Narrow Your Arrow to Uplevel

We’re only four solid months in, and I’m already declaring 2024 the roller coaster year. Grab your snacks (always grab your snacks) because things are feeling a little extra wild this year.

Is it just me, or has this year felt wild so far? Forget the news. My personal and professional life has had my hair blowing uncontrollably as things around me shift up, down, upside down, and around sharp corners at a moment’s notice.

(I was tempted to use a fun house analogy here, but fun houses feel more like something out of a horror movie, whereas roller coasters can feel more like 80s-style adrenaline, so we’re going with the positive in this metaphor. Stick with me.)

While things feel like they’re moving at a near-breakneck pace, and sometimes I want to throw up at the sharp dips I didn’t anticipate coming, I feel oddly secure. The ride’s machine-strength arms are how I feel God is holding me throughout the chaos of the unknown.

I’m not even a big fan of roller coasters, but I am a fan of a good analogy, which is why I’ve rabbit-trailed off into the land of Six Flags. The point of sharing is this: If you feel things are both out of control and yet totally on track, you’re not alone.

At the end of every month, I publicly reflect on a few lessons I learned from the previous 30ish days. Here are five other lessons from April that I learned, and might help you as we keep this crazy roller coaster ride going.

When you go for a goal, you stand at the line, shoulders back, eyes focused, breath steady, and arm pulled back, aiming for the red dot in the middle of the target 50 yards away. 

You'll miss if your arrow is too thick with the weight of trying to do too much, caring about other people’s opinions, or aiming at multiple targets with a single shot like a hot shot in a saloon. 

If your arrow is narrow, you can get more singularly focused on one end goal. When that happens, your head gets 100x clearer, your arrow gets 100x more lined up with the target, and your ideas get 100x bigger while staying laser-focused.

Last year, I felt the struggle of trying to shoot a weighted arrow. This year, I knew I needed to narrow it. And this past month, I finally did. Behind the scenes, I’ve been shuffling around my wall calendar, preparing to release some cool things.

Ignore the wrinkles on my shirt (that’s the REAL here!). Instead, I want you to feel the excitement in this picture because it’s this type of hope I wish for you to feel, too.

You’ll hear more about what’s coming from my neck of the woods next week, but for now, hit reply and share what you’re working on in your business to get more narrow with your arrow!

Ever heard the expression, trust your gut? It’s solid advice. 

This month, I started noticing some conversations felt out of alignment. As a result, I started using my voice in weird ways, making me feel like a verbal contortionist. I’d say things and immediately regret it. Sometimes, I could pinpoint the lack of alignment (easy fix). Other times, I couldn’t, making it harder to get back on track. 

Listen to your limbic system, the part of your brain where your emotional responses are stored. You’ll find wisdom there, even when that wisdom can’t be put into words quite yet. If something feels like a bad idea, it probably is. 

Speak up when things feel off, even if you can’t define why they feel off yet.

Speak up when things feel wrong, even if you can’t pinpoint the exact moment they went sideways.

Speak up when you feel harmed, even if you can’t explain your emotions. 

Your voice is a lethal weapon that can establish boundaries, protect your journey, and advocate for yourself when things are not quite right. It's quite a powerful arrow to have in your quiver, right?

I don’t always love algorithm updates, but when they involve shining a light on smaller accounts showing up authentically (not regurgitating everyone else’s content as their own), I’m ALL IN! This summer, Instagram announced that they’re doing just that. 

You can hear more about the updates here:

If you’re not in a place to watch, here’s the Cliffnotes version. Aggregator accounts that take other people’s content, screenshot it and then repost it as their own without offering credit will no longer be recommended. Original content creators, including smaller accounts, will start getting more of a light shined on them, and that’s good news for those of us who like to zone out by scrolling through the feed. 

This is a big deal: Focusing on quality content over quantity of content, reach, or numbers is crucial, and it leads me to my next point…

A reader shared that she wasn’t invited to speak at a summit simply because of her list size. I cringed immediately because WHAT ON GOD’S GREEN EARTH WERE THEY THINKING? She told me more of the story, which increased my blood pressure even further. 

The summit host met privately with her to discuss the event's promise. The two hit it off. The host loved what this reader had to say about what she’d share. Then, the final question dropped—how many followers do you have? When she answered less than 5,000, the host politely declined her invitation to speak.

This isn’t uncommon. I saw this post on Threads (a platform I never use but somehow stumbled upon) earlier:

That last question is spot on. Why are we measuring worth using followers, list sizes, or other vanity metrics? 

Big platforms don’t mean big impact. They mean big growth hacks or big opportunities given to them when they weren’t as well known. Shouldn’t we commit to lifting up others who inspire us, regardless of these metrics? I vote yes!

Now to a more personal note. My boys earned a new belt in jiujitsu this weekend, and I AM SO PROUD OF THEM!! 

They don’t always want to go to practice. 

They don’t always want to do the move.

They don’t always want to sit and wait for their brother to finish class.

They don’t always want to work hard. 

They don’t always want to listen.

But they do! They keep showing up, pushing themselves, and getting better physically, mentally, and emotionally.

This is what I mean when I say my boys inspire me every day. Their dedication is something we can all learn from. 

It’s time to push beyond the ol’ comfort zone. Will you commit to doing this with me over the next month? Let’s uplevel together. 

Last Friday, I shared the story of two of my closest friends, Angela Greaser and Melissa Camilleri. This week, these two, along with former Oprah executive Producer Sheri Salata, are leading a free event called The Prosper Era. 

Yesterday’s call was outstanding, with hundreds of people showing up live to claim their next steps! 

There are two more calls today and tomorrow. It’s not too late to snag your seat and make the rest of 2024 a stellar (and hopefully more calm) year! See you there?