Penny Casselman [00:00:00]:
Here is my wish for you in 2025. Don't stumble through this year without a focus. I want you to be deliberate with your actions. I want you to constantly reassess what's going on. And if it's not working, then change it up because you deserve a phenomenal life. And getting clarity around how you can show up as the best version of yourself is never a bad thing. Welcome to the Pivot with Passion podcast. Hi.
Penny Casselman [00:00:39]:
I'm Penny Casselman. I believe everyone is deserving of a phenomenal life. Regardless of where you came from, life is what you make of it. And when you learn to pivot with passion, your world explodes with opportunities. Go grab your favorite beverage, and let's shake things up as we explore how to pivot with passion. Hello, director. Welcome. Thank you for joining me this week on Pivot with Passion.
Penny Casselman [00:01:11]:
If you are new around these parts, my name is Penny, and I'm thrilled that you are here, that you push play, that you're setting time aside for you to take a pause, reflect, learn, grow, listen, because that's what makes life magical. Right? It's growth and expansion. And if you've been with me for a while, well, hello and welcome back. I thought today's episode, I would share my top five things with you as well as three things that I'm focused on in the hopes that it might spark an idea for you. It might give you permission to pause and really take time to reflect on what last year looked like, where you ended up, and help you refocus for this year. So diving right into the top five things that truly helped me in 2024. 1st, and these are in no order ranking. They are just 5 things which I happen to present in this order.
Penny Casselman [00:02:16]:
The first one is joining an app and a membership called Growth Day. The second thing is hiring a high performance coach. The third thing, I focused on building professional connections. The 4th is learning to ask for help. And the 5th thing was adopting a capsule wardrobe. Now not all of those things are business related. Some are a great hybrid where not only did they help me personally, they also helped me professionally. I'll start at the top and give you a brief overview of why each one I picked as a top five to help me expand and grow in 2024.
Penny Casselman [00:03:01]:
The first one I mentioned was an app called Growth Day. Growth Day was founded by Brendon Bouchard. And if you have no idea who this man is, that's okay. But he is huge in the personal development arena. Think of Brendon Bouchard as an a list celebrity within this genre. I love his approach. He is a mentor of mine. And last year, because I am so devoted to personal development and constantly showing up to be a better version of myself, this was a very easy yes for me in 2024.
Penny Casselman [00:03:41]:
The biggest thing that joining Growth Day did for me is creating a love of journaling. This was something in my past that I had always started and stopped, started and stopped, could never find a good cadence for making it happen. But this Growth Day app made it so simple for me to follow a structure and commit to doing it daily. So if you are new to the personal development world and are looking for a simple way to expand your knowledge or perhaps create a new habit, this is a fantastic app. It is on a phone, but also available on the desktop or laptop, and they communicate back and forth. So wherever you are, there's no excuse, especially for me this past year, of why I couldn't journal because it was always accessible. Why did that help me in 2024 is because it gave me permission to slow down every single day and reflect on what I did well, where I can improve, and what I was getting excited about. And that is just a recipe for success.
Penny Casselman [00:05:00]:
I'll link to it in the show notes. The second thing was hiring a high performance coach. I went through 6 months of intensive coaching, and it changed my mindset, my outlook, my excitement for this year. I have had coaches in the past and never truly felt like I had emerged a much better version of myself. What made the difference for me between the old way that I had been coached and a high performance coach is that it was structured and challenging, and I rose to the occasion. Because being a student of high performance, you don't show up less than your best because you are there to become a high performance version of yourself. It was a game changer for me in terms of being able to get focused. It also helped me embrace my journaling and take my coaching with my coach to a different level with that reflection.
Penny Casselman [00:06:06]:
And here's an exciting side note. I was so impressed with this type of coaching that in November, I got certified as a high performance coach, and I will be opening up the doors on February 1st and inviting you to partner with me and explore your high performance coaching journey. I know the difference it made for me, and I'm excited for what that can mean for you in this new year. The third thing that really helped me in 2024 was building professional connections. I opted to join a couple women's groups. Having personal connections is a game changer in terms of keeping me focused, keeping me excited, because I don't know if you're anything like me and you just ruminate in your mind, at first, that's a really lonely place to be all the time. And 2, there's always something new for me to learn. And so building those connections, strengthening those relationships in the professional realm for me just made me more excited for my speaking and my coaching this year.
Penny Casselman [00:07:22]:
The 4th thing that really helped me was I asked for help was a game changer. Not only was I able to have conversations and interactions that really helped me think about the thoughts I was having and how I could make them better. It also gave me an opportunity to help someone in return. And just having those connections and knowing that asking for help was a good thing, lit me up the back half of last year. And the 5th thing was adopting a capsule wardrobe. Now if you have no idea what a capsule wardrobe is, in essence, you pare down your closet to focus on a few core colors and ensure that the clothes that you have in those colors can mix and match and pair differently. Adopting a capsule wardrobe, one, has made it so much easier when I go shopping because my colors are black, gray, white, and red. And when I go shopping, I don't look at things that are green, I don't look at things that are blue, I don't look at things that are navy.
Penny Casselman [00:08:33]:
Right? It has hugely taken off the decisions in my head about what am I going to wear Because first, I love everything in my wardrobe now. It's easy for me to get dressed, and it's quick, and it's effortless, and I love it. So there you have it. In summary, the top five things that helped me become a better version of myself in 2024. And in quick recap, it is joining growth day, hiring a high performance coach, building my professional connections, asking for help, and adopting a capsule wardrobe. Maybe take a pause and think about what helped you in 2024 because this is the year that you stop making excuses for not showing up as the best version of you. And instead, start to make a plan for how you wanna show up, who you want to become, and what are the big goals that you are gonna go after this year. The magic director you hold in your hand.
Penny Casselman [00:09:38]:
Grab your red marker. Think of those top five things. No more excuses, and let's make a plan. It's time for a clarity cocktail. Today's clarity cocktail comes from Sai Baba. Life is a song. Sing it. Life is a game.
Penny Casselman [00:10:01]:
Play it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a sacrifice, offer it. Life is love, enjoy it. I say this every week, but you know I'm a sucker for quotes and I love this quote because it reminds me never to complain. It doesn't come out and say it, don't complain. But, gosh, when you read it, all these things that life is, just do it.
Penny Casselman [00:10:33]:
Right? We know if it's a challenge, we get to meet it. We know if we have a dream, we can realize it. All of these juxtapositions remind us, reminds me to show up as the best version of myself. And like I said earlier, this is the year I'm not making excuses. This is the year I'm making a plan. And so I'll read this one more time. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a game, play it.
Penny Casselman [00:11:06]:
Life is a challenge. Meet it. Life is a dream. Realize it. Life is a sacrifice. Offer it. Life is love. Enjoy it.
Penny Casselman [00:11:17]:
Director, this might be the shortest clarity cocktail I've already done. But this one is a total mic drop, and it requires no more thought from me. I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed reading it. So remember, whatever life throws at you, sing it, play it, meet it, realize it, offer it, and most of all, enjoy it. And now back to the episode. Cheers. Welcome back circling around to the three things that I am going to focus on as I start cruising into 2025. At the top, I talked about the 5 things that helped me in 2024.
Penny Casselman [00:11:57]:
And, yes, I will continue to lean on every one of those 5 areas this year as well. The nice thing is, I've got practice with them. They are much more installed as a habit and a routine for me, which will just make keeping them in motion that much easier. The 3 things that I want to get better at this year, 1, working out, 2 is finding a wind down routine, and 3 is making self care a priority. So let me dive into each one of those. 1st, working out. I grew up playing sports. Now fortunately, they were team sports, but what happens with team sports is when it's just you, you can't really participate.
Penny Casselman [00:12:49]:
So although I love volleyball and I don't mind getting sweaty and running and doing the things, I never really held a solo sport growing up, so I find working out by myself challenging. However, there is no excuses in 2025 for me. I've joined a gym that I love. They offer classes which is in a group setting which I can participate in. So my biggest challenge with working out is installing a routine. I have got to put it on my calendar. When I played volleyball as an adult, I was in leagues, and those always had a set date. And I knew Wednesdays.
Penny Casselman [00:13:37]:
Nothing else was going on my calendar except volleyball. Friends would want me to go out. Sorry. Can't. I have volleyball. If there was a party, can't let my team down. Head into volleyball. And so I need to find that same commitment with working out.
Penny Casselman [00:13:54]:
So knowing how I approached volleyball and setting aside that one time on my calendar, making it nonnegotiable, is something I'm going to install this year. I'll let you know how it goes. But I already, this week, have 3 different classes booked and on my calendar. So I'm feeling pretty good. The second thing that I am really going to work on is a wind down routine. And this idea comes from my mentor, Brendon Bouchard. Let me back up for a moment. I find it challenging to fall asleep, and I have got to figure this piece of my life out because if you don't get enough sleep, you are miserable.
Penny Casselman [00:14:40]:
You might be able to get by one day, maybe 2 days. But if this is a habitual thing where you can't sleep, it starts impacting everything. It impacts my energy, my ability to think, my ability to plan. I am committed this year to really finding a good wind down routine. And one of the approaches I'm planning to adopt is the 3, 2, 1 wind down, which is 3 hours before bed, no food. 2 hours before bed, no work. And 1 hour before bed, no screens. For me, the food, not too terribly difficult to implement that.
Penny Casselman [00:15:22]:
2, no work. That one will be a little challenging only because I don't have a good shut off button. As an entrepreneur working from home, I can work any minute of every day, but in pursuit of a better night's sleep, I'm committing myself to 2 hours before no work. And then that 1 hour no screen, that includes TV, computer, phone. That will be a challenge for me. I'm so connected to everything, and you might find yourself feeling that way too. But, again, I have to put my sleep and my health treated as a priority this year. And so I am, gosh darn it, gonna make the best go I can of this wind down routine.
Penny Casselman [00:16:07]:
The third thing that I'm focused on is making self care a priority. Now I know that when you say self care, everyone instantly thinks of, oh, go take a bath. Right? Go get a facial. But those are self care activities. But for me, self care is also being creative. Having an outlet for me to express my creativity. I, last year, wanted to do watercolor painting, and I did it a few times, but I have all these supplies. I have all these ideas.
Penny Casselman [00:16:44]:
I don't put it on my calendar. And that will be the biggest needle mover for me is actually setting aside self care time on my calendar and reminding myself that doing things like watercolor or taking a bath are important to my well-being. Some other things that I would consider for myself, self care, is also just going to a coffee shop by myself, taking a walk, a solo walk, no one with me. It's just all these things that allow my mind to quiet, to express creativity, to reflect. Those are needed if I want a bigger impact in 2025. So my recap for the three things I'm focused on for the balance of 2025 so that I show up consistently as a better version of myself are 1, finding a good workout routine, 2, setting a really good wind down routine, and 3, making self care a priority. Now, director, today's the day that you own your future. I am in control of my life.
Penny Casselman [00:18:04]:
I am picking up my red marker. I have declared to this community what my three things are for this year to help me expand as a better version. You get to make that same choice today. Here is my wish for you in 2025. Don't stumble through this year without a focus. I want you to be deliberate with your actions. I want you to constantly reassess what's going on. And if it's not working, then change it up because you deserve a phenomenal life.
Penny Casselman [00:18:39]:
And getting clarity around how you can show up as the best version of yourself is never a bad thing. Director, if you have not yet left a review for this podcast, it would mean the world to me if you would hop over. Whatever your platform is, rate it, and review it so that others might find inspiration, find a spark, or choose to hit play, I'd so greatly appreciate it. And if you're looking for ways that you can expand your personal growth in 2025, I've already hinted at 2 ways that you can do that. 1, go join growth day. It's was a game changer for me last year. And the second, get a coach. If you have never had a coach before, I invite you to think about it.
Penny Casselman [00:19:31]:
And if my personality, if the way I approach things is resonant with you, know that in February, high performance coaching with me will open the doors, and I would invite you to reach out to see if we might be a good fit. Until next week, director, no more excuses. Make a plan to ensure that 2025 is your best year yet. Friend, thanks for listening to this episode of Pivot with Passion. If you've been feeling stuck, exhausted, or frustrated, this is your permission slip to go grab a red marker and claim the life you desire and deserve. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend, and then hop over to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts. Because my goal is to put a red marker in everyone's hand, and I need your help to spread the word and make that happen. Until the next episode, go grab a red marker.
Penny Casselman [00:20:42]:
Get excited for your future and make your first move to pivot with passion.
