Val Selby [00:00:06]:
Hey, this is Val Selby and after over 20 years online, I can track where my mindset has blocked me. If procrastination, impostor syndrome and a lack of focus have been blocking your biz, then Val Full Volume is here to help you see choices you are making. Get ready to use your expertise to collaborate like a pro as you create the business of your dreams. Now is the time to make changes and live your best life. Let's get to it!   

Val Selby [00:00:36]:
Hello. Hello. Hello. Thanks for being here at Val Full Volume. I am Val, and we're just gonna start this podcast off with you needing to tell me thank you right away. I was in a super ramble. Already tried to record this once. I was in such ramble mode that I, all of a sudden, went, I don't even know what I'm talking about. And if you've been around the podcast for a little while, I'm a one-take kinda girl.

Val Selby [00:01:07]:
Whatever is gonna pop out of my mouth is gonna pop out of my mouth. It's very rare when I delete something and, like, no. No. We're starting all over. And today was that day, and it's really appropriate. Really appropriate that it was today as I'm talking because it's like, oh, do I even know where my brain is or where it is? Or do I want to know where my brain is? I just can't even decide right now. My main topic for today is I am working on embracing my model for the year again, going back to it, pulling it back to me, putting the forefront across my forehead, back to basics. I am looking at the fact that I don't have the energy to be busting my butt, even 8 hours for a workday.

Val Selby [00:02:05]:
I don't have the energy right now for it. There's multiple different reasons why. For one, and I think this is how I ended up on the ramble before. For one, here in the Seattle area, yes, this is summer. Oh, I know. Faux pas. I'm not supposed to talk about anything time related when it comes to podcast, whatever. It's summer.

Val Selby [00:02:25]:
We're a couple of weeks into summer. I am recording this before 4th July. Technically in the Seattle area, our summer doesn't start until 4th July. However, we've had an icky winter, not cold really, no barely any snow, just ick. We've had an icky spring. We've had some gorgeous weeks, absolutely gorgeous weeks that have been huge teasers, and then it comes back to this ick. And now we're on a couple of days of ick. And the seasonal disorder stuff is real.

Val Selby [00:02:57]:
It's so real for us around here in the Seattle area. It's hard to keep motivated when it's just, oh, it's so gray. I'm so gray. Even with my high dosage of Vitamin D that I take, as directed by my doctor, don't worry, it's still like ah, my gosh. Is this gonna stop? I mean, it's summer, literally summer, and I am curling up on the couch every evening with a blankie and about ready to start making hot tea again. What is going on? So my energy is really low. And so I just kinda thought it was location. I am going through some major personal things, all super good.

Val Selby [00:03:50]:
They're just very internal personal things. And I know that's taking my energy, and I have pointedly decided that's taking my energy. I put that at the top of my importance list. But business is still super important to me. I love what I do. And so I have to pay attention to, okay, well, then what are the basics that I can get done with the energy I know that I have, and I will have. I'm really paying attention to the last - that's been almost 2 weeks now. I really only have maybe 3-ish super productive hours.

Val Selby [00:04:27]:
So that means clients, by coaching sessions, are in those 3 hours. Any meetings are part of that 3 hours, so I have to be highly aware. And I know I have the limited energy. So being on the super limited energy, knowing that I will not be able to pretend, I will just sit here and stare at the computer screen, I don't have more than that in me right now for business related stuff. Knowing that, I am absolutely looking and going, okay, what are the basics for moving my business forward? I'm still working with my strategy coach. I've got 2 courses lined up, not at once, but I have 2 courses lined out major outline. Like, let's go. I'm writing.

Val Selby [00:05:14]:
I'm creating slides. I am recording, all of that. So I have to put that in there as part of my energy bank and especially with the creative stuff I have to. And you probably do. I have to take a look and go, okay. I need to be productive and have high energy for this. So that means that if I'm working with 2 clients on this day, that's not a high energy day for me to do another recording. It just isn't right now.

Val Selby [00:05:40]:
Has it been in the past? Absolutely. But right now, no. And because of my personal stuff that I'm working through, again, all super, super good, but it's a lot. Because of that, I was assuming that it's me. I was going through this, man. I was really started being aware of what's going on with my Facebook wall. What's going on in groups, what's going on with emails. And I'm getting that same energy from a lot of people in a lot of different areas.

Val Selby [00:06:15]:
One of the main goals that I'm working on a lot lately, just being present. I have noticed when I'm looking at these people that I'm following, and I do say people because it hasn't been gender specific, I'm seeing that there is a trend that a bunch of us are really going through, like, this energy thing. I'm sure I could look it up and find any number of reasons why it's happening universally, energetically, all of that. I don't care about why it's happening. I just am witnessing that this is happening and it's not just me. I was following somebody. This is what led the podcast today, and me really like, okay. I'm gonna sit down and back to basics is going to get mapped out on freaking paper today.

Val Selby [00:07:03]:
I haven't finished it yet. I've started, but I haven't totally finished it. Because I opened up an email, and in that email, she was talking about how she's going to give herself a reset for the summer, how she's going to take a break for the summer. And I get a lot of emails like that, but she hit the subject line was perfect for me. I probably should've pulled it up. Anyways, the subject line was perfect for me, and I was just like, I need to read this. And with how many emails I get in a day, all day long, if something hits me like that, I open it immediately because it's usually gonna be a good one. It's usually gonna be something that I really did need to open and read, and this was no different.

Val Selby [00:07:44]:
And she was talking about all of the trips that she's gone on, even an international trip, and how when she had so much fun disconnected from business, she just was a 100% present on these trips. And thought when she came back, she'd be so energized and she'd just work like crazy and get so much done. And that didn't happen, and it hasn't happened. And I was just like, oh my god. I hear you. I hear you. We're kinda soulmates at this moment because, I mean, April, I went away for a very awesome trip, fully present to Mexico for my 30th anniversary. Then we had a weekend trip away.

Val Selby [00:08:34]:
I went away with my husband for a work trip for a week. And then we went on this big major road trip to go and figure out where we wanna move for retirement. And I was completely present for that for 9 days. 9 days, I worked maybe 3 hours. I had set up stuff beforehand. Not a whole ton, but I had set stuff up beforehand, but I only worked about 3 hours that entire time, which is unheard of. Unheard of for that length of time. I've never ever done that before. And every time I came back from these things fully refreshed, I had the mindset that I was like, oh my gosh.

Val Selby [00:09:17]:
I'm gonna be so productive when I get back. So much stuff is gonna get done. And then my brain's going, oh, this and that and this and that. And not overloading, still keeping to the basics, but I'm just like, so productive. And that has not happened. That has not happened. As you heard, I'm working through personal stuff. Again, all good, but it is draining because I am working through some decades of crap and being honest with myself.

Val Selby [00:09:48]:
And everyone, I'm totally I promise you, I am totally okay. This is not a call anybody moment, but there's days where I am just absolutely drained, and I'm just like, yeah. I'm gonna go take a nap. And there's a 2 hour nap that happens because I'm processing. I'm totally processing. It's draining, and I know that I only have limited hours of when I can get stuff done. And reading that, here's this lady and she's used to getting a lot of stuff done as well and it's not happening. I'm like, okay.

Val Selby [00:10:22]:
I got. I'm so glad she shared because being in a similar space, I am like, okay. You're technically giving yourself permission to be in this space, but were you really, or are you still beating yourself up about it? And I think there was a little bit still beating myself up on about it, about not being super gung ho, getting so much done, more of a, where am I today? Where am I today? What's my headspace? What do I have the energy to get done? What do I want to get done? What does it mean? What do I want to get done? Okay. So, I mean, I'm in that mode. I am so in that mode of what does that mean? What does that mean? What does that mean? The questions to myself about everything in life, every moment in life. Hello. Fifties. Okay. Before I start ramble, ramble, ramble.

Val Selby [00:11:16]:
Back to basics. So that's what's really been laying on my heart this week is, okay. This is where I am. This is the limited energy I have. You knew coming into this year, my model being back to basics. I knew that this was gonna be the case. And anytime that comes up, then that means more stuff to make me go through the back to basics is gonna come up. It just does.

Val Selby [00:11:44]:
It always does. I don't even question anymore. I don't do the whole now what. Don't ever ask now what to the universe because they'll show you. The universe will show you. Don't ask for it. Don't ask for it. I knew that I would get a little bit more thrown at me because of the back to basics had popped in that this was how it had to happen.

Val Selby [00:12:05]:
And so business stuff is changing. The business world is going through some changes right now. There's a lot of uncertainty. We are here in the United States. We're in election year. Freaking hate election year. Oh, not even getting on a topic. So there's so much uncertainty going on right now, and it's business, it's in finances for the world.

Val Selby [00:12:25]:
And I mean it for the world. We're just in a odd energy spot at this moment. And I know it's not just here in the US because I've talking to my friends in Canada, same thing, in other countries, same thing. But we get the choice of sitting down and deciding where do we want to go? What do we want our day to look like? What do we want our business to look like? What do we want our life to look like? I know this is getting super deep. I'm not gonna go there. I'm gonna be the queen today. Don't drink every time I say it because that could lead to big issues for you today. I know so many of us are going through this energy thing that's going on right now, and I just I know that because I'm seeing it from clients that I'm talking to.

Val Selby [00:13:08]:
I'm seeing it from groups that I'm in. I'm seeing it on my Facebook profile, friends on there. I'm seeing it in my inbox, like I just said. I am seeing it quite a few different places. So I would like to challenge you to sit and go, what does my summer look like? What do I want it to look like? What does it look like on my schedule right now? I mean, is your summer just insanely over scheduled and you're not gonna take any time off? How does that feel? Do you want it? You get to make choices. How much time are you gonna put into your business while you're supposed to be busy and doing all of this other summer stuff? How much time? Being realistic with yourself and how much energy are you really gonna have? If you go camping for a week, when you come home, if you come home on Sunday, Monday, you are not going back to cranking out work. I promise you. I have told myself that I would do that so many times.

Val Selby [00:14:06]:
Monday, you are going to be so drained from your trip that you're gonna be like, what's a post it note? How do I make a to do list? So just be realistic with yourself and what's going to take your time and what's gonna be your priority. And what are your basics that you know, you want to get done? You desire to get them done for me. Basics are events, our full go mode. That's top priority. Emailing my list, top priority. Basics. Those are basics for Bundle Bash. That's about all I have for the basics on my list right now. I'm still working on my basics, But figure out what your basics are.

Val Selby [00:14:49]:
I don't want to get through a week unless you're gone. I do not want to get up through a work week. Let's say that. I don't wanna get through a work week and have not done these things. What are your must dos so that your week, your business week moved forward? And if you're not in this space, then you probably didn't listen to me all the way at the end anyways, but in this space. Answer with some comments of why are you not in this space? What's going on? I wanna hear about it. I wanna pull some energy from you not being in this space. Alright.

Val Selby [00:15:25]:
I've squirreled enough. Bless you for hanging here on this squirrel podcast today. Back to basics. Super important. I'm gonna go and sit down with a piece of paper and work on a few more. The more I write down, the more I cross off stuff that's not a priority and throw it over there to the side for some other time when it could be more of a priority. But I think I still have an hour and a half left of energy, and then I'm gonna be curled up on the couch with my blankie in the cold because I refuse to turn the heat on. My blankie in the cold, binge watching some TV show.

Val Selby [00:16:03]:
It's summer. Why am I doing that? Damn it. Alright. I will chat on you next week. Thanks for listening.