Episode 255- Embracing Imperfection, The Importance of Being Persistent & Consistent and More Lessons for Success

Jamila Souffrant 0:02

Sometimes you may look at someone else, and you'll see some success, but you don't know how long they've been working at something. And so for me, I've been doing journey to launch the podcast, at least for years, and there have been people who've been podcasting longer than me. And maybe you're just not wanting to start a podcast or this business thing. But in order to gain the traction, to learn from what you're doing, you have to be consistent. And in case you can't be consistent because life happens, trust me, I get it. You have to be persistent. And understand that if there's something that happens and causes you to stop, that you'll get back up and you'll go again.

Intro 0:44

Welcome to the journey to launch podcast with your host Jamila souffrant. As a money expert who walks her talk, she helps brave juniors like you get out of debt, save, invest and build real wealth. Join her on the journey to launch to financial freedom in 4321.

Jamila Souffrant 1:15

If you want the episode show notes for this episode, go to journeytolaunch.com, or click the description of wherever you're listening to this episode. In the show notes, you'll get the transcribed version of the conversation, the links that we mentioned, and so much more. Also, whether you are An OG Journeyer or are brand new to the podcast, I've created a FREE Jumpstart Guide to help you on your financial freedom journey. It includes the top episodes to listen to, stages to go through to reach financial freedom, resources, and so much more. You can go to journeytolaunch.com/jumpstart to get your guide right now. Okay, let's hop into the episode.

Jamila Souffrant 1:58

Hey, hey, hey journeyers, I am always excited to talk to you. But this week is pretty special. Because this is what I call my birthday episode. If you're listening to this in real time, that means I am a year older. Well, you know, my birthday just passed. So my birthday is on February 6, this episode will come out the Wednesday after that. But I promise you whether you listen to it, the week it comes out or years from now, I want this to be a timeless episode. And I always like doing a more personal reflection podcast episode around my birthday. Because I feel like when I look back from where I came from, just in general from just being a child, as we all were children, not knowing exactly what we wanted to do. I know I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to be someone and have money and live my life and be happy. But I didn't know how I was going to navigate the world ultimately. So as every year passes that I get older, I just feel like I learned so much that I want to share with you because I know a lot of you guys you've been following me from the very beginning of this podcast, from starting journey to launch. And you see me grow so much professionally. And personally, obviously, honestly, I think the way to grow professionally is to grow personally, it's a personal development, spiritual journey. It's an internal journey. For me, at least that makes me blossom in the professional outside way that you see. And so I want to be able to share that with you. So if this is your first time listening to the podcast, this is not going to be specifically like how to budget money related. But I promise you if you give it a chance, all the things that I'm talking about will help you have and live the life you want, including having the type of money and career that you want. And if you are a OG journeyer you've been listening for a while you know how this goes. I have some notes. And I'll try my best to not ramble.

But I wanted to share some takeaways, some things that I've learned so far, just even this year, but in general, recently, I announced on my socials and I don't know if I put it on my newsletter yet, but it's going out. It's gonna be mentioned in my newsletter when you hear this, but I recently announced that it's official, your girl Jamila souffrant has a book deal. So I'm going to be a traditionally published author. I can't even get the words out because it still doesn't seem real. And I shared this recently a couple of weeks ago publicly. And it's really something I've actually known since the end of December when the auction happened for my book. Yes, there was an auction. 10 publishers 10 Interested publishers came to the auction to bid on my book to get a chance to be the publisher, the editor that gets my book out into the world. I had 11 meetings with publishers 10 came to the table for the auction. And I said selected, the publisher I liked the most. And that happened to offer the most money, it was a thrilling, thrilling experience. Again, I still can't believe it's actually happening. So that means this year, so 2022, I'll be writing a book. And then it takes about a year actually, after you submit your book, if you're doing it the traditional way for it to be published. So my book won't be in stores are available for you to purchase until 2024. But I'm going to talk about one of the lessons learned and just some takeaways, why that for me is not a problem. I actually love that it's so far out. And I'll talk more about that.

But I wanted to share because this book deal. For some people, the way I talk about, it seems like it happened quick, let's take it back. So I'm going to share a little bit about the book process, but not too much. And then I'm going to get into the lessons because what you see as a result of me having a book deal are from these lessons and takeaways that I'm going to share with you. But essentially, I got my proposal done in October, we sent the proposal out in October to potential agents, I had meetings with about six literary agents. So in the book publishing world in the traditional sense, you need a literary agent to then submit your proposal on your behalf to traditional publishers, otherwise, they won't really take you seriously or you won't get the best deal. So I took the time to make sure that I had a great proposal. I'll talk a little bit more about that in another episode of How I made that happen. And so I had meetings with literary agents in November. So it took about a month for me to meet with the agent, pick an agent met with him in November and selected the agents that I wanted to work with. And they're amazing, by the way. And then ultimately, my literary agents after I signed the deal with them, we sent the proposal out to potential publishers about a couple of weeks later. And so in December, there was all this exciting stuff happening, I was on Good Morning, America, my book proposal was going out to publishers, and then I had 11 meetings with people who are interested in the book. And sometimes you don't know what these things like what happens because you can have a meeting with a publisher, but that doesn't mean they're gonna come and bid on your book or offer you anything, they just want to get to know you, if they don't know you're already and see if they want to take a risk on you. Because it really is a partnership when you're working with a traditional publishing house. And the book went to auction, meaning there were multiple publishers, 10 altogether.

So from the 11, editors, slash publishers that I met 10 wanted a chance to buy the book. And so they went to a book auction, as they call it. And I ultimately went with the publisher that I liked the most. And that I felt like was really invested in making this book become the success it can be. And they also offered the most money. So it was a win win situation. I shared this on social media, and I got so many great responses and the support from some of you guys remember me just starting this podcast. And if you've been listening for a while you had you would have heard me mention that my goal is to write a book one day. And I shared this and I'm just I was overwhelmed by the support. And I started to think that you know, if you're new to me, or even if you're not new to what's going on with me, you may think like, wow, this happened quick for Jamila. You know, like, it doesn't seem like that's not normal, like you know, and I will admit that the process that I went through, is probably not typical for the average, maybe future author or someone who is aspiring to be an author. But I want to talk about like the lessons and takeaways.

So this is not where I go into what I've learned over the past few years what I've been doing to make something like this happen. And my goal here is not only to share, but for you to hopefully take at least one thing that I'm talking about, and to apply it to your life, to apply it to your journey, or to at least see a reflection of yourself to take something and use it, whether it's affirming to what you're going through already, or can help you.

So let's get into this. And I always get a little nervous with these episodes. This is why I don't like doing solo episodes because like, it's not possible to fit everything. In my head. I guarantee once I say okay, stop recording, I'm gonna have like five more points that I could have put in here. And then like, I don't want to record it. But you know what this leads me to point one or takeaway lesson one. A lot of times we think because we don't have all the words. We don't know all the things to say. Things are not perfect. We don't know the complete steps that that means we can't begin or we shouldn't begin until we have all of it together. And I'm here to tell you as a product of someone who launches without having the whole fuel tank fueled that That is not a sign for you to stop or not go, that is actually a sign for you to go so that you can recalibrate and figure it out as you go. I really believe that the doubt and imperfection and inexperience that we feel when we're doing things is a sign that we should keep going. And I say that because every time I do one of these solo episodes, I'm just like, Ah, I don't know if I can pull this off. I have so much to say, I don't want to ramble. All these things that at my stage, if especially if you're a beginner, you would think Jamila doesn't feel that way. She has it all down, packed, I am literally recording this in my closet, my closet is not that big, by the way. But I found some space to sit, and I am making it work. And I'm nervous. I'm always nervous as hell when these episodes are recorded, and when they go out, but I do it anyway. And so I'm encouraging you, whatever it is that you're going after, if there is a doubt, or a feeling that something has to be perfect before you do it, stop. It does not have to be perfect. I made it this far, with journey to launch in life as a mother, as a wife, as a business owner, by not being perfect by just going and I just want to encourage you that if you're waiting for that, then then stop I heard this quote that the perfectionist in us is the oppressor. You know, it wants us to not move forward, you know, it's all maybe the childhood voice, it could be our parents voice that wanted things perfect. And it makes us so self conscious before we leap and we launch into the world. And I'm telling you that even as you stumble while you go forward, you're moving forward and you will catch yourself, you will catch yourself if you fall, and you'll be able to get up and do something different. But I just got to encourage you there because I've found that part of my success has been just doing things even though even though I'm scared, even though it's not perfect, even though it's not what I want it to be completely, that I should just go. So that's my first thing as my takeaway for this birthday episode of 2022, that you start you begin, you do not wait until things are perfect before you go.

This is number two. The first one was to launch even if you're not prepared. Number two is to be consistent and persistent. Consistency, I feel like for a lot of people is scary. Because if you're like me, you don't want to start something unless you know you can commit to it. And so sometimes there are things I want to do. And I'm like, I'm not going to do it because I know I'm not gonna, I may fail or I may not continue on like, I want to know that I'll be able to do this thing. Like for example, I want to know that I can work out every Monday or Tuesday for the for the next three months. And then if something is coming up that I feel like I can't do that, then it makes me feel like oh, then maybe I shouldn't make that my goal because then I won't start or I won't do it. And it's consistency and persistency that should work together. So make plans to be consistent, whether it is with your business, or if you're starting something. But if you can't be consistent, be persistent, be both actually. But meaning, if you do fall off, if you don't go to the gym, or you don't release that blog, or that podcast episode that you said you would persistency means you will figure it out and get it out there. Even if you miss the day or week, you just don't give up. And I feel like a lot of my success has really been because I've been consistent. I put out a podcast episode, since I started journey's launch every week. So there's a consistency there. In terms of every week, I've been putting on a podcast episode since 2017. So that's five years going on six years of podcasting every week. And that means releasing episodes, solo episodes, even when I felt like they weren't good enough. I really don't try to put out, especially interviews that I don't think are great, I really try my best to put out interviews that, okay, I feel like even if one person gets something from this, even if I didn't completely love the entire conversation or agree with everything, I feel like there's a nugget here for someone to take. And that's been my approach. So sometimes you may look at someone else, and you'll see some success, but you don't know how long they've been working at something. And so for me, I've been doing journey to launch the podcast, at least for years, and there have been people who've been podcasting longer than me. And maybe you're just not wanting to start a podcast or this business thing. But in order to gain the traction, to learn from what you're doing, you have to be consistent. And in case you can't be consistent because life happens. Trust me, I get it. You have to be persistent. And understand that if there's something that happens and causes you to stop, that you'll get back up and you'll go again. So this has been the case for the podcast for journey to launch. It's been the case in my career. I remember I didn't have sodo. And I'll try to link that in the show notes where I talked about being told that I should stay in it as an intern, that was the division that I first interned in. And I remember being really persistent that I was not going to stay in it. I wanted to move to the investments department. And that's what I did, even though there were people who were trying to deter me from that or say, that wasn't the right move. I knew what I wanted, or at least I knew what I didn't want. So that led me to be really persistent, even though people were telling me no. So whatever you're doing right now, you have to be persistent and consistent with it. Falling off does not mean you stop, it's okay to fall off, it's okay to stumble. It's okay to take a break. Even with this podcast, you know, I kind of say often I don't, I've never missed an episode. It's been every week for the past five years. And quite honestly, like at this point in the game, I may take a break, I don't know, I'm going to do what works best for me at this moment. But right now, I love the momentum that I've created. And I'm going to keep going as long as I can, as long as I feel good doing it, and I have the resources to do it. But it doesn't mean you can't take a rest that you can't take a break.

The other thing, so this will be three, speak what you seek, until you see what you say. Speak what you seek until you see what you say, I've said this before on the podcast, putting your goals out there. And when I say out there, it's funny. Sometimes we have goals, we are not, we're afraid to even say them to ourselves, like we push it back, we push it down, when a thought comes up. And we don't want to express that we want something for me speak what you seek until you see what you say, is a lot of things. In this context, I am talking about if there is something that you do want in your life, whether that be paying off debt, getting a career in a certain field, whether that is a car, getting a car, or having a podcast, anything that you are just envisioning, right, I want you to understand that there's a reason why you are thinking that thing, in my opinion, the fact that you are thinking that thing means that you are meant, or there's a chance for you to have it, really, because why else would you think it and if that is the case, then you need to reinforce the things you want in your life, not the negativity. So things that you actually don't like and make you feel bad. Don't reinforce those things and follow people who make you feel that way. Or watch things that bring those feelings up. But instead, surround yourself with things with inspiration with people, even if it's virtually, that allow you to continue to speak good over your life and positivity over the things you want. That also includes putting your goals out there. So not arguing for your limitations, not arguing and saying, Well, I can't do this, because of this, I can't do that because this is happening or that person did this to me. That may be the case, maybe it is I never like to discount someone's feelings and what they've been through, especially if that has not been my experience. But when you start arguing for why you can't do things, then you won't do them or you can't do them, when you start reinforcing and arguing for why you deserve it. And that's almost like probably not the right thing to say because you deserve something you don't need to argue for it. But reinforce in yourself, the things that will allow you to reach your goals. So one of the things I like doing is putting my goals out there. And I really encourage you if there's something that you want to do, especially if it's actually career wise that you put it out there publicly. And again, I talked about this on another episode, but you just never know who you know, in your network can help you with that goal. Right. So when I say like speak what you seek until you see what you say, that is not only retaining and getting inspiration on a day to day basis through maybe podcasts and books, and what you listen to, but it's also like speaking out loud the things that you want, because you don't know who can help you get those things. And I think it's pretty cool when you do declare your goals if you do it publicly. And by that, I mean putting something on your LinkedIn, like, here's what I'm looking to do, or Facebook or Instagram. If you accomplish that thing, and you go back and see it. It is I'm telling you, it is amazing. I back in July 2021. I think it was July. Yep, July 2021. By the way, I did this whole post on my Jamila souffrant page on Instagram if you want to check it out. But I was in the middle of my book proposal process in July. And I said to myself, You know what, let me just put this tweet out because while I don't know what's gonna happen with this book proposal, I knew that most likely like I'd get some interest Just publishers, but I had no idea. It would be what it was. But I knew what I wanted. So I put this tweet out on July 3 2021. At this point, the proposal was not completed. Actually, like we were in the middle of writing it, I didn't know that it wasn't it would be completed at this point. But this is what I wrote in this tweet, I'm looking forward to finishing my book proposal, securing an amazing literary agent, signing a significant deal with a top publisher, and then writing a book that will not only be a best seller, but a perennial seller. I tweeted that in July, because I said to myself, if I'm able to have like, these things come true, I want to come back to this tweet and be like, look at that, you know, how they have those tweets of like, famous people now all all over the place before they reached their goals. I think I saw Megan the stallion had one. And then I forgot who else but essentially, they said, Oh, I'm gonna one day be a star you watch or, you know, I can't wait to accept my Grammy one day. And this was before they even had a record deal. And then now they have one. So I knew in general, like having that feeling would be amazing. So I put that tweet out and did the work. And what you know, I am actually at the step of I signed a significant deal with a top publisher. So we finished a book proposal secured amazing literary agents. And I did sign a significant deal with a top publisher. So now I'm on to the stage of writing this book, right, but going back, and seeing what I spoke over my life, it just hits different when it's coming true. And so I would encourage you that even if you don't want to publicly say it out loud, I get that sometimes you want to keep your dreams close to you totally get that, write it down for yourself, write it down right now on the note section of your phone. So you can come back to it and see and remember where you were, when you declared what you wanted over your life. And I'm telling you that just the mere fact of thinking about it, believing in it puts you far ahead of potentially having that thing. So speak what you seek until you see what you say that was number three, I think.

All right, number four, don't let anyone else put their limitations and fear or doubt on you. I mean, you have enough already. Trust me, I have enough already. I don't need other people telling me that I can't do something or doubting what it is I can do. And the thing about it is most people don't mean harm. You know, I generally believe most people mean, well. I know that, you know, people like to say they're haters out there and that people actually don't want you to do well. But I actually have the opinion that most like I don't have haters. If anything, I just have people who don't know me, and maybe there's not a good fit here. That's it. It's not someone I think who's spending their time, just to hate on me, it just could be a difference of opinion. But there are people who are really they may care about you, maybe they don't, but they have their own crap going on their own history, and experiences. So when you do say, and I know, this is one of the reasons why maybe you don't want to do the step I told you before the takeaway about putting your goals out there, because inevitably, there will be someone who maybe had the same dream as you who wanted something you wanted could not make it happen. And therefore, they may think, Oh, well, you want that, like that's not gonna be easy to get. You know, I remember when I was actually in the middle of the proposal process for the book. I had someone who I believe was well meaning, but they essentially said like, in order for you to get the deal that you want, you need to like increase your downloads tremendously, like your downloads are nowhere close meaning my podcast downloads as they were, were not enough to attract the type of deal and publisher that I wanted. And that my everything just had to grow more like the social media following the email list, and especially the podcast if I was claiming that this podcast was, you know, the best thing since sliced bread? Because quite honestly, what my podcast does well, of course, it can do better, right? Like it can have more downloads, it can do well and I remember hearing this person say that and feeling so defeated. So in my head, I'm like, Alright, we're going to finish this proposal, I'm going to get that deal. I'm going to I'm going to be able to write this book, and this person is telling me, you know, I don't know if you're going to be able to do that unless you increase this by this much. And in my head. I'm like, how am I going to do that? Like I am literally as a independent podcaster doing the most I feel that I can at this point. My podcast has grown word of mouth. So thank you, by the way during the years, but literally it's really been just you telling someone you harrowingly on another podcast. It's me doing that groundwork and the way this person basically, she was telling To me that you would have to almost like double your podcast downloads in order to get this thing. And I'm just like, Well, if that's the case that will take me years.

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And so instead of getting upset at that person, or upset at myself, I'm not gonna lie, I was definitely I did feel a bit of doubt, I said to myself, you know, what people have doubted you before, people have said, There's no way you can do that. Like, there's only a certain percentage of people who are able to make it to this level. And I've been able to do that in my life each and every time. Because I didn't look at what the people who didn't or couldn't do it, I'm looking at the people who were able to do it. So people will speak or say things and it will cause you to doubt yourself. And what I'm saying to you is you don't need any more doubt, we give ourselves enough doubt, and ourselves enough, just pause in the things that we want to do. So in that case, it's like you don't have to make an issue with the other person, you don't have to argue with them about what you're going to do. But you have to really understand that most times that person is coming from a place of lack and or their own experience, which is different from yours. And so you don't want to take on someone else's insecurity, you have your own. And that's where I go back to the other goals or takeaways that I talked about earlier about speaking, what you seek until you see what you say, putting your goals out there being consistent and persistent. Because that's going to help you overcome those negative thoughts launching, right? The first thing I said was, even when you don't understand what you're doing, or when it's messy, just do it. Because these are the things that help you move forward despite the negative influences or voices that are outside and even inside.

Okay, next point, I forgot the number we're on, but we're gonna keep going. Alright, the next point or takeaway, and reminder, this is my birthday episode. So I'm going to tell you what you can do. If you want to give me a birthday present. Don't worry, you don't have to buy anything towards the end of this episode. But thanks for sticking with me. All right. So this point, or takeaway or lesson that I've learned is be patient. But don't be restfully idle, you can rest. I'm always an advocate of rest, I actually started following the nap ministry on Instagram, and it is speaking all types of rest to me, like I'm like, Alright, I need to rest more even though I am already incorporating that. So I'm not saying not to rest while you're being patient for things to happen. What I'm saying is, don't be idle and passive in a way in which you think that you don't have to do anything. And sometimes that work is just internal work. It's not physical, it's not like getting up and toiling away and being stressed out. It's that internal work, you know, working with your mental working and creating that spiritual bond that you want. That is work also. But the patient part means that things are not going to happen overnight. And again, while it may seem like it's happening overnight, for other people, or someone else, it most likely isn't that person has planted seeds has done the work. And what you see are the sprouts of the flower coming to bloom. Or you see everything coming up above the surface. But this person is putting in a lot of work. And just like you have put in a lot of work. Sometimes the work that you've done, which did not seem to relate to the thing that you want to do. It is part of the process part of the journey. So I say this, you got to be patient. But don't be patient in a way in which you are just lackadaisical and lazy man I know that's probably you know, a loaded word, but lazy meaning that there's this thing you want but you're not going to work on it until you get it. I really believe in preparation Be Prepared while you're being patient. So be prepared for that opportunity and the life you want. While you're waiting for it to come true, I'm telling you, it actually makes the life and the thing you want come true faster, because you're signaling to everyone around you, you're signaling to God, universe, whatever you are signaling that you are ready for this thing. And so I just want to give you some examples.

I know for me, that meant, I remember I said, Okay, I want to write a book one day, I want to write a book. And I was like, Well, what were people who are writers, what are they their readers. And I remember getting back into reading last year and this year, because I said to myself, I want to prepare myself for when it's time to write my book, that I have done this thing, I'm not waiting for a book deal, in order to say that I'm a writer, or a reader, I'm going to do that now. Or even one of my goals was to be on TV or to do more camera work. And I remember saying to myself, because of the pandemic, especially after having kids, you know, I just fell off in terms of being fit or working out. And I said to myself, well, if I get this opportunity to be on this stage, I want to be ready. So I really feel like I've been preparing before things have happened for them. And that's something you can do, too. So if you, for example, want to be a writer, or you want to be an entrepreneur, there's things that you want to accomplish in your life, what can you do, who can you become in the process while you're waiting for that thing to materialize? And I think what really happens, what really speeds things up is that you're not just waiting for the outcome, like you're enjoying the process of who you're becoming while you're taking on these tasks while you're doing this work and being quote, unquote, patient. And then therefore, it happens because you don't even realize that the time is passing or that you don't have the thing yet. And then being in that state of mind, it's like it's a win win. Because regardless of if it happens or not, you are getting something personally professionally, like you are growing. And then if it does happen, like even better.

Okay, next thing, don't be afraid of the detours and different paths from the one that you set out to embark upon. I remember when I started journey to launch officially, like when I first started the blog, or when I first declared that I was going to reach financial independence by age 40. I think I was 33. And when I started that, so I know I didn't say my age, not that you guys have to know my age. But I am 39. Now. That's why 39. And literally, I'm one way away from this goal that I set years ago for myself, I said by 40, I wouldn't work for anyone else. And that I would reach financial independence, which for us meant I'd be able to quit my job. And literally, I wouldn't have to work anymore. Because we'd have all the money we needed. And we'd have my husband's income as a teacher to help support us and all our goals. But if I would have stayed just like really focused on just that one path. And that path at the time, when I first started wanting to launch meant, you're going to work in corporate America for as long as you can save and invest as much money as like as much as you can for the next seven years, no matter what, and then you'll reach your financial goals, you have X amount saved in your investment and retirement accounts, then you'll be able to quit. If I would have stuck to that plan of saving and investing the guaranteed income from my job, I would have very well really reached the goal that I set. And what I realized when I looked to the right and left and saw these little detours of becoming an entrepreneur, so quitting my corporate job with no guarantee, or really how much journey to launch can make how much we can save or invest. But taking that detour, almost. And yeah, if it took longer to reach this financial independence goal, it would be okay. Because what I was giving up was actually the restrictions of my time, maybe I was giving up and leaving money on the table quote, unquote, but I was gaining back autonomy over my life, and time and freedom, a different type of freedom. The goal was not to have a boss by 40 years old. And I was able to create that like so that was not to have a boss by 40 years old, and to reach financial independence. And by quitting my corporate job, I was able to accomplish not having a quote unquote, boss, I was my own boss. But I did not reach my financial independence goal. And I knew that it may take longer for me to reach that but it was okay. That detour has been okay. It's been more than okay, and I'm so glad I made that decision versus if I would have just stuck to the plan and not looked around and taking time to figure out what I really wanted. Because ultimately what I really wanted when I made that goal was to be able to quit my job and to be comfortable and to be happy. And I was able to do that earlier because I follow These detours. So I want you to think about, yes, you can have your goals, you can have your eye on the prize, but don't be so locked in, where you don't realize that there are things around you that can still help you get to your goal may take you longer, but you will enjoy yourself, you will enjoy the journey by stepping off that path. And so it's something that I really want to stress because I can say, it's a fact that this detour that I've taken has now become the main path. And while I have goals and these things that I want to do, I'm always open to new paths. And I never like to say never. Because once you're open to opportunities and, and magic, and blessings and miracles in your life, you have to be open to what is on the other side of the road, or the thing that seems like you. And I'm not saying like take opportunities that are too scary to the point where it's risky, where you may lose everything. But you have to be willing to kind of go off the beaten path, to figure out what it is and to experience life, the way that you're supposed to experience.

I talked about this a bit. But being patient also equals that things take time. And you have to put put in work. So I did say that I was 39 years old. And I feel like sometimes people will look at me and say, Well, you have you seems like you have it all. You know you have that you you have a house, you have a husband, you have the kids, you have this career. And I'm not someone who's like in their early 20s. Like, I've done this and it's funny, I know people who are older than me are like okay, Jamila, you're still young. I know, I know, I know, I'm still young, but in and just being relative to sometimes some of the people that I see online or looking at just like my little sister, or the goals that she has, or her friends have for themselves. And I just think to myself, like it takes time, if I was in my early 20s or mid 20s, right now, I would not be able to have all the things that I have now, like I put in that time over a decade in corporate America, working, commuting that long commute, like I put in that time, making the mistakes even as an entrepreneur, and I there's still time left for me to put in to reap the blooms or the blossoms, or however you say it of the seeds that I've planted. So don't rush your journey and compare it to maybe mine, or someone else who seems further ahead. Yeah, sure. I'm sure there are some 20 year olds who have it all right, but I was not one of them. I had certain parts of my life together. But I didn't have it all together in this way it took time, it's going to take time. So stop putting so much pressure on yourself to have it all in life. Because yes, there's like the personal side of things in your life that you want. Maybe kids maybe not you don't want kids or relationship, and or now the professional part of your life wanting that to be all together. Or maybe physically Right. Like, there's all these things that you're doing. And they don't happen to me at least all at once or in the same year. It's like Pokemon catch him as you go collect them as you go. And what's crazy is sometimes you'll collect right these achievements in your life. Maybe at one point, you had the relationship, you had the career. And but or you had the body, right? I mean, in my 20s, I did have a six pack. But sometimes those things change, like nothing is really permanent. It's a cycle. And I want you to understand that if you are right now in a cycle where you don't feel like you have all the things that it's okay, or maybe you've lost something. And it's not the way you thought it would be. That that's okay to like the whole point of this life is the journey. It really, truly, truly is. And I can say for myself, if I had everything that I wanted, every single thing was checked off all the things on my list. Honestly, I don't think I'd have momentum and or drive to do certain things. Part of what pushes me is that things are incomplete and things will never be done, honestly. And I think if you can get comfortable with that understanding that things won't always be done. And they won't be complete. And it can be annoying. When that happens. You think you got the last piece of the puzzle, and then you realize they're like 100 pieces more, but that is the part of life. So it's gonna take time. And if it's taken longer than you want, understand, go back to one of the points before persistency. And being consistent helps and being patient being proactive helps. All right.

The last thing I want to say about just birthday lessons slash takeaways is this idea of work and sacrifice. And I think right now we're living in an age where we are hearing more, especially as people of color especially as black people, especially as women, that you know we work so hard, and it's time for us to reap the rewards. It's time for us to rest and I 130% believe that to be true, but I also feel like it gets a little confusing for people, because you may see someone saying, Hey, don't do that for free, or don't work too hard. And I think yes, I don't think you should work to the point where it is, it is not healthy for yourself. And it's detrimental, right to just your just life or your health. But I feel like it's almost like false when people who have made it or have done something, say, Well, don't worry, you don't have to work that hard. Or you don't need to sacrifice everything is just like gonna come like with a snap of a finger. Because in my opinion, like there is a time to work, there's a time to sacrifice. And I'm not saying you need to get exploited in terms of doing work for free, or that you don't deserve that trip to Bali, or that nice car or bag, you do girl you do. But what I'm saying is, in due time,

if I would have in my 20s thought I should have the exact life that I have now, because I need the house, I need the family, I need the things, now I need the income. Now, I would not be where I am today, there were just certain things, especially when I first found out about financial independence that I had to do to put myself in this position. So what I mean by that is when I first found out about the fire movement, financial independence, retire early, it was all about saving and investing and being more strict with my budget. And for the first couple of years. That worked, it was a tremendous boost to our savings and investing when my husband and I started to aggressively save our money. I've talked about this before, but in case you're new, when we first started, we were able to save and invest $169,000 over two years. And that went to our pre tax retirement account or taxable accounts. And we were able to do that by really being focused and sacrificing. And there are things that I'm doing now that I could not have done them to do that. Like right now, we have more help. So we hired a babysitter for after school care for the kids, I now have hired someone who can help cook. So basically, basically they deliver meals on a weekly basis. They're all these things that I'm incorporating back into my life. And that's not to say I didn't deserve it back then. Because it would have been nice and great to have it then. But my goals at that point were different. And in order for me to be in a position today, to be able to afford those things to be able to afford to quit my six figure job, we had to be able to save and invest. So oftentimes I see people and that you have these goals, you know you're at the different journey or stages, and you maybe want to pay off debt, and you want to one day, quit your job. But then you are also getting these messages that you got to enjoy your life, you deserve it all. And while you need Yes, you deserve it all you should enjoy your life. If you try to do both at the same time to the same degree, you'll find that your attention is split. And either one can take longer for you to achieve, right, like you're still making sacrifices to the way that you want to enjoy your life. And then now you're making sacrifices or it's taking longer for you to reach your financial goals. So again, I'm not saying that you have to work, you know, hard to the bone and be miserable on this journey. But I think it's false, this perception that you don't have to put the work in, you do have to put the work in, even when it comes to doing things for free, especially when you have a business, or whatever that means to you. I know that when I first started drilling to launch, I did things that now I would never do, right. But back then I was getting experience. I was meeting my peers, and we were exchanging our time with each other in terms to help us grow. And maybe now I will still do that in certain areas. But there are a lot of things I wouldn't say yes to that. I said yes to back then. But saying yes to those things back then put me in this position. And so there are levels to what you're going to be able to do. And so if you're just starting out on your journey, whether that's your financial journey, or a business journey, entrepreneurship, don't compare yourself to someone who's maybe in the game for a while, who's charging this amount, who's like, I don't work for free, I don't do these things. Or I'm not sacrificing this trip or this vacation because here I am. Right? Because most likely they have probably sacrificed in the beginning. And I think you just need to find a healthy way to balance the two but understand what is more important today.

And if you're on your debt payoff journey, maybe you're not taking that trip to Bali, maybe you're taking it to Miami, I don't know. You're making some concessions about what you're doing. But you're still figuring out a way to enjoy life. Maybe it's a staycation. And instead of spending 5000 or however much it cost to go to Bali first class, you are doing something that is a little more in line with where you currently are and then by doing that You can't take that trip to Bali, more than one trip to Bali, because you set your life up in a way that makes sense in order to do that.

Okay, I think that was all my tips. And I hope that this was helpful to you. I really have enjoyed doing this podcast every week with you. And especially for you who have been listening from the beginning. I mean, you're the reason even you know, newbies. The other reason to you all are the reason that keep me going. And I hope that as much as I feel like you poured into me by supporting the podcast by telling your family and friends about it, to feel that I've poured into you, and that you have felt that you've grown. I mean, I get a lot of messages. And sometimes I'm still in awe about the reach that my little voice has, you know, this voice that sometimes I'm afraid still to this day, you know, to do a solo episode that it has. And that keeps me going, that makes me know it's bigger than me, your mission and what you're doing is not just about you, it's about that person is about you listening, who needs to hear who wants to hear someone who they can relate to who maybe looks like them has some experience that you've had, that's telling you that there is beauty and life and there is a fortune on the other side of whatever it is that is holding you back. And so I just want to thank you again for joining me again, this was my birthday episode. So it's my birthday week. Don't worry if you're not listening to this on my birthday week, it's okay still say happy birthday. And the thing that you can do to help me celebrate my birthday is this. Can you share this episode with a family member or friend, maybe not this episode, but another episode that you really enjoyed. So wherever you're listening to this right now, whether you're listening on YouTube, or maybe you're on your Apple podcast, app, or some other app, take a screenshot and share it with your social media following if you have social media, if you're on the socials like that, tag me, don't be afraid to say happy birthday, and or just copy the link and send this to someone. You know, for me, what helps me be able to do the podcast, which is totally free for you is to be able to grow it to get sponsors to have brands and people recognize that we are a community that is engaged and strong. And so growing the podcast has always been something that is on the forefront is how can I get more people to hear this message? How can I get more people to be journeyers. And so you sharing this podcast would be a great birthday gift. The other thing is if you are listening to this in Apple podcast, so if you have an iPhone, that's that purple app on your phone, make sure you are following. So follow anywhere because it's again free to follow or subscribe to this. But also leave a podcast review. I love love reading and seeing that you guys are taking the time out to do that. I know that sounds easy. I know it's kind of like another thing that I have to do today. But it really helps support me and the podcast and helps me to be able to continue to give you this content for absolutely free. So that's how you can say happy birthday to me. And I hope that wherever you are in the world, wherever you are on your journey that you feel inspired and motivated to keep going. And if something didn't resonate with you tag me on at journey to launch or at Jamila souffrant I'd love to know if there was a takeaway or something you're like, yes, Jamila, I needed to hear that. Alright, until next week, keep on journeying journey airs.

Don't forget, you can get the episode show notes for this episode by going to journeytolaunch.com, or click the description of wherever you're listening to this and you can still grab your Jumpstart Guide for free to help you on your journey to financial freedom by going to journeytolaunch.com/jumpstart. If you want to support me and the podcast and love the free content and information that you get here, here are four ways that you can support me in the show: One, make sure you're subscribed to the podcast wherever you listen, whether that's Apple Podcasts, that purple app on your phone, your Android device, YouTube, Spotify, wherever it is that you happen to listen, just subscribe so you are not missing an episode. And if you're happening to listen to this and Apple Podcasts, rate, review and subscribe there. I appreciate and read every single review. Number two, follow me on my social media accounts. I'm @journeytolaunch on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And I love, love, love, interacting with Journeyers there. Three, support and check out the sponsors of this show. If you hear something that interests you. Sponsors are the main ways we keep the podcast lights on here. So, show them some love for supporting your girl. Four, and last but not least, share this episode this podcast with a friend or family member or co worker, so that we can spread the message of Journey to Launch. Alright, that's it until next week. Keep on journeying Journeyers.