SPA Girls Podcast – EP 156 – The Kindness Factor
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
This week Wendy, Cheryl and Shar talk about “the Kindness Factor” – how we can achieve more but put less pressure on ourselves. Impossible you say? As we push ourselves to write more, to learn more and to get up to grips with this self-publishing world, there’s often an unwanted side effect: a lot of us are really hard on ourselves and we’re not enjoying our writer’s life. Research shows that the happier you are, the more productive you are, so with that in mind we have our SPA Girls Top Five Kindness Factor Tips:
1.Break it down
Do what works for video games: break your big projects/tasks down into small, manageable steps that give you path to reach milestones, goals and rewards. This will help you reach the “flow state” when you’re so engrossed in your work or learning that time seems immaterial!
- Write it down
We’re all pretty good at creating To Do Lists, but it’s really important that you note your “Ta Da’s” too! According to Shawn Anchor in The Happiness Advantage, when you write (or talk) about a positive experience you had at the end of your day, “your brain stamps it as meaningful”. If you’re not a daily journaller, try writing down your writing and self-pubbing accomplishments (no matter how small) at the end of each week. That way you help train your brain to think happier! It’s so easy to focus on the stuff we need to do or haven’t yet mastered – give yourself a written “pat on the back” at least weekly. You’ll be amazed at what you’ve accomplished when you look back at this in future months / years.
- Listen To Your Gut
Trust yourself! Yes, there are a lot of experts out there telling you what to do and how to do it, but really listen to your inner intuition. You know yourself best and if all the advice is pointing you in one direction, but you really, really don’t jibe with it, then follow your instincts. If you’re stuck on a problem, or especially when you find yourself procrastinating, go to yourself for advice! It sounds a little whacky, but it works! (It’s okay to talk to yourself too, just saying) . According to the experts, this fires up your prefrontal cortex and who doesn’t want a red-hot cortex?
- Don’t Limit Yourself
Banish that negative self-talk about how you’re “not a tech minded person” and all this self-publishing stuff is too hard to learn. We all can be challenged by learning new skills, but don’t make it worse by seeing it as a roadblock, rather than as obstacles to success. According to Carol Dweck, the author of Mindset, the main thing that separates successful people from those who are unsuccessful, is whether or not they feel their abilities and intelligence are fixed. Embrace a growth mindset and remember you never stop growing or learning.
- Reward Yourself
Rewarding yourself is so important to solidify good habits and make your author journey fun. Life’s short, so treat yourself kindly and remember to reward yourself. Side note – looking at cute animals can boost your cognitive and motor performance, so all watching all those cute kitten videos on facebook are good for you!
Do come chat to us on social media: Twitter @SpaGirlsPodcast | Facebook
Further Resources:
The Productivity Project, Chris Bailey
