Episode Transcript
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(00:02):
Hey everyone and welcome to The Bold Blueprint.
I'm Claire Bartlett and I am so excited to be here with you for season three.
I can't believe that we're here already.
And if you've been listening for a while, you'll know that this podcast has been throughquite the journey.
So before we dive into today's episode, I want to take a moment to acknowledge therebrand.
(00:24):
because this marks a new chapter, not just for the podcast, but for me personally and forthis community that we're building together.
This rebrand is about stepping into the next level, being unapologetically bold andcreating space for bigger conversations around business and confidence and growth.
(00:47):
I wanted season three to reflect where I am now and where you are too, because I know manyof you are really in the thick of it.
You're growing your businesses, you're working hard on your personal brands and reallystriving for that next level.
So if that's you, you are in the right place and I am so glad that you're here.
(01:07):
All right, let's get into today's topic, which is something that has been sitting heavy onmy heart lately.
Prioritizing yourself as a business owner and taking care of your mental health.
Now I know that this time of year is a while.
January rolls around and we all come out of the gates sprinting.
(01:28):
You know, new goals, big visions, fresh ideas.
And, you know, don't get me wrong.
I love that energy.
But can we just be honest for a second?
Because that energy can also take us straight into burnout.
And I'm speaking from experience here because this Christmas break, it wasn't the restful,cozy reset that I had hoped for.
(01:53):
If anything, actually it's left me feeling really drained.
And I realised that the pressure I was putting on myself to be in full on hustle mode byJanuary the first was real.
But here's the thing, right?
And I want you to really hear this.
It is okay to not be full steam ahead right now.
Let me say it again once more for the people at the back.
(02:16):
It is okay to not be full steam ahead right now.
I'm giving myself the permission to ease myself into this year and I want to extend thatsame permission to you.
We're so often our own toughest critics, right?
We hold ourselves to these sky-high standards and forget to show ourselves that samecompassion that we would offer to a friend.
(02:42):
If your best friend came to you and they were feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, you know,they'd been working so hard since the start of the year,
You wouldn't just tell them to just push harder.
You would tell them to rest and to take a breath.
But we struggle so much to tell ourselves that same response.
(03:02):
So I'm telling you today, as your friend, that it is okay to not be going full steam aheadand to ease yourself into 2025.
So in today's episode, I want to share a few things that I'm doing to prioritize mywellbeing.
as I ease into the year and I hope that they will resonate with you too.
(03:24):
First, I'm focusing on small wins.
Now, I know I've said it before and I will say it again, I am a list person and I'lladmit, sometimes I'll add things onto the list that I've already done just to cross them
off for that dopamine here.
And you know what, I'm okay with that.
Small achievable wins help me build momentum without the pressure of those giant leaps.
(03:50):
But beyond that, I'm also leaning into gratitude and recognising the glimmers that are inmy day.
Those tiny moments that remind me that I am moving forward, even if the progress feelsslow.
It could be something like, you know, a client's feedback or just the satisfaction ofcompleting a task.
(04:11):
or simply just having a quiet, productive hour in my business.
You know, I even just love the word glimmers.
Like it's such a beautiful, joyous word.
And the thing is, we all have so many glimmers in our world every day, but we're just soconditioned to ignore the positives and focus on any negatives.
(04:33):
Well, not this year, people.
This is the year of gratitude, of beautiful glimmers.
and a regular small wins.
So who is with me?
Okay, next, I'm giving myself permission to pause and reassess.
Now, just because I had big plans at the start of the year, it doesn't mean that I have tostick to them if they're not serving me.
(04:56):
Danny Wallace, one of my favourite entrepreneurs, always says, have a plan to deviatefrom.
I love this so much because it acknowledges something really crucial.
that timeframes can be changed.
We often set ourselves really ambitious goals with strict deadlines and yes, structure isimportant in business, but it shouldn't come at the cost of our health.
(05:23):
I've learned that flexibility is one of the most valuable tools that we can embrace asbusiness owners.
If I need to shift a project timeline or extend a launch day, I can do it without guiltbecause
Plans are not written in stone.
They're just guidelines designed to evolve with you.
Now I had all the best intentions that over the Christmas break, I would be reallyreflecting, building out these new products and services that I had in my mind and
(05:55):
scheduling a ton of content because this is always the one that gets missed in my usualdaily grind.
Content creation just feels like a real chore to me.
I don't know, you know, we all have a pain point, don't we, in our business and socialmedia is one for me.
So I had this great ambition over the Christmas period where I was really just, you know,taking a step back and chilling out that I would have the time to schedule as much content
(06:22):
so I could start, you know, the ground running in the new year.
However, due to lots of situations out of my control, none of it happened, you know.
I just really needed to completely switch off.
So that's what I did.
That's what I gave myself.
(06:43):
And now I'm here in the beginning of January and I'm just starting that process now.
Flexibility is key to a sane mind frame as an entrepreneur.
I want you to know that it's okay to pause and check in with yourself.
Ask, is this working for me right now?
Am I excited about this or am I dreading it?
(07:06):
Because if the answer is leaning towards dread, maybe it's time to adjust.
Our personal wellbeing directly impacts our productivity and creativity.
So protecting it should always take precedence over arbitrary dread lines.
So protecting it should always take precedence over, you know, some deadlines that we setourselves six months ago.
(07:30):
So this year, let's allow ourselves the grace to reassess.
to pivot and reset as often as needed.
And third, I am setting boundaries.
Now, as I mentioned over Christmas, I did something that I never would have dreamed of afew years ago.
I completely switched off from work for two whole weeks.
(07:55):
I shut the laptop, I ignored all the emails, and I let the world just keep spinningwithout me constantly checking in.
And guess what?
Everything was fine, more than fine.
I listened to my body and realised that boundaries are not a nicety, they are essential.
I had had a manic 2024 and I really needed that time to just, you know, rebalance myself,get some new renewed energy and something to carry me through into the new year.
(08:28):
And if I had tried to still hit my deadlines of the 1st of January,
I would have started the year feeling just as burnt out as I did at the end of last year.
And it wasn't going to work for me.
It wasn't going to serve me and carry me through into the new year.
And your clients and your customers and your team will understand if you set boundaries.
(08:50):
In fact, they'll probably respect you more for it because when you show up with clear,healthy boundaries, you're modeling exactly what we are all in need more of.
Balance.
So if you're not sure where to start, let me give you a couple of ideas for setting someboundaries this year in your business.
(09:10):
You need to set communication limits.
Decide specific times when you will and won't check your emails or messages.
Do not feel obligated to be available 24-7.
So I schedule time in my diary each morning and afternoon to check my emails and I don'tlook in my inbox between those times.
(09:33):
because it is so easy to get dragged down a rabbit hole with an email when I should bedoing something else.
I schedule all these things.
I have a lot of tasks that I need to complete.
And it is so easy to lose hours of your day from constantly checking your emails.
So do yourself a favor, close that inbox and make sure that you switch off allnotifications because it's a...
(09:59):
anything more distracting than a constant ping of a new email and then curiosity gets youand you want to see who it was from or what that person has to say.
So it's really important to be strict with yourself here.
And it does take time because I was addicted to my inbox.
Like I thought that, my God, an email was going to come in that was absolutely missioncritical.
(10:25):
And if I didn't respond in 10 minutes, you know, or a client would be annoyed if I didn'trespond within 10 minutes of an email.
It's not the case.
People get it.
People don't expect, you know, instant replies anymore.
The world is busy.
So it's important to respect yourself enough to put these boundaries in.
(10:47):
And another on this topic is to learn to say no.
If a project or a client or an opportunity just doesn't align with your goals or yourcapacity, you need to give yourself permission to pass.
Seriously, when did it become the norm to always be accepting absolutely everything thatcomes your way, even if it's moving you further away from your objective?
(11:14):
Now, obviously, I know it's important to be visible.
to get seen and heard and gain that media coverage and attend events.
These are all crucial parts of building a brand and ones that I often talk about how, youyou can do this more in your business.
However, not every event or every audience will suit what you are trying to build.
(11:39):
Not every opportunity will pay what you deserve to be paid or benefit you in any way.
And when those opportunities come knocking,
You need to feel free enough and confident enough to say, no, thank you.
You need to keep your time and energy clear for the opportunities that do serve you andyour business.
(12:00):
And I promise you'll thank yourself later for it.
There is nothing worse than being offered an incredible opportunity that is, you yourabsolutely dream audience.
And you have to turn it down because you've already accepted another opportunity thatdoesn't really serve you in any way.
So keep yourself and your boundaries very clear.
(12:23):
This is my goal.
This is what I'm wanting to achieve.
And these are the opportunities that suit it.
And these are the ones that don't.
If you have that clear strategy and that clear end goal, it becomes very easy to decipherwhat opportunities are going to serve you and what align with you and what don't.
And that helps with the whole practice of saying no, because you can see very clearly thatit doesn't align with you.
(12:49):
So start practising that word and bring it more into your vocabulary.
And finally, and this one is important, I'm making rest and joy part of the plan.
Studies show that regular rest can increase productivity by up to 20 % and taking regularbreaks can enhance creativity and problem solving.
(13:15):
The World Health Organisation even classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon.
So scheduling joy into your week isn't indulgent, it's essential.
I block time in my diary for the things that light me up.
Simple things like just going for a walk or having a coffee with a friend after the schoolrun or reading a book that has nothing to do with work.
(13:43):
Those moments
You know, they recharge my energy.
They keep me connected to the passion that started this business in the first place.
So let's not lose sight of the joy that brought us here.
We all go into business because we love the thing that you offer.
But if you don't give yourself the opportunity to just step away and recharge, it caneasily begin to just feel like you're employed by the business and you lose that spark.
(14:10):
So prioritize yourself.
Prioritise time off and make sure that you see it as a vital part of your businessstrategy, not a luxury that you don't have time for.
So before we wrap up, let's just take a moment to reflect on everything that we've coveredtoday.
We have talked about the power of the small win, recognising those beautiful glimmers ofprogress that light your path and allowing gratitude to fuel your momentum.
(14:40):
We explored the importance of pausing, of reassessing and knowing that flexibility in yourplans isn't a sign of weakness.
It's a strategic move that keeps your wellbeing intact.
And of course we dived into boundaries, those beautiful necessary guardrails that protectnot just your energy, but the love that you have for your work.
(15:04):
Guys, these are not just business tactics, these are lifelines.
They remind us that you are the heartbeat of your business and if you thrive, yourbusinesses thrive.
So as you move through this year, make a promise to yourself to embrace, rest and joy andbalance unapologetically.
(15:25):
And trust me, this season of the Bold Blueprint is going to be absolutely packed withinsights, inspiration and game-changing conversations to help you do just that.
I am thrilled to share that we've got some incredible guests lined up, including the oneand only Dani Wallace, speaking coach extraordinaire, who I mentioned earlier, that she's
(15:48):
going to be going in to drop some serious wisdom on showing up boldly.
We've got Holly Matthews, ex Hollyoak star and founder of the Happy Me project.
She's joining us to share her powerful journey of resilience and creating happiness inyour everyday life.
And you cannot miss Matthew Hughes, the YouTube King himself, who's ready to give us thelowdown on building a brand with video and stepping into the spotlight.
(16:16):
Honestly, I am so excited for what's ahead and I want you to be a part of every second ofit.
So if today's episode has resonated with you, it would mean the world to me if you couldjust follow, give it a like and share the podcast.
Your support helps this community grow and it allows more people to access these importantconversations.
(16:37):
And hey, if you know someone who needs to hear today's message, send it their way.
Let's keep lifting each other up.
So thank you for being here this week.
Thank you for listening and thank you for prioritising you.
Until next time, take care of yourself and remember you deserve joy.