by Joey | May 8, 2018 | Devotional Series
Then the Lord said to Elijah, ‘Go east and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. The Kerith brook will give you fresh water to drink and I’ve commanded ravens to bring you food there every day.’ So Elijah obeyed what the Lord said to do. He moved to the Kerith Ravine and lived there. The birds brought him food each morning and evening and he drank from the brook. But after a while, the brook dried up because there was no rain.
1 Kings 17:2-7
Has God ever made you a promise, you obeyed, and then suddenly everything he promised you seems to be disappearing? Yeah, been there. In fact, I’ve been there a few times. But my most intimate experience with the brook drying up happened back in December of 2014. But first, you need a little backstory.
You see, my husband and I had made a nice little life for ourselves in Charlotte, NC. We both had good jobs, we were living in a great house that we were considering buying, and Life Seemed Grand. But then, suddenly, everything changed with one phone call.
Football has always been A Big Deal in the Hodges house. Shortly after we said I Do, my husband was set to graduate from UGA with his Master’s in Sports Administration. But first, he needed an internship. When every plan we had in place fell through, his last-minute scramble resulted in an internship that would ultimately change the course our lives. We up and moved on a week’s notice from Athens, GA and we soon settled into our new home in Charlotte. Jonathan was working by day and volunteering as a positions coach for JCSU by night. A passion so deep he did it for free. For years.
But one fateful Tuesday afternoon in 2012, Jonathan got a call that would change our lives. The football coaching dream now a reality, we left our big life in Charlotte for a little NC town. Everything Seemed Perfect. The job supported us both. We were offered a darling little country house for next to nothing. And the school provided pretty much everything we ever needed.
Until that gloomy December morning in 2014 when the brook dried up. As it happens with football, my husband’s contract wasn’t renewed. Our whole lives depended on that job. Everything we had. Everything we needed. All of it. Just like that, gone.
I’ll tell you this, there isn’t a fear more real than losing everything. I’ve always been a believer, but it wasn’t ever in my nature to rely first on God. It just wasn’t. But when I opened the door that December morning to find my husband, eyes rimmed red, I knew I couldn’t get through that season of our lives on my own. So, I handed it over to God. A few weeks later, still thick in the unknown, I started to listen to the Rick Warren Daily Hope podcast. And the very first episode I listened to was all about the brook drying up.
You want to talk about the power of a timely message, there it was. As I walked around a campus that was no longer going to be my home, my safe haven, Rick Warren shared his insights.
God often dries up the brook in your life to keep you from depending on the brook instead of him, to move you to a better place, to prove he has not forgotten you.
Years later, looking back, I understand now. Our lives changed radically because of that loss. We moved. I went back to work full-time. We found our way back to church, God now at the center of our lives. If it weren’t for that loss, I can’t be certain I would have ever started my own company. If it weren’t for that loss, I can’t be sure we’d have the lives we have now.
It doesn’t take the sting of the pain out of the moment, but the brook drying up was ultimately the best thing that could have ever happened to us. It changed us. It changed our marriage. It changed our relationship with Christ.
It’s hard to hold onto hope when things feel hopeless. Trust me, I know. But I promise you that God is using the things that are causing you so much pain right now to move you, to change you, to build a path to a better life.
by Joey | May 7, 2018 | Creative Entrepreneur
Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been in the creative entrepreneur world for a while, confidence seems to be a word that crops up in daily conversation. Over the weekend, I sat across from a friend who is a brilliant artist chatting about all things business. We discussed creating strategic offerings, pricing, creative partnerships, you name it. And finally, after a while, she asked me a question. How come you don’t have any doubts?
I couldn’t help but laugh because internally, I have doubts daily. I think that’s just a a regular part of doing anything creative. When I first wrote Yeah, maybe, I did it as a challenge for myself. I didn’t care so much about what happened after, I just wanted to see if I could do it. Making the choice to do something Big and Scary is hard enough.
But when you decide to put that creative project that you’ve worked on, whether it’s a book or a painting or an e-course or even a creative service out into the world in exchange for money, I think it’s natural for doubt to fall over you like a warm blanket. Doubt and fear are good friends of the unknown. And when the work that you do is so tethered to your heart, it’s hard not to worry about the what ifs.
What if someone thinks I’m charging too much?
What if they think it’s crap?
What if they think I’m crap?
What if I’m not actually any good?
What if I put in all this work and no one buys it?
I think where the disconnect happens is that people put a lot of stock in their first stab at something. The first price you set for your creative business will not be the last. The first draft you write of a novel will not be what you publish. You’re allowed to try and make mistakes and readjust as you see fit. But you have to start somewhere. You have to try, collect the data, regroup, and try again if necessary.
While I wish I could wave a magic wand and gift you with confidence, I can’t. But what I can do is possibly change your perspective on confidence. For me, I am confident I’ll eventually figure it out. I’m committed to this journey, whatever that entails. (And trust, it’s been a hard, heartbreaking, terrifying, and sometimes downright messy road.) But I have confidence in myself to know I’ll keep trying until I get it right.
I’m a firm believer that confidence comes from the doing. Our minds are scary, scary places y’all. And when we let them, our thoughts of doom and gloom can take on a life of their own, making Everything seem bigger than it really is. But if you’re busy doing, your mind is focused on tangible information and can’t just wander off into its own, terrifying world.
So whatever it is that has you feeling unconfident right now; whether that’s setting your pricing or starting that blog, or writing that book, have confidence that eventually, you’ll get it right. And give yourself permission to mess up.
And as for the fear of what others might think, I’m just going to be painfully blunt here. It’s easy to have opinions, it’s harder to do the work. Keep your head down and just worry about the work that you’re doing. Put your best into it, and good things will come. You cannot and will not make everyone happy. But focus on the good, take nuggets of information from the constructively critical, and leave the rest.
If you’re knee deep in the struggle and need tangible, action-based help, get in touch. I have creative business consulting and coaching sessions available.
by Joey | May 4, 2018 | Advice
It happens to the best of us. There’s a task or project looming that you just. don’t. want. to. do. Yup, been there. Avoided that. But one way or another, the task has to get done. So what do you do? How are you supposed to stop procrastinating? Well, I’ve gotcha covered. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Identify the pushback; why are you resisting?
First things first, you have to figure out why it is that you just can’t bring yourself to get this task done. Sometimes it’s just because you’ve labeled it something you should do when really, it’s not actually important. Or maybe you said yes to something to make someone else happy, and now you’re having a hard time getting it done because you don’t actually want to do it.
Identifying your common reasons for pushback can be a great place to start in order to make sure you don’t continue to end up in this cycle of procrastination and unproductivity. Maybe make a note for yourself that in the future you’ll outsource this particular task or, you know, avoid people pleasing in the future.
Estimate out how much time it’s going to take
This tip is two-fold. 1) When working with a deadline, this allows for you to realistically schedule out (and breakdown) the task by reverse engineering it. 2) Sometimes the amount of time we spend worrying/thinking/avoiding the task isn’t worth the time it would take to get the task done. A great example here would be how often I avoid emptying the dishwasher. I can literally unload that sucker in 3 minutes flat. But I can spend countless hours avoiding it/thinking about it/worrying about it. Not worth it.
And you all know what I’m going to say next I’m sure, unless you’re new here. And if so–hi. Schedule this task into your calendar with the appropriate allotted time.
Take your task appointments seriously
You wouldn’t let down a colleague or a good friend by not taking their calendar appointment seriously. So why would you consider letting yourself down in the same way? You’re only hurting yourself if you ignore the appointments that you carefully scheduled out for yourself to foster your productivity. Show up to the appointment like you would anything else. Be prepared and in the right mindset to work. If this is a task that you’ve allotted a specific amount of time for, respect the end time as well. If you end up needing more time later, schedule it.
Now, if this has to get rescheduled for any reason–treat it like you would any other appointment and reschedule it. But be mindful that every time this happens, you’re procrastinating on some level. It means you’re prioritizing something else over this task. So if the task is truly important, try to avoid this as much as possible.
Turn off distractions
Remember, you’re committed to getting this thing done. You’ve taken the time to plan it out, schedule it, and now it’s time to show up. Do yourself a favor and cut the noise. Put your phone on DND. Turn off your notifications on your computer (hey mac users–you can actually set your computer to DND for a period of time by selecting the little taskbar on the very top right, scrolling all the way up, and toggling DND to the on position. You’re welcome. :))
Set a timer to get started
This is my most favorite tried & true tip of all. Want to hear a little secret? Often times the reason we’re procrastinating is because we don’t know where to start. Well, if you set a timer (the amount of time is arbitrary, but I typically start with 15 minutes) and just get started, many times you’ll feel like you can keep going once the timer runs out.
Something else to be mindful of is that sometimes procrastination creeps in when you’re feeling run down, burnt out, and/or exhausted. Take a good hard look at your calendar and determine if instead of wasting the time procrastinating, you can afford to give yourself some intentional rest and get to the task at a future scheduled time.
What are some of your tricks to stop procrastinating
by Joey | May 3, 2018 | Creative Entrepreneur, How I Work Series
I’ve always been nosy curious about people. I loved AIM away messages that listed out what people were getting up to for the day. When people started daily vlogging on Youtube, I couldn’t get enough. And I’ll always be a sucker for blog posts that share behind-the-scenes information about how people do their lives.
Before I started working for myself, I was desperate to see how other creative entrepreneurs did things. What did the work look like? How did they manage their time? Where did they spend their days? Even though I’ve been in the entrepreneurial world for a few years now, the curiosity still lingers. I learn so much from seeing how other people operate. And I thought, hey, maybe you do too. So today, I’m here with a behind-the-scenes look at how I work to kick off the How I Work series. Every Thursday, a badass creative entrepreneur will be taking over the blog to share an inside look into their workday!
So, let’s get to it.
For those of you who may be new here, I’m Joey. I’m a Young Adult author, content creator, business start-up consultant, and a boundary and accountability coach. Basically, I help people make things happen whether they’re looking to attract new clients (hello, business blogging), start a business of their own, establish a work process that protects their dream job, or finally tackle that life-long creative dream.
There can be a lot of variation to my work day (said every creative entrepreneur ever). But I do my best to keep some things consistent.
How I work
Most often, I work daily from my home office. I’m an ISFJ, so I prefer to work alone and actually, I typically work in silence though I am a fairly social person. (I realize a lot of you are shuddering right now. 😬) At first, it was a total accident–I’d start my day only to realize halfway through I never put on a playlist, but over time it just became my preference. I nannied for many years, managed young teams, and spent a lot of time in customer service jobs. So silence at this point in my career feels like a much-welcomed change.
On occasion, I’ll crave a change of scenery or I’ll feel the (very rare) urge to be around people. When that happens, I’ll usually pack up and head to a coffee shop. While I’d love to be cool and claim that I frequent some quirky, artsy local place, I have to be honest. Starbucks is close to my husband’s office, and we share a car, so…🤷🏻♀️
I log in for the day around 8AM. The first thing I do is take inventory of everything I have going on. While I work completely virtually with clients (I use Asana to manage client relations), I do still like to keep track of things in a paper planner. Studies have actually shown that you’re more likely to remember something if you’ve written it down in your own handwriting. So, I have an Ashley Shelly planner that I keep with me; and I have a large Erin Condren planner that stays open on my desk to track my project goals each week. I do on occasion keep track of my todo list via Wunderlist, but that’s not as common these days now that I tend to stay at a desk.
Usually, the work looks like some combination of writing content, coaching and consulting meetings, and creating course content (yes, so keep an eye out for three VERY exciting course launches coming very soon!). That’s work-work. But I’m also in the middle of writing my second book and promoting the paperback version of my first book, so I keep things pretty interesting on the day-to-day. Calendar blocking is a huge part of my productivity. It’s easy for me to feel completely overwhelmed when things are just floating around in my head, so calendar blocking helps me know that 1) there is time to get everything done and 2) when it’s going to get done. This also comes in huge for implementing my boundaries. But we’ll talk more about that in future content.
Habits & Routines
My early mornings are sacred to me. While I’m sure to listen to my body and allow myself to sleep in when necessary, I typically wake up around 5:30. Quiet time with my coffee and my thoughts is a non-negotiable for me. I’ve just started practicing Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages, which is an exercise where before anything else you write longhand for three pages; stream of consciousness style. I can do a whole separate post on its benefits, but so far it’s been pretty life-changing. Along with that, I sit with my one cup of coffee (Folger’s Classic Roast with way too much Coffeemate Peppermint Mocha creamer) and start to plan my day.
I give myself time in the morning to ease into things. If I feel like catching up on Youtube, I do. (I’m a big fan of vlogs; MoreZoella, FleurDeVlog, LeighAnnSaysVlogs are some of my faves.) If I’m in the middle of a good book, I’ll sit and read for a while. (My TBR list is crazy right now. I really enjoy mystery/suspense type books, but at the moment I’ve been getting back into the YA mindset with a few Sarah Dessen novels.) This time in the morning is to do the things that I want to do. Sometimes that means diving right into a creative project if that’s what I feel like doing. But throughout the rest of the day, a lot of what I’m doing is for someone else. My mornings are for me.
My bedtime routine is pretty consistent, too. I take out my contacts, wash my face with coconut oil (it’s honestly the only thing I’ve found that can control my otherwise crazy oily skin–go figure), and apply my skincare (a Ponds night cream and a L’oreal eye cream because #almost32). I don’t keep my phone by my bed, so once I’ve plugged it in for the night, I’m screen free (say no to the mindless social media scroll). When I first get into bed, I do my Lara Casey Write the Word journal. After that, I’ll read for a bit while my sleeping pill kicks in (yes, I’m a terrible sleeper otherwise). Once I start to get sleepy, I do what everyone says not to and put on the TV to either FRIENDS or How I Met Your Mother. I know it’s a bad habit, but it’s comforting for me.
Life Balance
Here’s the thing. When you’re a creative entrepreneur, it’s really freaking easy to blur the lines between work and life. I’ve made the mistake of putting my work before everything else before. When every dollar you make is attached to the amount of hustle you put in, it can become a very slippery slope. Entrepreneurship is full of sacrifice, we all know that. But listen to me when I say this; you deserve to live your life, too. Because of this new found perspective, I now have firm office hours.
I am “on the clock” from 8-4PM Monday – Thursday, 8-noon on Fridays. Sure, I may carry work over on occasions, but for the most part, client communication comes to a hard stop at that time. I do not keep my email on my phone. And when I’m done for the day, I physically walk out of my office and shut the door. I have a work computer and a personal computer. And I do my best not to blur them.
These days, my evenings consist of taking yoga classes at Lifetime Fitness (can’t beat $30/month), making meals with my husband, reading books, writing, or binging a new show (we like Superstore and Splitting Up Together). I’ve also started making it a priority to spend time and intentionally catch up with friends. Sometimes that means an after work date, a FaceTime wine night, or just a plain old phone call. Either way, I’m making it a priority to keep up with the people who are important to me.
I’m in a place where I’m really enjoying my work. But I’m also very intentional about making sure to enjoy my life, too.
If you’re a creative entrepreneur, and you’d like to be featured in this How I Work series, send me an email with How I Work as the subject and we’ll chat!
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by Joey | May 1, 2018 | Devotional Series
“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40:31
Burn out is real. When we rely a little too much on ourselves and put entirely too much worth in our productivity, it won’t take long before we’re completely depleted. It happens. Even with the best of intentions, it’s easy to get caught up in our daily lives. Things have to get done. Work piles up and the laundry needs doing and somehow or another everyone has to get fed.
But the expectations we often put on ourselves are unrealistic and unfair. While we were all created to do incredible things, God never intended for us to run ourselves ragged. In fact, God values rest. The Bible even commands it. Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. Exodus 34:21. But even with a little bit of rest, sometimes it’s hard to find strength, motivation, and stamina. What do we do when it’s not our bodies but our souls that are tired?
By the end of last year, I thought I was done. For good. I thought I’d never create another thing, write another word, inspire another person. My heart, soul and creativity were completely depleted. I waved the white flag and surrendered.
I’d come to the end of myself. I was out of ideas and solutions. I pulled the cord on the treadmill, stopping dead in my tracks; lost, scared, and exhausted. Exhausted.
As someone who values productivity, giving up felt completely unnatural. But sometimes we have to come to a full stop to recalibrate. It was in those moments of stillness that I found myself having quiet conversations with God. I started to rely more on Him and less on myself. And in doing so, I felt myself slowly coming back to life; renewal. I listened instead of speaking, and new life breathed into my soul. In Him, I found clarity and direction, and I moved at His pace; a pace of sustainability.
We have a limited source of strength, friends. But hope and faith can be infinite. If we rely only on ourselves, eventually our well will run dry. But with hope and faith, our strength will continue to be renewed.
You can do anything but not everything.
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