Lessons From Tulum

 

Happy Friday feels, Tribe! I am so grateful you are here. Do you know what else I’m grateful for? Home. I have been traveling so much lately the past two weeks, heading to Tulum, Mexico for a week with my tribe of soul sisters and then doing a mastermind in the Grand Canyon for another week. 

As much as I love traveling, it feels so good to be back home. There’s something about home that is so comforting. I love my routine, I love my husband, I love my dog — I love all of it. But coming home made me realize how much I learned while I was away. 

Whether you are obsessed with traveling or prefer to stay cozied up at home, there’s a truth about traveling that I fully believe — when we travel, we have opportunities to grow in ways that we could not access at home. 

Traveling creates so many situations for growth that you can’t find when staying in one place. Did your flight get canceled and you had to change your plans? If so, you can learn to increase your flexibility. Did it rain on the day you were going sightseeing? You can learn to be creative and find another way to enjoy the day! 

There are countless ways that traveling challenges you to shift and change. So as much as I love being home and having my routine, I love travel because of its ability to help me grow! When I was traveling for the past two weeks, I learned some incredible lessons. 

And when I realized how much I had learned, I wrote it all down because I knew I had to share it with you guys today! So get a pen and paper and join me as I share the four key things I learned from my trip to Tulum. Let’s dive in! 

Lesson #1: Go with the Flow 

Isn’t it so frustrating when you have a plan that gets bulldozed by something completely out of your control? It’s often even more infuriating when you are traveling and out of your comfort zone. 

While I was in Tulum, I was told that the Wi-Fi was going to be GREAT in the house that I was staying in. I had planned on working while I was there, and needed Wi-Fi for pretty much everything that I had to do. 

You can probably guess what’s coming next — the Wi-Fi was absolutely terrible. Only one person in the house could use it at a time, and I could barely run a call. On top of all that, I also didn’t have phone service, even though I turned on my roaming package! I quickly realized that I wasn’t going to be able to run things like I usually do. 

Tribe, if this happened to me two years ago, I would have freaked out and lost my mind. I would have been so stressed about any deviation from my plan. I would have had my blinders up to any other options. But this time around, I realized that I had to be flexible. Because that’s life. It’s not perfect, and sometimes (actually a lot of the time), things don’t go according to your plan. 

But that just means that there’s another lesson for you to learn. In a podcast I listened to a few years ago, Lori Harder said something that I wrote down and tattooed in my mind. She said, “If you don’t get the outcome you wanted, you got the lesson that you needed.” 

That is so true. And so often, that lesson is much larger than just not being able to post on Instagram or record a podcast. In Tulum, I learned the importance of the phrase, “It is what it is.” Sometimes, your plans are going to be changed without your control. Instead of freaking out and losing the lesson, it’s better to learn flexibility from the situation. Things are not always going to be in your control, and you have to just go with the flow. 

When I decided to go with the flow in Tulum instead of freaking out about the Wi-Fi, I learned lesson number two, which is the importance of slowing down and making time for yourself. 

Lesson Two: Take Time to Slow Down 

We often tend to grind away at life, so focused on a to-do list that never seems to end. But when we’re in that “grind” mode, we can’t relax and be ourselves. And if we can’t relax and recharge, we can’t attract clients. We can’t have the genuine energy that we need in order to impact others because we are so drained from the constant “go, go, go” mindset. We can’t actually enjoy our lives to the fullest. 

When I was in Tulum, I was forced to put my work aside because of the Wi-Fi issue. This made me slow down, and it made me think about the importance of having seasons to recharge. 

Tribe, it’s essential to have entire seasons in your life to slow down and decompress. And I don’t mean just a day or two here and there — you need to plan out extensive time to relax so that you can focus on who you are at your core. 

I have a question for you today that many people surprisingly can’t answer: If you could plan an entire week to just relax and recharge, what would that look like? Can you visualize it? What would be relaxing for you? Is it a trip to the spa? A couple of days on the beach? Many people don’t even know what they would do to relax because they are so stuck in the grind! 

I want you to think about what you would do for a week to relax. Do you have a mental image of it? Okay, now schedule it. Yep, schedule it in your calendar and take the time to do it. And when you’re doing it, don’t think about anything else except where you are — thinking about everything you have to do defeats the entire point of relaxing! 

Plan those seasons to relax in your calendar. This is so important that I teach it in the Impact to Income Academy! There are different seasons in your business. And within those seasons is the season of slowing down, relaxing, decompressing, and finding out more about who you are. 

This leads us to the third lesson from Tulum — when you take the time to slow down, you discover who you truly are at the core. 

Lesson Three: Discover Who You Are 

When I was taking time to slow down in Tulum, one day I decided to walk by myself on one of the beaches. Another day, I decided to stay at the house we were renting and sit by the pool all by myself. Both of these times, I intentionally gave time to myself. And while I was alone, I asked myself, “Who the hell are you, Jenn? What do you believe in? What are your values?” 

Tribe, taking the time to get clarity about who you are at your core is so important. So ask yourself these questions: Who are you, really? What do you value? What do you love to do? What are your passions and strengths? What are your God-given gifts? 

If your business, your family, and your friends were taken away, who would you be? That’s who needs to show up every single day in your content — on your Instagram, your podcast, your website — whatever it is. That’s the version of you that you need to show the world because that’s who people are going to be attracted to and love to work with. 

After you ask yourself those questions, ask yourself this: Are you running your business based on your values, or are you just chasing someone else who is successful? 

Running your business with ownership of your identity, values, and strengths will change your life. And it will change other people’s lives too. If you know who you are and what lights you up, you will bring money into your business and be able to make the impact you desire. 

Although knowing who you are is essential to success in your business, there are still three key things that can hold you back if you let them. When I was in Tulum, I started thinking about these things and wanted to share them with you so that you can protect your business from them. 

Lesson Four: Three Things That Will Hold You Back in Your Business

When I was in Tulum, I did a round-table podcast episode with all of my soul-sisters there (go check it out if you haven’t already)! As I was enjoying time with all of them, I realized that there was one common way that I met each of them — by investing in myself!  

That’s right — I met each one of those incredible soul-sisters at different masterminds or programs because we were both dedicated to growth and had the courage to invest in our personal development. Tribe, I’ve invested over $60,000 in myself through masterminds and coaching programs. Sounds scary, right? But the truth is, when I made those investments, I made connections and grew my network. I expanded my impact and my income in incredible ways. 

The truth is, if I didn’t make those scary investments, I never would have found the people surrounding me in Tulum. I wouldn’t be able to wake up every day and know that I am supported in my business by my tribe of incredible women. I’m so glad I never let fear hold me back, and that’s what brings me to the final lesson I have for you today. 

Guys, there are three things that are going to hold you back in your business and prevent you from living the life that you dream of. These three things can stop you dead in your tracks, and it is essential to aware of them: 

#1. Fear: Fear can take many forms. It can look like fear of the unknown, fear of failure, or even fear of success. Whatever it looks like, fear can destroy your business if you let it. That’s why every single time I recognize that fear, I run towards it. 

I dive into it because I know that I need it to help me grow. And I know that on the other side of fear is massive success. I’m so glad that I have run towards fear instead of away from it. If I didn't, I wouldn’t have the success, impact, or friendships that I have today! I hope you can choose to dive into fear and be excited about what is on the other side. 

#2. Your Money Mindset: Tribe, your money mindset is either set for massive success, mediocracy, or failure. What does a money mindset that is rooted in mediocracy or failure look like? It looks like you saying, “I can’t do that right now. It’s not the right time,” even when you KNOW that it is. 

It looks like you being afraid that your clients are going to leave you or being afraid to charge more for your service. It looks like being wrapped up in the “how” and believing that there is a difference between you and people who are a little more successful than you are. Is that where your money mindset is? Take some time to reflect on your thoughts about money because a negative money mindset is a huge factor that will hold you back from making the impact and income of your dreams 

#3: Environment: Your environment is a huge part of your success. The people that you surround yourself with will either help you grow, or they will hold you back. Think about who is in your environment, whether it’s your spouse, your friends, or your family. Who are you surrounding yourself with? Do you have a network that will support you? Do you have a mentor to help you? Your environment can either hold you back in your business or allow you to thrive. Which kind of environment do you have? 

Take Action to Live Your Dream Life 

Tribe, if you are not currently living the life that you dream of, creating the impact that you want to make, and receiving the income that leads to financial freedom, go back and look at those three things and reflect for a little while. 

Which of those three things is holding you back? Is it fear, your money, mindset, or your environment? Maybe it’s a combination of the three. Whatever it is, my challenge to you today is to be an action taker right now. 

What do you need to say goodbye to in order to move forward in your business and your life? If it’s fear, what do you need to do to get rid of it? Maybe you need to listen to more podcasts, go to a therapist, or journal first thing in the morning — whatever you have to do to get rid of the fear, just do it. 

If it's your money mindset, what do you need to do to strengthen your money mindset and set it up for massive success? If it’s your environment, what do you have to do to place yourself in a better environment? Sometimes you have to make drastic changes to make a positive difference in your life. I know that sounds scary. But that’s where Lesson #1 comes back into play. 

Dive into your fear and embrace what’s on the other side of it. The life that you dream of is yours to achieve. And you get to do it. You get to say goodbye to fear. You get to set your money mindset to massive success. You get to surround yourself with the mentors and the tribe that you need to thrive. 

Tribe, I hope you can take the lessons that I learned in Tulum and incorporate them into your life. Whether it’s going with the flow, learning to slow down, discovering who you are at your core, or eliminating the three things that will hold you back in your business, I hope you can take action and do the things that you need to do to live the life of your dreams. 

Because it’s all there waiting for you. Go listen to the rest of the episode, and know that I am always here to support you.  If you found this episode valuable, I’d love it if you’d share it on Instagram. Post a screenshot, share your biggest takeaways, and tag me, @thejennkennedy. I believe in you. And I know you are meant to unapologetically live the life that you want.

I love you guys, and I'll catch you next time!

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