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Setting Yourself Up For Success in 2025 [Part 1]
Episode 29th January 2025 • The SEO Mindset Podcast • Sarah & Tazmin
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Today, we’re diving into the big topic of setting yourself up for success. Whether you’re dreaming of a career pivot, starting a side hustle, or simply looking to build healthier habits, success begins with clarity and action. In this two-part series, Sarah and Tazmin explore how to define your goals, build a strategy, and take purposeful steps toward your vision.

About 'The SEO Mindset' Podcast

Build your inner confidence and thrive.

The SEO Mindset is a weekly podcast that will give you actionable tips, guidance and advice to help you not only build your inner confidence but to also thrive in your career.

Each week we will cover topics specific to careers in the SEO industry but also broader topics too including professional and personal development.

Your hosts are Life Coach Tazmin Suleman and SEO Manager Sarah McDowell, who between them have over 20 years of experience working in the industry.

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Transcripts

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er to me. Well, let's, let's [:

ng yourself up for success in:

talked about that in depth. [:

Definitely go and check out the, um, the January blues one as well. So, the reason I planned, um, you know, talking about what we're going to talk about is in my line of work, the number of people I've met recently who want to, to do something, they want to set goals, but they don't know what, and that's one of the mistakes.

If you don't know what, then how are you going to work at it? And then they, even if they know what the what is, that there are certain mistakes that they, I see people making time and time again, I thought, why not just create a podcast for it? But I also want to tell the listeners that I will be expanding on all of this in our newsletter.

talking about it, we're just [:

Thank you. Alright, so title is Setting Yourself Up for Success. And the first thing is be really clear on what that success means to you. What is it that you want to achieve? Because it could be you want a new role, so maybe you are working up for a promotion in the organization that you are in, or you want to go into a different one.

t of, um, writing ambitions, [:

Hmm. Yes. I love that because if, if your goal is a little too vague, it's hard to know how to like chunk it down and what you're working towards, and it can be overwhelming. I suppose as well. Like if it's too big and too vague and too fluffy, you're never going to take that first step, are you? No. And the, the example I like on this is, and I know I've told you this one before.

me what I want in my dreams. [:

And I can't give them an answer. And they bring me a salad. And I said, you don't want a salad? Well, you should have said what you wanted. You know, you're not going to get what you want in a restaurant if you're vague. Whereas, if I went in and said hmm, I am in the mood for something light and citrus, citrus, citrus, citrusy, I can't say the word.

Easy for you to say. Um, and then the chef will say, Oh, do you want it to be vegetarian or vegan? Or do you want it to have, you know, non veg? And I say, Oh, you know what? I actually fancy something fish. Oh, do you want any rice on the side? And by asking me questions, they're gonna be better placed, giving me something I want.

g vague about what your goal [:

Figuring out what you want to do in setting goals. But as soon as you get that pen to paper or digitally or however you're doing and you start thinking about how does this look for me, you'll get into a role. Right? Yeah. Yeah. And you know, there were so many groups. I run goal setting, um, workshops.

lorist that is, was exciting [:

Um, I like the idea of that creativity, but I don't want to be getting up early in the mornings. I don't want to be going, you know, working weekends. So, oh, so it's a creativity. So where can you add creativity into your life? And you'll find out so much about yourself. So that would be my first thing. Um, be really clear on what you want to achieve.

ing that you wanna achieve in:

ng into my body. Um, because.:

hat do you want? What is it? [:

And I just want to be healthy. I want to be strong. If I get poorly, I want to be able to bounce back. Like if I start looking a certain way and I start. Like, liking more what I see in the mirror, then that's an added bonus. But for me, it's about being healthy, being the best I can and just looking after myself.

Uh, so that's the one goal and then career and business related. So obviously I went freelance in April and. It's been a wonderful journey. There has been some learning points. There has been points of growth. Um, it's, it, it's been, there's been times of real highs, but there has been tricky parts as well.

better handle on that. And I [:

Yeah, like I've, I've really enjoyed all the projects that I've worked on this year. So I want to get more of that, um, being a bit more structured, having a better work life balance, um, doing more of the stuff that I really love as well, cause I had some really good opportunities and I want to do more of that, but I realized that that sounded a bit fluffy and a bit too vague.

d I've gone to say, well, my [:

And I was shocked that, you know, I, I read labels now. I never used to read labels and I used to think that we ate quite well. But when I look at now the ingredients on pre made bread, for example, or cakes, and there's so much gunk in that. And I, I said to my husband, you know, we're not doing that now. I don't mind cooking more.

I love cooking anyway. So things like having brown rice instead of white rice, um, we're having different Flowers, I've been making more flatbreads at home. So that's the thing that I'm doing with the health thing. Um, and also much like you were saying about being more intentional. So one of the things is I'm capping how many one to one clients I take on this year and reducing it.

the way I got through that, [:

So, yeah, I would advise you to get a little bit more clear on what that means, what those things mean to you. Yeah, definitely. And straight away from just like starting this conversation, I'm already thinking, I'm already thinking that, um, I think I'm a little bit more, you Like, cause when you said about processed foods and things like that, um, so I've been told that I need to eat more protein because obviously when you lead a vegan diet, it's a bit tricky to get your protein.

t anyway, yes, I digress. So [:

I want to gain more knowledge on, on my career topic. What does that mean? Do you need to read a book? Do you need to take a course? Do you need to, I mean, this is something I would advise. Supposing you want to get better at marketing, for example, build yourself a curriculum. You can say, okay, to get better at marketing, I'm going to read these three books.

putting a strategy in place. [:

Do you need to speak to your manager? That's where you're starting to actually take action on that thing. Supposing you want to increase your visibility. You want to increase your, you know, elevate your personal brand. What is that? How are you going to do it? Are you going to be pitching for more speaking, writing opportunities?

Which ones? Are you going to be more visible online? Is that, is that going to be more about social media? Is that you posting or is it about commenting on other people's posts? So it goes to the point of saying I'm going to comment on five posts per day. So then you know what it is you're supposed to be doing rather than I want to be more visible on LinkedIn for example.

So for example, just [:

What have I got in my calendar? Um, what have I got coming up? Because I think sometimes I forget that, like, unfortunately, no, fortunately I'm in a position where I get to do quite exciting things. Like I get to do different talks. I get to do different events. I want like, Doing different networking and I want to do more networking, but I have to remember that that is part of my working day and because that is part of my working day, that limits how much project work I can do, for example.

[:

So once I've booked these in, I then know how much work. Client and project work I can do, and then I don't end up over committing, which I think is a big thing, isn't it? Um, I don't end up over committing. I can do everything, but I'm still got that work life balance. Is that the right way of thinking about it?

gs and I, I call it the data [:

And then be more intentional about saying yes to those things. So if you had a networking opportunities where that room was filled with potential podcasters or podcasters or people in seo then or digital you say yes if you were asked to speak at i'm going to be really top of it. Um, the, the Worcester will.

knitting society. I was really enjoying that Tess, I was like, where is this going to end?

there isn't a Worcester Wool [:

But if it is to find clients and to build reputation and to build connection and build relationships, then perhaps that's not the right place to be. And, and this is something I've been a lot more intentional about. And actually the podcast overlaps with my coaching business so much that that makes sense.

lots of, um, wool societies, [:

Who knows? Who knows? Maybe that's your visibility and going on to networking. So it's not just in other places. It's in your own workplace. You may. What, say to your manager, can I lead the team meeting? Because although it's the same team and the same meeting, you leading it is a very different position.

e've talked about networking [:

So. I'm conscious that we've been talking for quite a while on this, we usually have a break. We do need to take a break. We are at that halfway point Tazmin . So let's take a break and then we'll catch up, we'll talk about recap when we come back. So let's, let's give our listeners a reason to come back. So what, what will we be covering in part two?

Part two is about how do you then put that into your life? All of that. Lovely. How do you make it happen? Okay. So use this break, reflect, think about the information that we've given you, start being more intentional, have a think about that, and then join us for part two, when we will help you implement it all.

So thank you very much, Tazmin .

[:

We are back for part two. So, Sarah, what were your thoughts on part one? Because we sort of did you use, use a little bit of a

Well, I'm thinking, cool, that is accountability because I've said it. Haven't I? I've said it to our listeners, I've put it out there in the universe, what I want to achieve. But no, I think it's really important to, I'm one of these people that easily gets overwhelmed, especially if something feels big or I don't really know how to tackle it.

And that is a bit of my [:

et what you need. So we have [:

And there'll also be a link in there to join the newsletter. So you can go and do that. So the next part, so you've, you've got the goal and you've worked out the strategy of how you're going to achieve it and the actions. When are you now going to do it? People then. Imagine it's just going to happen, but unless you put it in your diary, it's very, very hard.

t a glance calendar and I'll [:

So block out the times when you know that you've got visitors over when you're going on holiday, when you're not going to be able to work on your goals. Because then that automatically reduces the amount of time that you've got. Then start thinking about what is your ideal week? Now for me, I like doing podcast work all in one day because I don't, I prefer doing that batching method.

have content one day, I have [:

And then you can start when you've got that plan set up, when you've got those actions set up, to block those in, yeah? Um, yes, um, just, just thinking back to what you've said, so I, I resonate a lot with, because if you feel like you've got a whole year, you're going to push, push it back, you're going to procrastinate.

ing to be less productive or [:

So if I think about a year or even like three months or a month, the amount that I think that I can actually achieve is ridiculous. Because you, yeah, you have to factor in, cause you're not always going to be working at a hundred percent. Yeah. You're gonna have days where you're working at 20, 30%, and that's okay.

thing in because then I know [:

And a really good book to read and we'll put a link in the show notes is one that I've talked about before, which is the 12 week year. And what that does is it says that. Don't imagine you've got a year, just say you've got 12 weeks and then work on those 12 weeks. What are the actions that you are gonna take each week?

And then for things like um, meal planning to make sure that you're eating more whole food or going to the gym, these are all repetitive tasks. If it is, I'm going read 10 pages task.

timate what they can do in a [:

Another mistake is people don't factor all of the tasks that they have to do. Life tasks don't often get put in. So going to get your groceries, cooking the meals, you know, just real life stuff doesn't get factored in. No. So when you say, oh, I didn't get, I didn't get all my to-do lists, done well, was everything that you needed to do on your to-do list?

Probably not. This is so at the moment, I am struggling a little bit with an ear infection. Uh, I think I've said this before on the podcast. So this is, well, now that I struggle, I struggle with a ear, ear infection. I do need to get that looked into. Um, but when I am struggling and I'm going to the doctors, I never factor that into.

e into my working diary. And [:

Like, um, another one for me is going to take Ben to have his haircut, or if you need to go and take your M car for an MOT, uh, there's sometimes where I need to support my partner, Tash and take her to appointments because she's got limited mobility and things. So yeah, you have to, it is a good reminder that curve balls do come your way and something that I've learned about myself is.

I really struggle with [:

So one of the reasons why if a curveball gets thrown at me is because I don't want to let a client or, um, like if I'm working on collaboration, I, I find it really hard letting other people down. Even if it's something outside of my control, I still really struggle with that. So. There's a whole other episode in what you've just spoken about.

't even have to be something [:

I didn't block time for preparing. I haven't blocked time to, uh, edit and schedule the podcast episode. Yeah. So all of that, that's one big mistake people make. They do not record everything. And another big mistake people make is they don't assess their progress. Okay. Well this is typically worse, well not typically worse, let me just rephrase that.

to get it? I'm going to get [:

Fine. And then in January, did it happen? Nobody wants to look at that.

It's true, but you need, I can hear what you're saying, Tazmin . You need to, in order to get better, in order to grow, in order to reach your goals, as tricky as it is, you need to look back. Um, another thing that I'm thinking as well is a lot of people who are wanting to get into speaking and where they start is podcasting because podcasting is a nice safe space because it's not live, it's all editable.

ople like, I will not listen [:

Bit better next time I can improve, I can tinker, I can tweak because you don't know what you don't know and you don't know unless you actually look back, listen back, look at your finance. Um, look how you're doing at work, how you delivered a talk. Are you project managing well? It is tricky. You want to bury your head in the sand, but you can't, can you?

ther issue that I see people [:

So if you are, if you're putting all of those pitches in and You know, give yourself a pat on the back for that. Assess that, measure that. Have you pitched? Have you pitched all the places that you wanted to? Have you tried pitching for podcasting? Have you really measured the thing that is in your control, the actions that are in your control, not always the outcome?

Maybe reach out and get some [:

Um, with the, with the health thing, with the, you know, have I gone and done that exercise a number of times? Don't look at, oh, I'm still weighing this much, or I'm still this, or looking like this, or, you know, that, um, size that I'm aiming for. Really aim for doing the actions that you said that you were going to do.

and on Monday you and I are [:

We are. So. In London. We're in that zone. You're in London. London town. I can never just say London. I have to say it in like London. I don't know if I'm trying to be cockney, but really not pulling it off. But my key takeaway is probably, um, you, if the best way to set yourself up for success is to get specific.

ike, and actually if you sit [:

Yeah, no, like, I know that it's about setting intentions, setting a target and like measuring and looking back, but also just give yourself, be kind to yourself as well, like just because you haven't achieved a certain thing or something that hasn't gone the way that you You wanted it to, don't see that as a massive failure.

See that as part of the growth. See that as part of the journey, because from everything that you try and everything that you implement and everything that you do, some things are going to work, some things are going to, you're going to fly and it's going to be wonderful. Some things aren't going to be, but that's okay because you need to have these experiences.

is is all about growth. It's [:

Sarah and I have discovered recently that actually, um, on the whole insights and the color thing. We're opposites, and on paper we should not get on with each other at all. And on this occasion I'm going to sort of lean into my colour a little bit more. From here, my, from my experience. Being kind to yourself in this instance is actually doing this work.

strategy you're going to use [:

And then the third thing is, once you've done that, be kind to yourself and say, How much time do I actually have? And block that in. Because then when it's blocked in, and somebody says, I want, you know, Do you want to come and do blah blah blah? You can say, No, I don't actually, because I'm going to be working on my goals.

So, this is about being kind to yourself. This is about giving you the year that you want to have, not what other people. I, I've, I've turned down so many things this year because I've said, no, I want to do that thing for me. Do I, would I also like to go out gallivanting and do this, that and the other? Yes, I would, but I'm going to do this instead because I'm being kind to me.

[:

Something that doesn't come naturally to a lot of people because like, yeah, of course, putting others first usually is your, is a top priority because that's, that's what you're taught, isn't it? But yeah, it's okay to prioritize yourself and actually, actually in saying no. You're being kinder to yourself, but you're also being kinder to that other person that you're saying no to.

would have you done it your [:

Like, yeah, it, it, it's going to bode well for everyone. Right. We are massively running out of time, Tazmin . I'm gonna, I'm going to have to be the stern one now.

Wrap us up. Okay. Wrap us up. Thank you everyone for listening. I hope you've enjoyed it. A quick reminder, if you enjoy the stuff that Sarah and I are doing, then there's various ways to support us. One of the ways is to buy, you know, click on the buy me a coffee link, we always appreciate that link is in the show notes and I'm going to quickly say the word newsletter because I've said it lots this episode, but there's a link for you to sign up.

[:

et yourself up for success in:

care of yourselves and until [:

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