Oh, my goodness. Can you believe it? We are celebrating a full year of the Milspouse Mastermind Show!! When I launched this podcast year ago, there was absolutely so much I didn’t know. There were so many times that I wanted to give up and quit before I even started. I had so much fear and self-doubt, and that pesky little voice of resistance that said, who are you to start a podcast? Why not somebody else? Why not somebody more fill in the blank, but I did it.

[00:00:33] You guys, I showed up and I have released at least one episode every single week for an entire year. So today we are celebrating this big win on my journey to living with purpose, showing up for a full year with you and for you so that you, as a military spouse can thrive in your current season.

[00:01:08] This podcast is for every single military spouse, honestly, for every single person that needs to hear this message that you have something to offer you were made with an, for a purpose. And your job is to figure out what that thing is and live into it, to get unstuck and craft a life with purpose…in your current season of life and for your future.

My Biggest Lessons Learned 

[00:01:42] So today we are talking about my biggest lessons learned, not so that you can say, well, good for you, but to empower you to take a leap of faith, to take that next step on your journey. 

[00:02:59] Now, if you listened to the bonus episode last week on my February, real life recap, then you heard that we are celebrating this one-year anniversary by doing a giveaway on a show. If you will go to iTunes and leave a review of the show, you will be entered to win an all-access pass into the MilSpouse Purpose Playbook.

[00:03:25] This is a course designed to get you clarity on your purpose, learn how to pursue your dreams while prioritizing a healthy. Balance so that you can thrive as a military spouse and positively impact the lives of others. You’ll walk away with your own personal purpose statement, a vision for the life you actually want.

[00:03:49] You’ll have a decision-making framework to help you prioritize what matters most to you. And you’ll create a weekly schedule to help you pursue your dreams and wake up each day feeling filled, fueled and full of joy. When you get inside this course, you get the workbook to guide you through each clarity exercise. You get daily printable, productivity sheets, weekly and monthly assessments to track your progress. And you get exclusive access to the milspouse goal setting masterclass, which teaches you how to set flexible goals and you get the goal setting guide to plan your best year yet. And I am giving away a course free to someone that leaves a review.

[00:04:38] So if you will help celebrate one year of the Milspouse Mastermind Show by leaving a review of the show, I would love it so much. If you want to be entered to win, you just need to make sure you screenshot your review and make sure you tag me in some way, either through email or social media @milspousemastermind or in the Facebook group.

[00:05:05] If you’ve already left a review, you can also enter by sharing the podcast on your social media feed. And if you want a bonus, you can share that, tag me, that you were sharing about the show, because what I know is that more military spouses need this message. They need to know that it’s possible to thrive as a military spouse.

[00:05:30] Even if you don’t love the way your life looks today, even if you don’t love where you were living, even if you don’t love the job you’re in, or you feel stuck as a stay at home, mom. There is a purpose in a plan for your life today. I want more military spouses to hear that message. And when it comes from someone that they know and trust, they are more likely to respond and see what this is all about.

[00:05:57] That it is possible to craft a life with purpose today. So if you will share the show or leave a review on iTunes, I would love it so much. It lights me up every time I read one of your reviews, like this one from spouse strong mama. 

I just have to say, this is a great podcast for military spouses to help them in their journey as a military spouse, regardless of what season of life they’re in. So many topics that are so good. I have really enjoyed listening to the mentorship episode and being a military spouse myself for 16 years. I didn’t have a mentor, but after listening to Christine, talk about the importance of one. Now, I feel like I need one and to become one to other spouses. Thanks, Christine truly opened me up to other opportunities in my life and business truly is a blessing from crystal. 

Thank you so much. It means so much when you give me this feedback and you tell me how I can support you and how we can together support the military spouse community. So thank you for sharing that.

10 Lessons Learned In One Year of Podcasting

1.    It is a leap of faith

[00:07:15] So my goal today is to talk you through 10 lessons that I’ve learned in one year of podcasting, so that it empowers you to take the next step on your journey. Number one is to understand that it is a leap of faith. You don’t know what it’s going to be like. You don’t know what that thing is until you’ve actually done it.

[00:07:45] It involves stepping outside of your comfort zone and really doing something that you’ve never done before. And, and that can be overwhelming. But to understand that it’s just that leap. And if you never take that leap, you will never experience what’s on the other side. 

2.    Resistance is greatest before you take action

The second thing that I learned really in launching the show is that the resistance is greatest, right before you take action before you hit publish, there’s all of these fears and doubts and everything that comes up like, can I really do this? Should I really do this? Am I really cut out for this? What am I doing? How am I going to put myself out there? Oh, these people that I don’t even know, it can be overwhelming.

[00:08:35] And so I just want to say them, the closer you get to taking action, the more resistance you will feel, the more obstacles that seem to come up in your. And really you just have to take action despite all of that fear, despite all of that self-doubt, just do the thing. Just take the action. Even when it feels uncomfortable because the resistance is going to be greatest right before you take action.

3.    Remind yourself of why 

[00:09:05] The third thing that I would say that I’ve learned in my own journey is that it’s so important to remind yourself. Of why, why are you doing this? Who are you showing up for? Who are you trying to serve? How are you going to help them? Because if you don’t have a why, if you’re just kind of doing it for kicks and giggles, um, for fun and games, it’s not all easy, easy.

[00:09:32] Some days you wake up and you were super passionate, you were super pumped. You are ready to go. And some days. You just don’t have it in you, you feel drained, you feel discouraged it’s that you have a lot of other things going on. And if you don’t have a why or a reason that you are getting up and doing the thing, you’re not going to stick with.

[00:09:57] So how do I remind myself about my why? I have my purpose in action statement that I have created. I have my one liner that I have created that reminds me. Of why I’m doing this, that who I’m serving, why I’m showing up, why this matters. I have come up with my vision, my big dreams about the life, about who I want to be, how I want to show up how I want to serve.

[00:10:27] And I have all of that on. As summary sheet that I read through on a regular basis, it has my values listed my one-liner my purpose and action statement, who I want to be my core characteristics that I want to be true of my life. That is all on my summer sheet. And I teach you how to create your own sheet in the middle spouse, purpose playbook, and then you review.

[00:10:51] Read through it on a regular basis to remind yourself of what you were doing and why it really matters. And reminding yourself of your why is so important. 

4.    Consistency is key

And this ties into the fourth thing that I have learned, and that is that consistency is key. There are roughly 4.4 million podcasts in the world. I read a statistic that said only 250,000 have ever actually released more than 10 episodes.

[00:11:28] And as of December, 2021, there were only five hundred and forty eight, four hundred and forty seven active podcasts on apple podcasts. While lots of people have done the thing to create the podcast to try something. Most people don’t stick with it. In fact, there was a huge podcast. Boom. In 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic, life was turned upside down and people were like, oh, I’ll launch a podcast.

[00:12:01] But most of those people never stuck with it. If you want to do something, then the most important thing you can do is be consistent with it. Now I’ve shared before. Before the podcast existed, I was a blogger, but I was never consistent with blogging. And so it never grew, it never went anywhere. It was really more family and friends just reading my blog.

[00:12:29] But I had a vision. I have a why for who I want to serve, how I want to serve them. And the most important thing about podcasting is being consistent. If you want to chase a dream, if you want to pursue a passion, if you want to do the thing that is on your heart, be consistent, keep showing up because some days are going to be easy and some days are going to be really hard and you’re not going to want to do it.

[00:12:59] And so, number one, you need to know your why. And number two, you just have to keep showing up. Even when you don’t feel like consistency is key. 

5.    Encouragement is life

The fifth thing I will say about a year of podcasting is that encouragement is life. As I shared earlier, those podcasts reviews that you leave, not only do they help give us more visibility too, they help grow the show.

[00:13:26] They are such an encouragement to me in this journey. Over the last year, there have been seasons where I’m wondering, you know, Podcasting is not overnight success for most of us, any kind of thing that you’re launching that’s new is probably not overnight success. In fact, the people that we see that look like they’re overnight success are probably people that have been pursuing, who have been trying things who have been stepping out of their comfort zone and doing something for years.

[00:14:00] What looks like overnight success is really just being consistent in doing things for year after year after year, having success, having failure, keep going, keep trying new things. But one of the most important pieces is just that encouragement to know that when you’re discouraged, that when you feel like it’s hard to gain traction, when it’s such a slow grow, having somebody that says, Hey, you know, this episode really meant something to me.

[00:14:33] Yeah. Just saying, Hey, you’re doing a great job. That is means the world. When you are just putting your head down, taking one step after another step after another step. And you’re not really seeing all of that success and traction, because it just is a slow grow. It’s a long process. So encouragement. Um, my friends, people who have listened to the show, whoever reached out and said something, um, that has been such a motivating factor to keep going. When the going gets tough, encouragement is life.

6.    The importance of imperfect action

The sixth thing I would say I’ve learned in a year of podcasting is the importance of imperfect action. Now you probably know if you’ve been listening to the show for awhile that by nature, I am a perfectionist. I am oh one on the Enneagram and.

[00:15:28] I want to do it well, I want to do it all the way. I want it to be exactly the vision that is in my mind, but it’s easy to get stuck there and to just keep planning, to keep thinking and not taking action until it’s perfect and, and really what I’ve had to. Teach myself in this podcasting journey is just to put imperfect episodes.

[00:15:55] You know, the website may not have all the, the features that I want it to have. The course may not have all of the bells and whistles that I wanted to have. I’m continually showing up, even when the episode didn’t turn out exactly the way that I wanted it to show up. I didn’t have the flow that I wanted to have, but.

[00:16:14] Really that consistency of imperfect action and learning to take action, even when it’s not exactly what I want it to be, because that’s how we grow is through taking action. And we can think and plan and create this perfect thing all day. But what really matters is taking action, getting it out there in the world and grow.

[00:16:35] Through doing through taking action. And that’s just the most important thing because we can plan and prep all day. But really what leads us to grow to become better is to practice, to take in perfect action. And we keep improving. Getting better and better each and every day, I believe I’m a lot better today than I was during my first few episodes that I recorded.

[00:17:02] And I hope that over this journey, I’m going to continue to get better and better to grow and to bring you more. Content better content, better, you know, delivery, better interviews, um, and to continue to keep growing as long as I keep taking imperfect action. So in taking imperfect action is so, so important.

7.    It is a personal growth journey

[00:17:26] And I think this really leads into the seventh thing, I would say I’ve learned is that it really is more than anything, a personal growth journey, because you are growing as a person, you are growing in your skills and you know, all of this is taking place outside of our comfort zone. So if we stay in our comfort zone, we’re never going.

[00:17:50] To take action, but we’re also never going to grow. We’re never going to step into doing the things that we are supposed to be doing because we were not created to sit here and just exist through life we were made with and for a purpose and, and true growth and development. In our own lives and in our ability to impact the lives of others for good comes from doing things that are outside of our comfort zone.

[00:18:21] So really just understanding that this is a journey, um, but it’s a journey of change and development into becoming. A better version of yourself into stepping into who you were created to be into doing the things and making the impact that you were created to have in the world. And maybe it feels like where you are right now that your contribution feels really small, but it’s amazing when you just take that next step into.

[00:18:55] What’s uncomfortable today, then it prepares you for the next thing and for the next thing, and for making the difference that you were meant to make, right where you are today, if you are willing to step outside of your comfort zone, you will grow and you will develop more skills and abilities, things that you never thought that you could do. You can have. Do you can grow and you can impact the lives of others for good.

8.    Choose collaboration over comparison

[00:19:19] The eight things that I would say I’ve learned over the last year is the importance of choosing collaborative. Over comparison and slash finding your tribe. Now, we talk about the importance of finding your tribe and finding people who are on a similar journey.

[00:19:50] That’s why the milspouse mastermind community exists because we are better together. We were not meant to do life alone. And if you were not surrounding yourself with people who are pursuing similar goals, similar dreams, Or not even the same dream, but are on a path of personal growth of challenging yourself to step outside the comfort zone, to do something that positively impacts the lives of others.

[00:20:19] Then it can feel really lonely. And you’re going to be more tempted to give up, to just go do everything that your friends are doing to spend time complaining about the way life looks instead of transforming your life. And it is so easy to feel either isolated or to compare yourself to what somebody else is doing and to find yourself feeling not enough. To feel less than.

[00:20:45] Hey, I’m not able to do all the things that this person seems to be doing, and I’m not as great at whatever. We can get stuck in this cycle of either isolation or comparison, which will hinder our growth. It will destroy our ability. It will derail us from chasing a dream, from pursuing a goal. And the answer to that is in choosing collaboration over comparison, choosing connection over isolation. Finding your tribe. The difference it has made in my own life to be in a group of other women who are growing their own podcast has been huge. It’s helped me to keep going when I feel frustrated or stuck.

[00:21:41] It’s really because there’s nobody in my day-to-day life. That’s doing something similar. It can be, you know, everybody else is going out for morning coffee while after they dropped the kids off at school or doing some fun activity that I would love to do. But I have. This dream, this goal on my heart.

[00:22:03] I have this passion, these how I want to show up and serve, and really surrounding myself with people to cheer each other on not to compare like their podcast is growing faster than my podcast, but to say, Hey, we are out here doing the thing and we are encouraging. Each other on this journey. And that has been huge in my ability to be consistent, to keep showing up, to keep going when the going gets tough.

9.    Surf the waves of military life

[00:22:33] Okay. So number nine, and this really came from this question that I get probably the most often. Which is what’s the hardest part of this journey. And really for me, the hardest part and the biggest struggle that I had had in the last year is really learning how to surf the waves. If you will, um, of military life, the unpredictability of our schedules and how life is not something that just.

[00:23:05] Goes smoothly all the time. There’s so many times where a kid is sick, where school is canceled and like I’m feels like my husband’s out of town. It feels like my schedule is constantly shifting. And so it’s like if I had this scene. Set schedule every single week. If I have the same amount of hours every single weekend, I wake up every week and do the same thing.

[00:23:29] That’s just not how my life works. And so learning how to be. In the minutes of constant change in the midst of the unknowns, and now in the midst of planning and prepping for a PCs that I’m not quite sure of all of the dates on. I’m really just learning how to navigate the waves of military life and our life as a military family.

[00:24:00] And how to pursue it alongside our life and not to compete with everything else in life, but to really make it a full and fulfilling life to still manage our home and our family and take care of our kids and, and all of the just normal. Parts of life too, to really want to be there as the spouse. I want to be as the mom that I want to be as the friend that I want to be and pursue purpose and practice sustainable self care, because it’s not just one thing.

[00:24:37] It’s really, we’re building a whole life, a life with purpose and learning how to balance. So really the hardest part of this journey is learning how to build the thing around military life. But what I want to show you is over the last year that it is possible and that’s what we’re doing. And we’re, it’s a learning process of okay.

[00:25:02] This thing happened now, how am I going to pivot this thing happened? How am I going to adjust this thing happened? How am I going to make this work? And all of a sudden you look around it and you’re like, okay, I have 52 weeks of showing up and living this life and not to say that I did it perfectly. Maintain that healthy life balance all the time, but that it’s possible to like start surfing those waves and still doing the thing that you feel called to do. And that leads me to the last thing.

10. A fulfilling life is possible

[00:25:44] The 10th thing that I want to share with you, that I’ve learned in my journey over the last year, is that finding that alignment, that sweet spot, that feeling of peace. When you are on their journey, you are living with purpose. You were finding fulfillment in the thing that you were doing, because it both lights you up. And. The world for good. And, and just the difference between feeling unfulfilled and feeling like you don’t know why you’re there and, and what you’re supposed to be doing, and just feel like you’re existing.

[00:26:14] And versus knowing that you were on this journey to discovering who you are meant to be. And the peace that comes with that, the fulfillment that comes with that, that alignment, is just an amazing feeling. And while I’m still on this journey to figuring all of these pieces out, I am so much more fulfilled and content and the best way I can describe it as just this sense of peace.

[00:26:46] Knowing that I’m on the path, the journey that I’m supposed to be on. I don’t have all the answers. I haven’t figured this out. I’m still on this journey to learning how to live filled, fueled, and full of joy on a daily basis. But it truly is moving from this place of unfulfillment and frustration and overwhelm and just not being content with the way life looks to being in this place where you feel like you have a sense of meaning and purpose in what you do.

[00:27:23] And it’s just an amazing feeling. And one that I want for you. And really it comes when we are willing to step outside of what’s familiar step outside of our comfort zone. And to start looking for ways to craft a life with purpose, to understand what’s holding us back where we feel stuck and start moving to a path that leads us to more meaning and purpose and fulfillment in our daily life.

[00:27:54] In our current season of life. Yes. Life can be tough. Yes. There are circumstances that are really difficult. There are lots of things that happen that aren’t easy. There’s a lot of change that chooses us, that we cannot control and that we just have to respond to. There’s lots of additional stressors. There’s lots of anxiety and the unknown, but it’s also possible to live feeling filled and fulfilled in our daily lives. And, and that’s really what I want for you. So

What’s Your leap of faith? What’s your next step?

[00:28:24] Today, I just want to empower you to encourage you to take that leap of faith, to do the thing that is on your heart. Figure it out. What your next step is and do it. Take action. Stop planning, stop dreaming about some future season of life.

[00:28:53] When life is going to be less chaotic, less busy, just begin to make the most every day with what you have right now. Take messy, imperfect action. Do something, whatever it is, maybe that action is. Reaching out to a friend and talking through what options you have, maybe that action is putting together a weekly schedule in place that gives you the time to work on the thing that is on your heart rate.

[00:29:25] In episode 59, we talked about the importance of time-blocking and how to be protective as a military spouse. How this is going to help you show up as the person that you want to be. That’s going to help you to move into living a life of purpose. Maybe your next step is just joining the conversation inside the middle spouse mastermind Facebook group.

[00:29:52] And you can do that. By going to the most boss mastermind.com forward slash community. We would love to have you in there. We would love to know what’s on your heart. And if you know what your next step is, so that we can encourage you to take that next step of action, to take that leap of faith, to do the thing that is on your heart.

[00:30:14] Or maybe your next step is realizing that you need clarity on what it is that lights you up and how to start pursuing purpose and finding fulfillment today. And that’s why I created mil spouse, purpose playbook, and it’s divided into three modules that walks you into a deep dive into who you are. What your sweet spot is how to practically build a life of purpose and impact, right?

[00:30:46] Where you are today with more joy, with less overwhelmed, so that you can discover who you are meant to be. And together we can make the world a better place. So that is available and more than a mil spouse.com or you can enter to win by leaving a review of the show. But here’s what I’m going to leave you with today.

[00:31:09] As we wrap this up, you have something valuable to offer. So do the work to figure out what that is for this season and what action step you can take today as Jessica Honegger says, The world needs your contribution, even if that contribution feels really small right now. The world is waiting for you. And we are here to cheer you on and help you pursue your journey.

[00:31:42] I am rooting for you to get clarity, to take action so that you too can wake up each day. Living filled, fueled and full of joy.