• Hotter Every Day: Long-term fire-tending strategies

Follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn for lots more stories of courageous Uplifters and simple strategies for keeping your inner fire burning hot.

Your Next Uplifter

Our next episode of The Uplifters Podcast is headed your way this Thursday. I can’t wait for you to hear my conversation with the legendary

Shelley Zalis

, CEO of The Female Quotient. Known as the “Chief Troublemaker,” Shelley Zalis is a trailblazer for women in the workplace. She is an internationally renowned entrepreneur, a pioneer for online research, a sought-after speaker, a well-known thought leader, and a devoted mentor. As founder and CEO of The Female Quotient, Zalis is in the business of equality™. Her mission is to change the equation and close the gender gap in the workplace. Together with Fortune 500 companies, impact organizations, and conscious leaders, The FQ curates experiences, media, and solutions that advance gender equality. The FQ has forever altered the business agenda through its signature Equality Lounges®, advancing equality at the largest global business and industry conferences, including Davos, CES, SXSW, Cannes and more. Prior to The FQ, Zalis became the mother of online research when she founded OTX (Online Testing Exchange), which quickly grew into one of the world’s largest research companies and earned Zalis distinction as the first female chief executive ranked in the research industry’s top 25. She sold OTX to Ipsos in 2010, where she led global innovation in over 80 countries. With a bold approach to leadership, business, and life, Zalis is an acclaimed speaker and dynamic moderator who has interviewed top-level CEOs, notable celebrities, and prominent female figures. In addition to being an exclusive contributor to TIME, Zalis has authored a Forbes column and has been named the #18 most influential voice on LinkedIn in the world. A firm believer in giving back with generosity, Zalis is also the co-founder of #SeeHer, a movement led by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) to increase the accurate portrayal of women and girls in advertising and media, has been honored as an “Industry Legend" by the AdClub, received the Matrix Award by New York Women in Communications and is a member of several equality boards.

Uplift Your Life!

🌟 Wear your inspiration with an Uplifter necklace. Treat yourself or gift one HERE.

💡 Need clarity on your vision? Explore private coaching to illuminate your next chapter HERE.

🚀 Is your team ready to soar? Discover how I can boost your high-performers HERE.

👭 Join an Uplifters Circle for regular doses of support and sisterhood. Details HERE.

Paid Subscriber Bonuses You’ll Find in Today’s Newsletter

✨ Huge gratitude to our newest paid subscriber, Deb Farris. Your support makes all the difference.

✨ As always, all of my writing is free and you can listen to every episode of the podcast for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack, or wherever you get your podcasts. For those of you who are more visual or want to take a deeper dive with our guests and who want to support this work with a paid subscription, you’ll find the extended-cut video of my conversation with Dr. Emily Bailey below.

✨ Our July Subscriber Workshop will feature some of the amazing authors from Uplifters Live - Tai Abrams, Rahti Gorfien, Julie Hughes, and Alison Relyea who will share their journeys to birthing a book baby to help us bring our own little bundles to the world! Details and link below.

Hugs and high-fives,

Aransas