Your Best Foot Forward with Claire Edwards | a wellness podcast

In today's episode, I'm sharing a practice I do to check if my time and energy are aligned with my priorities. This weekly practice helps me get clarity on...

-my priorities, and if there are any I need to add or let go of

-where I may need to be more intentional

-making decisions on what to say yes and no to

-where I could use some growth

Things are weird, hard, and uncertain right now, but does that mean we are going to give up on ourselves? Does that mean we are going to throw everything we are out the window?

In this episode, I talk through how we can ask ourselves "How can I not give up on myself right now?" to help us get through this weird time.

I’m trying to figure out my relationship with social media. It can be messy, inconsistent, and complicated. I get sucked into the comparison game, perfection game, validation game, deception game, and the escape from real life game, all the games.

When I get caught up in this, I try to bring myself back to my why. What is my why? Everyone uses it for a different purpose, but I think my ultimate why is to CONNECT with people.

In the midst of all the games, in this episode I take you through how I try to hold on to my purpose of CONNECTION as I navigate both posting on social media (casting out the fishing line) and engaging with other people's posts (being the fish).

Lindsey Jo Scott is a designer, creator, and host of the Cleveland chapter of Side Project Sessions.

In our conversation, Lindsey Jo and I discuss:

-her mantra right now

-perfection

-Side Project Sessions: time, quiet, and accountability

-planning vs. action

-imposter syndrome

-self acceptance and her turning point to it

-fulfillment

-journaling

I treat the plans I make like shiny objects.

They’re a sense of accomplishment because my plan shows that I can strategically make everything work, do all the things I want to do, and have this secret roadmap to achieving my biggest goal. The idea of having this perfect plan is so fulfilling to me.

People say you need a plan in order to make the things you want happen. I whole-heartedly agree that you need to cast that vision for yourself to know where the heck you’re going and put yourself in the position to make it happen.

But I’ve realized that getting obsessed with the shininess of a plan has bit me in the butt…hard.

This past week, I have gone through many thoughts and feelings. One thing I realized was I refuse to not keep growing even in a time where it feels like the whole world has stopped. I refuse to not keep growing because if I’m not growing, I’m not living.

Growing can seem hard though when we feel like we are trapped in this box, that box being our home. In today’s episode, I go through thoughts I have on growing in this box during this time of the coronavirus.

We change and the world is changing around us in each season of life. That means our routines need to change too.

To put this into action, we need to start considering "is this routine serving me in this season of life?"

Anna Vatuone is a personal brand strategist who teaches entrepreneurs how to build their personal brand.

Anna taught me that anyone and everyone can have a personal brand. It is about wanting to effectively communicate yourself to the outside world, and not about how pretty you can make your Instagram. It is about effectively communicating your message of what you want to say to the world about you.

Topics we cover in this episode:

-Creating habits that can make big changes in your life

-What a personal brand looks like to someone who isn’t an entrepreneur or creator

-Knowing your why

-How to create deeper connections with people on and offline, especially if you’re an introvert

-How to properly learn from others in a way that doesn’t lead to comparison

-Her path to becoming an entrepreneur and how it has impacted her dating life

One of the keys to living an intentional and fulfilling life is asking yourself why you're doing things. Why do you do what you do? Why do you spend time with the people you spend time with? Why do you give your energy towards certain things?

Starting to ask yourself WHY can help you get closer to living more intentionally, and creating a life you can be proud of.

Throughout all the things you do in your life, what is the 1 thing they all have in common? Its YOU! You are the root of all the things you do. So if you want to work on making all parts of your life better, why not start working on you?

In this episode, I share 3 ways to start taking care of yourself so that you can be the best you in all aspects of your life and create a life you're proud of.