Everyday Courage
Episode 160R
Episode Guide
Episode Timestamps
Episode Show Notes for ChooseFI
Episode Title: Launch of the Everyday Courage Podcast with Jillian Johnsworth
Hosts: Jonathan Mendonsa, Brad Barrett
Guest: Jillian Johnsworth
Episode Summary:
The launch of the new podcast Everyday Courage aims to inspire individuals to harness their financial independence for a more meaningful life. Jillian Johnsworth recounts her journey to financial freedom, emphasizing the internal struggles that accompany it, especially for women regarding identity and worth. The episode delves into the importance of self-reflection, knowing one's values, and pursuing dreams beyond societal expectations.
Key Topics Discussed
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Podcast Introduction and Announcement Podcast Intro
- Brad announces the new podcast Everyday Courage, scheduled for a January launch.
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Introducing Everyday Courage
- Jillian shares her motivation behind the podcast, highlighting her journey to financial independence and the transition to living a more intentional life.
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Jillian's Journey to Financial Independence
- Jillian recounts her path to financial independence, emphasizing that success isn’t solely defined by income but rather how one creates a fulfilling life.
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The Importance of Self-Reflection
- Jillian discusses the necessity of understanding personal values and continually asking yourself meaningful questions throughout the journey of financial independence.
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Setting Goals for a New Decade
- Jillian emphasizes the excitement of a new decade, encouraging listeners to set intentional goals that align with personal values.
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Podcast Conclusion Podcast Extro
- Brad encourages listeners to subscribe to Everyday Courage to gain insights and inspiration.
Key Insights
- On Identity and Success : Understanding the loss of identity is crucial in our journey; one's success may differ from societal expectations.
- Defining Personal Achievement : Achievement is defined by personal fulfillment, not societal expectations; it’s important to know what truly matters to you.
- Cultivating Hope : Consistency in seeking inspiration fuels hope; keep showing up to find your path.
- Embracing the New Decade : Embrace the possibilities of a new decade with intentionality and set clear goals.
Actionable Takeaways
- Reflect on your personal values and what truly matters to you.
- Subscribe to Everyday Courage for ongoing inspiration.
- Embrace the new decade by setting intentional goals.
Related Resources
- Everyday Courage Podcast: Listen here
Discussion Questions
- How can financial independence affect personal identity?
- What role does self-reflection play in achieving personal goals?
- What are some challenges women face in defining success?
Key Quotes
- “We started to lose some of our identity.”
- “I've accomplished everything I've set out to.”
- “If you don't feel like you have hope right now, just keep showing up.”
- “A whole new decade of our life is starting.”
These show notes encapsulate the main themes of the episode, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview that they can refer back to or share with others who may find the insights valuable.
Unlocking Financial Independence Through Everyday Courage
Embrace Personal Growth and Self-Discovery
To forge a path toward a fulfilling life, understanding your identity and values is essential. The new podcast, Everyday Courage, hosted by Jillian Johnsworth, encourages you to pursue financial independence while exploring what it truly means to live meaningfully. This journey begins with self-reflection. Make it a point to consistently evaluate what truly matters to you—your passions, values, and ultimately, your purpose.
Understanding the Loss of Identity
As you navigate your journey toward financial independence, you might experience feelings of losing your identity, especially during transitions in life. This is particularly relevant for women, who may find it challenging to align their roles with societal expectations. Recognizing this struggle is the first step in reclaiming your sense of self. Understanding the loss of identity is crucial. Reflect on the roles you play and differentiate between external perceptions of success and your personal definitions.
Define Your Own Success
Achievement is often measured by societal norms—income, job titles, or possessions—but it’s vital to realize that success can be defined differently for everyone. Jillian emphasizes that success should be about personal fulfillment rather than external metrics. It’s about having the courage to pursue your unique dreams and recognizing the fulfillment that comes from achieving your personal goals. Set your parameters for success based on genuine aspirations rather than social comparisons.
Cultivating Hope through Consistency
If you find yourself feeling hopeless at any point, remember that hope can be cultivated through consistency and persistence. Keep showing up for yourself, engage with inspiring material, and hold on to the belief that your circumstances can shift and improve over time. Surround yourself with motivational content and individuals who uplift you. By progressively feeding your mind with hope and inspiration, you will develop the patience to envision and work toward a brighter future.
Setting Intentional Goals for the New Decade
As we embark on a new decade, it's an opportune moment to set intentional goals that reflect your values and aspirations. Jillian outlines the importance of planning during this transformative time. The process involves more than just lofty expectations—it's about crafting actionable steps that align with who you truly are. Define what you want to achieve in the coming years and break these goals into manageable milestones. This intentionality lays the groundwork for meaningful living.
Seek Clarity in Values
Clarity in values is essential for meaningful living. Cultivating a deep understanding of what truly matters to you allows you to make informed decisions about how to spend your time, money, and energy. Engage in self-reflection regularly. Ask yourself what brings you joy, fulfillment, and a sense of purpose. These insights will guide your life's journey and help you sustain motivation, even when obstacles arise.
Embrace Community for Support
Your journey towards financial independence and meaningful living does not have to be solitary. Engage with like-minded individuals who share your aspirations for personal growth. Community can provide support, inspiration, and shared knowledge. These connections are integral as you navigate challenges, creating a network of encouragement to help you maintain your direction towards your goals. The Everyday Courage podcast fosters this sense of community, offering insights and stories that resonate with listeners’ experiences.
Designing Your Life with Intention
As you pursue financial independence, actively design your life to include meaningful work and intentional living. Rather than falling into routines dictated by external pressures, curate your experiences to reflect your values. This could mean prioritizing travel, engaging in creative projects, or volunteering in your community. Each decision should align with your personal vision and trajectory toward a fulfilling life.
Actionable Steps to Get Started
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Reflect on Your Values: Set aside time each week to engage in introspection. Journal your thoughts on what truly matters to you.
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Subscribe to Everyday Courage: Dive into the podcast for ongoing inspiration, tools, and stories that encourage you on your journey.
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Create a Vision Board: Visualize your goals and the life you want by creating a vision board. This serves as a constant reminder and motivator.
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Set SMART Goals: Establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals to frame your aspirations effectively.
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Engage with Your Community: Seek out and connect with groups or individuals who share your interests. Share your journey and learn from theirs.
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Embrace Accountability: Find an accountability partner to discuss your goals, progress, and challenges. This support can powerfully inspire persistence.
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Stay Open to Change: Understand that the path to financial independence and meaningful living is not linear. Be flexible and adapt your plans as life unfolds.
Conclusion
Your journey toward financial independence and a meaningful life is deeply personal and should reflect your unique aspirations. By focusing on self-discovery, setting intentional goals, and engaging with a supportive community, you can transform your life. Embrace the possibilities that lie ahead, and remember that every step you take today shapes the journey of tomorrow. Tune into Everyday Courage for ongoing inspiration and guidance. Start manifesting your vision of a fulfilling life today!
Jillian joins Brad and Jonathan to share her story and celebrate the launch of the new podcast Everyday Courage.
[elementor-template id="143609"]Everyday Courage
The ChooseFI family is launching a new podcast today. Everyday Courage is officially live!
Please take a moment to subscribe to this new podcast.
Jillian wanted to create this podcast because living intentionally goes beyond hitting your FI number. Before Jillian and her family hit FI four years ago, she felt like they had already started living intentionally. They had been able to travel to 27 countries, adopt four kids, and buy their home in cash.
I really felt like we were leaning in and doing things along the way as we grew our financial independence. But becoming financially independent was still a big transition. Just because you have a lot of options that being good with money creates, doesn’t actually do the work for you. You still have to learn how to be awesome in your life and in your work.
Jillian feels that this is especially true for women. Many of us might unconsciously lose our identities along the way. As life progresses, you might get married, have kids, or work a series of jobs that aren't in line with your passions.
If you are good with money, then you might start to see more options along the way. However, if you don't know what you want your life to look like, then these decisions can be very overwhelming. Everyday Courage is intended to help you explore your passions and start this journey of self-discovery.
Jillian's Story
After getting married at 19, Jillian became a military spouse. With that, she moved around the country with her husband for many years.
As she moved around with her husband, she took whatever jobs that were available in the area. The series of jobs included working at Starbuck, an HR department, commission sales, and more. As a couple, their combined income topped out around $80,000. But they were still able to achieve their goals and achieve FI.
Listen to Jillian's first interview on the podcast here.
External Pressures
All of the different jobs and tasks that she had to lean into along the way made it a challenge to stay true to herself. Although she felt like she was consistently working on improving herself, it would be all too easy to listen to the external pressures along the way.
For example, in her last regular job, Jillian told her coworker that she felt successful. Her coworker just asked, 'how can you feel that way?' From the outside, it may not have looked like she was successful by society's standards. With a modest home, older car, and no fancy degree, society may not have considered Jillian successful. However, she was absolutely a success. She was able to accomplish everything that she set out to do, chased all of her dreams, and hit financial independence.
It’s so easy to let the external world define how we’re successful. What boxes do they think we need to check before they’ll sign off on the fact that we’re living a life that is true to ourselves and what matters to us.
Instead of letting the world define success for you, it is important to define success for yourself. Although the world equates fancy cars and large homes to a successful life, you are the only one that can determine what your successful life looks like.
We really have to be clear about what does matter to us. Because we can’t do all the things and we can’t be everything to everybody. And if we take the pressure of everyone else’s expectations. That might be our parents, and that might be our friends or our coworkers or society at large that says here’s who we think you should be, we start to lose who we are and we start to just float through life living someone else’s best life, maybe, but it sure as heck isn’t ours.
In order to build a life that is true to your values, it is important to constantly be intentional about your desires. Think about what your gifts and passions are. Think about what you want your life to look like.
Take a look at our community wins for 2019!
New Year, New Decade
In this next year and decade, what kind of life do you want to build for yourself?
If you are having trouble finding the direction you want to move forward in, then Everyday Courage is the perfect place to start. The goal is to help you realize that your life can look different and be bigger if you want it to. It will just take a little bit of courage to take charge and make changes.
The show is designed to help to take action in manageable podcasts. The show is under 20 minutes long with deep dives into the questions you've been asking yourself.
I wanted to create something that it felt like its doable. We could fit it in, we have eight minutes, we have ten minutes.
Even if you only have a few minutes a week, Everyday Courage could help you to transform your life. Take a minute to subscribe today!
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