by Shawn Fink | Oct 1, 2020 | blog, Brave Yes Mindset, Creator Life
Doomscrolling.
This is what we do after years of climate emergencies, political and racial unrest, a pandemic and internet outrage incidents.
We scroll and scroll until we find the next thing that adds more doom to what is already a pretty doom-filled world right now.
Or,
We search and search to find something to bring ease and peace.
Either way, it’s really not good for you if you want to make a bigger impact in your life or if you want to take better care of yourself and be more fit in mind, body and spirit.
One of the first suggestions I offer to my coaching clients is to set strong boundaries around phone use and social media.
The reason is, of course, because the main reason a woman comes to me for coaching is because she wants to focus and set priorities that improve her life and career or business — and follow through and get them done.
And it’s really hard to do that when you are getting distracted by all the shiny objects on social media.
And, oh are they shiny and plentiful.
True well-being though begins with you tending to you and your needs so that you have the capacity and clarity to make brave decisions.
All of that is really hard to do when you spend most of your time being influenced by the outside world rather than tuning into your own inner wisdom and guidance.
Plus, over-consuming new information and ideas seriously leads to overwhelm and anxiety — not to mention procrastination. So if you lean toward the anxious state of life, consider what you are bringing into your mind on an hourly basis.
In my own life, and what I encourage for my clients and in all of my programs, I believe strongly that taking action and doing things that are going to move the needle in our lives is essential to easing our collective and individual anxiety, anger and anticipation.
Doomscrolling only adds fuel the inner turmoil you have going on inside of you.
So, here is a 50 Things You Can Do Instead of Doomscrolling so you can stay on task — or reduce overwhelm in your life.
- Stop everything and set an intention for yourself, your family or your day.
- Take 10 minutes to review your planner and/or to-do list.
- Take 10 minutes to do ONE thing on your self-care bucket list.
- Learn to meditate.
- Sit down and read a chapter of a book.
- Learn to manage your energy better.
- Create a meal plan for the next week.
- Develop your 5-year Life Vision.
- Start a New Habit.
- Write a poem.
- Read a poem.
- Reach out to a friend or relative by phone or letter.
- Clear a surface
- Take a short walk.
- Dance
- Pick up an old book and read a page.
- Go outside.
- Collect 5 things to donate
- Start a Joy Practice.
- Plan a gathering
- Learn something
- Start a gratitude journal.
- Journal for greater well-being
- Plan a warm-weather outing for later this year.
- Write a thank you note.
- Do a financial check-in
- Start a family gratitude practice
- Plan your week
- Learn how to manage your emotions.
- Light a candle.
- Peel and eat an orange mindfully.
- Eat a piece of chocolate very slowly.
- Hand-letter a quote you love
- Wash your face (and hands) mindfully and slowly.
- Do 15 jumping jacks or crunches.
- Climb the stairs a few times
- Cry — if you need to. It’s OK.
- Savor Your Surroundings
- Paint
- Make a gift for someone
- Sit and do nothing.
- Tune into your rage
- Plan the next birthday in your family
- Make an Impact on the World
- Clean your sink
- Develop a new ritual or routine
- Doodle your day
- Do a mind dump on paper
- Drink a full glass of water
- Wrap in a blanket and daydream
Not even sure how to make your wellbeing a priority? Try putting a Well-being Check-In on your calendar each week or month so you are always staying on top of what matters most to your energy and life. Grab my Roadmap to Wholeness & Well-Being Toolkit here!
by Shawn Fink | Apr 10, 2020 | blog, Recent, Sovereignty + Self-Worth
When I feel my light starting to fade out, the first practice I return to again and again is gratitude.
On really bad days and on really good days, grounding into gratitude saves me.
And it’s saved many of my clients over the years, too.
This year I cracked open a brand new journal — my 11th — feeling like it was a practice I needed now more than ever.
And the longer we settle into these unsettling times, the more grounding into gratitude is vital for my own well-being.
My gratitude practice is stronger than ever. In fact, I feel as if I could write for days every single night. Every day, right now, there is just so much to be grateful for.
Not everything. I’m not grateful for a lot of things right now.
But so much. So many other beautiful things and people and experiences unfolding.
Like the fact that my own creativity is on fire this year.
Gratitude gets a bad rap by some. But the truth is that it is one of the most scientifically studied happiness booster anyone can practice. And when practiced whole-heartedly and honestly, it can be the most powerful shift out of anger, frustration and impatience — which I think we can all agree is much needed right now in our world.
8 Ways a Gratitude Practice Can Make You Happier
I can’t imagine ending a day without focusing on what I’m grateful for.
But I can tell you that sometimes I open my journal and think there is NOTHING to be grateful for today. However, instead of letting that be the ending of that narrative in my head, I sit with pen in hand, close my eyes and reflect on my day. Sometimes I let the simple things take over. But most often some memory from earlier in the day returns and I am washed over with a beautiful feeling. When this happens, a smile of … “I told you so” washes over my face.
Gratitude can make you happier. Here’s what it offers to you with consistent practice …
- It can absolutely boost your self-esteem and self-worth.
- It can reduce your stress and symptoms of trauma.
- It can encourage a meaningful life that cultivates more compassion and kindness.
- It helps to build better quality relationships.
- It prevents forms of social comparison/jealousy.
- It decreases negative emotions and feelings.
- It reduces boredom and prevents living in the status quo.
So just what do you need to do to start a meaningful gratitude practice?
A WILLINGNESS
As long as you believe there is nothing to be grateful for it’s going to be hard to start let alone maintain a practice rooted in positivity. So the first step is just choosing to try it. Resistance is your teacher here. If you resist this practice, there is a message there for you to listen to. Ask yourself, why am I resisting this? What am I unwilling to experience? Or, what am I trying to cling to here?
TRY IT FOR 30 DAYS.
A day or two of gratitude — especially when inconsistently practiced — isn’t going to bring you the true life-changing happiness booster effect that a consistent practice will offer. So vow to try doing a practice for a substantial period of time. This might be 7 days. Or two weeks. I’m suggesting you give it a try for 30 days — long enough to really make it more of a habit. Some believe a daily practice is too much. But for many, a consistent daily practice keeps the habit sustainable rather than out of sight, out of mind.
MAKE IT A RITUAL
Yes, doing your gratitude practice regularly is key. But learning to FEEL gratitude when it comes up is the practice and ritual of it all. Make it a powerful ritual in your day to take time in your day to recognize even just one thing you can be grateful for and spent a minute reflecting on that one thing. By making this a habit throughout your day you will start to really feel the gratitude “wash” that will lead to more positivity.
WRITE IT DOWN — OR NOT
I write my gratitudes down in a new journal each year and I save them to be able to give to my daughters some day. I re-read them from time to time as well for great memory keeping. But you don’t have to write down gratitudes to experience the happiness boost. Take a picture on your phone and store them in a special album to print at the end of the year. Meditate on what you are grateful for. Or start a family gratitude bulletin board.
EXPRESS YOUR GRATITUDE
Better than anything is offering your gratitude to someone else. By sharing what you are grateful with someone else – or why you are grateful for them — you are spreading the positivity and good emotions. This is a joy injection for everyone, including yourself. So don’t be afraid to go out of your way to express gratitude to someone today. Your child or partner. A friend. A store worker. A teacher or principal. The postal worker delivering your mail. There are many needing a dose of gratitude right now.
What is your first action step to begin feeling more grateful today?
by Shawn Fink | Jan 8, 2020 | blog, Spiritual Practice for Entrepreneurs
There’s a very distinct difference between the definition of doing and being.
My favorite definition of doing is this one from Merriam Webster: 1 : the act of performing or executing : action that will take a great deal of doing.
It’s the part of how the action will take a great deal of doing that stands out for me.
And then there is being, which the same dictionary folks define as: the quality or state of having existence. Or, according to the Cambridge English definition: 1. a person or thing that exists: 2. the state of existing
So in many ways, we are constantly in a state of being.
And doing.
My work as a business and leadership consultant, however, has really centered around helping my clients find that sweet spot in their life that allows for both doing and being.
Because let’s face it, as human beings we like to get things done.
Finding that sweet spot is not only powerful beyond measure in terms of how we feel, but it’s also makes us so much more effective and impactful in our work and life.
For a long time, I was a doer. I prided myself on how much I did.
And then I woke up and realized that life isn’t about doing.
It’s about impactful doing. It’s about eeking out the nectar of this beautiful life we have.
And to do that we have to have a fine balance of both doing and being. Or, being and doing. Whichever you prefer.
DOING is future focused. Action-oriented. It shows up in the forms of words and phrases like to-do lists, agendas, projects, deadlines and goals. It can show up in body and mind as overwhelm, hustle, hurried, harried, rushing and stress.
BEING is present moment focused. It’s happening for you right now. Right now you are in a being state. It is entirely wrapped up in right here and what you are doing. Being shows up in mind and body like mindfulness, rest, ease, flow, presence, and now. For many, this may feel like sitting or resting. But really, it’s more about living without an agenda that is forward-focused (or past focused).
Finding Your Balance: Practical Steps
The journey to balancing doing and being isn’t about abandoning your ambitions or becoming inactive. It’s about creating a rhythm that honors both your drive to achieve and your need to simply exist.
Here are some practices that have helped my clients discover their own unique balance:
1. Start with awareness. Notice throughout your day when you’re in “doing mode” versus “being mode.” No judgment needed – just observe. Are you constantly planning the next three steps, or are you fully engaged with what’s happening right now?
2. Schedule being time. Yes, I’m suggesting you “do” being by putting it on your calendar. Even 10 minutes of intentional presence can shift your entire day. This might look like mindful breathing, savoring your coffee without multitasking, or simply sitting in your garden.
3. Integrate being into your doing. Some of my most successful clients have learned to bring presence into their most productive moments. When you’re focused on a task, be fully there with it rather than mentally jumping ahead to the next item.
4. Notice the quality of your output. When you balance doing with being, your work often becomes more meaningful, creative, and impactful. The quality of your presence directly affects the quality of your actions.
5. Embrace the discomfort. For chronic doers, being present can feel uncomfortable at first – even wasteful. Trust that this discomfort is part of breaking old patterns that may have served you once but are now limiting your impact and joy.
The most beautiful thing I’ve witnessed in my coaching practice is how this balance creates not just more peace, but more purposeful action. When we learn to be fully present, our doing becomes more aligned, intentional, and powerful.
Your most impactful life isn’t measured by the length of your to-do list or your ability to be perpetually busy. It’s found in that sweet spot where purposeful action meets deep presence – where doing and being dance together in harmony.
This balance is exactly why I created my Strategic Slowdown Chats specifically for entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders. If you’re constantly chasing more clients or searching for more hours in your day to complete your endless to-do list, you might be surprised to discover that slowing down is actually your fastest path to growth.
In these focused sessions, we explore how intentional pauses and present-moment awareness can reveal inefficiencies, inspire creative solutions, and help you reconnect with why you started your business or organization in the first place. I’ve seen teams transform their productivity not by doing more, but by being more deliberate about what they choose to do. For entrepreneurs, this often translates to attracting ideal clients who value your authentic presence rather than just your services. For nonprofit leaders, it means greater impact through aligned action rather than scattered efforts.
The Strategic Slowdown isn’t about doing less—it’s about doing what matters most with your full being engaged.
If you are ready to find your sweet spot between doing and being, I’d love to work with you. Sign up for a Strategic Slowdown Chat now.
by Shawn Fink | Oct 9, 2019 | blog, Recent, Spiritual Practice for Entrepreneurs
- “Be here now. Be somewhere else later. Is that so hard?” Jewish Zen Saying
- Do the next right thing.
- Then do the next right thing after that.
- And so forth.
- Breathe deeply.
- Shallow breath — shallow life. Deep breath. Deep life.
- Repeat … only this. Only this. Only this.
- And then listen.
- Look up. Look up often.
- Let the soft gaze of your inner world meet the outer world one tree branch, one bird, one cloud, one human being at a time.
- Take stock of what is good.
- There is always something good.
- And then return again and again to this moment, this here and now.
- Is that so hard?
by Shawn Fink | May 10, 2016 | blog, Creator Life, Spiritual Practice for Entrepreneurs
I am now in my 11th year of a daily gratitude journaling practice.
I’ve never done anything else more consistently — other than breathe, eat and shower (and drink coffee and journal each morning.)
The science of gratitude is clear; its profound positive influence in my life is what keep me doing this practice year after year.
When I first began writing a my daily gratitude list, I often repeated the same few things. My lists were short and sweet.
Now, I could write for an hour. My list is often a page and sometimes continues onto the next.
Re-living the day, focusing on the beauty that unfolded is nourishing for me.
But what I love most is how those moments speak to me and bring a smile to my face as I remember how I took the time in my day to notice and really savor what was unfolding.
Keeping this practice truly helps me stay happy as an entrepreneur where the daily uncertainty, risk-taking and decision making can be enough to bring us to our knees in scarcity, anxiousness and fear.
When I practice gratitude, I instantly improve connection I have with myself, my business and those I love, feel more content and appreciative of what my life and business brings to me and tun into a flow of abundance by the sheer act of focusing on the beauty in my life.
And, the science is clear: It’s not just about being grateful that makes it work. We must savor these special moments and experiences as well. And we must have the radical presence to stay awake long enough to savor them rather than rush through to the next moment.
The act of savoring a moment, a connection, an experience IS what can turn an ordinary moment into an extraordinary one.
“Savoring is when you intentionally try to make positive emotions last longer or be stronger. Regularly engaging in savoring has been shown to contribute to improved well-being, so let’s practice savoring.” — Berkeley Well-Being Institute
Savoring has long been a practice for me. It’s in the title of my first book.
And as a coach who has superpowers in both helping you be more productive and active AND enjoying life and finding ease, this is a practice I love to bring into my clients lives as a regular habit.
Here are a few Savoring Practices to use in your day:
Show it. Then Tell it. — One of my favorite morning mantras to say when I wake up is Good Morning! What a beautiful day. I’ve never seen this one before.
And it is true. I haven’t seen this day before. Taking that moment to savor what is about this current day that I’ve never witnessed before — often under a starry sky — is a beautiful way to savor being alive.
Saying our appreciation or gratitude out loud is a simple way to soak in the goodness a bit more than we would otherwise.
And then … tell someone about it. Tell a friend. Or, as more commonly done these days, share on Instagram or in a text to a loved one. Sharing your moment with someone else only helps you to elevate it that much more.
Soak Up The Future — Ah, sweet, sweet anticipation.
One of my strengths is being futuristic so this is, of course, pretty much my go-to way to savor life.
We all should have things that are placed in our future that we are looking forward to. These future events are worth savoring in your mind — and something you can easily do through meditation, guided visualization or journaling, which is my favorite technique to use with my clients and in my programs.
For instance, I am launching a group program later this year and I have already started doing future self journaling around how that experience will go for me. Leaning into this kind of savoring creates a path forward to making it happen as well.
It’s not even happened yet and I’m already feeling gratitude for the moments ahead. This is another way to savor.
Savoring A Favorite Moment from the Past — Taking time to truly breathe in a past experience that filled you up with goodness is a beautiful way to savor it and relive it and cherish it.
We can do a similar act of savoring for a moment from our past, as well. We can savor what it felt like to climb a peak of a mountain and to get to the crest and see the lookout and feel amazed at our hard work and what the payoff was. We can relish in the time a friend sent us a note that was so filled with gratitude and kindness that it truly gave us the strength to keep going in our lives.
Savoring is a beautiful way to produce more hope and positivity in our lives and when we finally start to see savoring as an act of soul alignment with the present moment, we are more apt to make time for it in our busy lives.
by Shawn Fink | Apr 8, 2015 | blog, Creator Life, Recent, Spiritual Practice for Entrepreneurs
When I first started my Abundant Mama business years ago, I had one mission.
Get the work done.
But over time this meant that I was not really taking great care of myself.
Eventually, with lots of practice and time, I learned to combine work with self-care.
That’s when I began to work in three delicious morning rituals that transformed my mornings to help me create the most abundant lifestyle — and business life.
3 Delicious Morning Rituals for A Woman CEO
Take a CEO Walk
This is a walk where you simply ask yourself three things.
What message do I want to send out to my tribe today?
What tiny miracle should I create today?
How will I take my business further along today?
Journal Your Day
This is by far my favorite. I get out all of my favorite colorful pens, the calendar and the day’s must-dos and I doodle the day away. This is part serious business and part creative brainstorming. And it’s all fun and productive, too. By painting a great image of what you want your day to feel like you are taking a big leap into achieving your dreams rather than sitting back and thinking … now what?
Read Inspiring Material
Nothing jump starts a day better than reading something that moves you in mind, body and soul. Whatever that is … you can easily turn it into your energy boost for the day. Gather up four to five quotes that sets your creative energy on fire and be sure to read them every morning over your coffee or tea — or hot lemon water.
