I'd like to begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders, past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. Welcome to Stepping Up the podcast where we explore all things organization, mental health, routines, personal.
Development, motherhood and health.
I'm your host, Steph Pace, and I'm the woman behind Just Another Mummy blog and also the founder of Steph Pace Planners. But I can assure you this is not just another podcast online. I'm known for my organization tips and tricks and the occasional banter, but it definitely wasn't always this way. I used to be a hot mess and occasionally still am. And I'm here as your honest and real friend each week to show you how I turn my life of chaos into clarity.
Between the house, health, kids.
Work, and wanting to be the best version of yourself, it can be overwhelming, and I'm here to give you the tools and tips to stop you feeling like a slave to your daily tasks, home life, and especially the expectations you have on yourself.
Join me as I share my.
Journey and insights into the art of balancing at all and speak to guests who can help us all live a better life. Whether you're looking to streamline your daily routines, fish your wellbeing, achieve your fitness goals, dive into personal development, or find inspiration to step up into the best version of yourself, We've got you.
So are you ready to step up your game? Let's go.
Hello, guys, and welcome back to Stepping Up. Firstly, I just want to apologize for my voice. I am actually recording this intro a week after I recorded the rest of the episode, so I promise you won't be listening to this person that sounds like Kermit the Frog. Anyway, We've had a very unwonted visitor in our house and that is influenza A and I caught it pretty much last night this morning, and I've gone downhill from there
and it's been a time. I don't think we've ever had it in our house, not that I know of, but I can tell you she's not mucking around and it's not a good time. So I do apologize for the void in this intro, but I do promise the rest of the video is not going to sound like this. Today, I'm going to be taking you guys through a step by step mid year reset. And now I do know we're over halfway through the year, but I want you to remember it's never.
Too late to do a little reset.
And this is one of those media resets that isn't going to make you feel overwhelmed, because I'm literally going to be spoon feeding you what you need to do and also give you this three day reset itinery of what you need to do to help you reset all
areas of your life. And I know you know at the start of the year, we set out to achieve these goals and intentions and then life happens, and it's always good to do these revisits and have a life audit, a time audit, a habit review, and all these things I'm going to take you through so you can just like step back for a minute and then realign yourself to where maybe you're lacking or maybe where you want more of So maybe you want more fun and less work and things like that.
Now, not only a you're going to want to.
Listen to this episode because I'm going to help reset your entire life in the next twenty minutes, but it's going to give you a lot of insight into how far you've come, because even I know for myself you change so fast in a couple of months. And doing things like this Life and Time Audit, something I've never taken you guys through, is really going to open your eyes to see what needs to change and just wake us up to maybe self sabotage or things we're doing
that isn't serving us. Now, I'm not going to let you listen to this voice any longer. Please as always, tag me on socials where you're listening from. I love to see it, and please leave me a review. I will be reading a review every second week, so I will be reading out your name and I would just love love to hear what you think of the pod and what you'd like to see next. Anyways, let's get.
Into the episode now.
Like with anything, reflection is the key to taking any step forward, getting clear on what you want and what you don't want, and that is because we learn.
From our past.
It doesn't always feel great, especially when you know there might be regrets or mistakes, but the thing is especially for me the years that I've had, I don't regret anything I've done because I wouldn't know what I know now as much as if bloody kills.
Reflection is just so so important. So I did this in my journal. This is a journal that I started at starting year.
It's literally pretty much full now. I think I've got like no pages left. So I put all my stuff in here, and now when I read back on the reflection from the start of the year, I feel like I'm a completely different person, which is insane. So when I've been doing the same thing, I would love you to grab a journal and write these down. If not, just even think about it. If you're time poor and
you can't be bothered to think about it. So reviewing this last six months that you've just had, what are the three lessons that you've learned.
These can be.
Tough lessons, usually they are, they're the best ones. Next up is what were your top three wins? This is something that we never really like, just stop and just think about and be.
Like, I did a really good job.
So for me personally, one of my goals for this quarter was setting up my SVP team, so my business and hiring staff, and I've managed to do that, and I don't always achieve my goals, but I did so for me, that was a massive win, huge win. Another win for me is more linked to a lesson. So I've been burning out for years and I've finally come to the realization that i can't be everything to everyone all the time, and that is included.
In family life, as a mum and at work.
So my win has been I've been a lot better at being realistic with myself. Instead of telling myself I'm going to do X, Y zed, I'm going to be like I'm gonna do X and Y. So that's a win for me. So it can literally be anything big or small, and they can be linked to your lessons as well. What have you enjoyed the.
Most over the last six months? Was there highlights? Was there just like parts of your days that you just really really love.
Maybe it's a walk, maybe it's hanging without the kids after dinner, could be anything.
How well did I take care of myself?
That is a hard one because I know a lot of us they're going to be like shit, maybe not the best for me. It's actually been interesting this question because you usually I don't really set goals to go to the gym this many days a week because I've been going to the gym for over a decade now. It's just something that is a harburt for me, so I don't set those goals. But then this last couple of months, I've let the gym slip, and that's because
I've been really focusing on hiring people and work. So see how like it's a good point for you just to like step back and be like, oh, I did this, but this slipped.
You know what I mean. And it's not about being perfect.
It's just about what brings you fulfillment and joy in what areas of your life and how you can change things.
So you are missing out on looking after yourself.
Now. I want to run a few more questions, but there is a lot here, soone just going to take you through a couple more. Did I set any boundaries? And that includes with others and yourself as well? For me, my boundaries are actually knowing when to stop working and to just like take a bloody minute. So my boundaries are that when I plan for my workday to end, it ends.
Have I been doing that? No?
My boundaries is up shit creek right now? What areas of my life are feeling neglected right now? So this could be mental health, it could be friendships, it could be hobbies, things like that, and we are going to get into these categories more. Next next is which areas are my life? Am I feeling the best right now? And this doesn't have to mean you feel amazing, but you were feeling even content or maybe you feel like you're progressing. Remember there's not always.
Like an endpoint with these things, like we don't want there to be and go. It's even with health and fitness.
You don't just get fit and then that's it because for you to upkeep that fitness, you've got to continue. So just think that any progress is positive. Ask yourself, how am I feeling? How are you actually feeling right now? Your mental health be feeling burnt out, you're feeling lost, you're feeling flat, maybe you're feeling motivated, maybe you're feeling like you've had a massive shift.
And remember with this you can feel.
Many things at once. There's so much duality in life. And for me, I feel grief from losing my dad and Nan in the last couple of years. I feel burnt out, but I also feel motivated because.
I've seen progress within myself.
I want you to ask yourself, how much fun did you have as an adult? We only do tasks and things that give us a certain outcome, like make more money, make the house cleaner, things like that, get fitter, but you don't really do things just for fun anymore. And this is so important, and I am going to be talking about this in your life, audit, because when you stop having fun, that's when life will start to feel
pretty flat. It's like, you know, when you book in a holiday, you've booked in fun, so that's why you look forward to it. You get that, like, even if you're going through a really shit time, if you book in a holiday and you just get a bit more of like energy because you know you've got something good coming up. So how much energy you're going to feel every single day and every single week if you do that. The next questions are about habits, so habits that you
started and habits that you stopped. So, for example, a habit I've started is not really a physical habit. It's more of like a mental habit, which is still a habit. And that is being really honest with myself. About my expectations on myself. So I'll start the day normally, I'll fill up, you know, my to do list and yes, our sell planners. I worked on learning about productivity for so long now that is why I do what I do.
But I also have ADHD and I'm also perfectionist, and I also I'm a people pleaser, so it means I always try to fill all the parts of my day with productivity. I've always based my worth on my productivity levels, which is not good.
That sucks that such spores. We don't want to do that anymore. So I have it I've started in the last.
Six months is being super critical of what is actually important and what can wait. And that is something that I do teach you guys, But I think when you're in it yourself, and especially if you're a people pleaser, I'm always taking tasks off other people.
I'll just do it. I'll just do it, and I still do it, but I'm a lot more critical of it now. I have it that I've stopped. As I mentioned, I wouldn't say I've completely stopped.
I did go to the gym this morning, but would be me doing my regular gym session. So That's something that I'm aware of, and I have noticed that I'm not reading as much at night because I love my fiction. I love my sexy fairies, So that is something else I've noticed as well.
I want you to ask yourself.
How much downtime did you get, How have you been resting, how have you been relaxing, or are you someone that feels every hour of the day that you get spare with more shit to do? That could be a goal for you to stop doing that, because I am the prime example. Soon as we get spare time, we think it's oh great, I can do this task, I can do tomorrow's tasks.
I can do this.
What about what you sit ourses down and don't do it? And I know I'm just to be a channel about productivity and all that stuff, but I'm also about being a human and we do not want to be leading ourselves into burnout.
By all means, If.
You're still within work hours or your kids are still at school and you feel like you aren't needing a rest hundred percent, if you've got that time, chuck it in there.
It's great, but it's not sit down now. The last couple questions are, what are you.
Grateful for right now in your life.
So for me, it's.
Definitely my new team and my team, just like my team in general. I'm just so grateful for them and hiring these new people. I'm also grateful for the work I've put in the back end to get there. I'm grateful for my children who are palthy because we had a bit of run of sickness lately. Like it can be as big or as.
Small as you want.
I'm grateful that I live in an area where I can go for walks and it's not a busy city. And now overall just picturing this or you can do dot points, because I know it can be a little bit overwhelming. What do you want the next six months to look like for you? And that can be in certain areas of your life which will go into a bit more later, or just how you feel within yourself as a person. Pa do you want that to look like for me? I want to be more forgiving. I
want to be slower. I want to be a human being, not a human doing That's what I want to look like. I want more family time, I want more fun. I want to do my hobbies again. When my dad passed away, I took up painting. I did paint by numbers and it was amazing. I did like cross stick and it was just so good. And I've stopped, so I want to do more fun shoot again. All right, now, Step two, we're going to start doing your life. Word it now
if you've never done one of these. Traditionally, it's like this wheel of life that you see online and it's broken up into different categories usually like personal growth, finance, career, relationships, etc. And then there's lines and new color it into your level of satisfaction. Now I'm trying to do this guide so it's really easy for you. So we're not going to do that, but I want you to choose six categories.
I'm going to give you a couple of ideas now that most relate to you in your life.
Now, there is some categories that you have to put in there because you are a human being and you need to do it.
And then there's a couple that you can change.
Now, these categories look like family, career, finance, hobbies, personal growth, mental health, physical health, friends, it could be study that kind of thing. So I want you to really think about what your categories are now, your non negotiable categories are personal growth, which means the time you spend on yourself, Like working on yourself. Can't stand when you see people who are just constantly just trying to be.
Better and better and better. I want you to be happier.
So working on yourself can look like yes, obviously doing goal setting because that is healthy as long as it's realistic. It can be learning new things, like learning is so good for us and it actually will make you happier. And it doesn't have to be something to do with work, like I'd rather you not have it do with work.
If that lights you up, then do it.
The next non negotiable is mental and physical health, So there are two categories, mental health and physical health obvious reasons. Another category you must have is fun slash hobbies because as I said, we do not have.
Enough fun as adults.
I also want you to have relationships in there, whether you want to pop in family or friends or both. I usually just pop in relationships, and then I focus on family, like so my husband and my kids, and then I focus on like friendships and.
Things like that.
Now, the other one that will chop and change for people would be career study be home life, which is a big one, and that is another one that I would recommend having as a category if you're a stay at home mum, having home life and family are two really important categories, so they're the category. So I want you to write them down, the ones that best work for you. Now, I'm not going to be making you color in a wheel like I said, but instead, what we are going to be doing is rating these areas
of our lives from one to five. So one is you were not satisfied feeling content in this area of your life, eg.
Physical health.
Maybe you are literally not moving at all, You're sitting on the couch all day, You're eating French fries for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Your health is actually suffering and that's why it's or one. You get what I mean. And then five is you're feeling really good in this area. You feel like you know you're progressing again.
You can't always be.
At the end goal because there isn't an end goal really, but you're feeling good about that area of your life.
So that's a five.
So now on your piece of paper, I want you to write your category heading and then next to it, I want you to put your rating of one to five, whatever it is. Now underneath this is the next step of our audit. Now, this next part I have been doing for a while and I'm actually reflecting it into my planets for next year, which I'm really excited.
I'm not supposed to tell you that, but.
It's been working for me amazingly for a while now, and I finally decided to change it in the planners. Anyway, for each category, we're going to be doing something called start, stop, step and stick with. So basically, what you want to do is write down things in that air of your life you want to stop. For mental health, I want to stop filling up my spare time with work and instead I want to start using that time as down time to do reading or painting things like that. So
we've got our stop and we've got our start. Now the next thing is step. Now, this is the step you need to take or the action you need to take to start the habit that you just put down. So the step I need to take is I need to go and order some books online, or I need to buy some painting stuff, or I need a scheduling too.
My planner that I get self rest here and here.
Do you see what I mean? So the actual step you need to take to start the thing. Now the last step is stick with Now, these are the things that you're doing in that area of your life that are feeling good and.
You want to stick with it.
So personal growth. For me, something I want to stick with is my journaling. I've been journaling for years. I do it morning and night, sometimes more than that because my brain's crazy, and that's something I'm going to stick with because it makes me feel good.
So that is the principle.
So you've got your stop so habits you want to stop in this area, Start things you want to start in this area, step the action or step you need to take in order to start that new habit, and then stick with so the things that you want to stick with. So you are going to list these out for every category. I want to give you another example just to help you out, SORR. An example for physical health will be stop sitting at my desk all day.
Start hitting eight K steps to day, and the step for that is scheduling in mini breaks throughout my day in my planner, setting reminders of my phone, maybe an alarm to say get up and go for a quick walk or buying a walking path and getting like a standing desk, So that is a step for that. Now for family or relationships, it could be stop laying in bed next to each other scrolling on your phone the whole time because they like your connections not happening, you
know what I mean. Could be start having allocated screen or scrolling time and then having quality time together. And the step to do that would be setting an alarm to saying get off your phone, or setting up your down time settings in your phone because that is literally life changing and it literally cut.
My screen time in half.
And then for a family stick with would be maybe you guys go for a walk on Sunday or maybe you go out for a cute lunch, like that's something you want to stick with.
So that's another example.
I think the one that you guys probably struggle with the most for this is home. So an example for home would be stop leaving clutter around at night or.
Not putting things away.
So to solve that, we want to start doing a non negotiables afternoon route, and the step to do that would be to actually write out the list like your checklist for your new PM routine. Pop it on your stepface, fridge magnet on the fridge, the whole family can see. And then you can actually start doing it and then stick with you know, doing your changing your sheets once a week or whatever you do. That's like hydren at home that you want to stick.
With, you know what I mean? Like back, you mean whatever.
Now this takes us to steps three. You've gone through all the categories of your life. See if you're satisfied or not the things you're going to stop start and stick with, and the steps and all the things. Now we're up to checking in with the goals that you have set for the month or the year ahead. Now I talk about all about this in the Reset Roadmap again, I'll pop it below because goal setting is so extremely important and that is either going to set you up
for success or failure or disappointment. That's the first thing I'm want to say now here. I want you to revisit the goals that you had set for the last six months and ask yourself, have I made any progress on them? What's been holding you back? And be really specific would be time. Okay, so what part of my weeks am I not able to dedicate.
Towards this goal?
Or slot in the habits to get to this goal. For example, ak steps, where can you schedule in time to go for a walk? Now, if any of those goals you want to continue with and you feel like the season of your life here and right now, it is very much still relevant and it will serve you, keep it and you're going to schedule that in for the next quarter. Only you need to not think of the whole staircase, only the first step. And that is
the same with goals. Another question I want you to ask when you're looking at each of the goals that they've set, is there any self sabotaging behaviors that you've been doing that have prevented you from getting to your goals? Now, self sabotage is a whole other topic, but doing things like procrastination, ben infectionist, wait until you.
Have all the answers before you start things.
Those are actually self sabotaged because our brain doesn't like change. Our brain wants us, unfortunately, to stay the same because it means that we're safe. Even when safe is shit for us aka filling lethargic, not being healthy, being stuck in relationships that just aren't good for you because your brain knows are familiar, so that's why trying to keep you there.
So just remember that.
Now I want you to set your goals for the next quarter, so again really looking at what your life looks like right now. Now, I know we are all chasing this thing called balance, but balance isn't always really the right word because when you're in certain seasons of your life, your focus needs to be on certain areas.
And of course you're always juggling.
We're juggling all the time, but there is times in your life where you are really really heavily focused in you know, obviously family when your kids are babies, or it could be work, or it could be study, like it just depends where you're at. It could be home like right now we're building and we're going to be moving soon, like, there's always things going on.
So just being really aware of that.
Now, I want you to write down your goal and then again break it down. We're going to reverse engineer that goal into habits, and then you need to make sure that these habits you are actually scheduling in into your planner, your SPP planner and making time for because if you don't plan it, it's not gonna happen.
Let's be honest now, Step four.
These are the three days that you need to schedule into your month this month to help you finish off your midiar reset and day three will probably surprise you. All right, So Day one is I want you to have a mini reset day. This day, I want you to be doing a de clutter and a reset of your personal space, your physical space and also it can be your digital space. But this is going to time to day two a little bit. But just you'll know
when I tell you. So when I say a mini recet day, I don't want you to flog yourself so hard to literally clean the whole house on heptatope they clutter the whole place and then do all the other things I'm about to.
Ask with you. No, no, no, I want you to focus.
On the areas i've just been like, you know, those areas that you know, like I really need to get to that one cupboard, or I need to just like clear out my off first for my bedroom, like areas that really defect you and your mental health the most. That is your physical space. So de clutter spaces that.
You've been putting off.
I want you to also did cluttering the high traffic areas of your home.
So for us, that's like the hallway where all the shoes and craper.
There's always like we have a shoe basket, there's always a million stocks in there.
So things like that.
The kids room, I like to quickly go through some of their toys. Just do a bit of a like will donate or we'll do like toy rotation, which I should.
I want a video about that too, ol and that below. Reset your car, So did clutter your car?
Clean out your car and get rid of the twenty drink bottles that you've been driving around with for the last six months.
Clean out your work space or wherever you spend most of your.
Time, even like this, like the lounge room, like just making it feel fresh, vacuum clean some surfaces down, but do not do not absolutely flog yourself. The next category of this section is personal.
So for me, I like to.
Clean out my handbag, which I would recommend also doing the kids' school bags as well. So I like to go through my handbag, even if you can wash it.
I'll chocolate in the wash.
My gin bag, I chuck in the wash and get rid of any old receipts and things like that, and you're going to be saving that for the next day.
So any receipts and things that you need to keep and you just need to be doing admin. That's for day two.
I'm going to clean out the fridge and the freezer because we all know you've got steak that's two years old in them.
Well I hope not, but you probably may have.
So you're going to clean those places out. Go through your pantry. I'm not saying you have to fully organize it, but just go through it and at least get rid of expired items or things that just need to be used so then you can save money. And of course change your sheets and towels, just because it's going to make you feel fresh. Now I'm moving on to the personal reset. So this is stuff that I actually do
every month most months. I'm not going to stund perfect all the time, but these are the things I want you to do. I want you to clean your makeup brushes. I used to be a makeup artist and I cannot talk minor horrific. The next thing is restock on your vitamins or supplements that you need to be taking, and actually even get a pill organizer. I have a really cute little pink one. Then I'll link it blow my Amazon store.
FIM. I think that I used to organize my vitamins, and that's really important as well.
I want you to book in any health appointments that you need, perhaps mes shit like that, book them in and have an everything shower, which I know is a job within itself, but have one of those showers, you know, put on a face mask, find like an old hair mask you've got in the cupboard. Just just give yourself a bit of pampering. You know, that's what your personal reset. And you can do that at the very end of this day, because you mon't be a bit tired now
that you've reset your physical and personal space. Now we're going to be leading into the digital space. But this is also going to as I said, this is also going to cross over a little bit with Day two, which is a life at mid day.
We all need a life at mid day to do all the.
Annoying things that we've been putting off, like booking that doctor's appointment that you've been stressing over for like three weeks now, and you lost sleepover but you.
Just can't pick up the phone to call the doctor.
Speaking from experience, So this part you can decide if you want to cull your tech stuff on this day, so things like clean up your computer files, going through photos in your phone, which I actually recommend.
Doing slowly if you're like me and have a million photos.
I actually do it at the end of every month and I look at the previous months, like the month that has just passed.
I look at those photos and.
Things and delete ones I want to get rid off. So you can do that gradually. So let's talk about the next day that you're going to schedule in, which is your life at midday. As I said, this is a day you're going to do the things that you just have been putting off. You're going to go to the post office. You're going to finally return that products you bought that is broken. You're going to book in the dog for the bat. You're going to book the family and.
For the doctors. You're going to report that.
Plan outside that's been sitting there for five months. You're going to finally take the vacuum cleaning to get fixed that's been sitting in the boot of your car for a year. Speaking from experience, You're going to get your inbox to zero, and I'm going to give you all the hack here, and it's for going to scare some of you. But anything that is older than six months, just archive it in your inbox, even three months, because at least if it's archived, you can find it again.
So just archive it and start clean, make some labels, and get it organized.
So just do that.
But honestly, archiving a massive chunk of emails that you haven't been looking at, just do it. Unsubscribing from annoying newsletters that you've been getting that's not staff based planners doing stuff like that.
And he says also where.
I want you to do a bit of a financial review, so you don't have to go over like a whole year or the last six months bank statement, but even the last month. Just see where you can really, like, stop unnecessary spending.
I want you to be going into your.
Subscriptions and your apps and delete anything that you don't need or use and you've been paying for. And day three, I want you to have.
A potato day. Yes, a potato day. No, it's not a day we eat.
Well, you can sit down in the potatoes if you like, chip to the delicious. This is a day you're going to be doing absolutely fuck. You're literally going to sit your ars down or this doesn't have to mean you have to literally be lazy or day. But I just want you to just do whatever you want to do. Maybe your potato day is going for a walk and then watching your favorite Netflix show. But I want you
to have a full day. Obviously we do have obligations and things, but when you'vedropped the kids off at school, or once you've done the things you have to do every day, I want you to do nothing. I want you to just do what you want to do. You're gonna have your potato day, all right. Just relax, just chillax for one day. And the last step of this media reset is just looking at your current routine. I want you to write down or think about your current routine.
What days of the week the most stressful for you? And why what parts of the day are most stressful for you? And why is it the mornings? Because off, I haven't made the kids lunches, I impacked my bag, I've woken up to the kids screaming in my face because they want to eat chocolate for breakfast. There's peanut butter on the dog, like why is it stressful? And pinpoint it in my reset Roadmark, I actually go through
a really good strategy for creating your perfect routine. So it's going through listening out your non negotiables, so the things that you have to do day to day, and then sting out the habits and things that will make you happier and get you closer to your.
Goals, and then scheduling them in to your routine. And with this, I.
Want you to really higne in on your AM and PM routine because these parts of the days will make or break the whole middle part of your day. So if you're AM and PM a shit, this part is going to be pretty difficult. But if these too a nailed, the middle part will go a lot more smooth. Anyways, guys, let me know below how you go with your media reset again, focusing on your non negotiables, how you want
it to look, what's not working. All of that is in there as well, you know, as I love you guys so much, enjoy your media reset, be kind to yourself, don't be an asshole to yourself, and I'll see you guys one day.
Bye.
Thank you, guys so much for tuning in today's episode of Stepping Up. I don't want this to be just another podcast that you listen to, you get inspiration, and then you don't take action. If there's been something in this episode that will help you step up into the best version of yourself, open up your trusted player and make a plan. And if you've loved listening to today's episode, take a screenshot and show me where you've been listening from.
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