“I’ll finally be organized and productive once I find the perfect ________ for me!”
So many of us get caught up in collecting what we think we “need” to have in order to get organized for productivity and we find ourselves stuck in a cycle of searching and buying the best tools instead of focusing on what really matters.
Some things you do NOT need in order to become organized, productive, and successful:
❌ Multiple planners and a stash of inserts
❌ Lots of apps for routines, tasks, tracking, reminders and sleep
❌ Stickers and washi tape
❌ Colored pens and highlighters
❌ Drawers full of stationery supplies
❌ A daily journal
❌ Stacks of cute notebooks
❌ Coffee mugs with inspirational quotes
❌ A stash of scented candles for your office
❌ An iPad, tablet, or certain brand of computer
❌ The latest iPhone
❌ An Apple Watch or other smart watch / habit tracking device
❌ A high tech alarm clock or sleep machine
❌ Boxes, sorters and organizers
YOU DON’T NEED ANYTHING TO BE PRODUCTIVE.
(Go ahead, read that again…)
Productivity isn’t something you can buy, it’s a choice you make to put effort into ensuring your life works smoothly and intentionally.
It’s about building systems;processes for how you’ll approach the various tasks in your life.
It’s about setting clear goals and objectives;what do you want and how do you plan to achieve it.
It’s about being a good manager of your time;setting clear expectations for each day and planning a simple workflow to get as much of it done as possible.
I know it’s a hard shift, but in order to truly be productive, you must shift out of the mindset of buying your way to productivity and success, and shift into the mindset of working your way to productivity and success.
STAYING ACCOUNTABLE TO YOUR PRODUCTIVITY ISN’T EASY
It’s not easy being an ambitious working woman in today’s society. Women have more responsibilities on their shoulders now than they ever have that can make getting organized and motivated feel impossible and overwhelming, which is why goal getters like you and I need to stick together!
To be a safe space for women like you and I who see beyond the surface of our societal expectations, challenge the accepted norms, and know there is a better way to live.
It’s a place for support, encouragement, accountability and ongoing personal development for us to continue challenging accepted norms and choosing our own unique path to success.
→ The Mastermind includes so many resources to help you on your journey, from multiple live calls each month, to on-demand strategies, tools, and even a complete course on productivity!
→ We have our own private chat forum where we connect and discuss topics ranging from planning, metaphysics, mindset, and wellness.
→ We have a monthly book club to help nurture a growth mindset and continue to learn.
→ We even have a dedicated group for small business CEOs to learn and connect as well!
→ The best part is, when you join the Mastermind, you get immediate access to the entire library of resources, masterclasses and bonus materials that I have been creating since it’s launch.
→ There is no waiting, content isn’t dripped to you, it’s all there for you to explore and access on-demand as you please.
→ And of course I am there as well for guidance and to answer your questions along the way.
When you know better, you do better.
Are you ready to do better for yourself, your family and your future by committing to your personal development to become the best woman, mother, spouse, sister, daughter, aunt and friend that you can be?
I absolutely love the look of a retro style keyboard. There is something about the mix of the digital and analog worlds that lights me up inside. It’s such a vibe!
You know I love to mix digital and analog, there is something so romantic and sentimental about it. It’s the reason I love to use a paper planner despite living in a digital world and running a business online. It just adds a more visceral, tactile experience to your life when you have those analog style tools. There is nothing more unexpected than when you see a chic modern office with a few whimsical analog pieces styled.
So, I’ve been shopping around for some retro chic typewriter style keyboards and found a few wireless bluetooth versions that would be the perfect compliment to your home office!
This mechanical wireless keyboard is such a vintage inspired throwback. I love the silver metal accents on the keys, you know they would feel so good to type on.
This vintage pink keyboard is a throwback to 80s and 90s style computers. I will never forget the sound and feel of typing on these square little blocks.
Let’s be honest, this Retro Pink Typewriter style keyboard is definitely one of the showstoppers of this bunch! I’ve always loved the look of a typewriter, but they just aren’t a practical tool for my life. This keyboard, however, could fit in quite well!
I have to say, I think this retro mechanical style keyboard is probably my runner up from this selection of keyboards. I like that it looks the part of a vintage typewriter, but it also has a lower profile which I appreciate for my desk.
I had to include this colorful pink keyboard in the roundup! I’ve been more drawn to the color pink this summer and I love the variety of tones in the keys.
I hope this roundup of Retro Chic Keyboards inspires you to restyle your home office desk to add a little more whimsy into your day while you work from home! Let me know which keyboard is your favorite in the comments.
I don’t know about you, but I’m a List Lover with a Planner Problem! So, anytime I can combine the two, lists and planners, I feel like I’ve found my happy place.
I think most of us take lists for granted, actually. We make lists as these sort of throw away tools to help us remember what we need to get done, and then cross of the list and make a new one tomorrow. But, I love a good list that can live in my planner with a purpose. A list I can reference over and over with important, albeit, perhaps a little unconventional information.
Because at their heart, lists are about reference and reminder, and we humans are very forgetful creatures, so lists are an important tool to utilize for our success in a number of ways. The most important way we can use lists, in my opinion, is to keep our energy high vibe so that we remain as happy and engaged with our lives as possible.
So, I’ve compiled 25 High Vibe Lists to Keep in Your Planner!
Your Current Goals
Gratitude List
Your Morning Routine
Your Favorite Things
Food You Love
People that Make You Smile
Places to Visit
Books to Read
Your Evening Routine
Inspirational Quotes that Motivate You
Things to Do When You’re Bored
Your Wish List
Ways to Cheer Yourself Up
Your Feel Good Self-Care Activities
Ways to Spend a Rainy Day Inside
Your High Vibe Essentials
Things You’re Proud Of
Affirmations that Inspire You
Your Best Attributes
Music that Lifts Your Spirits
Ways to Take Care of Yourself
People You Admire
Your High Vibe Rituals
Your Lucky Charms + Signs
Things You Will Manifest
I hope these list ideas inspire you to use your planner as more than just a tool for your productivity and organization, but also as a tool for your mental health and overall well being. Let me know your favorites in the comments!
LOOKING FOR MORE HIGH VIBE RESOURCES?
The HIGH VIBE BIBLE was intentionally designed to help you raise your vibration and manifest your desires over the course of 90 days or roughly three months. One part journal, one part manifestation tool, the High Vibe Bible is a loosely guided journaling experience intended to help you get super clear on what you want to achieve or receive, and then help you align your thoughts and actions to make it a reality.
Within in this journal you will find inspiration and guided prompts to help you clearly state your desires, create a plan for managing your energy and space to align your thoughts.
Each week starts with a worksheet where you will: • Write out an inspirational mantra or affirmation for yourself to use that week. • Clearly identify what you wish to manifest • Identify how your manifestation makes you feel • Provide strategies for how you intend to raise your energetic vibration towards a positive mindset • Document signs and synchronicities that indicate your manifestation is coming to fruition • Track actions you will take over the course of the week to keep yourself in alignment
Each day you have a designated area to: • List out daily gratitude • Briefly journal your thought for alignment that day
Each week ends with: • A summary of what manifested for you • Space to identify the high point of your week • An area to briefly journal what you’ve learned
At the end of the journal you will also find a collection of seven lists that you can populate during the time you use the journal. Update and refer back to these lists often to help keep you in alignment with a positive mindset!
→ Imagine feeling the clarity of knowing exactly what you want in life and what you are working towards. There is no confusion, you know your time is valuable and meaningful because your life is filled with wonderful things that you’ve manifested and there is so much more on the horizon!
→ Imagine waking up with a purpose, excited to start the day because your journaling practice helps shift your mood to one of positivity and optimism. You feel more like the woman you’ve always wanted to be and you are unapologetic about treating her the way she deserves to be treated!
→ Imagine experiencing your day as that pleasant, low stress woman that family, friends and co-workers flock to because you are like a ray of sunshine for their day. You’re magnetic, you easily get what you need from others, and they feel truly blessed to know you!
→ Imagine the delight of getting each desire you ask for in such an easy and unexpected way that you feel like the luckiest woman on Earth. You choose to allow your life to be difficult or easy, why struggle when you can let it be easy!
These are the side affects that the High Vibe Bible can have on you when you commit to using this simple but powerful tool to establish a daily manifestation practice. Even if you are not usually drawn to journaling, the High Vibe Bible is such a different experience, but one that has the power to transform your energy and attitude through the act of putting pen to paper.
We are officially half way through 2021 and hopefully each of us has made the time to perform a Mid-Year Review.
I’ve done two at this one, one for my business which was streamed live on YouTube as the last CEO Power Hour and one for my overall goals, which happened on Saturday inside the Productivity and Planning Mastermind.
Now, after doing my reviews, I personally felt a little meh about my goal progress. Yes, I’ve made progress in most areas, but some goals were a challenge for me during the first half of the year.
Obstacles are a natural part of life and goal setting, so we don’t need to feel bad about them. Life happens, after all. However, the mid-year mark is an excellent time to remind ourselves that we have much more control over obstacles than we like to admit.
We can’t stop obstacles from coming, but we can do a few things to manage them better.
First, we should acknowledge that anything we allow, persists. This includes obstacles. I’m sure you have some obstacles that you’ve allowed to continue affecting you, even though you do have the power to remove them from your life.
For me, a major obstacle that stood in the way of one of my goals this year was Uber Eats LOL! I know, it’s a little funny that a food delivery app was an obstacle for me, but as I explained to the Mastermind, ever since the pandemic began, I had become comfortable using the app more and more often and now, no matter how much great food I have prepped in the house, I still default to Uber Eats when I have a craving. It’s been an obstacle for me to remain fully committed to my weight loss, so on the suggestion of my Mastermind sisters, I deleted the app off my phone along with all the other miscellaneous food delivery apps that give me the ability to easily cheat on my diet. Now, I have the obstacle removed. And if for some reason I download them again, this is a situation where I am keeping an obstacle and allowing it to sabotage my success, so I’ll be thinking long and hard before I re-download them for sure.
The second way we allow obstacles to remain in our lives is by failing to set boundaries. Sometimes, obstacles pop up in our days that we react to even if we don’t need to. How many times have you gotten involved in a situation or offered to help someone else with their problems and then you took on a burden that wasn’t your own? When we fail to set boundaries with others or even boundaries to prevent ourselves from going out and getting distracted by external issues, we are really stealing time and energy from ourselves and our own goals. This includes us being distracted by social media or other fun entertainment activities that aren’t part of our daily plan. Until we set good boundaries, we are allowing obstacles in our lives.
The third and final way we allow obstacles to remain in our lives is by failing to plan for them. We each have a certain set of obstacles in our lives that we can anticipate and plan for if we want to. This could have to do with protecting our time, minimizing distractions, and paying attention to our energy patterns. Many obstacles we face in the day are things we might be able to plan to avoid completely. If you have kids or co-workers who interrupt your productivity, there are things you can do to plan to avoid those situations. If constant emails and calls interrupt your work, you can put an out of office on your email and voice mail and let people know you’ll get back to them when you have the time. We need to have some plans in place for the obstacles we know we face or else we are allowing them to continue.
Taking back control of the obstacles you face in life is a key element to finding success with your goals and desires. So, no matter how well you made progress this year, or perhaps you faced a lot of obstacles that prevented you from making process, I want you to remember that you still have six months to do some focused and intentional work on your goals.
Believe it or not, six months of hardcore focus and alignment can put you five years ahead in life!
So much can change in half a year. You can decide to shift out of a negative mindset riddled with limiting beliefs and see immediate results in your life. Most of our goals can be reached in far less time than we imagine, because we are basing our expectations on what other people have done. Yes, there are a few examples of goals that do take time, and if you have set any like that, get focused and started right now, and you will be six months ahead by the end of the year!
But if you are like me and most of your goals are based on your effort and intention, now is the time to look forward, establish personal accountability and build your self-discipline muscle.
You can have a completely different life by December 31st, 2021 if you choose to show up and do the work today, and tomorrow, and each single day you wake up. Take it one day at a time, that is my plan and I hope to see you at the finish line with me by the end of the year!
STAYING ACCOUNTABLE TO YOUR GOALS ISN’T EASY
It’s not easy being an ambitious working woman in today’s society. Women have more responsibilities on their shoulders now than they ever have that can make getting organized and motivated feel impossible and overwhelming, which is why goal getters like you and I need to stick together!
To be a safe space for women like you and I who see beyond the surface of our societal expectations, challenge the accepted norms, and know there is a better way to live.
It’s a place for support, encouragement, accountability and ongoing personal development for us to continue challenging accepted norms and choosing our own unique path to success.
→ The Mastermind includes so many resources to help you on your journey, from multiple live calls each month, to on-demand strategies, tools, and even a complete course on productivity!
→ We have our own private chat forum where we connect and discuss topics ranging from planning, metaphysics, mindset, and wellness.
→ We have a monthly book club to help nurture a growth mindset and continue to learn.
→ We even have a dedicated group for small business CEOs to learn and connect as well!
→ The best part is, when you join the Mastermind, you get immediate access to the entire library of resources, masterclasses and bonus materials that I have been creating since it’s launch.
→ There is no waiting, content isn’t dripped to you, it’s all there for you to explore and access on-demand as you please.
→ And of course I am there as well for guidance and to answer your questions along the way.
When you know better, you do better.
Are you ready to do better for yourself, your family and your future by committing to your personal development to become the best woman, mother, spouse, sister, daughter, aunt and friend that you can be?
It’s officially mid-year and as an entrepreneur or fellow business owner, we have a few housekeeping things to get in order! I find that now is the best time to take a moment to reflect on your business, projects and progress so far this year and make any necessary adjustments.
As business owners, it’s very common that the plans we start the year off with end up changing for various reasons.
In life and in business, I think too many of us try to push on and finish what we have started, even when it’s not working for us, and it takes a lot of courage to really stop and evaluate your progress to make sure you are still on the right track.
Likewise, you may feel inspired to take on a new project, but because it’s not the start of the New Year, we think we don’t have enough time to execute it. Realistically, the six months we have left in this year is plenty of time to make adjustments to our plans and still end the year off successfully. In fact, sometimes making necessary changes helps you to find success and clarity where there was once only confusion and resistance.
#3. Take time to Refresh and Review your life as well as your business! To help you with this, I have compiled a list of 31 Things To Do in July to get your life in order and on track now that we are half way through the year. Go through this list and make sure to get yourself reset for the second half of 2021!
31 Things To Do in July to Refresh Your Life & Plans
Journal about your year so far
Review your goals
Analyze your progress
Redefine your priorities
Write down your victories
Realign your goals to new targets
Outline your monthly objectives
Reverse engineer goals into projects
Track your habits
Define your routines
Perform a braindump
Set up your project plans
Outline your next action steps
Schedule deadlines for projects
Check on upcoming special dates
Confirm necessary appointments
Communicate your schedule to others
Identify a poor habit to replace
Choose a new habit to build
Review your systems
Clean out your planner
Write out a new personal mantra
Identify an obligation you can end
Refresh your self-care routine
Schedule some time off
Create an inspiration board
Select a motivational book to read
Choose something new to learn
Clean out your email
Start a gratitude practice
Relax and get into a positive mindset
CEO Strategy | Mid-Year Refresh & Review
If you’d like to follow along with my complete CEO Strategy Mid-Year Refresh & Review process, check out the replay of my recent Live Business Strategy Session.
In this workshop, I am going to walk you through a series of questions and activities to help you celebrate your wins, set intentions for the next six months, and get clear on the objectives and tasks you need to work on in July to make progress on your annual goals!
We are going to be doing some goal setting and planning together for a more balanced life and business, following my CEO Strategy methodology.
If you already receive my weekly email, then no need to sign up again, you will receive an email the morning of the live workshop with the direct link + free worksheet.
STOP CHOOSING BETWEEN BUSINESS SUCCESS AND A BALANCED LIFE!
Do you every feel overwhelmed by all the tasks you have to manage for your business and personal life?
If you’re like me, you started your own business in order to live a different lifestyle than the norm. You wanted the flexibility of time and location freedom, being able to work when you wanted, where you wanted, so you would have time to prioritize other areas of your life. Breaking free of the 9-5 life was freeing until I realized without a solid time management strategy and strong prioritization skills I could easily work on my business 16 hours a day, 7 days a week!
Does simply looking at your to-do list give you anxiety? Like tasks are multiplying faster than you can complete them and you are continually sacrificing time with your family, self-care or sleep in order to simply tread water in your business. With so many tasks to finish, how do you what you should be working on each day?
Has the overwhelm of managing your business caused you to slow or completely stall progress on your business goals? You are afraid to take action on your projects because nothing works out the way you expected it would and all you see are problems that you don’t feel capable to address.
Are you constantly stuck on what types of content marketing you should be doing to grow your audience? Your content calendar is usually empty, you wait until the last minute to write your posts but come up blank or you completely skip out on content creation all together because the process is just too time consuming.
What if there was an easier way to run your business?
Imagine waking up in the morning after a full nights sleep, rested and ready to take on the day. You are excited to start work on your business because you are clear on your priorities and have systems in place that make your work much more manageable (and, dare I say, even fun?)
Imagine waking up to a business reality where you feel in control and in charge of your business, like the inspired and aligned CEO you always intended to be.
Your business is thriving, you have time to take your work slow and get the results you are looking for. Your home life is well-managed and your personal relationships are thriving.
At the end of the day, your head hits the pillow grateful and content, knowing that you created this reality and that you can create whatever else you desire tomorrow!
If you are struggling to plan and manage a balanced life and business, I have the solution for you!
Introducing the CEO Strategy Bundle:A three masterclass series covering time management, mindset, and marketing strategies to streamline your business, so you can finally live a balanced life!
The CEO Strategy Bundle is designed to equip you with the tools, strategies and lessons that you need to intentionally create a balanced and profitable life + business…
So you can:
✔︎ Take Charge of Your Time: Clearly understand your roles as a business owner, the specific tasks to focus on through each phase of your business and to set reasonable expectations to achieve true work/life balance.
✔︎ Master Your Mindset: Get into alignment with your purpose, identify and overcome limiting beliefs holding you back from showing up for your business, and master the energetic secrets of productivity that help you triumph over your to-do list once and for all.
✔︎ Expand Your Marketing: Develop your unique messaging to stand out in your niche, quickly create a full calendar of impactful content marketing that sells in just a few hours per week, and show up on purpose and on message to grow your brand and audience.
Here’s what you’ll get:
→CEO Strategy Masterclass: Learn how to manage your time, energy and expectations as a business owner so you can lead a balanced life.
→CEO Mindset Masterclass: Become a master of your own mindset, overcome and reprogram limiting beliefs holding you back from taking action on your desired life + business.
→CEO Content Calendar Masterclass: Streamline your content to keep your audience and revenue growing without overwhelming your schedule or spending money on ads.
RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS IS YOUR DREAM, NOT YOUR NIGHTMARE
Take back control of your life + business with proven strategies that will keep you balanced, focused and on track!
Stop choosing between your business and your personal life, and start embracing the strategies that can keep you balanced and successful in all areas of your life!
In this work from home world we are now part of, keeping your desk space organized plays a critical role in our motivation, stress and productivity. What you see on your desk, the tools, the clutter, and the open space, directly affects our brains and can send us subconscious messages to either get to work, or to procrastinate. So, keeping your desk organized is a simple task and habit to build that can ultimately help you get into a more positive workday routine.
It doesn’t have to be a complicated process, and you don’t need to do any special to organize your desk, but here are 5 tips for keeping your desk organized that I have learned can be very impactful for your productivity and success with accomplishing your work.
5 Tips for Keeping Your Desk Organized
#1. Use a large enough desk for your needs and the space you have
#2. If your desk doesn’t have enough storage, create your own under desk storage system with a cabinet, boxes or a standing organizer. Avoiding adding too many organizers to your surface space.
#3. Only keep your current work on your desk.
#4. Clear your desk off and quickly organize it at the end of the workday
#5. If you have work to continue the next day, organize any paperwork, tools or resources in neat piles
That’s it! That is all you have to do to start building a positive habit and momentum around your desk space and your work.
REMAINING ORGANIZED AND MOTIVATED ISN’T ALWAYS EASY
It’s not easy being an ambitious working woman in today’s society. Women have more responsibilities on their shoulders now than they ever have that can make getting organized and motivated feel impossible and overwhelming, which is why goal getters like you and I need to stick together!
If you would like more guidance, support and inspiration for living your best life, I welcome you to join the Productivity + Planning Mastermind!
This is what I created the Mastermind for:
To be a safe space for women like you and I who see beyond the surface of our societal expectations, challenge the accepted norms, and know there is a better way to live.
It’s a place for support, encouragement, accountability and ongoing personal development for us to continue challenging accepted norms and choosing our own unique path to success.
→ The Mastermind includes so many resources to help you on your journey, from multiple live calls each month, to on-demand strategies, tools, and even a complete course on productivity!
→ We have our own private chat forum where we connect and discuss topics ranging from planning, metaphysics, mindset, and wellness.
→ We have a monthly book club to help nurture a growth mindset and continue to learn.
→ We even have a dedicated group for small business CEOs to learn and connect as well!
→ The best part is, when you join the Mastermind, you get immediate access to the entire library of resources, masterclasses and bonus materials that I have been creating since it’s launch.
→ There is no waiting, content isn’t dripped to you, it’s all there for you to explore and access on-demand as you please.
→ And of course I am there as well for guidance and to answer your questions along the way.
When you know better, you do better.
Are you ready to do better for yourself, your family and your future by committing to your personal development to become the best woman, mother, spouse, sister, daughter, aunt and friend that you can be?
Small Steps Don’t Always Lead to Big Results #ProductiveAF
I know I am about to ruffle a few feathers right now with this post, but it has been on my mind for quite some time and I felt like it was necessary to share this information.
Disclaimer:I know full well that what I am about to say goes against things I have said or supported in the past, but that was then and this is now, and today as I’m writing this, I have a much better perspective and history of my own trial and error to support my change in opinion.
If you want to be a productive and successful person, small steps don’t always lead to big results
I know we hear it a lot, that if you aren’t making progress, just choose a smaller step that’s easier to take and over time it will build up to bigger and bigger results. We hear this especially in the context of setting goals, planning our objectives and managing our habits, but in reality this strategy isn’t effective most of the time.
There are three reasons why I see the idea of taking small steps fail:
#1: It is possible to take a step that is so small that there are no viable results, no matter how many times you repeat the step.
Imagine watching a person walk up a staircase. If that person can’t lift their leg to make it the full height of the step in front of them, unfortunately, their foot will not complete the step and will end up right back where it started. No matter how many times they repeat their effort, if they can’t make the connection between their foot and the next step, they are putting a lot of effort into standing still.
So, some effort doesn’t lead to results.
I see this metaphor play out a lot with people who have set self-care related goals. If you are trying to loose 30lbs but you set the objective to drink more water or take a 30 minute walk once a week, I’m very sorry to say this but you are never going to see a result from either of those actions or even the combination of both. Even if completing each of those tasks helps build your mindset, you will still need to put in more effort to see the needle move on the scale.
This is an error I see a lot of people make, they want change but are only willing to put in so much effort and it gets them nowhere so fast that eventually they give up on the goal entirely.
#2: Breaking a step down into tinier and tinier pieces just increases the opportunity to waste more time, get distracted and loose momentum.
I think of this issue as the checklist addiction, when we have a task to accomplish but we create a long checklist of tasks that come before taking action that actually leads to the result of your work.
A good example of this is when I sit down to film a YouTube video. If I wanted to, I could make a checklist of all the little things I need to do before I can start filming. Clean my office, paint my nails, do my hair and makeup, have an outline written, storyboard the video, etc.
But, if I list out all these tasks, it will give me more work and opportunities to get distracted or drain my energy.
Now, it’s not that I don’t do these items before I start working on a video, but if I were to list them out, it gives them a sense of gravity as they they were the important things to do. They aren’t the important thing to do, but writing out those smaller steps could make me feel like I’ve done enough before I even get to the important work because I am getting that sense of satisfaction from a checkmark.
This is the danger of task lists in general actually. It’s a well documented phenomenon that simply writing out a to do list gives you the feeling of accomplishment even if you don’t take any action on the items. You still feel a mental relief from having the list that tricks your brain into thinking you have been productive when you really haven’t done anything.
Once you actually start checking things off the list, you get even more of a hit of dopamine even from the little insignificant tasks. After a few hits, you will start to feel like you accomplished something big, even if you didn’t, and this can trick your brain into feeling like you’ve done so much, when really, you accomplished little.
#3: No matter how small of steps you break your work into, if fear or another limiting belief is the obstacle holding you back from taking action, your momentum will eventually hit a wall no matter what you do.
Here is the hard truth, if you are breaking your goals into very small steps, it is likely a strategy you have learned in order to procrastinate on your work, support your sense of perfectionism or help alleviate your anxiety around doing the work. All of those situations indicate you have significant fear or limiting beliefs around achieving your goal. As long as you have those fears and limiting beliefs, you will never actually achieve your goal no matter how many steps you take towards it. So, any productivity tip or strategy to help you get more done or manage your list of tiny bite size tasks is useless to you.
The only way to remedy situations like these is to tackle the fear and limiting beliefs head on. This means getting crystal clear on your goal, identifying the fear and limiting beliefs holding you back, figuring out the story that you are telling yourself that is allowing that fear to take up space in your mind, and then overcoming that limiting belief by rewriting the story and affirming it repeatedly until the new belief is programmed into your mind.
You Still Need Steps to Achieve a Goal
Now, I want to be clear here, I am not suggesting that you shouldn’t break your goals down into steps. Obviously, you can’t achieve a goal in one go so steps are necessary. But these steps must be reasonable in size that they provide some form of visible advancement.
Think about the Pareto Principle, or 80/20 rule. It states that 20% of our actions lead to 80% of our results. In the example of me filming a video, I could list out a bunch of tasks to get ready before filming, but it’s the filming/editing that is the 20% of the work that leads to the major result of having a video to post. All the prep work is just there to make us feel ready to do the thing. But if I wanted to, I could skip all those actions and just hit record on the camera and wing the video. Now, the video might not be as good, but the majority of the end result is there. So, I don’t want you to let the 80% of low impact tasks waste your time, cause you to procrastinate, or loose momentum due to the decision fatigue that happens each time you look at an item on your task list.
Living your dreams and achieving your goals isn’t easy
It’s not easy being an ambitious woman in today’s society. Women have more responsibilities on their shoulders now then they ever have, which is why goal getters like you and I need to stick together!
This is what I created the Productivity + Planning Mastermind for.
To be a safe space for women like you and I who see beyond the surface of our societal expectations, challenge the accepted norms, and know there is a better way to live.
It’s a place for support, encouragement, accountability and ongoing personal development for us to continue challenging accepted norms and choosing our own unique path to success.
→ The Mastermind includes so many resources to help you on your journey, from multiple live calls each month, to on-demand strategies, tools, and even a complete course on productivity!
→ We have our own private chat forum where we connect and discuss topics ranging from planning, metaphysics, mindset, and wellness.
→ We have a monthly book club to help nurture a growth mindset and continue to learn.
→ We even have a dedicated group for small business CEOs to learn and connect as well!
→ The best part is, when you join the Mastermind, you get immediate access to the entire library of resources, masterclasses and bonus materials that I have been creating since it’s launch.
→ There is no waiting, content isn’t dripped to you, it’s all there for you to explore and access on-demand as you please.
→ And of course I am there as well for guidance and to answer your questions along the way.
When you know better, you do better.
Are you ready to do better for yourself, your family and your future by committing to your personal development to become the best woman, mother, spouse, sister, daughter, aunt and friend that you can be?
The other week I took part in an interview with one of the members of my community who was working on a school project pertaining to the Business of Influencers!
I love to share my interviews with you all because I think there is often a lot to learn about the process of starting and running a successful business and although you may know some of my story, it’s always great to learn more. Since this interview was for a school project, it’s not going to be published for me to share, so I wanted to share the questions and my answers with you here on my blog!
Question 1: What were you doing before you became an influencer?
Alexis: I’m not sure at which point I officially became an influencer because being an influencer was never actually my goal. My goal was simply to run my own business online. Before going full time for my business, I worked a 9-5 job in Fortune 50 Sales + Marketing. Even while I worked my 9-5 I had been building my brand and influence online. All of this really started after college. When I graduated college and wasn’t financially able to pursue the graduate school of my choice, I started a blog and youtube and redirected to running my own business online.
Question 2:What were the biggest hurdles for you to become a full-time influencer?
Alexis: The biggest hurdle for me to becoming a full-time influencer was having a following large enough to support my minimum income needs. When I left my 9-5 job, I did so only after having saved a comfortable amount of emergency money, and once my monthly income from being and influencer (ad revenue, sponsorships etc) reached a specific point I had defined for myself. Once I hit that income mark, I took the leap and left my job to pursue this business full time.
Question 3: What is your “influencer stack”: the primary/critical tools you use in your day to day work?
Alexis: MyMaster Planner + CEO Strategy Planner Bundle of course is the first! I think having a clear, simple plan of action for the day is the most important part of building anything. I also use WordPress for my website, YouTube for video marketing, Instagram for social media. I use MailChimp as my email marketing provider that helps me send marketing emails to my list. I use a MacBook Pro laptop, an iPhone 8 Plus to do most of my work. I shoot a lot of my images on my phone or on my DSLR Canon 80D. I’ve been using an HD Logitech webcam to film most of my videos recently. I use the program Apple Notes to organize a lot of info between my phone and laptop. I love Dropbox for storing and transferring files. I do use a bit of Google Drive/ Google Docs to organize information as well. And I’m in Adobe Creative Cloud everyday in Photoshop, Illustrator or Indesign for my work. I edit videos on Final Cut Pro X.
Question 4: What part of your work gives you energy?
Alexis: I get the most energy from the creative part of my work. When I get a clear idea for something I want to create, either a product or a piece of content, it energizes me and I can create super fast.
Question 5: What saps you of energy?
Alexis: Comparing myself to other influencers. I try not to do this often, but every so often it happens and it can make you feel so low. But then I do some self-care and mindset work and it pulls me out of the slump. Also, working non stop can sap me of energy, I have a tendency to let that happen to often especially when I have a lot of great ideas I want to act on. My creativity gives me energy but when I abuse it, it can take it away as well.
STOP CHOOSING BETWEEN BUSINESS SUCCESS AND A BALANCED LIFE!
Do you every feel overwhelmed by all the tasks you have to manage for your business and personal life?
If you’re like me, you started your own business in order to live a different lifestyle than the norm. You wanted the flexibility of time and location freedom, being able to work when you wanted, where you wanted, so you would have time to prioritize other areas of your life. Breaking free of the 9-5 life was freeing until I realized without a solid time management strategy and strong prioritization skills I could easily work on my business 16 hours a day, 7 days a week!
Does simply looking at your to-do list give you anxiety? Like tasks are multiplying faster than you can complete them and you are continually sacrificing time with your family, self-care or sleep in order to simply tread water in your business. With so many tasks to finish, how do you what you should be working on each day?
Has the overwhelm of managing your business caused you to slow or completely stall progress on your business goals? You are afraid to take action on your projects because nothing works out the way you expected it would and all you see are problems that you don’t feel capable to address.
Are you constantly stuck on what types of content marketing you should be doing to grow your audience? Your content calendar is usually empty, you wait until the last minute to write your posts but come up blank or you completely skip out on content creation all together because the process is just too time consuming.
What if there was an easier way to run your business?
Imagine waking up in the morning after a full nights sleep, rested and ready to take on the day. You are excited to start work on your business because you are clear on your priorities and have systems in place that make your work much more manageable (and, dare I say, even fun?)
Imagine waking up to a business reality where you feel in control and in charge of your business, like the inspired and aligned CEO you always intended to be.
Your business is thriving, you have time to take your work slow and get the results you are looking for. Your home life is well-managed and your personal relationships are thriving.
At the end of the day, your head hits the pillow grateful and content, knowing that you created this reality and that you can create whatever else you desire tomorrow!
If you are struggling to plan and manage a balanced life and business, I have the solution for you!
Introducing the CEO Strategy Bundle:A three masterclass series covering time management, mindset, and marketing strategies to streamline your business, so you can finally live a balanced life!
The CEO Strategy Bundle is designed to equip you with the tools, strategies and lessons that you need to intentionally create a balanced and profitable life + business…
So you can:
✔︎ Take Charge of Your Time: Clearly understand your roles as a business owner, the specific tasks to focus on through each phase of your business and to set reasonable expectations to achieve true work/life balance.
✔︎ Master Your Mindset: Get into alignment with your purpose, identify and overcome limiting beliefs holding you back from showing up for your business, and master the energetic secrets of productivity that help you triumph over your to-do list once and for all.
✔︎ Expand Your Marketing: Develop your unique messaging to stand out in your niche, quickly create a full calendar of impactful content marketing that sells in just a few hours per week, and show up on purpose and on message to grow your brand and audience.
Here’s what you’ll get:
→CEO Strategy Masterclass: Learn how to manage your time, energy and expectations as a business owner so you can lead a balanced life.
→CEO Mindset Masterclass: Become a master of your own mindset, overcome and reprogram limiting beliefs holding you back from taking action on your desired life + business.
→CEO Content Calendar Masterclass: Streamline your content to keep your audience and revenue growing without overwhelming your schedule or spending money on ads.
RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS IS YOUR DREAM, NOT YOUR NIGHTMARE
Take back control of your life + business with proven strategies that will keep you balanced, focused and on track!
Stop choosing between your business and your personal life, and start embracing the strategies that can keep you balanced and successful in all areas of your life!
Did you know that reading is considered to be one of the most universally acknowledged success habits?
Statistics are thrown around all the time about how many books millionaires and CEOs read in a year. It’s always something crazy like 4+ dozen!
I know for some people, that number seems intimidating. They say the average American reads less than one book per year.
But personally, I don’t believe that it’s the exact number of books read that really makes someone successful. What I think is a more accurate predictor of success is that you are someone who values ongoing education and the way that is most commonly and easily practiced is by reading.
That is why as part of the Productivity + Planning Mastermind Membership that I host, we have a bookclub where each month the members who are interested are able to read along with a book chosen by me that addresses an important productivity or personal development topic.
(If you are interested in being part of our bookclub and getting ongoing support from me to help you live out your own personal vision for success, I would love to have you join the Mastermind and my inner circle, so please do click here to learn more!)
So, I decided that in order to share the love of books and truly, the success habit of continuing your education through the enjoyment and curiosity of reading, I am starting a series here on the blog where I will share one of the books we have read in the Mastermind and provide my summary/feedback on the book.
I am calling this series #BOSS Bookshelf!
Today’s book will challenge you to question everything you think about yourself and the way you interact with the world; Conscious by Annaka Harris.
In order to streamline this review, I have an outline of seven questions I’ll be using to frame my summary and key points of the book.
Q1: What was your overall experience of the book?
I really resonated with this book because it combines many beliefs about science, metaphysics and the nature of our experience as humans, and challenges some fundamental assumptions humans have about ourselves. I specifically chose this book for January because as it is the start of a new year and goal setting season, I wanted to challenge your assumptions about yourself in a way that perhaps helps you see that there is no need for us to be so controlling, perfectionistic or set high expectations for ourselves. In this book the author is making a scientific argument for why we as humans may not be in as much control over our lives and actions as we believe.
Q2: What was something new you learned from the book?
There was really no completely new information presented in this book- it was all studies and information I have already encountered in other places, but what I really love is how Harris arranges this information so simply to support her argument. This isn’t an argument freely discussed or accepted in the scientific community, and from history we know that doesn’t mean the information is wrong- it simply means the overall scientific community is not willing to accept this idea because it would mean having to discount centuries of work and understanding that have brought us to this point. So, the newness of this book comes from the perspective and courage it takes to present inconvenient truths in a way that people are willing to consider and perhaps dig deeper into.
Q3: Where did you find yourself in alignment with the information shared in the book?
Now, I’m personally in alignment with the idea that we as humans, need to stop being so hard on ourselves about what we can and cannot accomplish because we definitely have less control over ourselves than we’d like to believe. In her research, Harris explains some studies that show that the impulse for making decisions happens without human consciousness, even though to our experience, it seems like we are actively making the decision. The natural next question in my mind is then, who or what is controlling us? There are some philosophies that use this information to support the idea that human life is similar to a video game where we are characters being played by some other entities, however, I think the answer, which Harris doesn’t really dig into, is that from conception, our neural net is crafted from early childhood experience, and once that net is set, our resulting actions are controlled by those dominant pathways. Dr Bruce Lipton, a notable child psychologist has for years suggested that the experience of a person by the age of 7 will determine the fate of the rest of their life. None of this is included in this book, however, I mention it to support the information Harris shares with us that there is evidence that we, as adults, may not be fully in control of ourselves because default networks in our brains that control the way we think and act based on our past experience in life. Therefore, if we want to make changes, we have to take steps to adjust our neural net as much as possible, which can be done, but only if we are willing to do and think outside of our comfort zones. Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr Joe Dispenza is a great book that explains strategies for this!
I am personally also a believer in Panpsychism. If you recall, this is the belief that consciousness is a fundamental principle of all matter. Actually, I believe specifically that consciousness is a fundamental aspect of all energy because matter is energy. To be part of this reality we share means that anything here is conscious. Yes, that means I believe rocks are conscious, water is conscious, my chair is conscious. But as Harris lays out in this book, there is a difference between consciousness and intelligence. I don’t think my chair is having active thoughts (it doesn’t have a brain to think with, it doesn’t have nerve endings to feel with) but I do believe it has it’s own type of life on this planet because it’s made of the same particles and basic matter I am made up of. There are protons and neutrons and electrons swirling around deep inside the fabric of my chair that are the same as mine, what they are arranging is just a different structure. Now I mention this because piggy backing off what we learned from reading The Alchemist, I believe that the universe itself is a conscious system that we can interact and manifest with. “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” There is even another part of The Alchemist where the actual Alchemist is talking to Santiago and says something to the effect of “you may have noticed that even the glasses in the shop were conspiring for your success.” If it is accurate that consciousness is a fundamental aspect of all matter and energy, then this could explain how manifestation works. Our conscious energy and desires are able to interact with the consciousness of every other thing in the world to work together to achieve our ends.
Q4: Where did you find yourself resisting the information shared in the book?
In her discussion of panpsychism, Harris seems to argue for panpsychism and yet against the idea that rocks are conscious. Perhaps I read it wrong but I felt like she was being too delicate in navigating the issue as to not upset people or take a strong stand on one argument. I can understand that maybe she doesn’t want to influence people or look foolish by arguing that a rock has consciousness, but this is one of those situations with science where we don’t have enough technology or information yet to test the theory practically.
Q5: What new action or inspiration are you taking away from what you learned in the book?
Reading this book really just makes me feel like other people on on board with some of the metaphysical beliefs I have. Although the book didn’t teach me anything new per se, it did strengthen my resolve to continue researching this path and executing on practices that stem from my metaphysical beliefs because there is clearly more going on than we understand.
Q6: Which quotes from the book that stood out to you as impactful?
I have some notes written down from listening to the book and I’m not sure if these are direct quotes or they were my summary but I still wanted to share.
“Consciousness is not controlling the system it is experiencing and witnessing the system.”
“The conscious mind lacks of a mode of expression.”
“Psychedelics suggest consciousness survives the disappearance of the self.”
Q7: What were some new or interesting terminology you learned from the book?
Most of these terms were not new to me but I wrote them down as key vocab:
Consciousness is experience itself. What it’s like to be a particular thing.
Intuition is a feeling associated with our unconscious queues from our environment.
Umwelt is the world as it is experienced by a specific organism.
Panpsychism is the belief that consciousness is a fundamental principle of reality.
Emergence in philosophy, systems theory, science, and art, emergence occurs when an entity is observed to have properties its parts do not have on their own, properties or behaviors which emerge only when the parts interact in a wider whole.
Quale is our experience of a phenomenon
If you’ve read Conscious by Annaka Harris, I would love to know what your big takeaways were from the book, so please leave a comment and share your thoughts!
5 Common Planning Mistakes to Avoid if You want to be #ProductiveAF
As much as I love and recommend using a planner, there are some very common planning mistakes I see people (including myself) make that can end up seriously derailing your time and task management.
The 5 Common Planning Mistakes Are:
Thinking your planner is your scrapbook or journal
Failing to use your check your planner
Using too few inserts for your needs
Writing down too many tasks for a day
Planning without pre-planning
To learn more about each of these issues and how to start solving them, check out my YouTube video on the subject!
It’s not easy being an ambitious working woman in today’s society. Women have more responsibilities on their shoulders now than they ever have that can make planning feel impossible and overwhelming, which is why goal getters like you and I need to stick together!
If you would like more guidance, support and inspiration for living your best life, I welcome you to join the Productivity + Planning Mastermind!
This is what I created the Mastermind for:
To be a safe space for women like you and I who see beyond the surface of our societal expectations, challenge the accepted norms, and know there is a better way to live.
It’s a place for support, encouragement, accountability and ongoing personal development for us to continue challenging accepted norms and choosing our own unique path to success.
→ The Mastermind includes so many resources to help you on your journey, from multiple live calls each month, to on-demand strategies, tools, and even a complete course on productivity!
→ We have our own private chat forum where we connect and discuss topics ranging from planning, metaphysics, mindset, and wellness.
→ We have a monthly book club to help nurture a growth mindset and continue to learn.
→ We even have a dedicated group for small business CEOs to learn and connect as well!
→ The best part is, when you join the Mastermind, you get immediate access to the entire library of resources, masterclasses and bonus materials that I have been creating since it’s launch.
→ There is no waiting, content isn’t dripped to you, it’s all there for you to explore and access on-demand as you please.
→ And of course I am there as well for guidance and to answer your questions along the way.
When you know better, you do better.
Are you ready to do better for yourself, your family and your future by committing to your personal development to become the best woman, mother, spouse, sister, daughter, aunt and friend that you can be?
