Author: Heather Lowey
UP LEVEL YOUR LIFE
The energy from Erinn at a 7:30 networking event is enough to change non-morning women’s mindset! It’s contagious. Frankly, we need her cheerful voice on each of our morning alarms saying, “get up, get moving, be intentional, be bold today, and don’t you DARE hit the snooze button!!”
Erinn is a born entrepreneur. From cake baking and dog walking in her youth, to door-to-door book sales in college, she embodies my vision of someone with a non-stop, soul on fire, entrepreneurial spirit. Even now, she has three pillars to her business: photo and film work with her husband, a Mud & Marble renovation business, and a coaching business based around Strength Finders.
The four steps to Up Level your life.
#1 CONFIDENCE IN YOU
“You are a badass. You were one when you came screaming onto this planet and you are one now. The Universe wouldn’t have bothered with you otherwise. You can’t screw up so majorly that your badassery disappears. It is who you are. It’s who you always will be. It’s not up for negotiation.” – Jen Sincero
Erinn pointed out the sheer power of how we speak to ourselves. Think of some of the things you say to yourself. Would you say it to your friend, a co-worker, even a stranger? In a lot of cases, no, we would never speak to someone else in the same way we talk to ourselves. Conversely, what if we honored our goodness and focused on our strengths? What a powerful message to ourselves in confidence, strength, and badassery.
There is great power in focusing on our strengths instead of the tendency to work on our weaknesses. First, she had each of us sign our name three times as fast as we could with our NON-DOMINANT hand. YIKES! Second, same exercise with our DOMINANT hand.
(Yes, take a moment to laugh at me.) What a POWERFUL message on the importance of focusing on strengths. “Lean in where we are good.” To clarify, Erinn is not saying we should ignore areas we need to improve. Conversely, our lives shouldn’t be entirely focused on constantly improving. Embrace what we AREgood at and RUN WITH IT!
#2 MORNINGS
“How you start your day determines your day.”
What Erinn presented about mornings was a game changer. There isn’t a sweet spot time, so it is not about waking up at 5 am each day. Her point is to set yourself up, so you are proactive about your morning before life starts coming at you. YOU set the tone for the day.
Whatever time you need to get up for life, back it up a reasonable amount to get through the SAVERS:
S- Silence (meditation, prayer, breathing, reflection)
A- Affirmations (who you are becoming statements for confidence building)
V- Visualizations (goals for the day, big dreams, what needs to be done to get there)
E- Exercise (activate your body)
R- Reading (personal and professional development)
S- Scripting (getting down your thoughts, reflections, gratitude, and to-do lists)
As an example, she took us through her door-to-door book sales mornings. Alarm goes off. JUMPS out of bed. Down on the floor. Sit-ups. Hops in the COLD shower to invigorate. Off to coffee shop to do journaling, reading, and intention setting. Then SINGING AND DANCING with others on her way out to tackle her job for 10+ hours. “IT’S A GREAT DAY TO BE A BOOK GIRL, BEST DAY I KNOW, HEY!”
We may not go with this intensity, but “all high performers have a morning routine.” In fact, we all have a morning routine, so why not make it a good one? Being proactive and setting yourself up for success by the intention you set for your day.
Lastly, snoozing tells your sub-conscious you lack self-discipline and it’s okay to fail first thing in the morning. The very first thing you are trying to do, GET UP, is a fail. Change your habit. You are worth it.
#3 MONEY
Money has a tendency to have nasty stigma around it, especially for women. In central Indiana alone, women make 79 cents on the dollar to men. We’re also less likely to negotiate a salary or raise. In the meantime, women live longer and typically put their own financial stake in a male partner’s hands.
When money management and money mindset meet, we’ve hit the sweet spot. Erinn read us the beautifully crafted letter a client wrote to money. A woman’s transition of mindset on money being a stressor and even a dependency issue then moving instead to a partnership. Allowing her to see life’s amazing potential through the eyes of money. Viewing the presence of money and working with it as a stimulation of joy, not fear or dread.
There are so many limiting beliefs out there about money. Money is evil. You have to work hard to play hard. Money won’t buy happiness.
Figure out your own blocks with money and address them to come up with your new truth statement on money in your life.
#4 COMMUNITY
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Look at your surroundings and make adjustments as necessary knowing this impactful quote.
“Millennials are lonelier than senior citizens.” With all of the technology and even surrounded by people, they are still feeling alone. Loneliness is as lethal as 15 cigarettes a day. This boils down to the lack of connection and community.
If you are lonely, do something about it. She encouraged everyone to set up one coffee date with another person in the room before leaving.
SUMMARY
Erinn closed with one last exercise…. The Badass exercise. We each had to write down five things we are proud of in “I am” statements.
- I am a loving mom and wife
- I am a blogger
- I am patient and kind to others
- I am writing for my own soul
- I am enough
Then our partner read each of these statements to us in a truth statement:
- You are a loving mom and wife
- You are a blogger
- You are patient and kind to others
- You are writing for your own soul
- You are enough
Powerful things happen when you believe in yourself. Affirmations then confirmed by a fellow attendee. Surround yourself with five people who support your affirmations.
Erinn left each of us tasked with choosing one thing from above to Up Level. Start small. You don’t have to tackle everything. However, get started. Be intentional.
Want to connect with Erinn? www.erinnbridgman.com or find her on Instagram @erinn_bridgman.