Every year around my birthday, I get really reflective. This past week, as I welcomed another year with immense gratitude, I was hit with emotions stronger than ever before. Not because I’m aging, but because I’m incredibly thankful to be aging. Six months ago, I didn’t think I’d make it to this birthday.

This year was all about celebrating the gift of life. I spent a lot of time reflecting on what the past year taught me. What did I choose to change? How did I change? What worked so well for me that I just had to share it with all of you? You see, you don’t need a near-death experience to make life-altering changes. Right? You don’t even need a year’s time to see the fruit of positive change. Today, I want to share what created the most profound change in my life, my business, and myself over the last year. The things I’m going to focus on are all actionable right now in your life, your business, and your family.

I just came out of my birthday week, and it was such an emotional birthday for me. Six months ago, I was experiencing something in my life where I wasn’t sure there would be another birthday. We were quite confident there wouldn’t be. Never in a million years did I think I’d be facing that kind of experience at the age of 36 with four little babies at home, but I was. Experiences like that transform you.

When you face something like that, you get aligned quickly with your priorities and what truly matters. God calls you to certain things and away from others. But life goes on, right? You still have dishes in the sink, kids throwing tantrums, frustrations in your marriage, and business demands. If you’re not intentional and don’t remain in complete gratitude for the gift of life, it’s easy for life to take back over.

One promise my husband and I made to each other after I got out of the hospital was that we wouldn’t waste this second chance. We’re human and bound to forget sometimes, but we committed to being each other’s accountability partners, reminding us of the reality that we’ve been blessed with a second chance.

Time at the Beach

We do a beach week every year at our family home on the ocean. It’s my favorite place on Earth, where my nervous system can finally take a break. I feel so centered, clear, connected in prayer, and aligned. When my parasympathetic nervous system is leading, I can access parts of my brain and thoughts from past experiences that are hard to reach when I’m just reacting to life.

This birthday, I had the opportunity to reflect and think deeply about what I learned this past year. I distilled it down to three things that totally transformed my life. If you had a conversation with me a year ago and then again now, you’d notice I see the world differently, run my business differently, and think differently. Let’s dive into those three transformative things.

• Doing Way Less

One major transformation was that I did way less. I’m not talking about taking more vacations or working less, though those are important too. I’m talking about eliminating the unnecessary and focusing on what truly moves the needle in life and business.

When my life was turned upside down six months ago, my calendar was wiped clean for the first time in 13 years. This made me realize how cluttered my time was with things that didn’t contribute to my purpose or goals. With a clear calendar, I could only put back the things that truly mattered.

I got very strategic about my schedule, leveraging it in a way I’d never done before. I even created a free workshop on this topic because it’s a question I get asked all the time: How do you manage your schedule with no childcare, homeschooling, and running a business? You can register for the free workshop at luminaryleadershipco.com/CEO.

Clearing my calendar allowed me to focus on profitable actions instead of busy work. It wasn’t just about working less but about working smarter, not harder.

• Power of Proximity

The second transformative change was embracing the power of proximity. I stopped being an island and started investing in relationships—both personally and professionally. Proximity to the right people can accelerate your growth and open doors you never thought possible.

One of the best pieces of advice I received was to just be in the spaces where influential people are. This simple yet profound advice led to two of the biggest business partnerships of my life.

Proximity isn’t just important for business. It’s crucial for family too. During my recovery, my phone was on airplane mode, and I was in incredible proximity to my children and husband. That close, undistracted time was invaluable.

• Doubling Down on Leadership

The final transformation was doubling down on leadership. I stopped chasing the next big strategy and went inward. I realized I am the greatest bottleneck to my business growth. By focusing on expanding my capacity, deepening my confidence, and leaning into my gifts, I unlocked a whole new level of growth.

Leadership is not just about managing others; it’s about expanding yourself. When you grow as a leader, you can handle more challenges and opportunities, and the things that once seemed impossible become within reach.

Closing Thoughts

These three transformative changes—doing way less, embracing the power of proximity, and doubling down on leadership—have drastically changed my life over the past year. If you apply these principles, I promise it will change everything for you too.

If this post spoke to you, please take a screenshot and share it with anyone it might help. Feel free to tag me on social media at @ElizHartke. I appreciate your support and am grateful for this community.

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RELATED EPISODES: 

Episode 219 Loss & Life Update (Part 1) 

Episode 220 Loss & Life Update (Part 2) 

Episode 234 Unlocking Success Through This One Thing

RESOURCES:

Free workshop: Creating a Spacious, Profitable CEO’s Schedule