As most of you know, my daughter Dagny died unexpectedly at just 14 days old on March 20th, 2020. Her death turned my entire world upside down. Not only was I facing the most unimaginable loss of my life, I was doing so during an unprecedented global quarantine and pandemic.
In March of 2020, liquor stores in our area were considered “essential” but funerals were not. On top of that, Primal Potential was being significantly impacted by the financial repercussions of the pandemic. I had hired a 6-figure COO just months before and now we found ourselves in a mess we never imagined.
For the first couple of weeks after Dagny died, I did as little work as possible. I checked in with our COO daily, but stayed out of the business to the extent that I could. Slowly, I eased back in to webinars, coaching calls, emails and social media. I made big changes that would allow me to scale back and focus on navigating trauma and grief and as I did, I wondered if I would ever be or feel the same.
I had been highly focused and motivated for years. I was a go-getter and I took a lot of pride in it. Even months after Dagny’s death, I struggled to engage in anything.
I remember telling one of my mentors that I feared going back to the way I used to be. I feared permanently stepping back into patterns of watching too much TV, overeating, overindulging and telling myself stories of “I’ll start tomorrow”. While I had, and still have, a lot of grace for myself as I learn to live with pain and loss, I didn’t want to become that version of me I used to be.
I told my best friend, “I need more structure” but struggled to implement it.
I started to play around with tools, routines and strategies to execute my priorities, emphasize self-care and create some semblence of balance. I had all these competing priorities and each day I’d tinker with a format and structure that worked for me.
Ultimately, what I landed on is now the Change Makers Productivity and Fulfillment Journal.
What I Needed
I didn’t just want to be productive. I don’t want a to-do list life where each day is just like the one before, only with different tasks on the list. Yes, I wanted to make meaningful progress towards my goals, but I also wanted to make time each day for the things that truly fulfill me like my marriage, self-improvement and relationships. I needed a process that would guide me toward emphasizing both each day: productivity and fulfillment.
I was tired of feeling overwhelmed by *all the things*. Like most people, I have 100 or more “to dos” in my business each week, with bigger business projects and goals on top of that. I have daily priorities outside of work like eating well, staying organized, cooking, working out, meditating and journaling. I want to be intentional in my marriage every day instead of just going through the motions. I have financial goals and projects. Friendships I want to cultivate. You know how it goes! When I thought about all these things, I’d often feel like there wasn’t enough time, when the truth of the matter was that I wasn’t using my time well. I wasn’t structured, organized or focused.
The Change Makers Journal changed that for me.
Last night as I was winding down for bed, I thought back to that conversation I had with a mentor. I thought about how nervous I was that I’d continue sliding down the slippery slope of apathy. I recognized just how much has changed since I said that.
- I’m working out daily
- I’m getting up early
- I’ve made epic progress on my second book
- I’m getting through my work more quickly and more efficiently
- I’m cooking more and eating cleaner
- I’m making time to meditate for a minimum of 30 minutes daily
- My husband and I are communicating better and spending more time together
- I’ve knocked off huge priorites like funding my trust, completing my 2020 taxes and several other “big rock” projects I had been putting off
- The baby’s nursery is ready
- I’m more organized
- I’m less overwhelmed
- I feel in control
I have a Facebook group that’s just for folks who have purchased the Change Makers Journal and the other day I asked them what wins they’ve created since they started using the journal and I wanted to share with you some of the things they’ve said.
What Others Are Saying about the Change Makers Journal
It is 100% normal to have ebbs and flows in your focus, drive and motivation. The thing is, staying in those down spots it’s a choice. There are tools available to you that will help you help yourself, and the Change Makers Journal is only one of them.
If you have questions about it, feel free to ask!
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