The Smart Twenties Podcast

Today I’m sharing an important episode that will make such a difference in your relationship with yourself. During our 30-Day Stop Overthinking Challenge inside Perfectionists Getting Shit Done, one of our PGSDers asked whether she should feel bad for not following through with her plans. What followed was the advice I’m giving to you in this podcast episode! If you ever feel guilty for not following through with your plans or you worry that not beating yourself up will mean you’ll keep getting in your own way - this episode is going to help you understand the difference between beating yourself up and holding yourself accountable. I also share some helpful advice on the most empowering way not to let yourself off the hook. Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode382. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why beating ourselves up is addictive The real reason that beating yourself up won’t motivate you to be better How to hold yourself accountable with compassion Why following thro

A big vision creates a solid foundation for your business, and impacts your business’s long-term growth. It helps you become clear about your business, in ways that are aligned with your values. But one of the ways perfectionism manifests for us in business is in goal setting and dreaming big for your business. This can often feel confronting and unsafe for perfectionists, and in today’s episode, I chat about why and how I changed that for myself. If you have trouble setting a clear and specific vision for your business, tune in to hear my journey to becoming someone who is not only committed to my long-term business plans, but willing to share them publicly. This episode will help you open yourself up to a bigger vision for your business. Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode381. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why I’ve struggled with creating a big vision for the business until 2022 How setting a big business goal creates a solid foundation for both your business AND pe

In today’s episode, I share 5 perfectionist beliefs I had to release in order to build my team. These beliefs stem from perfectionist thinking around tasks, team members, and other parts of our day to day business. They inform the decisions we make (whether we’re aware we believe them or not), and those decisions will then have a big impact on our business and clients. These beliefs will also have us spending a lot of time on busywork and other things that aren’t the best use of our time. As perfectionist business owners, they can hold us back in so many ways. If you are in the process of building your team and growing your business, listen in for the 5 beliefs I want you to be looking out for. Becoming aware that we believe them is the first step to changing them for yourself. Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode380. In This Episode You’ll Learn: The 5 perfectionist beliefs I needed to release in order to build my team How these beliefs can impact your business long-t

Today’s episode is a chatty Growth Goal update for Quarter 4 of 2022. In quarter 4 I was further along in my pregnancy with the twins and working 3 days a week (and occasional 4 day weeks). But this quarter was still an impactful one for my business growth and personal growth. In 2022, we earned the highest amount of revenue and had the highest profitability since my business started! I share the numbers in this episode, as well as why I’m significantly proud of myself for this result (even though I didn’t achieve my $1 million Growth Goal). I also give you a high-level view of what I was working on in the business with the help of Power Planning, along with what came up for me through the quarter. Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode379. In This Episode You’ll Learn: What my goal is for 2022 and how close I got to the goal How much money the business made in 2022, our expenses and our profitability Why I’m proud of myself for this result, even if I didn’t get all the

In this episode, I wanted to chat with you about something I’ve been going through while being 32 weeks pregnant with twins. I’ve noticed I’m asking myself this question: when is it an act of self-care for me to be productive and when is it an act of self-care instead to change my plans and take clean rest? When we perfectionists are not operating at our normal capacity, it can be a challenge to discern the answer to this question for ourselves. This is especially when we need to tune in to ourselves, put aside the pressure we can put on ourselves to be and do things a certain way, and give ourselves some grace and compassion. Sometimes that grace and compassion means changing our plans, taking our clean rest and doing the things our brains are telling us to do. Other times, that means following through with the plans we made even if we don’t feel like it in the moment. And in this episode, I share how I determine which choice to make. Tune in to hear about the questions that help me figure out whether to fol

I’m so excited to share the details of what I’ve been working on behind the scenes for you - because it’s FINALLY AVAILABLE! Until now the full Power Planning Method has been exclusively taught to PGSDers only but…  As of today, you can learn everything you need to know about Power Planning by signing up for The Power Planning Course. Tune into the episode to hear more about why so many people have asked me to create this course and the reason I’m finally doing it. When you’re Power Planning, every hour you put into your business is worth double! Imagine if the effort you put into your *40 hour* work week had the same return as an *80 hour* work week, all because your Power Planning got your perfectionist mindset on your side and has given you the clarity and confidence that was needed to stay focused on what matters most. Now imagine that this was your normal week, every week, and you never burned out. Your $10k month would become a $20k+ month and your revenue wouldn’t stop growing - all because you started

With the new year right around the corner, I thought it would be the perfect time to reshare an episode that I published earlier this year all about the Growth Goal. If you want to get out of your own way in your business, setting a Growth Goal is the first step (this is why you’ll be guided through the process of setting your Growth Goal in one of the modules of my soon-to-be-released self-study course on Power Planning). In this episode I’m going to be talking about the importance of a Growth Goal and some of the signs it’s working to get you out of your own way in your business. If you’re a PGSDer, or you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you’ll be familiar with a concept that I teach called the Impossible Goal. The Impossible Goal is a goal that is set above what is possible for yourself. And by setting a goal in that way, we’re asking ourselves to grow into the person that can achieve that goal - rather than setting a ‘realistic’ goal that our present day self could achieve. This goal does w

I love that New Year's fresh start feeling as much as the next perfectionist BUT we all know that January motivation doesn’t last forever. And part of the reason that happens is because of a few common new year myths that we perfectionists can’t help but buy into. If you want 2023 to be the year that you get out of your own way this is the episode for you. Tune into this episode to learn about 3 new myths that will stop you from getting a fresh start and how to avoid making them. Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode375. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Exactly why perfectionists love the new year so much How to capitalise on the new year without going into all-or-nothing thinking The real reason you can’t rely on motivation and what to focus on instead What to focus on in the first month of the year so your ENTIRE year is productive How to create a goal that motivates you for the full year (and isn’t one you just forget)   Featured In The Episode: Sign up for daily Perf

Overthinking is often how we get in our own way as perfectionists, especially when it comes to business. There’s always something we can be overthinking in our business - that we can second-guess ourselves about and do more procrasti-learning on. Overthinking can come up in many ways and lead to us deviating from the needle movers that will grow our business. In today’s episode, I talk about why perfectionists overthink and how to pinpoint when thinking turns into overthinking. I share exactly what you need to do to notice the exact moment it happens, including a few questions to ask yourself to gain awareness around it. You don’t have to eliminate overthinking completely, but when you lessen overthinking, you’ll feel more satisfied and fulfilled when you are working. And you’ll get more done in less time without burning out. Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode374. In This Episode You’ll Learn: The hidden reasons perfectionists overthink The difference between overthi

In today’s episode I’m going to be sharing 5 life-changing lessons about perfectionism from Carol Dweck.  I’ve actually been planning to record this episode for a long amount of time, but ironically, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to do Carol’s teaching enough justice. Carol Dweck has been someone influential in my understanding of perfectionism and my perfectionism handbrake. She’s helped me identify what it looks like to get out of the perfectionism mindset. Tune into today’s episode to get a better understanding about perfectionism and getting into the growth mindset. Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode373. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why Carol Dweck has been so influential on my perfectionism journey What the fixed and growth mindset have to do with perfectionism Why I incorrectly thought that I had a growth mindset The truth about being willing to fail your way to success   Perfectionists Getting Shit Done will be opening for a special enrollment for 4 days

In this episode I’m sharing a recap of our most recent launch of Perfectionists Getting Shit Done, my group coaching program for perfectionist entrepreneurs. I go into the sign up and revenue numbers as well as the six biggest lessons and takeaways from the launch. I’m also sharing two exciting announcements that are going to help you get out of your own way in your business so stay tuned until the end! Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode372. Featured In The Episode: Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd Learn the basics of Power Planning – samlaurabrown.com/planningseries Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject Episode 316: Behind The Scenes Of A $250k Launch (Part 1: Pre-Launch Period) Episode 317: Behind The Scenes Of A $250k Launch (Part 2: Launch Period) Episode 336: Getting Your Work Done Early + Easily (Part 1: Content Creation) Episode 337:

Often in business, we have important yet non-urgent tasks - they feel new and unfamiliar to us and they don’t have a set deadline. These tasks are easy to put off for later while we focus on other things that are more urgent. I share why perfectionists normally struggle with this - as well as how to get non-urgent tasks done in your business -  in this episode. If you want to honour the deadlines you set for yourself (even when no one else is watching), this episode was made for you. Tune in today. Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode371. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why it’s normal to put off new or scary tasks that don’t have a deadline The reason perfectionists work well with external deadlines Focusing on not disappointing clients vs surprising and delighting them Questions to help you become a more successful entrepreneur What to do if you’re scared of wasting effort on a non-urgent task   Featured In The Episode: Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Sh

When it comes to how you approach your business tasks, do you compare yourself to your coach or others who ‘know better’ than you? Does it feel wrong to do things your way, because it’s not how the industry experts you look up to do things? When we compare ourselves to others, it often happens subtly and can influence how we work on our business without us realising it. This can include the projects we work on, the way we talk to clients, and so many aspects of our business. People say we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others, but I know as well as anyone how tempting it is to try to fit in with what everyone else is doing in your industry. It’s how our brains are wired. So if you find you’re comparing yourself to others in business, now what? I recently coached a PGSDer on this and I want to share what I guided her through so you can do things in a way that’s easy for you - without making yourself wrong for doing things your way. By the end of this episode, you’ll learn what to do if you’re comparing yoursel

In today’s episode, I share a chatty Growth Goal update for Quarter 3 of 2022. In quarter 3 I was in my first trimester of pregnancy with the twins and, thanks to a time audit of my Power Planning, noticed I was spending 50% of my time in busy work. But this quarter was still a big one for business growth and personal growth - and I share why in this episode as well as how much money the business made. Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode369.   In This Episode You’ll Learn: What my goal is for 2022 and how I’ve broken my quarterly milestones down Why it doesn’t freak me out that I’m ‘off track’ for my annual goal Why I wouldn’t hire myself for most of the roles in my business and what I’m doing about it How much money the business made this quarter and my biggest expenses How creating a bigger mission and vision for the business has helped me Who I’m learning from at the moment in my business   Featured In The Episode: Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shi

Overwhelm tends to be the emotional home for perfectionists. It stems from thoughts like: I don’t know what to do I don’t know where to start I don’t have enough time I don’t know if this will work I don’t trust myself to follow my plans And Power Planning solves for all of these - which makes overwhelming thoughts harder to have and easier to let go of naturally… Our PGSDers don’t get overwhelmed - even at the busiest times. It’s not to say it’s never an emotion they experience but, after three months of Power Planning, it’s one that no longer causes any problems. I share how Power Planning naturally dissolves overwhelm in today’s episode, just in time for the final 2022 enrollment week for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done. If you struggle with overwhelm (especially when life gets busy), tune in today. Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode368. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why overwhelm tends to be the emotional home for perfectionists The exact thoughts that cause o

PGSD will have you doing the most important tasks for your business in a consistent, sustainable, productive and courageous way. This is inevitable when you follow the PGSD Process: to plan properly, follow through 80% of the time, rest without guilt and repeat. And there are 3 types of accountability inside PGSD that will turn your new-found productivity into something that’s sustainable long-term: Self-accountability Peer accountability Expert accountability A lot of perfectionists are worried that if they become more productive and more successful then it won’t be sustainable. The 3 types of accountability you get inside PGSD make it easy to become someone who’s getting shit done AND to do it sustainably, long-term. You’re smart but there’s only so much that information can help you with… Accountability, coaching and support is what turns knowing into DOING. I talk more about the 3 kinds of accountability inside PGSD and how they’ll help you get out of your own way long-term in today’s episode. By the en

We’re in the final 2022 enrollment week for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done! Because of that, I wanted to talk about what reliably happens when our PGSDers sign up and make the Three Month Commitment to Power Planning. I share the specific results our PGSDers saw within the first few weeks, and how they complete their business tasks in a consistent, sustainable, productive and courageous way after three months. When you sign up for PGSD, making the Three Month Commitment to Power Planning matters. I talk in more detail about the results our PGSDers reliably experience and how PGSD helps you get out of your own way in your business in today’s episode. Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episodeXXX. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why making the Three Month Commitment to Power Planning matters The results our PGSDers reliably experience when they’ve been inside PGSD for 3 weeks Where you and your business will be after three months inside PGSD How PGSD helps you get out of your

Perfectionists love the feeling of momentum… We love the feeling that the work we’re doing is adding up to something and making a difference. We love knowing that the time we’re spending isn’t going to waste. What creates momentum is being able to take all of our business ideas, single out the most important one, trust that we’re focusing on the ‘right’ thing and take action on that task or project until it’s complete. What creates momentum is letting small bad things happen in your business (ilke an instagram bio that could use an update) so that we can stay focused on what truly matters and get that thing going. This is something our PGSDers become experts in. Thanks to Power Planning, they’re able to finish the day - and the week - knowing that everything is done. And this is true even when they’ve had friends or family disrupt their plans, they haven’t been super motivated and they’ve got a lot of different projects they’re moving forward at the same time. So how do PGSDers get everything done without bur

Our final 2022 enrollment week for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done has just begun! So in this episode I’m sharing all the details about Perfectionists Getting Shit Done to help you know whether or not it’s a good fit for you… PGSD is my program for perfectionist entrepreneurs. It will have you doing the most important tasks for your business in a consistent, sustainable, productive and courageous way. And it provides 3 types of accountability so that your new-found productivity is easy to sustain long-term - no falling off or burning out, even if you’re a lurker and prefer to learn from the shadows. PGSD is for you if: You know what you need to do to build your business but you’re not doing it You’re making some money in your business but not the money you want You’re ready to make the Three Month Commitment to Power Planning You’re tired of getting in your own way and ready to do something about it If you’re ready to start planning properly as a perfectionist and getting everything done without burning ou

When we’re following planning advice that doesn’t work for perfectionists, we struggle to know which tasks to prioritise. We have SO MANY ideas and we want to do them all, perfectly, right away. But we don’t trust ourselves to pick the right tasks to focus on or to do them consistently. We also don't trust ourselves to handle the success, money and the attention that would follow… Because of this, we prioritise the familiar and easy tasks on our to-do list and lament the fact we don’t have more time to get to the important marketing tasks we know we need to do. But once you know how to identify your needle movers, busywork and procrasti-learning are naturally replaced with self-trust and ACTION. That’s why the fifth and final episode in my 5-part planning series is on how to identify your needle movers when everything feels important. By the end of this episode, you’ll know which questions to ask yourself so identifying your needle movers is easy. You’ll also have a new way of thinking about needle movers so