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