As we get closer to ending 2021, it feels like we are closing out two years, with many of us returning to normal life for the first time since the onset of COVID-19. But how do we find our way back after this big global reset and a fundamental change in who we are and how we live? In this episode, Jen interviews renowned corporate strategist and personal coach Sharon Styman to discover how we can re-emerge to end the year strong and find a new and better way of living.
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SHOWNOTES
Jen:
I’ve known Sharon Styman for over 25 years. We met in Townsville, and she’s one of those rare people that I know I can call on for anything. She has an MBA and a Bachelor of Business and has been a business executive and personal coach for the last 20 years. She was also the first woman on the Twin Town Services Club board here on the Coast, which has been an old boys club for a long time.
I love that we will go for a walk on the beach, and we just bounce off each other business stuff, life stuff and whatever. We’ve had such cool similar journeys for a long time. There are very few people that I really, really, really respect their opinion of – and Sharon is one of them.
So, I knew I wanted to get her onto the podcast for the end of the year because we’re not just closing out 2021. We’re closing out the last 21-22 months because people are really coming out of lockdown at the moment. There are still many restrictions everywhere, and there’s a lot more coming, but people are emerging, and so many people are realising that their life habits have fundamentally changed.
Even me. I talked to a mate before, and he said, you know, they’re opening up the borders. Are you going to go travelling? I said no. I have no desire to jump on a plane right now. After 20 years of being on planes nine months a year, I have no desire to hop on a plane right now. That might change in a month, but right now, no.
I’ve been at home for so long that my way of being has changed, and there are so many people in that same space. People I’m talking to genuinely don’t know how to wind up the year and get into a life that’s not in lockdown again.
Sharon:
You’re absolutely right, Jen. COVID-19 happened for each and every one of us at a global level, which really creates a deep impact on how we see life and view it. We need to instil some new habits, and we need to do new things that will inspire us to get engaged in a way we haven’t done for a while. So, I wanted to share some Healthy Life Hacks, as you call them, Jen around helping people do this.
#1 – There are two important times of the day
The first one it’s just before you go to sleep at night and the second one is when you first wake up now, why are these so important? They are so important because your conscious mind is out of the way, and the subconscious is waiting for a command. So, this is the opportunity to drop some commands by way of a wish, a desire, a dream, a goal, an affirmation.
It could be around health, business, love, finances, or something else entirely. But if you do that consistently, just before you go to sleep and as soon as you wake up, it’s very empowering, and you can see things start to emerge.
# 2 – Create powerful rituals to start the day right
When I get home from my training session or a beach walk, I create a space to do my journal writing and meditation. I allocate half an hour once I get home to create that space and plant the seeds for another good day. This time is all about. It is the layering of what you want to be setting up for yourself.
This is a great practice to be able to set yourself up right. To consciously live and get the best out of life—the best outcome today and at that moment.
#3 – Believe that life is happening for you
I used to think that life was happening to me. You know, all those shitty things that can happen. You might run into someone’s car, fall over, trip up. I was like, why is this happening? But I don’t know whether it’s just getting older, but wisdom starts to shine.
You can see that when something went wrong, it was actually going right. It doesn’t show up until later sometimes. I’ve had enough things going wrong to realise that life was correcting me or re-correcting me in ways that I didn’t realise at the time. I’ve learned to trust that.
When things go wrong, allow yourself to get past them without being too harsh on yourself and others. Allow yourself to see what can unfold, which when it’s unfolding, it can mean that you can be a bit more gracious to yourself and kind; you know, things don’t have to be perfect.
Jen: When something doesn’t work out the way we wanted, what can we do instead of going to the default – why is this happening to me?
There are two, two things. The first one is to take a breath. A big, expansive breath and by golly, it works. The second thing that is equally as important as taking a breath is to ground yourself. So, you know, say I’m, I’m on this call for you. And I, I get a message that something terrible has happened and it’s taking me away.
I could stand and grip my desk and feel its texture, and I could hold it firm. And that will anchor me back into now. You know, you could do it on a cost steering wheel if you’re driving somewhere and you’ve just got some news or something’s happened, and all you can do is think about.
If you can anchor yourself into the present moment by feeling the breeze or smelling a flower or the leather on the steering wheel cover, it will bring you back to now and now is where that point of power is; it’s the only place that can help you recalibrate.
#4 – Our thoughts become things
I learned this in my twenties when I worked for a newspaper. I’d work with a journalist and a photographer, and we would go, “what do we want to create for the next three months?” And we’d plant all these seeds of ideas, and then we’d make them happen. Then I thought, if we can do this here, we can do it anywhere in our lives. So be careful what you’re thinking about.
How to connect with Sharon:
Healthy Life Hacks
So, to recap, Sharon’s Healthy Life Hacks for today are:
- Remember the two most important times of the day (upon waking and just before sleep) and think powerful thoughts.
- Establish some positive rhythms and rituals in your life to start the day powerfully
- Remember that life is happening for you.
- Be mindful that your thoughts become things
Did you enjoy the podcast today? Please let me know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Every month I draw one lucky reviewer to have a free one-hour consultation with me. Also, remember to subscribe wherever you’re tuning in from so that you always catch the next episode.
Are you looking for more great resources? Get a free copy of my Feed Your Body ebook here and be sure to explore my blog while you are there.
