Today I have Greg Durso with me on the Podcast. I wanted to bring him on to do a short interview about 3 areas I think he is totally better at than me. They are:

• Positivity Always
• Eliminating Complaining
• Being more Open-minded

Listen in as Greg talks about how he implements each of these into his everyday life and how you can do a better job of it too!

*If you want to hear more from Greg, he is on my first interview, episode #2 on the podcast!

Thanks so much for listening, it means the world to me!! I would love if you’d leave a review on iTunes and tell me what you’re up to in life! 

HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app   2. Search for “Passion Design Project”   3. Click on my Podcast   4. Tap Reviews & tap “Write review”

As always, you can find more episodes like this on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com or subscribe on iTunes to get them delivered to your app.

If you know of a perfect guest for the podcast you can reach me at Haley@PassionDesignProject.com or by finding me on Facebook at Passion Design Project.

We also have a really rad group on Facebook called The Passion Designers and would LOVE to have you join!!

Have the best day of your life today!!!

Subscription links: Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

Outro Music by Tobu 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS

Do any of you work jobs that have a lot of rules? I haven’t been involved in the corporate life too much, and a lot of my work has been very loosely regulated. However, last night I was at work and there was an auditor there.

Prior to the shift, our supervisor gave a little pep talk, telling us tips on how to succeed and what we need to watch out for particularly for what she’s going to be looking at. I don’t know much about auditors, I feel like they’re sorta like watch birds who make sure that you follow the rules and don’t have quite as much fun and freedom as you’d like.

The shift began and the funniest thing started to happen. Everyone was messing up. Super obvious mistakes, basically nothing could go right.

Now, this auditor is just a little old lady with a raincoat on standing outside in the rain watching us work, taking some photos with her little digi cam. Harmless. And yet we can’t do a darn thing on point. Everything was taking twice the amount of time it usually takes and the simple teamwork that usually happens completely fell apart.

It wasn’t until we finished up and I was walking back inside that I just started laughing to myself realizing what just happened. It was so funny to me that things that we usually do so simply became huge stumbling blocks when we overthought about them.

Immediately I started to relating this to the entrepreneurial world and thought about how often we try to please people and do the right thing when really that ends up backfiring.

Answer these questions:

Are you a people pleaser? Do you do certain things so that your parents are proud of you or so that you look good to your friends? Do you find yourself often wondering what people are thinking about what you’re doing before you start? If you answered yes to any of these, which I’m guessing you did because most people will, it could be your downfall.

I know that sounds drastic, but I’m serious!

Listen, going back to the night I just described, like I said, on regular evenings everyone’s able to function like a well-oiled machine; nobody thinks twice about what they’re doing, everyone’s really confident in their abilities and what they’re doing, and things pretty much go off without a hitch. However, when one person comes in whose opinion we care about, everyone’s confidence drops almost 100% they suddenly and unreasonably become unsure of themselves and their own skills and begin to make mistakes.

How crazy is this! Now I’m not saying that an auditor’s opinion doesn’t matter in this occasion, instead, what I’m saying is that, if we had kept our confidence and done what we knew we could, everything would have gone off perfectly like usual.

Let’s put this in perspective for a second and realize that there are two ways we can go about everything.

Since I’m an artist I’ll compare this to the art world, but please put yourself in whatever world is yours.

So say you’re an aspiring artist but you went to school for something else. You’re ready to put out some art into the world, but when you tell your parents they ask you how your job search is coming. You get that hindered feeling in the back of your mind wondering if you should be focusing on something else besides art right now. And then you think back to college; a few of your professors didn’t think you were very creative and weren’t afraid to let you know that. If they didn’t even think you were that great, that probably speaks for the rest of the world, right? And then you realize that if you post your art, your friends will all see it and might take easy jabs at you. All of your excitement for the art piece you were about to show begins to go down the drain. Your confidence drops and you begin rethinking everything. What a downer. 

Now, imagine you’ve just created something and are ready to put it out to the world, but this time think about if you didn’t care what one person thought about your art. You think about the times in the past when people have praised you for your work, you remember all the sales you’ve made, and you know that no matter if some of your friends of people who see it on social media don’t like it, there will be that niche that will absolutely love it. You think about that day when your parents will ask you for an art piece, and you’ll say sorry I’m too busy (haha totally kidding), and you realize that you don’t necessarily want to be like those professors that didn’t appreciate your creativity.

Now you really want to put your stuff out into the world right? It’s because of your confidence! It’s a million times easier to express yourself when you aren’t wasting the entire time worrying what everyone is thinking about you do. And people naturally gravitate towards confident people. They just do.

I hope you can clearly see how much of a potential negative impact letting what others think can have on our success. Can you believe that we can literally let other people’s thoughts, which in reality might not even be their actual thoughts, determine what we do with our lives?

I truly don’t think we’re scared of failing as much as were scared of what people are going to think about us if we don’t succeed at what we say were going to do.

And how sad is that that we would let someone else decide our future?

Today I want to push you so hard to know that you can have the confidence in yourself all by yourself and you don’t need the validation of others to do what you want to do. I want you to care about others but I don’t want you to care about what they think about what you’re doing. It’s time to stop thinking about if people will like what you’re doing and it’s time to go give the world the best you got, mmk?

Thanks so much for listening, it means the world to me!! I would love if you’d leave a review on iTunes and tell me what you’re up to in life! 

HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app   2. Search for “Passion Design Project”   3. Click on my Podcast   4. Tap Reviews & tap “Write review”

As always, you can find more episodes like this on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com or subscribe on iTunes to get them delivered to your app.

If you know of a perfect guest for the podcast you can reach me at Haley@PassionDesignProject.com or by finding me on Facebook at Passion Design Project.

We also have a really rad group on Facebook called The Passion Designers and would LOVE to have you join!!

Have the best day of your life today!!!

Subscription links: Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

Outro Music by Tobu 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

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Hi everyone, it’s your host, Haley. If we haven’t met before, I’m so happy you jumped on this episode since I have something really fun to share. Dun, dun, dunnnnn: this past week I officially reached my goal of making it to every state!

Last year, I realized I was really close and had under 10 states left to hit, so I thought knocking them off before i turned 30 (which is next month) would be a really cool goal. Through the months, I slowly but surely got to each and then hit a bit of a road block as I failed on my both of my attempts to get to Rhode Island and Alaska. So this past week, I put on my travel boots and hit both the smallest and largest in one week!

I’m planning to write a more exciting post about all the states and my favorite spots so that you guys can get some insight into new places you may want to hit, and I’ll release that around my birthday, so stay tuned!

Today, revolving around this accomplishment, I wanted to talk with you about setting expectations for yourself.

This sort of relates to goals, and you can hear more about those on Episode 31, but I think expectations go a bit deeper. It’s a way of everyday thinking, not just a distant accomplishment you hope to achieve. And it begins with a choice.

When I decided I wanted to reach all 50 states, I expected myself to make it happen. It wasn’t simply an idea that may or may not occur. I fully expected myself to accomplish what I wanted and therefore welcomed any opportunities that came my way to see the remaining states. My expectations guided my actions.

How high are the expectations you have for yourself? And more importantly, are these expectations for YOURSELF or for someone else.

I find often we place high expectations on ourselves to please our parents, or significant others, or heck, even social media. But if we’re being honest, those usually aren’t fun and they won’t last. Sooner or later you’ll get sick of trying to please people and realize that people really don’t care as much as you thought and you should’ve been spending your time following your personal expectations.

Alright, so we’re clear, these are YOUR expectations. So what’s the point and what’s the process?

Simply, the point is that higher expectations allow you to get the results that you want. If you go into a meeting expecting mediocre outcomes, that’s usually what you’ll get, right? However, if you go in expecting that by the end you will have the results and information you desire, you’ll be more apt to ask the right questions, engage with the right people, and delegate tasks to people who will create the best outcomes. Maybe you can’t control everything entirely, but you got results you wanted and expected.

The same can be said for sports games. Say you expect to have 20 points by the end of your basketball game. Can you get those 20 points if you only shoot 3 shots? Obviously not. Same with clients. If I expect to sell 5 paintings this month, but only put 3 for sale, I don’t even give myself a chance. By placing higher expectations on yourself, you give yourself a higher chance of success.

Kinda sounds simple, doesn’t it? It is!

I want all of you to come out of this episode with high expectations for yourself so let’s dive a bit deeper into the process of having them.

What are a few things you could get into order that would make you instantly feel like you are ready to achieve more? For my extra traveling, I knew I needed to maintain a better calendar and set a schedule to accomplish things while I was at home. Maybe for you, it’s as simple (or not simple depending) as cleaning your desk and space! A clean space can make a world of difference, believe me! For you, it may mean eating healthier meals so you have more energy to raise expectations. It could mean changing up your spending habits.

It’s important to realize that when you choose to raise your expectations, you may have to get rid of some of the low hanging fruit that’s holding you back. I’m talking about that easy stuff that isn’t really doing much for ya. For me, that’s too much social media time when I should be being creative on my own, and eating one too many pastries when I’m trying to maintain a tougher workout schedule, and talking myself out of networking events. What are some things you can think of that may be holding you back? Maybe it’s even some thoughts or things people said about you many years ago that you’re letting hold you back from thinking you’re worth more.

If you aren’t exactly where you want to be in life right now, I would challenge you to think harder about those areas of your life and realize that if you implement high expectations today and change up a couple habits, you can get where you want to be much faster. We’re all into that, right?!

By giving up the stuff that’s involved in lower expectations, and reaching for bigger things, you will find that you inevitably attract more opportunities and confident people in your life, opening up a whole new world to you.

But please remember this: high expectations for yourself should not be confused with having high expectations of others. I’ve always been the type of person to not expect things from others so this idea comes very naturally to me. Not in a ‘woe is me,’ ‘I’m never counting on anyone again” type of way, but with the mindset that people don’t owe me anything. If you spend your life getting upset that people haven’t given you what you think you deserve, you’re going to waste a lot of time and energy.

I can tell you that personally, by not expecting people to do things for me, it does 2 things:

1. It’s more exciting when people DO do things for me (plus I’m not at all let down otherwise.)
2. I work harder to show people that I am worthy of being recognized.

Cool! I can’t wait for you to continue to expect more from yourself as you’ve already got so much to offer inside of you! Let me know some new expectations you have for yourself in the comments below!

Thanks so much for listening, it means the world to me!! I would love if you’d leave a review on iTunes and tell me what you’re up to in life! 

HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app   2. Search for “Passion Design Project”   3. Click on my Podcast   4. Tap Reviews & tap “Write review”

As always, you can find more episodes like this on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com or subscribe on iTunes to get them delivered to your app.

If you know of a perfect guest for the podcast you can reach me at Haley@PassionDesignProject.com or by finding me on Facebook at Passion Design Project.

We also have a really rad group on Facebook called The Passion Designers and would LOVE to have you join!!

Have the best day of your life today!!!

Subscription links: Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

Outro Music by Tobu 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

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As you guys may have noticed, on the Passion Design Project, I love bringing you big ideas and bold strategies for creating the life you want.

Today’s topic might not be your absolute favorite, but listen, achieving big results isn’t always gonna be a walk in the park, SO, if you aren’t waking up absolutely amped about the day ahead, stick with me because this is important stuff!

We’re talking fitness. Moving that bod. Gettin off your booty and maybe just maybe working up a sweat!

Maybe this is your thing, or maybe you’re totally cringing like I occasionally do when it comes to workouts. I love playing sports, but when it comes to working out just for the heck of it, gosh, it just doesn’t appeal to me! How does it appeal to anybody? You guys, why is it fun to sweat and hurt?!

Okay okay, all the benefits, I get it. And soooo, that’s what we’re going to talk about today! But not in just the generic “exercise to get in shape” context. I want to dig in a little further.

Because that’s what I needed to get me to workout. I know that it can give me abs, I know that I can knock off a few pounds, I know that it can create a good instagram selfie. But I needed something more. Maybe you do too?

That’s why I’m digging into the good stuff – I’m not training for a marathon and not thinking about losing weight, so besides the good endorphins, love those, why should I exercise?

Well, well, well, glad you asked!

Recently I was questioning the end results of my productivity. I was noticing that I’d take a lot of action and start a lot of new things, but once I got to the hard part or the edge of the cliff it felt like, I would sit down instead of taking the massive leap of action that could actually produce the results I want.

Now, the view from the edge of the cliff is really good, I can see possibilities for miles. However, if you’ve ever stood on the edge of something before jumping, you know that if you stand for more than 5 seconds, you start to think of a million reasons why you can’t jump or shouldn’t jump. You slowly back away and decide it’s easier to go work on something else and you’ll come back and jump later.

I call this the “feel good” strategy. You get far enough that you feel good about what you accomplished, but don’t go so far that it would hurt. Cuz that’s uncomfortable!

As I was sitting around wondering why some things I was doing weren’t taking off, I thought about this. This thought just so happened to be right before I was going to either go for a run or do a workout circuit.

Like I mentioned previously, I don’t exactly look forward to workouts. I actually occasionally, probably more often than I should, think of an excuse in my head why I need to condense it or cut it short that day. I’m talking embarrassing excuses like, my joints were cracking and I want to let them rest, or you know the one: you don’t want to go so hard that you have to wash your hair.

Okay so during this moment, a little lightbulb of correlation went off in my head. I stop on my workouts when the going gets too tough, and I stop taking action in my biz when things get tough or uncomfortable. Maybe this connection is really obvious to you, but it took until that moment for me to really get it. I didn’t have the toned body I wanted and I didn’t have the killer biz I wanted, but I felt so close in both.

What I realized I needed to improve on was my simple mentality behind doing both of these things. It wasn’t that I didn’t have the skills or knowledge, I was just mentally weak.

An article I read on this subject on elitefts.com mentioned that “The problem is there isn’t any easy way or shortcut to teaching toughness. Mental toughness is not for sale. The only way to get mentally tougher is by earning it.”

I like that because as often as we talk about thinking the right thoughts and saying affirmations and such, repeating that you’re going to run up a hill 5 times and then actually having the mental strength to do it are two different things. Just like saying you will get 5 new clients is different than actually taking the action to contact and find 5 new clients.

In the article, he goes on to mention that developing that mental strength means you must often do what’s uncomfortable for you and that you are your own worst enemy; both of these, usually hand-in-hand, are what I see holding people back the most. They let this fear of putting themselves and their talents out there, and look for any ways to stay more comfortable if there’s a chance of failure.

I’m captivated by methods that help build confidence, and on this note, he goes on to talk about fear.

“Fear is a needed quality to develop mental strength. By facing fear, you learn courage. Being fearless is a misconceived trait. As admirable as being fearless can be, it isn’t realistic nor does it provide any benefit to being a mentally tough beast…Confronting fear with brave actions is how you get tough. Fear is an emotional response. At times, fear is irrational and blown out of perspective. It is not easy getting over any shattering experiences, but with guts and determination, you can get over any painful ordeal. Life is full of disappointments and letdowns. When we don’t get what we want, the consolation is that we gain experience. This doesn’t seem like a worthwhile prize, but see how the adversity can enlighten you. If may not be obvious, but look hard at any opportunity for personal growth. Take in the life lesson and move on.”

Now, I won’t say that facing my fears and developing my mental strength is my favorite thing ever, or easy by any means, but I will say that it is extremely rewarding and helps me achieve more at a crazy rapid rate.

So if you are like me, and need an extra push to go for that harder workout, I hope this gives you enough motivation to try something more intense and bust through any limiting beliefs you have about yourself. Like most things, it’s a simple matter of changing your thought habits, like Aristotle says:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.”

Thanks so much for listening, it means the world to me!! I would love if you’d leave a review on iTunes and tell me what you’re up to in life! 

HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app   2. Search for “Passion Design Project”   3. Click on my Podcast   4. Tap Reviews & tap “Write review”

As always, you can find more episodes like this on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com or subscribe on iTunes to get them delivered to your app.

If you know of a perfect guest for the podcast you can reach me at Haley@PassionDesignProject.com or by finding me on Facebook at Passion Design Project.

We also have a really rad group on Facebook called The Passion Designers and would LOVE to have you join!!

Have the best day of your life today!!!

Subscription links: Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

Outro Music by Tobu 

Article mentioned: https://www.elitefts.com/education/training/the-psychology-of-strength-incorporating-mental-toughness-training/

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Imagine you are in your absolute dream job, living your dreamiest life, making the impact you long to make?

How amazing does that feel?

SO GOOD right?

So…why aren’t you doing exactly that? No seriously, why?

If you’re like most of the population, you’ve probably come up with a few really solid excuses by now.

It’s just not practical. It’s too late for that dream. There’s already too many people doing it. I don’t have the expertise I need. I have too many responsibilities. My family needs all my time and energy. The transition would be too hard. I don’t have enough money saved to make a change. I don’t know, maybe I’ll try it in a few years. My life is fine as it is.

Wow, that was so easy to come up with excuses. Like, insanely easy. Was it that easy for you?

Now I want you to title all of your excuses: Excuses I’m allowing to hold me back. I doubt you really want to do that, and you probably don’t want to hear me tell you they are excuses anyhow. Because most likely, they are legit reasons in your mind. Regardless, I’m going to continue to call them excuses and do you know why?

Because people in your same spot have gone on to live the dream life you’re wanting.

Making excuses each day is really easy, as I just proved. And the best part is, people will let you. They will agree and say it isn’t the right place and time. They’ll make you feel good about your decision to stay comfortable where you are. And you know what? That’s perfectly fine, but that’s not getting you any closer to your dream life, dream job, biggest impact.

And if I had wanted you to stay comfortable and play smaller than you are meant to, I wouldn’t have created this podcast. And today is the day we start playing bigger.

I don’t mean that you need to quit your job and go move across the country. Dream lives aren’t built in a day, but they are created with small steps taken one day at a time.

If that means you need to spend 10 minutes a day reading a business book, order one on Amazon prime today, or go to the library, I did that earlier!

If that means, you need to stop chatting with certain people who are downers in your life, start there (I realize this is a hard one, but suuuuper important).

If that means you need to improve your relationship, definitely start there.

If that means volunteering with an organization you feel really passionate about, carve out an hour a week and start there.

By starting somewhere really small, with a tiny shift in the direction you want to go, you will feel leaps and bounds more fulfilled.

And for all you who are already on the path towards your dream life, keep going. Inevitably there will be days, weeks, and months that feel like you haven’t even gone an inch forward, but rest assured, when you look back a year from now, you will be able to see your progress so much clearer.

I love this quote from Mike Dooley in Leveraging the Universe:

“…even as my ship was coming in, I couldn’t see it! I never realized how CLOSE I was to seeing some of my grandest dreams realized, and they never would have had I not persisted….It is impossible to actually know how close you are on a journey inspired by a dream. Even now, for instance, you may have already reached your dream’s tipping point where SUCCESS IS INEVITABLE – though this will only ever be known with hindsight, at some point after the fact.”

So remember, you aren’t that far from your dreams BUT you have to be willing to take those small steps to get there and every day. I truly believe success is inevitable if you stay persistent!

Thanks so much for listening, it means the world to me!! I would love if you’d leave a review on iTunes and tell me what you’re up to in life! 

As always, you can find more episodes like this on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com or subscribe on iTunes to get them delivered to your app.

If you know of a perfect guest for the podcast you can reach me at Haley@PassionDesignProject.com or by finding me on Facebook at Passion Design Project.

We also have a really rad group on Facebook called The Passion Designers and would LOVE to have you join!!

Have the best day of your life today!!!

Subscription links: Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

Outro Music by Tobu 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

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Recently my boyfriend totally called me out. We were having a chat and I was in a slump about something or other, and after I went on and on about what was bothering me, he literally said, “Haley, you seriously have to stop saying that.” That’s all.

Of course, that’s not exactly what we want to hear when we have just ranted about something, right? Maybe some sympathy or agreeance would by welcome. Ha!

But in this case, sad to say, he was totally and completely right. Of course, I didn’t let him know that and hopefully, he doesn’t listen to this episode and get a big head, BUT, the point of it was: I was literally digging my own grave by repeatedly talking about what I didn’t want and things I didn’t like that were happening.

What do I mean by this? Well, quickly give a think about the things you think about and dwell on during the day.

If I had to guess, I would say it’s probably similar to what I was saying…

“I wish I didn’t have to pay that car bill.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever finish my website.”

“That dream house is just a fantasy.”

“We can’t afford the vacation we really want.”

“These 10 pounds are impossible to get rid of.”

Sound familiar? Maybe all too familiar. Take a bit of time and think about what you’re telling yourself.

As much as you may not think your thoughts are doing anything, (they seem harmless enough, right?) the reality is that the world in front of you begins in your mind!

What you are thinking right now is actually creating your future. Scary if you’re thinking crappy thoughts, huh? But think about it, why would your future become amazing if you are only focusing on crap. It only makes sense right?

Take another example:

There’s a phrase I hear a lot that needs to GO! Maybe you even hear it often but don’t even notice (now you will, haha). A lot of times this phrase is said with a laugh + an excuse, like…

Thanks so much for listening, it means the world to me!! I would love if you’d leave a review on iTunes and tell me what you’re up to in life! 

As always, you can find more episodes like this on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com or subscribe on iTunes to get them delivered to your app.

If you know of a perfect guest for the podcast you can reach me at Haley@PassionDesignProject.com or by finding me on Facebook at Passion Design Project.

We also have a really rad group on Facebook called The Passion Designers and would LOVE to have you join!!

Have the best day of your life today!!!

Subscription links: Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

Outro Music by Tobu 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS

How many times do you wake up and within 3 minutes you’re already dreading the day ahead? Maybe not dreading it but you’re definitely thinking about all of the things you wish you didn’t have to do. Why is it that we always think about the worst stuff first when we wake up? When I’m saying it, I just want to tell myself, “Hey think about the good stuff!.”

Anyhow, after those annoying morning wakeups happened to me one too many times in a row, I realized I needed a shift. I had to figure out why my brain only wanted to think about the crap of the day and make a switch, because it was seriously bringing me down.

Are you similar at all?

Maybe you wake up and think about all the laundry that needs done, or you remember you have to get that oil change, or your day is going to be consumed by errands again, or the worst one of all, you actually have to do that task you put off doing yesterday! The horror!

And it doesn’t have to just happen in the morning. Sometimes, these agitations happen throughout the day. You wish you hadn’t said that thing to your friend last week, or you’re worried about finishing a project for an upcoming deadline, or _______ fill in the blank.

If you find those clouds of worry, irritation, and self-doubt looming above you from events in the past and ones that are to come, I welcome you to join me in the shift I discovered. It’s easy and painless, and if formed into a habit, will make your days 10x better and less stressful.

I’m talking about staying in the moment.

Sounds simple enough right? You’re living in the moment, you’re doing whatever you’re doing in the moment. However, are you REALLY in. the. moment?

If you’re reading a book, do you do exactly what the last page said or did you let your mind wander to what you’re making for dinner?

If you’re talking to a friend, are you truly listening or thinking about what you’re going to say next?

If you’re attending an event are you taking it all in or replying to emails?

If you’re playing with your kids are you laughing with them or thinking about the bills that need to be paid?

When we don’t stay in the moment, we not only miss out on life in front of us but also are less productive and invite more stress and worry into our lives.

My issue is that I often think I’m being proactive by thinking of all the things I need to do first thing when I wake up and then stressing about them throughout the day. That’s working hard, right?

On the contrary! That mindset was actually inhibiting me from getting things done because I made everything a bigger deal than it was and spent so much time dwelling on it, that I was actually giving tasks double the time they needed. It was one of those realizations that when I really realized what was happening, I was like, “duh!”

So how did I turn this around? First I implemented a solid morning routine. My routine does not allow for social media or email, because that would already be allowing someone else to dictate my day and what I’m thinking. So I suggest you do the same. Stay away from anything that can trigger your mind, anything that can potentially make you feel not enough, angry at a situation in the world, or emails of tasks for other people. This time is for you.

Once you complete your morning routine, it’s all about creating a habit of staying in the moment. This can be anything from a note on your computer telling you to stay here and now, an alarm on your phone a few times a day reminding you to stay present, a bracelet that reminds you, or if you’re a powerful mental person, simply recognize when whatever you are thinking is taking you out of the moment, and gently bring yourself back to the present.

I can guarantee you that if you stay in the present more often, you will experience less stress because you won’t be trying to control things that haven’t happened yet or worrying about things that did happen. Plus, everyone likes a person who is 100% present, energetic, and engaged. Be that person!

Thanks so much for listening, it means the world to me!! I would love if you’d leave a review on iTunes and tell me what you’re up to in life! 

As always, you can find more episodes like this on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com or subscribe on iTunes to get them delivered to your app.

If you know of a perfect guest for the podcast you can reach me at Haley@PassionDesignProject.com or by finding me on Facebook at Passion Design Project.

We also have a really rad group on Facebook called The Passion Designers and would LOVE to have you join!!

Have the best day of your life today!!!

Subscription links: Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

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Summary:

Okay you guys, are any of you on my ultra-efficient level?! Like, you are constantly looking around you thinking of ways things could be done quicker, faster, stronger!! I can’t be the only one!

Seriously, my MacbookPro I got last year can’t handle all of the programs I run at one time and I literally have to settle myself down each time I see the rainbow circle of death. Can someone help me with this – this is a legit request!! Ha!

But besides that, I’m obsessed with things working efficiently and also being trendy, cool, and attractive. So on that note, I’m going to give some of my FAVORITE tools that I use behind the scenes of my Online Biz.

I’m your host, Haley Badenhop, and I’m a Lifestyle Designer for Creatives & Adventurers who want to live out their purpose, pursue their passions, and create more freedom!

Okay let’s jump right into this saweet info!

1. Google Calendar. I love this calendar because it is color-coded and uber-visual. I stayed away from scheduling out my days hour by hour for so long, and then tried iCal on my iPhone and really didn’t like it, but once I found Google Calendar & its corresponding app, I am obsessed! Give it a try if you’ve never had a digital calendar before!
2. Adobe Suite. Yup, nothing beats Adobe products in my mind. It’s unfortunate that you now have to pay a subscription in order to use them (unlike a flat fee like in the past), however, the expansive and amazing products you get are a really great investment if you have any interest being able to design or tweak any part of your branding from logos to photos. Fun fact, my fave program is Illustrator.
3. ConvertKit. I am a newfound user for this program, but already am a huge fan! FYI, what they do is effectively manage my e-mail. Why did I choose them? I had listened to a few podcasts with the founder and knew that some of the people I admire in the online biz space use them, so it made the decision easy for me. They’re growing super fast and really focused on implementing all the good stuff you want to grow your list, and super personable, so I like the direction they’re heading. Plus the interface is really simple (I was always confused by Mailchimp’s). They even have office hours quite a few times a week where you can literally jump on Zoom and chat with a guy inside their office, I did it today and had a 1 on 1 convo, pretty sweet! If you want to try ConvertKit, use THIS LINK!
4. WordPress. For the past 8 years, I’ve used WordPress as my CMS aka Content Management System, aka what my Website is on. It’s the biggest and most well known of its type and I really love knowing how to manage my website, even if it isn’t my favorite activity. For those of you that want a simpler option, check out Squarespace.
5. Divi. Divi is the theme I use to make my website look like it does! The user interface aka the way I create it on the backend is super visual and easy to use and gives SO MANY OPTIONS. It’s literally been a game-changer for how I create my website.
6. Hostgator. I use Hostgator to host my website. It’s got good reviews although, in all honesty, I think there are probably others just as good, if not better, out there. FYI, to have a website online you need a host which is a monthly or yearly fee. You also need to make sure you buy your domains each year. I get mine from GoDaddy, but there are tons of spots you can buy domains from.
7. Shopify. I use Shopify as my e-commerce platform for my personal art site. The unfortunate part is that it costs a monthly fee, although that gives you a mission that you should sell at least what you pay per month, right?! If you are selling products online, this is a GREAT platform to go with!
8. SoundCloud. I use Soundcloud as my media host. All of my podcast episodes have to be hosted online before iTunes accepts them, and Soundcloud does this for me. I like them because they are trendier than the other options, and that’s important to me!
9. Quickbooks Self-Employed. This is how I manage all of my expenses and taxes online. It makes it super simple since it hooks up to my bank accounts, online accounts, and credit cards, and organizes every expense!
10. Buffer. Okay, I’ll admit, I’m not that great at scheduling! It’s a work in progress. But Buffer is awesome for scheduling online content to help you be more consistent. You can do it for free by minimal scheduling and it’s super simple!

Runners Up: Skype eCamm, Auphonic, Calendly

If you guys have any products you like to use more, or ones you think would make things more efficient for my listeners, I would seriously love to hear them! Leave them on our Passion Designers Facebook page and let’s compare notes!

Thanks so much for listening, it means the world to me!! I would love if you’d leave a review on iTunes and tell me what you’re up to in life! 

As always, you can find more episodes like this on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com or subscribe on iTunes to get them delivered to your app.

If you know of a perfect guest for the podcast you can reach me at Haley@PassionDesignProject.com or by finding me on Facebook at Passion Design Project.

We also have a really rad group on Facebook called The Passion Designers and would LOVE to have you join!!

Have the best day of your life today!!!

Subscription links: Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

Outro Music by Tobu 

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Summary::

Since we are already over 40 episodes in, I wanted to dive deeper into this PASSION word.

I’m your host, Haley Badenhop, and I’m a Lifestyle Designer for Creatives & Adventurers who want to live out their purpose, pursue their passions, and create more freedom!

I’m assuming if you’re listening to this, you’re passionate about your life. You get excited to go out and make changes in the world and you love soaking up knowledge that will show you how. Me too, which is one of the reasons I created this podcast, to begin with!

However, I wanted to dig in on this episode and dispell the idea that Passion is a magical thing/job/life that you have to find in order to proceed with utilizing “your passion” in life. NOPE! Okay, so maybe some of us grow up knowing exactly what we are passionate about, but for the majority of others, we are like, I don’t fricken know what my elusive passion is!!! If that’s you, be relieved. This episode is for you!

I was listening to a man talk today while I was driving and he brought up SUCH a good point. I even wrote it in my notes, which is dangerous but it was that good, he said: “Passion comes from pursuing something you are interested in. Don’t sweat the choice, just throw yourself into it once you do choose.”

In other words, don’t freak out if you aren’t sure what you’re meant to do in life, just pick an interest and roll with it! And when I say roll with it, I don’t mean try it for a week and decide it’s too hard or time-consuming…and it probably won’t work out anyways. No, if it’s an honest interest of yours, give it an honest try with some hardcore word ethic!

And if you’re like, Haley, my problem isn’t not knowing, it’s having too many ideas and changing my mind every week! Okay, today we are ditching that excuse. I’m a serial idea producer too and you know how far having a million ideas got me? Well, probably, backward. Ha! Yes, in the past, I’ve been so overwhelmed by so many ideas that I literally didn’t take more than a couple steps of action on any of them, which got me nowhere fast. Like I spoke to in a previous episode, too many ideas isn’t actually something to be proud of, it’s more of a recipe for stalling.

So listen to me when I say, you don’t have to have it all figured out! I don’t want to hear some excuse like, I’m sure there are better speakers than me so I can’t have a podcast. Um hello, I know there are better speakers than me! But my goal is to reach people who maybe don’t resonate with those perfect speakers. Or maybe you’re thinking, in a couple of years, I’ll be more clear. Will you? What makes you think that? In all honesty, the only way you are going to get clearer on what you really want is to dive in and try out an idea you have.

That’s right. Taking action is really the only way to find your true passion. Paction, we should call it! Did I just turned the tables on what you may have thought for years!? Yup, that’s right. You do not have to have the perfect passion laid out in order to reach your dreams, instead, you gotta take ACTION on an interest and become passionate in the process!

Better yet, I like to describe it as having a purpose for your passion. Passion isn’t some stand-alone object waiting to be called upon, true passion has a purpose. And to expand on that, your purpose is usually something that sets you on fire, whether it’s in a good way or fierce way. I always know when I’m most passionate because it’s about the only time that I’m almost brought to tears. But I didn’t just sit around and wait for those tears or passion to hit me. I took action on things I wanted to influence and change and became more passionate in the process.

Look at a lot of the most passionate people you know. Most likely, they didn’t sit around waiting to think of their passion before doing anything, they were out trying to pursue a purpose they felt strongly about and in the process became an increasingly more passionate person. And once you mix purpose with passion, you’ve got a real recipe for incredible change in the world, and probably, changes for the better in your life.

So today, pick your favorite interest. And then pursue it. If you’re like ummm, let’s see, I love Starbuck’s lattes, it doesn’t mean you’re just destined to be a Barista (you probably aren’t)…would something like sourcing fair-trade coffee beans excite you? Or designing cafes? Or developing better customer service programs for busy places? Or making coffee flavorings at home from scratch interest you? Disclaimer: Please make them healthier!

There are seriously endless options, but I want to see you pursue a strong purpose so that your passionate self can shine! Because that’s what we’re all here for right? To give our best selves, doing our best, most passionate work, each day! I know I won’t have anything less!!

Thanks so much for listening, it means the world to me!! I would love if you’d leave a review on iTunes and tell me what you’re up to in life! 

As always, you can find more episodes like this on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com or subscribe on iTunes to get them delivered to your app.

If you know of a perfect guest for the podcast you can reach me at Haley@PassionDesignProject.com or by finding me on Facebook at Passion Design Project.

We also have a really rad group on Facebook called The Passion Designers and would LOVE to have you join!!

Have the best day of your life today!!!

Subscription links: Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

Outro Music by Tobu 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

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Summary::

I’ve been fighting a lot with imperfections lately. I don’t like ’em. I’d rather everything get done perfectly, ahead of schedule, and be applauded by all. Are any of your guys irritated by the fact that everything you do isn’t going to turn out perfectly?

To begin, let’s get one thing straight. No one really likes perfect. For some reason, the idea of perfect feels really good but past that, carrying out perfection is stressful and basically impossible, and even if you do manage to, people then find it hard to relate to you.

Even as I write out what I want to say right now, I’m already fighting that it isn’t good enough, clear enough. I think I’ve got probs, you guys! Can anyone relate?!

As I’ve been following more people in the entrepreneur and coaching world, I’ve noticed that the people who get the most and best responses and engagement are those that share their struggles. I heard this quote once that went something like, “We praise strengths, but relate through struggles.” The jest being, we strive so hard to show off our strengths, thinking they are what people will be impressed with, except what people actually relate better to is struggles.

I’m not saying to stop giving you best. There’s a fine line here, which is mostly dealt with internally. And so we’ll break it down quick.

First off, take account of what you’re looking at as imperfect in your life. Is it what you think others expect of you? Is it that you don’t look the way you’d like to? Is it that you aren’t getting everything accomplished fast enough for your liking?

Instead of getting over those, I like to first think about what would happen if those things happened.

Say others expect you to have a new car each year but you don’t get one. What happens? First off, why do you think they expect what they do and what if they actually don’t have expectations. As we all know, and should remind ourselves, people think about you less than you think!

Okay now say you don’t look the way you’d like to. Is that the end all, be all? Are you going to remain exactly how you don’t want to look forever? I bet every single person in the world could talk all day about imperfections in their look. So be happy, you can easily find an accountability partner!

And now think about if you don’t get everything accomplished fast enough. If you don’t accomplish your to-do list, will tomorrow still come? Think of a time when you didn’t finish your to-do list. Did people come knocking at your door demanding to know why? Probably not or else you’ve got some crazy neighbors. But to think about it in another way, you would never get mad at someone for not finishing their to-do list, (as long as they are working at it) because you’ve got enough to take care of yourself! And if you’re thinking too much on what others are doing, go help lighten their load instead of discouraging them.

Now that we’ve dispelled the idea that imperfections are ruining us, let’s take it a bit further.

Is there anything you can do today that would turn your imperfections around. (As opposed to focusing on getting rid of them)

Can you bring one of your imperfections into the light by talking about it on a social media account or with a friend? Most likely you will get a sigh of relief from many people who have wanted to discuss something going on with themselves too.

Can you evaluate why you feel the need to please others and if it is causing you more stress than joy? Often when we decide to stop trying so hard to impress others, we allow a lot more mental energy and freedom to enter our days, thus making us much more exciting and easy to be around.

Can you treat yourself to something that would make you feel better about a physical imperfection? I’m not necessarily saying a bad hair day is an imperfection, but heck, a nice hairstyle gives confidence and I’m all about that! All of a sudden imperfections can turn fun.

The honest moral of this podcast is: stop being so hard on yourself! It benefits no one. Come as you are, and grow from there!

And on that note, I think my nails are looking a bit imperfect, so I’ve gotta go!

You can find more episodes like this by subscribing on iTunes or Google Play to get them delivered directly to your app. Remember to leave a 5 star rating if you enjoy these!

We are beginning to offer some awesome programs and freebies on our website, so visit us at PassionDesignProject.com or join our exclusive group on Facebook called The Passion Designers. As always, you can reach me at Haley@PassionDesignProject.com or by finding me on Facebook at Passion Design Project. 

Have the best day of your life today!!!

Subscription links: Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

Outro Music by Tobu 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS