We cover information about powerful strategies to improve your mindset, increase productivity, and achieve better results in your food blogging businesses without burning out.

Listen on the player in this post or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or your favorite podcast player. Or scroll down to read a full transcript.

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Guest Details

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Dyutima is an architect-turned commercial and editorial food photographer and podcaster based in Singapore. She is the first South Asian woman to host a food photography podcast, My Food Lens. After 15 years as an architect, designing healthcare facilities around the world, she found her passion in food styling & photography. Today, she has a successful business working with clients around the world and teaching other photographers how to do so as well.

Takeaways

  • Acknowledge the power of your mindset: Your mindset is a crucial factor in achieving success, and it’s often underrated – recognizing the impact of your thoughts and beliefs can be a game-changer.
  • Uncover and rewrite limiting beliefs: Many of the beliefs that hold you back are unconscious – identifying and rewriting these limiting beliefs can open up new possibilities for success.
  • Focus on the positive: Where you focus your energy and attention will determine the outcomes you experience – shifting your focus to the positive can attract more positive results.
  • Embrace change: Change is inevitable in business, and having a mindset that accepts and adapts to change can help you thrive during challenging times.
  • Avoid comparison and persistence: Comparing yourself to others can lead to discouragement and quitting too soon – focusing on your own journey and persisting through setbacks is key.
  • Start small and build confidence: Stepping out of your comfort zone can be daunting, but starting with small, manageable steps and gradually building up can help you become more confident and brave.
  • Prioritize self-care and productivity: Taking care of your physical and mental well-being, as well as implementing effective time management strategies, can significantly boost your productivity and success.
  • Create a nurturing work environment: Designing a comfortable and inspiring workspace can positively impact your mindset and productivity.

If You Loved This Episode…

Listen to Megan’s interview with Dyutima Jha – Episode 540: How to Keep Readers on Your Page By Bringing Powerful Storytelling to Food Photos

Transcript

Click for full script.

EBT BONUS – Megan Porta & Dyutima Jha

Intro 00:00

Food bloggers. Hi, how are you today? Thank you so much for tuning in to the Eat Blog Talk podcast. This is the place for food bloggers to get information and inspiration to accelerate your blog’s growth, and ultimately help you to achieve your freedom. Whether that’s financial, personal, or professional. I’m Megan Porta. I have been a food blogger for 13 years, so I understand how isolating food blogging can be. I’m on a mission to motivate, inspire, and most importantly, let each and every food blogger, including you, know that you are heard and supported.

Megan Porta  00:37

Welcome to this bonus episode of Eat Bblog Talk. In this episode, I am interviewed on Dyutima’s podcast. She is the host over at My Food Lens, the podcast for photographers and other entrepreneurs. In the episode, she asks me a lot of questions about mindset and self care and how these things can positively impact your business. We talk about how to lighten your load by focusing on mindset and self care. You don’t have to hustle and grind all the time, especially with mindset on your side. We discuss money mindset, and I talk about my really cool money story, if you haven’t heard it, it’s an inspiring one, and how we can all rewrite our money stories. Also how we should be focusing on the good things to receive more good things in our businesses and our lives. Another topic that comes up is just how to adapt to change and withstand all of the tumultuous things that are happening in our industry without thinking remembering that the journey to success is long. It is not always easy and to embrace this and we end the episode talking about all of my favorite productivity tips. I really hope you love this episode, due to my and I had such a lovely conversation. She was such an easy host, and this is one of my favorite podcast interviews that I’ve ever done as a guest. So enjoy this bonus episode.

Dyutima Jha 01:59

So today’s episode is a very different episode. It’s a topic that we have probably never talked about on the podcast, and I think wondering, actually, why we haven’t talked about it for so so so long when it is so so so important. All right, so today, our guest is Megan Porta. She is a food blogger based in the United States, and she’s also the host of the popular podcast called Eat Block Talk. So Megan is highly passionate about productivity, efficiency, the power of the mind, and also about helping creators find the success that is meant for them. Now today we’re going to talk about how to attract success without working more hours. So Megan is going to tell us all the pieces of the puzzle that need to come together to actually bring that success closer to us and ultimately make it reach us. We are going to talk about things that we have never talked about on this podcast before, and if you feel like you’ve not been getting results, if you’ve been doubting yourself, if you want to know what you can make better and what are the simple, actionable steps that you can take to take your productivity to another level, to take your success to another level, to actually bring the results for the amount of work that you’re putting in. Boy, you’re in for a treat today. Alright with that. Let’s welcome Megan. Hi Megan, and welcome to my food lens podcast. It’s always such an excitement for me when I have a fellow podcaster as my guest. So this is extra special. And welcome to the podcast.

Megan Porta  03:36

So happy to be here. Thank you for having me wonderful.

03:39

I feel like Megan, you and I have a real passion for productivity. And I really felt that there was a fit or match in values we are working and the message that we want to put out, you know, to the to our fellow creators. And so I’m really looking forward to a conversation on how, you know, simple practices can actually bring a solid breakthroughs in the creative journey that most photographers, bloggers, influencers and any kind of creators they have. So I’m looking forward to all of that. But first off, I just want to put something on the table like that’s going to be the tone of what we’re going to talk about today on a scale of one to 10. How important do you think mindset is in achieving success in our business?

Megan Porta  04:28

Without a doubt, I would say 10 on that for sure, 100%

Dyutima Jha 04:34

right? So we’re going to talk about productivity, but mindset just goes hand in hand. So we’re going to keep that in mind as we proceed with our conversation. Alright, so I feel Megan, and maybe you agree with me as well that you know, most creators feel like I have talent. I’m very hard working. And so, you know, success is a guarantee for me, or this is all that I need for success. But do you think that the you know, the power of the mind? Is really underrated, especially in the creative business world.

Megan Porta  05:04

Oh, I so this is one of my messages, and it’s one of the reasons that I started my podcast, which is a podcast for food blogger, professional food bloggers, the power of the mind is so underrated. And I think people figure this out eventually, if they stay in the game long enough. And yeah, like, if you do not tap in to mindset, you are more likely to burn out, you’re more likely to quit, you’re more likely to get discouraged. There are so many things that can come your way that are going to throw a wrench in your business, but if you have a handle on your mindset, it’s like a superpower. Honestly, it is so underrated. And this is a huge message of mine to not just food bloggers, but entry any entrepreneur out there.

Dyutima Jha 05:53

And I agree 100% I feel like as creators, and as you know, business owners, especially, we are not answerable to anyone but ourselves. So the only one who is going to be able to push ourselves, get us out of bed every day, feel that fire in our belly is actually our mindset. It’s 100% true what you said. So another thing, I think I heard this on your podcast, Megan, and I remember it just completely knocked my socks off, since we are talking about the power of the mind, can you please, please, please share your story about being a money magnet, because I want everybody to hear that.

Megan Porta  06:30

Are you referring to the story about when I was taking my walk? Is that what you’re referring to? 

Dyutima Jha  06:35

Yes, okay, yes, yeah. So

Megan Porta  06:37

at the time we were on vacation, and I had just started kind of digging into this concept of attracting money and like, Okay, you actually have to have your mindset in the right place. So I was reading books, I was listening to podcasts to do this. This was my goal. Like, I want to be a money magnet. I hear stories about other people doing it. I know it’s possible. I want to figure this out. I love the freedom that money allows for me and my family. So I was just determined. So we were in Montana. We were traveling. We do the summer trip every year, so it was all of our family. We were in our RV, and I was really working on this at the time. And I went for a walk one morning with my dog, and I was just really in the groove of, like, thinking, Okay, I’m a money magnet. I find money wherever I go. Money finds me. Money loves me. Like, you know, all those things that you say to yourself when you’re trying to attract money. So we were on the road, and I’m not kidding, I looked down and saw a shiny nickel, and I was like, Oh my gosh, this worked. That is so crazy. So I picked it up. And, you know, you’re supposed to, like, if you find money, I think the thing is, you’re supposed to, like, acknowledge it, and you’re supposed to show it that you value it, and not just like, Oh, it’s just a nickel, that sort of thing. So I picked it up, you know, I value I put it in my pocket. A little while later, I saw a dime. So I picked up the dime. I was like, Oh my gosh, this is crazy. I felt like the richest woman in the world. I remember I went back to our RV and I was like, you guys, I found 15 cents. And my boys were like, Mom, that is really lame, like 15 cents. But I was just so thrilled. So then later that night, my oldest son and I went for another walk, and I was kind of telling about it, like, yeah, I found a nickel, and then I found a dime. And I looked ahead on the street, and there was, I saw money, like a paper money. I was like, you’ve got to be kidding me. So we walked up to it. It was $20 bill. We picked it up, and we just looked at it like, What in the world just happened? Oh, my God. And he’s Yeah, yeah. And then he said to me, like, right away, his first response was, Can I have it? And I instinctively replied, there’s more for you. And I don’t know where that came from. It was just like something that just flowed out of my mouth. And then I was kind of confused about what I had said. I was like, there’s more for you. What did I mean by that? We took a few more steps and there was another $20 bill in the road. We were just like, Oh my gosh. We went back. I gave him that $20 bill. I mean, it wasn’t mine to give him, but I was like, I have that one. I’ll take the first one. We went back, and we were telling the story to my husband and other son and the friends we were staying with, and nobody believed us. They were like, what you found two $20 bills in the middle of the road? I’m like, Yes, I swear it just happened. So yeah, that was one of my coolest money experiences, where just being in that mindset of believing that I’m a money magnet, and it literally came to me. It was like being magnetized to me. Super cool story.

Dyutima Jha 09:45

That is a super cool story. I mean, I can hear it as many times as you’re willing to tell it, and it’s going to knock my socks off every single time. I’m pretty sure that’s what’s happening to everyone who’s tuning in right now. That is insane. But also that’s the power of the mind. And I’m also just wondering, you know, if you didn’t have that mindset, if you if you were not in that zone at that time, how different this experience or this whole thing would have rolled out, you know? So on that note, Megan, you know, are there any like Mindset Mistakes, or, you can say, limiting beliefs that we carry within ourselves that actually stops us from finding success like this, like, you know, you you are attracting, you were attracting money because you were a money magnet. So similarly, you know, attracting success or reaching our goals. Do you think there are limiting beliefs or mindset mistakes that we make that actually stalls our success and limits it from reaching us. 

Megan Porta  10:42

So many I mean, honestly, I think we’re all walking around with so many limiting beliefs, not just about money, but about our success and what we can achieve, so many things that we’re not even aware of. And when you start digging a little bit, you can uncover what those things are. I honestly believe that, like 90% or more of what is holding us back we don’t even know exists. I remember, like a few years ago when I started getting into this money mindset stuff, I uncovered that a family just belief about money had stuck with me for all of my life, and I didn’t even know it, so I was aware of what it was. I just started rewriting that story and changed it, and that is when things really started to change. So yes, there are so many mistakes. I mean, I think that we underestimate its importance. First of all, we underestimate that the mindset, the work that we do in our mindset, has power, and that is probably number one, just dismissing it, not acknowledging that it’s a really important factor to success. And then I have so many other things. I don’t know how many you want me to get into, but I would say that’s where to start, like acknowledging its power and then just starting to uncover what your specific beliefs are that are holding you back, and that can be really hard and scary, because it can uncover, like traumas, or, you know, things that were told you in childhood that you have just carried with you your whole life. So it’s not a necessarily an easy journey, but I think, yeah, those are two good places to start.

Dyutima Jha  12:23

And it’s really hard to kind of understand or find out that, oh yeah, you know, this is a belief that I’ve carried throughout my life. This is influenced by my childhood, or this is what I grew up with, and that’s why I think about it like this. It’s really tough. It’s really hard for, you know, us to just be going on about our lives and then have this sudden breakthrough, or this realization that, oh yeah, this is like that. It takes a lot of mindfulness, a lot of you know, educating yourself, trying to dig in deeper to actually come down to that. Would you agree?

Megan Porta  12:57

Oh gosh, I so agree with that. Yeah. It’s like we have to stop ourselves in our tracks, whether it’s something that happens in our life, or someone like us talking and having this conversation and just having forcing somebody to stop and just think about where they’re at and how they need to change. Something needs to stop you in your tracks, to kind of do a reset, I think. But yeah, I totally agree with that

Dyutima Jha 13:20

and and you said that, you know, the number one thing that we need to keep in mind is that our mind is that powerful, and what we are thinking, What is going on inside us, it’s probably going to show up on the outside as well. So do you think there’s a correlation between, you know, what we focus on, what’s going on inside, what are our thoughts and what actually comes our way, 100%

Megan Porta  13:45

and I think a lot of people don’t believe this until they start experimenting with it, and then they see the power of it and see that it’s true, and then they believe it. One of my favorite quotes is from Tony Robbins, I believe. And he says, where your focus goes, your energy flows. And I think that is so true, because we all have those days when we’re like, oh my gosh, my shoulder hurts, my knee hurts, like you start focusing on these little pains, or maybe it’s more of like an emotional pain that you’re experiencing, or like negative things, and then more negative things roll into your life, it just happens, and it’s not a coincidence. And then when you’re intentional, on those days, you wake up and you just decide to be positive and focus on the good things, the positive things, and then everything starts happening for the better, just like the money story, I decided, oh my gosh, I’m gonna be really excited about a nickel. And I literally believe that that set everything in motion for finding two $20 bills like it really does work. It really does and it doesn’t. It’s not just limited to money, it’s it’s everything in your life. It’s the people who are in your life focusing on. And the good people and the energy in your life, the opportunities that come to you in work. I mean, it’s literally everything around you and how your life is structured, the vacations that come to you, the things you want to the cars, if it’s material things, if it’s love, I mean, it’s absolutely everything. Yeah,

Dyutima Jha 15:21

I think it’s like a snowball effect. The more you start focusing on the negative, the more you will keep on focusing on the negative, and the more negative will start, you know, coming on to you. So, yeah, totally agree. How about change? Like, I feel like, okay, you know, let’s say that we are in a great situation and things are really going our way. But that’s not the way the creative world works. You know this the especially the business world, doesn’t work like that. This constant changing. You have to constantly adapt. You have to pivot, and you have to embrace and you have to move with the same energy and the same fire in your belly. So change is a really tough one that can take that focus or that positivity, or that you know, feeling of, oh, this is great, and just focusing on the right thing, change can really derail that focus. So what are some ways that you think that creators can actually adapt to change which is kind of inevitable in business?

Megan Porta  16:17

Yeah, it is inevitable. I think 100% perspective, if your perspective is that change is going to send you overboard, then it is. That’s what’s going to happen. But if you go into business, or whatever your venture is, believing that change is inevitable and just accepting that fact and not resisting it, you are going to survive the long haul. I talk to a lot of food bloggers every single week, and this is the number one thing that just sends people overboard. It’s change. We don’t know what’s coming with so many things in our industry, and when changes happen, it sends panic throughout the community, and they don’t know how to deal with it, but the people I see and talk to who just have that perspective that this is going to happen all the time, and we’re always going to be okay, and we’re going to survive and we’re going to thrive, and our businesses are going to come out on the other side, okay and way better. Those are the people who really, yeah, they stay in it and their businesses do thrive. When I started food blogging, I had just made the decision that I was in. I was not going to not be in. I was going to do it until I made it work and achieved the freedoms that I wanted to achieve. So I had that perspective from the beginning, and I’ve never lost it that I’m in for the long haul. It doesn’t matter what happens me, I’m going to sort of 18. Up until that point, I had been getting mad wild. Pinterest traffic. Pinterest loved me. I hardly had to do anything. I got so much Pinterest traffic. It was beautiful. It was amazing. And then overnight, one night, Pinterest decided to put an algorithm change in place, and my traffic tanked because I was getting most of my traffic from Pinterest. So it was the saddest graph ever. I mean, I remember opening Google Analytics one evening. It was actually during the Super Bowl. I don’t know why I remember that. Probably because it was, you know, one of those, like, I’ll never forget moments. But I remember we were just sitting there, and my heart sunk, my stomach sunk, because it was, like, all up here and then crash down, and just yeah, it looked abysmal. But I just decided, like, long ago, before that point, I had decided I was going to do this no matter what. So while that was really hard, I did not let it shake me. I kept moving forward, and I just kind of set that as my new norm, like this is my new standard that I’m working from, and I knew I’d have to try to build it back and learn other ways to get traffic. I started going to conferences after that, so it really was a good catalyst for learning and growing. But that was probably the hardest change I have personally faced in my blogging business,

Dyutima Jha  19:17

And I think that’s such a great example. Thank you for sharing that. Because I feel like, you know, again, we get so comfortable, or we get used to the idea of finding success through one medium or one way, and when that goes down, suddenly we feel like it’s all crashing. We’re not meant for this. This was not our world. And you know, now there’s no way out, but there’s always a way out, as long as we know that, you know we just have to keep going. And I, I love that you you found, I mean attending conferences or being in a network, I’m sure that this was a way to open bigger opportunities. Yeah, for you, if Pinterest had continued like that, maybe those. Opportunities wouldn’t have found themselves, you know, on the way to you. So it’s, you know, if one thing is closing, there’s definitely another opening there. And so when there is a change, it’s making way for bigger things to reach you. That’s what I think. Do you agree? Yeah?

Megan Porta  19:17

Oh, I so agree with that. And I was also going to say, if I had quit at that point, and I think a lot of people might have considered quitting because it was significant. Like, I was getting a million page views a month from Pinterest prior to that, and it went down to, like, almost nothing. That’s a huge blow, a huge punch in the stomach. So I think a lot of people may have considered quitting, but if I had, I would not have experienced, like, literally the best years of my life. So after that, like I said, I started going to conferences, I started really digging into learning and networking and all of these really amazing, beautiful things started coming into my life, and I was able to provide for my family in a way that I really never dreamed. We travel all the time. I just can’t imagine when I think back, like, if I had quit and gone back to a corporate job I was almost there, like, I you know, it’s like that story about digging for gold, and people stop digging, like, right before they strike gold. That is exactly what that point in my journey was, if I would have stopped. Oh my gosh. I’m just so grateful that I kept going. In retrospect,

Dyutima Jha 21:23

I know it’s, it’s always rewarding to, you know, overcome yourself and just take that one more step. You have no idea what, what waits for you in that one step. On that note. Megan, do you think that, like I just feel like, in this, you know, Fast Track World, everybody is looking for quick, fast, easy, short, you know, that’s the tone of the generation of the era. And do you think that that’s one of the reasons why creators quit or they don’t? Oh, I mean, they don’t find success because they leave or they quit too quickly. What are your thoughts on this?

Megan Porta  21:56

Yes, I definitely do. I hear it a lot in our space and just in the entrepreneurial world, I think that it’s really easy with all of the entrepreneurs in existence right now doing their thing and and really finding success with, you know, being an entrepreneur. I think it’s easy to see those people crushing it and to get disarmed by it, because it’s like, oh, I just assume that person X has been successful from the start, but we don’t take into account that that person has put in so much energy and love and money and time into their business, just like we are doing now. So it’s easy to compare the wrong parts of other people’s journeys with ours, and to forget that they came from the same place that we did, and then you get so discouraged that you just quit. So like we kind of touched on a little bit ago, just having that mindset and perspective that this is a long game, some people have long, long, long journeys to find their success. So keep that in mind. Don’t give up. Make the decision to keep at it no matter what, and you’ll eventually get there. But yeah, the discouragement comes from, I think, mostly that comparison piece. 

Megan Porta  23:15

And most of the time that comparison is so unnecessary and unfair, because I know I felt that like when I started podcasting, I was looking at numbers a lot, and then I would hear all these entrepreneurs who had these buzzing podcasts, and they were like, Oh, we just hit a million downloads this month. And I was like, That is insane. And then after, you know, a lot of like, heartbreak and beating myself up. I learned that they had been doing it for 15 years. They had been podcasting for 15 years. It’s not exactly, yeah, and after 15 years, they have a million downloads a month. Of course they would, right? Why not? They played the long game. And similarly, on social media, we see people with so many followers, and we see, you know, them putting content day in and day out, and we compare that, but their life is not our life. They are not us. Their personal hurdles are not ours, and ours is not theirs. So it’s such an important mindset to have, especially in the creative world, you know, as compared to the corporate world, where success is not coming instantly. It’s not coming as material validation of a bonus, a promotion, something like that. It’s really you just have to keep doing it in and out, in and out, and then ultimately, one day it’ll click and it’ll just be onwards and upwards from there.

Megan Porta  24:38

right tipping point. I think we all get to that tipping point where, you know, it just kind of like, you’re like, this, and then it just tips in your favor. And you don’t realize it’s really coming until it happens. And then you’re like, Okay, good. The Tipping Point happened. But yeah, for some it’s like, I said it’s a long game. It can be, but everything. Thing you said was so perfect and beautiful. And I love how you framed that. Yes, I so agree with that,

25:07

and I love that you said that, you know you wouldn’t have had the opportunities had you not pivoted. I feel like people don’t give success enough time to reach them. You’re not allowing success to take its path, its journey. Success has its journey as well. So if you’re not allowing that to happen, it’s not going to be able to reach you. You take a shortcut and you get out. You’ve lost it somewhere along the way. So I think you are, you’re such a this is such a great example. And I think for creators, your example was so perfect, because a lot of our success or validation or acknowledgement comes through our analytics, our numbers. What’s the traffic we are getting? You know, how many leads are we getting through our, you know, digital content. So this was such a great example. Tell me. Megan, can you share with us? Maybe two or three ways in which we can reframe our thoughts to actually attract success, maybe two or three ways that come to your mind, yeah,

Megan Porta  26:09

Stopping negative thinking is so hard because I think we’re all in the groove of just doing it without even thinking about it honestly. So number one is just awareness. I would say, as you go through your day, do this for at least a week, just start being aware of what you’re thinking. And that can be about your business. It can be about the people in your life, the driver who cut you off, oh my gosh, the school pickup line. I don’t know if anyone else, like freaks out about that and thinks terrible things I do. Yeah, but yeah, just start, like noticing what you’re thinking throughout the day, and if you need to write it down, that’s great. So that is step one. You don’t have to do anything about it. Just be aware if you’re doing a lot of negative thinking. And it’s okay if you are, because we all are usually and then I would say number two is, once you’re aware of kind of where your negative thinking is going just start changing those thoughts. So maybe, if it’s the school pickup line and you just had a terrible thought about the person who cut you off again and haunted you, this happened to me two days ago. Yeah, I was like, seriously, I’m picking up my kid from school and you’re honking at me. So yeah, this is like, this is a trigger for me. So figure out your triggers and just start replacing them. So instead of thinking that maybe it’s, Oh, I bet she’s in a hurry, I I’m sending love to her. I really hope she’s okay. And it might seem really forced and unnatural, but that really does help, because then next time it happens, you’re more likely to like, oh, maybe I should really be concerned. Is she okay? And you start training yourself to just replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. That might seem like it’s not going to have any effect in your life, but if you can do this over time consistently, I promise you, you’re going to start seeing good things come into your life. That whole quote from Tony Robbins, where your energy goes if you’re thinking terrible things about people or yourself, that’s what’s going to come back to you. So awareness and just starting to slowly chip away at replacing those negative thoughts, I think that is a really solid place to start.

28:15

And they sound easy, but they’re so tough, you know, I know it’s like, I can hear people just saying this in their minds right now as they’re listening. You know, we always think that, you know, it’s okay. I’m just going to switch. I’m just going to, you know, focus on what’s the positive. It is one of the toughest things to do, especially, like you said, you know, being a busy mom, dropping your kids off, and then knowing that you have a whole day of work ahead of you. You’re a solopreneur. You’re sitting by yourself. It’s not like you can rant to someone else and let off that steam. So writing is such a great medium that you know you suggested, I think that’s that’s such a good way of just putting it out there, getting out of your system, and then focusing back. But on that note, Megan, I feel like a lot of folks feel that, especially creators, feel like I’m working so hard, I’m doing everything it takes. You know, why do I need to stay positive? I’m so talented, I’m going to be able to crush it. You know, I have so many clients, and I’m putting in the hours that’s needed. So, you know, even if I have negative thoughts. So what? So what I’m still doing well. So how important is that? You know, no matter how successful we are, where we want to be, where does that positivity, peace fall into the overall success or the health and wellness of our business?

Megan Porta  29:38

It’s so important. So to that situation, I would say, if you feel like you are working so hard and you are so talented, and that is enough, if you can add some positivity and mindset and self care to your life, you are not going to need to work so hard. You can work a lot lot less and lighten your workload, lighten your stress and anxiety by a ton, and actually enjoy life and still find that success, and even more, because you’re going to make room for even better things to come in. So working hard is definitely not enough to be successful. You can find success with working hard, yes, but you can find so much more success with working less and staying on top of your mindset and taking care of yourself.

30:28

I love that answer. I just absolutely love it because, you know, the definition of success is so different for everybody, and definitely money is part of success, but success is so much about joy, satisfaction, living a full life, and, you know, being comfortable in your own skin, finding that inner peace. So all of those things together account for, you know, success and also mental health. So, you know, overworking and just pushing too hard and being in the grind. 24/7, all those things can really take a toll. I absolutely love your answer that working hard is one thing, but making time for yourself just by getting that positive peace in place. Is there anything that you can share? Yes, please go ahead.

Megan Porta  31:13

Oh, I was going to say, if you’re listening to us talking and you’re like, Hmm, I don’t know, it’s been really working well for me, working hard all the time, I would say, just try it, like, find something that you can tweak in your mindset, or just taking care of yourself or changing your thinking for a period of time, and see what happens. And I promise you, you will see a change for the better.

Dyutima Jha  31:40

Can you give like listeners, just maybe a tip or a simple way that they can change their thinking? What is it that they need to do? What is one practice or two practices that can help them switch from negative to positive mode?

Megan Porta  31:54

Oh, this is so hard again, like being aware, I think journaling too, and just being really self reflective. So if there’s something in your life that you find yourself being negative about a lot, write it out. Pretend that you are your own therapist. Just start writing like I have a problem with the lady in the pickup line. Why is this? And then just get to the bottom of it. I think there’s so much power in journaling, and that’s why talk therapy is so powerful for a lot of people, is because it’s just like you digging into why you’re doing the things you’re doing, and changing those things, like recognizing and changing so whatever you need to do to recognize and just change one or two things, I think will be really powerful for anyone listening.

Dyutima Jha  32:42

Maybe getting hold of some books, some podcasts, that can provide some more tools to be able to bring that sense of awareness. Being aware is number one, and then taking action is the second. Yeah, so bringing that awareness would be number one. Yes, I agree. The other thing I feel Megan is that, you know, we’re talking about working very, very hard, and I feel like most creators who have a business work very hard. I feel like bloggers work so hard. You know, photographers work so hard, and it’s so much work. And many times there is this sense, aha. You know, no matter how hard I work, I never get what she has. Why does she have more? I’m doing the same thing. I think I take better pictures than her, or I don’t have enough clients, you know, or as many clients as her. Why does she have so many followers that I don’t? Or it could go the other way, that I work so hard, but I don’t think I’m good enough. You know, I think I don’t have as much talent as them. So there could be both these voices, these kind of voices, that are constantly running in our heads, and in spite of it, we are working hard. But the point is that we often times don’t get the results we want in spite of putting in the effort that we are. So do you think it’s possible that you can work very hard and you can still not achieve proportionate results? What do you think could be a cause and a solution for that?

Megan Porta  34:12

Yeah, I think what you said is a big one. So competition, comparing yourself too much to others. I think there’s good competition, but I think it can really get in your head if you let it. That is probably one of the biggest resistances, I think, for food bloggers and any entrepreneur in general that can really mess with our mindset like that, they’re doing this and I’m not doing that, and then that’s your focus, right? You’re focusing there what you’re not doing well, and if that’s where your energy is going to go, Well, you’re not good at that. So a solution for that is, I know this is hard, but just keep your eyes off of people. If this is something that you struggle with, comparing yourself and looking at other people’s journeys and feeling not enough, then for. A time, just take your eyes off of what they’re doing. Don’t look on Instagram anymore. Don’t look on Facebook. Don’t visit blogs and look to see what they’re doing or what their images are looking like. Just focus on your stuff for a time and really show gratitude for everything that you produce and the creativity you have and the skills that you have and the knowledge that you have and the access to all the tools that you have. Just try to overcome that comparison with gratitude and focusing on what you do really well.

35:36

Close off the noise and anything that is trigger. It’s a trigger, right? Like what we talked about before, this is definitely a trigger. And the power of the mind is that we are in complete control to shut off that noise, that change that voice, you know, whatever we saying to ourselves, just shift it. I’m not gonna have she’s doing it better. Oh, I can try that. Maybe I’ll be like that, you know, again. So I like that, but it’s again. I know that we are saying all these things. I know a lot of folks are like, Oh, that’s really tough, but it comes with small, simple steps that we take over and over again on a daily basis. And it becomes second nature, it becomes a habit, and you begin to like and love being in this place of positivity, in this, you know, happy zone of yours. So I want to go back to your Pinterest story, the example that you shared with us. And I just, I love it. I I just have such a respect for people who are always pushing themselves out of their comfort zones. And I feel like you definitely demonstrated. You know, the setback that you felt at that time to have been able to push through and get yourself, you know, in a place where you didn’t feel comfortable, like attending conferences is a highly uncomfortable thing for people to do. You know, putting your face out there, being physically present, talking to people. Most people hate it. You were there, all right, so I would love for you to share some tips, some you know, some of your suggestions on how creators can actually beat that inertia of staying in their comfort zones.

Megan Porta  37:16

This is a biggie. Oh, so many of us resist doing scary things, because it’s really comfortable to be in our comfort zone. And I sometimes think back, like, why? What gave me the motivation to go to conferences or, you know, do all the scary things that I’ve done in my journey? And I think there was just a point, not just in my entrepreneurial journey, but in my life, when I just decided that I could do scary things, and on the other side of scary things were actually really big, awesome things. So I think that decision that I had made in my life was pivotal. That was key. So I would recommend that if you resist doing scary things to just decide, just make the decision that you’re going to start now to do those things that you know you need to do, but that feel really scary. And you can start by practicing with little scary things. So if something little comes up, like, I don’t know, maybe a friend invites you to a party that you just don’t feel comfortable going to or something. That’s not a really big deal, but it’s might seem really scary, little scary, just do it, and then you can start practicing your scaries. Start with little scary, and then move up too big, and you’ll see that you’re going to be greatly rewarded in your life for doing those scary things. Every single time I do something scary that’s not like, you know, threatening my life or anything, yeah, something good that I don’t see coming comes my way. It’s the coolest thing ever. And once you see the power of that, you kind of want to do more scary things. Now, whenever I’m faced with something scary, I’m like, All right, bring it. I’m excited to see what’s on the other side of this. So, yeah, it’s just a habit. You have to get into the habit of doing it, and that seems way too daunting. Start with the smallest thing that comes your way in the next week.

Dyutima Jha 39:14

And I feel like when you are successful or you have fun doing the scary things, and you come out brave. You know, out of that situation, there’s a hit of dopamine, and you just wanted, like you said, you want to do it again, because

Megan Porta  39:28

you get that hit of dopamine feel good. You’re like, I did it. Yeah, exactly.

Dyutima Jha 39:32

And it’s, it gets addictive, and then you are less scared of taking risks. I remember, I was at Universal Studios in Orlando, and there was this mummy ride. Alright, I don’t know who’s been on the mummy ride, but it’s scary as heck.

Megan Porta  39:49

Return to the Mummy, I was on it a few months ago.

Dyutima Jha 39:54

It so I am petrified. I’m not a high thrill seeker. I’m not somebody who would be voluntarily sit on a roller coaster. And my husband kind of, you know, he said, Oh, let’s do it. Let’s do it. I’m like, I’m just going to close my eyes the whole time and shout and scream. That’s all I’m going to do. So it’s something that’s just not a part of my teacher. I sat on that roller coaster and it was insane. I mean, you, you just did it recently, so you would know it, it’s a very creative ride. Actually, it’s done so creatively. It’s not just a roller coaster that’s scary. There is there is mystery, there is a bit of an experience. There’s hot, there’s cold, there’s up and down. There’s a bit of an experience.

Megan Porta  40:35

Yeah, there’s literally a fire. There’s fire

Dyutima Jha 40:39

in it, exactly. So, we finished that ride, of course, half my half of the time my eyes were closed. And then we finished the ride, and I get off, and I’m like, I was shaking. I was shaking. I was so scared. I was shaking. And then my husband looks at me, he’s like, how was it? I said, Let’s do it one more time. Just one more time. I just wanted to one more time. Just can’t believe it. Yeah, you know, you put yourself in a situation that you think you will not survive. You survive it. And then the pride that you feel that that that hit of dopamine, that sense of, I can do this is so big, it’s bigger than the fear you feel of not doing something. 

Megan Porta  41:19

There it is, right? That’s the key, right there. What’s scarier not doing it and not seeing the awesome outcome or doing the scary thing. So keep that in mind as you are faced with scary stuff, absolutely.

Dyutima Jha 41:31

But also. Megan, I feel like you know, not everybody is born brave, not everybody is born with a lot of inner strength. Not everybody has come through a journey of childhood and, you know, adulthood, where they’re strong, women are not always very strong. There are lots of things that pull us back, and we need to kind of work on that skill of being, you know, having that inner strength. I feel like you are kind of that person who is brave and strong is like, I’m going to fight this, I’m going to deal with this, I’m going to pivot, I’m going to change, I’m going to do what’s uncomfortable. But not everybody is like that. So are there any tools that you used that helped you become stronger, braver, or can help others. Maybe there are some books that you can recommend, or some podcasts that you had listened to, or just simple practices that you started doing that gave you that courage, any one or two things that you can share with our listeners.

Megan Porta  42:36

Yeah. I mean, I have. I’m such an avid book reader, so about a million I could rattle off, but I would just say, start with habits and being. teaching yourself to be braver is like growing a muscle, like, if you want to get really strong biceps or legs or whatever, and you start going to the gym, it’s going to take time, and you have to keep doing it over and over and over. It’s not something that is going to show up in a week. So give yourself a lot of grace and time and patience, I would say, and then just keep practicing and building really good habits and working on your mindset and all of that is going to make you stronger over time, and, like I mentioned a little bit ago, just doing little scary things is going to build confidence in you, like, Oh, I did that. That party wasn’t so bad. Now I can go to a conference, so you’re going to kind of build those muscles up, but you you do have to commit to doing it and be consistent. Oh, that is probably key, right there. Consistency is key with this. So don’t just do it for a week and then forget about it. You’ve got to do it again and again and again. So one of the books I would recommend, if this was something that sounds really intriguing, is Atomic Habits by James Clear. It’s such an essential book, I think, for every human, because it just talks about building those little habits and keeping good habits in your life over time, and how that can really build up and turn into huge blessings and good things and opportunities. So I would start with that, and anything that you can think of that is going to help you to build confidence. So if it’s like hosting a cooking class or a webinar, even though it’s scary, it is going to be like one little inch closer to you being more confident and more brave. And just keep doing those things. If somebody asks you to be on a podcast and that sounds really scary, just do it. You know your topic really well. You’re going to show up and deliver awesome value. So those things will start coming your way once you make the decision that you’re going to be braver, you’re going to increase your confidence, and that you are going to say yes to all of those opportunities and just keep doing that over and over and over over time.

Dyutima Jha  44:57

I love it. I love it. Thank you for sharing. Those and on the topic of, you know, taking small, simple action, I feel like a big piece of the puzzle in finding success and finding success in a joyful way, is being aware of our time management. We have only so much time in the day. We have so many family responsibilities or other responsibilities that sometimes we feel like we are working the whole day and nothing gets done. We’re putting in so much time and yet no results are coming through. So I feel like time management is such a big piece of the puzzle. So are there small changes that you think we can make in our time management that makes us more productive?

Megan Porta  45:40

First of all, I would say just mindset. So instead of saying I don’t have time for X, Y, Z, start saying I have time for everything I want time for. Because that’s true. You have all the time in the world to do the things you want to do. You’re just not prioritizing it, which is kind of hard to hear, right? But when you start rephrasing that and saying it in a little bit different way, like I have the time, the time is there, then you’ll start seeing the things that you are spending time on a lot differently. So start with that, start making that change in your mindset and your words and your thoughts. And then I would also say boundaries is a huge one for time. For a while in my business, I was like, going to lunches a lot and coffee dates, I would say yes a lot to people who were kind of infringing on my work time. And I came to a point where I just decided I need to protect the time that I’m at home and able to work, and my kids are at school, and I got really fierce with my boundaries, like to the point where people were like, What is wrong with you? But I had to do that, and by doing that, I was able to find this just rush of productivity in my business and not just that, but in my life. Because then it was really clear, like, my work stops here, and then it’s family time, or whatever time. And so I was able to show up more presently with my family. So really, really protect the time that you have to work, protect the time that you have with your family or your loved ones or by yourself, even like your self care time. And then I have one other little recommendation, and that is trying time blocking. So just putting on your calendar, like I am working from nine to two today, and these are the tasks I’m going to work on, and just holding yourself accountable. And if you can’t do it yourself, find somebody else to hold you accountable. Time blocking is so powerful if you if you actually do it. So, yeah, I would say those are my main suggestions for that.

Dyutima Jha 47:48

Yeah, and I think it just circles back to the whole point of being aware know how much time you have, know what you need to get done. Understand that that much time is enough for you to, you know, get the results you want and also make as much use as you can of what is available. I think time is a big one, like it can cause burnout. It can cause so much frustration, dissatisfaction, it can be such a negative, negative thing in our creative lives that, you know, having a grip on it is definitely a piece of the puzzle that we need to have in place to be able to attract that success towards us.

Megan Porta  48:27

Yeah, that’s so true. And once you do kind of figure it out that you actually do have the time that you want so much goodness comes to you, because it’s like this whole new world of freedom, like I had this time all along, and I didn’t even know it, but it does take some tweaking and some boundary setting with yourself and with other people, and maybe a bit of discomfort while you’re figuring it out. But once you do, it’s so amazing.

Dyutima Jha  48:55

And I think boundary setting is so important, because most of us work at home, we definitely have, you know, food to put on the table in the evening, and there’s laundry, and then there’s a phone call, and then your mom has an emergency, and then the dog needs to go out for a walk. It’s like life just keeps coming in the way, versus if you’re sitting in an office, no one disturbs you, they’re all like, Oh, she’s at work, you know, she can’t talk right now. So kind of sitting that similar thing, like we also need that communication with our family members and for them to understand that we are at work and we are in office, you know, that kind of thing. I think that’s very important, and telling ourselves as well. For me personally, I’ve had a really massive burnout journey that took away eight months of my life just because of poor time management. And that is the one thing that when I put into place, I have seen massive results. So I feel so passionate. And, you know, I completely advocate having systems, applications, automations and anything you know and mind and place to be able to work effectively.

Megan Porta  50:03

I completely agree. It’s one of the most important things to nail in your business. 

Dyutima Jha  50:10

And let’s say that somebody can nail it in their business. Let’s say somebody can have that time management piece of the puzzle really well. They know how they sit out. They know what tasks to do and all of that. In addition to that, how do you think like or maybe you can just share some productivity tips for them to be able to maximize that effort that they can put into that already great time management piece that they have figured out. 

Megan Porta  50:38

This is one of my favorite topics ever. I could probably do like a five part series on this, but I’ll do like my favorite tips. So I’ve always been really intrigued by productivity. Like my first job out of college, I noticed that I was, I was getting a lot more done than the people around me, and I just found it so intriguing, like I would do a lot more than them. And I was like, why is that we’re both, you know, qualified, skilled people, and why am I getting more done? And I found all these little things that I was doing that kind of put together made me a super productive person. So I think first of all, something I’ve learned recently that I didn’t know back then was prioritizing yourself is going to make you more productive. So creating those boundaries, maybe having a morning routine, working out, taking care of your body, taking care of your mind, eating well, getting enough sleep is huge for me. When I can do all of those things, I’m going to be so much more productive when I sit down to work. So I think that is something that can be really easily dismissed, but is probably the most important piece. So taking care of yourself and prioritize that. Put it in your calendar first every single week, and you will be a more productive person. Some other things are just like you mentioned earlier. You know the dog and the mother calls or whatever. Like just working. When you sit down to work, you’re just working. I started shutting my office door because my cat would come in and crawl on my desk, and then I’d be like, Oh, he needs whatever. You know. Limit distractions as much as you can. Shut your doors. Communicate with your family, like you said about expectations and boundaries. Don’t do laundry, don’t do dishes during your work time, that is for another time. That’s for evening or morning or whatever, but when you’re sitting down to work, that is not an option. Let’s see also like creating a just a really cozy, nurturing environment, I think so. Don’t have a huge mess around you when you’re working. Have plants or things that make you feel inspired. Artwork, I have started doing this thing where I put really inspiring things on my desktop pattern every year. So I’ll do like kind of goals and things that make me happy. Memories I have me and my son sitting in the mountains, and some just pictures that make me happy, and pictures of my family and artwork and flowers and things like that, so that when you glance at them, you’re going to just want to keep going, taking breaks, I think, figure out what your kind of duration is. I know some people have a really hard time sitting and focusing for more than, like, 30 minutes or 60 minutes. If that is you, that’s fine, set a timer and go for a walk around the block and then come back and work. So kind of figuring out your attention span, I think, is really important for productivity. And then last, I would say, just outsourcing, getting getting help that you need so that you can be productive when you’re sitting down and you’re not thinking about housekeeping or whatever else in your home, or what’s going on in your yard, yeah, putting systems in place, you mentioned that earlier, and accountability as well. So doing all of the things that we’ve talked about, and then asking your loved ones to keep you on track when you are slipping, because we are our own boss and we can slip. So I tell this story all the time, but there was a long period of time where I was just working too much, and I knew I didn’t want to be I wanted my deadline to be five o’clock every night. So I told my boys, who were pretty young at the time. I was like, if you see the clock and it’s five o’clock or later, come into my office and force me to leave my work. And they did it. My youngest son, Sammy. He’s so cute. He would come, like, get under my desk, and he would kind of like, move my feet up and down. And he’d be like, trit trot. Trit trot. It’s time to go home. And it was so cute that it just kind of disarmed me and just made me like, Okay, I need to set this down. So do whatever you need to get the support of people around you, because most likely they will love to support you. And I could go on and on, but those are kind of my. Main tips for productivity and just how to really get in the groove of being a productive human. 

Dyutima Jha  55:08

I love those. And you know, especially like, I mean everything that you said, especially when you said, Oh, take out time for self care, like, have a morning routine, or you said, Go, take a break. Go for a walk around the block. I feel like a lot of lot of times we think, ah, that’s counterintuitive. I’m wasting time. I could be working in that time, but it’s so true that that break that morning routine actually pumps our productivity, makes us more alert and efficient. I have recently discovered the joy of an afternoon power nap. And, yeah, it I’m a power napper, and I’ve been exhausted because my husband travels a lot. I have a toddler at home. I have two dogs and a business to run, so I get pretty exhausted. And I’ve been so, yeah, I’ve been so tired that I remember, I was like, I just need a nap. And I took a 15 minute nap one afternoon. I was like, wow, I was working double, working faster, more alert, very fresh, and I could I got the same amount of work done in two hours that I would have taken six hours to do before. So you are so right that when we begin to carve out that time for self care, for breaks. It is actually we think it’s counter into but it’s not. It’s not counterproductive at all. It’s actually increasing our efficiency. So I absolutely love your tips. Megan, are there any any such breakthroughs that you discovered along the way about you know, that increased your productivity?

Megan Porta  56:36

I think the self care is the biggest one. And then I’m glad that you mentioned naps, because that’s something a lot of entrepreneurs, I think are embarrassed to say, like, if they do occasionally take naps or need a nap, that is not embarrassing at all. If you take power naps or even an hour long nap, whatever, embrace that and talk about it, because that’s clearly what your body needs. Yeah, I think for me, my biggest realization was just what you said exactly like it is so counterintuitive to think that taking a break is going to make me more productive. But I started stepping away from my desk for lunch and just sitting outside, if it was nice out, or taking a walk around the block or more, and I would come back just like after your power nap and feel way more refreshed and energized. And yeah, I can get so much done in a shorter amount of time when I do that. So I think you and I had very similar realizations that just a little bit of time re energizing can go a long way. And also the if you don’t like napping, I was going to say the great alternative to that would be just like a 10 minute meditation, sit with nothing around you, just quiet. Maybe you can open a YouTube video for a guided meditation or meditation music. There’s so many things. You can search on YouTube in that realm and just sit for 10 minutes, and you’d be surprised how energized you are after that. So if napping isn’t your thing, that might be another good option.

Dyutima Jha 58:10

There’s so many ways, but breaks are so important. I love it. Yeah, fantastic. Megan, this was such a brilliant conversation, and I love how we touched upon everything that holistically comes together to create that, you know, that little world of success that we are looking at, it’s a it’s not just hard work, it’s not just talent, it’s not just money, but the power of our mind, or, you know, being able to adapt, to change, to do the scary things, to get out of our comfort zones, or, you know, to manage our time, or to take a nap, or to, you know, get more productive, everything that is just part of the whole process. And you know that we need to do day in and day out to be able to attract that little ball of success that’s slowly rolling towards us. I love it, and you’ve left us with so many actionable tips. So that is something that our audience, our listeners, can put into practice immediately. I love it. Can you before you go share with us your social media, your website, where they can come and find you, your podcast and anything else that you would like to share with our listeners? 

Megan Porta  59:17

Sure. So if you are interested in learning more about blogging and all of the pieces of the puzzle, including self care and everything we’ve talked about today. You can search your favorite podcast player for Eat Blog Talk, and you’ll find 500 plus amazing episodes there. I talked to so many great guests. Also connect with me on Instagram @eatblogtalk, and we’ve also started including mindset episodes this year, which have been really fun for me to do, and they’re along the lines of everything we’re talking about here today. So yeah, go check it out, and I love to have you as a listener. 

Dyutima Jha  59:56

Perfect. Thank you so much, Megan, for being here for sharing. Wisdom and your wealth of knowledge with us. Thank you so much.

Megan Porta  1:00:03

Thank you so much. This was so fun. 

Outro  1:00:06

If you enjoyed this topic, you’ll also love the episode I recommend in the show notes, click on the episode description to find the link. Thank you, and I will see you next time you.

 


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