🌿 I Think You Might Be a Palm Tree... : Rooted & Rising #17

As someone who creates impeccable systems for fellow type B’s, I’ve learned that rigid systems break.

I used to think the goal was to create the perfect routine and stick to it no matter what. Wake up at 5 AM every day. Post on LinkedIn at 9 AM sharp. Client calls only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. No exceptions.

And you know what happened? I’d follow it for two weeks, something would shift in my life or business, and the whole thing would collapse. Then I’d feel like a failure and start over with a new “perfect system.”

I was building systems based on what works for the founders I admire most. It’s not until recently that I realized they build systems like oak trees. Layering the same system with little to no variation week to week. But my mind doesn’t work like that. I’m a palm tree: deep roots AND a flexible trunk. I’m grounded in a few non-negotiables, then I go where the wind takes me.

Oak trees aren’t bad- they’re just rigid. When the storm comes, they tend to get uprooted. Palm trees flex. They survive.

The shift: Don’t feel bad if you’re more of a palm tree instead of a “mighty oak”. Focus on clarifying your non-negotiables and staying flexible enough to adjust as needed to meet the week.

Palm tree systems have:

For me, spending time with God is a root. It’s a non-negotiable. But the branch, whether that’s at 6 AM with my Bible or 11 PM in stillness, can flex based on what my body, schedule and season need.

Creating content is a root. Posting on LinkedIn specifically at 9 AM? That’s a branch that can (& does) bend.

When you build systems this way, you stop feeling like a failure when life happens. You’re not breaking your system, you’re being a palm tree.

Try this: Identify your 3 non-negotiable roots for your business or life. Then give yourself permission to let the branches flex. Write it down to make it real: “This MUST happen, but HOW it happens can change.” Watch how much pressure that releases.

When you’re in love, you move heaven and earth for that person. Nothing is too much. You WANT to make time, you WANT to show up. You don’t need a system or a reminder or accountability because you’re driven by love. That’s the energy I’ve been bringing into my relationship with God, and it’s the ONLY reason it’s remained consistent.

Not just discipline. Not guilt. Not “I should.” Love.

Whether I’m choosing to spend focused time with Him in the morning or night, the common thread is that I’m prioritizing the relationship, not the routine. And relationships ebb and flow. They change. They grow. They mature (hopefully).

That relationship also fuels the quality of all my others, including the one with myself. The Bible says we need to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12: 31). But some of us, if we should keep it 100, don’t even like ourselves.

I realized one of the biggest things that stopped me from showing up for myself was the fact that I didn’t actually love myself for a long time. I was running on fumes of self-criticism and unrealistic expectations disguised as “ambition.”

But when I started to understand how deeply God loves me, not because of what I do, but because of who I am as His kid, something shifted. If He loves me that much, shouldn’t I love myself too? Shouldn’t I treat His kid with the same care He does?

The shift: Stop trying to discipline yourself into consistency. Start loving yourself (and God) into it.

When love is the jet fuel, showing up doesn’t feel like a burden. It feels like the privilege it is.

Try this: Before you do anything this week (before you post content, before you work on a project, before you spend time with God) ask yourself: “Am I doing this out of love or obligation?” If it’s obligation, pause. Reconnect to what you love about it, then move from that place.

This one is going to feel like Purell on a paper cut, but bear with me.

Those journal entries I mentioned? Without realizing it, I was STILL writing about trying to prove myself in January of this year. Still trying to earn acceptance through my work. Still chasing a bar that kept moving.

As I reflected on my growth this year, it hit me: I’ve had that habit since middle school.

I went to a school where I felt like I was always behind. Financially, I couldn’t keep up with kids whose first car was a Porsche. Socially, I felt awkward. Educationally, there was always someone smarter. And instead of recognizing that the bar was unrealistic, I just kept trying harder.

That mentality followed me into adulthood. Into entrepreneurship. Into my relationship with God.

I was building systems and setting goals as if I didn’t already have everything I needed for growth. As if I still needed to prove I was worthy of being here. As if God’s acceptance was contingent on me hitting certain metrics.

But 2 Peter 1:3 says: “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.”

Everything. We. Need.

Not “everything I need once I hit 10k followers” or “everything I need once I make six figures” or “everything I need once I finally get to see Steph Curry play court side” (…that one is very specific - but if anyone has tickets, help a girl OUT!)

The point is - you already have everything you need right now. That doesn’t mean you’ve “arrived” at some final destination. There’s always room to grow. But it does mean there’s some past version of you that would be so pleased if they could peek into the future and see you now.

The chase stops when you honor where you are while still building toward where you’re going.

The shift: Stop building from a place of “I need to prove I belong here.” Start building from “God already said I belong here.”

Try this: Write down one goal you’ve been chasing. Now ask yourself: “Am I chasing this because I love it, or because I think it will finally make me feel enough?” If it’s the latter, it’s time to let it go like Elsa. You’re already enough! Build from THAT place.

Now let’s get moving!

This week, I’ve been thinking about the story of the five loaves and two fishes in John 6: 1-14.

A huge crowd followed Jesus to hear Him teach, and by evening everyone was hungry. The disciples weren’t sure how they were going to feed that many people, but Jesus told them to give the people something to eat because He knew what He would do.

All they had was five loaves of bread and two fish from a young boy. Barely enough for one person, let alone 5,000+.

But that little boy surrendering his lunch is what allowed Jesus to really cook, and it’s such a good reminder: Jesus can’t multiply what you won’t give up.

That little boy had to be willing to give everything he had (his whole lunch, his security for the day) before the miracle could happen. If he’d held back his lil lunch thinking “I need to keep something for myself,” the multiplication wouldn’t have worked.

Last week, it hit me: God’s multiplication requires our obedience in giving.

When you give like the Bible says you’re supposed to (your tithes, your offerings, your seeds) that’s when you position yourself to see the results you’ve been hoping for. Not because you’re buying God’s favor (cause you can’t buy something from someone who literally owns everything), but because it develops your heart. It shows God that you trust Him as your Source.

God can’t multiply what you won’t release. He needs a starting point. He needs your obedience.

So this week, ask yourself: What am I holding back that God’s asking me to give? What’s my “five loaves and two fish” that I’m too scared to put in His hands?

Because maybe the miracle you’ve been praying for is waiting on the other side of your obedience.

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Forward this to someone who needs permission to stop chasing acceptance they already have and start building systems that actually work for their life. ✨

Ready to turn consistency into actual results? I work 1:1 with founders and creatives who are serious about building an online presence that converts. If you’re ready to invest in showing up for yourself and your business with clear messaging that attracts your ideal clients and accountability that keeps you consistent - reply to this email and we’ll map out your next steps.

Stay rooted in who you are. Keep rising in your calling!

Here for the journey with you ✨,