Holiday Weeks Are The Best Time For Gut-Checks – A Hill I Will Die On.

I can not believe we’re already heading into the July 4th madness. 2024 is hitting the halfway mark, and if last night’s debate was any indicator, the second half is about to get really wild.

You’re probably already feeling it. The weeks leading up to major holidays are the most stressful. They’re often fueled by corporate chaos, endless meetings, and pressure to close the deals before everyone checks out mentally.

There’s so much pressure to ensure the work is done, the posts are scheduled, and the tasks are marked off so we can enjoy a few days with our work brains shut off completely.

You aren’t alone. So before we go any further, do this:

*Take a deep breath in…

*Hold it…

*Let it out slowly…

*Relax your jaw

*Release your shoulders

*Give your neck a little roll to relieve the tension

Ahhhh…feeling so much better, right?

Now imagine you’re two days into a week off work.

✅Your vacation responder is ON.

✅You’ve caught up on sleep.

✅You’ve checked in with friends and family that you’ve waited too long to talk to.

✅And the stress of day-to-day corporate life has officially melted away.

You notice a little twinge in your gut now. Something inside you pulls you towards a dream or vision you keep putting off because you “don’t have the time.”

Instead of pushing it away and insisting you need to keep your brain shut off, sink into that feeling a little more.

Time off work is meant to help you rest and recharge. It is also a perfect time to refocus and check in with yourself. The clutter of deadlines, tasks, and office politics dissipates, allowing space for free and creative thinking.

Holiday weeks are the best time to evaluate my goals, check in with my wants, and create a plan to pivot if I realize what I’m doing is not aligning with what I say I want.

Taking 20 minutes out of my day to gut-check myself with no other professional obligations has saved my career path and goals more often than I care to admit.

So, if you really want to venture into solopreneurship, this week is the best time to begin laying out the vision.

Here are five daily prompts and questions to ask yourself:

1. List 3-5 interests that you could talk about all day. Don’t restrict yourself to something mundane because you think it will be the “most professional” choice.
   
2. If my sole purpose was to discuss and share my knowledge on these interests, where and how would I do it?
   ​
3. What problems could I solve for others who have similar passions in these interests?
   ​
4. How could I package and monetize this knowledge?
   ​
5. What is the biggest obstacle to turning this vision into a reality, and how can I overcome it?

These are questions I revisit every quarter at minimum. Over the next week, I’ll dive into each one myself, savoring the moments when I can focus more on my professional growth because the rest of the country is checked out, too.

So, if you’d like to do this with me, I’ll send one of these prompts each day (with a little more meat on the bones to help guide you).

You invest 8 hours+ per day in your current role. Gift yourself 20 minutes a day next week before indulging in all the glorious 4th of July summer activities. These are the small moments that will help you take back control of your career narrative.

I hope you’ll join me!

Have a question or thought to add to today's issue?

Reply directly to this email. I read them all.

Happy Creating,

What I'm Reading:

​Zodiac Academy​
Reading for fun is important. Not everything needs to be focused on development. As a creator, I love to immerse myself in fiction and let myself get lost. Living in the fantasy realm for a little while is the perfect way to do it.

Creator Starter Pack:

Prime Day is coming. It's the best time to stock up on all things Creator Economy. Shop my favorites​

Who I learn from: