“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson 

All my life I have been inspired by great leaders, empowered entrepreneurs, Creatrix’s & creators of their craft, and men and women who have an amazing message to share.

Over the past few years I’ve been lucky enough to have learned directly from some of them and in the process, I’ve looked up to them, been in total awe of how they speak, move, think and create, and at times along my journey, wanted to be just like them.

One of the things I’ve been most blown away by though, and most influenced by when I first journeyed into the world of entrepreneurship, was the way all of these leaders were using routine. Morning routines, regular rituals, daily self-check in’s. Whatever they were, in whatever form, each of these amazing people had a strict and non-negotiable routine or practice that they did each day, laying the foundation that allowed them to bring their greatest self to their work through the practice of consistency. And as we’re often told, consistency is one of the most important keys to success and being able to live our best life.

So when I was awakened to this important aspect as I progressed along my journey of learning, I leaned into and often emulated the routine of the most prevalent leader in my life at that time. During the times I have been uncertain of where my path has been taking me, I have craved the lifestyle and wisdom of each leader so fiercely, that I’ve been tempted to copy the way they are cultivating their own success and growth.

For instance, when I returned home to busy London from my yoga teacher training with Ana Forrest, for a while I pushed myself to continue the rigorous routine we had kept up on our training, getting up at crazy o’clock and doing 2-hour practices. If Ana did 2 hours of yoga every day in her own personal routine, surely I could do too right? And surely that’s what I needed to do to keep reaping the benefits of everything she’d taught us?

And when I was mentoring under business coach Kat Loterzo, who writes several thousand words every day minimum and works out like a crazy person each morning, I put a lot of pressure on myself to do the same, getting up early before heading to work and feeling the need to blog and hone my message every day. After all, if I wanted to be as good a writer as her, surely that’s what I needed to do right now?

After all, if I wanted to be as good a writer as her, surely that’s what I needed to do right now?

Did I learn from these periods in time when I was trying these routines? Sure, of course, I did. I learned an incredible amount. And there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with wanting to aspire to be like someone, but the main lesson I learned is that what works for them won’t necessarily work for us.

When I started pushing myself too hard I got sick, and at times when I was putting too much pressure on myself to fit all these rituals and routines that worked for someone else into my personal lifestyle, I got tired and ultimately fell out of love with the reason I was doing it in the first place. Nothing was sticking because it wasn’t authentic and most importantly it wasn’t always what I needed at the time.

Along the journey through life and through our businesses or careers, what’s important is finding our own way to grow and evolve, and finding that way comes from regularly checking in with ourselves and asking ourselves what is it that we need in that moment. I am not Kat, nor is she Ana, and nor are either of them or any other of my teachers me, and each one of us is not only at totally different stages of our careers and lives, but we’ll also need completely different things to fuel our growth.

So wherever you are at right now, whoever you are learning from, whilst you can be inspired and without a doubt stretch your comfort zone and skill base while doing this, it’s so important to remember that this is your dream, your journey, and YOUR path to forge along the road.

Have you asked yourself what YOU need lately versus doing lots of different things because you feel you should be doing them?

Maybe what you need right now isn’t setting your alarm super early to put your body through a rigorous routine, but is rest and reflection because you’ve been feeling disconnected?

And perhaps the tasks you’ve been setting yourself to get done in your business are actually making you feel dulled down instead of joyful and excited and you’ve lost what feels good for you?

Finding your own routine, your own way to quicken your blood and excite your heart, and letting go of the pressure of feeling you have to do something in the exact same way someone else is doing it in order to see results, is the ultimate way to not only stay connected to your vision, but to enjoy every step of your journey and make it your own.

Every single one of us is different, every one of us has a completely different message and vision for the way we want our lives to be, so be yourself, forge your own path, and in doing so, you’ll light the way for others to do the same.

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