Wake Up Snow White!

By Jodie Nevid

Once upon a time… (May 2009) I was in a slump, a failed business, a broken heart, and countless shattered dreams. All my energy was going into working hard and playing hard at the expense of my family, my health, my personal goals, and my home enviroment.

Then one day I heard about this thing called “Snow White Syndrome” (a concept from Martyn Newman's book Emotional Capitalist). He suggests that because we are raised on Fairy Tales and Super Heros we often adopt a type of learned helplessness as adults - we bite the poison apple (grown up life) and we wait... for things to change, to settle down, or as in my case for Prince Charming to come along!!!

As soon as I heard about it I knew I had a chronic case - I had literally put my life on hold - waiting Mr Wonderful. Don't get me wrong - on the surface life was good; I had a great job, fantastic income, amazing friends and the best family you could ask for. However beheath the surface things were not quite right and there was certinaly some areas of my life that I was avoiding altoghter.

So what if he doesnt come!?! Wholly cr*p!!

This was my wake up call - and seriously the cure was that easy - well almost.

It's a two step process:

Step 1 - get real admit you are waiting

Step 2 - stop waiting and decide to start doing!

I wanted an amazing life and I wanted it now, not when, or if I met a guy. I wanted to take my son to Disneyland, I wanted Easter in Thailand with my friends, I wanted a whole month in Italy by myself to explore art and culture and history. I wanted to buy investment properties again, to build my own business, quit smoking, get fit, learn yoga and meditation and so the list went on.

So in May 2009 when I finally woke up I contacted a group of friends and invited them to join a goals club with me. We would meet once a month and each set goals to get us closer to a life we loved completely. That's how The 7 Effect began… and I'm please to say that since then every one of my wants above are now haves (or dones) and every month I challenge myself and the goals club members with bigger, scarier and more audacious goals.  Together we continue to set goals and make life plans to live happily ever after!