What’s your unique self-help support plan?


What's your approach to self-help? Where do you start? Life coach Laura Weldy breaks down three areas of focus to get you started on your personal development journey: confidence, clarity, and connection.

There is so much power in collaboration – and I don’t just mean on work or business projects. The Well Supported Woman is built on the belief that crowdsourcing our life & personal development makes us stronger, more productive & happier. 

Just think about all the badass people in your life. Odds are, they’re full of wisdom, experience and insights that can help you on your own journey, but they may not know you need or want their input. People love to talk about themselves, and I genuinely believe that most people want to help others succeed –so don’t worry about being an inconvenience. 

(Is there a right and wrong way to ask for support? Absolutely. Click here to download the guide to the Do’s and Don’t of Asking for Support in the Support Vault! Already a member of the Vault? Click here to login.)

Learning how to become a Well Supported Woman is like hacking your own personal development. You’re becoming incredibly efficient by learning from the experience of others, you’re building your confidence & connections, and you’re inviting future karmic opportunities to help your supporters when they need it, too. 

Just in case I didn’t make this obvious, support can come from external sources like other people, OR from internal sources. Yes – you can support yourself. And that’s exactly what you’re doing when you’re committing to changing habits and learning about yourself!

But when we feel overwhelmed by the world of personal development it can feel impossible to know where to focus our attention or where to ask for external support.

 

It seems like another daunting task to try to understand our stressors or analyze our situation – and our overloaded brains just can’t handle it. We don’t know if we should be reading self-help books, working with a coach, journalling our heart out or just expanding our social circles. We just want things to be EASIER, and we want to feel inspired and motivated by our own growth.

That’s why I created The Well Supported Woman – to help you start down the personal development path, rather than spinning your wheels indefinitely. I prioritized the three areas of growth that I think are most beneficial to living a happy and fulfilled life – confidence, clarity and connection. Your unique self-help support plan will come down to you choosing which branch to explore, reflect on and implement first, based on which will be the most applicable to your needs

You may want to start with Confidence if…

  • You feel unsure about your voice, your message, or your presence
  • You feel like your negative self talk is the biggest roadblock keeping you from success and happiness
  • You struggle to identify your core values and gifts

If this is you, start here:

You may want to start with Clarity if…

  • You want to change your life but don’t know how, and feel stuck in analysis paralysis
  • You struggle with setting and completing tangible daily tasks and goals
  • Looking ahead to your future feels like squinting through your windshield in a car wash. You know there are things out there, but you just can’t make out what they are yet.

If this is you, start here:

You may want to start with Connection if…

  • You’re realizing that you crave more deep connection with yourself, with other people in your life, or with source (you can call source God, the Universe, powers that be, whatever)
  • You feel like you’ve outgrown your friend group and are looking to expand and grow your community
  • Networking scares the pants off of you. We are trying to avoid a no-pants-in-public situation at all costs.

If this is you, start here:

Now that you have a starting point, jump in! Don’t put off what could change your life now. 

Hop on over to The Well Supported Woman Facebook group and share your results to get supported by other women seeking your same branch of personal growth. And for even more resources and goodies, be sure to subscribe for access to The Support Vault. It’s where I upload all my favorite worksheets and tools to support you in your efforts to grow confidence, clarity and connection. 

How to crush a midyear goal check-in

How to crush a midyear goal check-in


Download a free worksheet designed by a life coach to help you do a mid year check-in on your goals!

If you’ve been following me for awhile, you know that I’m pretty damn obsessed with the goal setting process. I spend a lot of time, energy & blog space on goals because they’re how. shit. gets. done. Point blank.

I’m not saying goals are all that matters – there are definitely conversations to be had around mindset, time management, limiting beliefs, etc. But I do believe that having solid goals that you regularly refer back to is HOW you uncover and work through all of those obstacles.

Your goals are your guidebook, your guru & your gumption, all rolled up in one. 

 

Like many of you, I set some ambitious goals in January, and I’ve been steadily working towards them. There are days & weeks I’ve felt unsure, distracted and unmotivated. The great thing about having my specific goals written out is that it eliminates the guesswork for how to get back on track.

When I feel bored, disconnected, or like I’m treading water in life and biz, I look back to my goal card. 

I take an action that day that directly contributes to my goal(s). That’s it. That is the secret to making your goals possible – powerful goal setting, regular revisiting, and constant contribution to the end result. 

Halfway through my time with my private coaching clients, I always have them complete a simple goal audit. This allows them to gently be reminded of the ambitions they were chasing when they sought out a coach. This generally leads to one of three outcomes:

  1. Pride in their progress and reassurance that their path is truly working
  2. An inspirational wake up call to refocus their time and energy where they matter
  3. A revision of the goals to better align with new dreams (not just distractions!)

What I want all my clients & you to know is that all 3 results are good. Your goal audit should never be a source of shame, but an opportunity to reclaim the anticipation and fun of beginning of the year goal setting. Make it a celebration – even if it’s a wake up call! You’re learning what does and doesn’t work for you as you chase your dreams, and that’s a beautiful thing. 


Download a free worksheet designed by a life coach to help you do a mid year check-in on your goals!

Do you have already have access to my free resource library, The Support Vault? If so, login here and find the goal audit with the rest of the goodies! 

I hope you’ll give the goal audit a chance, and incorporate it into your regular routines. You can use it every six months, every month or even at the end of each week – whenever you need a big picture understanding of your progress. 

Let me know how it goes! If you run into any difficulties or notice any potential learning opportunities for yourself, leave a comment or email me here for some personalized feedback. Use the subject line “My goal audit,” and I’ll get back to you in a jiffy! 

Looking for more goal setting inspo? See Also…

Download a free worksheet designed by a life coach to help you do a mid year check-in on your goals!
Download a free worksheet designed by a life coach to help you do a mid year check-in on your goals!Download a free worksheet designed by a life coach to help you do a mid year check-in on your goals!“/>
Download a free worksheet designed by a life coach to help you do a mid year check-in on your goals!

Why you don’t need more tools or resources

 


Over the years, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with tools and resource lists. When I was first starting my business, I was downloading everything that caught my eye, because I was living in a story that I didn’t know enough about being a coach. I didn’t trust my intuition and my natural skill as coach – despite the many months of formalized (and amazing!) formal training I’d received.

Eventually, I realized that regardless of how amazing the information I was accumulating was, I would never feel satisfied.

There was zero time for implementation, testing or debriefing. I had one goal in mind: collection. It’s like I thought that simply having information in my download folder would be enough to make me a “credible” coach.

I was wayyyyy off base.

Now, I know and trust in my skills as coach and I don’t worry about what it is I “don’t know.”

Both in my business and in my life, I understand that my success in any given situation is dependent not on the information I have stored away in my brain but rather in my ability to act on instinct. I trust myself, my motives, and my skills -and I know that if I’m presented with a situation I’m unsure of, I have what I need to figure out a powerful solution.

I see versions of this same story play out in my conversations with women all the time. I’m constantly being asked for tools and resources, books, and podcasts that can help them change their lives. While I understand the desire for more guidance and information, I want to remind you and every other woman out there that you already have what you need – and no amount of resources or tools will transform you into a “better” version of you.

You’re on a journey, and there’s no shame in asking for tools along the way. However, if you start to feel like you have too many resources, like you’re simply following the path of someone else, or like there’s no way you can read everything you’ve accumulated, I encourage you to take a break. 

Remember, there are resources everywhere if you ever feel lost – but those resources are simply things that have worked for others. Your path is unique, and the single greatest resource for you is your own intuition. If you feel overly dependent on tools and resources from others, I encourage you to look within and work on trusting your gut, instead.

You’ve got this. 

 

Why money mindset matters for women

Why money mindset matters for women

 


What’s your money story?

Wondering wtf I’m talking about? Money is a big deal, ladies. And we don’t talk about it nearly enough! I’m passionate about making the conversation about money not just approachable, but soulful – because there’s so much more to money than figures on a page. I was blown away in a recent conversation with friends when one of the women explained how disempowered and trapped her paycheck made her feel. Yes, it’s great to be able to pay the bills – but when did a paycheck start to feel like a set of handcuffs? I know she isn’t alone in feeling this way!

If the connection between money and life coaching isn’t obvious to you, let me break it down for you: money is a tool that we can use to either create or destroy our lives, opportunities, expectations and happiness. How we use it is up to us – but far too often we don’t take the time to consider money objectively, instead getting caught up in the associated emotions we have inherited from our family, media, or society as a whole. 

Today I want to dig into why money and the feelings we associate with it matter (and, spoiler alert: next week I’ll also share a few journalling prompts designed to help you overcome your own blocks around earning and spending money!).

Do you feel excited when you see money deposited into your checking account? Relieved? Stressed? The emotional response we have to the flow of money, conscious or not, is a direct indicator of what type of story we’re telling ourselves. For example, if I feel a sense of relief each time I receive money, it could be because I think earning money needs to be difficult, and that prosperity isn’t guaranteed. My “money story” is that money is not dependable, and consequently something to always be guarded.

It might seem like talking about your money story isn’t as important as actually making money. I’m here to tell you that the two go hand in hand – and that thinking consciously about your emotional beliefs about money isn’t just an exercise for the personal development junkie in your life. It’s an illuminating and necessary practice for anyone who is dedicated to freeing themselves financially, because the story is what dictates how we manage our funds. 

Whatever you believe to be true about money, you’ll seek out evidence of in your life. That’s just how we work – we are continually affirming our world views and ideas by finding proof in our surroundings. This isn’t a bad thing, but it does mean that we want to be intentional about the beliefs we foster. By having healthy and positive beliefs about money, we’re inviting more of that healthy and positive money energy into our lives.

Which would you rather see evidence in your daily life: an abundant universe, a plethora of opportunities and joyful earning, or a deficit of money that causes stress, fear, and limitations? I think most of us would agree that the former is most appealing. How do we do that? By intentionally rewriting our money story. By believing first that something better is possible, and allowing that to show up in our lives.

In order to shift our mindset away from negative thoughts about money and it’s role in your life and toward a healthier, happier money story, we need to first understand where you are now. You need to clearly identify your money story and it’s origin. Ask yourself:

  • What does money mean to me? In what ways does having or not having money influence my life?
  • What opportunities have I denied myself due to money?
  • What would be different for me if I was no longer limited by money? 

Now that you understand your money context, see if you can summarize your beliefs about money in a few sentences. Remember that this is a work in progress, and that this story will continue to evolve and change. Use this first version of your money story to challenge yourself a bit each day. Journal for 30 minutes once or twice a week on your story, its origin, and (most importantly!) what you want the next chapter to look like.

Start to notice, in the meantime, how your reality is shifting. Notice whether you feel more energized about your income, more grateful when paying your bills, or just more calm and clear headed about your financial planning. Maybe you just FEEL happier or more serene – that’s a beautiful result of coming to terms with the impact of our mindset on your reality!

Writing a new money story is completely possible, once you understand your current context. In next week’s newsletter, I’ll share three of the most common money stories I encounter with my clients, and journalling prompts to help you bust them once and for all.

 

 

This small trick will seriously improve your life

 


One thing I've noticed in myself, and with my life coaching clients, is that it's our natural tendency as humans to spend far more time thinking about the reasons we can't, than thinking about the ways that we CAN. Even when we've had a breakthrough…

As a life coach, I’m in the business of breakthroughs. 

What does that mean? As coach, my goal with each of my clients is to help them understand the following: 

  • Where they are now (point A)
  • Where they want to go (point B)
  • What beliefs, fears or circumstances are keeping them stuck at point A

We’re reallllly good at convincing ourselves that things aren’t possible. We’re excellent at collecting evidence that proves all the reasons our wild success isn’t possible. We are always trying to “rationalize” our way out of all of our big dreams. 

This is why coaching is so powerful. Your coach serves as an impartial sounding board that is willing to call you out when you start down your trail of excuses and justification. When we are able to see our situation from a new perspective and acknowledge the beliefs and perceptions we have that are keeping us from doing the things we desire, a breakthrough happens. It’s like a light switch has been been flipped on, and suddenly our self imposed limitations are obvious for what they are: fear. Fear takes many forms: self doubt, procrastination, and avoidance are just a few of the ways it shows up. 

We can also choose not to engage with this external viewpoint, and avoid breakthroughs entirely. It feels safer here, at times, to relax into the comfort of our own limitations. We aren’t asking too much of ourselves, and because our arguments are so convincing, everyone around us will accept them as well. The only problem with this choice is that we are the ones who suffer. We will never live to our fullest potential and realize our biggest dreams if we only surround ourselves with people that echo our own limitations back to us. 

One thing I’ve noticed in myself, and with my clients, is that it’s our natural tendency as humans to spend far more time thinking about the reasons we can’t, than thinking about the ways that we CAN. Even when we’ve had a breakthrough in conversation with our coach or close friend, we’re likely to forget that realization in light of the hassles of the rest of the day. That’s why my I’ve started my most recent bullet journal spread to record all of the breakthroughs I’ve had in working with my own coaches. Just as practicing daily gratitude helps us to remain centered in a grateful state, reviewing and honoring our breakthroughs can keep us grounded in our new possibility

This is my small trick for today to seriously improve your life: seek out breakthroughs, and don’t stop there. Write it down. Review it. Revisit it. Incorporate this realization into your life, by considering it in your decisions and planning processes. My bullet journal spread isn’t anything fancy, but it’s a way for me to remind myself of the consistent and impressive progress I’m making, even on days when I feel like I’m in a bit of a stall. I hope you’ll join me in finding a way to record your own breakthroughs in service of a year guided by possibility, rather than another year guided by excuses and limitations. 

Are you looking to create some new breakthroughs for yourself in 2017? Schedule a free consultation call with me here to determine if my private coaching program or a 90 minute intensive would be a good fit for you!