OWN IT The Confidence Podcast: Recent Episodes
Annica Torneryd
Annica brings an intriguing package of the mindset of a former kickboxing champion, the experience of extreme burnout, having had three babies in one year, and then diving into single parenthood. She's an avid writer and has self-published several books, is an Amazon Bestseller who has invested the last decade into studying, coaching, and mentoring with some of the most respected profiles in the industry of personal development, and became an award-winning mentor herself. Annica shares lessons learned from starting and building a business in a foreign country, the brutal process of facing a pandemic as an independent, the ups and downs of life - all that and more, delivered in a real, honest, and entertaining way, straight into the Podcast-world to inspire, empower and encourage you to want to become your everything. When we learn how to master our mindset, to be in control of both thoughts and feelings, our actions take us to our dream life. Victimhood is no longer possible. You have just one life. Live it. Own it. This podcast is designed to be consumed in bite-sized messages that reach out and touch your heart and grab you by the hand, giving you the courage to believe you can do it! You will hear concrete examples and real-life stories of how each choice we make can lead us to - or away from - owning our own life. Annica's core values are: AUTHENTICITY INTEGRITY COURAGE HUMOUR FAMILY
My first episode recorded out in nature, after an uphill jogging session surrounded by bugs and fields, for those who can't. #motivation #inspiration #encouragement #nature
Today we celebrate amazing women, brave women, the hard work of women, the brilliant women, the successful women, the winning women, the rich women, the leading women. We celebrate the magic of women, the strength of women and the love, grit and beauty of women. Also, we celebrate all the women who work silently on the sidelines, the women who never get any credit or opportunities to shine, the women who fight alone against all odds, the women who have no money, no job, no free ride and no help. All the women!! All the mothers. And with extra love, the single mothers all around the world. You are amazing! You are love! You are life!
internationalwomensday
IWD
women
strongwomen
inspirationofwomen
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It's time to celebrate! Not just that the podcast turned 2, but much more importantly there's something for you to celebrate. Also sharing a story about the power of perspective.
Very happy to be back on track with the podcast and hope to be exchanging a lot with you! Tell me what's been going on in your life, I want to hear!
celebrate #perspective
How much do you really know? What are your sources? How do you know that your sources know what they're talking about? Sometimes helping someone by educating them or teaching them things can be bad. When we think we know, but are actually in the wrong, we pass on information and "knowledge" that will potentially do harm, or at least not do any good.
This episode will make you think again about what you claim to know, and hopefully make you question your sources.
Knowledge about for example how our brain works, can literally change our life!
"Ignorance is a sea, and knowledge is a drop in that ocean" William James.
This episode is inspired from the work of Iain McGilchrist and Tom Billyeu.
knowledge #selfawareness #criticalthinking
Is there such a thing as perfect parenting? Are you a great parent? Do you ever feel like you're failing with the mission? Do your children behave in a way that you sometimes wonder who raised them?
This episode is for all the parents who do all they can for their little ones. #parenting #dialogue #family
What do you do when there's too much of this, too much of that, too much on your plate, and no rest? What do you do to avoid getting into overwhelm, where you no longer function? What if you have one foot placed in burnout but still keep pushing, and wanting to perform well, be healthy, look sexy, have a beautiful home and be happy... how can you do it differently? Sharing my personal opinion and experience on how to stay away from overwhelm. #overwhelm #burnout #personalleadership
Trick or treat is a big buzz around Halloween, it's on everyone's lips and it's a feast for the kids. But what about a deeper look into that question? Trick or treat; are you tricking or treating yourself and others? Who gets the best of you? Are they worth the effort? And why do scammers try to trick people? How can they sleep at night? So many questions. I end by sharing a true scammer story. #trickortreat #halloween #scammers
It’s easy to accept the concept that a person will go through their life being right a certain amount of times, and be wrong a certain amount of times; I mean, in every argument, every conflict, in every disagreement, someone is wrong, or at least they have a different perspective. That’s just very logical. But if we then say, that - in order for that to be a fact, it also includes ourselves. WE are wrong, more often than we know, way more often than we want to know…
Let me share a real-life example of how something I’ve been thinking lately was wrong. Not just wrong, but negative and destructive…. Ughhh….. and this is human behavior, it’s not just me… if you’re a mother, a parent, you may recognize this.
So the past month, I’ve had a VERY high workload, you know, when it almost becomes ridiculous. And you know it because the laundry piles up, the mail is in a pile, dishes take longer, it starts looking messier than usual, you feel drained… and, the daily question “what shall I cook for dinner” is no longer just a thought – it’s now a REAL and honest concern – a difficult challenge - cause you didn’t have the time to go shopping for food. I mean, what can you cook from mustard, pickled spring onion, and soy sauce? All that has been our situation at home for a while, and escalated drastically last weekend when the fridge turned into a normal cupboard, warm shelves… you know. And yes, the freezer did the same, a melted mess of I’m not sure what, but it looked gross. All thrown out and just an empty fridge and freezer standing in the kitchen, they just stand there. Like an awkward and annoying cupboard. I hope they feel very useless, cause they are.
Sometimes we have to thank our lucky star, let’s call it divine intervention, like now when I was reading a chapter of this book called YOUR BRAIN AT WORK, by Dr. David Rock, it’s about how our brain works, neurochemistry, how we react and respond to events, and chapter 9, When Expectations Get out of Control; this phrase jumped out and gave me a really nice big hug, it actually made me cry. It said, “we’ll get takeout instead so we have more time to hang out together”.
When I read that phrase, my little universe shook. I was projected into a whole new perspective. I didn’t feel like a bad mom anymore, for not cooking for my children. Instead, I saw the other perspective, that I held on to our family time, ate with my children, and got takeaway food so we could have more time together.
Sharing this now, it almost sounds a little stupid that one can get stuck in a way of thinking that is just wrong. But we do that. Cause we’re humans.
In conclusion, I think it’s fair to say that, every time you feel bad about yourself for not being or doing enough, there’s probably another perspective that will show you the extreme opposite. That you’re awesome, you’re wonderful, a great friend, a fantastic colleague, a supermom or dad, who always shows up for those who need you.
I was thinking about ending with an encouraging “try it” and then I thought – hm, maybe I should try it myself, and I said it out loud. Got quite emotional, and realized how rare it is to talk to oneself in encouraging words…
I’ll end by sharing, and I hope you try as well 😊
I started with “I’m a bad mom, cause I don’t cook for my kids”.
And the new perspective. “I’m a great mom. Even if I have been working myself to pieces, and the fridge broke, every single day, I made sure we had a really nice and tasty family dinner”.
Now it’s your turn. Find a better perspective!
Thank you for listening. If you want more ideas on this topic, check out episodes 107 and 83.
podcast #ownit #badmom
Good morning, rise and shine! Do you wake up loaded with energy, bursting to kick the day off and face all angles of life? Do you wake up in pain, totally drained, feeling like you almost didn't have time to even fall asleep before the alarm went off? Or are you somewhere in between? Do you know what your very first thought in the morning is? Is it a good thought? Is it helping you? Making you want to get up and live life? This podcast has the potential to help you set up a new and VERY powerful routine that can and will impact your days and life in a wonderful way. Try it!!! #intentionalliving #thoughts #morningroutine #life
Maybe a tough and slightly provocative title. But at least it's true. Very often, the truth hurts a little bit, or at least it stings. I had to look myself real good in the mirror and stop lying to myself, as the scale kept showing higher and higher numbers that were supposedly my weight. I ignored it. Didn't think it was possible. Thought the scale is probably exaggerating (yeah, right). And just kept eating, and yes, kept on putting on weight. This episode is an encourager, a tough but caring push if you need help getting on track with your health again. Join me! It's much less hard when you know you're not alone. And oh, at the end of the episode I share why, in the last episode #119 I tell my son not to drink like a camel :) #weightloss #healthychoices #ownership #responsibility #health #diet
Do you know someone who makes noises, says certain words or have habits that TOTALLY get on your nerves? Please say yes!! Or I will just seem like a not so nice person. I have developed an allergy to the sound effects that come when my son drinks water. It literally sounds like someone is stuck in his throat and screaming to get out. It's super stressful to try and eat dinner while someone is screaming like crazy from inside someone else's body, imagine!!! Also, he doesn't EAT food, he drinks it. He inhales the food, takes a giat breath inwards and sort of sucks in whatever he's eating; pasta, pizza, popcorn, fruit, cake, candy, nuts, everything goes down like if he was a human vacuum cleaner. If you have tips on how to NOT hear noises that are produced by your family members, please share with me :) #family #camels #teenagers #badhabits
Why is it that so often when we make a commitment to invest in our health, our personal development or studying, our diet, our health remedies, our engagement in charity work, those close to us will ask questions like: Aren't you doing too much? Why are you so hard on yourself? Attention so you don't shock your system? Aren't you being mean to yourself? Don't exaggerate! I understand it's their concern and they want us to be safe and happy. But why this question when we are clearly and obviously doing something that is good for us, that will make us a better version of ourselves... why then? Why do we not hear this question when we let ourselves go and gain lots of weight, when we never ever study again after having left school, when we buy everything we see, when we smoke, drink or eat too much, when we never get outside and activate ourselves, when we never invest ourselves in others...? Is it OK to be a lesser version of ourselves? And why is it not more encouraged and exciting to become the better version of ourselves? I share a statement I read on social media, one that I find sad and unhealthy, but that will be protected by the masses. I say, stay healthy, stay committed to your personal development and your becoming your best version of yourself!!!! You'll never do too much of that.
Relationships are what make life worth living. It's also a source that can trigger us to feel upset, angry, disappointed, frustrated, betrayed, furious, hurt, disrespected, and so on. Other people's actions, their words, or lack of, can be very hard to handle. I find selfishness, lazy people, and injustice incredibly triggering. I'll have to mention teenagers, especially lazy teenagers. And one specific thing that triggers me to the point my head spins is COPYCATS. Do your own thing for crying out loud. You've gotta have something other to say than the exact same thing as your fellow human, no? If you can't be more independent, unique, and confident than to copy others, I sincerely feel sorry for you. Anyway, never carry the foul energies of when you've been triggered!! Let it out, let it go, release and find your peace. My favorite way to release the anger or frustration, disappointment or hurt that can come from certain relationships, is a good old hardcore workout. For some, it's calmer: breathing, yoga, mediation, hanging with friends, binge-watching TV, sauna, or playing an instrument. Whatever works for you, hopefully, something very constructive, make sure you do it so you don't carry the negative energies of having been triggered. #boundaries #copycats #triggered
You know when something very unpleasant, or on some rare occasions it's a pleasant thing, but most often it's unpleasant, something happens that marks you for life. Those moments feel like something we just want to forget when we're right in the middle of it. But if we take some time and process what actually happened, and why it felt so unpleasant, that moment can give you very powerful information. It can help you get better, it can guide you to make better choices, do more of what's right and refrain from doing what's wrong. In this episode I share two examples of moments that have marked me; one where I was the one who was attacked, check out episode 43 for the full story, and the other where I am the one (hopefully) making an impact on another person, check out episode 110 for the full story. When was the last time something happened in your life that, looking back, you can see how it is a moment that marked you? Schedule some time to reflect to capture these moments, and make sure you capture the lesson they carry. #momentsthatmarkyou
All of us are tired and drained now, from this darn pandemic. We need our energy levels to be high, more now than ever before. What if you could find a way to stop unnecessary energy leaks from your system, and focus all your energy where you want it and need it most. Check out this episode for inspiration and food for thought about how to take ownership of your energy leaks, and grow confident in your daily thoughts, choices and actions. A shoutout to Kevin McCarthy, author of the book Blind Spots - why good people make bad choices, a book that is packed with deep thoughts and powerful questions. One of them I share in this episode. #energyleaks #guilt #stress #ownit
Recording this episode made me feel small, insecure and nervous. Why? Because I think it's fair to say that if we have a behavior that we cannot control, but we should control it, it signals a certain weakness. If that is true, I definitely do have a weakness in the area of everything related to sugar, to the point it's to be considered an addiction. An addiction means that we have a repetitive engagement in a behavior, such as drinking, drugs, shopping, gambling, over-eating, other not-so-nice things, and yes: sugar. And we continue to have this behavior, despite the damage or harm it causes ourselves. For me, it's always been sugar, and within the past 18 months I have derailed severely in my sugar abuse. This episode is one of the steps I am making to get on top of my sugar addiction. I hope you will find it inspiring to deal with something you need to take control of in your life! Always grateful to have my Personal Trainer Barbara with me to support me. And shoutout to Maria Kvärnsten who will be educating me on hormonal balance for the coming four weeks. Check out her course here: https://mariakvarnsten.se/ Last but not least, a shoutout to the Gladiator Hero: https://www.instagram.com/roddybenjaminson/ for being a great role model, source of inspiration, and a great entertainer! Listen to this episode for his tip on how to not eat candy!
How often do you hold yourself back because you're considering the thoughts of others, and in particular the ugly one "who do you think you are"? Have you been bold and brave and taken action on things you really wanted to do, in spite of that nagging feeling that some are thinking about you "who does she/he think she/he is"? If you did; high five to you! Have you experienced it; doing something you believe in and someone commenting the hurtful words "who do you think you are"? Many have experienced it, I'm sure. But I'm also sure that most of the time it's the fear of hearing it, or even the fear of other people thinking it about us, that ends up holding us back from doing what we really want. This episode is a constructive way of how to deal with that question "who do you think you are", and actually a very empowering way to take ownership of what you want to do or who you want to do and always be ready to answer that question with a big smile. I hope you find this valuable! Please share it with anyone you think will benefit from this. I think you're awesome!
I was sweating preparing to record this episode, I felt the pressure of remembering this moment and I feel totally ready to jump into my pajamas now. Do you have a lot of embarrassing stories or moments from your life? I thought I didn't, as I've been "the clown" very often (covering up my low self-esteem). But then I started thinking about it, and now I know of THREE embarrassing moments, like REALLY embarrassing. To the point you almost don't want anyone to know about it, even less share it with people. But here we go, I am sharing this hoping that someone can get a little giggle from it, and maybe feel a little better about your own embarrassing moments. After all, we need to own all of it, the good, the bad, the ugly, AND the embarrassing moments. Ending with a love story!!
Not a lot of people know about my lead role in a Hollywood movie. For several reasons, and I share them all in this episode. Did one character shoot with machine guns and scratch cars, did another one throw eggs at people, and who was the rudest of rude? The story is tense and thrilling, suspense from beginning to end. What you're about to hear is something that taught me three very important things: 1) be very careful how you use humor, 2) learn Luxembourgish like a native Luxembourger, just do it, and 3) when you get thrown into a movie scene, make sure you capture the story, write it down, process it and share it. I will end this little description with these words; remember, that someone being very rude, is just a weak person trying to make an impact. They can't do any better than that. And to my co-star in the movie, in case you listen to the podcast, we're all loaded up on eggs here ;)
I celebrate women. Because they are amazing creatures, with no end to their strength, perseverance, endurance, stamina, compassion, creativity, EQ, great values, and hope for happy endings. This year I invited women from all around the world, from four different time zones, to come together and celebrate International Women's Day. The conversations were so powerful, heartwarming, soul-shaking, inspiring, and painful that we went through the full emotional spectrum a few times over. What women and mothers do for other humans, their family and friends is mindblowing. Things that should be rewarded with Nobel Peace price, easily. Please enjoy this episode! If you're anywhere near a burnout, you'll get value from listening to this. #IWD2021 #burnout #women #choosetochallenge
Yup, I got myself some (very unwanted) covid curves. Chocolate, candy, good food, cookies, more chocolate, bah... all the things that make you curvy. I ate it. Today is the end of a sad era of very little self-respect, and the start of a powerful phase with self-love, commitment and focus on the things that matter to me. If you're feeling low, even overwhelmed, and out of control of an area in your life, or maybe even several, I hope this episode will give you some food for thought. What are the things you compromise about? What do you tell yourself every morning that you'll do (or not do), but end up betraying yourself every single day, because of different things that seem to make it impossible for you to stick to what it is you say you will do? And how do you feel when you keep on giving up on your own promises, that actually matter a great deal? I know how I feel... and it's not nice. As a pretty blaha'ish side effect of not respecting my own promises, I've put on a whole pack of unflattering Covid-curves. But today is a new beginning. For real. Anyone who wants to join in committing to what matters to you, that will make you a happier and better version of yourself, please join. Every day, stick to the things you tell yourself you'll do, and focus on staying committed on a day-by-day basis. We can all stay committed for ONE DAY, right. And then we do ONE DAY again, and so on. Let's do this!
Not so long ago, my son gave me a beautiful reminder of how powerful it can be to be seeing things in only one perspective, when literally always, there are other parts, angles and perspectives to a story. When we hear something, when we see something, when we feel something, and when we think something - we think we know. We even KNOW that we know. Cause we know, right!? Well, in today's episode, I share two brilliant stories of how one perspective can give a very interesting, and straight-out incorrect understanding of a situation. Sometimes it's for the better, for good, and sometimes it's for the worse. I think that most of the time, unfortunately, we get stuck on our perspectives in a way that does not make our lives easier or more comfortable. I shared some other stories of the power of perspective in Episode 52, about Karen Fasulo, my speaking coach Roddy Galbraith and his wife Susan, and last but not least, my inspiration Jonathan Pitre "The Butterfly Child" who is in heaven now.
What do you do when you're single and you've had enough of being single, and you'd really like to meet someone? Not just anyone, but THE ONE... do you get on Tinder? Or do you absolutely not get on Tinder? That's the question today. I have a whole long list of arguments against it, but then again... it's the curiosity and the happy stories you hear about the odd couple that DID meet on the internet. Pretty face filters make you uglier, yup, that's a fact. Don't use the pretty face filters. Use the ugly ones, if you want to feel better about yourself. Wondering where the best place to find love might be. My first thought that pops up, for me personally, would be at the gym. We'd have the same interests, the right mindset, and healthy body. Good start. Too bad there's a pandemic going on so no gyms are open. If you're longing for love, do not despair! Love is out there, waiting for you. It will probably happen this year, be ready!
Strange... I had everything lined out to create, plan, record and release a new podcast episode every week. I rrrrreeeeally wanted to, I've been waiting and waiting and collecting stories to share with you. But then... life happened. You know: conferences, evening activities, work, plowing through more episodes of the series I've become addicted to on Amazon Prime (almost at the end of season 3 and then I think it's over). Note to self: do not start watching any other series. Gosh, what a waste of time! Yes, I enjoy it while I watch it, of course. But the ROI of my time invested leaving butt prints on the sofa is not higher than the footprints I want to leave in this world. So, after The Good Doctor is over, no more series for me. This episode is about taking action, doing it NOW. That little thing you keep pushing off, or part of a bigger project. Those 100 situps before bed. Writing that hour you promised yourself. Taking time for self-care, meditate, do the yoga-yoga. Call your parents. Play with your kids. Hang the laundry. Clean up the mess in one kitchen drawer. Make that post on social media. Send that offer. Call that client lead. Just do it!! Do it NOW! I hope this episode inspires someone out there to go and do that one thing NOW. Let me know!! I'd love to share it with the other listeners :)
Hej hej!!!! And we're back on track. I had to take a break to sort out my professional situation. My time as an independent coach is over. The pandemic hit hard for many, including my business. So, this is a new start, of a new year, with me in a new professional role, with a new series of the podcast, but with the same focus on what we talk about. One difference is that there is nothing that will be sold going forward, no promotion of any paid events or coaching opportunites. However, if you are interested and listen well, you may get to be one of the lucky who gets invited to attend my virtual events that are 100% free. It's a way for me to continue doing things I love: facilitating workshops and team experiences. So, here's an open invitation to all of you working at a company or lead teams, reach out if you want to book me for speaking, facilitation of workshops or teambuilding. Can only be scheduled outside of office hours: evenings, weekend or a Lunch&Learn. It's good to be back!! And a big shoutout to everyone who's written and asked when the next episode is coming. Here it is!!! Special extra bonus shoutout to Rafa!!!
Sometimes we need to take inventory of what we do with our time. Are you investing it? Are you spending it? Or are you wasting it? If you want results, and if you want to be in control of your life and situation, here's a great tool to help you move ahead. The PoPoP is a system I have developed with my clients, helping them identify the tasks and actions of their daily schedule that are filling their cups and emptying their cups. The three P's represent very different ways to manage your time, and we can all benefit from applying this system, in all areas/activities of our life. If you want more input on Time Management, listen to episode 86 "Time Management is nonsense".
Swimming in self-loathing right now. From end of March until end of July, I worked out harder than I have ever done in my whole life, including the time when I competed in full-contact kickboxing. I got in the best shape I have ever been, at 45. I was happy, I was proud, I felt so great, I loved it. And then... little "challenges" started pearling up. I dealt with them, one after the other. They took all my time, so each day I had to focus on dealing with the situation and push off working out until "tomorrow". Well... with the exception of two or maybe three workouts, since end of August, there has been a lot of pushing off. And no working out. One great thing is that I can no longer stand myself and the lying, so, here we go. Dealing with it. What is something you lie to yourself about in your life? How are you dealing with the side effects of the lies? Do they make you feel good? I totally and fully agree with Dr. Ivan Misner and what he says about values (listen to episode 86 if you want more thoughts on the values) and regrets. Take a listen at this episode and tell me what you feel. Are you living in FULL integrity with what you say you do, and what you actually do? If you do: you're the ONLY one. Just so you know. The rest of us are human... ooops.
Rules make life easy! Rules make life boring! Which one is more true for you? For me, it's definitely something that makes life easy. Being Swedish and totally respectful of standing in line, waiting for my turn, and accepting the rules of the game makes it natural for me to feel it's a good thing. I know this is not the same for everyone. And lately, I have been thinking a bit about the rules we have in our lives. The rules we CREATE. And in particular, the rules we create that are supposed to make things easy, but actually only ever bring pain, frustration, irritation and disappointment. Or worse. Those rules... are they really good? Well, I guess it's fair to say that NO; they are not good. I think it's time to take a good look at the rules we have created in our lives and see if there are some that need to be broken. Replace them with rules that lift and empower you, make you happy and joyful. In this episode, I share what I am personally changing, which rule I'm breaking and the new one I'm starting to live by as of today. It will not be super easy, cause like I said, I am a fan of rules. But, I can totally see the benefit of breaking and getting rid of this rule. It's only causing bad. Like Dr. Ivan Misner said in an interview I did with him a few years back "hockey without rules would be like boxing on ice". Ha! That is a very clear example of when rules are great! Listen to the interview here.
Life and death in perspective. Someone told me not to share that we have Corona in my family, because it may lead to people not wanting to get close, we may have problems after, and other brutal things. But you know what... we have done nothing wrong. Someone in the family has this stupid virus. Very mild symptoms, if any at all. Could hardly believe the test result. The kids HAD to get tested as several students in the class were positive. For the past 10 days we've been in house quarantine, with one child locked inside a room. OK, not "locked" with key, but separated from the rest of us. It has NOT been fun. Not fun at all. To the point that it made me revalue life and death. If you can live, but no longer hold your child.... do you care that much about living? Or are you willing to sacrifice it so you can hold your child? Only a parent can answer that question. For me, I went from wanting to live forever, "knowing" that I'll live forever and feeling very strong, to thinking "if I can't hold her, then I'm ready to go". That's not to be dramatic, it's how I feel. But then I had a conversation this morning, 1 hour and 41 minutes, with a friend who has terminal cancer and recently got really bad news about her situation. When she shared her thoughts, again, my whole outlook on life and death changed. Of course I want to live!!! I want to be healthy and alive for a long time. Hearing the real and raw brutality of what my friend has to face as daily challenges and thoughts to stand up to, compared to challenges and difficulties those of us are healthy have to deal with, well, it truly made me feel that I will NEVER EVER EVER complain about things or feel sorry for myself. Never. I will take any and all challenges, come what may, and I will face them with all my bravery, and be very grateful for as long as I am healthy. I wish you all strong health. Take good care of yourself!
Paying it forward! As a token of my appreciation to my phenomenal and generous mentors Chris Robinson and Tim Novak, who both took time for me today and helped me with something I needed excellent thinking partners on, I am gifting a free coaching session to someone. It can be you! Whether you're an "old" client of mine, a current client, if you've never worked with me or if you've been listening to the podcast for a while, you can join the draw! If you don't care much for coaching, but you know someone who would love this opportunity, you can nominate them. The only "rule" to follow is that the session has to be booked and take place before the end of the working day on Friday, December 11. How to win a free coaching session with me: just write me an email on annica@act2exceed.com or reach out via social media saying you would love to join the draw. I am putting everyone's name in a jar and will draw the name of the winner on a podcast episode before the end of this week.
I want to write a word about my two (not one, but TWO!!!) mentors who stepped up for me and really helped me today. So very generous. They took time to help me look at how to optimize a specific situation, they were my thinking partners and helped me see other perspectives, and yes, ultimately come up with powerful action steps to create the result I want.
They are not only awesome mentors, but phenomenal humans and role models to me, and, I want to be like them.
So here we go, paying it forward, I'm doing the same. One person will get a free 1:1 coaching session with me. If you want it to be you; join the draw!! Find my Facebook live and post in the comment "yes please".
All my respect to Chris Robinson and Tim Novak of The John Maxwell Team. THANK YOU!!!
She's the kind of woman that everyone wants to be best friends with. She has thousands of fans, who all secretly wish they could be her friend. She's the "behind the scenes" power engine that makes everything work like a smooth selling machine working with her husband. She's a mother of four (one of which with disabilities). Imagine being told by the doctors when your child is born with "issues" that her condition "may not be compatible with life". This mother has soldiered on and been a great mother to all of her children. She's like a bonus kid to one of the world's most influential leadership profiles, Mr. John Maxwell. But still, she says "I don't feel inspiring at all". Oh, and she looks like Julia Roberts' sister. This conversation with Susan Galbraith is the real deal, raw and honest, sincere and genuine. It's the truth. Life. We talk about the hidden power in connecting for real with other humans, we talk about finding ourselves, and that it's so important to prioritize ourselves to not disappear. But how do you then deal with the guilt of feeling selfish because you took care of yourself? Like I said, this is life as we know it. And why is it so hard to let go of the things that hurt us? Why do we hold on to them? For more inspiring thoughts from Susan, and some daily life entertainment, check out her blog: Soozeybee.com or follow her on Instagram @soozeybee. Thank you Susan for contributing with heart and soul to celebrating Women's Entrepreneurship Day 2020. #wedo2020 #womenempoweringwomen
Time Management expert, Virtual Assistant, and Organising & Planning Coach Charlee Ovenell shares how she turned her passion into a business and lives life by design, created intentionally to be able to enjoy as much time as possible with her family and at the same time do what she loves. Charlee created her own concept for maximized efficiency and productivity called "Ten2Zen" and has a great following on Instagram where she shares her daily thoughts, ideas and tips to be not just in control of, but also on top of things in your home and busy mum-life. Hop on over to her Instagram account to follow her: @editwithcharlee Tidy house, tidy mind, her grandmother used to say, and that is something Charlee lives by. One of the most powerful takeaways from this conversation is actually so powerful it should be shouted from the roof-tops: you know all the times you say "I don't have time" as a "reason" for why you still haven't done that thing you keep saying you want/should/have to do... well, as Charlee says it "if you keep saying you don't have the time, what it actually means is that you don't WANT to do it". Ha! How committed are you really to yourself and your goals? Charlee shares some great tips on how to get things done, and how she got a massive upgrade to her already pretty immaculate daily schedule through my online coaching program You Own Your Life, when she realized she could save six hours per day (!!!!!!!). Find out what it was in this inspiring conversation! And last but not least, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Charlee, today I celebrate you!!!!!!!
Meet Leona Burton, founder and CEO of Mums/Moms in Business International, THE largest female empowerment network in the world for moms and women in business with 66 THOUSAND members as I type this. Former actress, singer, mother of five, a citizen of the world who is homeschooling. When this podcast episode was recorded, Leona was in Florida with her family, exploring cultures, supporting communities, helping abused women, expanding her business, visiting friends and family, and enjoying the world. To contribute to the celebrations of the Women's Entrepreneurship Day virtual summit 2020, Leona took time from her crazy packed schedule, got up earlier than I could possibly do, only to add value to the international tribe of women entrepreneurs. That's just what she does. In this conversation, Leona shares why and how she built the largest female empowerment network in the world. She shares how she finds time to recharge batteries and be a mom in the middle of being a successful entrepreneur. She talks about how she has built her network by building a super-powerful team, outsourcing all the tasks she's not an expert at, and how she creates incredible connections within her community. This is a woman who delivers live business building trainings on a Facebook live, while simultaneously curling her hair; and yes, it was one of the most impactful trainings I have ever attended. Another thing I have to mention is when Leona shares how she deals with "haters" and jealousy. You do not want to miss this. As a super awesome bonus, we get to meet Leona's 12-year old daughter Enna, already a shining star on the young female entrepreneur arena. Check out her inspiring page as a creative make-up artist on Instagram: Diary of a Little Fashionista or here: Enna. Enna gave me one of the most important takeaways from this year's WED event: PLAN time with your child and create special quality moments (if you don't plan it, the moment will disappear cause "mom has to work"). Share this episode with your female entrepreneurial friends, the moms in business, and women who want or need a powerful role model. Thank you Leona and Enna!
Gosia Kramer, co-founder and CEO of The Office, a co-working space in Luxembourg, and also founder of Lokaal "honest food, supplied locally", catering services of organically and locally grown produce. A female that makes heads turn, not just for her stunning looks, but also because she boldly and bravely stands up for causes of the heart and speaks her mind. "My mouth should be arrested sometimes," she says. Gosia is a self-made entrepreneur who challenged the status quo in the real estate market. She's an inspiring ambassador for the Future of Work: digitalization, wellbeing, and inclusion in the working space. Gosia is a person who is happy by choice. Listen to this inspiring and entertaining conversation in celebration of Women's Entrepreneurship Day 2020. Who else could bring a more entrepreneurial mindset to the conversation than The Queen of Entrepreneurship herself. Thank you, Gosia for spending this time with us. Check out her coworking spaces and get yourself an inspiring place to work: The Office. Order some delicious, healthy, and energizing food from Lokaal. #wedo2020
In the celebrations of Women's Entrepreneurship Day 2020, I had the honor to interview Dr. Deena Brown who has done extensive research on a topic so many suffer from: IMPOSTER SYNDROME. We talk about where it comes from, how it shows up and what to do to not have to deal with this ingredient in our life. This information is incredibly valuable and everyone who hears this will surely find it helpful. Share with your friends! You can get a free copy of Dr. Deena's ebook from her Instagram account: @drdeenaspeaks
Why are so many people so unhappy? Right now it's easy to "blame" this, that and the other. And maybe even rightly so... but still, do we HAVE to be miserable and unhappy? I say no. Irene Masiku, Happiness Coach, and panel expert on today's virtual summit Women's Entrepreneurship Day 2020 celebrations, says no. This is an honest, authentic and valuable conversation around how to create your own happiness. There are so many powerful messages here, golden nuggets and ideas on how to improve your quality of life. My personal favorites are 1) you co-create all situations you find yourself in, 2) 40% of your happiness is in your control, make sure you control the level of it and 3) appreciate and give attention to your breathing. In only three minutes without breathing, we're out of here. Inhale deep, hooooold, and exhaaaaaale. Inhale peace, exhale stress. Thank you Irene for sharing your time, expertise and lovely energy with us. Check out more about Irene on www.happinesswithirene.com #WEDO2020 #entrepreneurship #happiness
The greatest lesson a con artist taught me is, surprisingly enough, about self-worth. Let's be clear, at the time I heard these words, nobody considered this person anything else than a super successful entrepreneur, who had lots of wisdom to share. And, here is one piece of gold that is worth sharing and spreading. How much are you really worth? Why do you so easily downgrade yourself? What effort do you make to stop under evaluating yourself? Imagine how your mood, health and results would improve if you could find a way to systematically and intentionally remind yourself of your fullest possible value, your full potential, and being your EVERYTHING!!! Here's a great idea of how to start working on that.
Who said or did something that really hurt you? You know that comment or the words that still hurt... Perhaps there's a way to shift that pain and transform the "hurtful comment/words" into an empowering message. Even something that can help you become an EVEN better version of yourself! If The Dalai Lama could forgive the Chinese government for having chased him and forced him to live in exile from his people and country Tibet for over 40 years and learn to live life in a powerful way, then maybe we can learn to take our pain and make it become something that helps us. That hurtful comment, from a stranger, random colleague or even someone really close to you, can turn out to be a valuable message from your Sacred Friend! This topic is one of the things we cover in the online program You Own Your Life. Take the pain you carry and learn to transform it into fuel that makes you grow.
Who is the person or the project you are most committed to? Who would you drop everything for if they asked or your help? Who would you adjust to and be flexible for? In my personal opinion, the one person you should be the absolute most committed to is: YOU! This morning as I was brushing my teeth I realized that I keep making the same mistake over and over, in so many different ways. I believe most of us do, because we want to be nice, we want to please or we actually care a great deal, so we make efforts for others to maintain positive, fun, loving or exciting relationships, whether that is family, romance, friendship or business. We are so incredibly good at committing to others, to giving and pouring into others. Take a moment and consider what would change in your own personal situation if you started showing up and committing to you, the way you do for your absolute best friend or the one you love most of all... Can you see what I see?? Like "holy cow... you would become unstoppable". Imagine having someone like you on your team. Someone awesome and super supportive!!! I say go for it! Step into this game and play to win. I bet on you :) Commitment is the very first thing we explore in my online coaching program You Own Your Life. If you want to be part of a powerful, inspiring, and transformational group of positive change, enrolment is open now. See you there!
I believe that one of the best ways to ruin a relationship is to give a lot of space to your ego. Have you ever been in a "conversation" with a partner, friend, colleague, lover and you feel 100% triggered and get sucked into a "fight" because you KNOW you are right? And the most frustrating thing is that the other person, who you KNOW is wrong, also believes they are right. But they're not. Or, are they? Will we ever know...? But anyway, you are in that moment and you KNOW you are right, because it's a topic you know a LOT about, and you're not gonna give the point away, it matters to you, so you push on. And so does the other person. Maybe because they THINK they are right, maybe because they are a Besserwisser who is used to being right, or maybe they just have a very large EGO! It's in those moments our ego can either contribute to doing damage to a relationship or, save the day by letting go of the need to be right or make a point or win or whatever it is your ego needs/wants. Not everyone is capable of being that mature, not everyone has the courage and wisdom to let go and move onward and forward instead of digging deeper into friction and frustration. Who do you want to be: the one who's always right? Or, the one who has really great relationships? Remember: NOBODY is right all the time! Hard to swallow for the one who's used to always being right. This topic of our ego and the impact is has on our relationships and our wellbeing is well worth exploring. In my online coaching program You Own Your Life, we dig deep on this, and you are guaranteed to increase your self-awareness and the quality of your relationships. Check it out on https://bit.ly/youownyourlife1 "The more space our ego needs, the more friction and challenges there will be in our relationships" / Annica Törneryd
Whether you manage your time or not, the same thing will happen: tic... toc... tic... toc. Yes, time passes, for every breath you take, for every step you take, for every blink you make, for every drop that falls from a fountain, more of your time is forever gone. Pretty impressive thought, the kind that makes you want to stand up and get things done NOW! Today we're talking about time thieves, about time being the most valuable commodity we have - shoutout to Kelly Fidel who said that to me back in 2015 at a live mastermind meeting in California. We're also talking about time blocking, working in batches, and my favorite "time tracking". If you want to experience a very productive day: go for time tracking!!! And to become an ace at managing your results, optimizing your time, join my online coaching program You Own Your Life. Enrollment is open now, and we kick off on November 16th. See you in the program!
Clarity is key to any change or improvement, to understanding where you are and what you have to do to get to where you want to be. Without clarity, you will never ever know if you're taking the right action. Without clarity on what you want to do, be, have or achieve in your life, how on earth are you going to feel in control of your situation on a daily basis when you don't know what direction to go? Good question I believe. And I also think it's very sad that most people walk around with so much frustration over their situation and with full focus on what doesn't work in their life, sometimes with TOTAL lack of clarity on what they really want. Just a massive and intense focus on everything that is not working in their life. Does this ring a bell? If you want to get ahead, create better results or design a life that makes you happy, then clarity is a key foundation to focus on. It is one of the main pillars in my program You Own Your Life. Enrollment is open now and you can join for the next group and turn your life from overwhelm and frustration to feeling in control and creating results that make you happy! Small groups with powerful live sessions every week, hot seat coaching with crowd feedback, breakout sessions with phenomenal accountability partners. You want to join!!!! See you in the live sessions :) /Annica
check outYou Own Your Life: VALUES
I think we owe it to ourselves to be and do all we can! How will you ever get close to that without knowing your values? Increase your self-awareness, confidence, and self-esteem, and on top of that - get a powerful decision-making tool! Knowing your values can be the best tool you ever have; clients of mine use it for their recruitment process in building solid teams, making decisions on what large clients to take on, knowing how to prioritize in pressured situations, and even through crisis. Values is the first module in my online coaching program You Own Your Life. These coming ten days you will hear more about the other topics we dive deep on in the program. I can guarantee that all of them are things that will add incredible value to your life, your relationships, your results, and the quality of your life in general. If you want more details about the program, it's open for enrollment now, checkout the link: You Own Your Life
Watching our Tiny Dwarf Rabbit explore my office space today with a full floor carpet was exceptionally entertaining. He started out by just strolling around sniffing cables, biting binders, looking into the recycling paper bin and sitting still just watching the new space. Then all of a sudden he went crazy. Like totally cray-cray. He took off like a rocket. The usual surface he has under his little paws is either his cage or our tiled floors. The carpet in my office was PERFECT for him to explode into bounces, sprints, ultra-fast twists and turns, and he just went round round round and back and forth for a full hour. Someone's gonna sleep well tonight! I let my work wait and enjoyed the performance. And after it had me think: how could this little animal give me so much joy just watching him? Then I realized! I got to watch a creature be put into its optimal environment for him to demonstrate his full glory of special tricks, world-class sprints, and turns without any effort at all. It was phenomenal. When was the last time you experienced yourself perform in an environment that is optimized to your unique skills and talents? Are you sleeping in a bed that is optimized for your needs? Is it time to upgrade your home environment? Or perhaps your social circle? Watching a little rabbit transform into an extremely skilled bouncing sprinter made me wonder how much better, faster and happier you and I can get by making small changes in our environment! Shall we try?
Tough times now for a lot of people. Is it the pandemic? Is it actually tougher now...? Or are we all getting wound up in our own negative thoughts? It would be nice to just blame our sad mood on the government, the rain, the grey sky, or the train passing by the bedroom in the middle of the night. But, that won't change much, will it? Like many of you, I am currently going through a rough patch myself, kind of still in the middle of it. But, I wanted to take some time, a full episode even, to say thank you to everyone who has reached out to check on me, asking if all is OK and saying that you're missing the daily episodes. Thank you!! I appreciate you so much, I hope you know that. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. And I also wanted to share some honest and transparent words about the fact that life is not always youppie yeeey heee haaa trallalaaaa, and we all have to deal with our "storms". I pray for you that you are healthy, happy and that every time you go through difficult times, that you don't dive too deep in your negative thoughts about the pain or fear. Be well my friends!
The power of our thoughts is one of my favorite topics. Today I share something VERY interesting I read in one of my favorite books, Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz. And yes, the book goes deep on the power of our thoughts and how we can use them to reconstruct and improve our self-image, and thus our results and our whole life. Sometimes we create more pain than we really need to endure by maintaining thoughts that hurt us. I've been doing it myself lately, and this episode is a gentle kick in the rear for myself and anyone who is currently thinking things that don't help you feel happy. And, like I share in this episode, the enrollment for my online coaching program You Own Your Life is now open. Click the link to find out more information and reach out if you have any questions.
Making history today as I'm for the first time ever standing up in my recording studio to record today's episode. Exciting! The question I want to share today, and I hope you'll find it as intriguing as I do, is: do you have a dream, and "if God asked you to trade your dream for his (oh hers, if God is a lady), would you? Hum... makes you thin, doesn't it?! Do you have a dream? Is it big enough? Is it fulfilling and significant enough? Are you daily working on getting to live your dream? And if you don't have a dream; why don't you? Sharing some of the moments that have turned out to be me living my dream, in reality; like holding my first ever published book in my hands, talking on a massive stage in front of five thousand people, sitting next to John Maxwell on his stage and in front of his live audience and share a conversation about the importance of consistency in leadership. I hope you get your conscious mind up and running with this episode :) And I would love to hear about your dreams!
Friends, neighbors, family, loved ones, clients and others - including my own little family - seem to have a lot of pressure and challenges now. With this short little episode, I hope to put a smile on your face, or maybe even in your heart. After rain, there will be sunshine. If you're having a rough day, if it all feels uphill, remember that better times will come! Shoutout to my friend Deli who shared a great story on Facebook, and a shoutout to one of my favorite Instagram accounts @tanksgoodnews. Thanks for all the great stories you share. Sending all my podcast followers a big virtual hug! Stay healthy!
This topic drives me nuts. Most of my clients express some, a lot or extreme levels of stress of not having any work/life balance in their life. Well, that's totally normal and logic, because you can't have balance between these two areas. In this episode, I dive into why this is my opinion, and how to look at this whole concept in a different way to create harmony, enjoyment and fulfillment in life. Let me know what you think of this topic! What is your trick to create a sense of harmony in your life? If you like the podcast, it would mean so much to me if you write a review and leave a 5-star rating, to help others find it!
Did you ever ask yourself the question if you have, or experience, more success or failure in your life? I think most of us don't really reflect on that, but as a general rule we tend to focus on all the things we don't have, all the things we can't do, and all the reasons why we can't do or have that. Perhaps, if you really look at your life, there are things you need to celebrate? Or perhaps you have way more success than you think... If you want to dive deeper on this, check out Chapter 9 in the book Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz.
Today we're taking a look at who is holding you back from living life to the fullest, from reaching your goals and becoming your everything. The three pillars I have used myself, and still use on a daily basis, to go from feeling broken, sad, and hopeless (even depressed), to living a life by design and enjoying my life full-heartedly, I am sharing them with you today. They have the potential to make you unstoppable :) I shared them earlier today on a virtual web summit in the Mums/Moms in Business International Facebook Page, by CEO Leona Burton. The summit today was called "Around the world in 12 hours" with 12 experts in their respective fields. These three pillars will help you create both momentum and results. And like one of the attendees to the summit wrote, Ulrike Rensmeyer: "listening to you every morning should be the fourth important step". This feedback made my day!! Check out Ulrike's photography on Instagram "authentiquephoto".
If you want bigger results, less stress, less frustration and worry in your life, and an increased sense of fulfillment and direction, take action and invest in yourself: join my online coaching program You Own Your Life and benefit from a 50% reduction by being in the first group. We start October 19th, ten weeks straight, with a weekly workbook, a video for you to learn from and be inspired, and the biggest gold treasure of all; the weekly mastermind sessions with hot seat coaching, crowd feedback, breakout sessions and accountability. Join me for 10 powerful weeks that will enable you to make fantastic shifts in your life. See you there!
Today I received two outstanding business emails from complete strangers. One in the category PHENOMENAL and one in the category IRRITATING. Surprisingly, the phenomenal one did not mention or try to invite me to buy ANYTHING, it was just an awesome display of how to build a relationship. The irritating one triggered all my buttons in how I do NOT want to build a relationship and who I will never become a client of. So much to learn from these two emails. Massive shoutout and bowing to Dillon Butvin, Head of Growth at Zvook. Check them out: Zvook - matching brands with audio storytellers.
Do you have an upcoming interview or presentation to deliver and feel like you'll blow it cause you're so nervous? These three hacks are things I use daily with both small groups, closed groups, virtual summits, and speaking to 5000 people, as well as with 1:1 clients. An interview or a presentation, the tricks are equally powerful. I hope you find them useful!
We all seek happiness. Most people want to be happier than they are. Some are desperate to feel at least "some" happiness rather than the overwhelming emotional pain they find themselves in. I am hoping you already apply some or maybe even all three steps. And perhaps get reminded to increase your intensity and commitment to nurturing your own happiness. If they are all new to you, or you just never thought of being intentional in CREATING YOUR HAPPINESS, fantastic! If you have your personal "quick fixes" to increase your state of mind, your mood and your happiness, I would love to hear it. Email me and we'll talk about it on an upcoming episode. If you're enjoying the podcast, please support it by leaving a nice review and a 5-star rating to help more people find it. Have a happy happy day!
This episode came alive thanks to the lovely input from Diana Trisca-Rusu, Partner President at IDCN Luxembourg and Madalina Pirvu, Customer Relationships and Account Manager, plus she's an artist; DJ Miss MAD. They both commented on a blog post I wrote about how to make our CV's more personal. The blog was called "10 Things You Didn't Know About Me". Diana shared that she loves to do puzzles, and Madalina shared that she will add to her "corporate CV" that she's a talented DJ. Like Madalina said "it is important that our employer embraces our passion". And like Diana eloquently summed it all up; "we are more than just a piece of paper".
"It's crazy how 1000 people can compliment you and you'll spend all day thinking about the ONE who criticized you". My client Anders shared that quote from an email from James Clear. Very true, isn't it? This episode is a little follow-up on episode #69 where I shared how a post on social media got some really harsh comments from a complete stranger. Sharing more inspiring information about the eagle, and how they deal with "haters", I remind you of the very interesting story about how the eagle grows. Check out episode #17 for that story. In an ongoing training, I do now, called 10 Days to Get Seen, with Leona Burton, CEO of MIB International, and Holly Matthews, founder of The Happy Me Project, we increase our presence on social media and speak out our message in a clearer and more bold way. I did. And I had to learn to live with the consequences of that. The louder you speak, the harder the reactions, inevitably. As shared on the Quote Investigator blog: "Receiving criticism is an unpleasant experience, but it is also inevitable. If your actions in the world are significant then you will draw detractors. This notion is cleverly expressed in the following pointed remark: say nothing, do nothing, be nothing... ". As I am on a journey to becoming my everything and helping my clients with the same thing, I cannot do nothing. There will be more haters, there will be Trolls and there will be those who attack you personally. Stand your ground, speak your truth, be kind, keep repeating your message and be in integrity with what you stand for. Everything will be OK. #10daystogetseen
Les Brown talked about the power of laughing, and the damage of being angry. With 1 minute of anger weakening your immune system for 4-5 hours, we may want to reconsider the time we spend being angry, right! And with 1 minute of laughter, we strengthen our immune system for up to 24 hours. That definitely makes it worth the effort to try and laugh for a while every day. Here is an attempt at making you laugh. If you have great jokes, I would LOVE to hear them!!!
If you can't stand hearing another person cry, don't listen to this episode! Impossible to deliver this in any other way than crying. I just understood today why I feel so much pain. He's breaking up with me. Sloooowly, but surely. And I don't want him to leave me. Ever. But he will. He's already on his way, a little more day by day. This episode is inspired from hearing the radio show WSFM with Jonesy and Amanda. Thank you!
Very happy to introduce you to my second co-host, my 12-year old daughter Mia, who has just started high school. We talk about what's new and exciting, what it's like to meet new friends and how to prepare for big tests. Also sharing a little trick to make sure you can articulate when recording, learned it from Holly Matthews in the 10 Days to get Seen program.
When you express yourself, thinking it is obvious what you mean and thinking everyone or that someone specific will understand exactly what you mean, just like you mean it, sometimes that goes very wrong. Last time it happened for me was now, just before recording this podcast episode. I am still shaking as I write this, because of the very negative feedback I got about me and what I wrote in a post on Facebook. This is not pretty. It is hard core, it is personal, it is very painful, for more than one person. I'm hoping that by sharing this story, it will help someone deal with "taking responsibility" for when we say something that does not at all land as we intended it, or lands with the wrong person or at the wrong time. Or, that it will help someone who feels they've been hurt, mistreated or disrespected. Perhaps there are words that need to be said in the gap between the intended message and the received message. Most often there is, right...
Today has been HYSTERICAL. I am exhausted. A very long day with prep for a client, training session to improve the marketing in my coaching business, cooking lunch with my kids, crafting my brand story (homework from the training I'm doing now), catch up with my accountability partner, post valuable content on social media (LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram), read a book in my garden (a book on branding, not a romance or thriller or something, only time to study and grow), chat with my kids, make pancakes in three frying pans as we didn't realize how late it was and were hit with acute hunger, sit down to enjoy a meal but jump up and had to deal with a full-on wasp-attack. Hear the story in today's episode. Over and out.
They say that children, drunks and fools say the truth. Today one of my children pointed out some ugly truth for me, in a way that made me just want to be a better version of me. I hope this episode and my questions will make you take a good look at who you show up for. Who gets the best of you?
I wonder if there is ONE SINGLE PERSON on earth who has never worried about the opinion of others? I think not. In one way or another, we either care about their opinion, we worry about it or straight out fear it. Some even live in the shadow of their true self, just because they are so scared of what others will think if they step into their full glory. I say it's a waste of lifetime to hold back because of what someone might think or feel about who we are and what we do. Remember: what someone else thinks of you or what you do, is nothing but an opinion. There are as many opinions on earth as there are persons. Own your space!
So many c's in this day. Some scary, some chocking, some entertaining, some wonderful and some funny! I hope this little personal share gives you some food for thought. And I leave you with my gratitude for listening to this podcast. If you enjoy it, we'd be so crazy happy to receive a review and 5-star rating!
You know when things just don't go your way, things break, you forget important things, loose things, and it all just keeps on happening. How do you pick yourself up and move forward? In this episode, I share how a VERY unpleasant experience at the technical control station "helped" me make two big decisions. Looking back, I must say I am pleased, as both decisions are really a win for me.
Do you know what a blindspot is? Up until a year ago, I had never heard the term. I would guess it's an area you don't see. I would even suggest it's a traffic term, when you look over your shoulder to make sure there is not a car coming up from behind you. Isn't that called the blindspot? I believe it is. Anyway, today I'm talking about a different kind of blindspot. One that I learned in a painful way, but that has brought much wisdom and understanding. It has made me a better me. Thanks to one of the leaders of the John Maxwell Team, Mr. John Griffin who leads the President's Advisory Council. And I must do a shoutout to his lovely wife Antoinette Griffin, who also taught me something incredibly valuable, which I talk about in episode 18: Introvert or Extrovert? Do you operate in your blindspot at times...?
There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish. That's what Michelle Obama said. And Madonna said "I'm tough, ambitious and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a biiiiiiiip, okay." Yes, and last but not least, Sheryl Sandberg said "In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders". Today's episode, that was simultaneously broadcast as a Facebook live on my personal page, is all about When Women Lead. A combination of my own business experiences, greatest takeaways from the recent International Maxwell Certification event with over 6.000 attendees from all over the world, and in particular what I liked best from a session called When Women Lead.
After almost six months at home with three kids, or pre-teens that is, I am at the end of my rope as a mother. Tired. Irritated. Frustrated. Did I say tired. I've had enough of cooking ALL the time, all the time, all the time. Don't even want to mention the dishes. Ugh. I long for school to begin, so we can go back to some sort of routine, with moments of peace and quiet - so that I can get some REAL work done. I got some feedback on my parenting today, from my teenager. It wasn't great. It wasn't good. It was really bad. Bad. Oh my, when you do your best, and it's just not even close to good, what do you do? This is me sharing the ugly truth of my "mom-situation", as a follow up on episode 26 (how not to manage disrespect). I would love to hear about your parenting situation. Are you in control? Smooth and easy? Is it a rough ride right now? Thanks for listening!
This episode is the FIRST TIME EVER we have a co-host. It's my youngest son, Max. He's 12 and has just been on a 3-day virtual conference with me. It's also his first time ever as a co-host on a podcast. No big surprise there. We're sharing our experience from our first time ever virtual IMC. And, Max is reading from The Youth Book, written by his mom. That's me. This episode will be a longtime favorite of mine; I almost can't believe he had the courage to sit with me and speak English, without preparing or "knowing" what to say, without being told what to say, and doing ONE recording, nailing it, no editing done. Thank you for listening to the podcast, and thank you for letting me share my little Max with you. If you like the podcast and want to help us reach more people, please subscribe, write a review and leave a 5-star rating. Big virtual hugs! /Annica
OK, with this episode I am celebrating 20 years in Luxembourg. I really do have trouble understanding that it's been twenty years, like I have trouble grasping that I started this podcast on my 45th birthday. How can I be 45? It's magic. This episode is me sharing twenty, plus one bonus, things I have experienced during the years here. Some of them are REALLY BIG DREAMS that have come true, some are really embarrassing things, some are tough and painful, and then there are the beautiful things that have made me a better person. If you don't already know me in person, this will connect us a little more. Enjoy!
This upcoming weekend is the International Maxwell Certification event, the first-ever virtual one. Thousands of coaches and speakers from around the world will be enjoying training and sessions with our fantastic mentors and teachers. As I'm thinking of all the great people who've mentored me and been my champion, helping me not just succeed, but to become the person I really want to be, I was reminded of one of the biggest shifts of perspective I have ever experienced. One that has made a gigantic impact on my life, and the lives of many others. This episode shares how you can experience the same thing, and become the champion in someone's life. Sending virtual hugs and thanks to my Champion Dr. Betty Uribe, author of #Values and my good friend.
The title of today's episode might be raising some questions. It is referring to a message I received from one of you listeners, Francesca, Italian very driven and lifelong learner based in Luxembourg. Francesca wrote and shared what scares her most, in response to episode #53: What are you afraid of? In one way, this is very entertaining, but at the same time, if you live with these, or any other fears, you'll not be enjoying it so much, the fear that is. The question that remains to ask is; what needs to happen, change or exist for you not to have to feel that fear?
Does everybody want results? I thought so. But the more I speak with people and clients, the more I see that not all adults seek to achieve big things or "live the dream" or at least a fraction of it. Today I got a perspective and the input of a person in a mastermind I am in, and understood a key factor that separates those who seek for and desire results, and those who don't. Two key ingredients actually. And I add them to my "Results Formula", that now has five steps.
Which is better: to give support or to receive support? I've often felt that I'm not a super nice human as I'm not super supportive of this, that and the other. But, I always go all in to add value and bring my best. If I am nice to myself, maybe I add a lot of support and value to others... I know for a fact that there are those who are always supporting others, always encouraging, and sometimes, that support in itself is what makes the person "leading the way" continue to have strength and courage to lift and lead others. So which is better? Both are equally important because they depend on each other. Whether you give support or you receive it, keep on doing what you do!
What is the most courageous thing you've ever done? I don't mean only crazy things like sky diving, bungy jumping off a bridge, and adrenaline chocks like that. I mean all the steps that required you to believe in you, have faith, trust someone else or do life in a whole new direction. This episode shares some profound ways people have been courageous in their life; sometimes by choice, sometimes by force or no other choice. The most courageous thing I did so far in my life was giving up my secure income to start and run my own business. Crazy scary decision, and it took and still takes ALL my courage to live in a space where there is no comfort zone.
The list of what we are afraid of is quite impressively long, and for each individual quite different from others. Personally, I am afraid of bad things happening to my children and those I love. Apart from that, I think the only thing I'm not in control of my fearful thoughts yet is: the dark. I am ridiculously and almost unreasonably scared of the dark. Or like I share in this episode; what my creative imagination can create in that dark space. If you listen to what I share about Elon Musk being afraid of the dark, I guess nobody is really that afraid of the dark after all, right?! What are you afraid of, and how do you allow it to hold you back from doing certain things in life?
You know when you feel like you can't take any more, when life is to tough and hard and unfair and confusing it just hurts. When no matter how much you give and try and show up, it doesn't "happen". Well, today's episode is about that; and in particular how to get yourself through that moment, and move on with life in a way that feels lighter, happier and more hopeful. Putting things into perspective is the most powerful tool I know of to change our focus and energy in an INSTANT! With the power to change our thoughts, our feelings our actions, our results and ultimately change our whole life. Sending big hugs to my friend Karen Fasulo who's adding so much wisdom and value to my life in the middle of her own pain, to Susan and Roddy Galbraith for being great role models as parents and humans, and to Jonathan Pitre in heaven; my children and I talk about you every week. Be well!
Today, I received two very detailed and specific messages. One on WhatsApp and one via email. What they had in common is that they were both about the podcast. What was different about them is that one was positive feedback and one was negative feedback. Don't we just LOVE positive feedback!!!! It's so nice. Nice. Nice. Lovely! And our ego is so happy and content. Life is great! We are awesome :) But how about the negative feedback. Ouff... right? Not so nice. It hurts, makes us feel stupid, we blush because we feel like idiots or we get angry. Regret. Guilt. Shame. And it can derail pretty bad when we dig into being hard on ourselves, which we are pretty awesome at. So, today we're talking about why I love BOTH the negative and positive feedback. And I hope this will inspire you to dare to receive negative and constructive feedback in a different way going forward. In a way that makes you even better than you already are! A massive shout out to Nina who wrote to me about podcast episode 31, I am here and standing by to hear about your results in staying committed to treating yourself in a nicer way! Go Nina!!!!
One of the best things about supporting local business and small businesses is that, whether you think of it of not, you are the once supporting a family put food on their table and pay their bills. Like I share in this episode, there is no one I am more grateful to than my 1:1 coaching clients, those of you who are members in on online coaching program and the companies who book me to facilitate virtual training with your staff. To all of you, I LOVE you. Thanks to you, I can continue to do what I love, and also feed my family. Today, my children and I enjoyed an incredible brunch from local Luxembourgish caterer LOKAAL, started and driven by multi-entrepreneur and world changer Gosia Kramer. You can check them out on Facebook: LOKAAL. If you enjoy good food, eating clean and healthy, organically grown foods, then make sure you try out Lookal if you live in or visit Luxembourg. If you live far away from here, try out one of your local caterers who support farmers and producers from your area. Gosia, thank you so much for the delicious brunch today! My whole family loved it. We're making this a tradition!
True story: a moment ago I was laying in the sofa with my kids waiting for our bedrooms to cool off in the crazy hot heatwave here in Luxembourg. I said to them "I have to record a podcast, what shall I talk about"? My boys were deeply concentrated on some very important documentaries (uhm... not quite that, but you get it) on YouTube, and my daughter answered immediately: "talk about self-love". Say what?! I loved that she said that!! I asked her what she meant, and what came next is just too good not to make a podcast episode about. So, today's content is 100% inspired by my daughter Mia who has figured it all out: we need to take better care of ourselves. I would love to hear what you do to take good care of yourself and get some self-love?
When I shared episode #47 on my Facebook, I got such amazing feedback, input, help, advice and wisdom from teenage parents from all over the world, I just had to share it with you in this episode. Journalist Sarita Rao who writes for Luxembourg Times shared this link to an article she wrote on finding an upside to parenting a teen. Personally, I feel sincerely grateful to everyone who took the time to share your thoughts and experiences on the topic of how to deal with teenage hormones and our parenting. Such valuable advice! And for all the single parents out there, to get this kind of "conversation" and support is just priceless. Again, thank you to everyone who contributed! Here is episode 47 with me sharing the situation I am in right now.
I'm not talking about my hormones. Nope. I'm OK. I'm stable. I'm goooood. I am talking about teenager hormones, and possibly even worse; pre-teen hormones. My house is full of them. And I don't know how to handle this... It triggers me in so many ways. The laziness. The lack of drive. The lack of gratitude. The disconnect. And worst of all: the ATTITUDE!!! It drives me crazy. I feel like I am missing some vital parenting skills about how to cope with all this. Is there nothing I can do to "get on top" and take back control, get a reaction I want or some sort of respect? Right now, it just feels like I'm the chef, the cleaning lady and the servant in this castle. And it's for the benefit of pre-teen and teenagers. Ugh!!!! Help! And here is the help; episode 48 with such great advice and support from teenage parents from all over the world. Thank you guys, you are awesome!!!
Some negative results are REALLY good; like getting a negative test result from the Covid-19 testing. Great result to be negative. And there are others. But in general, when we experience "negative" things (that are truly negative) we tend to sink into sadness and drift off towards victimhood and other not so nice places to be. Even if I'm sincerely grateful to be negative in the test, I am also a little sad with this whole virus thing that is stopping so many people from being with their loved ones. To get myself out of my funk of missing my family, I went onto YouTube and watched Kevin Hart visit Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. I had such a great laugh, some tears and just a whole new energy to go through the rest of the day! That's what you do when you get negative results: intentionally snap yourself out of there!
Sharing my experience of getting tested for Covid-19. Not because I have a reason to want to get tested. But only because the government invites us to do voluntary testing. My daughter and I got tested, and within 24-48 hours we will get notified of a negative result, or receive a phone call with instructions if it's a positive result (which would not be very positive at all). And how do you cope with planning out the summer activities, what are your kids doing all day long if you have to work? And where do you find the time to cook all these meals when everyone is home all day long and eat and eat and eat. Lots of thoughts... I would love to hear your strategy for staying productive and also how to shut off and relax now and then, especially if you also run your own business.
How many things can you do without it taking a toll on the result? Not very many at all, in my opinion. Yes, some mechanical things can be done simultaneously, whereas some shouldn't; like driving and putting on mascara, or having dinner with our family and checking our phone. In today's episode I share some of my thoughts around how to avoid and limit how much we multitask, in order to maximize the output of our invested time. 1) Know your priorities. Do what is most important to you first. Not what is most urgent to someone else. 2) Plan into your agenda exactly when you are going to do it. To say "sometime this week" is just not good enough, and will likely not happen sometime this week. 3) Make sure you do that thing, and only that thing, until it's been completed, or at least a large part of the work has been done. Do only that thing, especially when you are interacting with other humans. 4) If you're up for a challenge: put your phone away for a day and focus deep on your tasks, without having the constant distraction of "just checking" the phone, your social media, messages, the news and your email. Good luck with focusing on your one thing!
Today I was attacked by a mean, mean, mean lady in the forest. She "just" attacked me with her hate, negativity and anger. It hurt like hell, and I still feel a little shook by it. But, I forced myself to bring out something positive of it. Hey Lady in the forest, IF you hear this, please know that you cannot take ANY credit of what went down in the forest today. None. But, I do respect and admire your courage to stand for what's important to you.
Having one of those days? No matter what you do, it all goes wrong, nothing works, you give but the day takes. I'm having one of them days today. My best strategy to own my day, in spite of a challenge like that, is that I create a disruptive shift in my mood, energy and focus. Jumped into my workout clothes and am heading over to the gym right NOW! Shift your thoughts, with force if needs be. Get yourself out of your funk! Here we go!!!!
Have you ever made a decision that you really wanted, something you longed for or felt you needed, even if you had the feeling that it wasn't really the best decision? I am sure you have. We all do it. And then we have to live with the consequences of that choice, right. I made a decision like that, and shared it in the last podcast episode For your Perusal. Well, in today's episode, I share how that backfired, as I didn't care about my gut feeling. I disregarded my intuition, and now I have to take the consequences. Join me on the quest to start listening more to your instinct and your gut feeling!
Everytime you learn something new is a great day! Today I learned a whole new word, from my awesome client Tracey! Talking about how you invest your summertime, your me-time and the "reading time" you have allocated this summer, I'd love to hear what you've added to your list of perusal. Quite pleased with myself for not making the assumption about something, and instead learning something new, with reference to yesterday's podcast episode on not to make assumptions.
Never think you know what someone else is thinking or feeling, never make the assumption that you know based on what you think they feel. They may have had a rough night, gotten rejected, have a water leak in the basement, lost their kitten, found out their loved one is not doing well... all these elements play a big part in how we interact with others, it changes our energy levels and can inflict on our attitude. Never make assumptions that you know what a person thinks or intends with a certain thing. If you feel it's difficult to understand, if you feel hurt, if you are disappointed, make sure you ask them. Give them a chance to explain!
Are you hoping for better relationships, more money, a long nice summer holiday, a bonus at work, maybe even a new job? Or you're dreaming about finding love, hoping he will be Mr. Right. Hoping to get a better social life, and hoping that there will be less friction in your life? Whatever you're hoping for, don't forget that hope is not a success strategy. There are specific and strategic steps we can take to get on top of our situation, our results and our life. In today's episode I share three clear and concise things you can do to increase the control you have over your situation and life experience.
What do you do when you're an adult, totally busy with your life, work, family and everything else, but you feel that you don't have a social life. Or, for those who are expats, and left the circle of friends at home. Or, those who followed their partner to another country, and don't "even" have a job to go to, but just sit at home wasting time wondering if this is all there is to life... How do you create a social setting that makes you happy and inspires you? Today I'm talking about how "I buy my friends" to create a social life that is very rich. As an expat it is very easy to feel isolated, far from home and alone in a world where we are supposed to belong together. Following up on the topic of expats and big decisions from yesterday.
Whether you're an expat or not, this summer we have different kind of factors to take into consideration for our big summer holiday decisions. Under normal circumstances, we plan, we select, we pick and we decide how and where we spend our summer holidays, right! For an expat, a person living in a foreign country, often the summer holidays are about "going home", travel to meet family and friends from your home country. But this year, everything is different, expat or not. We can't travel as we've done until now. Some can't travel at all. Some can go, but may have to consider getting stuck at the destination. For me and my little family, we're considering driving by car to Sweden. But what happens when you get there, and can you get back home? By now, I'm sure you've all heard how the Swedes "managed" the Corona crisis differently than the rest of the world. For good or bad, there are elements in this situation that need to be taken into consideration for a good summer. And how do you make that decision when you don't have all the elements? Decisions, decisions, decisions...
As a follow up on yesterday's episode on how to get better results, today I want to add an important factor of WHO you seek advice from in order to reach new goals and get better results. You can't just keep on listening to mom's well-meant support, not if you want results at least! Those closest to us very often "support" us with love and comfort, which unfortunately does not give us the fire and drive to push through uncomfortable and challenging phases.
Whether you want better results in your professional situation, in your relationship or with your fitness goals, my best advice, tried and tested over and over again, is: get a coach. Not just any coach. Not the cheapest one because "at least then you've tried". No. Get a really good one, someone who as achieved what it is you want to achieve, and do everything they tell you to do. Not some of it, not half of it, not 3/4 of it. All of it! In today's episode I share how I'm stepping up my game to increase my already achieved results for my "getting back in shape" program, and going all-in with my PT Barbara.
What do you do when you get questions you can't answer? You don't know the answer, you don't know if it's the right or the best answer, you don't even know if you're helping. What do you do then, especially with the persons who need you to show up as if you know, as if you're in control and as if you can help bring comfort and understanding? This episode comes to you with a personal story of how I find the confidence to feel I bring what is needed, when it's needed.
This episode is my declaration of love to my Personal Trainer Barbara Hajduk. She is the power behind me being able to transform my body from totally out of shape, to feeling really confident and good about myself again. I had put on 8 kilos of fluff and puff, FAT really, from eating chocolate, chips and dip, lovely dinners with sauce and second servings, and the fanciest cakes and desserts I ever made in my life. Every day. Oh, and the ice-cream and pop-corn. And more chocolate of course. Just mad amounts and consistent overconsuming. It got to a point where I called a Personal Trainer I know from the gym, but had never worked with. I poured my heart out and begged her to help me. This is the introduction to our story. I will be sharing the full scope, with challenges and setbacks and all, in a few weeks. In the meantime, if you want to get in shape, check out Barbara's phenomenal free workout videos on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barbaraluxworkout/ The transformation I have created with my body over the past three months, I owe it all to the incredible support from Barbara and having her as my phenomenal accountability partner. I love you Barbara!
Today marks the first day of the second half of 2020. Every opportunity to start fresh is worth making the most of. Personally, I'm fully committed to maintaining my physical shape, but am adding on two monsters I will tackle now going forward. And, I'm sharing a ninja technique to get it done. Check out #ten2zen with @editwithcharlee on Instagram, she'll get you going with getting on top of things in your household, easy peasy. I'm starting today! What will you be diving into? What project will you commit to improving? If you want to share, let me know and I will literally be cheering on you through the podcast :)
Today's episode will give you a way to reduce stress in only 20 seconds. I hope you share this episode with everyone you care about :)
How do you keep producing and showing up when you don't find the motivation? I often get this question from my clients, and I always give the same answer. Very seldom in my life do I feel a lack of motivation, but... today it happened. So, what a great opportunity to showcase an example of how I do to keep producing and showing up even when I don't feel like it. Today's episode is an example of how I do it. I choose my thoughts, very carefully. I take action, in a very intentional way. And I get it done. Because I can. I hope this episode motivates you to go and take action in something in your life, something you've been putting off. Let me know what you want to hear about. What inspires you? If you're enjoying the podcast, it would mean a lot to me if you'd leave a review and a 5-star rating :)
Do you get to the end of the day feeling exhausted because you just didn't stop? You were at it from early morning, fixing, helping, delivering, producing, caring, working and making sure you deliver, but you just couldn't get to the end of your to-do-list? This episode is for you! Perhaps my story of how an incident of fate helped me change from being a burned-out perfectionist with constant and daily "failures", feeling incredibly insufficient and useless, to being someone who every day seeks to acknowledge my efforts. Even if some days, I am far from finishing my "list". This is a follow-up to episode 3 "Done is better than Perfect". Thank you for listening. Today I acknowledge and feel very happy about, two thousand downloads. Thank you!
We're making history today by recording simultaneously the first-ever podcast AND Facebook live at the same time. The reason I did this was to show the draw of who wins a FREE 1:1 COACHING SESSION with me. Thank you, everyone who's left fantastic reviews and 5-star ratings, it means so very much to me! In today's podcast, I'm sharing some thoughts on how to handle the moment when you get critiqued or receive a harsh or hurtful comment. Just because someone has really poor communication style, is rude and doesn't know how to pass on information in a good way, it does not mean you have to receive it and certainly not take it to heart. I share my power phrase to respond to any and all criticism, in a way that makes you feel in control of the situation, and can even make you gain something - instead of feeling pain. I also talk about the Five Love Languages, where this blog post may add more value to you: What happens when you give feedback?
Whether you identify with this as a parent, as a leader of a team or more generally from a self-leadership perspective not feeling quite successful with your actions, I hope you will consider the point that when we feel like we're about to "go bananas", it's too late. That sounds negative, but what I really mean is this: when you feel that you're being triggered, pushed, disrespected and not listened to, you need to make sure you strengthen your boundaries and put your foot down much earlier. When you feel that initial irritation, THAT's when we should reset the flow in a conversation, that's when we need to hold our boundaries and speak up for what we believe to be the right way. In this episode, I share a "parenting fail" that I still think is quite OK and will be a story we laugh about as my children grow older. To be clear, it's not something I recommend as a parenting strategy. Clearly, I had no control over the situation, I felt that I had no other way out to create peace around me, and it was not an option to continue listening to the arguing between my children. I've said it before, I'm not a parenting expert!! Just a mom trying her best, and today I didn't do so well. In that moment, it was still my best. I inhale deeply, and focus on building the strength and focus to capture the frustration and triggering much earlier going forward. The shower incident will be remembered! What is a situation you've experienced where you "went bananas" or "lost it"?
Recording this episode was quite tough, especially towards the end, as I really just wanted to cry. I don't know how impactful a podcast is if the listener can't really hear what you're saying because you're crying or sobbing, or sniveling. Anyway, I made an effort to get this out of me, because I believe it has a very powerful and very important message. I know that I am not the only one who carries a memory or two that is sad, hurtful, or holds some shame. I hope this story about how I remembered my "alcoholic grandparents", and how, after enduring a horrible migraine that offered me a lot of thinking time this past weekend, I no longer hold that same memory, but choose to remember all the wonderful details, that are equally real and true. If you are a parent and you drink alcohol, perhaps one of your greatest fears is that your children will not respect you, or only remember you as drunk. For you, I hope this episode gives hope that they will also remember all the lovely things you do for them, the moments you have together with laughter and fun. That is also real! My intention with today's episode is to inspire you to take ownership of your thoughts and feelings, and in particular those around any memory that you carry with pain. To my grandparents Gunvor and Hilding, up in Heaven.
Are you a perfectionist? With constant and omnipresent pressure on yourself to always be, do, and deliver PERFECTION? This is a subject that comes up quite regularly with my 1:1 coaching clients. Their struggles with the feeling that they HAVE to be perfect. And of course, their pain and suffering when they feel they didn't reach perfection. When there was a tiny mistake, a shortcoming, or perhaps just the lack of an acknowledgment of their "performance". One of my clients expressed that she HAS to be perfect, and if she isn't, she will beat herself up about it in an eternal process with a downward thinking cycle that makes her nothing less than miserable and unhappy. I asked her "do you do the same thing to others, when they make a little mistake"? No, I would never do that to someone else, she says. When I ask why, she immediately answers: I don't want to hurt them. So, million-dollar question: why do it to yourself? If this is something you struggle with, I hope this new perspective gives you a sense of hope that you can start taking control of these thoughts in a new way. Happy Midsummer Eve to all my fellow Swedes around the world!
Maybe you're not grumpy. Maybe you're irritated, or stressed, or worried... Whatever you feel you are, even the really positive feelings, there's always another perspective. Today's episode is about exploring "the other perspective" in a situation where you feel stuck, down, irritated or perhaps grumpy. Don't walk around thinking of yourself that you are grumpy, or any other negative word, like Katja from the workshop I facilitated with eBay. Make sure you seek out the positive reflection of that word. By intentionally choosing the words you use to talk about yourself, you gain control over how you feel, you strengthen your confidence and you own your mind-space. If you're loving the podcast, please subscribe, write a review and leave a 5-star rating. It means the world to me! And - you then enter the monthly draw to win a FREE 1:1 VIP coaching session with me :)
Today is my little brother's birthday. He turns 35, almost adult now :) Let me entertain you by singing the Swedish birthday song, and share a little story from when we grew up. I was 14, he was 4, and I loved when he wanted hugs and let me carry him. At one point, I was quite creative in finding a way to get him to want more hugs. So... I took my Tiger Balm, put a thin layer (it really was a thin layer) under his eyes. Looking back now, I can see that it wasn't a good idea, of course. But hey, I loved those hugs. Check out this episode to hear what happened. Did I get my hugs? Or did our mother scare half of my hair off my head in her fury over what I did? Happy birthday Robban!
I'm not saying YOUR communication style sucks. I am talking about when you feel like your communication style sucks, or the way someone talks to you. So many times in life do we find ourselves in conversations that hurt, that make us sad, make us feel less intelligent, super frustrated, angry, scared, pressured, humiliated even. All the feelings. And of course all the good ones. But today's episode focuses on the conversations that are difficult, and using a Personality Character Profiling System called DISC. We are all fairly easily categorized into four different communication styles. For our personality, we can be strong in one, two or even three categories, but our communication style is often peaking in one of the four different styles. D is the driven, big picture, results, and task-oriented person who loves being in charge and challenges the status quo. I is the talkative, optimistic, encourager that loves to inspire teams to move forward together, fun to be around and very social. S is the loyal, reliable, good listener that wants and makes sure that everyone is OK, makes the coffee and brings fresh bread to the office, avoids confrontation and is a great mediator when one is needed. C is the critical, analytical, sharp and focused person who loves detail, facts, statistics and reports. They want outlines and data and will double-check their work three times before feeling content. Also focus on the task rather than the relationships. So what happens in your life when you have to communicate with someone who has a very different communication style? Well, you easily feel that your communication style sucks, because you can't get your message across. You get angry, frustrated and irritated. What if that is your boss? What if it's a family member, or even tougher, what if it's your partner, that you live with, AND work with in your family business. Looking at if from this perspective, it's easy to see how valuable it is to know your communication style, to understand what communication style your parnters, friends, family members or colleagues have, to achieve the results you want and nurture positive relationships. You are most welcome to reach out to me if you have any questions about the DISC profiling system. Let me know how this episode helped you!
There is so much that "helps" us create and shape and mold our self-image as we grow up and continue through life. As of today, if you hadn't considered it before, I would like to invite you to take full responsibility of your self-image. Join in on the journey of exploring, understanding and improving our self-image to become something that supports and helps us achieve our goals, live happy and fulfilled and own our life!
The world is changing again, many of our old routines start to take space on the agenda again, like going to the gym. Today was my first visit, after three months of lockdown. I discovered we don't all use disinfectant the same way, some use it as an aftershave! Are you one of the persons who's gotten in better shape during these months, are you one of the totally overwhelmed who feels like you need a vacation at a retreat, or are you somewhere in the middle? I'm one of the more extreme cases I think, with a complete body transformation during quarantine, which is more like self-isolation. Whatever the correct term is, I am eternally grateful for having been able to transform my body. And you can do the same! This episode is a teaser to the upcoming series about how I got myself totally off track, gained 8 kilos of FAT, and then transformed my body into the best shape of my life over the past three months. Shoutout to Carolina de Leon, thank you so much for the lovely review and 5-star rating. I appreciate you. Everyone who leaves a review and 5-star rating are in the draw to win a VIP 1:1 coaching session with me. The last date to enter is June 18th.
What do you think is better? Being an introvert or an extrovert? Which personality type has a higher success rate in society? Who is perceived as the better person? I used to think, until just a year ago, partly because I was told so: that I am an extrovert. Then WHY did networking, mingling and attending "girls nights out" feel so incredibly uncomfortable? Why did hanging out with groups of truly nice people drain me to a point I felt like I would collapse? My conclusion was that there must be something wrong with me, obviously. Just not a nice person. If this is something you've felt, I hope that by listening to this episode, you get a different perspective and know that you are not alone. Having an introvert under your strong shield, one that needs to recover in solitude, is totally normal, and knowing that that's the case can save you a lot of energy and thinking. Like Marilyn Monroe said: "I restore myself when I'm alone". A massive thank you to Antoinette Griffin one of my teachers from The John Maxwell Team, for helping me discover this vital piece about myself. Like announced: in a week, you’ll hear more about the websummit Unleash Your Confidence, hosted by the lovely Jessie.
Why does growth hurt so much? Why is personal development, and personal growth so very uncomfortable that most people just don't pursue it? Compared to the pain of growing into a better, stronger version of ourselves, many prefer taking the pain of frustration, the pain of being stuck, and the pain of unfulfillment. I hope that these stories about growth and creating change, not just to survive, but to thrive and to live, will inspire you to want to grow further. You may find more inspiration and food for thought in this blog on why growth is so painful.
They say we die twice; once, when our physical body gives in, and the second when someone speaks our name for the last time. Whether you live to be remembered and live on long before you and your loved ones are gone, or you live to make an impact on those close to you, make sure you live life to the fullest while you are here.
Have you also received some really fun or sweet or totally mad messages during the lockdown? I'm sharing some of the most unprofessional, disturbing, and sweet messages I have received. And possibly a marriage proposal... Long live the crazy people who don't see, understand, or know boundaries, finesse and etiquette, at least the ones that make you laugh! For anyone wanting to check out my London based photographer that I mention at the end, here is her website: Nicky West Photography. If you have received some crazy or entertaining messages, I'd love to hear it so we can share it on an upcoming episode :)
Following up on Episode 3; Done is better than PERFECT, we're talking about what you have to do if you want to be successful. What is the first thing you have to do? Besides knowing what it is you want to do. Number 1: you have to START!!!! You have to start. You gotta jump! But here’s the thing: almost EVERYONE feels that “naaaaahhh…. I’m not ready yet….” For how long are you going to be “not ready yet”? What are you waiting for? What EXACTLY is it you need to get to the point where you feel “NOW I’m ready”? I’m pretty sure you’re not waiting for everyone else to get ready before you, so they can jump and enjoy the adventure and the success before you. I think, nobody really ever feels “NOW I’m ready”. I think, most people just don’t have the courage. And I’m sorry for saying that, but I really think that’s what it is. I’ve often been told “ah, it’s so easy for you Annica, you have so much courage…”. OK, OK, you think I was BORN with a higher dose of courage?! Not the case. Not at all. Check out today's episode, and get inspired by Steve Harvey's motivational video You Gotta Jump.
The most important relationship in your life, is the one with yourself. If that relationship is not what you want it to be, you have to acknowledge that it won't be getting any better with time just by repeating over and over again the same thoughts you've been maintaining until now. In this episode we talk about how to make the relationship with ourselves better, to make it the best one in our life!
Before an eTV interview I did last week, on how to influence with confidence, I received so many questions on the topic of confidence. Today's episode is a compilation on three of the questions around how to raise confident children and how to instill positive self-esteem in your little ones. I think this episode is valuable for everyone, because we all have relationships, at the very least with ourselves, and we all have an inner child who could use some love and affection, to grow a little bit more confident. If you're not already familiar with Dr. Gary Chapman's Five Love Languages, check him out. It's something that has helped me not only improve my relationships with my children, but also to better understand myself, to discover the love language of my mother and to create stronger bonds with my friends and clients. Also sharing our "dinner table game" that has proven to build a certain level of confidence and boosted self-esteem in my three children. I would love to hear your thoughts and if you have questions on this, please reach out to me. If you enjoy the podcast, I would be so very happy if you'd leave a 5-star review and help us reach more people. Everyone who leaves a five-star review is in the draw to win a 1:1 VIP coaching session with me! Thank you so much in advance!
You make bad choices - because - you're human. We all do it. We all have to carry the weight of choices we made that turned out to be not so good. And yet, some of those really bad choices turn out to be a blessing in disguise. If you want to be in control of your life, to own it, to create a life by design, there are lots of things you can do to learn how to make better choices. Like Aristotle said "knowing yourself is true wisdom". I'm actually not 100% sure he said that, but I read on the internet he said it. One thing remains certain; by investing in your personal development, you embark on the journey of true wisdom and a life by design.
Episode 10, two digits, comes with a heavy heart, deep concern about the evolution in our society and the encouragement to make sure you have an opinion that speaks of mutual respect. Your blood is red, but what is the color of your skin? Do you benefit from The White Privilege? How is the life of mother, who worries about all the things a mother worry about for her child, how is her life and her worries different depending on the color of the skin of her child? Let's talk about humans, not skin colors.
Today's session is a first of a series coming up the coming days, also connected to the live eTV show interview I did earlier today on how to "Influence with Confidence" organized by TLR Talks. How common is it to have issues around lack of self-confidence and low self-esteem? I think you'd be surprised if you could hear the thoughts people have about themselves in general; it's all about not having or not being enough, or not being worthy of what they have. And yet, we all give our everything to seem perfect and happy and successful on social media, right? When did you last post a picture from an early morning, when you didn't get enough sleep and you feel sad about an argument in your relationship. We never see those pictures, do we. But I think we all go through that, because it's part of life. How confident are you, and can it change? Follow along on today's episode and the ones next week as we dive deep on the topic of self-confidence. I appreciate you so so so much for listening!!! /Annica
We're all going through a lot of change now. For some it's more on the personal side, having to work from home, with children in the "working space". For some it's more on the professional side, not gaining an income as they cannot sell to their clients right now. For some, it's both personal and professional change in a big and overwhelming way. The question is, how can we be in charge of our emotional state, how can we take ownership of the situation instead of feeling like a victim and depend on the circumstances around us? Today's episode is about how we can create positive change, and sharing some different perspectives on change in general. What change are you going through right now?
A terribly honest conversation with my daughter pushed me into a thinking space that ended up being a really nice place to be. Where are you in life right now, and how do you feel about being there?
If we don't pay attention to how we invest our lifetime, in a swoosh it will all be gone.
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is the present, that's why we call it a gift.
Are you feeling OLD, or are you feeling that you are RIGHT where you want to be?
I would love to hear from you!
And if you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe and if you leave a 5-star review I will do a very, very happy dance!!!
This episode is for Charlee and all the moms who feel guilty for liking some time alone, some piece of quiet and a moment of rest. You are all wonderful! And remember, that every great man, every great woman, every great creation was made by a person who came from a mother.
What creations and innovations would we get to experience and benefit from if all the moms had the same amount of uninterrupted time to focus on her genius, to be in the zone, as all the men of genius of our history?
It's OK to allow oneself to rest, to appreciate a moment alone!
You're definitely worth it.
But, you have also EARNED it!
PS. yes, as you can hear, at one point I say "interrupted" when clearly I should have said "UNinterrupted" :) Just to keep you on your toes!!!
What is the reach of an act of kindness? How much impact can we have with it?
Where do "you" begin and end, and where do "I" begin and end? How much of our behavior impacts those around us, and how far do the ripple effects stretch from an act of kindness. Some really interesting facts from research, shared by Erik Fernholm (founder of 29K.org), who was interviewed by Alexander Pärleros, on the Framgångspodden, top 10 podcast in Sweden.
I would love to hear your favorite story about random acts of kindness.
Relationships are not always easy. The closer they are, the more challenging it can get.
Today's episode is about the relationship I have with my "new dad", my stepfather Lennart.
Through my teenage years, and as a young adult, I'm not sure I could appreciate our relationship fully, what was there, I probably just took it for granted, without being able to appreciate it. Today is his birthday, and I celebrate him and the very special relationship we have built. Who is someone you have in your life, either close, or with a little distance, that you tend to forget to appreciate for what they mean to you? Perhaps taking them a little bit for granted? Or perhaps you know exactly how much they mean to you, but you don't feel comfortable, just don't have the courage, to express in words what they mean to you?
I hope this story encourages you to reach out to someone who deserves to hear how much they mean to you. And I would love to hear about it!
If you're a perfectionist and want things to be perfect before you start, make sure you don't end up taking your dreams with you to the grave. The most valuable place on Earth is the cemetery, because so many people die with their dreams still within.
This episode is about how to take bold action, way before you're ready, and create results and turn dreams into reality as you go. Imperfect action. Done is better than perfect!
Yesterday was my birthday and I thought it was gonna be a great day, a day to remember.
I was very wrong. At first. Here's my story of how to deal with massive disappointment! The best strategy I know of, the one that is most efficient for me, is disruptive action-taking. Start doing something that is totally unrelated to the topic of your disappointment, and with all your focus, dive into massive action on this other thing. Something that, when you complete it, will automatically bring you great satisfaction and/or joy.
Happy birthday!!!
Today I turn 45, officially adult :)
This podcast is long due and I am so so so happy to share it with you.
A quick intro to what Own It is all about, I really hope you want to follow along.
Daily bite-sized snippets of valuable thoughts, life lessons, challenges and fun.
Let's begin.
/Annica