Sticky Note to Success

Working from home this summer has been amazing but it has also really challenged me to find ways to stay motivated and productive when it’s just me, myself, and I (plus a dog) in my office. Normally I have deadlines and meetings and other people to keep me accountable but working from home I don’t have that.

It’s also difficult when I’m building a business and nobody near me is on that same path – so it’s easy to get complacent and not push myself because I don’t see anyone else in my immediate circle doing it for their own business. I am in no way saying that’s bad, but it just means I have to put more effort and drive into making sure I’m doing everything I can to set myself up for success.

This last year of COVID I for sure had a ton of ups and downs but these last couple months I’ve gotten very complacent in what I was doing in different areas of my life. I thought since I had put in the work before, it somehow would just continue to climb – but I was so wrong. I took a hard look at where I was before, how I got here in the first place, and what I need to change in order to find my way back.

One of the first things I did was make sure I was continuously reading. I love that I have a passion for reading – it’s something I have always loved but I found myself making a lot of excuses as to why I couldn’t make the time to read. So, this last month I found a new routine where I read my non-fiction (self help, self development, entrepreneurship, etc.) books. This and podcasts are one of the biggest factors in me succeeding. Hearing from other people and practicing what they practice makes my personal growth 100000 times faster.

And something I recently put back up where my sticky notes. I used to do this in college and at home but when Cody and I bought this place I never did it. It has already impacted my productivity and motivation in the week they’ve been up.

So what I do is I have what I call my ‘power phrases’ (I didn’t come up with the term, I heard it on a podcast one time and it just never left me). But anyways, these are phrases I say to myself over and over that change the direction of my thoughts. They are things that hit me in the moment and I write down to remember them.

Then as I sit at my desk, I place them on top of it so right now as I look at my computer – if I even try to be off task, I have to look up and see every single one of those phrases staring down at me.

Some of the phrases I have up right now are

• “Your future will take care of itself…when you take care of today”
• I have the RIGHT to be happy
• God’s god me
• If you don’t like where you’re at – do something about it
• I use my energy wisely
• Is this helping me get closer to my goals or distracting me from my purpose?

I repeat these phrases to myself constantly. When I walk in doors. When I wake up in the morning. Before I get on calls. As I apply to jobs. These phrases run through me like blood. They have touched me and lead me to a place where I believe in myself and what I am capable of doing. 

These are one set of sticky notes.

The other set in a different color are my goals for the next 90 days. If you follow me on Instagram you already know my journaling habits, you know that I make quarterly goals for my personal and professional life. With all the studies out there, I feel everyone knows this but not many people do it : write down your goals where you can see them every single day.

I have 6 goals for the next 90 days and I have them stuck to my wall. Every time I come to do work they are staring at me and taunting me to be torn off when they get completed.

By having these little reminders thrown at me throughout the day I use my time way more effectively because my eye is on the prize. I have a road map to get me to my destination and I have my coaches and cheerleaders right there with me. All stuck to the walls of my office!