Claudia De Voogt - What If It IS Possible? Daring to Do Life Your Way.

00:03  Hey everyone, and welcome to my talk on this amazing summit. And so my talk is going to be about it can be done with a big emphasis on it can be done. It's all about breaking the rules and creating a life that fits you, Only you. And for that, you're going to have to figure out, of course, what it is that you want and how it can fit you. But let's just dive right in. The first question I'd like you to to ask is what's holding you back? And remember that the rules we've been taught aren't always true. So when you were growing up, a lot of people had influence on your thoughts, your habits, on the things that you think consciously, but even a lot more important on the things that you are thinking deep down.    

01:02  I actually realized a couple of days ago that I had, I still carried some beliefs that I would never even have accepted this as, as coming out of my mouth or coming out of my head. And I was so surprised when I realized those beliefs, those thoughts that I, that I said, yeah, that's not even mine, that's my dad's that's my mom's that stuff that they even picked up. So you may not even realize how many voices are all talking in your head to hold you back from moving forward on your big dream.    

01:39  And so what's your big dream? For me, my big dream was to move to Spain. For you, it's going to be something else. It's probably going to be something out of that box that we're allowed to think in. And So what are all those things that are holding you back let's make it practical. You're not good enough, you're not skilled enough. You'll never make money if you do search and search like my mom, one of the things that my mom told me my whole life is you'll end up under a bridge, You'll you'll rot away under a bridge.    

02:20  Basically anything that has to do with I would end up with no money in terrible situations. And so it was always negative and a doom scenario to prevent me from stepping out of that box that they found to be safe for me.    

02:39  Yeah I, I just said it's not skilled enough, not good enough, not experienced enough. You'll not make enough money. You'll hurt yourself you'll yeah figure it. Fill in the blank you know what they are or you can't imagine what they are. But because they are supposed rules doesn't mean that they are true. They're not always true and they're especially not necessarily true for you. And so let's start questioning them. Let's start questioning whenever something comes up that's like a belief, a thought, a habit, that you have a rule, let's question that and say, OK, does this really apply to me and do I want to carry that into my future? Because how on earth are you going to create a brighter future, a happier life, a life with more freedom if you keep holding on to all of that old stuff? Let's have a look at that picture.    

03:38  How on earth are you going to live in that area, be able to put your chair on that pavement, looking out over that ocean, if you never take the leap and those steps to get there. So moving on, I'll tell you a bit about my story and about how I stopped waiting for permission, waiting for everything that you're waiting for, and just started creating my dream life, like going for what I want. And it's not like I just stepped out of the blue and said, hey, this is my dream life i'm going for it because I had so much stuff holding me back, remember, from the previous slide.    

04:25  And it took like ginormous changes and like hitting your your head against the wall over and over to finally choose me. And so my dream actually started when I was 14. So if you know me, you know that I grew up in Belgium. Belgium is grey, rainy, cold with here and there a bit of sunny days. But that was my experience. Other people love it there, but that was not my experience. I needed sun i wanted sun, sun, the sunlight and the warmth of the sun.    

05:03  That was like the battery that would fuel me, that were the things that would make me happy. That and freedom. And I didn't have either. And so I was 14. And yeah, I, I, I started admitting it first only to myself and then when I said it out loud, everyone was just bashing me and putting me down that I wanted to move to Spain someday i would move to Spain. I would live in the sun i would have my life in the sun yep. What do you guess my parents said? All of those things that I said before, You'll end up under a bridge you'll never make an income, get your feet on the ground, be realistic, stop dreaming all of these silly dreams.    

05:54  And so imagine like there's two parts of you, and especially as you're very young, like one to seven or one to 10 years, like that big dream part, that part of you that thinks anything is possible, it's really big like imagine that big filling the screen. But as we get older, and by the time I was 14, maybe that part of thinking that everything was possible was still that big.    

06:21  And my parents, my environment, everything I've been taught and I've everything I've been through already had taken up that space of believing it wasn't possible. And So what happens over time is that that part that makes you believe you can't grows and grows and grows. And that's how I ended up not moving to speed. I basically walked the path that I was supposed to i went to school, I did my bachelor in a direction that wasn't good for me, but that was a path. And then I went straight to work even though I didn't want to. But I didn't know how to say no i didn't know how to stand up for myself.    

07:02  And that's something very typical for women who grew up here in Europe in the early seventies. We all cut on, not we all, but so many are like me, and so many became my clients and friends of my clients. And we all shared the same thing of, yeah, growing up, our parents did the best they could, but we grew up as women with very low confidence, low self esteem, believing very little things were possible for us.    

07:35  But deep inside there was something fighting, struggling, being very frustrated, like fighting to get out, but it was too afraid to get out. And we didn't even know how to voice it, how to find the words to express it and it would usually come out in tears or emotions that were then being brushed off as to stop being so emotional or stop using your tears to get your way, which we were not doing. I'm just sharing all of this because these are like the things that really resonate with most of the people that I work with.    

08:13  It's that we grew up with this big, big dream, like me sitting there at the beach having a sandwich. This is actually a lunch break that I took in one of the first years that I that I lived here in Spain. And that's what I was dreaming about for so many, many years of just being able to work on a schedule that works for me not having to work a full time but still make full time income, being able to take breaks because I never had like the extrovert high, high energy i never had that i always struggled with my health.    

08:54  But yeah, I did what I was supposed to. I did the jobs I was supposed to i was miserable, miserable most of my adult life. And so you're going to say, duh. No surprise when I tell you that when I was forty i crashed my body, my mind, spirit, everything just that, honey, we're fed up with this. We're putting this to a stop. And in a matter of two three, weeks i, went from, yeah still, kind of well, making myself get by living on coffee and and and and and sugar and and anything I could get to pick me up and then sleeping the whole weekend to get back on Monday to crashing completely to a point where it took me 3 hours to just get up and have breakfast.    

 09:49  That is how much I exhausted myself. Not living my life, not living in a way that was good for me and not living an authentic life. Not living a life in a way that would nourish me, but it would deplete me every single day.    

10:08  And so I could take all the supplements that I wanted, I could go to all the doctors I wanted, but there was never enough to put in me because the amount of stuff that was going out of me, exhausting me, was a million to 1. So it's no wonder that I crashed. And so I was 14, completely burned out, my health down, down the stream gone. And now what? Then I went on basically a 10 year journey of getting my health back. Those first three years were horrible. I was completely exhausted. I had pain just shifting from one place of my body to another.    

10:57  And then I got some diagnosis first it was burnout, then I was fibromyalgia, then I was chronic fatigue. Basically, they didn't know what it was. And so they had to put a label on it. And those were the labels that I got. And the solutions were, there's no solution you have to learn and live with it. And so that's one of those crucial moments in my life. And you probably have something in your life that is going to make you like bang your fist on the table and say, Nope, I am not accepting this.    

11:32  And that's how I went on a journey of a, hey, I want to figure this out how when I can get my health back. And two, how I can, yeah, feel great again and how I can create a life where I'm happier because I was miserable on all levels relationship where I lived, the country I lived in the climate. If I would get my health back, I'd have to go back to a job in Belgium, which was like, no way am I doing that and going back to a full time that would basically, yeah, jeopardize my my health again and get me ballot back into burnout and everything i thought, Nope, not doing that.    

12:17  But it took me yet another three years to get to that point where I said, OK, what else is possible? And so in February of 2016.    

12:33  I had like an epiphany in the middle of the night and I thought, hey, I'm going to check out Spain for three weeks. I did and then in September, I moved to Spain. The relationship was already not a relationship anymore. The guy didn't come with me to Spain, and so I went to Spain. I, I started a new life here on my own with my cat. I did speak Spanish because I had taken Spanish classes before. And yeah, that's what I did. I stopped waiting for someone to come bring the magical pill like so many other people are doing.    

13:13  I stopped waiting for someone to give me permission to go to Spain because nobody gave me permission except the people that were paying, paying me my sick pay. I needed their permission to be able to take my sick pay to Spain. And that's actually what allowed me like those horrible circumstances of being down in the dumps which your health was like, I'm using this as an opportunity to go for my big dream of living a happier, better life in a warm climate in the sun. And I could end it here, but I needed the Plan B. So I know, I knew that I had that sick pay, but I was 43 at a time.    

13:58  I knew that no way on earth would they pay me that sick pay until I was 67 Later, I helped other people do that. They had a different setup and for them, they didn't have to get a job or get a Plan B. But for me, I knew with yeah, the diagnosis that I got that they would not keep paying me for yeah, from 43 to 67 when you get your pension.    

14:27  And so I needed Plan B and that was something that I already stopped, started thinking about before I even made the move of, OK, how can I create a way to make an income without having to go get a job in Spain a full time? Because that was that was impossible i could maybe work one hour every two weeks and then have to take the other two weeks to recover that's how bad I was Still. I still was. So a job getting here in Spain, Yeah. At a wage that was a lot lower than Belgium, not an option. Of course, anything is an option but it wasn't an option for me.    

15:07  And I thought, OK, we're living in this whole world with online business. It hadn't boomed like it's booming now, but back then it was like still new territory, especially in Belgium, definitely here in Spain. But I found out, OK, that is the path I want to go on. And so I started my own business, I took training, I became a coach, a counselor because I actually initially wanted to help people get their health and vitality back, especially like people who had gone through my journey of burnout, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue.    

15:44  Yeah, I knew how to get your health back so it was easy for me to share that information, help people. But I quickly realized doing one on one, sessions cannot do enough one on one sessions in a week unless they pay me a full time income for one session a month to make a living. And so I joined a business program from a very well renowned coach, like a really big name in the industry here. And I was like, damn, I never cursed but at that point I was like, damn, seriously, you couldn't have told me that before I signed up and paid all that money because to give you a perspective, like I paid 2 and a half to three times my monthly income on that course.    

16:36  So I got myself in some serious debt to be able to take that course. And I did my research, I checked in with customer support and I asked them all the questions, but I didn't know how to ask the questions that you only discover afterwards. And that was that what they were teaching was you have to start doing one-on-one sessions and then you turn it into a group, which I couldn't do either. And only then can you create a digital program or a course. And so I found myself there. Ok, I've just now put myself in serious debt. They're gonna. They weren't even teaching they were just talking about like on on a superficial level about the strategies that you needed to do.    

17:26  And I thought, OK, now what? So time to find another way out of the box that was the box again, that they were presenting as the only way. And for me it was, it's impossible for me to do like 8 one-on-one sessions a day, five days a week, work in the evenings, work, work on Saturdays, and on top of that do 20 of hours a week of marketing. I didn't have the money to get an assistant or a team of assistants. And so I was like, OK, what is the other way how can I find a way to make this dream happen? Because I knew being an online entrepreneur was the way to go for me that would give me the freedom, the flexibility on my calendar, a way to work when I would feel good, a way to take time off when I needed it.    

18:19  And so I had to figure out another way. And I actually became a business coach for people with low energy, low time, like like health issues or freedom desires. By coincidence, because I was doing those programs that first program another program i found another program. And so I learned everything about how to set up a freedom business like what I teach now is a freedom business where you can work a lot less and have as much income as you want, depending on how much effort you can and want to put in.    

19:02  But most importantly, you have time for lunches at the beach, breaks, taking care of yourself, recovering when you need it. And.     19:13  As I was learning to set all all of that up for myself, people were asking me questions of OK, how do I do that because none of the programs were teaching the how to and I didn't know that about myself but over the course of the years, I've done many tests of, of trying to figure out your personality. And one of those tests was actually with a client of mine. I was helping her with her business she was helping me figuring out me how how I function. And through her, I discovered that I fit in in the profile of a mechanic. And for her, that was no surprise she knew already that I would get that profile outcome.    

19:56  And for me it was like, yeah, now all the pieces fall into place because that's what I've been doing my whole life like getting this whole chaos of information and then pulling it apart, pulling it back together and creating easy to understand road maps and explaining to people how to do it. That's what I've done my whole life in every job that I had, and I had over 100 jobs. I was always the person that came to of, OK, I need to do this or we have this new software or we have this new thing that we need to do. Can you explain or teach me how to do it? And so, yeah, that's how I rolled into business coaching, more business teaching of, OK, how do you do it? So enough about me moving on to the myth of it can't be done.    

20:56  I want you to remember actually, one thing is all of these limitations, all of these fears, these thoughts, these habits, these panic attacks, these emotional outbursts, these bursts, these hours that you'll lie awake in the middle of the night,    

21:17  They're actually your subconscious and you know when I said about that part of it can't be done, that keeps growing, that's actually that that's playing out. Yeah, it's role in your life and it's to protect you. But you don't have to accept those things as being true. I mentioned that before it's not because it can be true for other people in other situations that it should be true for you now or for you in the future or the you on another path. So they're just beliefs. They're just opinions they're not facts. So let's let go of that myth of it can't be done and open ourselves up to possibilities.    

22:05  Possibilities where we break the rules, we no longer accept the rules as being the only option and we start taking the leap into what we really want. For me that was moving to Spain, putting my pin there in sunny Spain, living my life in the Mediterranean, living the Mediterranean lifestyle of being just way more relaxed. And compared to Spanish people, I'm still a a stressed chicken. But compared to Belgian people, they can't imagine how chillaxed and laid back I am and how I don't care about all of these stupid silly things. But we are all a work in progress.    

22:48  And so I already told you a little bit about how I moved to Spain and build a business my way. It was about breaking the rules period. Spending 20 hours on marketing every week. Well, maybe that's the rule. You don't have to accept that doing one-on-one or working 40 or 80 hours a week if that's the rule in your environment, well, let go of that rule. If say, if they say you can't get your health back, like to they said it to me. Well, that's just an opinion. I'm proof that you can. So how can you do it like for whatever it is that you you want to go for? I broke it down to three simple steps.    

23:35  There's a lot more to it, but here are three simple steps that you can already start taking today. Number one, just question the rules. Ask yourself, what's stopping me? Whose voice am I actually listening to? What if the opposite was true? What if it doesn't have to keep being true for me tomorrow? Then next, just take tiny brief steps. Small actions create clarity and momentum, and the more steps that you take, the clearer it's gone become.    

24:08  When I had that epiphany in the middle of the night in February 2016 of I'm moving to Spain, I wasn't thinking then how I'm going to organize the move, what I would do with my cat, if she would need vaccinations, how I would get my stuff to Spain, where I would move to No, I started with step one of hey, I know someone in Spain. I asked her if I could join, if I could live with her for a couple of days. She actually agreed to three weeks and I organized that part. On day 2 that I was in Spain, I felt so much better i was away from the climate, which was already big, so my body was already starting to to feel better, to heal my muscles, my joints, everything was feeling better.    

24:57  But there was a big other chunk and that was the all of the emotional and psychological stuff, all of that big mental burden that was on me in Belgium because of the people, the circumstances, everything there, the old trauma that was playing every day. I stepped away from that August 2000 kilometers from that, and just being in that different situation allowed me to see the path forward, the next steps. And that was OK. If the person I'm in a relationship with wants to come with me, like he said for many years, then we'll figure it out but I'm actually going alone down those next couple of months well, the relationship was already over, but it became completely clear that he wasn't going to go permanently because he he just couldn't leave his life behind.    

25:55  That was fine, he chose another path and I went for my path and sometimes that includes making difficult decisions. The relationship that people are in is often a huge deal breaker for going for your dreams. But what if you could find a solution that works for both of you? Sometimes when I, when I talk to people who want to also move to Spain permanently and, and they just can't find their place they can't find how they're going to do it, even if we've, we've gotten their business online so that part is not an issue they just can't seem to figure it out.    

26:37  And then it's about finding a way that could, could potentially work. And so an example I often give is, hey, maybe one of you has this idea of going permanently and leaving everything behind, and the other one is not entirely sure of leaving everything behind. So why not do it 5050 you spent some months in your home country you spent some months in Spain, for instance. And then all of a sudden for people, things open up of, hey, I never thought about that. It just takes teeny tiny steps moving forward. And the clarity comes as you take those steps. Sometimes it's also about giving your yourself permission.    

27:28  Well, it's always about giving yourself permission, but sometimes it's about giving yourself permission to ask for help yes, uncle, I just gave you of that couple. They asked for help and I provided that solution. And that was something that with all of their smartness, they, they never thought about. And sometimes if you, if you dare to ask for help, the answer will come to you in like a very organic way. And Part 3 is also about you don't need approval to go after what excites you.    

28:07  If I had waited for everyone in my life to give me approval to move to Spain, I would still be suffering back there in Belgium, the only person who can decide what's possible for you is you. Yes, it can come with tough decisions, but just think about what's on the other side. Often we only see this huge Mount Everest because our subconscious is creating all of these doom scenarios. But let's just pause that for a while and look at the light of what if it were possible and see what happens there.    

28:46  All right, your next step, super simple. Have a look at that picture. You see their steps going down, leading towards the sun, towards the ocean, towards some other buildings. Stop waiting, start taking action today. What if you could go here from this first step to that step today or this week? What if today you could start moving your foot towards that next step? What would be possible if you could take that very first part of getting into movements? Just start taking action today. And if you don't know what I can help you with that too now to help you feel great. Yes, I said I'm business coach i help people create a freedom based business, a location independent freedom business that allows them to work at a schedule that works for them wherever they want, at home, from anywhere, from Spain, from wherever they want.    

29:54  But not everyone is looking to start a business. But I know most people are looking to feel happier, to feel better, to feel more energized or to to enjoy your day more and I thought, OK, you can download my My Business free gifts on the website at tweakabait.com But here I'd like to present you with my five Dare to Feel Great tweaks because I feel like OK Daring to feel great is like the very first step before anything else. Dare to Feel Great is actually a one of the first bigger programs I launched back when I was still in the fibromyalgia health vitality phase of my business.    

30:43  And that was a whole program with all little little, tweaks based on everything I learned on how to get your health back, how to feel better. I've taken five of them, adapted them to these days and to running a business, and he invites you to grab your free gift and just check them out. Five tweaks, 5 days. See what's happening inside of you, with you in your mind by applying these 5 little tweaks. I'm all about little tweaks, small tweaks that make a big impact. And that's why I now changed my whole business from Claudia Juliet, which the original business was reinvent your life coaching. I then switched as I was focusing more on the business aspect of coaching to Claudia Juliet.    

31:40  And last year I really felt the need to make another shift and really go for what really excites me and that is those small tweaks. And they're, they're about all aspects of life that I focus on people who want to move, people who want to improve their health and people who want to start an online business or simplify their business. And so now I operate under a tweak away. So you can find the free gift under a tweakaway.com there to feel great. Now, if you miss it, just go to the website and you'll find it there too.    

32:19  All right, I would love to stay connected. We've had a great talk. This would have been great if we could do it live and I could actually see your faces and get your reactions and yeah, get your experiences or, or what you take away from this. Feel free to let me know at hello at twiko eight dot com i'd really love to hear. We can stay connected here. I have social media. I am not very active there, but I am making an effort. I do practice what I preach and teach and that is go with what works for you.    

33:01  You'll get most of my information on my website and through my newsletters. There you'll be the first to know if I create a new a new free gift and if I run a challenge, if I run a workshop, whatever it is that I want to put in under your attention. Sign up for my newsletter and that's where you'll get the first information. Either download the free gift or sign up for the newsletter on my homepage. It's at the bottom, but follow me on social.    

33:35  I do post from time to time, but I am not someone who posts a reel everyday and then spends 3 hours in the ends and commenting on people's posts. I simply do not have the energy for that, but more importantly, I choose to spend my energy on other things. All right, with that, I am going to wrap this up. I see that this image didn't load that was another image of me. That was me actually standing in front of a pool in a house I lived before with a really big smile on my face. And I, well, it's a shame it's not showing, but I wanted to say thank you.    

34:20  Let's start making impossible things happen. And I really hope to hear from you soon. Have a great rest of your day and Ciao.