Episode 77
Chronically Automated Episode #26: The Anti-Resolution Revolution: Finding Your True Path in 2026
Alright, my friend, let’s dive right into the heart of this episode where we’re tackling the age-old trope of “New Year, New You.” Spoiler alert: we think it's a bit overrated!
Meghan and Anthony kick things off with a chat about how business owners, especially those of us who are neurodiverse, can shake off the pressure of those lofty resolutions and instead focus on sustainable growth and reflection throughout the year. They share some golden nuggets about building a lifestyle that works for you, rather than waiting for January 1st to make changes that often fizzle out faster than a cheap firework.
So, if you’re tired of the New Year’s resolution hustle and want to explore a more laid-back, continuous growth method, stick around! We’ll also dish out some fun ways to reflect on your past year—think photo reminiscing and good ol' voice memos—because hey, who doesn’t love a good trip down memory lane? Let’s roll! Meghan Donnelly and Anthony Lobosco embark on a vibrant discussion about the intersection of neurodiversity and entrepreneurship, opening the first episode of 2026 with a refreshing take on self-improvement.
They throw a curveball at the typical 'New Year, New You' mantra, suggesting that the pressure to reinvent oneself annually is not just unrealistic but also detrimental to one’s self-esteem and growth. Instead, they promote a continuous, rolling approach to goal-setting and self-reflection, encouraging listeners to embrace the journey of personal and professional development throughout the year, rather than confining it to the first few weeks of January.
The episode is rich with anecdotes and humor, as Meghan shares her experiences navigating her business in a state of 'hyper-growth' while maintaining clarity and focus. Anthony’s playful interjections add a layer of relatability, making their conversation both engaging and insightful. They highlight the critical importance of celebrating small wins and reflecting on past experiences, using personal photographs as a means to trigger memories of success and growth.
By doing so, they argue that one can cultivate a more positive mindset, transforming the way we perceive our achievements and failures. Through laughter and light-hearted commentary, Megan and Anthony challenge the conventional wisdom surrounding resolutions, proposing instead that personal development should be an ongoing process that is not dictated by the calendar.
Their discussion serves as a call to action for listeners to take control of their journeys, emphasizing that every moment is ripe for change and growth. This episode is not just an entertaining listen; it’s a manifesto for anyone looking to redefine their approach to self-improvement and entrepreneurship in a neurodiverse world.
Takeaways:
- Embrace the 'rolling 12' concept for continual self-assessment and goal tracking throughout the year, not just in January.
- Reflecting on previous experiences through photos can unveil hidden personal growth and joyful memories you might have forgotten.
- New Year's resolutions often lead to disappointment; instead, focus on small, incremental improvements every day.
- The idea of 'New Year, New You' is a myth; we evolve continuously, not just at the start of a new year.
- Building a business around your health is not just possible, but essential for sustained success and well-being.
- Celebrate lifestyle goals rather than drastic resolutions; small wins lead to lasting motivation and fulfillment.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Chronically Automated
- Meghan Donnelly
- Anthony Lobosco
- Mel Robbins
- Nat Berman
- Darren Mass
- Mondo Salavanti
- Bill Fanter
Transcript
Listen up, y'.
Speaker B:All.
Speaker A:It's the queen of automation, Megan Donley, here to give you inspiration.
Speaker A:Founders and business owners, gather round.
Speaker A:I'm gonna show you how to build.
Speaker B:Systems that I let sound streamline your processes.
Speaker B:No need for complication.
Speaker B:Hello, everyone.
Speaker B:Welcome back to the Chronically Automated Podcast.
Speaker B:I'm your host, Megan Donnelly.
Speaker A:And I'm your co host, Anthony Labascope.
Speaker B:And this is our podcast, all about Neurodiverse.
Speaker B:Like, people trying to be business owners and, you know, technology that doesn't work or does work and all of the things that you have to deal with as a business owner and just life in general with a neurodiverse brain.
Speaker B: And it's the first episode of: Speaker B:I can't believe I just did that.
Speaker B:My kids would be so embarrassed.
Speaker B:I just rose the roof, raise the root, whatever.
Speaker B:Like, they would be.
Speaker B:Could I dab?
Speaker B:Can we dab?
Speaker A:I do not do that.
Speaker A:All right, fine.
Speaker B:I feel like I'm not allowed.
Speaker B:Apparently, I'm not allowed to floss.
Speaker B: New for: Speaker B:In case anybody was wondering, I'm in my 40s.
Speaker B:I'm not allowed to floss.
Speaker B:I'm not allowed to dab.
Speaker B:Like, I have this.
Speaker B:Like, there's this list from my teenage boys of all of the things that apparently we as parents are not cool enough to do anymore.
Speaker B:Well, that sucks.
Speaker B:Like, I'm gonna do them anyway.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker A:Yay.
Speaker A:Do it on video forever.
Speaker A:Last forever.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:We're gonna post it on YouTube.
Speaker B:Should I say all their names right now and, like, tag them so that they get really embarrassed?
Speaker B:I'm kidding.
Speaker B:All right, all right, all right, Moving on.
Speaker B:I thought today, so what I wanted to do, since this is the first episode of the year, I kind of want to have the discussion.
Speaker B:And we didn't script this.
Speaker B:We didn't even really plan it.
Speaker B:Come up with talking outlines.
Speaker B:We just said this is the topic we want to talk about.
Speaker B:And I'm really excited about.
Speaker A:Not that we haven't script anything.
Speaker B:We know it's scripted, but we always have, like, talking points, right?
Speaker B:Like, we always, like, figure out what we want to talk about.
Speaker B:And this episode, I really just told Anthony, I said, nope, let's just jump in and have a conversation about the whole, like, new year, new you crap.
Speaker B:I call it crap.
Speaker B: think is going to happen for: Speaker B: talk about and what we think: Speaker B:So I'm gonna let you start because I would love to hear your thoughts.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:He's like, what?
Speaker B:I get to talk?
Speaker B:She's gonna shut up for five seconds.
Speaker B:I know.
Speaker B:Because I want to hear your take on this whole, like, new year, new you thing.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:But I want to hear your take on this, like, the new year new you.
Speaker B:Like, it happens every year, right?
Speaker B:Like every time January hits, it's like this big thing.
Speaker B:And I have very strong opinions on how I feel about it, but I want to hear what you think.
Speaker B:Like, what are your normal.
Speaker B:I don't know if traditions is the right word, but traditions.
Speaker B:We'll say traditions or habits.
Speaker B:What are your normal habits in, like, January, after the year ends, like, what do you do?
Speaker B:Is there anything cool, specific that you do to prepare yourself for the next year?
Speaker A:Well, I am so glad that you asked.
Speaker A:Ask me that because that is a.
Speaker A:That is completely loaded question.
Speaker A: s my first year of going into: Speaker A:With a business that is in hyper growth and, you know, hyper focus and having a great team with me.
Speaker A:I've never had that before.
Speaker A:I've always wished every single year that I had this.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So that's literally been my.
Speaker A:Been my focus.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So, you know, being neurodiverse, I've always wondered how I can really get into this situation that I'm in right now as a solopreneur that is have a six figure business and on my way to a seven figure business as a solopreneur this year.
Speaker A:Uh, you know, so, you know, my.
Speaker A:I would just say that for me, Megan, I've put everything literally on.
Speaker A:On his head.
Speaker A:For me, I've again, I'm going to talk about the law of opposites.
Speaker A:The, you know, what, what, what from Seinfeld.
Speaker A:What George did things not working.
Speaker A:He did the complete opposite.
Speaker A:And that's literally how I met my wife.
Speaker A:I just did the complete opposite of whatever I've done throughout my life.
Speaker A:And then I met my wife, which is great.
Speaker A:So I've done the same thing this year, you know, so every year.
Speaker A:And that's a great question.
Speaker A:Every year I've.
Speaker A:I've always.
Speaker A:I've always made a list of, you know, what I'm going to do, and maybe this month and next month I'm going to be able to figure out an idea that I'm going to be able to execute and then wonder why I can't, because I'm so tired and I'm all over the place because my head is.
Speaker A:Is totally screwed up and I didn't know why, and now I'm not that way.
Speaker A:I stopped drinking inadvertently.
Speaker A:That wasn't an resolution or anything.
Speaker A:I did that.
Speaker A:And now, you know, my brain fog has.
Speaker A:Everything is clear.
Speaker A:I can see clearly now.
Speaker A:I know I had it.
Speaker A:I'm sorry.
Speaker A:Yeah, sorry.
Speaker A:But can we sound bite?
Speaker B:I think we're going to sound bite.
Speaker B:That we're going to.
Speaker A:When I was hoping that you were going to actually sing because you're a real singer, but anyway, nobody on this.
Speaker B:Podcast or in our world has heard me sing yet, though, so maybe I'm not a real singer.
Speaker B:I'm not going there.
Speaker A:Tree falls in the forest and Tree falls in the forest and he hasn't hear it.
Speaker B:All the rain is gone.
Speaker A:Yeah, here we go.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:There we go.
Speaker A:So going into this year, I have a clear head.
Speaker A:I have a business that is in hyper growth right now.
Speaker A:So I am just grateful and I'm going with it.
Speaker A:And when things are working, what I've done very quietly is that I've laid out in operations plan, in my goals for my operations plan, revenue goals, and just boom, how you hit that.
Speaker B:So I'm gonna stop you.
Speaker B:I'm gonna stop you because.
Speaker B:And I'll tell you why.
Speaker B:What I haven't heard you say, and it's the thing that I hate, which is amazing to me, but all of this, like, everything that you're talking about, we have been working on together for months.
Speaker B:So this is not like January, new you.
Speaker B:New Anthony.
Speaker B:This has been like three, four months.
Speaker B:So what?
Speaker B:When I.
Speaker A:Longer than that.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:Since the summer, really.
Speaker B:And when we kind of kicked it into overdrive, and then we kind of, you know, we.
Speaker B:You revamped, like, what you wanted to offer, and then we revamped everything.
Speaker B:So what I mean, though, is you didn't wait like you could have very easily in August, as we were really going into hyper mode, you're like, oh, you know, we'll launch this in the new Year.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:Okay, so this is what I'm.
Speaker B:This is what I'm trying to say.
Speaker B:This is why I hate New Year.
Speaker B:New you.
Speaker B:It's the same you.
Speaker B:It's just a different year.
Speaker B:You are still the same person.
Speaker B:You should not be waiting.
Speaker B:So the statistic is like something like 87% of people who make New Year's resolutions.
Speaker B:This is why I don't believe in New Year's resolutions.
Speaker B:They fail, though.
Speaker B:They don't keep them, and they usually don't keep them by like, what's today?
Speaker B:The 15th?
Speaker B:This is a perfect.
Speaker B:We are literally recording this on January 15th.
Speaker B:This is the date that everybody's New Year's resolutions are usually done, gone.
Speaker B:Like they've already broken them.
Speaker B:They've already.
Speaker B:Whatever.
Speaker B:Why, Excuse my language.
Speaker B:This is going to be a very sweary episode.
Speaker B:And yes, sweary is now a word.
Speaker B:Put it in the dictionary.
Speaker B:When you see swearing or swearing in the dictionary, you're going to see my face.
Speaker B:This is why I think New Year's resolutions are fucking stupid.
Speaker B:Stupid because 87% of the people that make them don't keep them.
Speaker B:You don't need to wait for the new year to start a new thing.
Speaker B:If it is Tuesday afternoon at 3:00 on, you know, in the middle of May, and you decide that you want to start a newsletter, start a damn newsletter.
Speaker B:Like, if you decide that that is a thing that is going to help you move your, your, your goals forward and like, that's something you then do it.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:So it's kind of one of those things, where should you reflect on the year before?
Speaker B:Of course.
Speaker B:But that is different than New Year, New Year's resolutions.
Speaker B:Like, that's totally different.
Speaker B:We'll talk about that in a second.
Speaker B:What I want to stop seeing from people who, and I, you know, some of my favorite people still do this.
Speaker B:The New Year's resolution thing, what I want to stop seeing is that it's like this big, huge thing.
Speaker B:There's all this momentum.
Speaker B:You should be using that momentum and that energy all year long, all year.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:I look at, figure out a way, I look at yourself pumped up, you know.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker A:And I, I'm going to give it the bobsled metaphor.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker B:What do you do?
Speaker B:Actually sit on the bobsled and go down the hill.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:But before you do that, they're running to, you know, get some momentum and everything.
Speaker B:And then that's like a real bobsled.
Speaker B:Like the professionals.
Speaker A:Yeah, like exactly.
Speaker B:On like the hill in my backyard.
Speaker A:No, exactly, exactly.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So you know, that, that's, that's exactly how I view it.
Speaker A:You know, you build, you build momentum.
Speaker A:You know, especially when you have a new business, you build momentum and you know, really having a compelling event.
Speaker A:But be, you know, for the business where I cannot fail.
Speaker A:We cannot fail.
Speaker A:And that's the thing.
Speaker A:So you, with that mindset, there is no downtime in that respect that you are now thinking about, oh, what am I going to do next year?
Speaker A:No, you know, what we Worked all year.
Speaker A:But then in that last month, in December, I used that month, the last couple of weeks when there was downtime, to work on all aspects of the business.
Speaker A:So then come in January when I was wishing everyone was around so I can work on with everyone.
Speaker A:They were, you know, right.
Speaker A:Taking a break and things like that.
Speaker A:Then once the new year hit and we were all ready to go back to work and everything like that, or everyone else was kind of back from, you know, taking downtime, necessary downtime, boom, it was red.
Speaker A:The momentum was there and ready to go.
Speaker A:And, and that's it.
Speaker A:You know, I just, I feel very.
Speaker A:I'm with you.
Speaker A:I feel I'm very strong about, you know, not putting things, putting things off until next year.
Speaker A:No way.
Speaker A:You quietly work on your goals and everything.
Speaker A:And it's amazing when you do that.
Speaker A:They all fit into exactly what you want to do in terms of your revenue goals and, you know, all that.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker B:And we're back.
Speaker B:Um, technical difficulties.
Speaker B:Sorry about that.
Speaker B:I don't even know what Anthony was saying, what I was gonna say though.
Speaker B:And I, and I remember kind of what we were talking about.
Speaker A:Thank you for not listening, Megan.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker B:I was listening.
Speaker B:You were talking about why you don't wait for the new year to start things.
Speaker B:What I was gonna piggyback off that with and say, you know, I, we.
Speaker B:We have a, we have the luxury being a small business owner, right?
Speaker B:With a small team of people or a solo entrepreneur.
Speaker B:When you're a solo entrepreneur, you have the luxury of, of picking and choosing how you deal with your years, right?
Speaker B:Like, and your goals and your budgeting, right?
Speaker B:Because with larger corporations, they have an end of the year cut off when it comes to software and money and budgeting, right?
Speaker B:And then they, they have our, you know, 12 month where they do their fiscal year.
Speaker B:And then you as a solo entrepreneur and small teams, hey, all you people out there that are listening, like, you guys have the luxury of not having to do it that way.
Speaker B:You can do a roll in 12, which is what I love.
Speaker B:I do a rolling 12 for my year, right?
Speaker B:So it's a rolling 12 months.
Speaker B:So that I'm always iterating.
Speaker B:I'm always thinking about my metrics and my numbers and my KPI and it's on a rolling 12 months.
Speaker B:It doesn't start in January and stop in December.
Speaker B:It rolls because that's the best way to see historical data.
Speaker B:That's the best way when you really get down and dirty with money and KPIs and metrics and things that you're tracking.
Speaker B:When you do a rolling 12, you actually have better control over what's going on.
Speaker B:Now it gets a little wonky, obviously, if you're an LLC or an S corp or even a sole proprietorship, because you still have to do your taxes, right?
Speaker B:So there's, there's that, there's that kind of stuff.
Speaker B:So from a financial standpoint, again, I am not a financial advisor.
Speaker B:I'm just going to throw this out there.
Speaker B:So you need to talk to somebody like an accountant or a bookkeeper.
Speaker B:The bookkeepers will, will handle that.
Speaker B:But from a business operations standpoint, I don't.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:It's a rolling 12.
Speaker B:So all of my goals and all of that roll with me.
Speaker B:So I can see trend lines and I can see trends based on seasons and where it is, you know, throughout these rolling 12 months versus starting and stopping now.
Speaker B:Like I said, your bookkeeper is going to, you know, obviously have to start and stop books based on tax season and all that stuff.
Speaker B:But that's just, that's totally different, though.
Speaker B:If you take money off the table and you think about just the running the operations outside of the money portion of your business.
Speaker B:You don't have to, you don't have to start January like it's a new year.
Speaker B:Let's do this.
Speaker B:Like, it doesn't have to be that way.
Speaker B:And I find that a lot of people, it's almost like you're starting the year off with a loss because for that 87% of you who, what happens, what do you think happens after they don't meet their New Year's resolution?
Speaker B:Where does their dopamine go?
Speaker B:Then they feel like a failure because they already failed and didn't do the thing that they were going to do for the new year.
Speaker B:Stop doing that to yourself.
Speaker B:Just stop it.
Speaker B:Like, that's the part that I don't get.
Speaker B:If you eliminate that whole New Year thing, if you just eliminate it from your repertoire and you just.
Speaker B:I'm not doing New Year's resolutions.
Speaker B:Maybe you're going to do July resolutions.
Speaker B:Maybe you're going to do like.
Speaker B:Or better yet, you build those lifestyle goals, right?
Speaker B:Because we always talk about building the lifestyle that you love.
Speaker B:Build a lifestyle goal and like a small one, like you want to buy a new car.
Speaker B:I guess that's not super small, but you know what I mean?
Speaker B:Like something that's attainable.
Speaker B:You know, how much money you need to get there.
Speaker B:And then when you get that, you create another goal, like another lifestyle goal.
Speaker B:And Then you can celebrate and you can do.
Speaker B:I don't know, I guess it's.
Speaker B:But it's still not new you stuff.
Speaker B:That's why I can't stand that whole like, new year, new you thing, because it doesn't actually.
Speaker B:It's like work life balance.
Speaker B:It's not a thing that actually exists.
Speaker B:You gotta figure out.
Speaker B:We gotta, like, figure out a way to flip the script on this or change it.
Speaker B:And I don't know who's gonna start the revolution, but maybe, maybe it's this be better thing that we've started with Nat Darren.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like, the be better community is all about being better one day at a time, one task, one day really short.
Speaker B:And you know what?
Speaker B:It's not seasonal.
Speaker B:It's not New Year new you.
Speaker B:It's just one day, one day at a time for the rest of your life.
Speaker B:You do this one thing every day to give yourself a small win so that you have the dopamine and you feel better about yourself and you feel confident about yourself, and then you do it again the next day.
Speaker B:That's.
Speaker B:That's where the real wins are.
Speaker B:Yeah, not.
Speaker B:Not trying to, like, compound this stuff down into one every January.
Speaker B:You're gonna reinvent yourself.
Speaker B:Give me a break.
Speaker B:Why would you want to do that for the rest of your life?
Speaker B:That sounds awful.
Speaker A:Look, I mean, a lot of people, and including myself up until this point, overthought everything, you know, I mean, you're, you're.
Speaker A:You know, I think at the end of the day, it really comes down to.
Speaker A:Yeah, it just comes down to whether or not, you know, you're working full time or maybe something in your, you know, with your health and the way that you're working professionally in your work life balance.
Speaker A:But maybe you have, you have an.
Speaker A:You have something inside of you that wants to start a business, or maybe you've always wanted to start a business.
Speaker A:So then, you know, just taking little steps really is like, you know, you can do that.
Speaker A:For me, it's been a little step over the past 20 years, you know, which is great.
Speaker A:But it didn't really, when it came down to it, when shit hit the fan with me when I had to reinvent my whole career, it was like, whoa, I kind of have to do this.
Speaker A:But I wasn't starting from scratch.
Speaker A:What I learned, Megan, is that, you know, this isn't something that you are, you know, once a year, you're saying, great, this is what I'm going to do.
Speaker A:I'm going to work harder.
Speaker A:No, it was it was the wake up call for me.
Speaker A:And I think a lot of solopreneurs and I think a lot of even entrepreneurs are, you know, we just have to keep moving, doing it and on the way, like you said, you have little goals that you are accomplishing and everything like that.
Speaker A:And then maybe, you know, the following year, you know, thinking about what the market conditions are and thinking about historically what happened with your business and everything like that, too, what it is that you can do in that following year, that's great, but you got to have something going and you have to be able to do that.
Speaker A:And one last thing I want to, I want to just say that this was all by design, at least for me, and I know for you, and I know for a lot of people, especially reading this too, is that I've built a business around my health.
Speaker A:And this woman right here showed me that that can be done.
Speaker A:And I didn't believe that that could be done.
Speaker A:Once you start to do that and then once, all of a sudden, you know, quite great, you feel great one day, but maybe one day you don't.
Speaker A:You know, that that actually did happen to me yesterday.
Speaker A:I didn't feel great for some reason, and that maybe it took out like an hour or two, it wasn't terrible.
Speaker A:But, you know, that being said, it reminded me of how important it is to have a career, have a business, and have an infrastructure in place where you're able then to take your neural, diverse, you know, world and everything and put that into a framework that actually is going to support that.
Speaker A:And that's really when the new year comes.
Speaker A:And everything is just a reiteration of some things that you might be doing.
Speaker A:But to your point, like, you're not reinventing yourself every single year.
Speaker A:I mean, come on, that's, that's exhausting.
Speaker A:I'm exhausted thinking about that.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So I'm thinking we pivot, we talk about, let's give people like, what, what should you do instead?
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Okay, so here we are telling you not to try to reinvent yourself every year.
Speaker B:Let's talk about what to do instead because we're obviously not just going to sit here and preach at you and then not give you some, some ideas on different ways to do things.
Speaker B:So one of my new favorite things that.
Speaker B:I can't believe that I didn't think of this before, but what a great exercise.
Speaker B:So for anybody who hasn't heard of Mel Robbins, you've been living under a rock and you should climb out from under your rock and go, listen, to her podcast.
Speaker B: Her first episode of: Speaker B:It was so freaking cool.
Speaker B:So she is on the same boat that we are.
Speaker B:Like, that they don't do, like, New Year's resolutions, right?
Speaker B:Like, because that's.
Speaker B:That just doesn't.
Speaker B:It just doesn't work.
Speaker B:What she does give you is some really great freaking tips on ways to reflect on your last year.
Speaker B:What worked, what didn't you know, kind of how to use that in your new year or in your new world.
Speaker B:And what I'm thinking for us being neurodiverse, and here we are telling you to do a rolling 12.
Speaker B:For those of you that are.
Speaker B:Are that are with us, that are.
Speaker B:You're sitting there, front row, with your hand raised, like, yep, I am.
Speaker B:I'm.
Speaker B:I'm drinking the Kool Aid.
Speaker B:I get what you guys are saying.
Speaker B:I'm with you.
Speaker B:Anthony and Megan, for those of you like this, I recommend doing this one's a quarter.
Speaker B:So what she said to do, and it was the coolest thing, and I did it.
Speaker B:And it was so insightful.
Speaker B:You take your phone, not even kidding.
Speaker B:You.
Speaker B:You take your phone, you go all the way back to the studio.
Speaker B: So January of: Speaker B:Nothing else but just the pictures, and you start to remember.
Speaker B:And so for us, who are creators, like, I have all these crazy videos.
Speaker B:I have all these, like, it just.
Speaker B:It's insane.
Speaker B:The trip to D.C. with my dad's burial and, like, all of this stuff.
Speaker B:And what she wants you to do is you go through and you remember every good day and every bad day.
Speaker B:And what you do.
Speaker B:What I did is I kind of took her method and put my neurodiverse brain, ADHD brain spin on it, right?
Speaker B:Because she's telling.
Speaker B:She's got, like, a workbook, and you're supposed to write it down.
Speaker B:I was like, yeah, well, I'm not doing that.
Speaker B:Like, yeah, I'm gonna write it down.
Speaker B:Yeah, good luck with that.
Speaker B:Good luck having Megan, like, do use a journal and the write stuff.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:So I voiced.
Speaker B:I did.
Speaker B:So it was super H. So I sat and I did this for, like, hours.
Speaker B:And what I did is I took my iPhone and I turned on the voice recorder.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:I was just gonna say, you probably did that.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:Sat my sun porch.
Speaker B:And as I opened and went through, like.
Speaker B:And I opened every photo, so it was big.
Speaker B:And I went through every ad, I was like, oh, wow.
Speaker B:And I was like, literally just talking about my year now for anybody.
Speaker B:And we'll see.
Speaker B:We'll give Anthony a little quiz and see if he.
Speaker B:See if he can come up with the answer.
Speaker B:What do you think happened?
Speaker B:So, first of all, I went through, if you can imagine, how many photos for 12 months.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:How many photos I have.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And videos and all the things.
Speaker B:And I'm voice recording and I'm talking and I'm like, just talking to myself, basically.
Speaker B:Roxy probably thought I was nuts because I'm sitting there, like, talking to my phone, even though I'm not actually talking.
Speaker A:I know.
Speaker A:She doesn't seem to have a problem falling asleep or relaxing.
Speaker B:She's just, you know, whatever.
Speaker B:She's used to it now.
Speaker A:She wanted to tune you out.
Speaker B:What do you think I now have.
Speaker B:What do you think I can now do with this transcript of 2 hours, 2 and a half hours of me looking through my photos and talking about everything that went.
Speaker A:You can set your goals for 20, 26 or not goals, but you could see what worked and see what didn't work and have a blueprint for, you know, going into this year and saying, you know what, maybe you should do more of this.
Speaker A:Maybe you should do more of that and.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:Kind of.
Speaker A:No, I didn't get it right.
Speaker B:Content.
Speaker B:I now have two hours of me talking in my voice about stories and, you know, and there's even a section in there where Richie came in the room, he said, what are you doing?
Speaker B:And I was like, look at this.
Speaker B:Remember when racing and we were talking about our kids, we were talking about things that we did in D.C. and we were talking about.
Speaker B:We were looking through pictures together and having a conversation telling.
Speaker B:Yeah, now have like two and a half hours worth of sound bites of my voice doing this.
Speaker B:Because I use these transcripts to create every single piece of content that has ever been created by Megan Gold.
Speaker A:It's pure brilliant.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:I was like, holy.
Speaker B:So now that's one of my.
Speaker B:That is not a New Year's resolution, but that is something I'm going to do at the end of every year now.
Speaker B:Because you don't.
Speaker B:We are busy, right.
Speaker B:And we are.
Speaker B:We don't remember.
Speaker B:And it was amazing how many things, good things that happened because have you ever noticed at the end of the year that you only remember the bad.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:Remember when this sucked this up and this sucked and this sucked and you.
Speaker B:It's like we fester on it.
Speaker B:And so then you're sitting there trying to make a New Year's resolution while you're festering and all the bad that happened.
Speaker B:Do you know what I was doing?
Speaker B:And as I, like, kind of listened back through this voice recording of me going through all, I was like, oh, my God, look at this.
Speaker B:Remember when we got to pet the goats, the winery?
Speaker B:And like, oh, my God, look at that.
Speaker B:Like, it was all the good moments.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Who takes a picture of the bad moments of their life?
Speaker A:Yeah, that's a good.
Speaker A:Well, dopamine.
Speaker B:I was, like, so excited and pumped and I. I plugged this thing into Clyde and GPT and I was like, oh, man, I.
Speaker B:It's amazing.
Speaker B:Stop making New Year's resolutions that you're not going to keep.
Speaker B:Start figuring out ways, like, use this Mel Robbins thing.
Speaker B:Man, I wish I thought of it.
Speaker B:I'd be like a bazillionaire.
Speaker B:I'd sell it.
Speaker B:I'm just kidding.
Speaker B:This idea is, like, worth its weight in gold.
Speaker B:It was so fun and it was so cool.
Speaker A:And it's so logical.
Speaker B:It's so easy.
Speaker A:It's so logical to do, too.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Perfect sense.
Speaker B:Keep it stupid simple.
Speaker B:Try to find ways like that to.
Speaker B:So instead of creating resolutions and goals, quote, unquote, do reflections on your life.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker B:Reflect on your lifestyle.
Speaker A:Love that.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Like, Anthony's reflecting.
Speaker B:Like, I gave up drinking, and it was amazing.
Speaker B:Darren gave up drinking and he talks about how awesome he feels and how amazing it is.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Remember the good stuff.
Speaker B:You have to remember the bad stuff.
Speaker B:You do.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker B:So I still recommend that you somehow figure out what the bad things were and, like, really be honest with yourself about why they were bad, what didn't work, because, you know, you want to make the same mistakes and repeat them.
Speaker A:Really cool thing about that is that you can look at it.
Speaker A:You could look at a memory and you could look at a picture and say, oh, wow, you know, I was away with the family here at this moment, there was a.
Speaker A:There was a.
Speaker A:There was a sunset.
Speaker A:And here I am sitting here with a selfie, and my kids are making fun of me and saying, hey, you know, selfies, and embarrassing us.
Speaker A:But then I think about, you know, hey, you know, maybe leading up to that, I was confused about something or, you know, I didn't know what was happening.
Speaker A:So that was a real win for me to be in that moment and really appreciate that and take that all in.
Speaker A:And that's.
Speaker A:And those are the kinds of things you're right.
Speaker A:That you can't.
Speaker A:Off the top of your head, you can't really remember that until you're living it in your.
Speaker A:What's that?
Speaker B:I'm Gonna give you.
Speaker B:I'm gonna give you guys a really good example of how you can.
Speaker B:You can remember the bad and the good out of, like, a single picture, right?
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:Or a single moment in time.
Speaker B:And then you can kind of reflect on that.
Speaker B:One of the things we did last year, it was sad, but really amazing.
Speaker B:In June, we went to D.C. my father was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, and Anthony knows some of this story, but so, like, the entire family went, obviously.
Speaker B:And we decided to extend and not just stay for the weekend.
Speaker B:We stayed for a whole week.
Speaker B:And for.
Speaker B:Because the kids had never been to D.C. before, and we wanted to do all the museums.
Speaker B:Thank freaking God I did.
Speaker B:I'll tell you why.
Speaker B:It doesn't matter what political side you're on.
Speaker B:Thank freaking God I did.
Speaker B:That week that we came back, the day after we came back.
Speaker B:And so I have all these great memories, right?
Speaker B:And, like, I was telling all these stories.
Speaker B:I was looking through pictures, super funny stories in the museums.
Speaker B:The kids had a really good time.
Speaker B:There was a lot of laughter.
Speaker B:And we, like.
Speaker B:You had this amazing Airbnb with, like, a rooftop pool, and you could see the White House from, like, the pool.
Speaker B:And it was just really, really cool.
Speaker B:The day that we got back was the day that the police were.
Speaker B:The police and the National Guard were released on Nash Mall.
Speaker B:National Mall.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And honestly, isn't that to talk politics or whatever?
Speaker B:I don't care which side you sit on.
Speaker B:I really don't.
Speaker B:You do.
Speaker B:You whatever.
Speaker B:But that is not something that I would have wanted to be, like, touristing in D.C. for.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And so it was one of those things where you remember the good and the bad.
Speaker B:So as you're going through your pictures and you're remembering all the amazing things that you're taking pictures of, all the amazing things, you'll remember the stuff like, oh, my God, why do I have 50 of these same videos?
Speaker B:Well, because they all sucked until, like, oh, video number 10, you know, 10 takes in, and then you remember why they sucked and you remember what you didn't like about them, and then so that you're able to, like, talk about it and you're able to not repeat the same mistakes because you can reflect.
Speaker B:But I'll tell you, by reflecting on the good stuff first versus only focusing on the bad stuff and the stuff that I want to change and New Year's, like, resolutionize or whatever, once you take all that away and you start.
Speaker B:You focus on the good stuff first, the bad stuff doesn't seem as bad.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Because by the end of going through that whole thing, I was like, holy.
Speaker B:I accomplished a lot last year.
Speaker B:I did so much stuff.
Speaker B:Like, there's funny pictures of me screenshotting our podcast, like when we have technical difficulties, and just us joking back and forth like we're frozen, you know?
Speaker B:And like, it's like, oh, my God, Anthony, I had so much fun.
Speaker B:We launched chronically automated.
Speaker B:Like, it was just this really cool whirlwind of stuff.
Speaker B:So I highly encourage everyone to go do that.
Speaker B:The other one.
Speaker B:And I don't know if you have any, any like, tips or tricks for people, but I was going to go into the metrics part of it, because.
Speaker A:I know you're on a roll.
Speaker B:Keep going the.
Speaker B:And you guys have all heard me say it, but I'm gonna continue saying it until every single person who owns a business actually gets it in their brain.
Speaker B:If you can't measure the success of what you're working on, stop working on it.
Speaker B:It goes, that is like all year round.
Speaker B:That is a rolling, forever, lifetime thing.
Speaker B:So that's kind of another reason, like with the New Year's resolution, why are you creating, like, what's the resolution for?
Speaker B:Does it actually improve your lifestyle?
Speaker B:Is it actually improve, like, what you're, like your actual goals, right, when you started a business, you know, when you think about, like, let's take brand Built, for example.
Speaker B:We've given it, we said five years, right?
Speaker B:Nat and Darren first started it and then they brought me on, right?
Speaker B:But the goal was they're doing this for five years.
Speaker B:All in.
Speaker B:Everything we've got, they brought me on, I'm now on board and I'm drinking the Kool Aid.
Speaker B:We are all in.
Speaker B:But so what am I going to do every year for five years, come up with a new resolution now?
Speaker B:Now, like, that just doesn't even make sense.
Speaker B:So for metrics, for me, I'm tracking them every month or every quarter, right?
Speaker B:I'm now pretty good.
Speaker B:I can track every quarter.
Speaker B:But I used to, when I was first starting out, I would track these things every month.
Speaker B:And what I mean every month is I was time tracking everything what I was working on, what was eating away at my time.
Speaker B:And this is all stuff that shouldn't be a New Year's resolution.
Speaker B:This should just be things that you should be doing.
Speaker B:I'm tracking, okay, everyone, like New Year's resolutions is, I'm going to stop drinking.
Speaker B:I'm going to spend more time doing this, I'm going to spend more time doing that.
Speaker B:I'm going to.
Speaker B:No, if you actually want to do that thing, you need to be doing it all year long and you need to come up with a tracking system to figure out how you're eliminating that thing.
Speaker B:That's the reason these resolutions fail is because there's no tracking system and there's no success.
Speaker B:Success metric.
Speaker A:Well, right.
Speaker A:And the one thing I will say about.
Speaker A:About resolutions.
Speaker A:Resolutions, right, are really, I mean, it's, you know, even when you even in sales, right.
Speaker A:Good sales people, they sell sometimes features than other sales people.
Speaker A:They're selling, you know, they're selling the pain and everything.
Speaker A:But great salespeople and really just people in general, we should be doing with our.
Speaker A:Where with our resolutions.
Speaker A:Outcomes.
Speaker A:We are selling outcomes.
Speaker A:That's what it comes down to.
Speaker A:And for us as well, it's not a matter of what we have to do.
Speaker A:Okay, I'm going to quit drinking.
Speaker A:Well, for me, I inadvertently stopped drinking.
Speaker A:I didn't go out.
Speaker A:I didn't intentionally do it.
Speaker A:I just, you know, I'm an entrepreneur.
Speaker A:I stopped doing it for a couple of weeks.
Speaker A:I felt great.
Speaker A:I was like, why am I going back?
Speaker A:And there was a big positive benefit for somebody with autoimmune, somebody with multiple sclerosis.
Speaker A:That actually was like, wow, what a moron I was for drinking.
Speaker A:But, you know, in any case, the point is that when you are able to equate that to an outcome, then everything else kind of follows up and you figure out how to actually do that.
Speaker A:And I think that is one of the things that is very important.
Speaker A:So for me, I'm going to be looking this year at outcomes I want to go on.
Speaker B:You're going to do it all year long, you know what I'm saying?
Speaker B:You're going to look for.
Speaker B:You're going to create these lifestyle outcome goals, if you will, and maybe again, goals, outcome, whatever word you want to use, but you're creating them all year round.
Speaker B:You're not like waiting for the new year and come December, you're not going to be like, oh, it's December 2nd.
Speaker B:I can't do that.
Speaker B:I'll just wait until January.
Speaker B:No, no, like, you know, I mean, if you obviously, if you have time off and you have vacations and you have stuff like that, you plan your life around those goals, around those like vacation that.
Speaker B:Yeah, of course.
Speaker B:But that should be again, something that happens year round all year long.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker B:If anybody who listens to us has never followed Mondo on LinkedIn, you should.
Speaker B:So Salavanti, I think, is how we Say it wrong.
Speaker B:So I apologize, Mondo, if you're listening, but I butchered their name again.
Speaker B:But he does a really amaz.
Speaker B:So he is a financial planner and advisor and he works with some really big people with some really large cash flows.
Speaker B:But he's like 27, 28 years old now, newly married, and he's got his shit figured out.
Speaker B:Like they are, him and his wife Natya are they, they like plan five vacations a year and they plan their work, life, everything around how they want to live.
Speaker B:That is what everybody should be doing.
Speaker B:So if you have, do you want to see somebody who's young and figuring it out?
Speaker B:And like, if I was in my 20s, I, you know, I wish that he hadn't been born yet, but I, like, if I wish I could have met somebody like him in my 20s to show me how to do that.
Speaker B:Like, he's doing what we, he's practicing what we preach, building the lifestyle, using the money.
Speaker B:Now, instead of just waiting until you retire and then what do you do when you retire?
Speaker B:You sit around on your ass and what, twiddle your thumbs?
Speaker B:Like, no, like maybe people will golf.
Speaker B:And by that point you're old enough, you're tired, you don't want to like, maybe go jet setting across.
Speaker B:Maybe you do for a little while, but then if you wait until you're 65, 70 years old to retire and then like live your retirement life, screw that.
Speaker B:I want to travel in my 50s, I want to travel in my late 60s.
Speaker B:I want to like have a life and enjoy it before and before I'm ready to die.
Speaker B:Bill Fanter.
Speaker B:Fanta is one of mine and Anthony's favorite people on LinkedIn because he is awesome.
Speaker B:He is hilarious.
Speaker B:He's a day trader.
Speaker B:Well, he does way more than just day trading, but he's very, very cool.
Speaker B:Such a cool guy.
Speaker B:Did you see his post the other day?
Speaker B:He was like, I can't remember the exact hook, but in the line, like right after that, he's like, I hate to break it to you and I don't mean to be morbid, but we're all gonna die.
Speaker B:And then he went into his LinkedIn post and it was all about what we just talked about.
Speaker B:Like, why are you waiting to live your life if you wait until you're 65, 68, 70 years old to retire and live your life?
Speaker B:You're old, you're tired, you don't want to like, do anything, then you literally just want to lie there.
Speaker B:That doesn't sound exciting.
Speaker B:Exciting?
Speaker A:No.
Speaker B:I don't get the whole, like, I'm gonna work until retirement age and then I'm gonna retire.
Speaker B:No, no.
Speaker B:Figure out.
Speaker B:That's why you should all go talk to Mondo.
Speaker B:You should go talk to him because he's really great at figuring out the money.
Speaker B:Anyway.
Speaker B:I could soapbox about this forever, but I know.
Speaker B:Anthony, you've got a call.
Speaker B:We are gonna wrap it up.
Speaker B:Tldr, if you are like us, you should like.
Speaker B:And you don't necessarily believe in New Year's resolutions, New Year's goals, New Year, new you.
Speaker B:All that crap, that hype that happens every freaking January.
Speaker B:If you were sick and tired of it.
Speaker B:Share this episode Share this episode no.
Speaker A:I mean, the best thing I got out of this was looking at all my pictures.
Speaker B:Oh, my God, yes.
Speaker A:Talking about it.
Speaker B:I'm so excited.
Speaker B:It's so much fun.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Everybody grab your phone.
Speaker B:Go take a look at all your pictures.
Speaker B:And, you know, if you're a writer, awesome.
Speaker B:Write it down.
Speaker B:My quick tip is turn on.
Speaker B:I'm not exactly sure how to do it on a Samsung or Android guy.
Speaker B:Sorry.
Speaker B:If you're on an iPhone, literally, swipe down, hit the voice record.
Speaker B:Swipe back up as you scroll through.
Speaker B:Just talk to yourself.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:It's gonna be weird.
Speaker B:Who cares?
Speaker B:There's no one around.
Speaker B:Go sit by yourself so people don't look at you Strange.
Speaker B:Don't do it in a coffee shop.
Speaker B:People will look at you like you're crazy.
Speaker B:Like, you know, the lady with the cats.
Speaker B:Like, don't do that.
Speaker B:But it's.
Speaker B:It was such a good exercise.
Speaker B:I highly recommend everybody do it.
Speaker B:Anyway, that's all I've got for today.
Speaker B:I'm sorry.
Speaker B:I went on a tangent.
Speaker A:I love your tangent.
Speaker A:I missed your tangent.
Speaker A: The first tangent of: Speaker B: First tangent of: Speaker A:Not the last.
Speaker B:Not definitely not the last.
Speaker B:Yeah, New Year, New Year, go, rah, rah, whatever.
Speaker B:Chronically automated.
Speaker B:Everybody remember, technology, systems, your brain, all of this stuff.
Speaker B:It's all good when it works.
Speaker B:And when it doesn't, who cares?
Speaker B:You're not trying to solve world beasts.
Speaker B:No one gives a shit at the end of the day.
Speaker B:And we will see you next week to give you more wonderful.
Speaker B:Whatever this is.
Speaker B:Bye, everybody.
