[TRANSCRIPT]

0:00:00 - (SAM): Hey, everyone, and welcome back. Today we are talking about the three big things that I had to change personally to take next steps in my life to, one, grow my business, be a better mother, and be a better wife. And it's all in here for you guys today. So what we're going to start breaking down is the three big steps and then how they relate to my life and how those things changed my life. But to just to preface this is like, guys, there's not a woman out there that hasn't struggled with the way they look or want to change the way they look. I know personally, I struggle with that still to this day.

0:00:39 - (SAM): And just having really great women around you who are going to tell you that you are fearfully and wonderfully made and that God made you in his image. I just want you to know that at the beginning of this episode, because I know I have struggled because I have let people because I thought I wanted to be like them. I was like, I would love their life. I would trade places with them right now when I was in a lower part of my life, when I was still struggling with knowing who I was and just seeing like, oh, hey, they have a lot of money. They have that beautiful home. They have this great family unit. Well, five years down the road, I would not trade places with those people.

0:01:23 - (SAM): And so I took a lot of feedback and criticism from people that five years ago, I would have absolutely traded places with. And now is like, as a mom of two and someone who has a thriving marriage, those people are on the rocks, or they're divorced or they don't have communication with their children, things like that. And so just know that when you feel like you're in this place where it's like, oh, maybe I want what they have.

0:01:56 - (SAM): Really get to know those people before you really start to take advice or criticism from them, because it could be totally skewing you in a way that you actually don't want to go. So one of the big three steps was I had to learn to start accepting myself and loving myself and treating myself with the level of respect that I treat the women who I look up to. And so what that meant for me was, like, getting ready, feeling pretty, feeling.

0:02:30 - (SAM): And, guys, it's not all about the physical things, but these things just help me feel better in my day. And it literally translates into everything else. When I get up and even if I'm just at home and I'm putting on makeup and I do my hair one, it's like I accomplished a task, and I feel great about myself, and I love the way I look now. Yes, I look. I don't wear fake eyelashes every day, but it's like, ooh, I feel really pretty.

0:02:59 - (SAM): I feel really like this is the prime time in which I do a lot of things, like record my podcast or work on websites, because that's when I feel my best. I know we always have that outfit. If you have that outfit, I know we all do where we look and we feel our best, and we feel like we're on top of the world and we can't be stopped. I want you to have that feeling every. Okay, not every day, because I don't have that feeling every day, but as many times in the week as you possibly can is like, get ready, feel your best.

0:03:30 - (SAM): Because, one, it's like, then my work is so much more creative because I feel so confident in myself. So that's a huge one, is when I'm happy with the way I look. Like, man, the day I get my hair done at the salon, man, I just feel, like, on top of the world because it looks good and I feel good, and it's, like, exciting. So shout out to my hair girl, Kelly ware, because she's amazing and she's a mom, too, and she's just doing amazing things.

0:03:57 - (SAM): And I love her so much. But what that translates into is also into my marriage is like, does my husband, he loves me no matter what I look like. But does he really love when I look pretty and dressed up and look cute for him? Yes, he does. He loves and appreciates those things. And I know that people are going to come for me when I say stuff like this, but the reality is, it's not like I do it every day and I don't do it for him. I do it so that I feel better, so that I'm a better version of myself, better wife, all of those things.

0:04:32 - (SAM): But why can't he appreciate the way I look, too? That's why he married me, is, like, to appreciate the way I look and my heart and all of those good things when he walks in and he's like, oh, you just look so pretty today when it feels good. And two, he's just like, wow, this is my wife. And he's so appreciative. And that creates a level of gratitude in that as well. But three, then it makes me a better mom because I feel up, I feel energized. I feel excited for the day the kids get a better version of their mom.

0:05:07 - (SAM): And that's always a huge thing for me, is because when I'm being efficient with my work, when I'm really confident what I'm doing, things are moving faster, but also things are moving faster. So when I say that things are moving faster, I can go spend more time with the kids. I can knock out my task list early in the day, take care of whatever it needs to take them outside, enjoy that time with them. We also homeschool, so that's more intentional time with Quinn as well, and Kellen here in the next year or so as he gets started into school as well.

0:05:46 - (SAM): But it just allows us to be like the best version of ourselves for all of the people around us. And then what does that create better attitudes. We feel confident about ourselves. We create better self confidence in our children, too, because we're not critical of the way we look. Nearly as much, I definitely, as having a daughter. I don't want her to feel the way that I have felt about myself. And so when I am trying to create this home of where we appreciate what God has done for us and who he's created us to be and the things he blesses us with also comes with being appreciative and loving what he has blessed us with.

0:06:29 - (SAM): This is a temple that we are supposed to take care of. And so also instilling that into her as well. So, one, that's one of the best things is just feeling good and feeling ready for the day and feeling like I can take on anything. Because one, that gives me more patience, gives me more kindness, gives me more fruit of the spirit and the things that I want to do. So, two is I every night read prayers about one, asking God to watch my mouth of the way I speak about me, about the way I speak about others, asking him to protect us, asking him to strengthen my faith, asking him to lead me and give me wisdom in areas and give me the things that I need to go and make better decisions and have discernment and ask for healing and peace and all of those things in my life, because obviously same thing, ripple effect. It just makes me a better wife, makes me a better mother. It makes me pray over my home, be a better steward of my family, but it also protects my business.

0:07:38 - (SAM): It also gives me leadership in areas of my life. I don't know if you guys know, I've talked about my core values before, but servant leadership is a huge one. And when I'm being led well with the Lord, those things just are drastically different. They are life changingly different. And so that's number two of what it is that I am doing to help make my life a little bit better. But also is, number three is I write down everything that I have to do for the month.

0:08:16 - (SAM): And there may get things added taken off during the month, but before the month starts, so before March started, like on the last day of February, I went through and I wrote down absolutely everything in my life from business, office, husband, children, mom, visiting, like hair appointment, any of those types of things. I wrote down absolutely everything. Even if it felt super small and little, I wrote it down, got everything out of my brain and all the like, got everything out.

0:08:58 - (SAM): And then I divided it by, this is office, this is websites, this is family, this is my personal stuff. And then broke that down and put it on different areas of the calendar. So then, guys, I have gotten drastically more things done by not having to feel like I have to remember everything because I don't know about you, but if I have to keep it in my head, I'm probably going to forget. And so that's one of the big ways that I've helped myself get everything out onto paper.

0:09:35 - (SAM): Then it's like I can just write it down and then it's like, boom, got that done. Boom, got that done. And I think I have like a few more, a handful of things left on my list and it's only the 16th, so it means I am moving so much faster because I'm not sitting here trying to feel overwhelmed with it all. I'm just out here trying to make sure these things are happening. And so that's just been life changing.

0:10:00 - (SAM): Life changing for me. And there's a planner, I can tag it in this episode as well. Or you can send me a DM and I'll send you the link to it on Amazon, but that also does that. And oh, my gosh, guys, it's just so helpful because then it's like, oh, I need to do this. I need to do this. I need to do this so that way I can really change the game of what it is like. I'm not sitting here being overwhelmed. I'm not sitting here being stressed out. I'm not sitting here forgetting things.

0:10:30 - (SAM): I'm just getting them done as they happen. Now, obviously, is there a little wiggle room with one of my websites? When we had to move the domain, I got locked out for like three days and that put us behind a couple of days. So those things happen. But the really great thing is because I was able to shift other things around and make that happen because I knew everything that I needed to do. It just knocked it out of the park.

0:10:55 - (SAM): And so if this is something that really helped you, as we sit here and we talk about the things that one is accepting yourself and loving yourself and showing yourself the respect that you deserve. And I'm not saying, like, ignore your family to go do self care. I'm saying take 20 minutes, feel confident about your day, get started, feel good, whatever that is. I mean, it's starting for me. It's like getting the word, get my coffee drank, get the kids up, get them ready, home school, get ready, start working on websites and take on my day and then playing with the kids, making lunch, all those kinds of things.

0:11:34 - (SAM): So that way I can go and accomplish what I need to accomplish through accepting myself. And then also is having that time of like, okay, I'm feeling good, then it gives me the confidence to go and take on that list for the month. And so that's also what I'm telling you is like, go through, take these three things and just knock out your week because I love you and I know that you're going to do great things.

0:12:10 - (SAM): So this is taking your steps to go and up level your life. Bye.