Today, I'm dictating this newsletter while cutting stickers that say, "Stop saying yes to shit that you hate" for my October Sparkles of Joy envelope. (crazy how speaking out instead of typing a newsletter has tripled my newsletter productivity)

And I want to talk about something that I think a lot of us feel, but don't really talk about. Or perhaps don't even want to admit to ourselves.

A while ago, I read Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, the founder of Nike.

And while I was reading it, I was struck by the sheer amount of time, energy, and sacrifice it took for him to build Nike into the company it is today. The sacrifices he made with his health. His family. His time.

And I remember having this strange feeling. A mixture of relief and disappointment.

Because I realised something.

I'm not willing to make those sacrifices.

I'm just not.

And the disappointing part was admitting to myself that perhaps I wasn't going to build some billion-dollar company.

But the relief? Oh, the relief.

Because suddenly, I could release myself from that expectation. I didn't have to chase that dream anymore because I genuinely didn't want the life and sacrifices that came with it.

I had a similar feeling when I read Becoming by Michelle Obama.

Reading about the years leading up to Barack Obama's presidency, the campaigning, the constant travelling, the lack of sleep, the pressure, and the sacrifices Michelle and their family made.

I remember thinking, my goodness. I cannot imagine living like that. The exhaustion alone sounds physically painful.

And once again, I felt relieved.

Thank goodness I don't want to be president. 😂

But recently, this whole idea came back to me in a completely different way.

My weight.

I'm currently doing a 21-day clean-eating plan. I've done this plan before. The first time, I lost over 12kg.

I'd just had a baby, and I'd put on a considerable amount of weight. I'd also eaten a considerable amount of chocolate. And chocolate cake. Zero regrets.

But I'd reached a point where my weight was making exercise uncomfortable. I didn't feel good when I looked in the mirror.

And yes, I completely understand that a woman's body changes after having a baby. But I also knew, deep down, that I wasn't at a healthy weight for me.

And I wanted to get back to a place where I could exercise comfortably, feel healthy and look in the mirror without cringing.

That was my why.

And because my why was so strong, I followed that clean-eating plan religiously. For three months. I stuck to it. I made the sacrifices. And I lost the weight.

Now, fast-forward to today.

I'm doing the same plan again, but this time for 21 days.

Except...

I'm not following it properly. I'm making exceptions. I'm eating things that aren't on the plan.

And I found myself getting frustrated.

Where has my discipline gone? Why can't I just stick to something? Why can't I make myself do the things I say I want to do?

And then it hit me.

My why has changed.

The first time I did this, I wanted to feel healthy again. I wanted to exercise without feeling uncomfortable. I wanted to feel good in my body.

But now?

I believe I'm at a healthy weight. I can run. I can exercise. I feel so much better.

And if I'm being completely honest, the reason I want to lose more weight now is largely aesthetic. I want to look slimmer.

And when I really sat with that thought, I realised something.

I'm not willing to make the sacrifices required to get to that slimmer version of myself.

I'm just not.

I don't want to give up all the foods I enjoy. I don't want to spend my days thinking about what I can and cannot eat.

And you know what? Admitting that felt incredibly freeing.

Because instead of constantly beating myself up for lacking discipline, I could ask myself a different question.

What if I just learned to love my body the way it is now? What if I stopped chasing a version of myself that I'm not actually willing to make the sacrifices for?

And I think this applies to so many other areas of our lives.

Business. Career. Money. Our ambitions.

We say we want things.

I want that promotion. I want to start a business. I want to make a million dollars. I want to be super successful.

But do we actually want the life that comes with those things?

Because every new goal comes with sacrifices. Every new level comes with problems.

You might want to start a business. But are you willing to deal with the uncertainty? The late nights? The financial risks? The constant self-doubt?

Oh, the self-doubt. That's a big one.

You might want that promotion. But do you want the additional responsibilities? The pressure? The difficult conversations? The longer hours?

Because here's something I've been thinking about.

Every new level in life comes with a new set of problems.

We often imagine that when we reach the next level, everything will be better. We'll be happier. We'll have more money. We'll have more freedom. Everything will be rainbows and butterflies.

But that's not necessarily true.

Sometimes, we simply exchange one set of problems for another.

And perhaps the problems you have right now are actually problems you're quite happy to live with. Perhaps they're manageable.

Perhaps the new problems that come with the life you're dreaming about are problems you don't actually want.

And that's okay.

I'm not saying we shouldn't have ambitions. I'm not saying we shouldn't push ourselves or do difficult things.

But I am saying that perhaps we need to be more honest with ourselves about what we're willing to sacrifice.

Because sometimes, what looks like a lack of discipline might actually be a change in priorities.

Sometimes, we don't want something as badly as we think we do. And sometimes, we want the outcome, but we don't want the life required to achieve it.

And I think there's something incredibly freeing about admitting that.

So I'll leave you with this question today.

Is there something you're constantly beating yourself up for not achieving?

A goal you keep putting off? Something you say you want, but never seem to take action towards?

Maybe ask yourself:

Am I actually willing to make the sacrifices required to achieve this?

And if the answer is no...

Perhaps it's time to release yourself from that goal.

Not because you're lazy. Not because you're incapable.

But because maybe, just maybe, you've realised that the life you already have is worth more to you than the one you thought you wanted.

And perhaps that's a different kind of success altogether.

Oh, and speaking of learning to love yourself and your body, that's actually what we're going to be talking about in November's Sparkles of Joy Mail Club!​

We're going to chat about building your self-confidence, loving the body you've got, and how to put together a simple capsule wardrobe so getting dressed every morning doesn't have to be another stressful decision.

Because honestly, who needs more stress in their life? 😂

If that sounds like something you could do with right now, I'd love for you to join us for November's envelope.

​Join the Sparkles of Joy Mail Club here​

Love,
​Aisha x

PS: I share my bare minimum low-effort strategy to grow my businesses on my Instagram stories — if you want more behind-the-scenes like this, come hang out: @aishapreece​

Some pics from the week:

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