Office Hours with Antrese and Elisia Keown

How do you feel heading into 2021? Do you feel like you just need the clock to strike 12:01 am on January 1st, 2021 before you can even begin to hope for anything good? This  has been a tough year, to say the least. But what if there was a way to acknowledge the struggle without letting it bog you down and rob you of your fun, joy, and passion for your art? As I’ve grown and developed professionally over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to learn from and alongside some amazing people like my good friend, Elisia Keown.    I get the chance to chat with Elisia several times a week as we both continue to develop and grow in our respective professions and I wanted to invite you all along for one of our conversations. Pay close attention, Elisia has some helpful insights that I know you’ll find useful, don’t miss it!    Setting impossible goals   What comes to mind when you hear, “Impossible goals.” Does it sound like a recipe for failure for you? When was the last time you set an ambitious goal? Here is the thing when it comes to goal setting, most people are terrible at it! We use excuses like New Year's resolutions to make half-hearted attempts at change but many of us find ourselves right back where we started. How do you make this time different from every other time you’ve tried and received lackluster results? You’ve got to aim higher. Yes, an impossible goal should scare you and make you a little panicky, that’s the point!    Talk to yourself!   Do you need permission to talk to yourself? Seriously! It sounds crazy but I promise - it’s not! Our brains are designed to make sense out of complex experiences, thoughts, and encounters - talking it out helps. Whether you  write in a journal or talk out loud - I encourage you to give it a try - without feeling self conscious! Have tried this before? What was your experience like? Make sure to join the conversation, I want to hear from you!    Thinking of failure as an opportunity    I used to hate failure. I’d take it personally, like I’d done something wrong - or worse like there was something wrong with ME. Do you ever feel that way when it comes to failure? Instead of constantly telling and teaching myself to do everything possible to avoid failure, I decided to embrace it. What if the failure was less of a punishment and more of an opportunity to learn and grow? In my conversation with Elisia, I even compare my failures these days to coins that Mario collects in Mario brothers!   Outline of This Episode   [1:00] Elisia talks about how we met.  [2:30] The value of setting an impossible goal.  [6:30] Don’t be afraid to talk to yourself!  [10:30] Sorting your thoughts and using a journal.  [18:00] Looking ahead.  [26:00] Setting yourself up for success.  [28:30] Thinking of failure as a learning step.  [38:00] Daily lessons and small tasks.  [41:00] What do you do with the negative thoughts that pop up?  [45:00] Finding your voice and listening to it.  [47:00] Closing thoughts.