Motivation, Inspiration, Discipline & Action

Emily Thompson 0:05
Hello, and welcome to being boss, episode number 16. This episode is brought to you by fresh books cloud

Kathleen Shannon 0:11
accounting. Alright you guys today, it's just me in here. We're so excited to. We love our guests, and we love interviewing experts. But we're also really excited to be just the two of us today. So we thought that we would talk about, and this is something that's been on my mind a lot lately, getting an A boss mindset. And I think that some of the parts of a boss mindset include inspiration, motivation, discipline, and action. So today, I really want to talk about what those four things are and the differences between them. And we'll be peppering in some like good action stuff too. So it won't just be all esoteric mindset stuff. We'll be giving you practical tips for doing the work. Get your business together, get yourself into what you do, and see it through

Emily Thompson 1:04
being bosses hard. Lending work, and life is messy. Making a dream job of your own isn't easy.

Kathleen Shannon 1:10
But getting paid for it, becoming known for it. And finding purpose in it is so doable. If you do the work. being bossed is a podcast for creative entrepreneurs. Brought to you by Emily Thompson and Kathleen Shannon. Check out our archives at love being boss calm about the fact that he was writing a lot. Yes, yes. I

Emily Thompson 1:37
love that. Book yacht has been on my to do list. I just want to point that out.

Kathleen Shannon 1:46
I was looking at photos of it. Yeah, I never been on a yacht. I've been on a sailboat in Sayulita and it ran out of gas right off the ocean. And so I thought that like you could just get that sales right and then get the facts. So we had to have a little tugboat come and rescue us. But I've never been on a yacht. And it seems to me there'd be like no one say,

Emily Thompson 2:16
Yes, I actually need to go buy some Beyonce clothes just so I like really get into it. And you just start like a Pinterest board like a yacht outfit. Pinterest board. So that I can totally rocket Miami.

Kathleen Shannon 2:31
So yeah, I guess we should clarify that we got they got we're arguing boss vacation in moon, which is the movie this April. And if you guys are interested in joining us, we still have plenty of room. I feel like every vacation or at least the last vacation we did. We've only had one before. It's sold out really fast. And afterwards people were like, Oh my gosh, when's the next one? So go to loving boss.com slash lightning. And we're super excited about the yacht because we're getting help from fresh books to pay for it. So fresh books is going to make us all feel like total bosses on.

Emily Thompson 3:10
Yeah, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres and under a full moon on a Friday night cruising around. cruising around Miami on a yacht. Like I literally cannot think of anything I would rather do with all the bosses then hang out on a yacht.

Kathleen Shannon 3:29
Period. And I think it's fun because like you and I've never went and got together. It's just the two of us.

Emily Thompson 3:36
I mean, I would, but I can't can't usually

Kathleen Shannon 3:39
I think what's cool about it is like we're almost all pooling together to be bosses together. Like what a metaphor for uplifting each other, the tide rises together, we can all be boss together. So anyway, freshbooks is helping us make that happen. And I also am super stoked because I got an email from freshbooks earlier last week, saying that they are redesigning so I think it's going to be like a whole new design is going to be a lot more intuitive and visual. And I really feel like it's so intuitive and visual and easy to use for tracking my income and expenses and billing clients and receiving payment. So I don't know how they're gonna make it even more like even better. But that's what I love about freshbooks is that they're constantly tapping their team to make things better and they're actually listening to feedback from real customers. So I'm super stoked about the redesign. It should be coming out this summer. And we're also talking to fresh books about going to Toronto in September so I think we penciled in September 10 if you guys want to save the date is not fully confirmed, but I think it's happening so probably talking about all this stuff too early. But anyway, fresh books like we love partnering with them and if you guys Want to try a free trial of fresh books? Just go to freshbooks comm slash being boss and enter boom boss in the How did you hear about us section and they'll give you access to a free trial, you'll get to see how awesome it is and go from there. Okay, and that's about our EOC, though. Let's get into this episode. So I wanted to talk to you, Emily. And I feel like the winter months is a good time to talk about this, because I think we're both feeling a little tired, if you will, I'm tired and a little

Emily Thompson 5:35
pissed. Oh, overall, feeling less than inspired. I just want to go get in bed with a cup of tea and sleep all day and probably not leave the house and become a little bit of a hermit and we'll see.

Kathleen Shannon 5:52
No, very dramatic, that Miami centric. And it's funny because I mean, it's like this, I feel like they're always that like, roll them up by the bootstraps, Canadian girl.

Emily Thompson 6:01
Oh, I'm still doing it. And that's one of the things I'm excited about talking about today. And this like, difference between inspiration and motivation versus just getting shit done. Because sometimes you're not inspired, you still just have to get shit done. And that's kind of where I am at the moment is I'm not inspired, but I have things to do. So I'm here doing it, and it's good to go.

Kathleen Shannon 6:23
So let's talk a little bit about inspiration. What, what is inspiration for you? What does that look like? What does it feel like, when you know that you're inspired? And when you do that you're not inspired? Oh,

Emily Thompson 6:37
that's a lot of good questions. Um, so inspiration. inspiration to me, or getting inspired for me comes from comes from being out of the element of whatever it is that I'm doing. So you know, if I'm trying to get inspired for a website, it's going to look at some good magazines in bed. Or if I'm trying to get inspired to write a blog post, I'm going to leave the house and go do something. So for me, it's like getting out of the headspace of what it is that you're doing to just sort of live and an intake and output and all of the things like while mindfully like cultivating inspiration for whatever your task is. So that's that's what it is kind of for me. It's it's finding, finding elements in all parts of life that you can bring back to the task at hand. And that's where I usually find it. Yeah, what were your other questions, there was like a bundle of

Kathleen Shannon 7:41
I don't remember part to think of a moment whenever you're like, this is so inspired. What did that feel like?

Emily Thompson 7:49
Every time I pick up a bone appetit magazine, every single time I swear, like the design of that magazine kills me and the best kind of way like and it's it's constantly evolving evidence as subscriber for a long time. So I've like watched a really good evolution of the design of this magazine. And it's just like, I don't know, they take great photographs, they use some like hand drawn elements paired with really amazing typography. And these cool pops of color, even though overall it's usually pretty monochromatic. I mean, it's really inspiring to me in terms of like design and considering that's what I do a lot of that's important to me, but also I love to cook like cooking is one of my favorite hobbies. Whenever I'm not working I'm usually trying to find something yummy to cook and cooking it and loving eating it. So bone appetit for me is a place where every time I pick up one of those magazines, I know I'm going to be hella inspired in terms of like photography and how I want to Instagram or design sort of things I want to you know, create for my clients or for myself as well as just things I want to cook and like have in my life and the smells and flavors. I want to surround me.

Unknown Speaker 9:01
I love world. Yeah, I think looking at beautiful things is always inspiring.

Emily Thompson 9:07
I agree. I agree.

Unknown Speaker 9:08
What about you? What

Emily Thompson 9:09
What do you find inspiration in?

Kathleen Shannon 9:13
Well, it's funny for me inspiration feels almost divine or spiritual. And so I'm probably going to get a little way to take it up a level and take it obviously looking at you know, like my best friend's Instagram feed. She's super minimal and all of her stuff is beautiful like that inspires me to to, you know, live a more simple, beautiful life. But I think that for me inspiration is whenever I'm doing the work and something almost magical hits where I I feel the urge to create something that is beyond me. Or it feels like easy Almost like I guess inspiration to me feels the same as flow like whenever you're in a flow state and time is no longer a dimension, and it doesn't matter. And you can knock out something in 15 minutes that would normally take you two hours. Like, to me, that's what inspiration feels like. But I find that what has been most inspiring to you lately, is reading books. Anytime I read something helps. It inspires me to think new things inspires me to create new things. Also dinner parties or coffee with a really great girlfriend and kind of hashing out some different ideas. Anything that forces me to think do thoughts is often inspiring. So I know that anytime I'm picking up my journal, and I have to like write something down that really inspired me that day, like that's whenever I know I'm inspired is that I have to like, track it, I have to write it down, so I don't lose it. So I guess for me also, inspiration is really fleeting. And it's not something I rely on to do the work. It's kind of like the icing on top. So that's for me what inspiration is. And that's what it looks and feels like.

Emily Thompson 11:07
Night. So I have a question about? Well, I guess the wind, do you feel the most inspired.

Kathleen Shannon 11:17
And I think I feel the most inspired probably, whenever I've read something really amazing, or I've had a really good conversation. And it's like kind of that that processing time afterwards that happens. Gotcha is probably whenever I feel the most inspired. So I think for me, that's why it's so important. And that's why it's such a value and tenant is that we're preaching and being boss is cultivating your creative pack. Right. And so getting face time at events like Miami, or even, you know, it doesn't have to be an event like Miami, but I will tell you every time I travel, especially to connect with other creatives, I feel so inspired on a on a really deep level. So that's where I really do feel most inspired.

Unknown Speaker 12:07
Yeah,

Kathleen Shannon 12:09
I think that awesome. And I think traveling to, like you said gets me out of my element on a grander scale. So like, I like to be inspired in small ways. Where it's like I am journaling something that feels exciting, or like a new concept to me. But I also get inspired yearly on these trips that I take in vacations and just seeing new things is so inspiring to me. So yeah,

Emily Thompson 12:36
I agree traveling to me is one of those times that I just relish in inspiration. And whenever we did our big road trip this summer, I started an Evernote notebook and like put it in my quick links and all that jazz. And I mean daily, every single day multiple times a day, we'd just be driving down the road or you know, walking through a forest or whatever. And things would come to me and I would like open up this Evernote and sorts and start jotting things down. And and it's still content and things both for life and also like newsletters and things like that, that I am still going back to in like garnishing information from because for me travel is is another one of those places where I am the most inspired because you're so far out of your element that you are just sort of in a different box. And you know, when you're sitting in and your corner like hustling it out constantly, your sources of inspiration starts to decline, you're seeing the same things every day, you're talking to the same people every day, you're wearing the same things are eating the same things like you know, inspiration, inspiration starts to decline. Whenever you can remove yourself from that box and go do other things. You're opening yourself up to numerous like, or innumerable sources of, of new inspiration. So travel for me as the same thing. I think that getting out of your element, going new places and meeting new people talking to new people, and doing new things, is just an insane source of inspiration.

Kathleen Shannon 14:12
You know, something about what you were saying made me think about one time my husband and I rode our bikes down to the local shindig that was happening whenever normally we would have driven and so even within the realms of our own city, there was a sense of exploration but a different change of pace, because bikes are slower than cars. And I felt really connected to the road and all the things that I was seeing, and I was noticing houses that I had never noticed before. And that was really inspiring to me. So I think that there are little tiny things that you can do to open the channels for inspiration. But again, I think that there's a difference between inspiration and motivation and discipline. So let's move on to motivation. Because I think that it's easy to lump in Inspiration with motivation are that you have to be inspired to be motivated, or you, you know, but I don't think that that's the case at all. So let's talk about motivation. And what I really want to talk about is what motivates us to do the work. So what motivates you like? What are the motivating factors in your life? Sure.

Emily Thompson 15:20
So goals are a huge motivator for me. So and that's like, like family and business goals, like, right now, we need to get a new French drain for our house. So knowing that I have this goal to like, to start, like bettering our house gives me motivation to do the work that I need to do to make my house cooler. or more. For me, a huge motivator is my kids, like she's at an age right now where she's trying to figure out what really interests her and what it is that she, you know, wants to be doing all day. And, you know, if I were, if I had a day job, and came home angry every day, or you know, wasn't here, as often as I am, I don't know that would be a different, or it wouldn't be the same motivating factor for me to go to work. Like I like, for me, the motivation is really seeing me doing something that that I create my own rules around, I guess, like, my job is my job.

Kathleen Shannon 16:22
I think also for you is literally seeing you It holds you accountable to being a boss, like you can't really slack off in the middle of the day and watch Netflix, because you're trying to instill a work ethic into Lily.

Emily Thompson 16:36
Absolutely. I mean, having her around, certainly motivates me in numerous ways. And yeah, if I were to take a nap every day at noon, she'd probably just think I was a lazy ass and not anything done, even though it's really what I want to do. And that's actually, maybe I should create a little napping area in my office and just close the door until I'm on a phone call or something. It's not a bad idea. But yeah, so Lily is a huge motivator for me, having her see David nice, like, especially the pair of us working together is really huge to me. Working together harmoniously, as well as building a life together in a way that we choose so that we can do the things that we want to do whether it be traveled together, because we do have a lot of that coming up. Or if it's just being able to take Thursday mornings off to like hanging out downtown and go to the aquarium like having having these sort of life goals and plays having a kid watching me do it every step of the way. And you know what life is going to look like even after she goes off to college or whatever that looks like, like, those are the things that motivate me, goals motivate me, my family motivates me. And also like my own, like self worth, motivates me like I know what I'm capable of. And even then I want to do more. I want to continually prove to myself that I'm capable of more than what I'm already doing. So those are some things that motivate me. What about you?

Kathleen Shannon 18:02
Well, I mean, for sure goals. And for me, a lot of material things motivate me and I'm starting to feel a shift in my life a little bit. Probably because I'm completely comfortable that for a long time. Money is definitely a motivating factor. And it still is. Because for practical reasons, like you have bills to

Emily Thompson 18:25
pay, I want to retire. That's, that's a motivating factor for me. So yes, money is a good thing, you know,

Kathleen Shannon 18:32
and being comfortable in your lifestyle. So that's definitely a motivating factor for me. But then also, beauty motivates me. And I feel like I'm always striving for beauty, whether that's in my house, or the car that I drive, or even the way that I look and feel I just want I just want to be surrounded by beauty, but also kind of, for me, what motivates me or other people that I admire. So right now, especially, and I think I've mentioned this before, but comedians really motivate me to be I know that like a lot of comedians are kind of sad people. But whenever I listen to comedians on podcasts, like they're always just so funny, and there's like a I want to say lightness, but I don't think that's it. Because sometimes our humor is really dark, but there's just like a levity to the way that they at least are presenting themselves and I want more like I just want a lot of laughter in my life. And so like that sort of thing motivates me or really holds me accountable to being the person I want to be is surrounding myself by people that motivate me to really be who I want to be. So like my friends motivate me my family motivates me. My husband obviously motivates me. I want to say that fox motivates me so Son, except that he motivates me to like, definitely be a good mom and be a more patient person. But as far as like my career drive goes, I think I've always just had this like internal drive that doesn't need a lot of motivation. So I think also, like, main goals, like they life goals outside of work motivate me to work smarter and not harder the boss heart when you let go of. So, no, it definitely just learning from other people motivates me, or seeing how other people are living and being like, Yes, I want more of that. I also want to talk a little bit about kind of like, positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement whenever it comes to motivation. So this is actually something that I learned in my coaching training with one of the back and it's not I do with my own clients, you know, it comes to coaching them. I think that so many of us are used to punishing ourselves whenever we don't do something. But I think a really badass way to live is to reward yourself for doing a job well done, right. And I feel like that's kind of what we're dealing with our boss vacations, we're rewarding ourselves and each other with a badass vacation for a job well done. And I do it in little ways, too. So what I would recommend to our listeners, and maybe I'll even upload the PDF to our newsletter list, which is like getting stuff done step by step and rewarding yourself along the way. Let's say you have a goal, and it's to make a certain amount of money, or maybe to buy a new computer, for example, work backwards from that goal. And look at all the things that need to happen for that goal to happen. I think that money is easy, because it's easily measured. But maybe it's using like launching a podcast or rebranding yourself, or what are some other like, tangible goals.

Emily Thompson 21:58
I mean, metrics for me are huge in terms of motivation, I think, you know, newsletter subscribers, or you know, getting the bounce rate of your website up, down, actually,

Kathleen Shannon 22:13
let's see, it's a newsletter, if you want to have a bad ass newsletter, and that's your end goal, then working backwards from that goal. And so this is kind of like getting shit done step by step, working backwards from that goal, like the very next thing to having an awesome newsletter, is actually sending out the newsletter. And then that means before sending out the newsletter, you need to write the newsletter. And maybe before that, you need to figure out what your OPT in is. And before that, you need to figure out your hosting, are you on MailChimp, or constant contact or you know, whatever it is. So there's lots of steps, right? And this is for anything, and you need to break the steps down. And then with each step, there's an action. So it might be researching different newsletter hosting, creating an editorial calendar of content, like these are all the steps along the way. And so in some ways, it can be overwhelming because a newsletter seems like it should be really simple. But then you start to pick it apart step by step, and there's like a million different paths. Like if only you guys could see our Asana task list for launching our new being boss website help. But like probably what we should do in it, or Asana and this is what I do with my like physical to do list. And what I coach people to do is to reward yourself after you do each action step.

Emily Thompson 23:32
Yeah. Why don't we have rewards here,

Kathleen Shannon 23:34
you should start doing that. But it can be as simple and like, I think that a lot of us feel like we need a lot of money to reward ourselves, but you really don't like so small rewards. Sometimes I just need a piece of chocolate Exactly. So like. So if you actually break it down into your five senses, this is a really great way to think about rewarding yourself. And for me, this is a motivating factor. Even earlier today, I wanted to do a periscope. And because I wanted to do it, I was like, Okay, I'm gonna reward myself by doing a periscope after I wrap up this kind of project. So it really motivated me to finish the clan project by rewarding myself with a periscope session. So that like little rewards along the way, what you can do is think about so instead of punishing yourself for not doing something, the goal is to reward yourself for doing something and a great way to do this is break it down into your five senses. So think about your favorite. Your favorite smells like what do you love smelling? And then think about the favorite case? What do you love tasting? What do you love to look at? What do you love to feel? What sounds are amazing for you. So think about your five senses. And so, for me, for example, a reward that might involve the sense of touch.

Unknown Speaker 24:54
Yeah, we're

Unknown Speaker 24:54
gonna get that Kathleen

Unknown Speaker 25:00
do that with a straight face

Kathleen Shannon 25:02
i was gonna say like maybe taking a bath with some epsom salts so that might be a really good reward is like a hot bath or even like going to the sauna or you know like you said eating a piece of chocolate that's not expensive something that was for me a way that i like rewarding myself is with flowers and it's usually not very expensive so if i am buying myself something as a reward it might be under $10 so it might be getting some fresh flowers from my house and that's a reward for a week well done a piece of chocolate for sure is a good one or like an awesome cup of coffee which i reward myself after my workouts with an awesome cup of coffee so like there are different things that you can do so i would love it if you bosses out there would attach rewards to your to do list where once you get something done you reward yourself and i think i'm like it takes us back to our childhood and instead of negative reinforcement we get positive reinforcement and we start to feel really good about doing things maybe i'm just a total hedonist and seek out pleasure all the time but i lighting myself i just do

Emily Thompson 26:09
no i think that's perfect i mean there's certainly tactics that i use i mean having a cocktail friday at 5pm mike like those sorts of things like you do those and that like i don't know that makes it all worth it one of the things one of the things i've been doing lately i've been doing some wellness coaching with with jason from present tense fitness he's awesome dude and we kind of realize that you know i was hustling so hard that i wasn't taking lunch like it just wasn't a thing that i was doing on a daily basis i would get in here and i just like hustle things out and and we had to had to talk about it because what the hell am i doing when you know people with nine to five skipped lunch breaks but i get to grade a dreamy job for myself and i don't bother taking one myself so and not that lunch break is any kind of any kind of reward it should do that's like human rights but it is one of those things where as entrepreneurs we tend to like walk out of the self care factor and like the very basic sense because we're hustling things out we're getting shit done and by attaching these rewards and being mindful of what it is that you could be doing for yourself just sort of make your life better in little ways and reward yourself for what you're doing or simply be good responsible human being to yourself it's all very important and should certainly be a part of it it's not hedonistic it's like it's necessary it's joyful

emily here coming at you to talk about managing your schedule one of the hardest things about being boss is how many people can be vying for your attention from clients and customers to online buddies real life friends and family and more scheduling time to focus on your work or

Kathleen Shannon 28:03
yourself gets more and more important

Emily Thompson 28:05
the more boston get our friends at acuity scheduling are here to help you take back your calendar giving you the functionality you need to easily block out times for focus and leaving time open for checking in with clients and friends with an easy to use interface that matches your actual schedule with available appointment times making it impossible for your schedule to get hijacked by another meeting schedule clients without sacrificing yourself sign up for your free 60 day trial of scheduling sanity at acuity scheduling.com slash being boss now

Unknown Speaker 28:41
let's get back at it

Kathleen Shannon 28:48
all right let's talk a little bit about discipline i feel that it's such a huge topic like people are always saying i don't feel discipline it just not disciplined enough what are your thoughts on discipline in general

Emily Thompson 29:09
i don't know how i can say any of this and come off as barely nice person and maybe just take that out cory but really i mean i came from a real no a very well disciplined family so i knew from a very young age what manners looked like and i knew how to behave myself and i was i knew i knew that i knew how to self discipline because the last thing in the world you wanted was my mother or my grandmother's evil eye because that shit scary you like that that shit is scary so so discipline for me came from a super young age and to the point now where you know when i'm at walmart or when i don't even go to walmart why because walmart's while the baby kids go. Whenever I'm out and I see these kids misbehaving like, it irks me on the most deep, sincere levels. Because if you don't get good discipline as a child, you are not going to be a well disciplined adult, period. Because if you can't follow or if you don't have discipline from someone else, learning discipline from yourself is just not going to happen very easily. So, so views on discipline is that it starts early, and a grandmother's evil, I certainly assist. But it is something where it has to, it has to be something where you discipline yourself, as as an entrepreneur, or as just a responsible human being like being in someone else's business. Being an employee for someone else requires some hardcore self discipline to and it does get kicked up a heavy notch whenever you decide to work for yourself. And discipline is just, it's a choice, it is a choice to do what you have to do even when you don't want to do it. And that's the daily for any entrepreneur is doing stuff. And most often, it's things that you don't necessarily want to do, unless you just have tons of money and can outsource everything in which case high five, like that's, that's my dream that's motivates me, I'd done this idea of just outsourcing everything. So I can just read books all day. So discipline is just necessary. And it's one of those things where if you find yourself talking about lack of discipline, you have little discipline, because instead of talking about it, you should be doing shit. Basically. Is that nice? Was that no?

Unknown Speaker 31:39
What if I'm not disciplined?

Kathleen Shannon 31:43
No freaked out.

Emily Thompson 31:45
Let me spend a little time with them. I'll tell you, I'll tell you, and then I'll look at him because I also inherited the evil eye. Very well disciplined child, she has really great manners. She also she also I think, is going to get the evil eye a little early. Like sometimes she kind of gives it back to me. And I'm like, dude, no, but really, like, it's kind of there.

Kathleen Shannon 32:07
It's little so frightening. Well, so for me, discipline is committing to action, or like, and I'm thinking of it much more in the entrepreneurial way. And the mindset way versus necessarily growing up with manners and not being a total ass, which I'm now freaked out with my parenting decisions, like I can only know like, I feel like my kid is probably the one that you're referring to in Whole Foods at home, is it a Walmart? Or no, but like, and he's too so like, we're definitely going through a phase where I'm like, Oh, my God,

Emily Thompson 32:50
oh, yeah, two and three is just gonna be held guard lis regardless, and no. And it's not even Fox. And I like what you say there, though. Wait, what

Kathleen Shannon 32:58
did you say? Well, that discipline is to discipline is committing to action. And so for me, it's like a way of I think that this discipline, just like I was saying about motivation, I feel like discipline is always viewed as kind of this punishing, stripped hard thing, that for me, I like to think of discipline as a series of actions, or habits that I am committed to. And so I think that my personality type is, well, I kind of have an addictive personality type, which I think also makes me really good at discipline just naturally. So but I have kind of wavered in the since having a baby. So I feel like it's given me more compassion for people who were disciplined doesn't come natural. So you know, I mean, I think it's easy for us to just say, like, buckle up and do the work, but it can be hard. So with that, I think that the it's like, kind of, especially for entrepreneurs, we get to make our own rules. I think that discipline is giving ourselves the rules to live by. So that's for me what discipline is.

Emily Thompson 34:13
I agree, and I'd like to edit that too. Like it's consistent commitment to doing the thing, I think. I think that self discipline isn't just something that happens once and you're done.

Unknown Speaker 34:26
Yeah, it's a constant practice. Yes, it is.

Emily Thompson 34:29
It is. It's constant. And it's not fun. And it's not easy. But it is a practice. No, that's a lie. It's not fun. It is fun. Sometimes it can be fun. Well, I think it becomes it does become easy. It will it becomes easy, for sure. And so it's not even a thing that you think of as not fun or not easy. Like I don't even think about it every day when I get up anymore. Like I simply get up and I have my routine and I get my shit done. And I'm done. It's not self discipline. It's a routine that I don't think about anymore. And I think that's just that is where you have to get so it is a practice. It's out Absolutely a practice. And if you you know whether you started discipline as a practice when you were a baby, or if it's something where you've had to teach yourself along the way, it is something that you do have to mindfully do until you don't have to mindfully do it anymore.

Kathleen Shannon 35:17
So one of the things that I feel like I have a good discipline or good practicing is working out. And that's something that a lot of people might struggle with. And so for me, and it's simply putting on my shoes and going out the door and having it scheduled in my calendar, like that's a huge thing. For me. It's also a rule by which I live, I don't feel guilty for it, I just do it. Right. So I'm trying to think of things that I don't feel so disciplined in whenever it comes to like lately. It's kind of been doing the work. Like I feel like and I am embarrassed admitting this to you, because this part, got a bit all website to do that I don't feel discipline in like getting in Slack, for example, I'm not disciplining going in there and checking off my tasks. And that's something that I would love to be more disciplined with. So do I just commit to opening? Or I'm sorry, I said, slack. I meant Asana. Do I just commit to the consistent action of opening up my Asana, even if I know that not all the tasks are going to get done that day? Like what? What would you say? Like, how would you coach me through this, Emily?

Emily Thompson 36:25
Sure. So I think it is taking the first step and opening Asana and seeing the lots of red little to dues. And because I do this, like my Asana, especially my indie Asana on any given day, like I spend all my time in meetings these days, like, it's just like, every single day, I feel like I leave the studio and I tell David, like, Well, I didn't get shit done today. Because I'm in a meeting all day long. But consistently, you know, the team is giving me to do so I'm right there with you. And so I'll open up my Asana and I'm like, holy shit cows, like how did this happen? Where I just have tons of Jews and half of them are red, and the rest are green, because their day to day. And what I do is I have to like I'll get out my notebook because I have this like thing with physical to do's. And I will write down three things that I can do three, just for this

Unknown Speaker 37:20
is what I need to do.

Emily Thompson 37:21
Yes, I had to do it just today. And the three things on my two were work on a client website. Design, the being involved subscribe form for the new site, and to design the footer like those are the three things and I got them all done. And so now I can have this meeting. I can leave the studio today and tell David, you know what, I actually got shit done today.

Kathleen Shannon 37:42
Okay, so even if you have more stuff in your Asana, like you obviously have more than three tasks in your Asana a lot because according this was a task in Asana, so you have a lot more but you're making a physical to do list. This is going to help me so much because I feel it because I have 10 tasks in Asana on any given day plus emails. I have not even made their way into Asana yet. But I think the idea of for me, I used to have a post it system, but I felt like because I was in Asana and doing project management from Asana, that I wasn't being efficient by having a physical to do list. But I'm going to start doing this starting tomorrow because I really do think it's going to help me get more disciplined in that.

Emily Thompson 38:25
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I have to and I'm right there with you. Because like, indie is one being balls is a whole other like side of Asana that we have, and they're both full of to dues. But even today, like after I finished my three to dues that I decided to take out of Asana and put in my physical notebook, I was able to go into Asana then and do tons more little things that were just sort of waiting and easy to complete. Because a lot of them are really easy to complete. Yeah, just comments I need to read through so they know something or just a quick reply to something to answer someone's questions. So by doing those three things, I was freed up enough to go do lots of other things. Because I had accomplished the big three looming things. And it left me plenty of room to go do all the other

Kathleen Shannon 39:13
things as well. I think that your team is really unleashed to have a whole other podcast episode on this. But I think that your team is really good at putting everything in as a task. And it's a really good way that you guys stay in communication with each other whereas I'm sure my team is like what the hell is happening working on or your what is it that she needs me to do it because I don't put every little thing in there. And but I think it's a really smart way, especially if you have a team to work. I think that if you're a solopreneur you don't necessarily need to put every tiny task in Asana because there's some things that you just get done and check off your list without even having to put it on a list.

Unknown Speaker 39:51
Definitely.

Kathleen Shannon 39:52
What about Is there anything that you struggle in that you feel like you wish that you were more disciplined with

Unknown Speaker 39:58
boo

Emily Thompson 40:01
Um,

Kathleen Shannon 40:01
I mean, I know you're perfect, but come on, right?

Emily Thompson 40:04
I know I'm having a really hard time being somewhere where I could where I could be better. Um, no, I think working out is one of mine like I am working on a daily yoga practice that right now is about four days a week. And so like I that's obviously something I'm working my way up to the to the seven days a week daily yoga practice. So that's an area that I have been working on very mindfully lately. I wish I could like make myself a shower every day like a like a regular adult. That's something that I kind of like air quotations struggle with because it's not actually struggle. I don't really care but very often David's like let's go get dinner. I'm like, David, I haven't showered in two days. I'm not leaving the house. I'm so personal hygiene apparently is. So

Unknown Speaker 40:57
self discipline. Um,

Unknown Speaker 40:59
I think I think

Emily Thompson 41:01
for Well, in these winter blues are killing me these days. But like, I'm having a hard time just like, I think just sort of being happy where I am. And like, I spend a lot of time like almost berating myself for not being happier to be where I am these days. And that's, that's the self discipline to like, being happy in the moment is something where you have to like, commit to feeling away even when there's not things there actively making you feel that way. So I've been like coaching myself through some winter blues, pretty hardcore. Combat and talk about that person.

Unknown Speaker 41:38
Absolutely. I'm in the same boat a little bit. And Dude, I'm depressed as shit. I feel like I'm always like, low level, like borderline.

Emily Thompson 41:47
Right? Well, and I

Kathleen Shannon 41:48
don't think that it's like, I think it's a thing that a lot of entrepreneurs have in common, I think that a lot of us are used to comparing ourselves to other people. And I know that comparison is the thief of joy, that comparison for me, like I was saying earlier about motivation, comparison, looking at how other people are living and doing motivates me, but it can also kind of be a thief of joy, because I'll start to see things that other people have that I don't have that I want and will get depressed, or things won't go the way that I expect or want them to go. And they'll get depressed. And I think that that's, that's something that a lot of us struggle with. So yeah, let's talk about that for a second. And for me, so I just signed up for Carolyn Eliot's course, influence on practical magic, let me tell you, I'm stoked to and one of the things that I was inspired about by it is that like, I'm over self help. Like, I just feel like I am therapy out, I am coached out, I am reading all the books out, like I just want to live my life. And one of the things that I really liked about Carolyn Elliott's course, even though now I'm taking another course, is that I really feel like she owns it. Like, I feel like she kind of owns the darker side of the human experience. And I feel like whenever you can own it, you have more power over it. Or rather, it has less power over you. So that's what I'm really excited about. And so, I wonder if there's like a, it's hard to say like, obviously, you know, you're depressed for me to go like, Emily, can you just own that feeling?

Emily Thompson 43:24
The kinda do every debt. No, I really do. So I feel the same way about this influence thing I. And there's been a couple of ways that I've been trying to work through my winter blues, I'm like, I don't know, I'm really trying hard not to go the medicated route, though. It's a thing in my family, where I'll be very surprised if I get very far without needing it. So it's been just a very mindful journey for me. And this winter has been pretty hard. It hasn't been the hardest one I've experienced a couple of years ago, when we lived in the mountains. I like got really hardcore, like, what is it called? seasonal affective disorder, or whatever they call it. So I've been I've been journaling a lot. I did Erica midkiff Explorer challenge. And in January and totally loved it journaling, something I've done often on my entire life, and in weird different ways. And this has really helped me sort of find a nice like groove and just journaling and I find that that has helped me a lot. And whenever I'm having like darker days, I'll, I'll journal like twice, like once in the morning, once in the evening, just sort of getting it all out. I feel like that, to me is some really good therapy. Because I was telling David the other day, I was like, I feel like I need a therapist. Like I just need someone to bitch at, like someone that I can pay just to like let all the things out that I need to do and then I realized that's what my journal. I'm

Kathleen Shannon 44:49
like I spent last week just crying for a solid hour in the office. Yeah,

Emily Thompson 44:54
well see, and that's exactly what I would do. Like I know I would probably just walk in and start period like I Probably won't even say anything, it would just it would just go. So, um, so I've been journaling a lot. And that's been really helpful for me. And I agree with with taking Carolyn's influence course, because I also believe in like, the darker side of the human experience. And I do feel that, that by embracing that, and like, I don't know, melding that with the light part that like, I want to show everyone but like, I'm scared to show them the dark, like, here's all of it. And I'm really excited about taking this because it's, it seems like and apparently to both of us, that's something that, that it will help us do sort of, I don't know intertwine the two so we can be more truly ourselves and get out of this rut

Kathleen Shannon 45:45
of being back around, like what motivates us earlier, I think it used to be kind of more of the material things. But as I'm gaining more financial success, I have all the things I could really truly want. The things that really motivate me know are actually on a more spiritual level. And so really wanting to tap into that. And I'm motivated by it, I'm inspired by it, but I that's something that I wouldn't be a little bit more disciplined in is taking time to attend to my soul and my spirit. So that's been, that was a motivating factor for taking this course. And I love that you're journaling. And it's something that I know whenever I'm journaling, I feel better in general. And then I'm starting to feel like, Oh, I wish I could just get out of this. But I refuse to journal like,

Emily Thompson 46:42
well, that's kind of like meditating exactly, like all the things I completely agree. And, I mean, I've dabbled in all of it a lot, especially over the past probably two or three months. And you know, we get to talk to so many cool people now, like workout every day and meditate every day. And like, do what you love and all that all that jazzy stuff. I mean, I think everyone has their own flow. Everyone has their own flow of like inspiration and motivation and the things that help them do the work and, and, like inspired or not, sometimes you just do the work. And I feel like that's where that's where I've been there ebbs and flows to everything. Like, I think that, you know, seasons like winter is not my jam. And so it's just like, right now I'm, like, hunkered down, I'm doing the work. I'm like, knocking out those tasks. We're launching a website. I am doing lots of yoga, you know, in the bedroom, and just those sorts of things like this is not my like shining time of year. But it is a time of year that I'm totally working on me a lot. Like I'm journaling and David and I are chatting a lot and when reading books, because I'm done looking at screens like working online is killing me these days. But, but it is very, like, inward facing, like, just getting my own shit done and just sort of being who I am and dealing with who I am. So that the spring I can blossom and be a beautiful flower. We'll see how that goes. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 48:17
Well, early. Are you talking?

Unknown Speaker 48:20
Now you go.

Kathleen Shannon 48:23
I'm sorry. Okay, so earlier you were talking about wanting to be more disciplined in working out so you're doing this yoga practice. And I wanted to highlight that a little bit because I recently worked with a client who was really feeling like she just needed one discipline, discipline enough and really, like, you know, flogging herself for not being disciplined enough. Okay, I never know if the word flogging is like, used to correct does it mean okay, because I thought it might mean the same thing as like, sexy, sexy, and like the UK. Oh, isn't that a word? bugger? No, they say bugger. But like, bugger off. I always get bugger off and like flogging.

Emily Thompson 49:05
Like who gave up who gave us a podcast. I never

Kathleen Shannon 49:09
did this for him in masturbation. So anyway, she was

Emily Thompson 49:15
maybe I don't know, it was flogging herself.

Kathleen Shannon 49:19
It took $1 year may not have been flogging herself for not being disciplined enough. And so one of the ways that we were able to reframe it was to just try this replace the word discipline with practice. And I think what that does is it allows us to make mistakes and to fail. So if you're practicing yoga, and you get into a warrior three, if you fall down, it's no big deal. You're not going to be like, Oh, I'm not disciplined enough. You're going to say, I'm still practicing. So I'm going to practice getting to Asana and having a better to do list. You're going to practice some yoga. Right? We're going to practice being happier,

Unknown Speaker 50:02
right? Good.

Emily Thompson 50:04
It is all good. It is all good. And I think I think that's, I think that's part of it. Actually, let's circle this back around the inspiration. Because as I've been working through my winter blues, and just hunker down and work, one of the things that one of the things that keeps me going keeps me motivated and like I draw inspiration from is just knowing that this isn't as good as it gets. And like, amen, right, like, I'm

Kathleen Shannon 50:32
feeling

Emily Thompson 50:33
good, it has been better, and it will be better. It's just the ebbs and flows, like you just got to roll with it. And when it's down, just hunker down and get it done. And when it's up, enjoy the hell out of it.

Kathleen Shannon 50:51
Cool, like, I can't wait to be on that yacht. And even then, even then, you have to say, this isn't as good as it gets, like having that life is always going it like not waiting for the other shoe to drop it keep keeping the faith, really, that life is going to continue to deliver and be awesome. And of course, like they're going to be the days that are shit. But either way, this, this isn't the best, but there is like it'll just keep getting better. Or maybe. Or maybe this is the best that there is, oh,

Emily Thompson 51:25
this is not the best shits gonna get better. I can go, I can go make a bowl of ice cream right now. And it'll get better. Like, there are always things that you can do that will that will make things better. I think that's, I don't know, I think that's just sort of my lesson these days is like I'm in it, and it's fine. And like, we'll keep going. Breathing has been something I've had to practice a lot lately. And it's something that I you know, came to me recently that I just not, I'm not breathing well, like I'm breathing very shallowly. And I'm not like filling my lungs well, and I'm not getting the air out well. And so that's something that like, a couple times every day, I literally have to stop myself and just like take a couple of deep breaths. Like I think like little things like that. I mean, it makes me feel better. But little things like that can can just sort of slowly improve. If you're having a down day or a down week or a down

Unknown Speaker 52:21
quarter, whatever it

Emily Thompson 52:23
may be, things will look up. So either looking back, seeing, just seeing the things that you've done, and sort of drawing inspiration from that or you know, being motivated by the things you plan to do in the future. But all together also being in the moment now taking a deep breath, self discipline in yourself getting shit done.

Kathleen Shannon 52:46
So it's funny that you mentioned breathing, because to be inspired, I think that the root of that word is to breathe, or like to hear I'm serious. Like I remember learning that in yoga one time, and our friend Tish Tate, who is at being Boston, ally, eautiful. She's coming back to Miami and will be leading us through some grieving. And there is nothing like breathing that helps move some shit out of your system. It's amazing. So I think that breath is something that is it's such an easy tool. It's so easy, in fact that we can take it for granted. But that is a really great way to use the energy and to literally get inspired instead.

Emily Thompson 53:32
Yeah. Oh, good. I like that we brought that full circle are good.

Unknown Speaker 53:38
All right. Well, it's been challenging.

Emily Thompson 53:43
It's been good chatting with you today. I missed doing this. We

Kathleen Shannon 53:46
need to and we're gonna be bringing back the minisodes. So yeah, in those minutes, so it's it'll be you and I chatting. And we'll be doing a lot more listener questions. So q&a aims, and I love to be able to find a way where we can actually even call up the listener on Skype and ask the question, and then you know what I mean? So it's like a q&a over. So I'll start organizing that. Okay, that

Unknown Speaker 54:13
I actually want to knock some things out.

Unknown Speaker 54:14
It might be I'm going to Mexico in a couple of weeks, so I might be actually after Mexico.

Emily Thompson 54:19
Oh, there we go. That's good.

Unknown Speaker 54:22
All right. Good. Thanks, Kathleen.

Kathleen Shannon 54:25
Thank you for listening to being boss. Find Show Notes for this episode at love being boss calm. Listen to past episodes and subscribe to new episodes on our website on iTunes, SoundCloud, or Stitcher.

Emily Thompson 54:39
Did you like this episode? Head on over to our Facebook group by searching being boss on facebook and join in on the conversation with other bosses or share it with your friends. Do the work? Be boss. I will see you next week.

Kathleen Shannon 55:10
Today is just here

Emily Thompson 55:13
get away from that.

Unknown Speaker 55:14
That's Is it too loud?

Unknown Speaker 55:19
How's this is actually live?

Unknown Speaker 55:20
It's much better.

Unknown Speaker 55:24
Just get the hell out of me. Okay,

Kathleen Shannon 55:28
I know and Did you hear? Let

Unknown Speaker 55:30
me see if my sound is cooking. I think that's Is that good? Is everything okay? Yes.

Kathleen Shannon 55:38
All right, do it again. Do over