Mini habits and the Creative Process

August 30, 2021

Today, we're catching up with award-winning international youth speaker and resilience specialist, Kate Gladdin!

If you're yet to have the privilege of hearing from Kate, then head back to episode 34 where we learned about how to get back up when life knocks you down. Kate has faced some tough challenges but has turned her heartbreak into purpose and now is changing lives through her passion to help teens both in Australia and the USA.

In this episode, we’re catching up on her exciting journey as she breaks into the life coaching space in the US and the story behind her very successful book, Mini Habits for Teens: Small Changes to Help You Navigate Life's Challenges.

If you're an author, or even considering starting up any creative way to share you r message - a blog, a podcast, a newsletter, or an online course - then you're going to get a lot of value out of the insights Kates shares in this episode.

Some of Kate’s most practical tips are:

1 - There's no right way to go about this—what matters is the mini habits. Give yourself a structure to work by, and make sure you hit your mini-milestones.

2 - Don't edit yourself. Coaching yourself to a process and getting creative in the process are two very different things. Make sure you are able to take off the different hats at different times.

And 3 - tips on building an audience and handling criticism. Being consistent, being in it for the long game, and being vulnerable and honest

And while we're talking about creative projects and helping young people to reach their full potential - this week, I have a special lockdown learning webinar called 5 Ways to Engage Your Kids and Prime them to Learn and Succeed, no matter the circumstances

Save your spot now and learn how to create an amazing learning experience for your child.

Let’s catch up with Kate now...

Podcast highlights:

[04:34] Birth of the Book: Luck = Hardwork + Opportunity. You may not always get immediate rumination or gratification but putting results out into the world ahead of time will surely come back to you. What goes around, comes around.

[06:25] One baby step at a time. Consistent daily steps. The self-help and coaching space is a very different place to write in. It's really about developing the habits rather than telling them what to write.

[09:35] Don't try to edit yourself while you're trying to write. Run free. Just let it go. You can always come back and edit later. Perfectionism will slow you down. And have fun!

[11:49] In time vs Through time: Chunk time and task. You're so much more creative without distractions.

[15:04] Always good to get another pair of eyes on your work. Feedbacks are opportunities to grow and learn.

[16:36] Positive benefits of working with a coach: Having someone who can cheer you on, give you the rights questions at the right time, help you get into a more realistic framework, and can hold you accountable.

[18:40] When you write a book, you're not writing for everyone. You are writing for your people. And that's why you need to know who you're speaking to.

[20:57] As we create something, we're putting something out there that enriches the world. Writing a book is people connecting to people.

[22:21] Tips for Building an Audience: Repurpose your content and consistently put it out there. Keep showing up for your people. Keep it being who you are - resonate with your real human. It's ok for your content to not be too perfect - makes your audience know you are a real person. Open yourself up to the world. Make a good investment in your website. But all of these don't happen overnight. Get reviews.

[25:44] Do what you're naturally interested in and passionate about. Because you have to connect with your purpose and why you're doing all this work. The reward might come later, but the experiences you gather throughout the journey are something money can't buy.

[26:54] Life and coaching in America: They're more open to this space, especially with kids going through a tough and prolonged stay-at-home situation.

[29:05] Being a speaker is the greatest training on how to let go of what people think of you and fear of judgment.

[32:40] Go for days to detach from the fact that you're trying to write a book. Take some time to take off your author hat and be present in your life.