The Perfectionism Project

As many of you know, when I first started my blog I was studying full-time and working part-time. When I finished studying, I was working full-time whilst trying to grow my blog. And it wasn't easy! Gaining momentum can be challenging when you only have a couple of hours each day, but it can be done! Over the last five years I've done my fair share of experimenting and have had to figure out how to make the most of the limited time I had - and in this episode I'm sharing it all with you. If you've been struggling to make time for your side hustle (or maybe you haven't even been able to begin), listen to this episode to get my best advice on how to use the limited time you have. If you want my help growing your blog, make sure you find out more and sign up for my Grow Your Blog Workshop by clicking here. Registration will close strictly at midnight (EDT) on Friday, 29 June 2018 and I'll be teaching you everything you need to do to set your blog up for success (as well as how to deal with fear of judgement and perfectionism). And as usual, you can find everything mentioned in this podcast episode in the show notes.

It's normal to feel discouraged when things aren't turning out the way you'd planned but that doesn't mean it's fun! But the thing is - if you quit and give up, you're only creating more discouragement. Which is exactly what you're trying to avoid. So learning how to manage your mind is SO important. In this episode I'm sharing: - What creates the feeling of discouragement and how to get yourself out of that emotion - Why it's normal to feel discouraged when you start something new and how to manage your expectations without losing hope or aiming too low - How setting effort-based goals, rather than results-based goals, can help you persist through the initial stages of something new - Why gratitude is so powerful and simple ways to practice it - And more! If you've been feeling discouraged when it comes to growing your blog, make sure you find out more and sign up for my Grow Your Blog Workshop by clicking here. Registration will close strictly at midnight (EDT) on Friday, 29 June 2018 and I'll be teaching you everything you need to do to set your blog up for success (as well as how to deal with fear of judgement and perfectionism). And as usual, you can find everything mentioned in this podcast episode in the show notes.

After spending the last two weeks listening to just about every seminar Jim Rohn ever gave (thanks YouTube!) I've been inspired to dedicate time to reading everyday. Even though I love reading, in the past I've really struggled to make consistent time for it and I've always had a lot of very good reasons (excuses) as to why I can't fit it in. But I'm managed to get back into the habit by making a few key mindset shifts and doing a few very simple things, so I thought I'd share them with you! So in this podcast episode, I'm sharing how to read more books. I hope you find it helpful! And to find out more about anything I mention in this podcast episode, make sure you visit the show notes.

Blogging has been one of the most powerful personal development tools I've ever come across, it's enabled me to become more confident, to inspire others, to make money and helped me figure out what to do with my life. So it's not surprising I'm a HUGE advocate of blogging. In this episode, I'm sharing exactly why I recommend starting a blog - even if you don't have ambitions to become a successful blogger. If you're interested in starting a blog, make sure you sign up for my Start Your Blog Workshop this weekend. CLICK HERE to find out more and sign up! I don't know if or when I'll be doing something like it again.

I started Smart Twenties in 2013 and at the time, I had no confidence in myself whatsoever. Starting a blog brought up insecurities I never even knew I had and those insecurities kept me small and stuck for a long time. Five years on, I still struggle with many of the insecurities I had when I first started but I've learned how to manage them and how to keep myself moving forward. In this episode, I share the biggest lessons I've learned and how you can move past your fears - if you have the same ones I had! If you've been wanting to start a blog, make sure you join my Start Your Blog Workshop that's coming up on 10 June 2018. Click here to find out more and sign up.

At the beginning of 2018, I set myself an 'impossible' goal of making $500,000 in my business. The first 5 months of 2018 have been a rollercoaster ride filled with failure and self-sabotage, so I thought I'd share it all with you. I've learned an incredible amount about myself and my beliefs already, as well as what it means to work towards a goal without knowing exactly how you're going to achieve it. I hope you find this helpful and if you're working towards a big goal, I have no doubt you'll be able to relate. To find out more make sure you visit the show notes. And if you want to sign up for my Start Your Blog Workshop that will be happening in the coming weeks make sure you click here.

I asked you guys if you'd like me to chat about personal development on Instagram Live (@smarttwenties) and you said yes! But some of you said it's hard to find the time so I thought I'd put it all of it up on the podcast too! In this episode, I'm sharing some of the thoughts behind two of my popular instagram quotes (since the captions never give me enough room). Here are the quotes I'm chatting about: "It's always wise to ask yourself whether you're failing on purpose to avoid failing at your purpose." "To get what you want, you must be grateful for what you have. Otherwise, you'll always be waiting for more - even when you get it." I hope you guys enjoy this style of episode and as always, I'd love you to let me know if you do! I'll be putting one of these up every time I've done a couple of Instagram Lives. And if you're not already following me on instagram, make sure you find me at @smarttwenties!

If you don't know what you want, it's insanely hard to get it. And while we all know that intellectually, many of us are still blocking ourselves from finding the answer - without even knowing! In this episode, I'm share 5 reasons you can't figure out what you want as well as the way that I've blocked myself from creating goals in the past. I hope you find it helpful! And as always, this episode is part of a series on this topic. I've written a blog post about how to figure out what you want, created a free workbook to walk you through each of the life-changing exercises and filmed a YouTube video that will help you see why you've been holding yourself back. You can find it all in the show notes.

The fear of what people think is one that controls many of our lives. Even though we intellectually know that it doesn't matter what people think, we still find ourselves bending over backwards for approval again and again. In this episode, I'm sharing my journey with the fear of what people think and the exercises and breakthroughs that have helped me overcome that fear. I hope you find it helpful! And as always, this episode is part of a series on this topic. I've written a blog post about how to stop caring what people think, created a free workbook to walk you through the journaling exercises that will help you take this to the next level and a Youtube video that will help you keep moving forward while your fear is still there. You can find it all in the show notes.

So many of us work so hard towards our goals without realising that the opinion we have of ourselves is causing us to self-sabotage and stop ourselves from achieving them. It's something I've really started to see in my own life and I have no doubt you'll be able to relate to what I'm talking about in this episode! In this episode I share the aspects of my self-image that have been stopping me from being successful, from struggling to identify myself as an entrepreneur (and even a blogger), to seeing myself as a disorganised person that's always late and being bad with money. I also chat about the things I'm doing on a daily basis to reshape my identity and how you can do it too! This is part of a series on self-image. If you'd like to learn more about it, check out the show notes where I share my blog post on 5 Steps To Change Your Self-Image as well as my YouTube video on 3 Reasons You're Not Achieving Your Goals and my guide to walk you through the process of taking control of your self-image so you can achieve your goals.

There's an overwhelming amount of information out there about how to be successful. And while it's important that you have certain things right, it's also extremely important that you're not unknowingly blocking yourself from achieving your goals - which so many of us do! In this episode I'm sharing 10 ways that you might be blocking yourself from success (don't feel bad - I'm guilty of all of them) and I also share which ones I'm currently working on in my business, as I haven't got this all figured out yet! This is part of a series on the Law of Attraction. If you'd like to learn more about it, check out the show notes where I share my blog post on The Law of Attraction for Beginners as well as my YouTube video on the best Law of Attraction Youtube channels and my guide to help you get started with using the Law of Attraction to achieve your goals!

I used to love doing the Smart Twenties Book Club back in the day, but I always found it quite challenging to talk about books. Which is why I eventually stopped. But now that I have a podcast, I thought it would be fun to bring the Smart Twenties Book Club back in a chattier form. So that's what I'm doing! This is the first of many bonus episodes that will share the lessons I've learned from a book I've just finished reading. These episodes will be going out as frequently or as infrequently as I finish books and I won't be doing book reviews so much as I'll just be chatting about each book as if we were catching up over a coffee. For the first episode, I'm sharing lessons and takeaways from Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss. If you've been following me for more than two seconds you already know I looove Tim Ferriss' work and this book is no exception! Listen to the episode to hear my favourite quotes and lessons from the book as well as the highlighting and tabbing system I use to make the most of all of the personal development books I read. Also, there are A LOT of books that were recommended within Tribe of Mentors and I'm planning to read pretty much all of them, but I thought it might be boring to read off the list. So I've included links and a little description of each book in the show notes in case you've been looking for some new reading material. Make sure you check it out after you listen to the episode!

If you've never tried using affirmations to help you achieve your goals, now is the perfect time to start! Affirmations are a simple way to help you train your brain to see possibilities you've never seen before (if you need a scientific reason to try it - it's called reticular activation) and create beliefs that will help you achieve your goals and stop you from self-sabotaging. In this podcast episode I'm sharing my personal experience with affirmations, including the affirmations that haven't worked and why. I hope you find it helpful! This podcast episode is part of a series on affirmations so if you're interesting in doing a deep dive into affirmations and giving them a try, make sure you watch the YouTube video where I share the do's and don'ts of affirmations as well as my blog post where I share more about how to use affirmations to help you achieve your goals and a workbook that will help you create your first affirmation. For everything mentioned in this podcast episode, as well as all of the other resources in the affirmation series, make sure you visit the show notes!

Journaling is such a powerful personal development tool that I thought it might be helpful to dive into the things that help me stay consistent with my journaling habit. As someone who tends towards an all-or-nothing mindset, there are certain things I make sure I do and don't do when it comes to journaling. And I hope that by sharing the things that keep me on track, and the things that reliably throw me off my habit, you'll be able to create a consistent journaling habit too! For everything mentioned in this podcast episode, make sure you visit the show notes!

Personal development is a journey and one that I'm still very much in the process of. That said, I've had some significant breakthroughs in the last few years of my personal development journey that have helped me release the shame I attached to traumatic events in my childhood and begin to see myself as the intelligent, beautiful and capable woman that I am. I hope that by sharing my breakthroughs and hearing about my journey you will be able to gain insights into your life that you didn't have before. For everything mentioned in this podcast episode, make sure you visit the show notes!

Failure is a topic that's uncomfortable to talk about and like anyone, I find it challenging to open up about the things that haven't gone so well! But I'm definitely not immune from failure and I want to make sure you guys know that, so in this episode I'm sharing the 'failure' I experienced when I launched my new online course, Your Perfect Semester, in February this year and the biggest lessons I learned. I hope that by sharing my experience you will not necessarily avoid failure (I truly believe that if you're not failing, you're not trying anything new) but find yourself better equipped to handle it when it does happen. For everything mentioned in this podcast episode, make sure you visit the show notes!

This episode of The Smart Twenties Podcast is a little different. I hadn't planned to record this episode but felt compelled to get out my microphone this morning and chat about what I've been thinking about with my business and sharing the messy middle with you – because I don't always have it figured out! And if you're a student and you struggle with procrastination, make sure you check out my new online course Your Perfect Semester that is coming out this week!

THINGS I MENTION The Tim Ferris Show Podcast 17 Questions That Changed My Life The Life Coach School Podcast Brooke Castillo's program: Self-Coaching Scholars My Daily Vlog: 365 Days of Personal Growth

Excuses can be hard to spot in our own lives (as they always feel so real) so I hope by sharing this experience you'll be able to reflect on your own life and see where you too might be using 'too busy', 'too tired' or 'too broke' to keep yourself safe from rejection and failure.

Listen in to hear about the big planning process I just went through for 2018 and my best advice on how to plan your life so you can get everything done! MENTIONED The Best Alternatives To New Year's Resolutions Episode 5: All Things Productivity Brooke Castillo's program: Self-Coaching Scholars My Daily Vlog: 365 Days of Personal Growth Facebook group: The Smart Twenties Community

I loved recording this podcast episode because I get so many emails from you guys saying that you feel overwhelmed, confused and disheartened, and I'm so glad that my experience with all of that can finally be put to good use! If you've just started a blog or Youtube Channel (or want to) this is the perfect episode to help you set the right expectations and give yourself the space to create something amazing! MENTIONED 7 Fears I Had Before I Started A Blog (And Why I Started Anyway) My YouTube Channel Wayback Machine My Daily Vlog: 365 Days of Personal Growth Facebook group: The Smart Twenties Community

MENTIONED How To Stay Consistent Even When You're Unmotivated And if you're a student and your goal is to stop procrastinating, make sure you find out more about my online course Get Out Of Your Own Way!

MENTIONED Brooke Castillo of The Life Coach School Tim Ferriss: 17 Questions That Changed My Life And if you've spent the year struggling with procrastination, make sure you find out more about my online course Get Out Of Your Own Way!

This was such a fun episode to record and I highly recommend you create a list of your biggest lessons from this year too. Here are the lessons I chat about in the episode: Believe the what before the how Success is simple, stress and overwhelm are self-sabotage My opinion of me is more important than anything else's Perfectionism is a protection mechanism against shame Coaching is so worth the money Procrastination is draining Courage is a prerequisite for growth Do math without the drama No matter how much busywork you do, you will never be productive Defend your plans Impatience is ego There's always enough time Ask for what you want Marketing makes all the difference Either you run the day or the day runs you The perfect time to start is now Go for it And if you've spent the year struggling to achieve your goals and want to make sure that next year isn't the same, make sure you find out more about my online course Get Out Of Your Own Way!

In this episode, I also chat about my advice on how to make that decision for yourself and how to know whether you should travel or settle down. This isn't a topic I've really talked about anywhere else so I hope you find it insightful!

In this episode of The Smart Twenties Podcast I share my thoughts on motivation, why I choose determination over motivation, an exercise that will help you create the feeling of determination and my thoughts on using accountability buddies to keep you motivated! If you've spent the year struggling to achieve your goals and want to make sure that next year isn't the same, make sure you find out more about my online course Get Out Of Your Own Way!

I'm going to help you learn more about exactly what this fear is, where it comes from and how to stop it from ruling your life. In the episode I also recommend doing Tim Ferriss' exercise called fear-setting. You can watch the YouTube video where I walk you through the whole process here. And if you're ready to stop hiding behind your fears but have no idea where to start, I highly recommend you consider taking my online course Get Out Of Your Own Way!

Unfortunately, I don't have the magic answer but I do have some experience to share that will hopefully help you come to terms with the uncertainty you'll experiences in your twenties (and for the rest of your life!) and will help take some of the pressure off to have it all figured out. And if you've been procrastinating on taking that next step, you might want to find out more about my online course Get Out Of Your Own Way!

My daily vlog series 365 Days of Personal Growth How I Saved $20,000 For Travel How To Save For Multiple Goals At Once

If you struggle with procrastination, I highly recommend taking my 7-day challenge Get Out Of Your Own Way. It's a series of 7 video lessons that will help you change your perfectionist mindset, so you can become the best version of yourself that you can be! You'll find step-by-step instructions and thought-provoking exercises to help you stop procrastination, begin to create true self-confidence and start living the life you wish you had. You can learn more, read the lovely feedback from my students and sign up here.

Myleik Teele's Podcast: How To Finish The Year Strong How To Get Organised For The New Year My daily vlog series 365 Days of Personal Growth Lavendaire Esteé Lalonde 10 Best Podcasts For Millennials Episode 3: Blogging, Self-Doubt and How To Get Started How To Start A Blog: A Simple Guide For Beginners Epiosde 4: How To Stop Overwhelm + Achieve Multiple Goals Youtube Video: Cleaning Out My Closet

Get Out Of Your Own Way: A 7-Day Challenge For Perfectionists Episode 4: How To Stop Overwhelm + Achieve Multiple Goals How To Make The Most Of Self-Help Books How To Do More Study In Less Time My daily vlog series 365 Days of Personal Growth Forest App Brooke Castillo Self-Coaching Scholars The Tim Ferriss Show Podcast Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject

Get Out Of Your Own Way: A 7-Day Challenge For Perfectionists My morning routine guide How To Start A Blog: A Simple Guide For Beginners Episode 3: Blogging, Self-Doubt + How To Get Started My daily vlog series 365 Days of Personal Growth Forest App Brooke Castillo Self-Coaching Scholars The Tim Ferriss Show Podcast Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject

THINGS I MENTION My blog post: 7 Fears I Had Before I Started A Blog (And Why I Started Anyway) My YouTube Channel Episode 1: Welcome To My Podcast + My Story (So Far!) Wayback Machine The Blonde Salad Lovely Pepa Your First $1K Simplyfiercely.com My online course: Dream Habit: A 28-Day Habit Bootcamp for Perfectionists Tim Ferriss Fear-Setting Exercise My Tips To Make The Most Of Self-Help Books More about how to write an affirmation You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero Money And You Brooke Castillo's program: Self-Coaching Scholars My Daily Vlog: 365 Days of Personal Growth Facebook group: The Smart Twenties Community

THINGS I MENTION My YouTube Channel My Daily Vlog: 365 Days of Personal Growth Episode 1: Welcome To My Podcast + My Story (So Far!) My Instagram My email: [email protected] (please say hello!) Simplyfiercely.com My online course – Dream Habit: A 28-Day Habit Bootcamp for Perfectionists Personality test (I'm an INFJ) Meetup.com

In very first episode of The Smart Twenties Podcast (yay!) I share my story from high school to now! I chat about my university experience and trying to figure out what to do with my life, starting my blog and the crippling self-doubt that held me back for YEARS, getting out of my own way, how I balanced blogging with my full-time accounting job, going back to my part-time university job so I could pursue blogging and dealing with perfectionism throughout the whole thing! THINGS I MENTION My YouTube Channel My Daily Vlog: 365 Days of Personal Growth My Instagram My email: [email protected] (please say hello!) The Life Coach School Podcast by Brooke Castillo Gary Vaynerchuk My favourite podcasts Wayback machine Simplyfiercely.com