Keeping motivated when life gives you challenges.
Edited August 16 – This was first published on New Years Eve 2015 by yours truly, Belle Lockerby – single mum entrepreneur, change strategist, resilient chick and champion of weathering life’s shit storms with a smile.
This may be my quickest blog on keeping your motivation through challenges ever…
Partly because my actual house door is knocking with kids and people coming and going to get ready to welcome in the new year. But first, to recognise the year that was…
If you just want my Top 5, across business, health and family, scroll to the bottom.
So lets do a quick recap of what happened to build my resilience
(and, I’ll tell you the shiny and not so shiny stuff)
- Set the intent of having a WOW year – Well being, Own Style, Wealth (I like goals in 3’s – more on that next year)
- Clocked up over 150 participants in community capacity building
- Worked with amazing clients to create strengths based change.
- Invested in Rainmaker course platforms (ooh the holy grail)
- Devested in Rainmaker (ooh not so much)
- Had that magic piece of paper turn up for the post grad.
- Hi fived self.
- Saved an NFP in excess of 30% of their operating costs
- Delivered Mumpreneur, ARTpreneur, and Migrant Enterprising Women Programs.
- Hi fived self. Also cried happy tears.
- Amazed by the hidden talent and seeing change in people (you all know who you are)
- Worried about the world with #prayforParis – for all affected.
- Stood in rooms rich in talent, diversity, and intellect, such as:
A room of 22 women from who speak over 30 languages from 12 countries – WOW. There should be more rooms like this in the world. They shine a light, like you could not imagine. Humbled, Honored, and Inspired.
Love to them all x
The artists – you creative makers of change, bringers of coolness and laughers of my lame jokes. Thank you for rocking up, and sharing your successes. Value it, Market it, Own it!
The mums – you are where it all started. No, you don’t have to do it all. Find your passion. Build your supports. Work out your definition of success. Step into the fear.
Each entrepreneur, and client – Love to them all x
- Had to redefine “a successful happy family”
- Started coparenting (and we are all doing ok)
- Sold a house. Cried
- Bought a house (as a single mum business owner)
- Had a momentary FREAK OUT at above
- Got sort of fit
- Had tantie at personal trainer as life imploded
- Got sort of unfit
- Cried, looked in the mirror and beat myself up internally (why am I not a swishy hair coach?, why do I look meh?)
- Did yoga
- Ate too many chocolate croissants, drank too much coffee.
- Tried being vegan – felt awesome
- Failed being vegan
- Settled for being a “no meat, no wheat” almost vegan (but sometimes pork belly beckons..)
- Cried, looked in the mirror and made a commitment to be nice to myself
- Gained Weight
- Lost Weight
- Weight found its way home as I pondered how to do fitness with kids and clients?
- Found a trainer who gets the kid juggle – GOLD like you would not believe
- Shout out to Jamie @ Never Look Back Personal Training
- Bought a treadmill
- Weight decided it didn’t want to live in the house with the treadmill, so is now shifting out again.
- Getting sort of fit again
- Cherished amazing friends and family
- Heartbroken at Mother In Law’s news of Motor Neuron Disease
- Met Ernesto Sirolli, of the amazing TED Talk fame who helped me develop my understanding of why motivation matters to Entrepreneurs
- Learned a bit about spirituality
- Learned a load about myself
- Got a Pawsonal Assistant (good at document shredding, not so good at making coffee)
- Oh that’s right, diagnosed with adrenal fatigue
- Quit coffee
- Unquit coffee
- Quit coffee again
- Unquit coffee again
- Now deciding to be a tea drinker – pinkies out, peeps!
- Discovered the things I can do as a single mom/mum (like large hairy spider extraction)
- Discovered the things I can’t do as a single mom (like put hinges on flat pack furniture and opening really hard jars)
- Outsourced marketing
- Wrote a children’s book (unpublished) about fear of frogs
- Got nominated for a WA Entrepreneur of the Year Award
And that is about it. Oh my top five:
- That I am ok with failing. Its where the growth is.
- Delivering on the WOW year, with all the challenges.
- Buying a home
- Creating change, for my self and my clients
- Doing ok at co-parenting
When it comes to keeping your mindset motivated, what I learn is this:
Change is inevitable
[clickToTweet tweet=”Its ok to fail, it’s not ok to quit. ” quote=”It’s ok to fail, it’s not ok to quit. Small changes make a big difference.” theme=”style3″]
So, no matter what your goal, no matter how big or small, you need both mindset and a support
team. The team that are there to support you on your way to success. And the team that are there to say “it’s ok, you’ve got this” when you inadvertently faceplant in the veritable poostorm we call life.
**If you have a blog that you feel would help people keeping it real with an entrepreneurial mindset, feel free to contribute on the group bloggers board here
Related: How to fail forward with your goals
Keep an attitude of gratitude
Belle
Oh and pass me my sangria – cheers to you!
2015 started out just like any other New Year then mid year struck… I participated in and became an ARTpreneur, learnt that credentials weren’t only a piece of paper in a frame but also life experiences and, when listing them all on paper how accomplished I was! With seven other Artists a dream developed, a business plan was written, a twelve month lease signed and a pop up gallery opened and we exhibited our art as a collective.
On a personal level my mother died without wanting to acknowledge me as her daughter, I learnt my father was the same person but not who I thought and two sisters I had not been in touch with for 32 and 18 years reconnected telling me how they remembered me as being protective of them and keeping them safe and of the artistic talent I had even back then. Through it all I’ve realised how resilient I am, how much I have achieved, the positive impact I had on my sisters all those years and, that being the artist I always dreamed of is possible and a new career path. Thank you Belle for being a part of my 2015, bring on 2016, this is going to be my best ever year!
You are an amazing soul, Christine. Bring on the new year!
You are an amazing soul, Christine. Bring on the new year, I can’t wait to see what you do.
Thank you dearest Belle, likewise, you are a great inspiration to me and were my ‘bend in the road’ and the diversion from my old course to one I had only dreamed of. No matter where our lives take us, you will always be very special to me, I pray that no matter which bend or twist you are on in life that you always know how very special you are.
Love your story Christine and you are proof that a willing and passionate attitude will achieve everything. Can’t wait to see what 2016 brings with your special skills. Much love, happy new year xx
Dearest Belle, I so enjoyed reading that blog. Wow how brave you were last year, achieving and investing so much into others lives in the midst of your own personal challenges… Some pretty big ones. You are a truly BRAVE and GIFTED woman. Doing Mumpreneur and Artpreneur were two of the highlights of 2015 for me! I truly felt catapulted from ideas in my head of ” maybe one day….” To ” these dreams are actually in all likelihood achievable!!! ” you put tools within our reach and opened doors and turned on lights in our minds!!! What a GIFT and what a BLESSING. So apart from all I learnt in those courses, my biggest personal learning came when I had the opportunity to share part of my journey/testimony of depression/bipolar disorder with a group of 150 students… Shedding light and understanding, educating on mental health, talking about the big suicide word, smashing down lies of there being no hope and establishing that there is always hope, light and a future. I learnt that we can take the darkest and worst life experiences/ conditions such as a chronic illness and use them to grow and impact others lives with truth and life and hope and actually get such a high and a kick out of doing this!!!! I’m thinking of studying in the counselling field and using my Artistic talents in the realm of Art Therapy….. I still have dreams of an Ashleigh Vincent range and writing a few books. …. Belle I pray you have a most Blessed, Fruitful, fun-filled year in 2016. You are beautiful X ????
Thanks so much, Ash. Your comments bought a tear to my eye – such beautiful words from an amazing woman.
Continue to rock gifts and bring that much needed light in 2016. You can achieve anything.
With love!
X
I love your authenticity Belle, you are a true light for so many of us. Can’t wait to see what 2016 brings for you and all of us, your programs have opened up so many exciting pathways! Thank you for being you and all you’ve done for me. Lots of love to you and yours, happy new year xx
You are so welcome Marnie! I have learned just as much from you.
Looking forward to seeing that energy sparkle in a big way!
Happy New Year Belle!
2015 was a tough year for me, shifting to a new town Pinjarra, and co-parenting as well for the first time in 12 years as a single Mum! Felt like I was losing my babies…..I had lived in Bridgetown for that whole time and shifting I left my family and friends…..my support network and I was single again having broken up with my partner. I saw an advert some place for Artpreneur 101! I hadn’t done my art seriously for a few years having been working on my partners Horsetraining business. I thought, now it’s about me and I enrolled in the course. It was fantastic and taught me to believe in myself again. Long story short, I launched a new business ‘Cowgirl Blues’ and started making again…in a few short months my little home business is booming and here I am writing this on New Years Day in Tamworth at Legacy of Legends, a massive Horse event as an invited artist exhibiting my Art!!! I carted four suitcases across Australia and am stepping WAY WAY out of my comfort zone! I turn 40 tomorrow and feel like my life is about to begin again. It’s thanks to you Belle, you really wakened something in me doing your course and meeting the other artists, and being propelled by everyone’s energy, I can’t explain how much it helped! I hope to get some mentoring from you in 2016, and wish you every happiness xxx love Cassi
I’ll be sure to touch base Cassie! You have talent, and I love the Cowgirl Blues brand.
You will be amazing, well done to you being at Tamworth – super proud!
Belle
Well done Bee, so great to see you also following your dreams in leaps and bounds. One of my highlights for 2K15 was watching someone incredibly brave believe in herself, choosing happy over fear, overcoming obstacles and getting that sparkle back in her eyes.
Never forget how amazing, strong and beautiful you are inside and out.
Can’t wait to see what 2k16 has in store for you, I’m sure it will be incredible.
Why? Because you are incredible and if anyone can make magic happen. It’s you.
Big love and big thanks for everything, always xxx
Thanks Ness.
Anyone can do it – it just takes a little self belief, a little courage, a little focus, and determination to find a way to solve a problem no matter what curveball you get through.