ABOUT 52NUDGES
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Our fearless founder, Kathleen Guthrie Woods, is an author and freelance copywriter and editor based in San Francisco, California, USA. You can learn about her books at KathleenGuthrieWoods and her client work at Kathleen Ink. Here’s her story about why she created 52Nudges.
It was the Monday after Thanksgiving, my first day back in the office after the long holiday weekend. I opened up an email that alerted me to the potentially devastating blows the proposed tax bill would inflict upon my 18-year-old business. Let me rephrase: The colleague who forwarded the information indicated those changes would essentially shut down the business I had created from nothing and nurtured successfully for almost two decades.
After calls to my tax guy and financial consultants (who counseled me to wait it out a bit), I braced myself for what should have been curled-up-in-bed panic. But I didn’t feel panicky. I felt excited. Excited about who I might meet, where a conversation might lead, what the next chapter of my life might reveal.
For if I was honest with myself, I had been “tired” for a long time. Tired of the battles I waged that had little to do with the work I loved doing and more to do with running a self-employed business, tired of feeling constantly distracted and discouraged by all the “noise” in the news, tired of feeling passion-less and direction-less.
This is not to say that my life wasn’t good: I had an amazing community of friends, my health, a career and long-time clients that I loved, a home, a dog, and a wonderful husband. This didn’t feel like a mid-life crisis or a crisis of faith. Rather, I felt a strong calling to get back to what’s authentic for me. I’d been comfortable and complacent too long, and that was not a happy place for me. In the past, I thrived when I took leaps of faith and jumped without a net; at my core, I am a risk-taker. Not a jump-out-of-an-airplane kinda gal, but someone who tackled life’s challenges with outside-the-box creativity. It was time for me to nudge myself out of my little nest and do…I didn’t know what.
I searched for some kind of book, class, or program that would allow me to explore and expand, that would challenge me to embrace change. I ended up creating my own, with a variety of tasks that inspire creativity, push me out of my comfort zone (they should be uncomfortable), shake me out of routines, force me to do some self-care (I suck at this, as I almost always put others’ needs first), and have fun doing it.
Get To Know | 52Nudges
how it works: Create a list (or use ours) of tasks that will “nudge” you out of your comfort zone. Each task must be something you can do within a week, cheap (we aim for $20 or less), and usually fun. Type up that list, cut into individual strips, wad them up, and put them in a bowl. Every Sunday, pick one to do and note what you learn from it.
MUST HAVEs TO GET STARTED: A sense of adventure and a desire to live your best life.
KATH’S FAVORITE NUDGE: Oooh, it’s hard to pick a fav. Recently I loved “Accessorize, Baby!”
Best 52nudges story: The Nudge was to “Phone a friend,” maybe to ask for advice or simply keep in touch. A Nudger saw this as a suggestion to answer more calls (vs. letting everything go to voicemail) and catch up with some faraway friends. What a great way to make the Nudge her own!
Describe 52nudges in one Word: FUN!
kath’s advice: Do the Nudges we draw here each week, create your own list, or simply read along for the entertainment. Most of all, stay open. You never know how you’ll be inspired. xo
"Lots and lots of ladybugs..."
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Featuring a ladybug in the 52Nudges logo was a deliberate choice–in part because it’s a sweet sign that positive transformation is coming!