โPutting things off is the biggest waste of life: it snatches away each day as it comes, and denies us the present by promising the future. The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today. You are arranging what lies in Fortuneโs control, and abandoning what lies in yours. What are you looking at? To what goal are you straining? The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately.โ
โ Seneca. On The Shortness of Life ๐ซ
It's time we were all a little more stoic....
"Your time is limited, so donโt waste it living someone elseโs life. Donโt be trapped by dogma โ which is living with the results of other peopleโs thinking. Donโt let the noise of otherโs opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." - Steve Jobs
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The P.E.A. Nature Award for @seed_ball arrived! Might be time to get a little trophy cabinet ๐๐! In all seriousness though - look how pretty it is ๐ ! This award is probably the award we are most proud of ... it's an award that recognises pioneers who are setting us on a path towards a more sustainable future! How fricking cool is that?! When we started Seedball and at every step of the way we have focussed on building a business that does good in the world. That changes the way people garden and the way they think about their gardens. It's not been easy and our success now is built on years of hard slog. But, I wouldn't change any of it for the world!
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Do you want to start a business? I encourage you to really go for it and start a business that you believe in! That is aligned with your heart. Your Ikigai. Work hard and the rewards are beyond what you can even imagine.
Decided everyone needed a distraction from 2020! Soooooo introducing our totally adorable new puppy - Teddy... Sheโs already been at Seedball HQ distracting everyone ๐๐คฉ
I could not be prouder of the businesses that Iโve helped to create! Seedball is just beautiful and the impact that we are having on the world is amazing! Together we really can make this world a better place!
We are expanding @seed_ball again!!! Just signed on a triple space size factory space - ready for next month! Not gonna lie all this scaling up is nerve wracking but amazing too โจ๐๐
"Just keep swimming" Dori, Finding Nemo
Yay! It's number crunching day! I have what feels like a gazillion properties to run numbers on and follow up on numbers so it's a bit of a rollercoaster day! Fingers crossed some deals work and get accepted ๐ค๐
I love property when things are going fast - deals being accepted, refurbs getting over the line, tenants moving in! At the moment things are on the go slow! Two HMOs have been in conveyancing for what seems like an age ... their solicitor is literally communicating by snail mail ๐and three buy to let refurbs are also going really slowly! One that we'd hoped to be finished by today had a last minute electrical problem and the other one due to be finished today decided to spring a leak in the pipe inside the kitchen wall!! Gah! The third, due to be finished by the 17th looks nowhere near and the project manager 'let go' of the majority of the build team due to them being lazy ๐
It's fair to say this moment in property feels like it's lasting an age! So grateful for Seedballs fast paced progress and excitement at the moment... another reason to have multiple businesses and streams of income ๐คโค๏ธ
Soooo proud and slightly obsessed with our new Wildlife lovers seedball match boxes - available on Not On The High Street! I'm so lucky my sister in law is a book designer so she could hand draw the designs and make them just right ๐ ... as a side note - sooooo difficult to get onto Not On The High Street. It's taken a ton of effort to get online with them but 100% worth it!
Lately, it's all been a bit much hasn't it?! It's certainly taking extra will power to keep on pushing toward goals in this current climate. What I have learned about myself is that I'm pretty good at home schooling and small things like candles, music and cups of chai make a massive difference to mood and my ability to keep on keeping on.
You might be thinking that now is the time to quit, you've got far.. not quite your goal but pretty good. Stop! Take a moment... say to yourself ...
"I didnโt come this far to only come this far."
What you have achieved so far has been tremendous! Nothing should stop you! Now is the time to make yourself unstoppable.
But of course, you are human. Be kind to you! Stop, if it's too much. But don't stop because of one moment in a lifetime, making you tired.
Take a break to rest, to recharge, grab a cuppa and a chocolate biscuit - take time to think and plan next steps! And, get back to what you were doing when you are ready to!
Becoming isnโt about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesnโt end.โ โ Michelle Obama, from Becoming
If you'd told me a year ago that @seed_ball would be squeezed in our new manufacturing and assembly units - I'd have laughed!! Now, we're super focussed on working out how to increase productivity and efficiency in the spaces we have... in a business that has it's own mind and just keeps growing!! Setting up Seedball and my property business at the same time along with a young, young family has been super fricking hard. But, my, oh my! It is so worth it!! Guys YOU NEED multiple streams of income. If it's not on your goals for this year - get on it! your life will change โค๏ธ
A quote to inspire your day ๐
โThe biggest risk is not taking any risk... In a world thatโs changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.โโ Mark Zuckerberg
"Organise around business functions, not people. Build systems within each business function. Let systems run the business and people run the systems. People come and go but the systems remain constant" (Michael Gerber, E-Myth Revisited). ๐กPut it on your to-do list - read the E myth right now! ๐ก
You want success - without losing your mind? Get systems in place... no matter how small your business is. Systems help reduce errors and brain space needed in general tasks - improving productivity and efficiency. Spend time now carefully planning out your systems - I swear it will pay dividends for years! We need to build checklists and peer review and resilience into how we work. I've done it with property and we've done it with Seedball.
Along with lessons about money, lessons about building systems are missing from our schools. The idea of implementing checklists and processes seems something others do, theyโre beneath us. Yet, working on systems can also really help mental health - instead of reacting to an error with horror, having systems means we can respond with, โI can build a better system.โ If it what you're doing matters enough that you must do it carefully and properly - then start systemising right now!
Ana โก
Want to connect? Find me on insta @dr.anaattlee, or why not pop along to a meet up? If you think I can accelerate your journey to your goals get in touch or book a coaching session!
โLittle strokes fell great oaks" Benjamin Franklin
This week I was listening to an audiobook by Jeffrey Ries - "Kaizen for Small Business Startup: How to Gain and Maintain a Competitive Edge by Applying the Kaizen Mindset to Your Startup Business and Management" So decided to distil some of the key points for you guys ๐คฉ๐
I LOVE the concept of Kaizen.. it's not too dissimilar from The Slight Edge concept of small steps taking you far... but adds extra methodology in... Each day you just focus on making a small improvement โ whatever your objective is โand these small, systematic changes will add up to make a whole heap of difference over time. These small improvements make systems and help you put habits in place that increase your efficiency and effectiveness, health and wellbeing over time. When you improve with purpose a little each day, eventually big things occur. Kaizen is not about fast results, it's more of a tortoise and hare approach. So instead of huge wins this week - why not go for small improvements that effect long term change in your life and business?!
"Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.
Bob Parsons"
Ana โก
Want to connect? Find me on insta @dr.anaattlee, or why not pop along to a meet up? If you think I can accelerate your journey to your goals get in touch or book a coaching session!
Literally one of my favourite books every is The Richest Man in Babylon. I love it, not only for its lessons, but because it talks about making Babylon the richest country in the world, by making every citizen rich.
It's an interesting concept and one I think about regularly...
Just because the rich exist, does it mean there must be poor? To be successful myself, I don't have to make anyone else less successful. We can all win! We all have different goals (and if we had the same goals - like buying nature reserves ๐ - couldn't/wouldn't we work together?
If you want to be successful, focus on you and applaud those who are doing well and building their own success. Here are 7 tips to create success in your life now!
1. Take ownership: Stop with the excuses! Own everything โ you failed (first attempt in learning) it was your fault, you won โ you did that!! It works both ways. The blame game didnโt get anyone anywhere โ nor did giving your power to someone else.
2. Add 5 people you admire into your circle: Reach out to successful people, engage with them. Get mentored/coached by them. If you want to get ahead, get around people that have done what you want to do!.
3. Be grateful: Practice gratitude every single day. Look always, every day at what you have and be grateful for that! Focussing on your wants will only serve to make you unhappy.
4. Fight for you: You must fight for what you want โ yes it is frightening, itโs often like a rollercoaster. You may feel you are going mad, or broke or drinking too much wine (just me?!) but after taking a sensible look at the risks you must feel the fear and do it anyway. Do whatever it takes to make it happen for you!
5. Get focused: Set goals, set systems for achieving those goals โ turn successful behaviours and systems into habitats and execute on them every day. No excuses! You wanted thisโฆ go get it!
6. Get disciplined: Choose to do what you have to do, not what you want to do! And, show up every day to do it!
7. BE HAPPY: Become someone who pursues happiness. Design your life, for you. Reward yourself when you make tiny wins.
Have a fab day! See you at the top ๐๐
Ana โก
Want to connect? Find me on insta @dr.anaattlee, or why not pop along to a meet up? If you think I can accelerate your journey to your goals get in touch or book a coaching session!
โIf we define risk as โthe likelihood of an irreversible negative outcome,โ inaction is the greatest risk of all.โ Tim Ferris
I printed a big 1440 on a piece of paper and stuck it onto my vision board. Nothing else. Just โ1440โ in my favourite Calibri font. Every day we all have 1,440 minutes.
The single most important thing when it comes to productivity mindset. Hence why I started with a quote from the 4 hour work week by Tim Ferris... read it! It's life changing.
People who are successful see time differently. We can lose money, friends, health and they can all return. Time cannot. Time is your single most important asset. How different would life be if we had a clock ticking down the 1,440 minutes in the day? I think we would probably waste time less and move much faster toward making our goals a reality.
Have an amazing day! See you at the top ๐๐.
Ana โก
Want to connect? Find me on insta @dr.anaattlee, or why not pop along to a meet up? If you think I can accelerate your journey to your goals get in touch or book a coaching session!
โA ship is always safe at the shore, but that is not what it is built for.โ Albert Einstein
I get it! Stepping out of our comfort zones is exactly that - uncomfortable! The great thing is, you can make small steps out of your comfort zone and grow your confidence in risk taking slowly. I remember four years ago my comfort zone stretching challenges were literally to ask someone something in the day (could be the time of day or directions) also to answer my phone even when it's an unknown caller (eek!) and to open a door (ha! Yep... I literally would wait and watch for others to push or pull the door first before I would go through ๐๐). It's fair to say my comfort zone is waaaaaaay beyond any of the issues I had when I began this daily practice!
Stepping outside of your comfort zone on daily basis can massively change your life and is essential if you want to be a successful entrepreneur. So ask yourself this: "What would my life be like if every day I did something that made me afraid." Now what about trying it? Here's a 7 day challenge for you! Every morning write down a challenge for yourself - nothing too huge, just a tiny risk and go and do that one thing! Here are a few ideas to start with: - Ask a stranger the time of day/directions
- Go somewhere new - Ask for something you probably wont receive - a discount on coffee or a free coffee if you're at Pret
- Let the world know your biggest goals
Then, check in with yourself each day after the challenge and at the end of the 7 days... if you're like me you'll have such an insight into what personal growth can happen via tiny tasks of risk that you'll keep the challenge going for years!
Have a fab day! See you at the top ๐๐
Ana โก
Want to connect? Find me on insta @dr.anaattlee, or why not pop along to a meet up? If you think I can accelerate your journey to your goals get in touch or book a coaching session!
โThe only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.โ โRalph Waldo Emerson
So, choose yourself. Yep - I said it - choose you! ๐โโ๏ธ Your path, your decisions, what you want to do and who you want to be! So often we find ourself living a life that's for other people. It's not selfish to choose you - it's sensible. You can drive yourself bonkers ๐คช trying to work out what decision is right for someone else. So, why not spend some time in 2020 checking in with you. Develop your sense of self knowledge and your intuition.
We work best when we listen to both the mind and the body โค๏ธ That sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach? Butterflies in your chest, Shiver up your spine? It's telling you something ๐. When a decision or situation isnโt right for you, no matter how many times your mind is telling you to go ahead, your body will feel heavy and constricted thinking about it. Conversely even if your mind is full of fear to move forward on a plan you may feel your body bussing with electricity! ๐
Make it a priority NOW to stop second guessing and living for other peoples wants, and start checking in with what you really want! I generally find that my mind loves to take me on a rollercoaster, but that sinking feeling? That excited feeling ? Well, that stays constant and steady. Choosing to pay attention to that makes you true to you and as far as I've experienced is certainly the happiest path you can take โค๏ธ
Ana โก
Want to connect? Find me on insta @dr.anaattlee, or why not pop along to a meet up? If you think I can accelerate your journey to your goals get in touch or book a coaching session!
Children are trained to ask for permission to do just about everything. Then there comes the transition to adulthood, without being taught/trained to make our own decisions. The fall out of this lack of transition = a lot of people hanging around and waiting for someone to give them permission to do the big things in life.
Quit your job?
Start investing?
Take that big exiting trip? etc. etc.
The easy decisions are those that society condones - get a job, buy your own home... But what about the path of an entrepreneur? We don't have a set of "pre-permission-ed" decisions we can take. It's our own route the whole way. And that can leave even the most confident amongst us... well.. a little shaky ๐
As I've gone through life, I've worked with Professors, those high up in government, well known investors and business people. All of them at some point have expressed self doubt. What does that teach us? No one really is 100 certain but those that get far act anyway.
So, what do you want in 2020? Go, give yourself permission to act... or if that's a step too far - I definitely give you permission!! โค๏ธโญ
โDo you want to know who you are? Donโt ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.โ โThomas Jefferson
Ana โก
Want to connect? Find me on insta @dr.anaattlee, or why not pop along to a meet up? If you think I can accelerate your journey to your goals get in touch or book a coaching session!
โReal estate investing, even on a very small scale, remains a tried and true means of building an individual's cash flow and wealth.โ โ Robert Kiyosaki
โญ For the love of.... โ
So... you are starting out investing in property or upping your investment game this year? Congrats! Make 2020 the year you go all in!
I'm not going to lie - it's a rollercoaster. Property investment is both exhilarating and frightening and there are quite a few bits of property investment that cannot be controlled, even if we do fantastic due diligence (hello ๐ re-valuation surveyors who value according to their mood, or the time of year, or the weather etc. etc.)...
But, I don't think there is much that can compete with property investment as a strategy for wealth creation. Plus, it's one, when done right, is so so satisfying. There is not much better than providing beautiful homes and knowing you are the best landlord ever! While being able to live the life you dreamed of and knowing you will be able to carry out huge goals (like creating nature reserves ๐โค๏ธ๐ฏ).
For the model of investment I use... buy, refurbish, refinance ๐ you make your money when you buy. I repeat - you make your money when you buy!!
So - view more properties people!! Check out my blog on viewing and match me - go for a viewing every half an hour and stick to a 'viewing day'... at least do this for the first quarter of the year - if it doesn't work for you, bin it, but I'd be shocked! You need to FILL YOUR HOPPER with viewings like the one above! Old tired houses, ones where you can add plenty of value and show the surveyor what a HUGE difference you have made in your before and after pics! This one a) smelt - so no one even wanted to view b) had swirly carpets - ch ching ๐ค c) out of date heating/electrics/kitchen/bathroom, d) wall tiles and ceiling tiles everywhere!
What are your 2020 property goals? Let me know in the comments below!
Ana โก
Want to connect? Find me on insta @dr.anaattlee, or why not pop along to a meet up? If you think I can accelerate your journey to your goals get in touch or book a coaching session!