In this solo vlog recorded on July 16, 2024, Mary Schiller reflects on the ninth day of her 30‑day "follow my dreams" experiment. She begins by outlining her planned work: advancing her French language study and revising the opening of her novel based on recent ideas. Mary then contemplates expanding her coaching and writing services for entrepreneurs, noting how her experience with AI tools like ChatGPT has shown that human expertise is still needed to take results to the next level. Mid‑video, she reveals that two close family members faced serious difficulties, which disrupted her schedule and left her emotionally shaken. She admits to feeling deeply confused about her professional direction and income, despite recognizing her strong skill set in writing, coaching, and content creation. Mary acknowledges the broader negative news cycle affecting her mood, but reaffirms her commitment to keep moving forward—making videos, working on her novel, studying French, cleaning, and walking—hoping that clarity will emerge soon.
It's day number 9, number 9, number 9. I think I'll start off with some Beatles music.
It is July 16, 2024. This is day 9 of this experiment of following my dreams for 30 days, and I feel like today has to be a day of both work and also reflection. Collection. So if you are joining me for this particular video, I would encourage you to do the same thing. So by work, I mean going to make some more progress on the French language study. I'm also going to keep going on my novel rewrite. I'm actually going to start to rewrite some things in my opening section that I got some new ideas for over the past day or so. And I'm excited about that. And I also need to ask myself some questions about what else I want to be doing with my time. One of the things that I have really enjoyed doing over the years is coaching people and supporting people, hosting group programs, doing individual coaching. And I still really enjoy the contact that I have with people in those kinds of settings. I just think that I need to do it differently somehow somehow, and maybe on some different topics. So I am doing some reflecting about that. I also have— not to toot my own horn too much, but I have a treasure trove of skills that have to do with writing, and they are just kind of sitting here not being utilized in the way that they could be to benefit other people. And I don't just mean through books that I write. I have some projects in the works there and also some Audible books. I'm really trying to get up the courage to start recording those. But I mean, like, writing for other people who are in business for themselves. And you might think, well, everybody's got ChatGPT, so everybody can write. Well, that's true to a certain degree. What I've recognized for myself with ChatGPT, because I've experimented a lot with AI over the past several months, maybe the last 6 to 7 months is that unless you have a certain skill set, ChatGPT and AI, they only take you so far. And where I can come in to help people is by getting them to the next level, and I'm not really doing that, and I have the ability to do that. So I want to take some time today to figure out what I could bring to people that could really truly help them. Help them save time, help them save their energy, and also help them to get some better results if they're in business, because I want to support people who work for themselves. So that's all on my mind. I also need to do some house cleaning, so that's on the agenda today. And if I can possibly get out for a walk, if the weather cooperates— I'm looking out the window right now— then I will do that as well. So let's see how this day turned out, shall we?
Whoop!
Or maybe it's this way. Whoop! To the next segment.
So today did not go as planned. Like, really not at all. And, um, I'm really struggling to even talk on this video right now. So I'm going to publish it anyway because I made a commitment to myself and to you that I would keep going. and I would share what's going on, and maybe what I have to say will be helpful. But first of all, there were two people in my life, the two people closest to me, who were having difficulties today, like serious difficulties. One I was able to help directly, the other not. And as I'm talking to you, both situations have started to resolve themselves, but It really threw me for a loop, all of it. And then the other thing is that I really just don't know what to do with my life at this point. I do feel strongly about finishing this novel rewrite. That seems very important for me. I don't know why, it just does. Obviously, I want to become a French citizen, so that's still there. But in terms of the rest of my life, like my professional life and what I do for an income, I'm just very confused at this moment. And I wish I could put on a smile through all of it, but I just don't really feel like it. I know what I am good at doing. I know, like I said this morning, that I have skills that could benefit people. I'm just very, very confused right now, and I know from going through periods of confusion in the past that oftentimes that means that something is going to become apparent to me soon. I hope that that's true. I have had some confusion related to my business for quite a long time now, and it feels like it's of coming to some sort of new something. I don't even know what to call that. So I'm just going to keep getting up every day and putting one foot in front of the other, making videos, working on my novel, working on my French, and thinking about what I want to do to try to make this world a better place. I think that's part of it too, is there's just so much bad news right now and that it's kind of always in front of my face a little bit, and I'm having trouble seeing through that to what is calling to me right at this moment in terms of my business and where I want to take it next. I guess I also have to say that I'm not really worried. I do need to start bringing in some more income for sure, but I have a little window of time— a little window, it's starting to close— but I have a little window of time to allow whatever is brewing to come to the surface. So that's where I'm at today, and I am hoping that tomorrow will be better, not just for me but for the people that I love so much.
