How To Easily Create & Install A Favicon For Blogger

Hey guys, welcome to the super quick and easy tutorial on how to create a favicon and then install it on Blogger!

Favicons are a subtle but great way to make your blog stand out in between tabs. If you're not sure what a favicon actually is, let alone how to create a favicon, this is what they are..

Let's get straight to it shall we?

HOW TO EASILY CREATE A FAVICON

Get your image and upload it to PicMonkey. If it's a square, perfect. It it's not, you'll need to crop the image with a square setting.

Once you've done that, you'll then need to resize your favicon to 16 x 16 pixels.

HOW TO INSTALL YOUR FAVICON ONTO BLOGGER

Head to 'Layout' on your dashboard, find the Favicon tab on the top left of your layout.

Click Edit > Choose File > Upload Your Favicon > Save > Save Arrangement

And you're done! One note I'll make is that your Favicon might not show up right away. You may need to clear your browser cache or shut down your browser entirely for it to refresh. enjoy your new fancy pants favicon! ;)

Elise xo

5 Ways To Get More Traffic Through Pinterest

I remember the days when you had to request to be invited to join Pinterest, when it was mainly all DIY & craft projects and there weren't that many pins circulating around so you would literally pin every post there was. Oh my how the times have changed!

Pinterest is an amazing tool you can utilize for your blog (if you didn't know that already!) The biggest attractor is the amount of traffic it can bring to your blog consistently. For me, Pinterest my third biggest traffic driver for my blog. I've only started using it properly for my business for less than 3 weeks and I have an inkling it will become number one traffic driver before the end of December. So if you yourself are interested in getting more traffic to your blog through Pinterest, here's how.


CREATE RELEVANT BOARDS

What is your blog topic? Social media. Recipes. Self love. Knitting sweaters for penguins. Okay maybe not sweaters for penguins (believe it or not they actually exist). The reason you want relevant board topics is so that people start to trust that you'll share content specifically around the topic they're interested in. Create a few key categories out of your topic. So for instance you have social media. You might want to have a board solely dedicated to Pinterest, and another solely to Periscope and maybe another to Twitter.

Bonus Tip! Don't forget to make your first board, your own board with all of your blog posts!


USE KEYWORDS

Millions of people are using Pinterest's search engine every single day. And they're using keywords to find the content - your content. I don't know how many times I have searched 'brunette balayage' to find exactly what I'm looking for - I still haven't had the guts to get it done yet! Use keywords in your pin descriptions. People will find your blog so much quicker when you add keywords! For example, if my blog theme is around food I may want to use cooking, baking, recipes, vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free etc in my descriptions. Doing this gets traffic to your blog life a mofo!

Bonus Tip! Add keywords into your board descriptions to give your pages that extra boost.


DESIGN ATTRACTIVE IMAGES

Pinterest users love bright and pretty vertical images with text. They're like flies to a cake! These types of images get repinned over and over and over again. The easiest way to create an image like this is to use PicMonkey, Canva, or for the more experienced, Photoshop. It's important to be consistent with your branding and colouring when doing this - otherwise it gets a little confusing.

Bonus Tip! In your down time go back through old posts and re-do them with pin-worthy images.


BE PICKY WITH YOUR PINS

This part is the least fun, because it means you're going to be deleting a whole lot of pins. Say whaaaaat? Yup, any pins with less than 5 repins have to go. Why? To put it simply: Pinterest rewards your account for having less crap. Yes, you literally get more repins by deleting most of your pins. I still don't fully understand this, but it really does work. If you're not totally convinced yet, give Sarah Titus' 9 Reasons You Should Be Deleting Your Pins a read. When you get some free time, trawl through your account and get deleting. You won't regret it!

Bonus Tip! After you have "trimmed" your account, try pin less than 30 high quality pins a day.

SET UP FOR A BUSINESS ACCOUNT

This is a fantastic way to get super valuable analytics data for your account. You get to see the people who are pinning from you, which boards they're spending most of their time in and what they're pinning.

Bonus Tip! While you're at it, set up for Rich Pins as well! Here's how to set up for Blogger and Wordpress.



Pinterest is definitely becoming my favourite method for marketing and getting more traffic, I can't wait to share further info and stats with you along the way. If you have any questions, leave a comment and I'll help you out. Till then, share with me..

What's your favourite way of bringing traffic to your blog?

Elise xo

5 Simple Steps to Rebuild Your Life (My Story)

Sometimes in our lives we all have pain, we all have sorrow. But if we are wise we know that there's always tomorrow. Did you sing that in your head? Gotcha! But in all seriousness, throughout our lives, there will be a good amount of shit times. Okay, I didn't plan for that to rhyme either it just happened. ANYWAY. What I'm trying to say is that it's not about what happens, but how you repair from it. Below is my personal guide to rebuilding your life in 5 simple steps.

5 Simple Steps to Rebuild Your Life

1. Start from the floor: We all know 99% of these rock bottom moments start on a floor somewhere. Any floor will do really. The bedroom would be the most logical. Though I've heard of the bathroom floor being a popular one too..
   
   Requirements: Be the most miserable, negative-minded, anxious, lonely and broken person to be around. And then times that by 6,482,209. You are a prisoner to your mind and you cannot escape.


2. Quit your shitty job. Yeah, that weird feeling in your gut that you've made the wrong decision in taking that travel agent job? It's right. Those people are toxic. Quit TODAY. And know that you made the right decision when your ex-boss fires the other new girl half an hour after you resign.


3. Revive an old friendship. You need a friend for what you're about to endure. Preferably someone who knows you and supports you whole-heartedly. Someone you can talk to who is outside of the situation and who can offer advice when you get too inside your head.


4. Get dumped. He tried everything to make you happy. But he can't fix a problem that isn't his. He believes that this is the only thing left that will make both you and him happy again. Reality hits and in that moment you muster up the balls to fight for what you had. He agrees to give it a shot and now you have regular panic attacks that he's going to leave again.
   
   
   You start a new job as a children's programme manager. Have a panic attack in the bathroom on your first week. Vow to get back up and give it 150%. Notice that over time the more you stay busy and put all of your focus and energy into your work, the less time you have to feel anxious.
   
   You listen to Tony Robbins on repeat. He's your lifeline right now. The stuff he talks about.. your mindset.. it makes a lot of sense.
   
   When you go to your sister-in-laws 30th birthday, you watch everyone effortlessly function like normal human beings. Laughing, joking and conversing. You start to feel like you're being suffocated and have to leave abruptly. You roam the streets, inhaling as much oxygen as possible until you find a library to sit outside of. You cry in the dark for an hour.
   
   Relaying the events to your friend the next day, you wonder if it ever will get better. She assures you, it will.
   
   You attend a workshop about foundational brain development and find yourself sitting at the edge of your seat, 100% engaged for the entire session. You want to ask the speaker a million and one questions but you chicken out and leave early.
   
   You're starting to enjoy your work. It's becoming a lot more fun to be there. You make a new friend and his positive enthusiastic attitude helps you to be more conscious of your attitude. He prints a quote you posted on facebook and pins it above your desk to help remind you to stay positive. It's starting to seem like your mindset has a lot to do with everything.
   
   A lot of opportunities are coming to you through work. You're doing so well you're asked to take over another programme at a different center. You decline because you've realized that your work place has become a place of healing. And the more you heal, the stronger you feel, and the stronger you feel, the happier you become, and the happier you become, the stronger your relationship gets.
   
   
   Finally you move out of your tiny mould infested rental that made you sick over the winter and move into a beautiful large home by the sea. Every day you wake up to a view of mountains and ocean and notice that you don't feel as tense as you did in the previous house. It feels like the house has magical powers. Every day you spend time admiring the view and oddly enough it helps you feel better.
   
   You decide to start an online business, and begin experimenting with blogging about different topics.
   
   Your workload has become overwhelming. You're stressing out a lot. Your boss catches you at the wrong moment and you burst into that ugly uncontrollable cry in front of him. You tell him you don't think you can do the work anymore. He sits with you until you let it all out. You're humiliated. He gives you words of encouragement and suggests you to relax a little more about everything. You pick yourself up and vow once again to keep at it, and to take it easier.
   
   
   Attending several more workshops about brain development, psychology and neuro linguistics. You're starting to connect the dots. You realize you have an actual passion for this. You, Elise McDowell, find the study of the brain and how it works fascinating. You decide to commit to learning more about the mind, and more particularly how your mindset affects your life. You also start to introduce more info about mindset into your blogging. People seem to enjoy what you have to say.
   
   You sang Bohemian Rhapsody to each other in bed last night. Something you haven't done in over a year. A sign that you're both in a really good place. He tells you that he's really happy, and most of all how happy he is to see you happy again. You kiss and embrace.
   
   You're laughing all the time now and smiling feels normal again. You're listening to music, reading books, spending time outdoors in nature. You've even started playing sports again. And  best of all, you've started socializing again! Something you never thought you'd ever be able to do again because it made you crazy anxious. You're going out to lunches, birthdays, markets, festivals, movies and coffee dates with friends. Your happiness has improved greatly since you found more balance with work. Life feels full.
   
   
   You wake up on a stormy Sunday morning. He's lying next to you. You snuggle in a little closer. Seventeen months have passed since that bedroom floor moment. You can't help but reflect on how far you have come, how much you've grown and how much wiser you are for it. Through the darkness, you found yourself again. And then it hits you. All this time you thought you were fighting for your relationship, but it turns out you were actually fighting for yourself. And you won. You saved yourself. You've become your own hero.


5. Stay away from low-quality people. You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.

Simple, right?

Have you had to rebuild your life? What are some lessons you learned during this time?

Elise xo

Why Micro-Adventures Are Good For Business

Lately I have been introducing micro-adventures into my regular activities as a way to get away from my desk and inject some nature into my system.

I've been finding the more I focus on work and sit at my desk all day, the more exhausted I am when I finally finish up.

I knew this wasn't right. It didn't feel right. It seemed like I was slipping back into the 'live to work' mode that people can get caught in so easily.

I wasn't having any of that. 

I thought about the easiest possible thing I could do to shake my routine up. So I went for a walk around my neighbourhood and decided to try a new track near my house I hadn't been down before. 

It lead me here..

I was blown away that beauty like this was quite literally on my doorstep, and I'd been sitting on my ass all day staring at a rectangular screen trying to finish some deadline I'd placed on myself. #priorities

But, we're not here to beat ourselves up. This is, after all, the life we've chosen for ourselves as entrepreneurs. And the most beautiful thing about that is that we have 100% control over how we want our days and lives to run. So if it's not going the way we want, we can change it. No permission needed!

Micro-adventures are brilliant for everyone, but I believe especially for business owners. We can get quite set in a routine of 'hustle, hustle & hustle some more' and we forget what life is about. We forget why we decided to become entrepreneurs in the first place.

But when we take the time to deliberately step away from our desk, and take ourselves on a short little adventure, it makes our energy rise, which helps us to operate from a high-vibrational point. And that means we're living what we preach, we're exuding the spirit of who we are which in-turn attracts the right things to us for our businesses and lives.

For example, since I started going on micro-adventures several weeks ago, there have been three noticeable changes I've experienced:

I've become more productive and less unsettled: Procrastination (which I have been known to be notorious for) has disappeared almost completely. I'm finding that when I sit down at my desk now, I'm switched on and focused. I'm not unsettled, switching tabs, reading some random article. I'm 100% focused on the task at hand. Which has seemed to free up a lot more time for myself.

I don't need to leave the neighbourhood: When I was a kid, I didn't drive 30 minutes out of town to go for a walk in the woods. Every single one of my adventures happened on my street. So a micro-adventure should be just the same. It is a short adventure close to home. They're simple and easy and rarely cost anything, which means there are less excuses that can be made to do it.

My general well-being & happiness has heightened: I've felt a lot more centered since I started these adventures. But best of all, my overall happiness has improved. This is because when we change up our routine and do something that we don't usually do, it actually pleases our brain. This is because the brain is used to your routine, it knows what to expect. And when you go and do something to intercept that routine, the brain feels violated in a pleasing way. And that's why we get a dopamine release from it resulting in all around happiness!

If you haven't tried a micro-adventure, I highly recommend incorporating them into your routine starting today. Get outside and go for a walk. It’s about taking yourself out of your regular routine and shaking things up so that you can feel more alive in your life and business!

Have you micro-adventured? What are your ideas for breaking up your routine?

Elise xo

P.S - why do you want to be rich?

50 Different Ways To Grow Your Business

This online business world can be like a black hole sometimes. You don't know which direction to go in, what social media platforms to use, who to reach out to and what services to use to promote your blog because every Tom, Dick and Harry - my Mother's words ;) - says to use Facebook to grow your business while the other says Pinterest.

So what do you do when you find yourself in this rut? You trail blaze your own way, darling. Anything you don't like the idea of, cast it aside. Anything you do like the sound of, put it into your business plan! Simple. And to get you started, here are 50 different ways you can do it.

50 Different Ways to Grow Your Business

1. Blog it like it's hot: To blog or not to blog? That is the question. The answer is yes. Do it, and do it well. It's not enough to just have a blog, you have to write consistently and you have to write well. How to make this easy on yourself is to write from your heart, every single time.

2. Write to make yourself cry: When Leonie Dawson revealed the 50 lessons she learn't from a decade of blogging, she was right when she said to make it emotional. Anyone can write a fluff filler piece with no soul - but it takes a gutsy, risk-taking individual to bare their soul. That doesn't mean you go and tell all of your deepest darkest secrets. No. You make a calculated decision on what you will and will not share. And what you do share will be the glue that keeps your audience around. Elsie Larson chooses not to talk politics, whereas Ash Ambirge reveals pretty much everything, including the death of both her parents and the gory 67 emotions of her success.

3. Grow some guts: The greatest lesson I was ever taught about blogging - and actually about life in general - is to have the guts to show off your wild, vulnerable, complex, sweet, obnoxious, kind-hearted, contradicting personality. Blogging isn't easy if you're constantly playing it safe, you feel fake. You Don't Need A Job, You Need Guts was my favourite resource in teaching me how to build a very stable, profitable and viral blog - but it also taught me how to have the guts to do it all.

4. Get in the business of problem solving: The best way to get noticed is to be useful to others. Answer your readers questions. What is it they want to know when they come to your blog? Business? Creativity? Social Media? Health? Whatever it is, consistently solve problems for them - they'll be putty in your hand afterwards.

5. Craft attention stealing headlines: If you're browsing for instagram photography tips, what headline is more likely going to steal your attention and make you click? "Snap happy" or "5 tips for better instagram photos"  Headlines are a big deal. Make sure you're consistently crafting attention stealing ones.

6. Edit your images: You more than likely know you need images for your posts if you want to increase your audience. Adding text will help new potential readers find your blog - say on pinterest - a hell of a lot easier. You can do this on PicMonkey which is free (or $4.99 a month for the pro account).

7. Create shareable content: What do you share with your friends on facebook? Cute animal videos? Inspiring articles? Lists about relationships? Or some random person's lunch? My guess is everything but the latter? Nobody wants to read something that isn't relevant to them. Shareable is content that's appealing to people. This comes in the form of lists, videos, images etc.

8. Make your blog user friendly: I don't know how many times I've found myself on a good lookin' blog, only to click 'x' in a matter of seconds because it hasn't been designed with the reader in mind. Meaning, it wasn't user friendly at all. You must have at least a search bar, navigation, archives and categories if you want people to stay on your website and have a nosey around. They've got to see that there's more places to go on your blog and not just one page. Use linkwithin for the 'you might also like..' widget at the bottom of your posts.

9. Write a 'Start Here' page: Ideally when a new visitor hops onto your blog, you want them to stick around, and the best way to do that is to show them how. A 'New Reader? or 'Start Here' page is perfect for that because it gives you the opportunity to show off your best content and create a connection with the visitor.

10. Create a FAQ & Resources page: Having a FAQ is a great way to save yourself some times while making yourself look mighty credible. It's a way to answer your readers questions, especially if you find yourself answering the same questions over and over again. If you really want to use your time wisely, create a resources page listing all the products you use to fund/build your blog.

11. That ain't no follow back, grrrrl: Favouriting your readers tweet is great and all, but going the extra mile and following your reader back - as well as actively interacting with them - says thousands about you. For me it's not about getting as many followers is possible, it's about making a connection - and a difference - and that is inevitably what will keep that reader coming back.

12. Give your readers a reason to come back: In other words, write really interesting, shareable content written with the reader in mind, and they'll have no reason but to continuously come back. Starting to see a pattern with the importance of writing yet?

13. Learn photography skills: Shock horror, you don't actually need a $1,345,987.00 dollar camera. I use my iPhone most of the time and still come out with photos, so you've got no excuse girl! :P Invest in taking a quick iPhone photography course. But if you are wanting to step up, get the Panasonic Lumix GF-5 - great starter camera!

14. Just keep learning: If you want to blog well and become more than just an online journal entrant, you have to keep learning & upskilling. Some of my favourite free resources packed to the brim with blogging + business tips are: A Beautiful Mess, The Nectar Collective, Gala Darling's Blog On, Babe series, Pinch of Yum's monthly income reports and The Londoner on lifestyle blogging.

My favourite resources are: 

➸   You Don't Need A Job, You Need Guts by Ash Ambirge (The Middle Finger Project)
➸   Blog Life by Elsie Larson & Emma Chapman  (A Beautiful Mess)
➸   Double Your Traffic in 90 Days by Sarah (xo Sarah)
➸   6 Resources to Make Your Blog Successful by Darren Rowse (Problogger)
➸   The 3-Day Create by Regina Anaejionu (byRegina)
➸   Epic Brand Identity Workbook by Regina Anaejionu (byRegina)
➸   Live Like A Boss by Sian Richardson (Fresh by Sian)


15. Make top 10/20/30 list posts: Lists have been proven to be more readable, shareable and liked content. You can literally make lists about anything. This entire post is a list! Here's a few more examples.

➸   10 Ways to Clear Your Money Blocks
➸   20 Tricks for Acing Your Job Interview
➸   5 Summer Cocktail Recipes

16. Create a feature: A feature is like a regular column, yet it doesn't have to be as frequent as week-to-week. Your feature could be anything you want. A perfect example is Joanna Goddard's Motherhood Mondays feature.

17. Change up your communication style: If you're predominantly writing your posts, try changing things up by vlogging - use Youtube or Vimeo. Or try out doing an audio post - SoundCloud is good for this. Bloggers who dominate using mixed media are Zoella and Marie Forleo.

18. Do a round up: A round-up is where you bring together multiple types of content and format it in one post. It could be a round-up of others work. It could be a round-up of random articles, books you recommend or it could be a round up of your own work - get creative!

19. Gush about others work: Entrepreneurs and creatives LOVE it when you write about their work. Remember, it's got to be genuine though. The best thing about featuring their work is that you can then go and tell them that you did that and more than likely they'll share your post, leave a comment or even tweet it to their readers. Which means more exposure for you :)

20. Habituate shout-outs on twitter: Twitter shout-outs are highly underestimated. Even though I hate twitter with a passion, even I see the power in using shout-outs as a method of marketing. The idea is that when you go to tweet your post that you mentioned another blogger in, tag that blogger with a shout-out. You can also do this if you think it'll be a good read for another blogger.

21. Rewrite, re-tweak & re-edit: Some of the posts you write are going to be current only for a moment, others will be timeless. Sometimes you will need to re-write your posts because things you could have said may be outdated now, or your opinion has changed on the topic, or you've got a hell of a lot more to say. Always remember that blogging is really an editing game, and if you want to be a good one you've got to keep it up.

22. Post step-by-step, how-to or tutorial posts: Content like this is probably the most shareable/viral content you can create. It's super useful to the reader, they'll keep coming back to it for instructions and more than likely pin it to their pinterest page or share it on facebook. This post is a great example of a step-by-step tutorial in action.

23. Comment on blogs: Not only does commenting on others blogs help you build a connection with other bloggers, it helps your blog rank higher in the search ranks because of the link-backs you're getting from well established blogs. So what are you waiting for? Get commenting!

24. Build relationships on twitter: I'm only just starting to do this (because I loathe twitter like I loathe beetroot), but you can actually have some great conversations on twitter and build connections with other bloggers. The best thing about this is that others can see and participate in the conversation if they like, which makes them curious about you and so they click around and find themselves on your blog.

25. Add your links on instagram: Instagram doesn't hyperlink url's when you upload photos, but they do in the profile section. Make sure you have your blog's url posted in there, then start working your magic by creating your own unique hashtag.

26. Post your latest articles to facebook: Contrary to what you might have heard, facebook is still a great place to get your posts read - especially if they appeal to the masses. Yes it is true that most of your fans won't see your posts anymore, but I've found posting my article on both my personal and professional pages generate quite a hefty number of pageviews - and that is what you want after all.

27. Join a group, forum or collective: These groups are the best places to meet a lot of likeminded people, you can find bloggers to collaborate with, people to get advice from (or give to), more than likely this is where you can meet some of your online best friends. Look on facebook, google forums and browse for collectives.

28. Hop on the link-ups horse! Ever heard of a link-up party? It's where the host blogger creates a feature or 'link party' post where readers can upload their topic related post. The Nectar Collective hosts a really successful Weekly Wishes link-up which I totally think you get on the buzz of.

29. Set up a subscriber list: It's nice to know who you're talking to sometimes. But don't underestimate the power of a subscribers list, this is direct contact to your readers. That means if you ever want their feedback, have an idea to pitch or something to sell - you already have a database growing consistently every day. Mailchimp is free to use for your first 2000 subscribers, and is very easy to use.

30. Post to submission sites: If you want your blog to get some serious traffic, start submitting to submission websites like Thought Catalog, CraftGawker and Buzzfeed. The only catch is you have to have some fantastic content that people actually want to read and gorgeous images ready-to-go in your filthy virtual hands.

31. Guest posting: Hit up some blogger friends about the possibility of guest posting on their blog, or submit to a more established blog in your niche. It's an awesome way to gain free exposure on someone else's blog forever and ever.

32. Interview another blogger: There's more than just warm fuzzies you'll get from interviewing another blogger. You'll also have someone actively promoting to their own audience which will send traffic to your blog.

33. Collaborate with another blogger: Collaboration is key. Have you met another blogger who lives in the same city as you and blogs a similar topic? Collaborate on some posts together. If you don't live near one another, you can always try joint vlogs.

34. Sponsor another blog you love: I'm a big believer in paying it forward and promoting the blogs you love while also getting a pat on the back as well. Check out Passionfruit Ad's Marketplace to find the perfect blog for you to sponsor.

35. Try link swapping: Find a blogger friend to do this with who you think will be a good fit for your blog and swap links. Maybe post their blog button in your sidebar and vice versa. That way you're building each others readership together.

36. Purchase a course and network with other students: You'll always be pushing yourself further and constantly learning, doing this with a bunch of others in the same position is the best way to do it really. There's something about when you're all in it together that makes it magic.

37. Clarify your niche: What if you have many passions & hobbies you want to pursue? Marie Forleo gives you her real life example. The Uncaged Life is another fantastic resource to help you get clear on your messaging.

38. Become a serial pinner: Pin all your photos, to your pinterest account, have boards set up for your different topics like I do here. Bonus: Make sure you name your images something related to your post instead of DSC_1325.jpg - this helps people find you in the search option.

39. Create your own #hashtag: Creating your own hashtag isn't just genius, but a way to build credibility online without even trying. If you manage to create a good one, your readers will start using it and suddenly you'll have hundreds of people promoting your blog for you.

40. Offer free advertising: You can find a lot of contenders on Passionfruit Ads, but make sure to turn it into something you benefit from. Maybe make it a contest or that they need to tweet their favourite post of yours with a hashtag to get the free ad space. Get creative.

41. Host a giveaway: Then promote it EVERYWHERE. Social media, blog, mail list, friends blogs & social media, blogger groups etc. Use rafflecopter to host your giveaway. Giveaway ideas: Free advertising, month subscription box, your favourite book/beauty product, ebook or ecourse. Something of value.

42. Use bloglovin: Bloglovin' is a great way to keep up with your favourite blogs in one neat tidy place. Make sure you promote to your readers that your on it. Tip: Change your settings to 'I don't want the frame' to show when readers go onto your blog via bloglovin, that way you can see where they're coming from.

43. Add a question at bottom of your posts: Prompt your readers to interact with you and give them a question to answer based on what you just wrote. Make it thought provoking, something that will make them want to take action and respond right away.

44. Add a P.S to the end of your posts: Believe it or not but Sarah Von Bargen was right when she said 'P.S. is a proven copywriting strategy and it’s a great way to integrate internal links to related content'. Because it's true, people do click the P.S link options. If they like your content, they want to know where to go next - P.S is a quick and easy way to keep them reading.

45. Include your readers: If your reader has left a comment or said something cool on social media, give them a shout out of your blog. Make your readers feel included so they keep coming back.

46. Be the link that creates a future: In other words, be a connector. Say you meet a blogger whose niche is solely DIY & scrapbooking, while you have a little DIY on your blog, it's nothing like hers. All of a sudden you meet a new blogger who is just as obsessed with DIY & scrapbooking. Lightbulb goes off. And next thing you know you're introducing them to one another.

47. Host a link-up: This is a fantastic way to build community with your readers, hosting a link-up party. For link-up ideas, check out the Weekly Wishes link-up over on The Nectar Collective which has become hugely popular. You can do this with inlinkz.

48. Use SEO correctly: Probloggers SEO Tips for Beginners is a great resource for you to dive head first into. It's boring as hell, but if you get the boring stuff out of the way first, there's more time for fun later, and you'll happen to be miles ahead of competition.

49. Show up every day: No one rocks up and says, I'm gonna build a 2,000,000 pageviews per-month blog by the end of the day. Instead they say, I'm gonna write this first post so carefully, intricately and perfectly, and then I'm going to continue doing that for however long it takes. In other words, be consistent. Your the person the kid wants to show up to their soccer games every Saturday. Be that person for your readers.

50. Sell something: Okay, you're not stupid. Believe it or not, people want to buy stuff from you. Check out 10 non-icky ways to make money blogging by my girl Regina. And start sellin' somethin' grrrrl!


Tell me in the comments below one piece of action you're going to take TODAY to grow your business?


Elise xo

Why I must follow my playfulness

In many ways, this was always coming. And I knew it.

For years I felt a familiar entity following me around. Always out of the corner of my eye. Sitting, waiting patiently, yet never still.

Almost like a ghost pet.

I knew what it was. It was a part of me I left behind years ago. A part of me that I hid away when I decided to 'grow up' and be an adult.

It was my playfulness.

It had always made me sad to think about it, I would grieve for it like it was a lost loved one. Without realizing the danger that each day brought without having play as a part of my life.

And then one day, the wind changed course.

A stroke of perfectly timed bad luck put me in one of the worst states of health than ever before.

Crippled by pain and suffering, it was in this state that I was ready to hear the message of my playfulness.

She propped up, looked me square in the eye and said (with an obnoxious grin on her face), "So are you finally ready?"

I was.

I am.

Which brings me to the point of this post.

This weekend I have been reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, and there was one particular chapter where I felt like she was writing directly to me.

"Ideas are driven by a single impulse: to be made manifest through collaboration with a human partner. It is only through humans efforts that an idea can be brought out of the ether and into reality. Ideas will spend an eternity swirling around us searching for available human partners willing to do the work. If you miss it, the idea will try to wave you down, maybe for a moment, a few months or a few years, but when it finally realizes you're oblivious to it's message it will move on to someone else."

This is exactly what my playfulness had been doing. Hanging out for me to notice it sitting in the corner, waiting to offload the ideas it holds. I think if I waited any longer, it may very well have left me. I think that's what my "health warning" was about.

Since then I have been cultivating my playfulness bit by bit, letting it learn to trust me again and learning to understand the terms of our contract together.

And the first agreement of our contract is that I must be unapologetically true to myself.

This means that I have to allow my work in this world - including my business and this website - to mould into the quintessence of who I am and what I stand for.

I must follow my playfulness and let it guide me.

So from here forward I will be expanding on what I do here, what I write about. It won't be solely about money and mindset. It will have more about wealth, adventure, creativity, purpose, passion and freedom.

This is all about playful living and how to integrate it into your life.

If this is something you have been craving more of in your life, I ask you to stick around and see how this unfolds for yourself. If not, I won't be offended if you need to move on.

I wish you all warm fuzzies.

Elise xo

How I Handle My Self-Sabotaging Ways

You might have been wondering where I've gotten to over these last couple of weeks.

I'd love to be able to say I've been high on cloud nine, kickin' it in Florence with my entrepreneur pals. But alas, that would be a lie.

In actual fact I have been very much down on earth dealing with my "old friends" doubt and self-sabotage.

They always show up when things are getting good!

What buzz killers.

I always get those tell-tale signs that they're coming to town.

For me it begins with procrastination. "Oh, I'll just write that post tomorrow" or "I'll do my money tracking exercise later on". And then I'll start to justify why I haven't been able to get around to doing any work. "I've been really busy with work/family/home" or my favourite, "I've just been too tired to do anything", when really I've been watching all four Pirates of the Caribbean movies back-to-back and playing Tomb Raider on PS3. Next up I suddenly become awash with self-doubt. "I've chosen the wrong field/topic/business type" and "I'm not really 'clear' on my message, therefore it must not be the right one. Now I have to change it."

Can you relate?

It happens.

Especially when trying to up-level anything in your life.

So what the hell do you do when it happens?

Here's how I do it.

How I Handle My Self-Sabotaging Ways

Let myself have a break. I really have to gauge what's going on here. Most of the time it's that I've been working really hard on my business and I actually need to take a break. So I'll quite literally "give in" to my sabotage and relax. And sometimes that looks like doing nothing for a week or so, sometimes that looks like spending time outdoors in nature or in this case watching movies and playing PS3!

Allow myself to be creative and get re-inspired. Don't forget that the inspirer still needs to be inspired herself. And I always know when I need re-inspiring because I'll want to spend more time doing creative things than doing anything else. This week I bought Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and have been devouring the material (which I highly recommend btw). I also discovered new music by Odesza which sends me straight into a high vibration. That was enough to get me ready to gently get back to my business.

Do the things that comes easy first. When I self-sabotage, rebelling against my own routine is usually part of it. So once I've had my little break and got some inspo, I start getting back into my routine by doing the easiest things first. Over the last week the easiest thing for me to do has been making my green smoothie for breakfast and citing my morning intentions.

Tackle a "tedious" task quickly. For me this blog post was the "tedious" task. It's not that I don't love writing, or that I don't like giving you everything I've got (not at all!) it's more a case of the task of writing. I've been writing posts for 5 years now, so it gets a little old. Through this short break I have decided I'm going to be delivering content to you through a new route. And sometimes that's what your self-sabotage and doubt will lead you to - the birth of something new! But let's talk about that later!

Go full force back into it. Usually after I've let myself have my chill time, gotten myself inspired, eased myself back into it, I'm good to go. And thus why you have this post to read ;)


Sometimes you actually just need a break. Sometimes your doubt will be overwhelming. And sometimes you're not even going to know you're sabotaging yourself.

And what I have to say to that is you need to pay attention to yourself. If it's something you start to do whenever things are going well, then it tends to be self-sabotage. If it's something out of character, that could well be your intuition telling you something is off. If you're drained, then you most definitely need a break! So take it!

Now it's your turn: How do you handle your own self-sabotage? What are your signs?

Elise xo


P.S - 10 ways to clear your money blocks

What To Do When You Doubt Yourself In Your Business

What if everyone thinks I'm a HUGE fraud and throws avocados at me in the street?

Her blog is 5 trillion times more inventive than mine, why the fuck would anyone read mine?!

What if they laugh hysterically at my sales page and post nasty ass comments?


These thoughts creep into our minds when we're least expecting.

What? You thought you were alone?

This is me on a good day.

Kidding.

Fear and doubt are always going to affect us in our life and business. Yes, even when we're successful, even when we're adored and even when we're rich.

As Elizabeth Gilbert says, fear is like a necessary companion. It's the reason you're still alive today. Instead of trying to push it away or conquer it, it should be treated with respect and thanked that it has kept you from walking down dark alleys and swimming outside of the surf lifesaving flags.

Once we can get to a place of "making peace" with fear and invite it along on the ride with us, only then we can start to work with it in a way that's easier for the both of you.

What To Do When You Doubt Yourself In Your Business

Don't Give Your Doubts Fuel

How do you keep a fire burning?

By adding more wood.

Don't add any more wood and you got no fire.

Same goes with those doubtful thoughts you love to drum around in that skull of yours. Our thoughts don't really have any voodoo magic over us unless we're adding a barrel of gasoline to the fire of them.

Whatever you're doubting you need to realize that it's actually just one simple thought you keep thinking over and over again. It's not actually real.


Interrupt the patterns.

Every time a self doubting thought enters your mind, have a few go-to things you can do to interrupt the doubtful pattern right away.

You could have a saved set of funny youtube videos on hold anytime a doubting situation arises.

Tony Robbins says that in order to change your thinking, you've gotta re-associate new feelings to old habits by interfering the thought patterns. What's one thing you could set up to do/watch/listen to the next time your doubts pop up?


Get your alter-ego on.

I know you got one! She's that sassy, sultry, fiery diva you keep locked away in your fantasies - perhaps letting her off her leash when you've had one too many mojitos - shhhh... I won't tell ;)

Beyonce unleashed hers to the world and it made her famous, gave her a lot of money and she felt fully (and safely) self expressed. She described her alter-ego as "aggressive, strong and sexually confident".

It's like playing a role of your "perfect self" or whoever you believe can get you to that point of being confident in yourself.


Worst case scenario?

Ask yourself what's the worst that could happen if you just go through with it?

If any of your answers affect your ego (i.e I'll look stupid in front of everyone) it's time to push that puppy outta the way and let YOU shine.


Focus on the good in your life.

Think about all the good things you've got going on in your life right now.

And what about all of your past achievements?

Who has helped and guided you along the way?

Focus on the good as you take your first step into the unknown.


In a 100 years who’s going to give a damn?

Seriously. Who's gonna care?



In the comments below I would LOVE for you to tell me one thing you're gonna take away from this list and apply the next time your doubt starts popping up.

xo Elise

P.S - 10 ways to clear your money blocks

10 Ways to Clear Your Money Blocks Today

I'm not a fan of long-winded processes.

Like digging deep into your past to uncover some locked away memory that's been the sole thing holding you back from becoming an author, moving to Buenos Aires and meeting your Costa Rican soul mate.

I think it's healthy to know where a limiting belief came from, but when we talk about money blocks, most people think you need to dig deep into your past and re-live the events all over again. And only once you've done that, then you can start to work through your beliefs.

And all I can say is, what an unnecessary shitty way to go about it!

When you're baking a chocolate cake and you realize you have no eggs, you don't beat yourself up about it and think, "If only Timmy Thompson didn't steal my eggs in baking class when I was 10, I'd be able to have as many eggs as I wanted now!!", do you?

No!

You just go to the supermarket and buy some more eggs!

That's how I look at money blocks.

As an opportunity for taking positive solution-based action.

In my private facebook group The $100k Experiment (join here). One of our wonderful members, Sarah, asked a fantastic question about a particular money block that many women face.

What happens when you start manifesting money and then an unexpected bill or expense arises, and just like that the money you manifested has gone before it even reached your fingertips?

This is a fantastic question, and if you're in this situation it's a great indication that you're doing things right. How? Because our blocks only come up when we're hitting an upper limit or financial comfort zone, which means we are right on the brink on change.

Here's how to ensure you break through that threshold.

10 Ways to Clear Your Money Blocks

Declutter everything

When manifesting money, (and anything in your life really), you need to make room for it. Simple. And you do this by decluttering everything physically and mentally. Start by doing the obvious, have a huge clearing of your wardrobe, your cupboards, your car, wallet, bedroom, kitchen, lounge, the files on your computer. Get rid of anything that no longer serves you at this new level you're wanting to move into. Cleanse your house and gardens. Cull everything. This clears your mind of things that have been laying in the back of your mind. Now when you're wanting to declutter your mentally, this gets a little bit trickier. It's time to look at leaving old memberships to sites or hobbies, groups your that no longer interest you, services you no longer use, old friendships that don't seem to work any more and clients that aren't a match to you.

Forgive, forgive, forgive

Forgiveness is so underestimated. And it would be. Most people don't want to forgive others, especially if that person has wronged them in some way. When you learn to move past that, and realize that all forgiveness really is, is a way to set yourself free from what or who was holding you back. You win. How you clear your money blocks by using forgiveness is by doing this: write a huge list of every limiting money belief you've ever had, think from birth to present day and any extras in-between. Try to do this uninterrupted. Then when you feel you've gotten everything out, big, small, insignificant, humiliating and so on. Read through each line out loud, feeling the feelings and then say "I forgive, I love you, I'm sorry". By the end of the list you'll feel a hell of a lot lighter - I guarantee it!

Practise EFT

I'll admit, I find Emotional Freedom Technique a bit lame, BUT, it works! I don't use it often, but when I do it always helps me push through a block that I'm struggling with - every single time. I don't like doing it on my own because I feel like a mega dork, so I follow this tapping tutorial - which probably makes me even more of dork, right? There are some of you who will love it, and if you do - use it every single time your blocks come up. It's a quick and easy way to break through.

Gratitude

Another underestimated tool. Giving thanks for everything in your life that you have currently, have received in the past and will receive in the future. It's the best (and easiest) way to ensure you success. I listen to an audio by Tony Robbins called The Hour of Power and in it he talks about the triad, which put simply is regarding the thoughts you think, the words you speak and the way you move determine your current state. And there's a powerful exercise in the audio that you listen to while you're on a walk that gets you to change your state into a beaming positive beacon of gooeyness with a huge emphasis on giving gratitude and visualizing what you want for yourself.

See a Kinesiologist or Intuitive Healer

This is something I have not done yet - however I tried bowen therapy once, does that count? - but it is something I am really eager to try. I haven't needed it yet in terms of clearing blocks for myself, but I have a feeling I will need to as I start to uplevel further and further in my life and business. I've heard incredible things about going to a kinesiologist. Joanna Turner, Denise Duffield-Thomas and Leonie Dawson swear by it to clearing your blocks, so definitely give it a try!

Track your money

In a Periscope video I did, I mentioned the importance of tracking your income and putting it either in your diary or on a simple excel spreadsheet. It's 1000% true that what you think about, you bring about or what you focus on, grows. So instead of letting yourself be on auto-pilot or worse, not paying positive attention to your money at all, make it your goal to check your bank account every day and make a note of the income only. Don't worry about expenses, this is about clearing your blocks, not giving you a heart attack! ;)

Write your goals down

There's a power in setting your goals each day. It's like a physical affirmation. Whatever your goal is, be it reach $5k this month, book one new client this week or sell 5 products today. Write your goal down. It doesn't matter where or when, just make sure you do it every single day. Why? Because it gets you to focus, it reaffirms to you what you want and it energetically sets you for the day to achieve what you've set out to do.

Join a Mastermind

Sometimes us ladies in business can find it hard to talk about our businesses and our money shit with people outside of industry, like friends and family. That's why it's really great to join a mastermind or find a group of like-minded woman who you can bounce off when you do hit a money block. The Rich, Fearless & Free community would be a great place to start! Join here.

Use visualization

Remembering when you were a child, and when it was mat time at school your mind would wander off into a daydream that was far more interesting than what the teacher was teaching? No? Only me then. Well visualizing is like the adults version of daydreaming, and the cool thing is that if we do it well, we manifest our 'daydream' into reality! Use visualization of what you want to move past your limiting beliefs. When they creep up on you, choose in intercept the limiting thought with a more powerful thought about what you'd like to have instead.

Meditate

Like I mentioned on Periscope, meditation is one of my favourite things to do. I do them in the morning as they help me set up for my day while grounding me at the same time. My favourite abundance and money guided meditations are by Gina Devee and Gabrielle Bernstein (which you can find on iTunes and download as a free podcast). I prefer guided because as you know, I like to use my imagination, I can't concentrate if I try to do it in silence! Find a guided meditation that works for you when your money fears are bubbling up to the surface.


Sometimes you might not clear the block fully on the first round. That's okay. You will get it. As Robet Collier said, "Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out".

Now it's your turn to share: What are some quirky ways you use to clear you money blocks?


Elise xo

P.S - how we manifested our $2.1 million dollar home

How to Juggle a 9-to-5 While Running Your Business

Ahhhhhhhh... Jobs. They serve a purpose and fill a need. Like a waterproof goose down jacket when you're snowboarding the Southern Alps. When we're in the first stages of building our business, 9 times out of 10 we're still going to be working in our jobs. The tricky part is juggling both of them when you're not making enough from your business to leave and are needing the income from your job to live and function on. This, if done right, can be really easy and in fact enjoyable!

My part time job had hours that really suited me. It allowed me to work for two to three hours in the morning and two to three hours in the afternoon. I'd wake up early, get my morning routine done and then work on my business. It kept me excited throughout my day knowing that I could return to it once I finished work. A year or two before that I was using my job as an excuse of why I wasn't putting the time into my business. The truth is I had major limiting beliefs and money blocks. I just didn't think I was good enough to do it.

If you're one of those people who says they can't find the time to work on their business, don't have enough energy after working all day or busy doing other things. Here's three examples of multi-million dollar entrepreneurs who built their businesses while working in a job. Leonie Dawson worked a full-time government job while hustling on her business. Marie Forleo did bartending while building her life coaching business. Denise Duffield-Thomas had a corporate job but decided to go out on a limb and ask her husband to support her for 6 months while she tried to build her business.

Whatever your excuse is for not working on your dreams yet, it's costing you more than you know. So get over yourself - lovingly so - and get your butt working!

LIGHTEN YOUR WORK LOAD

If you're working 40 hours a week and you're finding it's too much for you to be able to do that and work on your business, have a chat with your boss at the possibility of lessening your hours down to 30 or 20. Yes the income decreases a little bit, but you're opening yourself up to more time, energy and creative space to put into your business to make double your income!

LOOK FOR A BRIDGING POSITION

If you're unable to lighten your workload without pissing off your boss, another thing to try would be looking for a bridging position. Something that doesn't take up as much of your time or energy that will allow you to be able to work on your business. This could be a part time role working as a Nanny for a few hours a day, or maybe check out if there are any Virtual Assistant roles up for grabs in your network. There's always a way, don't forget that!


SET SPECIFIC TIMES TO WORK ON YOUR BUSINESS

To truly live in alignment with the rich, fearless and free lifestyle, you need to be responsible in your business from Day 1, and that means living your life the way you would once you were successful. You need to stay as balanced as you can. Of course you'll overindulge when it comes to working on your business, when it's something that excites you that you love and you're passionate about who wouldn't want to immerse themselves in it 24/7!? But try as hard as possible to live your life and enjoy it. Keep up your date nights, your coffee dates and family catch ups. Without these your life will be just that little less sparkly. And I said it once and I'll say it again, you don't need to suffer in order to live your dreams.

Let us know your personal tips! How are you juggling your 9-to-5 while working on your business?

Elise xo

How We Manifested Our $2.1 Million Dollar Home

In celebration of some incredible people manifesting some amazing things in The $100k Experiment (hint: 50 pounds, a $1200 trip to Fiji and a load of great money making opportunities!) I want to share with you how we manifested our $2.1 million dollar rental home earlier this year. Yes that's the view from our bedroom!

It all began with the viewing on New Years Eve.

Who views a house on New Years Eve you ask?

No one.

Except the people bonkers enough to do it.. AKA us.

We knew that January was a busy time for people looking for rentals, with new students starting their semesters and newcomers moving into the city wanting to give the 'big smoke' a try still drunk on the idea of new possibilities.

But New Years Eve wasn't a busy time. In fact it was a deserted buffet with an abundance of delicacies ready for the taking!

We knew we loved it the minute we walked down the foyer to the entrance. And as we moved through the house, it wasn't about what we liked about it, it was about what we were going to do in this room and that room, and what we'll put here and decorate there. And then it was the view. The view that enraptured us all.

The house was ours in our minds.

And two months later, it was ours.

Here is what we did:

How We Manifested Our $2.1 Million Dollar Home

• Wrote in my gratitude journal how much I loved living in the house, If I didn't journal I'd say what I was grateful for about it when I went on my daily walks.
• I visualized myself in the house, pottering around, cooking, working, just regular day to day stuff that I already did anyway.
• Talked in detail about the house with my partner and our friend living with us.
• Drove by the house at least three times a week so I could soak in the view, and imagine myself in the house once again. Yeah I was getting borderline stalker around about now.
• When friends came to visit, I'd say "Let's go see our new house!" and then I'd drive them to the area and we'd marvel at it's beauty for a few minutes or so.
• Scott and I went for a few walks around the neighbourhood to suss out the vibe and people. 
• We went to every viewing of the house. Just to get a few more minutes of good visualizing juju in.
• We also started buying up furniture for the new house. I found a killer 3-piece lounge suite for a steal!
• We frequented the local shopping centre and bought groceries at the supermarket.
• I got my finances in order ready to pay for the bond.
• Started to appreciate where I was because I knew the house was ours.

Simple practical steps right? 

When you add them all up, throw in repetition and almost no resistance. It can happen that quickly.

In saying this, I think it's important to note that some things will manifest quicker than others, easier than others and with less effort than others. And some things will just take longer no matter how hard or little you try.

I didn't plan to do any of the things above, they just happened naturally. And yes, we even had a bit of resistance and freaked out that maybe it wasn't going to happen. But overall our vibe stayed positive.

The biggest thing is to get out of your way and not be attached to the outcome. If you can do that, then you've won the battle!

So to send you off, I'll leave you with a quick sunset snap from our deck that I sent my friends last night.

A video posted by Elise McDowell (@elisemcdowell) on Aug 28, 2015 at 1:26am PDT

Your turn! What's something 'big' that you have manifested with quite a bit of ease?


Elise xo


P.S - If you're on Periscope, tomorrow I'm going to share the 3 things I do each day that have helped me manifest more abundance in my life! My addy is @elisemcdowell - see you there!

How Marie Forleo "Humiliated" Me

It was the lowest point in my life.

I was broke, jobless and living at home with my Mother.

Scarcity had wriggled it's way into the depths of my subconscious and I could feel it's claws tightening it's grip.

I didn't know what to do. I was helpless. I felt like less of a person because I had no purpose, no income, no connection to anyone, nothing. I was making mini droplets of income through my blog at the time - $20 here, $80 there - but even then it seemed like everyone around me had wrapped a scarcity bag around their heads too.

There was one day I remember fondly where I needed a haircut - a simple $20 haircut - and I couldn't afford it.

And something in me snapped.

I was furious.

Was this really all there was to my life?

Was this it?

I needed help. I needed an answer. And I needed it now.

I couldn't afford to work with a coach or buy any books, so out of sheer gall (and suffering) all I could think of to do was ask Marie Forleo.

And she came back with this..

I remember that fateful day like it was yesterday. I had just woken, dried drool on my cheek, hair like I'd combed it with a cactus.

Opening the email I remember thinking "Oh, a money post from Marie yuss!".  I clicked through to the post and let the video play.

As per usual she had her quirky little intro, which what makes me (and I'm sure everyone else) connect with her so much more. And then moved into the readers question.

And that's when I heard my name.

My heart stopped.

"It's.. my.. question." I said, dumbfounded.

Marie continued reading.

I slinked further and further under my duvet, eyes bulging, heart in my throat.

I felt like this.

As she moved through the video with her advice - which by the way I did NOT pay any attention to because HOLY SHIT MARIE FORLEO ANSWERED MY QUESTION!!!!!! - a sudden wave of humiliation washed over me.

I felt seen.

Exposed.

Vulnerable.

Like I'd just lead myself to a public slaughtering of some sort. GoT style.

"What are people going to think of me? What if my ex from 8 years ago sees this!? What if my horrid maths teacher from 6th form sees this? Oh god, what if my friends see this!? WHAT IF MY FAMILY SEES THIS!?!?! IDIOT! The entire world now knows about my 'situation'! How stupid were you to ask this question publicly! This is worse than that time you fell off stage at the school assembly!"

I was a goner to my "victim mode".

But there was nothing I could do, it was already done. I cringed. I squirmed. I felt like this guy at 2:20. And yet there was still nothing I could do. Nothing but accept it and move forward.. somehow.

Eventually I was able to watch the whole video through and actually retain the information that Marie had given - which I use a lot of in my day to day practice!

And now? I go back to that video every now and then to check in with where I'm at. I still cringe at moments, but each time I do watch it I feel better and better about it. And amazingly (and ironically) enough Marie was able to help me realize something extremely important after I'd actually posted this post..

How amazing is that?

Many, many lessons have come from this one small act of courage (and pain). And yes, I still feel seen. Yes, it still makes me squirm. But if this has helped at least one person change their relationship with money in a positive way, at the sake of my "ego", then that is worth the world to me.

Elise xo

P.S - Getting some mega facebook love over here!

An Amusing Lesson on Defining My Ideal Day

She looked me up and down as if I had emerged out of the eighteenth century a orphaned pick-pocket.



"Are you wanting to eat here?" she asked, with a puzzled expression and a hint of condescension in her tone.


After three three hours of hiking around the island, with chunks of clay stuck to my shoes, dried sweat-now-salt layered on my face and an outfit of walking tights and a fleece sweater, I wasn't exactly dressed for lunch in a hoity-toity restaurant.


"Yes please!" I said, ignoring her subtle condemnatory glare.


I found my table outside in the sun, overlooking the beach.


After I had ordered I contemplated the interaction that had just happened.


Taking a sip of my water I surveyed the restaurant.


'Weird', I thought. 'There's no one here but retired people and tourists. It was the same yesterday at the other restaurant'.


Thinking nothing of it, I went back to my view and sat there soaking in the sun.


Let's pause there for a moment.

You've more than likely heard of the 'ideal day' exercise.

Well, whenever I've tried to imagine and feel what my days would be like once I ran my own 6-figure business it would go something like this - I'd wake early, do yoga, drink green juice, work with my clients, go shopping or meet a friend for lunch, workout in the afternoon, prepare gourmet dinners, drink wine and relax in the evening - and every single time I imagined that it felt overwhelming, it felt crippling, it felt unsuitable.


I found it impossible to imagine the lifestyle I'd be living once I was wealthy because 1) I'd never experienced it before and 2) I believed I would be a completely different person.


'Wait a minute.' My mind was back on the restaurant observation.


'It's midday on a Tuesday. Everyone is at work right now.'


Then it hit me.


Everyone is literally at work except for the retired and the tourists. Even prissy waitress lady in her tight fitted knit dress and tan leather boots - which actually looks really lovely, BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT.


No one else is on their time right now, except for the retired, the tourists and me!


*LIGHTBULB*


This is it. This is exactly what I want. This is my ideal day.


Enjoying a Tuesday afternoon on my time. Letting uppity waitresses hover in the corner trying to figure me out. Eating vanilla pancakes with bacon and freshly squeezed orange juice. Working on my 5-figure business from my phone. Wearing sweat infused workout gear and shoes riddled with mud.


This is my ideal day.


And it feels so, me.


When getting into business, most of us believe we're going to become this amazing 2.0 version of ourselves and do these incredible things that we don't do right now.


And I really gotta cut the shit and say, you'll be petrified bone-dust before that happens.


Get real with yourself. Take the exercise a step further, and off the paper. Take the day off work and feel-out what you'd really like to do. Take actual action. Because I guarantee you, the imaginary ideal day you've written on paper is not going to match what you really want to do once you have the time!


Now it's your turn! Tell us below what your *real* ideal day in your business is?



Elise


P.S - this is the view from the restaurant.. ;)

How to Run a Rampage of Appreciation for Money

Tomorrow I delete myself from the world... for four days.

No technology.

No distractions.

No human contact.

And a part of what I'll be doing while I'm away - since I'm gonna have sooooooo much god damn time on my hands - is to get back into practising rampages of appreciation.

Back in 2010, when I was a total groupie to Abraham Hicks, I used to recite the money rampage below every single day.

At first I felt like a complete nut case dork, but each day that I did it I noticed I started to feel better and believe it just a little bit more. It didn't seem like I had been reciting the rampage all that long when exciting things started manifesting into my life.


Winning a trip to New York to meet Taylor Swift, being showered with gifts from people, getting a brand new car and a new job without having to interview etc..


The thing about building a money mindset is you've got to try everything to figure out what works for you.


So for today, use this rampage:

Rampage of Appreciation for Money

"I’ll bet there are many people who, at one time, were standing financially about where I am. Who broke through this, and found a stream of abundance. And I can feel the stream of abundance approaching me, because things that have never happened to me before are beginning to show up.

So, I know my vibration around money is improving. And, there’s no end to what that improvement will be. And it’s gonna be fun for me over the next days to watch different evidences showing me I’m really sniffing out the trail of abundance.

And, I accept that 99% of every creation is complete before I see any physical evidence, so it’s alright if it doesn’t flow right into my hands this red hot minute. I can be patient here a little bit. 

I’ve learned to settle in here and I’m alright in waiting for this. And I’m actually beginning to feel my impatience turning to a little bit of eagerness. It’s going to be exciting to watch how the Universe displays to me, in a way that is meaningful, where I can consciously recognise that my energy is shifting. 

And, I can feel that even in this conversation that I’m having with myself that I’m moving systematically into that Stream of money that I’m wanting. And I’m not asking for it to come all at once. Although it can. I’m asking that it come through my crack of least resistance, which I’m working on right now. And it’s exciting to me to anticipate the adventure, and the surprises, and the ways in which it will flow.

And, I’m appreciating already my knowledge about my own guidance system. I am appreciating my understanding of the Law of Attraction. And I am appreciating the people that are showing, in a demonstrating way, that abundance can flow into their experiences. And I am looking forward to meeting people who can tell me their stories about how they were in desperate straits not very long ago and money began to flow. And I like hearing from them, especially the part where they say, ‘I can’t believe that it was always there for me’, or I have the sensation of, ‘Where have you been all along.’ 

In other words, it’s an interesting thing to be on one side of the manifestation one moment, and on the other side of the manifestation in the other moment. And I’m looking forward to breaking through that.

But, in the mean time, I’m happy to be on this side of the manifestation because I’m feeling better, and better, and better. I’ve improved my life in so many different ways. And I’m eager to begin to see the stream of money flow into my experience. 

I know that I’m worthy of it. That’s not what the question is. I know, now, that I’ve just been a little bit vibrationally out of whack. And I can feel in conversations I’m having with myself, like this, are bringing me vibrationally into alignment. I’m understanding that my work is this emotional journey. It’s not about getting out there and beating the pavement. It’s not about finding the vortex – the specific vortex – through which the money will flow. I don’t want only one specific vortex. I want many vortexes to open. I want to be the focal point, where enormous sums of money begin to flow into my experience.

I have activated my imagination. There is no end to my ideas of what I will do with this stream of money. It’s great fun! I love the idea of playing the game where I’m spending the money. I love the sensation of the money being in my pocket! And I love the sensation of expressing it out there in the Universe. And I love the economy that I benefit as I hire one more to do one more thing, or as I buy one more thing and bring it home. But most of all, I enjoy the sensation of Freedom! And it’s interesting to note that I am having that sensation of freedom right now even though my dollars have not changed at all in this moment! 

I’ve broken through the emotional journey. I can feel that I’ve cleaned up my vibration. I’m much closer. Maybe 70% of that 99.99 of that percentage is in place. I’m willing to play this game! Who wouldn’t want to play this game! It’s exhilarating to play this game! It’s life-giving to play this game. I could play this game all day, every day! Wouldn’t it be nice if I have that? Won’t it be nice if I have that? Won’t it be nice if I have that? Wouldn’t it be nice if I have that?

I feel such appreciation of the abundance that’s flowing into my experience. There is abundance that’s coming to me in so many ways. I have the abundance of clarity. I have the abundance of stamina. I have the abundance of health. I have the abundance of friends. I have the abundance of so many things. And now the Universe is getting ready to give me the abundance of dollars. The abundance of being able to prove to myself that I am in alignment of all that I want and that it is true that there is NOTHING that I cannot BE, or DO, or HAVE!

That’s what I want most of all, I say to the Universe! I want personal acknowledgment that there is nothing that I cannot Be, or Do, or Have. And money is part of it. Money might even be a big part of it. I can feel money on it’s way to me. And I am grateful for it even as it begins to flow and I am proud of myself for the work I am doing. And I am eager to improve where I am. And I am Happy where I am.

I am doing very well. I have come so far. I’m proud of where I am. I know the Universe sees me as I am. I can get on these rampages any time I want to. I am going to work on these rampages more and more, because they just feel so darn good. In fact, in a rampage like this, whether the money comes or not, in this red hot minute, is no big issue to me. I know it’s coming. I’m not even wondering if it’s coming. I’m not hoping that it’s coming. I’m not even believing that it’s coming. I know that it’s coming. It’s just a matter of time. NO! It’s not even a matter of time. It’s just a matter of my alignment with what I want. And it’s alright that I want it. The Time Space reality has given me the ability to discern it. I’ve launched rockets of desire and they’re over there pulsing with me. And Source and Inner Being are in alignment with them saying, “Come this way. Come this way. Come this way. Come this way. Come this way. Come this way.” And I can tell by the thoughts that I’m thinking right now I have come that way! I’m there! I’m there vibrationally and, NOW, let the money roll in!"



Now it's your turn: let me see your rampage of appreciation!

Elise xo

P.S - 39 money affirmations