Searching for "meditation"

Online Business Productivity

How to Find Balance as a Small Business Owner

How to Find Balance as a Small Business Owner

In about a week my business will be celebrating its sixth year in existence! First of all, I would just like to say how proud I am that it surpassed the dreaded five year mark of failure, wherein a vast majority of businesses close up shop within the first five years. So, I guess we could say I have a good grip on what it takes to run a business online, successfully. Has the road been perfect? Certainly not. I know I have made mistakes along the way and although I don’t like to have regrets, I certainly am aware of business decisions I made that didn’t turn out the way I wanted. All of this experience over the past six years has made me stronger though. From trial and error I know more of what I want from my business and what I am trying to create with it. I’ve also learned a lot about what it takes on a personal and energetic level to establish and remain balanced as a business owner. Managing my time, energy and expectations so that I can achieve my business goals right alongside my personal life goals, and still be moving my life forward in all the areas that matter to me. So, if you would like to know more about some of the insights I’ve gleaned on this topic, this is what I would like to share with you today.

If you are trying to find balance as a small business owner, there are three main objectives you have to learn and make routine priorities in your life:

✔︎ You have to learn to Manage Your Time

✔︎ You have to learn to Focus Your Energy

✔︎ And you have to learn to Balance Your Expectations

Manage Your Time

The first aspect you must learn into order to find balance as a small business owner is to manage your time. This is one of the most practical lessons you must learn because running a business is a different kind of demanding job than other careers. Yes, time management is key for everyone to learn, but when you are running a business and you are both the boss and the employee, the visionary leader and the practical worker, priorities are everywhere and their is always more work to do then you can actually get done.

In order to get really good at time management, I think the best place to start is by getting crystal clear on your priorities and create a system for prioritizing tasks. As you will be doing the difficult task of defining the direction for your business, breaking it down into objectives and project plans, and then executing on the work, knowing what work is the priority is always important.

As a solo business owner, I wear a heck of a lot of hats and I move between a lot of different types of work. So to keep this organized, I like to manage my work time on a themed workday schedule. Every day of the week is earmarked for different types of work so that I can be as efficient as possible when switching between different types of tasks.

I also tend to operate my personal daily schedule based on the concept of the top three list. Meaning, everyday I define my work, but I create priorities from my to do list by highlighting three tasks that are the most important to achieve that day. The prioritization aspect of how I choose my top three is defined based on my personal system of prioritization, but generally speaking, I have predefined what my creative output will be for a week and those items become the most important work to finish, followed by scheduled projects and then general business housekeeping tasks.

Now, to ensure that I establish balance with my time each day, I do also stick to a daily schedule that makes time for me to complete my personal routines and tasks throughout the day along side my work tasks. I like having a defined daily routine for my workday because seeing my tasks laid out on an hourly schedule keeps me motivated to stick to it, as I can clearly see that following such a schedule gives me ample time to achieve my personal and business objectives for a single day.

Focus Your Energy

There is a quote I love that states “where attention goes, energy flows” and that has come to be something of a motto that I live by. For me, I have seen how that statement is completely accurate. When I give my time and attention to to topic, I am sending my energy to it, whether I intend to or not, which is why I find it very important that I use my morning routine to set my mind and focus for the day so that I minimize mental distractions.

I achieve this with my morning meditation and journaling practice. After I awaken in the morning, I am in the habit of turning on a meditation and laying in bed, clearing my mind and elevating my personal energy to a state of relaxed bliss. Once I get up out of my meditation and deal with my personal hygiene tasks, I then head to my office where I spend no more than 10 minutes journaling in my High Vibe Bible inserts. On these inserts I have a place to list out my daily gratitude, which again adds to that blissful emotional state. Then, I also have a space to journal my thoughts and plans for the day. Once I am in a positive headspace I find that its much easier for me to create my daily to do list and get excited about the tasks I have to accomplish that day. Going through this daily energetic process even makes me more motivated to undertake tasks that I might normally want to avoid, because instead of approaching them from a place of anxiety or worry, I am approaching them with a mindset of possibility and determination. When I start my day like this, happy and content, I am infinitely more productive, and distractions have a harder time breaking through the energetic boundary I have set for myself.

But, of course, a happy disposition alone isn’t always enough to keep distractions at bay. This is why I do my best to set my work area up to minimize distractions. I am very lucky that right now I don’t have many distractions at home, but I do take steps to ensure I remain focused with my work. I don’t watch tv during the day, I keep my phone on silent and I usually even mute my computer sounds so that email notifications don’t disturb my work. I don’t like to read the news while I’m working because that can often shift my emotional and mental state in a direction I don’t want it to go. But, I do sometimes enjoy listening to music, specifically classical music that keeps me uplifted and productive while I perform certain tasks. Sometimes, depending on the work I am doing, I will even listen to a book on tape. All these actions help me to minimize distractions that might leech my attention and energy away from my work.

Balance Your Expectations

The third and final element of finding balance as a creative business owner is balancing your expectations. On one hand this concept compliments the idea of priorities discussed under managing your time, but it really goes beyond that. Balancing your expectations is more about understanding your limitations and knowing how much you can accomplish realistically. I think a lot of times creative entrepreneurs have such big visions that they try to do too much too soon. They take on a lot of work and then work becomes their entire life, or work drains them to the point of failure and burnout. I know it is a challenge living in the digital age and seeing all the possibilities of how you can build a business and market online, but you need to draw the line at what works for you and what is realistic for you to achieve.

Taking myself for instance. I know that something that works for me is writing, so I write three blog posts a week. I don’t think I could do more than three outside of an occasional extra update and remain as productive as I am, however. Same thing goes with my video creation. I used to make two videos a week, but I burned out of enthusiasm for that after a few years, so now I stick to one. I might see other businesses posting more, or in different ways. I am often asked to start a podcast, but with what time and energy because I am booked up at the moment.

You need to get clear with yourself on the expectations you are setting for yourself and your business to manage your workload on a daily, weekly, monthly basis, as well as to understand the signs of when you need to refill your energy and in what ways to do that. I do a lot of self-care on a daily basis. I have self-care routines starting from the moment I wake up and start meditating, to weekly meal preparations, and even regular quiet time alone. I know the amount of self-care I need to take on in order to properly fill my cup so that each day and week I have the energy to take on my realistic workload. It’s a balance, energy in and energy out. Burnout comes from too much energy out and not enough energy back in.

Well, that is how I balance my energy as a creative business person, focusing on how I manage my time, focus my energy and balance my expectations. This productivity triangle of sorts is the key to how I manage to get so much done, even as a solopreneur. Now, if you would like some additional help on this topic of finding balance as a business owner or entrepreneur, I would also recommend that you check out my CEO Strategy Day Concept and FREE Template. You can read all about it here, but briefly, my CEO Strategy Day Concept is a routine I use to keep myself operating efficiently and ensure my life is balanced without any important items slipping through the cracks. I hope the CEO Strategy Day Template helps you to plan and execute a day for you to get into alignment with your highest self and goals for your best life!

I’d love to hear what you thought of this information, so please do share your feedback and opinions in the comments. I’d also love for you to share any additional tips you use to keep yourself balanced as a creative entrepreneur or business person!

xoxo,

Online Business

Entrepreneurial: My Formula for Consistent Action

Welcome to May 2020 My Charmed Ones!

I sincerely hope you and yours are doing well, staying safe, healthy and productive at home. All is well with me and in my neck of the woods, and I’ve been focused a lot lately on keeping motivated with my new consistent work schedule.

As you know, earlier this year I got back on my three weekly blog post, one weekly video schedule, and since quarantine hit, I have been making those videos live classes. All of this new work has been a welcome distraction during this time for me, but, it’s still a habit I’m working to develop consistency around. So, I thought today I should share some of my insight with you on how I’ve been keeping consistent and disciplined over the past few weeks and months because I’d bet that with the drama on the world stage right now, many of you might feel like you have every reason not to do the tasks on your to do list. Am I right? So, if you have been feeling overwhelmed managing your time and expectations, hopefully I can share some tips for finding consistent motivation.

The first thing I wanted to talk to you about on this topic is actually a podcast episode I listened to recently that really resonated with something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. The Podcast is You’re Welcome by Hilary Rushford if you want to check it out, and the episode I am going to be talking about today Ep. 58 Productivity Guilt During Quarantine + the Idealization of Time. It’s that last part that I want to talk to you all about, the idealization of time, because this is something I’ve been thinking a lot about.

So, I’ve mentioned before that I think right now, we’ve been given a tremendous opportunity with this pandemic to really go inward and work on ourselves and our goals. I’m not saying that the pandemic is a good thing, clearly it’s not, but I am saying that in every challenge comes an opportunity and suddenly, many of us who were once on the hamster wheel of time management have been given an influx of time. That’s not everyone, many people right now are more busy at home. especially parents who are now remote workers, plus teachers to their children, in addition to their myriad of other responsibilities. But, many of us do have more time in one way or another right now, and I see this as an opportunity for people to buckle down and execute on the goals they have firmly placed into the Someday category. You know what I am talking about- those goals you said you wanted to go after someday when you had more time. Well, we have more time right now, so are you doing all the things you said you were going to do once more time arrived?

My assumption is, and what Hilary discussed in her podcast episode was, that no, lots of us are not using the extra time we now have to go after our goals. There is a good reason for this- time was never the reason why you were not going after those goals to begin with. I say this all the time, but it’s truly evident right now in our current situation that time is a construct. You have, and always have had, the same 24 hours in a day that each and every other successful, goal oriented person has, but you aren’t executing on those objectives, not for a lack of time, but for a lack of motivation. Actually, it’s like a mix of motivation, discipline, clarity keeping you from executing, but all of it is a mental block and you are blaming it on time.

I want to be very clear, I am not saying this to judge or attack you if you happen to be getting triggered by this conversation. I am saying this as a friend and hopefully a trusted source of productivity advice who truly wants to see you succeed. But you can’t succeed if you don’t acknowledge the true issue here. Time was never the issue. What the exact issue is for each of you in this situation will be different, but it stems from a limiting belief you have held in your mind that is confining you to a pattern of behaviors in which you consistently prioritize other things (or nothing at all) over the completion of your goals.

You have the same amount of hours in a day as Beyonce (I love to use that quote) and, yes, right now Beyonce might have much better resources at her disposal than you, but she didn’t always. It was consistent planning and action that made Beyonce the woman she is today. And if you don’t resonate with Beyonce, substitute her for any number of successful individuals. The point is, all of us get the same amount of time and the same amount of opportunities in a day to go after our objectives, and so we have to stop using time as an excuse and start addresses the real issue holding us back from action.

I am not immune from this conversation myself, either! In fact, I want to use the example of myself to explain how I have been overcoming my own obstacles and taking more strategic action. Let’s go back to those three factors that I think really do impact our ability to take action and those are clarity, motivation and discipline. Without those three elements in alignment, it’s difficult to take strategic action that yields results.

# 1. Clarity: I define clarity as understanding where I am trying to go, what I am trying to achieve and having a set of parameters for how I want to achieve my goal. In her podcast episode Hilary talks about the fact that each of us has a list of things we believe we should do if we had the time, and yet many of us never do the things on that list. To me, this issue comes down to a lack of clarity and the importance of switching up the language we use to describe this very common issue. So, yes, we have all been faced with ideas of things we should do, but I think we need to start thinking of this list of shoulds as a list of coulds. If you are into Law of Attract you have probably heard Ester Hicks and Abraham talk about life being a series of experiences intended to highlight the contrasts of desires. Meaning, there are lots of different experiences we have in life and can have, and it’s up to us to filter through all of them and determine which we desire and which we do not. In the podcast, Hilary uses the example of her father, who is an author and speaker to illustrate the point that as humans we have more ideas than time to execute. She explains that her father knows he should turn his book into an audiobook but he hasn’t had the time to do it yet. But, time isn’t the issue, right, it’s desire. Whether or not he should turn the book into an audiobook isn’t the question, really the task is simply a could until he gets clear on whether or not that is a true priority for him. Plenty of people never turn their books into audiobooks and for good reason, maybe it’s not worth the time or effort, maybe there is a specific strategy they are following or perhaps they just don’t like audiobooks and prefer their book to be in physical form. This is what I mean when I say it’s important to have a set of parameters for how you want to achieve a goal because truthfully the options are endless for things we could do, but clarity around our values will help us define the path of execution for anything we do desire to accomplish. Let’s use an example from my own life and business. I am told all the time that I should sell my inserts as a physical product, not just a digital. Or I am told I should write a book, or I should start a podcast. But when I ask myself should I and I evaluate these ideas based on my values, I keep coming to the conclusion that those options are not in alignment with my objectives. So, it is very important that we treat these shoulds as coulds until they pass the litmus test of clarity and are formally identified as objectives we wish to pursue. If we don’t we run the risk of shoulding ourselves to death, meaning, we allow all the options that we have to overwhelm us and paralyze us into inaction.

#2. Motivation: To me, the next part of this equation is motivation, meaning that initial spark that triggers action to begin. Some people believe that motivation is required consistently in order to start and complete an objective, but that isn’t how I see it. I believe motivation just needs to inspire the start of an action. So, we need to feel like, yes, we can achieve the goal, it is possible and feasible. If you are someone who has an idea that you would like to take action on, perhaps you have had that moment of clarity and know what you want to achieve and have made a plan to get it done but haven’t been able to take action yet, what you need in this situation is that spark of motivation. For me, motivation comes from knowing that I am not the first person who has done anything in this world. So, if someone else can do it, so can I. A lot of inaction or the inability to start on a project for myself often comes because I am afraid of failure, but reminding myself that others have done something takes the edge off. Even if I can’t find an example of someone who has done the precise thing I am doing, I can usually find an example of someone who is doing something close to what I am doing. For example, recently, I have been hosting live classes on Saturday afternoon on my Youtube channel in a way I never have before. These classes are like nothing I have really seen on YouTube before within the planning and productivity community, and because of that fact and all the equipment and technology required on the back end, I get a little nervous doing the classes. But I know I am not reinventing the wheel here. I know there have been other creators in other genres who have gone live like this. Gaming streamers are the best equivalent I can think of who also have a complex tech setup and are managing an event on their own with a large live audience. So, I know I can do it. Just because other planner people don’t host these events doesn’t mean I can’t or shouldn’t. Most of the time, it is this sort of motivation that helps me put myself out there in new ways when I am afraid of trying something new for my audience.

#3. Discipline: As I mentioned earlier, I believe motivation is the initial spark required to overcome mental obstacles and take action, but it isn’t necessary after an objective has begun. What you need after you get started on a goal is discipline! Self- discipline is the mental muscle that keeps us coming back and working on an objective after the motivation has ended. For many people, including myself, this is where the struggle begins. It’s not in finding clarity and it’s not the motivation to get started, it’s the discipline required to show up over and over again until the work is complete. I know many of you reading this believe I am naturally very self-disciplined, but I would not agree. I have struggle often with discipline and have to find creative ways to get myself to execute and complete work all the time. The first element that helps me with this is having a plan and making sure I have clear visibility to everything I need to do. So writing out my top three tasks in a day and making sure I have that complete list of work with my next-action on it is crucial for me. But the list itself isn’t enough for me. I can stare at a to do list all day and never take action on a task, so I have developed a formula for myself to get to work. First, I need to slow down to understand what is holding me back that day. It can vary of course. Perhaps I see that the tasks aren’t what I desire to do, or I have another priority that has taken precedence. Often though, I am just feeling tired or overwhelmed with my work. So, I give myself permission to take a short break to get my head straight. Usually, if I spend this break relaxing in meditation I can calm the mental blocks enough that they dissolve and then I am no longer afraid to tackle the to do list. Or, sometimes I take a bath to relax my muscles physically. Or, other times, I will watch some funny videos on YouTube or TikTok to lift my energy and vibration. Once my energy is lifted, when I come back to my to do list, I can sense my increased capacity for the day and I’m ready to get down to work.

Get clarity on your business objectives with the CEO Strategy Planner!

That is my formula and process for consistently motivation myself to start and complete my work. I’ve been using this process a lot lately because in these challenging times, it’s so easy to get down about what is happening in the world and it can drain your energy and capacity to get things done. It’s so important that we have grace with ourselves and acknowledge where we are struggling because when we dig deeper at that struggle we will find the obstacles that are holding us back from executing on those objectives we desire to achieve. It doesn’t matter why you want something, your desire is valid and you are worthy of it. Sometimes, it just takes some good self-awareness and analysis to understand what blocks are truly standing in our way.

So, this is the process I am going to continue to work on through the month of May as I develop that consistency and self-disciple to execute on my new content calendar and the other projects I have on my business plan to execute. I know I have big dreams for my life and where I am heading and its so important to me that I complete the work I plan for myself so that all the dominos fall properly throughout my year.

Okay, well with that here’s to another great month ahead! I hope this post has been insightful for you and I’d love to hear more about what you are working on this month in the comments below!

xoxo,

Productivity

How I’ve Been Spending My Time Productively During the Pandemic

As I am writing this post, I have now spent over five weeks in social isolation at home due to the recent world pandemic, and I know each of you are likely in the same situation. At this point, it looks like some countries might begin loosening social distancing regulations soon, but we’re still going to be inside for a while longer and I wanted to share with you how I’ve been spending my time at home productively, to give you some ideas or inspiration for how you also could make good use of this time.

First let’s talk about my mindset during this pandemic, because I think its good to start with your head in the right place. I know there is a lot of anxiety going around, and fear for our health, safety and future economic security, but I pretty much refuse to give into that fear and lack mentality. Things aren’t perfect right now, thats true, and it feels like there is a lot of uncertainty in the world, sure, but honestly, life itself is a lot of uncertainty. Nothing has really changed about that, anyone could leave us at any moment, we could loose our financial security because of a job loss or downturn in an industry or market, really the only thing that has changed is that we are now seeing the truth. The world was never a certain place. I get that can be frightening for people. Humans have what is called a cognitive need for closure, which means we like to know what’s going on, we like to understand situations, good or bad, we don’t like to be left hanging with unknowns. Right now, the world seems like a big unknown, but I promise you, just as life is filled with uncertainty, it also has a persistent way of fighting on. When we look at history we know this is true. After world wars and pandemics in the past, we have been faced again with prosperity. Things will get better, they will go back to normal, nothing lasts forever. Because every time we overcome a hurdle, we are better for it.

So, I’m not feeding into the false idea that we should be afraid or worried- all of that is a waste of time and energy. Honestly, if we really did have significant cause for worry, worrying would be the absolute worst use of our energy in that situation. We need to keep calm cool heads. Which is why I’ve been doing a lot of meditation during this time. To keep myself calm and focused, and grounded in my knowing that this is just a temporary situation, a construction that is going to lead to new expansion.

Task #1: Meditate daily
Spending just 30 minutes a day in the morning when you wake up or just before you fall asleep relaxing to a meditation track will do wonders for managing any anxiety or stress that you might be experiencing during this time. YouTube has free meditations for every situation, so I recommend using one of those to start.

Now that we have our heads in the right place, let me explain a bit about my strategy during this period of time. Strangely enough, I truly believe that this reordering of the world is an opportunity for each of us to take our focus off the outside world and outer expectations, and start focusing inward. How many times have you or I said “I wish I had more time for x?” X being some long held personal goal, project or objective that you just didn’t have time for in the busy-ness of our former lives. Well, guess what? Now, stuck at home all day, we have an opportunity to focus on those other goals. While the past five weeks haven’t been an all expenses paid vacation, the new challenge of making life work from home has also come with great new opportunities. The vast majority of us now no longer have a commute, regular social obligations, events or other distractions on our time. So, if you are home feeling a little stir crazy running out of ideas of things to do, it’s time to put your energy into that project you’ve been putting off. I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking that this is the perfect time for me to focus on my health and the back end of my business. I can’t go out to eat, I’m not distracted by dinners or brunches with friends who might derail a diet, so I should focus on sticking to my meal plan and getting in shape. With the economy taking a hit, although I am very blessed that my business hasn’t been affected, I should take this opportunity to take a step back and work on those lingering tasks and upgrades I’ve been putting off for too long. Focus less on selling and more on what I can do to create better systems that will eventually make my life easier in the future. That would really be a productive use of time right now for me, so determine what would be a productive use of time for you. How can you use this time to set a goal, map out a plan and track an objective that will make your life better once we are on the other side of this pandemic?

Task #2: Set a goal to hit at home
Choose something you can do at home with an outcome that would make all this time inside seem worth it. Organize elements of your life to work around this goal so you give yourself time each day to move the needle on it. Your future self will thank you. If you need a great project planning tool to help you with this, check out my 2020 Project Planning Insert Bundle!

The final thing I’ve been doing during this pandemic to help me stay motivated and productive is having video dates with friends and family. I don’t know about you, but before the pandemic hit I remember shaking my head at all the memes that would go around poking fun at how people would make plans with friends but then either cancel or prefer to stay home. I know you have seen at least a few of these graphics yourself, and I have definitely been on both sides of that situation. Having friends cancel on me at the last minute because they don’t want to go out or personally feeling too drained to get myself up and ready for a night out. I feel like what is happening with social distancing is almost like all those memes have finally come to fruition. All our social calendars are clear, we are all spending quiet evenings at home. As much as I would say I have been taking well to the social isolation, I know that I do need social interaction to keep sane. For the first few weeks this wasn’t a priority, but after a friend invited me to my first pandemic girls night via zoom, I realized that I had been sorely missing social activities. So, I have been prioritizing them now. It really has made such a difference just to see and talk to people, and scheduling a date out ahead of time gives you something to look forward to in a time when all the days of the week start to blur together.

Task #3: Schedule a weekly video date with a friend or family member.
Don’t just play this by ear, set a scheduled day and time to devote to this so you have something to look forward to and to get ready for. Put a but of effort in getting ready, especially if you haven’t had many reasons to get yourself dressed up to be on camera.

CLICK HERE to download your FREE Productivity Toolbox and make the coming week your best week ever!https://mailchi.mp/786d23044cad/productivitytoolbox

So, that is how I have been spending my time productively during the pandemic. I hope this post gave you some inspiration for things you could do while you are stuck at home to continue living your best life! I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to, so leave me a comment below, and check out my Live Events schedule and consider joining me for my next free class to hang out and learn together!

xoxo,

Productivity

How to Have the Most Productive Day Ever!

How to Have the Most Productive Day Ever!

Like everyone in the world, I have good days and bad days and it always seems like the days when I am most productive just sort of randomly happen. They are usually unplanned; one day I just wake up and things seem to flow. There are no obstacles and the day just passes easily while I remain focused on the things I need to accomplish. When this happens, it’s easy to think that I just got lucky. Like the stars have aligned for me to have a productive day, but tomorrow I might not be so lucky. The truth is, however, although we might experience these days as random occurrences, there are things we can do to mimic the conditions and have the most productive day ever, whenever we want. I’ve actually figured out four important steps or phases we can take to have the most productive day ever, and if you also follow these steps you can create the right conditions to have your own productive day on demand as well!

Your Productive Day Starts the Night Before

The most productive days always begin with a few key actions taken the night before, but for each of us, the exact actions to take to set tomorrow up for success might be different. Think about the things that cause resistance in your mornings. Are you exhausted when you wake up? Do you struggle to pick out your clothes? Do you make a mess in the kitchen preparing breakfast and you’re brown bagged lunch? Whatever elements of your morning are a struggle for you, identify them and decide what action you can take the night before to vault those hurdles. Getting to bed earlier, laying out your clothes, prepping a breakfast and lunch? Maybe it’s not your own resistance you face and the struggle is with partners or children. Get them on board if necessary and take some time prepping with or for them so tomorrow morning is a breeze.

Make Your Morning Count

Now that you have mitigated the biggest sources of resistance in your morning, you can start your day with more peace and ease. Begin by spending a little more time in bed this morning. I know what you’re thinking- but I promise, this will be time well spent. After all, you took key actions last night, so now you can spend 15-20 minutes before exiting bed in quiet prayer or meditation. If it helps to use a guided meditation track, have some options bookmarked on your phone so you can pop on your headphones and get yourself aligned before your feet hit the ground.

CLICK HERE to download your FREE Productivity Toolbox and make the coming week your best week ever!

Plan the Big Priorities

Once it’s time to get down to business for the day, no matter what sort of work you do, spend a another 10-15 minutes with your planner working out time when you will focus on your most important priorities. Decide what those priorities are; time with family, a workout before or after work, an important event or meeting, or specific work that is due. Once you know those top 3 priorities for the day, make sure you have the time blocked off for their completion in your schedule. Then of course wrap up your planning with any other scheduled events or tasks you need to remember.

Wrap Up and Wind Down

Towards the end of your workday it’s incredibly important that you intentionally wrap up any work that may need to be carried over for the next day and get your workspace or inbox in good order. This will make it much easier for you to have a productive work day again tomorrow. Spend perhaps the final 30 minutes of your workday intentionally winding down for the transition from work back to home life. Set the intention that you are leaving work at work and moving into the next phase of your day with peace and ease so that you can now step into being your best self for your personal priorities. Whether you work outside or inside the home, that intention mental switch is an important daily transition to make so that you are showing up as your best self for yourself and other, and also making the most of the next phase of your day.

Simple, right? Maybe not necessarily easy, but a pretty simple four step plan. I’d love for you to test this plan out in your own life and report back on how it worked out for you. Remember, this plan is intended to be general steps for you to take, but you need to hammer our the specifics for your day and your life for things to work out as productively as possible for you. But, it is great to have this template or outline to work off. Can’t wait to hear how it goes!

xoxo,

Online Business

The Work Day of a Passive Income Entrepreneur

Hello Charmed Ones!

I have a special little treat for you- a midweek video! I am trying to get back into the swing of posting my 2 weekly videos again and I recorded a work day in the life for you focused around my tasks as a Passive Income Entrepreneur. I hope you enjoy this video and learn a thing or two about the systems I build to support my business.

Follow me around as I show you my routine, walk you thru how I create passive income opt-ins and discuss some new products with you! If you are interested in build online passive income systems for your business, I welcome you to check out the blog post and download the FREE PDF Guide we created in this video to help you get started: http://bit.ly/freepassiveincomeguide

→ MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO

✔︎ Guided Meditations: https://apple.co/2VN7kUJ

✔︎ High Vibe Bible: http://highvibebible.com

✔︎ Master Planner: http://bit.ly/masterplanners

✔︎ Master Project Planner: https://amzn.to/2vKXTqk

✔︎ You Got This: https://amzn.to/2H2DDpc

xoxo,

MASTER PLAN BONUS’

Thank You For Your Purchase of the CHARMED LIFE MASTER PLANNER!

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE GIFT

Want to learn more about how I plan and organize my life?

live your best life through trainings & coaching with Alexis @Misstrenchcoat!

Join the premier online community for ambitious, high vibe, planner lovers who are ready to design a balanced, successful life through practical, research backed strategy, tools & accountability!

ARE YOU READY?

join now

ARE YOU READY TO LIVE YOUR CHARMED LIFE?

I beautiful, fulfilling life doesn’t happen by accident.

It’s the result of strategy, hard work and belief.

If your life right now feels out of control, overwhelming and isn’t your ideal of how you want to live, work and experience the world, it’s time to learn exactly how to plan for your balanced and successful life!

Forget whatever you think you know about designing your best life because this is where we throw out old stereotypes of what it means to be successful so that we may become the embodiment of our own greatness.

This isn’t about gender politics, this isn’t about family, this isn’t about society or religion- this is about you, and whether you desire to be a woman of greatness who makes things happen for herself and the ones she loves.

We all know that life is filled with its up and downs.

No one’s life is perfect, and no one has it all no matter how great things may seem
on social media.

But the one thing we all need to have- the single most important skill any woman can acquire and utilize for her own personal success and happiness- is the ability to mobilize and motivate herself to achieve any goal or outcome she desires. That is the only way to guarantee yourself consistent and repeatable happiness and success in your life.

That is what it means to live a Charmed Life!

The woman who leads a Charmed Life knows, believes and trusts in her own abilities.
She knows her own mind, she prioritizes the care of herself so that she may better care for the needs of others. She sees great possibility in her life and isn’t afraid to show up to do the work necessary to have the life of her dreams. 

She is smart, she is strong, she is capable, she is confident, and she is inside of you!

You are the only one responsible for your ultimate happiness in life and if you are ready to learn what it takes to birth your dreams into reality, now is the time for you to expand into the reality of your Charmed Life.

The path isn’t always easy- that’s why precious few ever dare to tread upon it. 

But the journey and the destinations you will reach with the knowledge and effort you put into showing up for the work is going to be fulfilling beyond your wildest dreams. 

The path to your Charmed Life is waiting for you.

Introducing

the charmed life Master mind

An Accountability & Personal Development Coaching Membership Community 
for Ambitious Women Designing their Best Lives! 

Here's what you'll get

  • THREE LIVE CALLS EACH MONTH: Each month, members of the Master Mind meet live for a new Masterclass, an Office Hours Q+A Call, and a monthly planning CEO Power Hour. All calls are scheduled ahead of time, and recorded, so if you can't attend live you can enjoy the replay.
  • WORKBOOKS + ACTIVITIES: To accompany each Masterclass, you will also get access to downloadable class workbooks and materials with additional homework and activities to put the principles you learn into immediate action in your life and planning.
  • MASTERCLASS TRAINING LIBRARY: As a member of the Master Mind you will get access to the complete library of classes and calls on-demand. That's dozens of trainings and 100+ hours of content to learn from on a variety of topics.
  • RESOURCE LIBRARY: In addition to the Masterclass Library, you will also get full access to the resource library filled with dozens of additional insert designs, guided meditations, planner organization tools and more.
  • A PRIVATE MEMBERSHIP COMMUNITY: Not only does the Master Mind have its own dedicated membership website where all our downloads and resources are housed, but we also have our own Private Slack Channel where I post accountability prompts and do additional coaching outside of class. I share extra content on the Slack channel and you can use it to share content as well, chat with your fellow Master Mind members and ask me additional Q+A!

unlock unlimited access to premium on-demand tools

join now

2023 MASTER CLASS SCHEDULE

JANUARY

QUARTER 1 PLANNING

FEBRUARY

JOURNALING FOR SUCCESS

MARCH

PERSONALITY TYPES

APRIL

QUARTER 2 PLANNING

MAY

SELF-MASTERY

JUNE

LIVING THE 80/20 RULE

JULY

MID-YEAR REVIEW

AUGUST

OBJECTIVE SETTING

SEPTEMBER

WRITING A BETTER STORY

OCTOBER

QUARTER 4 PLANNING

NOVEMBER

INBOX MANAGEMENT

DECEMBER

YOU GOT GOALS

what else is inside the master mind?

12 week productivity + planning course

When you join the membership, you get instant access to my 12 week productivity + planning course that will help you learn the essential strategies I teach for functional planning and achieving success. This course is packed with 12 video classes, printable worksheets and class materials to help you set goals, make plans, master habits and much more!

Productivity book club

For years my community has been asking me to start a book club and I am pleased to announce I will be hosting one from within the Master Mind. I'll be sharing all my favorite books, plus choosing a title each month to read together and share key lessons from so we are continuing our education on productivity and success together! For those of you interested in Metaphysics + Alchemy topics, don't you worry- I've got you covered too!

Wellness support group

I don't know about you, but I have certainly packed on the Quarantine 15 since the pandemic began and I am on a mission to restore my health and wellness to a place that feels good to me. Many of you know, I lost nearly 100lbs back in 2017 using the Keto diet and I would love to share more details of my wellness journey, recipes and meal prep hacks with you inside the Master Mind.

annual pay in full bonus

2023 Master plan system

When you enroll with the annual pay in full option, you will get a full year membership to the master mind PLUS the complete 2023 Master Plan System, a $75 value, FREE! This is the best value to ensure you have the right tools and ongoing support you need to keep accountable to your goals!

Join the master mind today for just $33 a month!*

It’s the BEST INVESTMENT you can make for your successful and fulfilling life!

join now

This is for you if...

  • You love my content and products and have gotten a significant amount of value from following me on my platforms and using my strategies
  • You are a Functional Planner who is comfortable with using printable or digital planning tools (I'll be sharing a LOT of those in this Master Mind)
  • You are curious and open minded and love learning new and out of the box philosophies to help you improve your mindset and your life

This is not for you if...

  • You're not the biggest fan of me or my philosophies... it's okay, I'm not offended, to each their own
  • You are focused on pretty planning and scrapbooking with your planner, you wouldn't call yourself a Functional Planner per se
  • You're not someone who is comfortable interacting and sharing online, this is first and foremost a community experience which isn't for everyone

LET'S HEAR FROM MY MASTER MIND SISTERS

A big thank you goes out to each of my master mind sisters who was gracious enough to share their stories with us! Your support and belief in our group means the world to me!

Alexis is Your Virtual Coach & Charmed Life Guru

Imagine that smart, funny and super successful friend who is always sharing the most life-changing tips and time management hacks. The one everyone goes to for advice because she just makes life look so effortless. Yea, that’s Alexis, and she’s your new on-demand coach ready to help you bring your Charmed Life to fruition!

Alexis is a successful online entrepreneur who designs strategic tools to help ambitious women plan for a balanced life and business. She is a blogger, YouTuber and productivity thought leader with a following of over 150,000 and annual views into the millions. 

Alexis is the creator of the Functional Planning Methodology, the Master Plan and CEO Strategy systems, and her work is designed around proven productivity, time management and neuroscience research to help you organize and motivate yourself to achieve your goals and objectives with ease. 

JOIN THE MASTER MIND TODAY FOR JUST $33 a month!*

That’s the equivalent of one week of to-go lattes, but the impact on your life will last far longer than the jolt of caffeine.

join now

Frequently Asked Questions

The Charmed Life Master Mind is an ongoing monthly membership with no end date in sight.

You will have access to the master class replays, class materials, resources, inserts etc for as long as you are a member of the Master Mind. You will have unlimited access to the complete library of content and resources shared and produced ongoing as a member.

The Master Classes each month will be held via Zoom. If you have ever been to one of my live workshops on YouTube you know what to expect in terms of my style and the way I structure my classes!

Currently, the monthly Master Classes are held on the first Saturday of the month at 2pm ET/11am PT.

Our monthly Office Hours call is scheduled for the 20th of the month, and if that date lands on a weekday (Mon-Fri) it is held at 7pm ET/4pm PT. If the 20th is a weekend (Sat-Sun), the call is held at 11am ET/8am PT!

Finally, our CEO Power Hour call is scheduled for the last Saturday of the month @ 11am ET/8am PT!

The Charmed Life Master Mind costs $396 for 12 continuous months if you enroll at the Annual membership price, which equates to $33 per month. Or $44 a month if you sign up for month to month. You have the option to sign up on a month to month basis OR sign up for the annual pay in full which includes a special bonus of the complete Master Plan System, a $75 value! 

After you join the Master Mind, if you don’t enjoy the content, you are more than welcome to cancel your subscription at any time, no questions asked.

Due to the nature of this experience, no refunds will be given once a payment has been made. It is up to you to cancel your membership to prevent a new payment from processing.

No problem! If you miss a class, you will have access to the replay plus all the class materials as soon as it has been uploaded to the course website. If you have questions after viewing the replay- that’s what the Slack community is for, to ask me questions and get answers and resources as necessary to learn and integrate the information.

thoughts from my master mind sisters!

“I have signed up with Alexis’ Master Mind for a whole year!  I rediscovered her a few months back –  and found that she was doing a monthly coaching pack.  I did not want to sign up for the whole year at that time as I was in such a mess.  Covid has been a destructive force on both my little shop – and on my personal and mental health.  I could not see past the next few days – and had no idea of how to sort the jumble out.

6 months on – I am loving the coaching.  I am much better organized – my head is clearer – I can concentrate and plan.  Hey, I am not perfect – I still mess up – and that’s allowed – but I can get back on track and start over with the tools that I have now. 

We get 3 group sessions a month – plus workbook downloads – and class replays – plus each class goes into a resource library so that you have access to all the past classes and workbooks to work through.

Alexis is so generous with her time – and puts so much work into the classes and workbooks.  I also love the range of topics that we cover – it is so varied – there are all sorts of new ideas that you take further if you want to.

I am loving my planner and organizing stuff.  And – I am so looking forward to the coming year – The class titles look amazing.”

Pandy Grenville-Evans
Owner of The Posh Dog Clothing Company

“I joined the Master Mind family as a gift to myself for my 50th birthday and I will continue it because the classes and the community have been a life saver for me.”

Dorothy R.

“I’ve been following Alexis for a while now. I’ve watcher her growth. It hit me the other day. She’s doing it- sleek and skillfully. This is who I want around me now onward. Those who are doing it, making the vision a reality. Here’s to 2022 and beyond!”

Natacha B.

“I just wanted to let you know how much the Master Mind has helped me. I started out 2020 with basically no real goals and no plans except to make it through the day, the week, the month. I rarely woke up excited about the day. I wanted to get that excitement back again. I joined Empire Building and found that I could get excited about my work again! Then Alexis introduced the Master Mind. I jumped on it right away. It was a chance to stay connected to a group of like-minded women who wanted to get things done. I have used Alexis’ products before (The Master Planner and the Project Planner) and I knew how much they helped me in the past. We just finished setting up our goals for 2021 and I am excited about the new year. Alexis gives 110% to everything she does. I would not hesitate to join ANYTHING Alexis puts together. You will get so much more than you expect.”

Carol L.

“I have been searching for eons for the tools and information to get my ADD brain organized and working productively. I stumbled upon Alexis’ YouTube channel last spring and it changed my life. Her planner pages, her videos and most recently her Empire Building Course and her Master Mind group have gotten me to slow down and think about how I am thinking. I stray from the path because that’s what my brain does, but I always come back to her channel and shop, and ask myself why I wasted more time, energy and money looking for “it”, I am a 25+ year trial attorney running my own firm, with 5 grandkids to spoil, and Maltese show dogs to raise and train. But it has been Alexis’ products, courses and instructional videos that have done more to get me focused and productive than all the planners, self-help articles, videos and books in the past 10 years. Life is still a rollercoaster and non-stop “do this now”, but I have stopped searching for that “miracle” because all I need is right here. I learned her method and the madness ended. Now, if I could just get her to call me everyday and remind me to prioritize my to-do list, I would be in heaven. Thanks a million Alexis. You change lives.”

Katherine K.

READY TO START?

LET’S GO!

MONTHLY PLAN

$44 / month

billed monthly
  • No questions asked cancelation policy
  • Instant access to the complete Master Class + Resource Library
  • New live Master Class + Replay each month
  • Live Office Hours Q&A Call + Replay each month
  • Live Business Planning Coaching Call + Replay each month
  • The Productivity Assessment Resource Guide- learn exactly how to improve your productivity
  • Access to our private Slack group for daily accountability, coaching and extra content
  • New digital workbooks, tools and resources created and added each month
  • Price locked in and will never increase
  • Exclusive member benefits and discounts to other products and courses I offer
  • Plus all of the additional benefits listed on this page above
join monthly
Best Value!
ANNUAL PLAN

$33 / month

billed Annually
  • ALL benefits listed in monthly plan
  • Get a full year- 365 days in the Master Mind starting TODAY! (Imagine where you'll be a year from now!)
  • Pay upfront and save $132!
  • PLUS receive the 2023 Master Plan System of print at home planner inserts ($75 Value)
join annual

© CHARMED MEDIA ENTERPRISES LLC.  |  ALEXIS GIOSTRA @MISSTRENCHCOAT

// Comments Off on MASTER PLAN BONUS’
My Productivity Playlist

My Entrepreneur Spring Break Playlist {March 2017 Productivity Playlist}

Entrepreneur Spring Break Playlist

My Entrepreneur Spring Break Playlist {March 2017 Productivity Playlist}

I don’t think I mentioned this, but yesterday was my birthday (yay for me!) and I’ve decided that I am taking the rest of March as my own personal business Spring Break! I always remember in college that my spring break fell around my birthday which was awesome, but ever since then, I’ve failed to really take time off to rest and relax during this pivotal time of year for myself. Well, now that the launch of Empire Building is done, I’ve cleared my schedule and plan to spend a dedicated amount of time focusing on myself and my personal interests. I’m not going to pull back 100% from my business, but I do want to devote most of the hours of the day to doing my own thing. I’m not entirely sure how my days will be spent, but I can say that I really want to focus on meditation, physical activity and reading. I also have some personal home projects I want to accomplish, like organizing and decluttering some spaces that have been neglected. I’m thinking a life purge is in order and I’m looking forward to doing some spring cleaning and letting go of the old to make room for the new!

Of course, I’ll need some great tunes to listen to while I work on these projects, so today I’m sharing my Entrepreneur Spring Break Playlist with some of the songs I’ve been loving lately that seem to always empower me to get up and moving!

I hope you have a wonderful week and enjoy this playlist! Even though you may not be able to take a Spring Break, I’d love to know how you’d spend some extra personal time and maybe even how you can incorporate some simple activities into your days this week to take advantage of the Spring Break energy in the air! Let me know in the comments!

xoxo,

Productivity

My Morning and Evening Routines (PLUS My Routine Essentials!)

My Morning & Evening Routines PLUS My Routine Essentials!

My Morning and Evening Routines (PLUS My Routine Essentials!)

Since I shared some ideas on developing your own Morning and Evening Routines yesterday, I thought it would be nice to share my personal routines with you, including some essential items that play an important role in keeping me in line on a daily basis. If you recall from yesterday, I believe it’s important for you to define a routine that works for you personally, and I hope yesterday’s post has given you some clarity. It always helps, however, to see examples from others, which is what I intend to do for you today. Without further ado, here are my routines!

Morning Routine

{7:30 am} Wake Up and Stretch: I normally wake up without an alarm at around 7:30 am as my husband is getting ready for work. When I wake up, I like to stretch a bit before I get out of bed and may reach for my phone to check messages and the news as well.

{7:40 am} Drink Water: I keep a tumbler of water next to my bed and will start sipping on it when I wake up, usually before I even get out of bed. I am always thirsty and so getting hydrated immediately is a big priority for me.

{7:45 am} Turn on Meditation or Sound machine App: As I get out of bed in the morning, I like to put on either a guided meditation or sound machine app to help me wake up my mind and start the day on a positive, inspired note.

{8:00 am} Make Bed: Once I’ve got my meditation on or once it’s complete (depending on how I feel that day), I will get out of bed and make it.

{8:05 am} Dress: Once my bed is made, I like to change out of my pj’s and into my outfit for the day. My daily uniform is usually comfortable leggings and a utility blouse, tunic or light sweater. I’ll also pop on a pair of house shoes or slippers because my home office has hard wood floors and I don’t like when my feet are cold!

{8:15 am} Morning Hygiene: Once I’m dressed I start my morning hygiene washing my face, brushing my teeth etc. On some days this is pretty quick and on others I will take more time to put on makeup and do my hair.

Evening Routine

{11:00 pm} Refill Water Tumbler: The first thing I do when I am getting ready for bed is to refill my water tumbler and bring it upstairs to my bedroom. Usually I head upstairs to end my evening and prep for bed between 10:30 – 11pm depending on what I’ve done that evening. On weekends, however, this can vary.

{11:05 pm} Evening Hygiene: Once I’m upstairs, I will start my evening hygiene practice which includes taking a shower or bath, removing my makeup, and cleansing. I take my showers at night so I can relax, get into bed nice and clean, and fall asleep faster.

{11:30 pm} Self Care: Once I’m clean and in my robe, I like to do some sort of self-care activity before bed. This could be a home facial treatment, listening to a podcast or book on tape, or giving myself a face and neck massage.  (mask, cream, haircare)

{11:45 pm} Pajamas & Hair Prep: Once I’m done my self-care (or after a little while if I’ve turned on a book or podcast) I switch into my pajamas and prep my hair for bed. Since I have very long hair, I must either braid it or put it into a high bun on the top of my head to keep it tidy while I’m sleeping. If not, it makes it uncomfortable for me to sleep because my hair goes all the way down my back and makes it hard for me to move around and get comfortable.

{11:50 pm} Essential Oils & Crystals: Right before I get into bed I will turn on my essential oil diffuser and arrange some crystals on my bedside table. They are always on the side table, however, I like to make sure that everything is tidy and that the crystals aren’t being covered so I get the optimal affect of having them by my side as I sleep!

{12:00 am} ASMR Video & Eye Mask: I like to be in bed ready to sleep by no later than midnight. Once my oils are on and I’m in bed, I will put on a night mask to help me sleep as I am very sensitive to light, and if I need it (which I do most nights) I will turn on an ASMR video with my earbuds on to help me drift asleep.

Morning Routine Essentials

Evening Routine Essentials

In order to make this post a maximum benefit to others, I would love if you would share your morning or evening routine in the comments so we can see some more examples that could possibly help others in the community develop their own routines. I hope you won’t hesitate to leave us your thoughts and actions below!

xoxo,

Productivity

How to Develop a Productive Morning & Evening Routine

How to Develop a Productive Morning & Evening Routine

How to Develop a Productive Morning & Evening Routine

All of us have a morning and evening routine, whether or not we want to acknowledge it. As humans we tend to do the same things repetitively and automatically, but this doesn’t mean we are doing the right things or the most productive things. Learning to control our habits and routines is a crucial step to living a more productive life, but this process doesn’t have to be complicated or require us to add a bunch of different to dos to our lists. My philosophy on routine building is to start with what you are currently doing, eliminate the unnecessary and swap time wasting tasks for productive ones. So let’s get started helping you develop your own defined and productive morning and evening routines!

What do your morning routine and evening routines look like right now?

Think about all the things you do in the morning between the time you wake up and leave for (or begin) work and then all the things you do in the evening in order to prepare yourself for sleep. Make a list to help you work out all the details, but most importantly, ask yourself why you do each item. I don’t doubt that the majority of tasks on your list are important, but, I do question whether everything you do is necessary to be completed in the morning before you begin the bulk of your day. Some examples of common unnecessary tasks performed in the morning and evening include:

Preparing/Planning meals: unless you’re cooking breakfast or setting up dinner in the crock pot to cook while you go to work, your morning is not the time you should be meal prepping, nor is your evening. Ideally, your lunch should already be prepped and in the refrigerator waiting for you and if you’ve waited until the morning of to decide what dinner is going to be, you have significantly increased the chances that no matter what the answer is, the result is going to be take out. Try prepping the meals for the next day while you prepare dinner so you are using your time in the kitchen wisely.

Choosing clothes: These should have been laid out the evening before, not the morning of.

Working out: Despite all we hear that working out in the morning is the best thing ever, there isn’t much scientific research to back that up and some research has found that working out in the morning when your cortisol levels are naturally at their highest doesn’t work well for some people. Likewise, nothing makes it harder to sleep than a late night workout before bed, so plan for your physical activity during peak daylight hours if you are really interested in improving your health.

Cleaning up: The habit of leaving messes to sit until the morning is one that you desperately need to break, but that doesn’t mean you should stay up late doing chores. Try to pick up after yourself during the day and you’ll save yourself a lot of time and trouble.

Completing work tasks: If it really can’t wait until you get to work, you’ve dropped the ball. Try not to spend your evenings or mornings on tasks that belong to your 9-5.

Watching TV: News is one thing, but waking up and turning on the tv or falling asleep with the tv on is another terrible time wasting habit that can cause morning stress or evening restlessness. Same goes for your computer and tech gadgets. I won’t say you can’t check your phone before bed or when you awaken, but don’t let it keep you up or keep you from getting out of bed on time.

What’s missing from your morning or evening?

As we evaluate what we are currently doing as part of our unofficial morning and evening routines and what unnecessary tasks need to go, we also need to put thought into what we are missing that may need to be added. The purpose of a morning routine is to help you start your day with a framework of success, and the purpose of an evening routine is to help you end your day peacefully. So what aren’t you doing right now that could support those ends and furthermore what could you choose to do in the morning or evening to move you closer towards success with your goals. Sometimes there are specific actions we can take in our mornings or evenings to help support our goals, but other times just the simplification of our routines and the elimination of wasteful habits can be the best way for us to support goals. Here is a list of tasks to give you an idea of things you could add to your morning or evening routines.

  • Prayer
  • Meditation
  • Stretching
  • Hydration
  • Breakfast
  • Journaling
  • Self Care
  • Music
  • Reading
  • Gratitude
  • Affirmations

What does a productive morning or evening routine consist of?

A productive morning or evening routine will look different for each person, but if you can outline a simple routine for starting and ending your day and strive to stick to it, you will find that your mornings become less stressful and your evenings become more restful. Here are a few tips on what to do and not to do when building your routines.

Do This

Subtract before you Add: Before you consider adding any activities to your routines, make sure to take away some things first by rescheduling those tasks to different parts of your day or eliminate them completely.

Use Common Sense: You know your needs and energy level in the morning, so don’t mess around with what really matters to you and helps you to set your day up for success. I am a believer that even inessential tasks can be important if they significantly affect your mood and outlook on the day.

Create Boundaries: Your morning and evenings are pinnacle parts of your day that should be protected so that you can start and end your day properly. Put boundaries on other people and certain tasks, even if that means setting yourself some rules, so you respect whatever time you can devote to setting up and ending your day productively.

Don’t Do This

Wake Up Earlier or Go to Sleep Later: Unless you really have zero time to complete even a basic morning or evening routine, don’t feel pressure to force yourself to change your sleeping pattern. Yes, we all wish we woke up earlier, but what we want in theory and what our bodies need in practice are not always the same. Your routines should fit into your life by swapping time wasters with more productive tasks, not by changing your schedule entirely.

Take on Too Much New: There are a lot of opinions on what you should do in the morning and evening to set yourself up for a productive and successful day, but it’s not your responsibility to try them all out. Eliminating time wasting behavior will be difficult enough to manage in the morning and evening without adding the complication of adding new tasks as well. I think a simple 10 minute routine can be as productive and set you up for as much success as a whole 60 minute routine.

Aim for Perfection: When it comes to developing a new morning or evening routine (or both!) you can’t expect that you will stick to the routine 100% of the time. I think setting a goal of completing your routine in it’s entirety 3 days a week is a good start. Working up to 5 days or your workdays would be excellent. And don’t forget, you can take time off from your routines or create different ones for the weekend and that’s perfectly acceptable as well. Don’t set yourself an unnecessary standard for these routines because it is literally too early and too late in the day to expect perfection. You are only human after all!

I sincerely hope this post stimulated some ideas for you to develop your own morning and evening routine. If so, I’d love to hear about it down in the comments!

xoxo,

Business Personal Development Productivity

What Nobody Tells You About Self Care, and How to Start or Break a Habit

What Nobody Tells You About Self-Care, and How to Start or Break a Habit

What Nobody Tells You About Self Care, and How to Start or Break a Habit 

If you remember, my theme for the month of September has been self care and throughout this month, I shared some different topics in my blog and on YouTube to outline my experience of learning to take better care of myself and my priorities. So, I thought that for my link roundup this month, I would try to focus on self-care, habits and motivation to help you make a positive change in your life as well!

Personal Development

Productivity

Business

I hope you enjoyed these articles, and if you have anything you read and loved in the month of September, please let us know by sharing a link in the comments below!

xoxo,

Alexis-Signature