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Hi Reader,

Welcome to my weekly newsletter, designed to help you Rise on Purpose.

Last week, I wrote about scrapping the five-year plan. If you missed it, you can read that, and all previous articles, here.

And because a few good words can change the direction of your whole day, I wrote a FREE PDF guide: 7 Things to Tell Yourself Every Day. If you'd like to receive it, hit reply and I'll send it straight to your inbox.

Always Be Moving

Back in my law days, I used to watch Bloomberg TV at breakfast before heading into the office.

Betty Liu was my favourite anchor. She was bright, sharp, holding her own against the biggest C-suite names of the day without ever losing her cool.

She wrote a book over ten years ago called Work Smarts which I recently rediscovered on my bookshelf. Leafing through the dog-eared pages I found a saying I'd highlighted: Always Be Moving. ABM for short. It resonated with me all those years ago and still rings true today:

What I like so much about this is how accessible it is. There's no demand to get up at 5am or bio-hack your way to the top. It's simply about refusing to stay stuck, professionally or personally, when the next step isn't obvious yet. It's inviting you to put in the work and move forward with courage.

I think about ABM often, especially now that I'm growing a business. Even though I've been doing this for eight years, I still feel like a beginner in many respects as there's always something new to learn.

In those instances, it's tempting to wait until you feel ready, or until you have more information, or until the timing feels right. But readiness rarely arrives first, you just have to take that leap of faith and start moving.

This week’s tool: ABM

Betty Liu's version of ABM is about staying in motion, even in small ways, even on the days that feel unremarkable.

Ask yourself:
​"What's one small way I can keep this moving today, even if it's not a big step?"

A few ways this might look:
→ go to the event on the other side of the city (yes it's more effort, but the contacts could be incredibly useful)
→ book the meeting you keep putting off (you could learn more in that 30 minutes than you do in a week)
→ have the difficult conversation you've been avoiding (if it's time to hire or fire, don't delay)

One of the biggest ingredients for success is not to overthink and just keep moving.

Why this works

Motion creates information that thinking alone can't. Every small step you take gives you useful feedback: what worked, what didn't, what you actually think once you're in it rather than circling it in your mind.

Staying still can feel like comfortable caution, but it often just delays the clarity you're waiting for. Moving, even if a bit shakily at first, is usually the best way to get the answers you're looking for.

This isn't a call to rush, as some things do need patience (something I'm still working on). But there's a difference between choosing to wait and avoiding what's next. ABM is for the second one.

Keep rising,
Lauren

P.S. What's the smallest way you could keep something moving today? Hit reply, I read every response.

P.P.S. I had a sort out of my spam folder over the weekend and found a ton of wonderful emails this community had sent me. Thank you to everyone who's been writing to me and I appreciate your patience with my (very late) replies.

Last Chance To Join The Summer Reset

My first live session starts tomorrow, Wednesday 5 August at 3pm BST, so today is your last chance to sign up.

If this year has knocked you sideways in any way, a diagnosis, a loss, a career shift, or something just as disorientating, and you're ready to build your next chapter, this is for you.

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