September 2, 2024 • 23 mins
In this special raw and unedited episode recorded in the forest, Kristi shares how slowing down, simplifying, and living seasonally can bring more peace, success, and joy to your life. With tips for everything from enjoying each season more fully to paying off debt (yes, this can be simple!), this episode will get you thinking about ways you might be able to savor life just a little more. Plus, a small habit that can have a big positive payoff.
Subscribe to Kristi's free digital magazine Love Your Life: https://kristilingspencer.com/
Subscribe to Kristi's free digital magazine Love Your Life: https://kristilingspencer.com/
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Well, hello, my friends, and welcome to this very special
episode of the Joy School podcast. I'm Christy Lynk Spencer.
I am so happy that you're here with me. And
you may have noticed, if you listen to the show regularly,
that this episode does not have an intro and it
also will not have an outro. We actually were not
(00:21):
going to drop an episode this week because of the holiday,
but I decided at the last minute I really wanted
to connect with you all and record one for you
anyway and just drop it raw and unfiltered. So here
it is. I thought we would have a little bit
of fun with it. Also, it really really goes with
the theme of the conversation that I want to have today,
(00:44):
and that is slowing down, simplifying and living seasonally. And
I have been so inspired this last few weeks. So
I am literally in the middle of the forest right
now recording this for you all, and I am not
far from the new cabin which I recently purchased. If
you've been listening to the show, you've heard me talk
(01:06):
about it, and we've been spending the summer here just
in the middle of renovations and getting things done. And oh,
of course, as to be expected. It's so much more
work than I thought it was going to be, but
it has been such a lesson in simplifying and slowing
down and patience and also just enjoying the moment. I'm
(01:27):
really just enjoying being in all of the chaos of
the construction and the dust and everything else right now,
because I know that it's creating memories and I am
looking forward to the result, but I am not in
a rush for it, if that makes sense. I don't
know if you've ever felt that way in your life,
but sometimes you just enjoy the process of something, right.
(01:47):
It's about the journey. And so I've been thinking a
lot about this lately, and in my last newsletter, and
if you're not on my newsletter list, so I have
a newsletter. It's actually a digital magazine. It comes out
every month and it's called Love Your Life. And I
don't email bomb people on my list every other day.
In fact, you'll hear from me at most maybe once
(02:09):
twice three times a month, and that's it, and it's
always with great value. I don't email my list for
little things that you know are going to interrupt your
busy day that you are not going to be interested
in you know why, because I don't love it when
people do it to me. So I do my email
list a little bit differently than some people do. And
I'm not saying there's a right or wrong way, but
(02:30):
this is the way I choose to do it, sort
of going in line with one of the topics of
today's show, which is simplify right. And so in my
last issue of my digital magazine, and if you'd like
to get on the list to subscribe for that, it's
free and you can go to my website, Christylinkspencer dot
com and there's all kinds of opportunities there to sign
(02:50):
up for it, and you'll get a free class when
you sign up for the subscription as well, so fun
things over there. But in my last issue, I talked
about being seasonally and that is one of my personal
goals right now, and it really resonated. I received so
many messages back from people who were like, this is
(03:10):
me too, Like I'm feeling this so much. And what
I mean by living seasonally is that it's really all
about mindful pauses and savoring the unique characteristics of each
season and being as present as possible in the moment
because When we do this, when we actually pay attention
(03:33):
to the seasons, time seems to slow down a little bit,
the seasons last a little longer, it seems they feel
like they do anyway, and it just creates more treasured memories.
When you connect with let's say, whatever fruits or foods
are in season, right vegetables that season, or when you
(03:54):
connect with the outdoors and what's happening during that season,
when you decorate your house for the season or for
various holidays during the season, it really does add some
joy to life, but it also really makes life feel
like it's slowing down. And I'm not gonna lie. I
have not been perfect at this. In fact, I haven't
(04:14):
been very good at it at all this past year,
and I have noticed a huge difference. Everything has just
kind of blurred together. I barely even remember last spring,
like it zipped by, And being here in the mountains
for this summer has really got me thinking about this,
because this summer went by in a flash. It is
just about over as I'm recording this, and I'm like, wow,
(04:38):
I almost feel like I didn't have a summer. Can
you relate? And so I've been really thinking lately, I
want to savor the last couple of weeks of summer here.
We're going to go have a picnic on the lake.
We're gonna have some watermelon, We're gonna have some cookouts.
We went to an outdoor concert this last weekend that
was so amazing under the pine trees in the here
(05:00):
in the mountains. They had a tribute band to Tom Petty,
who is one of my favorite musical artists of all time.
And wow, I want to give them a shout out.
By the way, this band is called Petty Party, and
I thought the name was really clever, but wow, were
they fantastic. They blew us away. They had the crowd
cheering and dancing all under the stars, under the pines
(05:22):
up in the mountains. It was beautiful. You can find
them on Instagram Instagram. I think it's Petty Party band,
and I'm sure they have a website as well. To
keep an eye out where they are. And this is
in California. They're probably just here. But anyway, I'm getting
off into the weeds here, But I'm just talking about,
you know, enjoying the last couple of weeks of summer
and summer activities right to really feel like it's not
(05:45):
too late to feel like I had a summer. And
so if you're listening to this and you've got a
few days left, or even if it's the early few
days of fall when it's still warm out, savor those
moments because before we know it, the leaves are going
to turn, it's going to start cooling off, which, by
the way, to me is heaven. Fall is my favorite
season and I'm really looking forward to it. And so
(06:05):
that's why I'm setting this intention now to live more
seasonally in my life. I plan on celebrating even the
smallest holidays a little bit more decorating, baking, and this fall,
I guarantee you I'm going to be doing some pumpkins, spice, baking,
banana breads, lighting candles, and just enjoying all the cozy
(06:28):
things of fall. And there are so many things that
go with that. And then when the winter comes, I'm
looking forward to bundling up and sitting by the fire
and enjoying some hot tea and just being present. And
part of what makes this so magical is that it
really gives you time to slow down and pause and
(06:49):
think about your life and where you're at, and also
living seasonally. You can set goals each season. Four times
a year. You can sit down with your journal or
your bullet pointed list, or however you set your goals,
and you can live quarterly or seasonally with your goals.
So rather than doing them annually or a couple times
(07:10):
a year, if you tie goals to the season, it
kind of brings a little bit more magic to it.
And that's sort of like living quarterly, which is a
big concept in the business world. A lot of people
live quarterly rather than annually, and it sort of breaks
things down in more manageable chunks. So that's sort of
another thing that goes along with living seasonally. And there
(07:32):
are many spiritual practices in the world that live by
something called the Wheel of the Year, and that is
essentially a wheel, and there are beautiful artistic presentations of
this if you google it online, and there are many
many spiritual practices that go by it. But what interests
me about it is that it really does just emphasize
(07:54):
living by the seasons and living by the harvest, and
living by when the sun changed and the moon changes,
and the tides change and the weather changes, and that
to me helps slow life down and just bring a
little bit more magic. So I just love that concept.
You can google that if you're interested, But just in general,
(08:15):
just paying attention and like I said, decorating your house
and celebrating right, celebrating each season, celebrate the moon phases,
all of these things will bring a little whimsy and
magic in the life, but will also help us breathe
a little bit and enjoy things. I don't ever want
another season of my life to go by like a
(08:35):
lightning bolt, right. I really don't like that feeling of,
oh my gosh, it's over already. What just happened? You know?
Can you relate? So I wanted to share that, and
that brings me to the second topic of today's episode,
and that is just slowing down in general. I feel
like these days, especially, so many of us are feeling
(08:59):
so rushed all the time and feeling rush to get
things done that there's not even a deadline for rushing
around the house, rushing through our workday, rushing through you know,
things that would normally bring us pleasure, but yet we're
rushing through them. And I am guilty of this as well.
And I've just been really thinking a lot about it
(09:21):
and wondering why is that And how can I be
more intentional about slowing down? And I recently posted on
threads and also on Instagram a quote and it really
hit with a lot of people, and it said, rushing
around all the time is a trauma response and is
hard on the nervous system. It's okay to slow down,
(09:43):
It's okay to be peacefully productive. There is enough time
you deserve to love your life. And I myself am
really trying to stick to those words. I really wrote
that quote for myself, but so many people relate to
it because sometimes we don't even pay attention to the
fact that we're rushing up the stairs, or we're rushing
(10:05):
through our morning routine, or we're rushing towards through getting
a project done. And there are many things that come
out of that. But you know what I mean when
I say rushing around all the time is a trauma response. Now,
I'm speaking from my own experience, but I think so
many people can relate to this. So when I was younger,
I worked on a lot of deadlines. And also I'm
(10:26):
a recovering people pleaser, and I've talked about this before
on the show, and I think my tendency to people
please when I was younger, and I still fall into
that trap now and then, but I've become much more
mindful about catching myself. But when you're people pleasing, you
want to get things done really fast, so you can go,
look what I did, or it's done, it's checked off
the list. But what happens when we rush through life
(10:49):
is a few different things. First of all, we miss
out on the joy of the moment, right, And that's
kind of what I was talking about earlier when talking
about living seasonally. But also now, this one's kind of
funny but true. You may be able to relate when
we're rushing around, we can injure ourselves. Right, how many
times have I bumped my knee or kicked my toe
(11:09):
or accidentally cut myself because I was rushing around, bonk
my head on a cabinet whatever it is, or worse, right,
rushing around can lead to physical injury in addition to
sort of taking away from the joy of life, because
part of the joy of life is savoring the moments,
and slowing down can really help us do that, as
(11:32):
well as avoid unnecessary bangs and cuts and bruises, right,
And so it's really just something to think about. And
I can feel so many of you out there right
now going, oh, yeah, I've totally bonked myself before when
I was rushing around. And you know, for me, when
that does happen, it's sort of a little reminder like, oh,
it's time to slow down. There is no reason Christy
(11:53):
to be rushing around like this. And this is something
I'm really really working on now. The other thing happens
when we don't rush and we actually breathe into things
and we realize that there is enough time and that
it is perfectly okay to be peacefully productive, right, because
you can be productive and be at peace at the
(12:15):
same time and go at a reasonable pace. There is
always enough time, you know. It's it's not going to
be very often in your life that something is on
fire or that there's an important deadline that absolutely has
to be done, okay, And those are rare occasions when
maybe a little bit of rushing might be in order.
But for the most part, most of the rushing we
(12:35):
do is totally unnecessary and it really takes away from
the joy and the peace in life. So true. So
this is something I've been working on. And if this
is you two, I invite me. I invite you to
join me in just sort of being more mindful about
that and slowing down and adopting that term peacefully productive.
(12:56):
Even write that on a little note and put it
on your desk, because it it really does feel good
to me. Those words feel good in my bones. And
that's kind of how I want to live my life,
all right. So the third topic of today's show, and
all three of these really tie in together, and that
is simplify. And I have to say this has never
(13:17):
been more present in my life than this summer, because
spending the summer in the mountains in a house that
has no kitchen and no furniture, Like I'm not even kidding.
We're sleeping on a mattress on the floor and doing
all these renovations, and we are cooking in a toaster
that's plugged in and on the floor of one of
the empty bedrooms, and a microwave that's basically what we have. Oh,
(13:39):
and a coffee maker. Can't live without the coffee maker.
But simplifying, and I'm living with a capsule wardrobe. I
think I have three pairs of jeans and four or
five tops and a few tank tops and a couple
pairs of sneakers and some flip flops and that's literally
what's here in a baseball cap. And it has been
so refreshing I can't even tell you, like so refreshing
(14:02):
and so eye opening. And if you've never spent a
season with a capsule wardrobe before, this can be for
guys or women or whatever your gender is. This is
not gender specific. I know you see a lot of
the women bloggers online doing capsule wardrobes, but I encourage
everybody to try this. Pick out some of the things
that speak to you the most for the season, and
(14:25):
create some outfits with them that are mix and match.
And pick out your few favorite shoes or whatever it
may be for that season and put them all into
an organized, you know, space in your closet or on
a clothing rack or whatever it may be, and then
either put the rest away or put it in a
separate closet or box it up for this season and
just see how you do with it. It is really amazing
(14:48):
how having less truly is more and it's kind of
mind blowing. And fall and winter isn't a great season
to do this with because you don't need that much.
A few cozy outfits. A few cozy sweaters, a jacket
maybe two, maybe a raincoat if you live somewhere where
it rains a lot, A pair of boots, pair of
sneakers and you're good, right, and some cozy slippers. Not
(15:11):
too much. Now, I'm sort of digressing here a little bit.
But this is just one example of simplifying. So another
example is automating things in your life. And now with
AI rising to the surface in so many areas, there's
going to be so many opportunities to automate things Between
AI and also technologies like smart home devices and things
(15:33):
like that. Start just with one thing. And maybe it's
just getting a smart plug for a light in your
office so that you can vocally turn your light on
and off or do it from an app. Or maybe
it is getting rid of some of the stuff in
your kitchen that is overflowing your drawers, right, Like I
think I've said this before, but nobody needs five spatulas,
(15:55):
And so just simplifying getting rid of things, paring down
and clear and clutter is so huge. Now another thing
to automate is paying off debt. And let me tell
you some of the best advice about money. I ever
received in my life that resonated with me, and when
I implemented it, it absolutely worked. This is probably about
(16:17):
fifteen years ago or so. I had some debt coming
out of some business things, and I wanted to get
rid of it. And my friend Bob Procter, the late
Bob Proctor, who was such a wonderful mentor, said, just
automate your debt. Put the payment for it on automatic
on your bank account so that you don't have to
(16:39):
think about it or look at it. Because what that
does is it automatically pays the debt off, but it
also frees up the space for you to focus on
making more money and creating more abundance in your life
because you're not thinking about debt. If you automate it,
you can literally just pretend it doesn't exist because it's
getting paid off. So figure out however much time. Let's
(16:59):
say you have a card you want to pay off
in thirty six months, a credit card, So just figure
out how much do I need to pay each month?
And if there's interest on it, look for an opportunity
maybe to lower the interest or transfer that balance to
a different car that has lower interest. Take charge of
your money. But if you have debt automated. That was
the best best advice that I got. Once I automated
(17:21):
the payoff of that, it was gone in the exact
amount of time I wanted it to be gone. And
also during that whole time, I hardly thought about it
at all. I was able to focus on moving forward
in my life. So that was wonderful advice that came
from the wonderful Bob Procter. And you know where else
in your life can you automate or simplify, rite or
pare down. This is really something to think about, and
(17:44):
it also does tie into living seasonally. I think that
one of the biggest parts of living seasonally is also
living simply, and that is such a big goal for
me going forward in my life. Going forward in my life,
I'm going to be all about less is more, and
by the way, I'm going to be this way in
my business as well. I've been going through a lot
(18:04):
of transitions this last couple of months, and I'm currently
remodeling my program, the Joyschool, to make it simpler and
more accessible for all of you. And for those of
you who are currently members, I know you're enjoying the content,
but the way you've received the changes that I've been
speaking about. I can tell you're so excited about it too.
So the Joyschool doors are currently closed, but I will
(18:26):
be announcing when they open again, and it is going
to be simpler, more powerful, and more accessible to everybody.
So I am so excited to share that with all
of you. And it's going to be simpler for me too. Therefore,
I am going to be able to put more time
and energy into doing higher quality content for you all.
So I'm so excited. So I really am taking this
(18:48):
whole approach of living seasonally and slowing down and being
peacefully productive and simplifying across all areas of my life,
and I'm excited about it. I just wanted to share
from the heart with you all today that this is
kind of where I'm at. I'm feeling great energy around it,
and I wanted to share it with you so you
(19:09):
can maybe relate and maybe implement some of these things
into your life as well. As we head into the
fall season and then of course winter, and it is
a time to rest. It is a time just like
the trees do, to let your leaves fall, and to
take a breath and just really slow down and savor
(19:30):
life all right. With that, that brings us to the
section of the show I like to call Joyschool habits,
where I share one small habit that can have a
big impact on your life. So I love the word
micro and micro to me really sort of ties in
with simplifying. It's something small that can have a being impact.
(19:50):
And I've talked about that the fact that I love microgreens.
I throw them on all my foods, and so I
want to encourage you today to adopt one microfitness move now.
Depending on what your ability is, be sure to check
with your trainer or your professional or doctor if you
have any limitations. But for me personally, what has been
(20:11):
so great is this past year, I wanted to incorporate
more strength training into my routine. And I already do
weights a couple of times a week, two to three
times a week, and I am fairly active. But I
wanted to add one thing each day that I could
do that would just be a small thing that takes
like thirty seconds but have a great result. So I
personally started doing fifteen push ups each day. And I'm
(20:34):
not perfect about it. Sometimes I skip a day here
and there, but most days I get my fifteen push
ups in. And so I like to call this a
microfitness move. So pick something you enjoy doing, and you know,
do ten, fifteen, twenty twenty five of them each day.
It literally takes a minute or less, and the compound
effect of this can be tremendous. Like think about what
(20:58):
your booty would look like if you did twenty five
squats a day, right, one minute a day can really
make a big difference. Now, this is not in replacement
of whatever fitness routine you're currently doing, but this is
an addition. It's like an enhancement. And if you're not
doing much fitness at all and your life is really busy,
this is a great way to just add a little
(21:21):
bit more. A microfitness move. Choose something that represents something
that makes you feel good, that's doable, that doesn't feel
like ah when you think about it, right. And another
one I do sometimes is I'll throw in like twenty
five or thirty jumping jacks and I'll just do those
in the morning to get my blood flowing. And my
husband laughs at me. He's like, I can hear you
(21:41):
up there when I'm upstairs, but it takes like thirty
seconds and my blood's flowing. It gets oxygen to my brain.
And you know, maybe doing that once doesn't have a
big impact, but doing it every day consistently can definitely
have a great payoff, right not to mention it can
help you get your blood flowing. So pick one thing.
(22:01):
I do my fifteen pushups a day, and once in
a while I throw in those jumping jacks, and I've
done that on top, I've stacked it with my other
fitness stuff and I'm telling you, I am noticing a difference.
My arms are getting more toned. And also it just
mentally shifts my brain into that place of thinking about fitness,
thinking about moving, thinking about my body, and momentum creates momentum.
(22:24):
You might be surprised how this one tiny little habit
of adding a microfitness move to your day can inspire
to you, inspire you to get even more fitness into
your routine. All right, my friends, if you enjoy this
stripped down, unedited episode of the show, I encourage you
to write a review on Apple Podcasts or on your
(22:46):
favorite platform. The reviews really do help the show. They
help it reach more people who might enjoy it. They
help boost it in the algorithms, and I love hearing
from you. I read the reviews and I appreciate them
so much, and thank you to everybody who's left one
so far. I can't emphasize enough how much this helps
things like podcasts, books. If you love somebody who's a
(23:06):
writer or a podcaster or a creator of any kind,
reviews are golden. So thank you so much, and thanks
for tuning in. I hope you enjoy the last few
days of summer, and I am wishing you the most
beautiful fall ahead. And we're going to have a couple
more episodes of the show before we wrap up this season.
But just be thinking about what kind of remainder of
(23:28):
summer and what kind of fall do you want to
have ahead, maybe even winter. Start thinking ahead. But let's
all live more mindfully, more seasonally. Let's slow down a
little bit, and let's just enjoy every moment much love,
my friends. Remember, you have the power to create more
amazing days, and more amazing days add up to a
(23:48):
pretty amazing life. Have a beautiful week.
Well, hello, my friends, and welcome to this very special
episode of the Joy School podcast. I'm Christy Lynk Spencer.
I am so happy that you're here with me. And
you may have noticed, if you listen to the show regularly,
that this episode does not have an intro and it
also will not have an outro. We actually were not
(00:21):
going to drop an episode this week because of the holiday,
but I decided at the last minute I really wanted
to connect with you all and record one for you
anyway and just drop it raw and unfiltered. So here
it is. I thought we would have a little bit
of fun with it. Also, it really really goes with
the theme of the conversation that I want to have today,
(00:44):
and that is slowing down, simplifying and living seasonally. And
I have been so inspired this last few weeks. So
I am literally in the middle of the forest right
now recording this for you all, and I am not
far from the new cabin which I recently purchased. If
you've been listening to the show, you've heard me talk
(01:06):
about it, and we've been spending the summer here just
in the middle of renovations and getting things done. And oh,
of course, as to be expected. It's so much more
work than I thought it was going to be, but
it has been such a lesson in simplifying and slowing
down and patience and also just enjoying the moment. I'm
(01:27):
really just enjoying being in all of the chaos of
the construction and the dust and everything else right now,
because I know that it's creating memories and I am
looking forward to the result, but I am not in
a rush for it, if that makes sense. I don't
know if you've ever felt that way in your life,
but sometimes you just enjoy the process of something, right.
(01:47):
It's about the journey. And so I've been thinking a
lot about this lately, and in my last newsletter, and
if you're not on my newsletter list, so I have
a newsletter. It's actually a digital magazine. It comes out
every month and it's called Love Your Life. And I
don't email bomb people on my list every other day.
In fact, you'll hear from me at most maybe once
(02:09):
twice three times a month, and that's it, and it's
always with great value. I don't email my list for
little things that you know are going to interrupt your
busy day that you are not going to be interested
in you know why, because I don't love it when
people do it to me. So I do my email
list a little bit differently than some people do. And
I'm not saying there's a right or wrong way, but
(02:30):
this is the way I choose to do it, sort
of going in line with one of the topics of
today's show, which is simplify right. And so in my
last issue of my digital magazine, and if you'd like
to get on the list to subscribe for that, it's
free and you can go to my website, Christylinkspencer dot
com and there's all kinds of opportunities there to sign
(02:50):
up for it, and you'll get a free class when
you sign up for the subscription as well, so fun
things over there. But in my last issue, I talked
about being seasonally and that is one of my personal
goals right now, and it really resonated. I received so
many messages back from people who were like, this is
(03:10):
me too, Like I'm feeling this so much. And what
I mean by living seasonally is that it's really all
about mindful pauses and savoring the unique characteristics of each
season and being as present as possible in the moment
because When we do this, when we actually pay attention
(03:33):
to the seasons, time seems to slow down a little bit,
the seasons last a little longer, it seems they feel
like they do anyway, and it just creates more treasured memories.
When you connect with let's say, whatever fruits or foods
are in season, right vegetables that season, or when you
(03:54):
connect with the outdoors and what's happening during that season,
when you decorate your house for the season or for
various holidays during the season, it really does add some
joy to life, but it also really makes life feel
like it's slowing down. And I'm not gonna lie. I
have not been perfect at this. In fact, I haven't
(04:14):
been very good at it at all this past year,
and I have noticed a huge difference. Everything has just
kind of blurred together. I barely even remember last spring,
like it zipped by, And being here in the mountains
for this summer has really got me thinking about this,
because this summer went by in a flash. It is
just about over as I'm recording this, and I'm like, wow,
(04:38):
I almost feel like I didn't have a summer. Can
you relate? And so I've been really thinking lately, I
want to savor the last couple of weeks of summer here.
We're going to go have a picnic on the lake.
We're gonna have some watermelon, We're gonna have some cookouts.
We went to an outdoor concert this last weekend that
was so amazing under the pine trees in the here
(05:00):
in the mountains. They had a tribute band to Tom Petty,
who is one of my favorite musical artists of all time.
And wow, I want to give them a shout out.
By the way, this band is called Petty Party, and
I thought the name was really clever, but wow, were
they fantastic. They blew us away. They had the crowd
cheering and dancing all under the stars, under the pines
(05:22):
up in the mountains. It was beautiful. You can find
them on Instagram Instagram. I think it's Petty Party band,
and I'm sure they have a website as well. To
keep an eye out where they are. And this is
in California. They're probably just here. But anyway, I'm getting
off into the weeds here, But I'm just talking about,
you know, enjoying the last couple of weeks of summer
and summer activities right to really feel like it's not
(05:45):
too late to feel like I had a summer. And
so if you're listening to this and you've got a
few days left, or even if it's the early few
days of fall when it's still warm out, savor those
moments because before we know it, the leaves are going
to turn, it's going to start cooling off, which, by
the way, to me is heaven. Fall is my favorite
season and I'm really looking forward to it. And so
(06:05):
that's why I'm setting this intention now to live more
seasonally in my life. I plan on celebrating even the
smallest holidays a little bit more decorating, baking, and this fall,
I guarantee you I'm going to be doing some pumpkins, spice, baking,
banana breads, lighting candles, and just enjoying all the cozy
(06:28):
things of fall. And there are so many things that
go with that. And then when the winter comes, I'm
looking forward to bundling up and sitting by the fire
and enjoying some hot tea and just being present. And
part of what makes this so magical is that it
really gives you time to slow down and pause and
(06:49):
think about your life and where you're at, and also
living seasonally. You can set goals each season. Four times
a year. You can sit down with your journal or
your bullet pointed list, or however you set your goals,
and you can live quarterly or seasonally with your goals.
So rather than doing them annually or a couple times
(07:10):
a year, if you tie goals to the season, it
kind of brings a little bit more magic to it.
And that's sort of like living quarterly, which is a
big concept in the business world. A lot of people
live quarterly rather than annually, and it sort of breaks
things down in more manageable chunks. So that's sort of
another thing that goes along with living seasonally. And there
(07:32):
are many spiritual practices in the world that live by
something called the Wheel of the Year, and that is
essentially a wheel, and there are beautiful artistic presentations of
this if you google it online, and there are many
many spiritual practices that go by it. But what interests
me about it is that it really does just emphasize
(07:54):
living by the seasons and living by the harvest, and
living by when the sun changed and the moon changes,
and the tides change and the weather changes, and that
to me helps slow life down and just bring a
little bit more magic. So I just love that concept.
You can google that if you're interested, But just in general,
(08:15):
just paying attention and like I said, decorating your house
and celebrating right, celebrating each season, celebrate the moon phases,
all of these things will bring a little whimsy and
magic in the life, but will also help us breathe
a little bit and enjoy things. I don't ever want
another season of my life to go by like a
(08:35):
lightning bolt, right. I really don't like that feeling of,
oh my gosh, it's over already. What just happened? You know?
Can you relate? So I wanted to share that, and
that brings me to the second topic of today's episode,
and that is just slowing down in general. I feel
like these days, especially, so many of us are feeling
(08:59):
so rushed all the time and feeling rush to get
things done that there's not even a deadline for rushing
around the house, rushing through our workday, rushing through you know,
things that would normally bring us pleasure, but yet we're
rushing through them. And I am guilty of this as well.
And I've just been really thinking a lot about it
(09:21):
and wondering why is that And how can I be
more intentional about slowing down? And I recently posted on
threads and also on Instagram a quote and it really
hit with a lot of people, and it said, rushing
around all the time is a trauma response and is
hard on the nervous system. It's okay to slow down,
(09:43):
It's okay to be peacefully productive. There is enough time
you deserve to love your life. And I myself am
really trying to stick to those words. I really wrote
that quote for myself, but so many people relate to
it because sometimes we don't even pay attention to the
fact that we're rushing up the stairs, or we're rushing
(10:05):
through our morning routine, or we're rushing towards through getting
a project done. And there are many things that come
out of that. But you know what I mean when
I say rushing around all the time is a trauma response. Now,
I'm speaking from my own experience, but I think so
many people can relate to this. So when I was younger,
I worked on a lot of deadlines. And also I'm
(10:26):
a recovering people pleaser, and I've talked about this before
on the show, and I think my tendency to people
please when I was younger, and I still fall into
that trap now and then, but I've become much more
mindful about catching myself. But when you're people pleasing, you
want to get things done really fast, so you can go,
look what I did, or it's done, it's checked off
the list. But what happens when we rush through life
(10:49):
is a few different things. First of all, we miss
out on the joy of the moment, right, And that's
kind of what I was talking about earlier when talking
about living seasonally. But also now, this one's kind of
funny but true. You may be able to relate when
we're rushing around, we can injure ourselves. Right, how many
times have I bumped my knee or kicked my toe
(11:09):
or accidentally cut myself because I was rushing around, bonk
my head on a cabinet whatever it is, or worse, right,
rushing around can lead to physical injury in addition to
sort of taking away from the joy of life, because
part of the joy of life is savoring the moments,
and slowing down can really help us do that, as
(11:32):
well as avoid unnecessary bangs and cuts and bruises, right,
And so it's really just something to think about. And
I can feel so many of you out there right
now going, oh, yeah, I've totally bonked myself before when
I was rushing around. And you know, for me, when
that does happen, it's sort of a little reminder like, oh,
it's time to slow down. There is no reason Christy
(11:53):
to be rushing around like this. And this is something
I'm really really working on now. The other thing happens
when we don't rush and we actually breathe into things
and we realize that there is enough time and that
it is perfectly okay to be peacefully productive, right, because
you can be productive and be at peace at the
(12:15):
same time and go at a reasonable pace. There is
always enough time, you know. It's it's not going to
be very often in your life that something is on
fire or that there's an important deadline that absolutely has
to be done, okay, And those are rare occasions when
maybe a little bit of rushing might be in order.
But for the most part, most of the rushing we
(12:35):
do is totally unnecessary and it really takes away from
the joy and the peace in life. So true. So
this is something I've been working on. And if this
is you two, I invite me. I invite you to
join me in just sort of being more mindful about
that and slowing down and adopting that term peacefully productive.
(12:56):
Even write that on a little note and put it
on your desk, because it it really does feel good
to me. Those words feel good in my bones. And
that's kind of how I want to live my life,
all right. So the third topic of today's show, and
all three of these really tie in together, and that
is simplify. And I have to say this has never
(13:17):
been more present in my life than this summer, because
spending the summer in the mountains in a house that
has no kitchen and no furniture, Like I'm not even kidding.
We're sleeping on a mattress on the floor and doing
all these renovations, and we are cooking in a toaster
that's plugged in and on the floor of one of
the empty bedrooms, and a microwave that's basically what we have. Oh,
(13:39):
and a coffee maker. Can't live without the coffee maker.
But simplifying, and I'm living with a capsule wardrobe. I
think I have three pairs of jeans and four or
five tops and a few tank tops and a couple
pairs of sneakers and some flip flops and that's literally
what's here in a baseball cap. And it has been
so refreshing I can't even tell you, like so refreshing
(14:02):
and so eye opening. And if you've never spent a
season with a capsule wardrobe before, this can be for
guys or women or whatever your gender is. This is
not gender specific. I know you see a lot of
the women bloggers online doing capsule wardrobes, but I encourage
everybody to try this. Pick out some of the things
that speak to you the most for the season, and
(14:25):
create some outfits with them that are mix and match.
And pick out your few favorite shoes or whatever it
may be for that season and put them all into
an organized, you know, space in your closet or on
a clothing rack or whatever it may be, and then
either put the rest away or put it in a
separate closet or box it up for this season and
just see how you do with it. It is really amazing
(14:48):
how having less truly is more and it's kind of
mind blowing. And fall and winter isn't a great season
to do this with because you don't need that much.
A few cozy outfits. A few cozy sweaters, a jacket
maybe two, maybe a raincoat if you live somewhere where
it rains a lot, A pair of boots, pair of
sneakers and you're good, right, and some cozy slippers. Not
(15:11):
too much. Now, I'm sort of digressing here a little bit.
But this is just one example of simplifying. So another
example is automating things in your life. And now with
AI rising to the surface in so many areas, there's
going to be so many opportunities to automate things Between
AI and also technologies like smart home devices and things
(15:33):
like that. Start just with one thing. And maybe it's
just getting a smart plug for a light in your
office so that you can vocally turn your light on
and off or do it from an app. Or maybe
it is getting rid of some of the stuff in
your kitchen that is overflowing your drawers, right, Like I
think I've said this before, but nobody needs five spatulas,
(15:55):
And so just simplifying getting rid of things, paring down
and clear and clutter is so huge. Now another thing
to automate is paying off debt. And let me tell
you some of the best advice about money. I ever
received in my life that resonated with me, and when
I implemented it, it absolutely worked. This is probably about
(16:17):
fifteen years ago or so. I had some debt coming
out of some business things, and I wanted to get
rid of it. And my friend Bob Procter, the late
Bob Proctor, who was such a wonderful mentor, said, just
automate your debt. Put the payment for it on automatic
on your bank account so that you don't have to
(16:39):
think about it or look at it. Because what that
does is it automatically pays the debt off, but it
also frees up the space for you to focus on
making more money and creating more abundance in your life
because you're not thinking about debt. If you automate it,
you can literally just pretend it doesn't exist because it's
getting paid off. So figure out however much time. Let's
(16:59):
say you have a card you want to pay off
in thirty six months, a credit card, So just figure
out how much do I need to pay each month?
And if there's interest on it, look for an opportunity
maybe to lower the interest or transfer that balance to
a different car that has lower interest. Take charge of
your money. But if you have debt automated. That was
the best best advice that I got. Once I automated
(17:21):
the payoff of that, it was gone in the exact
amount of time I wanted it to be gone. And
also during that whole time, I hardly thought about it
at all. I was able to focus on moving forward
in my life. So that was wonderful advice that came
from the wonderful Bob Procter. And you know where else
in your life can you automate or simplify, rite or
pare down. This is really something to think about, and
(17:44):
it also does tie into living seasonally. I think that
one of the biggest parts of living seasonally is also
living simply, and that is such a big goal for
me going forward in my life. Going forward in my life,
I'm going to be all about less is more, and
by the way, I'm going to be this way in
my business as well. I've been going through a lot
(18:04):
of transitions this last couple of months, and I'm currently
remodeling my program, the Joyschool, to make it simpler and
more accessible for all of you. And for those of
you who are currently members, I know you're enjoying the content,
but the way you've received the changes that I've been
speaking about. I can tell you're so excited about it too.
So the Joyschool doors are currently closed, but I will
(18:26):
be announcing when they open again, and it is going
to be simpler, more powerful, and more accessible to everybody.
So I am so excited to share that with all
of you. And it's going to be simpler for me too. Therefore,
I am going to be able to put more time
and energy into doing higher quality content for you all.
So I'm so excited. So I really am taking this
(18:48):
whole approach of living seasonally and slowing down and being
peacefully productive and simplifying across all areas of my life,
and I'm excited about it. I just wanted to share
from the heart with you all today that this is
kind of where I'm at. I'm feeling great energy around it,
and I wanted to share it with you so you
(19:09):
can maybe relate and maybe implement some of these things
into your life as well. As we head into the
fall season and then of course winter, and it is
a time to rest. It is a time just like
the trees do, to let your leaves fall, and to
take a breath and just really slow down and savor
(19:30):
life all right. With that, that brings us to the
section of the show I like to call Joyschool habits,
where I share one small habit that can have a
big impact on your life. So I love the word
micro and micro to me really sort of ties in
with simplifying. It's something small that can have a being impact.
(19:50):
And I've talked about that the fact that I love microgreens.
I throw them on all my foods, and so I
want to encourage you today to adopt one microfitness move now.
Depending on what your ability is, be sure to check
with your trainer or your professional or doctor if you
have any limitations. But for me personally, what has been
(20:11):
so great is this past year, I wanted to incorporate
more strength training into my routine. And I already do
weights a couple of times a week, two to three
times a week, and I am fairly active. But I
wanted to add one thing each day that I could
do that would just be a small thing that takes
like thirty seconds but have a great result. So I
personally started doing fifteen push ups each day. And I'm
(20:34):
not perfect about it. Sometimes I skip a day here
and there, but most days I get my fifteen push
ups in. And so I like to call this a
microfitness move. So pick something you enjoy doing, and you know,
do ten, fifteen, twenty twenty five of them each day.
It literally takes a minute or less, and the compound
effect of this can be tremendous. Like think about what
(20:58):
your booty would look like if you did twenty five
squats a day, right, one minute a day can really
make a big difference. Now, this is not in replacement
of whatever fitness routine you're currently doing, but this is
an addition. It's like an enhancement. And if you're not
doing much fitness at all and your life is really busy,
this is a great way to just add a little
(21:21):
bit more. A microfitness move. Choose something that represents something
that makes you feel good, that's doable, that doesn't feel
like ah when you think about it, right. And another
one I do sometimes is I'll throw in like twenty
five or thirty jumping jacks and I'll just do those
in the morning to get my blood flowing. And my
husband laughs at me. He's like, I can hear you
(21:41):
up there when I'm upstairs, but it takes like thirty
seconds and my blood's flowing. It gets oxygen to my brain.
And you know, maybe doing that once doesn't have a
big impact, but doing it every day consistently can definitely
have a great payoff, right not to mention it can
help you get your blood flowing. So pick one thing.
(22:01):
I do my fifteen pushups a day, and once in
a while I throw in those jumping jacks, and I've
done that on top, I've stacked it with my other
fitness stuff and I'm telling you, I am noticing a difference.
My arms are getting more toned. And also it just
mentally shifts my brain into that place of thinking about fitness,
thinking about moving, thinking about my body, and momentum creates momentum.
(22:24):
You might be surprised how this one tiny little habit
of adding a microfitness move to your day can inspire
to you, inspire you to get even more fitness into
your routine. All right, my friends, if you enjoy this
stripped down, unedited episode of the show, I encourage you
to write a review on Apple Podcasts or on your
(22:46):
favorite platform. The reviews really do help the show. They
help it reach more people who might enjoy it. They
help boost it in the algorithms, and I love hearing
from you. I read the reviews and I appreciate them
so much, and thank you to everybody who's left one
so far. I can't emphasize enough how much this helps
things like podcasts, books. If you love somebody who's a
(23:06):
writer or a podcaster or a creator of any kind,
reviews are golden. So thank you so much, and thanks
for tuning in. I hope you enjoy the last few
days of summer, and I am wishing you the most
beautiful fall ahead. And we're going to have a couple
more episodes of the show before we wrap up this season.
But just be thinking about what kind of remainder of
(23:28):
summer and what kind of fall do you want to
have ahead, maybe even winter. Start thinking ahead. But let's
all live more mindfully, more seasonally. Let's slow down a
little bit, and let's just enjoy every moment much love,
my friends. Remember, you have the power to create more
amazing days, and more amazing days add up to a
(23:48):
pretty amazing life. Have a beautiful week.
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