Aren't Ya Tired of Playing It Safe

As you kick off the new year—setting resolutions, goals, and plans—there’s a familiar tension: you want change, but you also want certainty. In this episode, Patti and Mark explore how playing it safe can get in your way in small but important ways.

Through a quick self-check, real stories, and practical strategies, they unpack the hidden cost of comfort and share simple, grounded ways to take smarter risks.

If this is the year you stop saying “someday,” this conversation will help you start making the changes you’ve been putting off.

Because the biggest risk isn’t failure—it’s playing it so safe you never try.

Please subscribe and share this with anyone who needs to hear this conversation! Follow us on Instagram at arentyatiredof_social.  Send your topic suggestions to podcast@pattibjohnson.com or through DM on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:09

Welcome to Aren't You Tired Of, the podcast for identifying and talking about all the stuff you're tired of and more importantly, what to do about it. That's where we are spending our energy. And today we are going to talk about Aren't You Tired of Playing It Safe? And yeah, I think especially start of the year, because one of the things it's, you know, it's the beginning of the year, everybody's doing the resolutions, you're doing your vision, all the things you want to change. You're doing vision. Have you ever done a vision board?

SPEAKER_00 0:41

You know, I I've done, I've started one like on Pinterest a little bit, you know, like a vision board, but I've actually decided in my life I don't do New Year's revelations or resolutions. Yes. And um, I don't know, like maybe vision boards is something that I could get more into.

SPEAKER_03 0:59

I kind of want to know about it. Anybody who's listening, if you're like a vision board pro, please comment, tell us.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

Let us know.

SPEAKER_03 1:05

But it's that time of year, right? Any of you don't, like in your case, I don't really do official resolutions anymore, but I do what matters to me this year. What do I want to do a little more of, a little less of? So however you do it, one of the things we know at the heart of that is you can't play it safe and do anything new and try anything new. So that's what we want to talk about today. And it's kind of a um a topic that can be hard for us because what do what's the tension there? The tension is, well, I want to try something new, but kind of like predictable. I like knowing what's gonna happen and I like knowing that um it's anything I try to do, it's within reach, it's comfortable, that kind of thing. So we know there is a little bit of that tension. And you know, a lot of us got here because we're responsible.

SPEAKER_01 1:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:56

We're practical. Um, I also see in a lot of my clients, the more you further you get in life, the more it feels at risk. I can't mess with my scene here, right? That's right. So I've got it all figured out, even if I'm not really happy, it's not what I want. I've got a good little situation going. So we're gonna dive in today about um what's getting in your way here and how to what you can do about it. So we're gonna start with Yeah. We love quizzes.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

A little quiz.

SPEAKER_03 2:25

We love quizzes. You know, I really love that.

SPEAKER_00 2:27

I loved a good quiz when I was in school because I wanted to just crush the. You wanted to crush it.

SPEAKER_03 2:32

I like the easy ones.

SPEAKER_00 2:33

Yeah. This one's an easy one. Yeah. Well, let's see. Uh, a couple of things here.

SPEAKER_03 2:37

Okay, Mark, I'm gonna let you soft. There's not a right or wrong answer. We're just more to kind of get your brain thinking about are there any of these that kind of feel like you? So, Mark, you can kick us off on the quiz.

SPEAKER_00 2:46

So here's a couple for us all to think about. Uh, when you go out, like with friends or your partner, um, do you find yourself always going to the same places and ordering the same things? Okay. Here's another one. Are you still wearing that pair of pants or guys that that pair of khakis that you wore in college? Like are you are you do you look the same? Right? Have you ever thought, I'd love to do that, but I'm too young, I'm too old, I don't know enough, no one cares, no one would listen. Here's another one. Um you're unhappy in your job or you know, your current situation, uh, but it's safe and predictable. Um so you stay and you think, I'll just do it later.

SPEAKER_03 3:37

All right, let's continue the quiz. Number five, do you wait until you feel completely confident before starting or trying something new? Number six, taking on anything new, big or small, a new job, moving, changing careers, joining a new group feels daunting. It's just too much to take on. Number seven, is there at least one thing that you've been saying someday about for a very long time? Number eight, you know that going to the dinner and meeting some new people will probably open a door for you. But you decide yoga pants on the couch feels easier. Are you just gonna stay home? Are you just gonna stay in your stay home? So I guess for any of you, and then you're probably listening, I you didn't need to be writing those down, but if any of those resonated with you and you thought, that's kind of me, you might be playing it safe. And a lot of the reasons that you answered yes or no to any of those questions, it could be just that's those are patterns you've developed, you know, over time. So let's talk about those things that might be getting in your way and what to do about it. But first, you mark, I'm curious, what's the cost of playing it safe? It's served us well in a lot of situations. What's the cost?

SPEAKER_00 4:59

Yeah, I I got a couple of things. You know, one, I think when we start playing it safe for too long, your energy and your curiosity can fade, you know, because it was a big idea, you get interested in it, and then somehow you talk yourself out of it, or you know, you could start thinking about all the other obstacles in a in another conversation. You know, we we talked about, you know, you're second guessing yourself on it. Um, you know, that that's something to think about. The other thing when you're playing it safe and that hidden cost is um the dissatisfaction with your own situation. It's that that situation that you get into where you know you need to make the change and you can see it and you know what needs to happen, but because you're inactive or not making that next step, you just become um disgusted, dissatisfied, frustrated with yourself or the situation, you know? Um boredom sets in. You know, you just like, I I know I need to be doing something, but I just don't have the energy or the want or the know-how to get there. Um and then it's it's the whole thing. I remember a long time ago, there was a phrase um when I was in college, um, one of the groups used to use, you know, um, never settle, always select. And it stuck with me, you know, in other contexts in my life, but it it's something that's pushed me. Um but I think there's a lot of people out there that may feel that they're settling.

unknown 6:32

Right.

SPEAKER_03 6:33

Exactly. Don't want to mess up.

SPEAKER_00 6:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:36

So you know, those are just some initial thoughts on it. But I before we go into, you know, kind of some other thoughts on this, one of the things that comes to mind for me is we may have listeners um or you know, people that receive this podcast and listen to it this particular episode that they might be of that energy that what I have, I'm quite satisfied in. Um, I I don't like change, I don't like disruption. And you know, um, I want those individuals to hear that we're saying, that's okay. That's okay. But here's where we're gonna be that friend sitting next to you, and we're gonna say, but what if there is something that you really want to do? You really want to not play it safe. I want to push a little bit on this thing. This conversation is for you too.

SPEAKER_03 7:29

For sure. And the person that feels like, you know, I I I like playing it safe. I like the predictable, but yet every time you go out for a wine, they're saying, This job is not, I just hate it. It's not really one to do.

SPEAKER_01 7:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:41

So do you really? Are you really content? You know, so I think those are some questions. So, what we want to do, Mark and I want to share some of the approaches we've seen that have worked for us, that have worked for our clients, work for people that we've coached with and hope that it'll give you, you know, a nudge to get started. Now, one thing I do want to say at the beginning on this, you got to understand the landscape you're dealing with here. Understand the situation. Because if you have something new you want to go do, it is never going to pop to the top of that to-do list. So if you get that email from your boss uh for the third time today, um you have um urgent requests coming your way, you got to pick up the kids, whatever it is, this big dream or these other new things you want to try, it is never going to be able to compete. Plus, you don't get the rush of talking about that immediate gratification, which we actually we talked about the um being addicted to busy and one of our other podcasts, which you can listen to and it's kind of related. Yeah. Is you got to understand the landscape you're dealing with. So you got to figure out how can I create my sense of urgency on the things I really want to go do because they are never gonna land there naturally.

SPEAKER_00 8:55

There's always gonna be something.

SPEAKER_03 8:57

Always. That's it's gonna be more pressing. So it's up to you to figure out how do I unlock it, break it down so I can start doing the thing that I've been talking about doing. So that's the landscape. So you've got to recognize that. So let me start off. I'm gonna give you a few of the kind of kind of practical grounded approach, and and Mark will share some as well. But um, one of them is define your risk tolerance. Instead of saying, I can't go do that, I can't, there's no way I can I could do that. That's too much. Well, define your risk tolerance. So, and you and I talked about this a little bit last week. You decide I really want to start a new business. Okay. Well, right up front, not as an obstacle, but as a eyes wide open, how much do I need to earn in year one?

SPEAKER_00 9:43

Yeah. What's your number?

SPEAKER_03 9:45

What's your number? You said that, Mark. Yeah. Right. What are your boundaries or guidelines? Even on small things, what are your must-haves that are non-negotiable? Now push yourself on that. I'll give you um a couple of examples. Um, one of the people that I coach, she is a senior leader in HR, but she really wants to be in operations.

SPEAKER_01 10:05

Ah, okay.

SPEAKER_03 10:06

And she thinks, well, could you? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:10

What would it take? What would it take?

SPEAKER_03 10:12

What are your boundaries? When I started my business um several years ago, this is one of the boundaries. It was not only how much do you have to earn this year? And I was trying to very moderate, but insurance, dad blast it. When you start your own business, Jim owned his own business, my husband owned his own business. So it was like, I had come out of a big organization and all the stuff, the healthcare savings, all the stuff. Yeah. And I was like, oh my gosh. So at first it was like, this that's too much. I don't, it's probably can't do it. So then I, you know, you sit down and you say, What's the number? Yeah, how much is it going to cost? I did some research, how much is it gonna cost me to go out and purchase this?

SPEAKER_01 10:48

Yep, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:48

And is that enough to not do it? And I finally decided.

SPEAKER_01 10:52

No, no, it's not.

SPEAKER_03 10:53

But that's an example of know what your risk tolerance is right up front. Um second one, and this is one I'm I'm sure you have thoughts on this too, Mark, is decide if what you want to explore, is it a locked door or is it a swinging door? Meaning if I go try this, yeah, can I come back in?

SPEAKER_00 11:15

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 11:16

Or is it locked and I can't ever enter again?

SPEAKER_00 11:19

So say say a little more about that. So you're saying that if I think about this thing I'm gonna do, is there a way? Does the door swing both ways? Can I come back?

SPEAKER_03 11:29

I don't think we're supposed to say that. But yes, that's right. Right. I think that's right. But yeah, you did.

SPEAKER_00 11:34

But I mean, in this situation, um can you come back to the thing that where you once were?

SPEAKER_03 11:43

Is it locked? What are we doing? Is it locked or is it swinging?

SPEAKER_00 11:47

Right.

SPEAKER_03 11:48

And I think like the example of the person I said that's the senior person on NHR but wants to go be a leader in operations, yeah, I'm gonna say, she can come back in. Right. Go, you know, go try within your current company that's willing to give you a chance, go do it. And if it's not your thing, all right. You know, now if you want to leave your job that you're in, that's one there aren't many of them, and you want to leave and you're gonna leave, you know, the happy company and go try to start your own business, you can probably go back to another job, but that exact one, you might it might be a locked door. So knowing that, because most doors you can go in and you can come back out. But I think that is also part of kind of knowing how big of a decision can I correct it if I need to. If you move someplace, you know what? I don't really like it in Chicago. All right. Right and I move back? Yes.

SPEAKER_00 12:39

I don't like what I'm doing here with this company or that thing. I I think one of the things I'm taking away, and I know you um have one more point, you know, I think to bring up, but it's it's stepping back and thinking about disruption.

SPEAKER_03 12:52

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 12:53

Where is it permanent disruption? Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Am I about to jump off the cliff and you know, no parachute. I got nothing. That's right. You gotta know. You gotta know.

SPEAKER_03 13:04

And I think that that can also, because most of them are not permanent. And I think that that can also help. The last thing I'll say, and then I'll ask you, Mark, to share some of the things that you you're thinking about. And that is the classic break your goals into small pieces. One of the greatest books of all time is Atomic Habits. It came out a long time ago. I rerade it again last year. Yeah. And that is the that it is a great book. And it is the there's a two or three really big things. And one of them is if you're like a lot of us, I want to start a business. Oh my gosh, that seems so huge. I want to change my career. I want to go for that job over there. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. Instead of that, tiny little steps. Because we also know it not only is it help us back to the to-do list, those little small steps can make it on the list. And also we love it when we build on our progress. It keeps us motivated. It keeps ah. So I think find whatever those small steps are that can give you that small wins. Yeah. Just you can keep going. So those are three, I think. Define your risk tolerance, determine is it upfront, is it a locked door or swinging door? And then third, find your really small steps and get out there and go. We'll talk in a minute about what some of those small steps might be, but what approaches have you seen work, Mark?

SPEAKER_00 14:23

Yeah, I've I've seen a couple of things work. Um one, I think being true to yourself today, who you are today. So allow um, I always say um to people, you know, like, oh, you said this and now you're here. And it's like, well, I reserve the right to get smarter. Right. I reserve the right to get better. And so I know where you are today. So who I was at 30 is different from, you know, where I am now at the tender age of 55. Um, the you got to know that and you have to know what you want. So as you're pursuing your goals and as you're pursuing the dreams and the things that you want for yourself and what you're doing for those you care about, you know, on behalf of those individuals, you have to know. And so I remember thinking about my next career move at a time, you know, 10 years ago or so. And I knew I had had, you know, a very rich experience in my career and the things that I was doing, but I also knew here was another goal that I had. You know, it was to achieve a certain level, have a certain set of responsibilities, you know, leading larger teams and those things. And I knew just where I was, that wasn't something that was going to happen. And so when I think back to the move, when you make the move, I think about some of the things about your risk tolerance and um, you know, determining what you want and is it a locked door or is it a swinging door? Um, I knew some of those answers, you know, but I was willing to take the adventure. So that's important.

SPEAKER_03 15:56

Let me ask you a question about that, Mark, because I think you, of all people, have been really, really skilled at not relying on what you wanted at 21 or 25 or 30 and constantly kind of rethinking what matters to me now. How do I reinvent? How do I start doing something a little differently? How do you do that? Because we all have those, you know, that this is what success looks like. And we start, you know, early, early in our adult life. We start building it. How how do you do that?

SPEAKER_00 16:27

Yeah. You and I had a conversation about this several years ago. We did. Um, where we were talking about this, and I talked about my journey um coming through um what you know was a different time for a lot of people. Some people it's a very difficult time, and that was, you know, during 2020 and the pandemic. And um it caused a lot of us to sit down and just really, because there's a lot of times nothing else to do, is just sit and think. Right. And as I was moving through that time frame, I think it was during that season of my life when I began to step back and say, Who do I want to be? What do I really want for my life? And I began to shift as a person. Um, what I talked about at the time is just my physical appearance looks different than it did.

SPEAKER_03 17:16

You know, you should see your picture of you in my phone. Really? You know how it like, you know, he pulls up pictures from front. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:21

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Had a haircut. Basically, no hair, you know, for those of you that know, bald fade, you know, a one. And um now I got, you know, more hair than I can deal with. Um my energy is different. Um, you know, even the way I dress is different. And so I think that you have to embrace that and know that change for yourself. And what does that mean for your future? Um, you know, another thing is I always talk about you got to know your gifts and your gaps. So if you're wanting to make a change and you're like you're tired of just kind of staying where you are, well, what are you good at? What have you been told? What do you know? Um, what feedback are you getting from, you know, those you work with, people that you know you know and care about and they care about you, people that you can trust, you know? What what do you think I do well? You know, be honest with me and tell me what you don't think I do well. You know, because I'm thinking about doing this thing. And, you know, your truth teller, your truth tellers may say, Oh, I don't know if I do that. If I was you. Of course. And here's why. Right? So you gotta know that. You gotta know that. Um, and look for wise counsel. I would like also say, look for, I think the buddy system is really important um when you're trying to step out. Um, you know, even starting, you know, our podcast, right? I remember you came to me with an idea and you said, Hey, what do you think about this? You know, is this something we could do together? And um, at that point in my life, um, I was very reflective and thoughtful about the things I say yes to. And like if I say yes and I lean in, then I'm gonna lean in and do it, right? But it was one of those things that I used to give a fast yes and then be in a place where I was either upset, irritated, amen, how did I end up here? And then it just didn't work out. So also being able to step back when you have a buddy that leans in and says, Hey, what about this? You know, how could I be helpful or let's do this together? That was a situation with the podcast. So it took me a minute to get back to you. I remember that.

SPEAKER_03 19:26

And we had brainstormed that and talked about it multiple times, but then shifting to the should we really do this? There was a lot of conversation right up front about it. Um so I love that. One other question I had for you in terms of um you talked about what your gifts are. What if what you love and your gifts, are they normally the same? What if they're not?

SPEAKER_00 19:51

Is that what do you think about that? I I think that happens a lot to people. Um I I think people that knew me personally, I'll I'll tell this personal story. People that knew me, you know, coming through college and even after, um, I basically my degree's in telecommunications, so like production, like I wanted to produce the news, right? And you're baylor bear in it. And I was a baylor bear as well, you know, sick em. Sick em. And um the thing about that though was I uh what I really wanted to do was entertainment news. I I I didn't want to be um and tonight at the White House. Yeah that wasn't me, right? I didn't want to talk politics, I didn't want to kind of read, you know, kind of community news. I wanted to do entertainment news, you know, like, you know, this movie, that movie, this star, that star, what what you know, what's happening out in that. And so that was very different. And now my career was in human resources. And so what I found that I could bring together my gifts was at the end of the day, end of the day, I loved connecting with people. I loved helping people to determine where they show up best. Where what situations, environments can I bring to the table to help others elevate. And so that's how I figured out how to bring that together. So, you know, helpful question. I appreciate you asking that. Sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:17

And I think, you know, one other thing I would add um is I think there's I love the analogy of rent versus buy.

SPEAKER_01 21:24

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 21:25

Right. Um, can I can I dabble in this and try it? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:29

And like a gig.

SPEAKER_03 21:31

Yeah. It's maybe a little side gig. Maybe I want to take a painting class. Maybe I want to go take um, I want to go learn how to do this other thing I I I have a real interest in and see where it takes me. Um, that's back to just dabble a little bit, experiment a little bit. So I like that. Um I think what we want to get to, those are like the approaches, the mindset to get you out of playing it safe. Yeah. Of I'm, I'm, you know, and I think the other thing we talk about the new year. is if 25 looked a lot like 24 and a lot like 23, um is do you want 2026 to to replay 2025? You might. It might be wow, 25 was a great year. And I it's perfect. But if you do have those things, like I kill still want to change. I want to change. I want and if you're growing and and experimenting and trying new things, 2026 probably you might want to do some things different than 2025. And so that's what we're trying to get at is some of these approaches and maybe we shift gears to talking about some encouragement for maybe take it down a notch, some more encourage some more specific actions um to help you get unstuck. I think you uh the the one thing I will say again, I said at the beginning, you gotta find a way to get these goals and dreams on your list. On your list.

SPEAKER_00 22:55

It has to fit in somewhere.

SPEAKER_03 22:57

You gotta do it. Otherwise it's just gonna be that thing up there you just keep talking about and at some point your friends are going to be saying oh for heaven's sake do it or be quiet. But let's take a pause for a second. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:05

Because I know for me and maybe many of our listeners that that first step is H A R D support.

SPEAKER_01 23:15

It is Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:17

Mm-hmm What what are some of the things you've done to take that first important step?

SPEAKER_03 23:24

I will say for me and the the I can think of although I picked two big things that I have done in my career that were um hard for me. Or dreams I wanted to do one of them was starting my own business the other was writing a book.

SPEAKER_02 23:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:38

And my remedy is I and this may not be the same for everybody, but what I need is I need information. I need to better understand it. If I better understand it I feel safer.

SPEAKER_01 23:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 23:51

I feel like I know. So what I did on my first step when I thought I wanted to start my own business, I started meeting with everybody. I scheduled 25-30 meetings. Okay. And tell me how you people that I thought would bring some knowledge some element they either started their own business or they knew how business development which I knew I would have to do if I was going to start my own business. Okay. Um I I talked to everybody. And all of a sudden I started realizing these guys it's they were learn they learned too. So information for me and same with writing a book I realized holy smokes getting an agent and writing a book and getting a publisher back in when I did it several years ago it was like a foreign land. I was a business person. You know, oh that's not how no that's not how it works here in publishing. You know and it was so darn slow. Well I started realizing well I had to educate myself on that. So information for me is I got to figure out how do I start getting smart on this. And sometimes who do I need to go meet with? What podcast do I need to be listened to? Yeah. There's tons of information out there. What do I do to get going?

SPEAKER_00 24:58

Yeah it sounds like you one of the other things that we talked about is you surrounded yourself with wise counsel. I it was both wise counsel and had been there before you but then also just data and information different sources to help you.

SPEAKER_03 25:13

I think that's one thing you mentioned like there are online resources you can uh today more than ever you know in terms of um you know YouTube podcast you name it you can you want to learn about it, you can do it.

SPEAKER_01 25:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:26

Gotta be careful on TikTok might not be true. But check your source. Check your source, yeah. Right. But I think the one thing you just said that was really important people that also knew me, yeah, they could connect information to now this will be harder for you. Back to what we were talking about before of your your gifts or this I think this will come naturally or stop you don't need to try to be someone you're not you know in terms of learning to actually do business development, those sorts of things um I think that connection's really important.

SPEAKER_00 25:58

Yeah I do too. I do too. I I think as we think about encouraging actions to help people move forward one of the things I was just thinking about before we go into that is like you know I mentioned what I went to school for and now I'm in human resources. But somewhere along the way I was like I I want to do you know entertainment news and talk about and here you are. Here I am I I am but not only podcasting and and doing something that has been on my mind for years to do, I had, you know, um a quote unquote buddy but also wise counsel and you to help you know kind of say hey we could do this you know and then we could do it together. But the other thing is I love what I do in the human resources space and helping to develop leaders um I also think I like it because I'm nosy. And so I know I know all the things that are happening you know and um that's entertaining.

SPEAKER_03 26:54

It is you're if you're looking for entertainment.

SPEAKER_00 26:55

If you want an entertainment you can find it in HR you got to remember that.

SPEAKER_03 27:00

Yeah but right so you gotta like let's do it let's let's run through a few here as we um as we land this know what you want and why visualize it dream it also when I say a lot of people get stuck with well I don't know exactly be directionally correct. Yeah I want to be doing something like this and allow yourself to to dream a little bit. I think secondly we just talked about this in your question get smart learn a ton um it can take away some of the mystery of it whatever that new thing um that feels daunting too big. Third start really small atomic habits we mentioned that what can I do this week um I also think if you educate yourself and you start small um I know you and I both are are big gut instinct people I like gut instinct to kick in but I liked informed gut instinct I don't I'm not a fly by the seat of of your of your pants you know there are time there are times when that's totally fine. If you're making some decisions that matter a lot to you know you want to have some information or something that's guiding you so that your gut instinct can kick in and say that's right for me.

SPEAKER_01 28:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:19

Also be determined um I I think in all the research I've done around people it changes adaptable persistence.

SPEAKER_00 28:27

Learn keep moving learn adjust you know I think those are important that's a great pattern. I'll I'll um run through mine. Yeah please so know what will get in your way and I'm I'm kind of walk talking slow here because there's like tons of things that are running through my mind. So know what will get in your way if you have a tendency to be busy know if you have a tendency to put things off procrastinate know if organization you know is your gap and that's where you might need some help. So know those things um you know from the beginning um have a goal and work that goal into a plan. Right? So start the goal my goal is I'm gonna meet with you know four people and get some insights about some things and then I'm gonna turn those insights into a plan. Once I get this information this is what I'm gonna do next you know put put that picture in front of you.

SPEAKER_03 29:27

And plan time to do it back to what we were talking about earlier in your schedule. Yeah block an hour a week or whatever it is.

SPEAKER_00 29:33

Mm-hmm do that um write it down write it down write it down and you know have someone that can help to hold you accountable to it. These things sound so like oh you know listener may say yeah I know I know I know but trust us when we say writing it down something small and incremental having someone hold you accountable that is the way to start and then you know you just think about write it down micro goals this is what I'm gonna do this week and then this month. And it may be simple it may be something simple but you're making that step forward and avoiding the situation we talked about early in this conversation around your own self disappointment. You get in that doom loop of I said I was going to do it but then I didn't do it now I'm upset with myself. You know um and then um get a buddy you know identify someone who can provide that encouragement and help hold you accountable and that knows you knows where they need to push and where they need to um encourage and and know when they need to talk straight with you. Right? Big time. And then start.

SPEAKER_03 30:43

And start and I think they you know in terms of what you're just saying the gap between no and do is the hardest right a lot of times what we know I mean I know I should be working out every day. Right. Okay I know that I know exactly what need to be doing right we could both but the gap between the no and the do is the magic. And I I think what you're saying is little micro goals. Yeah. Don't make it too hard. Don't make it too hard. Yeah just just get started doing just some momentum that you can build on and I think um those are some small things that you can do. If you feel like I've been playing it a little safe I got here done well. That's right. Right? It's not a bad thing. That's right. But you still no matter where you are in life you got to think about okay now now what?

SPEAKER_01 31:35

Now what?

SPEAKER_03 31:36

Now what? And I, you know, I think we can you and I both can relate to that just being at different points in careers and all. And I guess I'll I'll I'll end this topic which we could spend a whole lot more time on, but what has resonated with you on this conversation?

SPEAKER_00 31:50

Yeah um a lot has resonated with me but I think the thing that I go back to is that the disappointment that you feel when you set yourself up for the failure. So you say I want to do this I want to do this but you never take any action toward it and that that loop I'll call it that disappointment loop that you get into so for me it's take that next first step. Right. And for me personally and maybe you know for our listeners it's get a buddy get someone that can hold you accountable that you know and you trust that can help you with that next step. Sometimes it still takes a village.

SPEAKER_03 32:27

It takes a village sometimes I think for me I have thought a lot about the actions and everything but I think one thing you and I both said oh we don't really do real New Year's resolutions. And it kind of hit me like why not?

SPEAKER_01 32:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:42

Why am I not you know I need to do the dad blessed vision board. You know why not something to for me yeah it's the disappointment.

SPEAKER_00 32:51

It's like if I if I do it and then I don't if I want to do it and then I don't do it and I keep saying no, then I'm just disappointed.

SPEAKER_03 32:57

And then I got to look at that vision board in December and think what happened?

SPEAKER_00 33:00

And then I just get tired of myself.

SPEAKER_03 33:02

So that's that there is really important because it's like you what if I don't do it? Yeah well maybe you make three steps forward and you finish it out in 27. But I do for me my kind of takeaway is I need to be thinking about what is it that I want for this year. Yeah. You know and I think even though I mean obviously I like a couple two years ago I sold my business it was acquired. Yeah. And so I've entered a new phase of being on a board and doing coaching and advisory. So it's a much more of a portfolio of things than a just a blast of clients and you're just going full speed you don't even have you can even think. Yeah. So this is a new time and for me I think I really realized in this conversation vision board it is. I'm gonna do I might I don't know if I'll be doing it but it's time to dream a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 33:58

Let's take a lunch let's take a lunch and let's talk about these vision boards because I want to know what you're thinking for that board. I'm not yet I'm because I need to probably make one for myself.

SPEAKER_03 34:10

I think you might well you know Patrick and his friends they all did they did vision boards and I'm kind of going I should be doing them. So anyway Patrick's my son Patrick we are gonna y'all if anybody listening has mastered the the vision board please let let Mark and I know because I think we're feeling like we might need to we might need to be doing it. So as we wrap up I'm gonna wrap up with one of my favorite quotes I have a like one of my favorite books from a long time ago is you know the great Tina Fay and uh Bossy Pants. I mean if you haven't read it if it's been a while pull it back out. And one of her quotes you can't be that kid standing at the top of the water slide overthinking it. You have to go down the chute. So that's my encouragement to you all in uh 2026. We hope this gives you some ideas and encouragement to get started. Um please share this if you know a friend who you feel like they might be feeling a little bit stuck or they might be feeling like they want to do something new. Yeah. Please share it with them and encourage you to get started. Take those first few steps. If you have other topics or this kind of triggered something else you want to talk about please um send marker I message on LinkedIn direct message on Instagram we also have an email you can uh email that podcast at patty b johnson that's Patty with an I. Um and we'd love to hear from you. Love to hear your comments and suggestions.

SPEAKER_00 35:33

And with that this was a great conversation it was a great conversation. Another one that helped me a lot.

SPEAKER_03 35:38

It was me too have a great week and let's make 2026 better and different in 2025. Yeah let's do it all right let's do it thank you all take care