A Day with Karla Layton

When I think of Karla Layton I think of a down-to-earth Aussie girl with a big heart, sparkling eyes, and passionate soul. One of the things I love most about her is her transparency. She tells it like it is, shows herself like she is, and is as real as they come.

I spent the day with this beautiful blogger, essential oil advocate and author of the book Ease to learn more about her life, in hopes to show you that you too can be following your dreams. It doesn’t need to to be or look a certain way, what matters is what’s right for you. It definitely takes a lot of hard work, but when that dream is sitting in your heart you have to go for it!

Meet Karla…

“I’m not one for routines, but since moving to the big city and having different hours of work I find that a bit of organisation helps. But I NEVER beat myself up if things don’t go to plan. I believe you have to follow your gut and if your body is telling you to pause for a break, then do it! But this doesn’t mean it’s an excuse to procrastinate either. Going for a walk or sitting back and having a cup of tea are very different to scrolling Facebook to avoid writing a blog post.

Morning – Up at 5.15am to get ready for work at 6. I’m a barista at a café in North Bondi and work with a rad crew. In regards to health I’m pretty lucky that we have good options at work so generally I eat well to give myself plenty of energy to run around, as we get quite busy. Then of course there’s a coffee or two in there ;).”

“2pm – Get home and jump in the shower to refresh myself. Or if it’s a sunny day I’ll walk to the beach and have a quick swim (even if it freezes my tits off) it’s the best pick-me-up and keeps me going for the rest of the afternoon to do all things blogging. Some days I work on my social media as I’m a sucker for Instagram, other days I’m writing posts, scribbling ideas for content and working on my new eBook!”

“Although like I said earlier, sometimes if it doesn’t feel right I’ll just give myself the afternoon to switch off by retreating with my doTERRA oils or walking down to the shops to get a juice – I love Cali Press at Bondi or popping into Gertrude and Alice and getting lost in the smell of books.

Then after a nourishing and hearty dinner I’ll follow up with my doTERRA team.

Then it’s time to really switch off, spend time with Nath and bliss out.”

“I get two days off a week (one day during the week and Saturdays). Saturday is my day to play – get out in the sunshine and amongst nature, enjoy beautiful food, find new places and exciting things to do. My other day off during the week is usually spent on all things blogging and connecting with people because that’s where the real magic happens. Blogging never feels like work anyway. I’m a strong believer in that if you love what you do it should never feel draining, only ‘happy exhaustion’ from pouring so much heart and soul into it.”

“If you’re doing your creative biz but still working full-time, be kind to yourself. We waste so much of our energy being mad at ourselves for not being in a better place or not quitting our jobs yet to do what we love. But it won’t happen overnight – it’s as simple as that. Many big-name inspirational people took years to become successful whilst working part-time jobs – they worked their asses off, talked to people, got their work out there and believed in themselves.

So unless you absolutely hate and can’t stand the job you currently have – just be patient. Otherwise find a casual job that is flexible or reduce your hours, there is always a solution.

Then start practising gratitude for what you do have. One of my favourite sayings is – a grateful heart is a magnet for miracles.

The minute you practise gratitude your stress levels will reduce, you will feel completely connected to the present moment and be totally in tune with your work.

I see my current job as a steady stream of income that can support me whilst my blog is still in the first few years of growth. When I look back a year ago I’ve made so much progress – my social media has more than doubled, I have a brand new website I’m incredibly proud of, I’ve written an eBook and I’ve collaborated with some beautiful souls – especially DTS 😉

Try this exercise yourself – write all of the things you’ve accomplished on the year that has been, big or little. I’m sure it will impress you once you’ve seen it on paper. NOW KEEP GOING. Rise to the challenge but don’t ever compromise yourself and think you need to be more or do more to be appreciated. I’ve got a big post on that here http://www.karlalayton.com/blog1/dont-compromise-your-authenticity-and-dealing-with-change

You are right where you are meant to be in this time and space. Devour every moment; savour every success on your journey and take pride in your work.”

To find out more about Karla, visit her site or connect with her on Insty x