The art of subtle shifts
If you want to increase your impact, I promise you doing more or trying harder will not increase your impact, it will just increase your burnout.
There are small, subtle shifts you can make that can actually have a massive impact in your life and change the way you show up in the world and boost the impact you want to have.
Here are there are the 3 things you need to focus on:
Change your relationships (not with people—keep reading to learn relationships with what?)
Change your definitions
Change your stories
Photo by Alexandre Perotto on Pexels
Change your relationships.
You have relationships—not just with people, but with emotions. Emotions are basically feelings that come with their own backstory. And if you want to shift how you show up in the world, it’s time to stop letting your emotions drive the car without a license.
Let’s remix a few of the big ones:
1. Change your relationship with fear.
Fear is sneaky.
It loves to wear the costume of "being responsible" or "playing it safe," when really it just doesn’t want you to move.
But here’s the twist: fear shows up right before the good stuff.
That sweaty-palmed, heart-thumping feeling? It might just mean you're on the verge of something amazing.
What if, instead of letting fear freeze you, you let it fuel you?
Ride the wave.
You're not in danger—you're just doing something new.
Go you.
2. Change your relationship with desire.
Desire gets such a bad rap, especially if you were raised to be the “good girl” or the “team player.”
Wanting things?
Tsk tsk. That’s selfish. That’s indulgent.
That’s actually very human.
Desire is not a distraction.
It’s a compass.
If you’ve been trained to ignore your wants, consider this your permission slip to reconnect with them.
Start small.
Make a list of 100 things you want—yes, 100.
It’s a workout for your wanting muscles.
And trust me, they’ve got some serious catching up to do.
3. Change your relationship with gratitude.
Most people treat gratitude like a guest that only shows up after something nice happens.
But gratitude doesn’t wait to be invited—it thrives when you roll out the welcome mat daily.
Gratitude is a cheat code.
It flips your brain from "meh" to "magic" in seconds.
Make it a habit.
Scribble down three things you're thankful for each day.
Doesn’t have to be profound—coffee counts.
So does sunlight. Or finding a matching pair of socks.
Change your definitions.
Let’s talk about the stories you didn’t even know you were buying into.
Society hands you all these pre-written definitions for things like success, failure, and conflict—and most of them are… kinda broken.
Time to grab the red pen and start rewriting.
1. Change your definition of success.
What does “making it” look like for you? If your brain jumped to yachts, press features, or five-figure handbags—congrats, you’ve been influenced.
But what if success looked like peace of mind?
Or a life that doesn’t require a vacation to recover from?
Success is deeply personal.
You’re allowed to define it for yourself. So go ahead—what does your version of “I’ve made it” look like?
2. Change your definition of failure.
Failure gets cast as the villain in every story. But plot twist: failure is just part of the training montage.
Every successful person has a folder full of flops.
Reframe it.
If you’re failing, you’re trying.
If you’re trying, you’re learning.
And that, my friend, is progress.
3. Change your definition of conflict.
Conflict has a PR problem.
You treat it like something to dodge when really, it can be a doorway to truth, clarity, and even deeper connection.
What if conflict were not something to avoid, but a tool to grow?
It can help you stand up for what matters, make space for honesty, and move relationships out of the shallow end.
Conflict, when done well, can produce deeper connection, foster understanding, and create space for new possibilities to emerge.
Change your stories.
You walk around with invisible scripts playing in the background—stories about money, time, and work that shape how you live. The good news? You’re the narrator. You can rewrite them anytime.
1. Change your story around money.
We’ve all picked up money messages along the way—some whispered, some shouted.
Maybe you were taught that money is evil.
Or that it’s the key to happiness.
Or that good people don’t talk about it.
But here’s the truth: money is just a tool. It’s not good or bad—it just takes on the energy of the story you attach to it.
Time to decide: what story do you want to live by?
2. Change your story around time.
Ah, the old “I don’t have time” trap.
But the reality? You do have time—you’re just choosing how to spend it (whether you realize it or not).
Want to shift your experience of time?
Create practices like wonder and generosity.
Want time to stretch?
Help a neighbor.
Sit in awe.
Take a walk without your phone.
You'll go from time-famished to time-flushed in no time.
3. Change your story around work.
If work drains you dry, you might be running an old program called “Work is supposed to be hard.”
But what if work was energizing?
What if it was creative, joyful, even fun?
That’s not a fantasy—it’s a shift.
Change your story, and then back it up with small, intentional actions.
Your work life doesn’t need a total overhaul to feel wildly different. Start where you are.
Ask the question, if work were creative, joyful, and fun, who would I need to be to bring that reality into my life?
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What is one subtle shift you can make today that will massively increase your impact?
Love,
Audrey
