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Habits + Routines

8 Habits to Add to Your Morning Routine

8 Habits to Add to Your Morning Routine

The way you start your morning sets the tone for the entire day. By incorporating positive habits into your morning routine, you can cultivate a sense of calm, focus, and productivity that carries through the hours ahead. These small but powerful rituals can have a profound impact on your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. In this blog post, we’ll explore eight habits that you can add to your morning routine to create a solid foundation for a successful and fulfilling day. From setting intentions to nourishing your body and mind, each habit offers a unique opportunity to prioritize self-care, mindfulness, and personal growth. Let’s dive in and discover the transformative power of these morning rituals that can enhance your overall well-being and help you make the most of each day.

#1: Make Your Bed

One of the simplest yet impactful habits you can adopt in your morning routine is making your bed. It may seem like a small and inconsequential task, but it sets the tone for order, organization, and accomplishment right from the start. Making your bed creates a sense of tidiness and provides a clear space to return to at the end of the day. It gives you a visual representation of completing a task, which can boost your motivation and productivity for the rest of the day. Additionally, coming back to a well-made bed in the evening can create a sense of relaxation and promote better sleep hygiene. By cultivating this habit, you cultivate a sense of discipline and attention to detail that can permeate other areas of your life. So take a few extra minutes each morning to straighten the sheets, fluff the pillows, and create a welcoming space to return to later.

#2: Hydrate with Water

After a night of sleep, your body naturally becomes dehydrated. Replenishing your system with water is an essential habit to include in your morning routine. Hydration plays a crucial role in maintaining optimal bodily functions, boosting energy levels, and promoting overall well-being. Start by drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up to kickstart your hydration journey for the day. You can even infuse it with a slice of lemon or a few sprigs of mint for added flavor and freshness. By prioritizing hydration in the morning, you’ll not only quench your body’s thirst but also support your digestive system and enhance your mental clarity. Remember, a well-hydrated start sets the foundation for a vibrant and productive day ahead.

#3: Get in Some Movement

To invigorate your body and awaken your muscles, incorporating movement into your morning routine is key. Engaging in physical activity early in the day not only boosts your metabolism but also sets a positive tone for the hours ahead. You don’t have to commit to an intense workout session; even a brief stretching routine, a brisk walk, or a few minutes of yoga can make a significant difference. Not only does movement enhance blood circulation, but it also releases endorphins, the feel-good hormones that uplift your mood and reduce stress. Find an activity that resonates with you and aligns with your fitness goals, whether it’s a quick jog, a dance session, or a few rounds of sun salutations. Remember, a little movement in the morning can go a long way in increasing your energy levels and setting a vibrant tone for the rest of the day.

#4: Eat a High Protein Breakfast

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and incorporating a high protein breakfast into your morning routine can provide a strong foundation for sustained energy and optimal nutrition. Protein-rich foods such as eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or a protein smoothie can help you feel fuller for longer, stabilize blood sugar levels, and support muscle recovery and growth. Consuming a balanced breakfast with adequate protein also enhances cognitive function, helping you stay focused and alert throughout the morning. Consider adding healthy fats like avocado or nuts and nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables to create a well-rounded meal. By prioritizing a high protein breakfast, you set yourself up for success, nourishing your body and fueling it with the nutrients it needs to thrive. Remember, a wholesome morning meal can kickstart your metabolism and keep you energized for the day ahead.

#5: Light a Candle and Set an Intention

Starting your day on a positive note can make all the difference in how you approach the hours ahead. One habit that can truly transform your mornings is to light a candle and set an intention. As the gentle flame flickers, it creates a calming ambiance that sets the stage for mindfulness and reflection. Take a moment to quiet your mind, close your eyes, and visualize the kind of day you want to have. Set an intention, a guiding principle for how you want to show up in the world and interact with others. Whether it’s to be more patient, grateful, or focused, this simple act of lighting a candle and setting an intention can create a powerful ripple effect that resonates throughout your day. So, before you rush into your daily tasks, take a moment to connect with yourself and start your morning with clarity and purpose.

#6: Journal

Taking time to journal in the morning can be a powerful habit that promotes self-reflection, mindfulness, and personal growth. Set aside a few minutes each morning to put pen to paper and let your thoughts flow freely. This practice allows you to unload any lingering concerns or worries from the previous day and start with a clean mental slate. Write about your aspirations, goals, or simply jot down your thoughts and feelings. You can also express gratitude by listing things you’re thankful for, which cultivates a positive mindset. Journaling provides a space for introspection, helping you gain clarity, identify patterns, and gain insights into your own emotions and experiences. It’s a chance to prioritize self-care, nurture your creativity, and set intentions for the day ahead. Embrace the therapeutic power of journaling and make it a cornerstone of your morning routine.

#7: Meditate

In today’s fast-paced world, finding moments of stillness and inner calm can be a game-changer, and that’s where meditation comes in. Carving out time in your morning routine for meditation allows you to center yourself, cultivate mindfulness, and bring a sense of tranquility to the start of your day. Find a quiet and comfortable space, sit in a relaxed position, and focus on your breath or a chosen mantra. Allow your thoughts to come and go without judgment, gently guiding your attention back to the present moment. Meditation has numerous benefits, including reducing stress, increasing focus, and improving overall well-being. As you incorporate this practice into your morning routine, you’ll likely notice an increased sense of clarity, resilience, and a greater ability to handle the challenges that may arise during the day. Embrace the stillness within and make meditation a habit that nurtures your mind, body, and spirit.

#8: Make Your Plan for the Day

One of the most effective habits to add to your morning routine is to take a few moments to plan your day ahead. Before the busyness of the day takes hold, sit down with a pen and paper or open your digital planner and outline your tasks, priorities, and goals. By organizing your day in advance, you set a clear direction for your actions and ensure that your time and energy are focused on what truly matters. Consider your to-do list, appointments, and deadlines, and allocate time blocks for specific activities. This practice helps you stay organized, reduces stress, and increases productivity. As you map out your day, remember to also create space for breaks, self-care, and moments of rejuvenation. By proactively planning your day, you gain a sense of control and purpose, enabling you to make the most of each precious hour.

Incorporating these eight habits into your morning routine can make a significant difference in how you approach your day and ultimately, how you live your life. From lighting a candle and setting an intention to making your bed, each habit offers an opportunity to infuse mindfulness, self-care, and positivity into your mornings. Remember, creating a morning routine that works for you is a personal journey, so feel free to experiment and tailor these habits to fit your preferences and lifestyle. As you commit to these practices, you’ll likely experience a greater sense of balance, focus, and well-being throughout your day. So, embrace the power of a purposeful morning routine and watch as it transforms your days, one habit at a time. Start tomorrow morning with intention and let it set the tone for a truly fulfilling and successful day ahead.

Create Your Daily Routine With the My Ideal Day Planning Insert (FREE)

My Ideal Day is a FREE Planning Printable where you can create a 24-hour schedule for yourself outlining a typical day in your life. Think about your ideal day, what activities you would do, what habits and routines you would perform, and what general expectations you have for how you will spend your time. From these expectations and aspirations, outline a daily schedule for yourself where you make time for everything important to you. Then consider what other habits or routines you would need to add into your schedule on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis- list these out in their appropriate spot on the insert. Use this planning printable to help you guide your daily planning and ensure that you are making time for all the key activities that will keep your life running in sync with your goals!

GET THE FREE INSERT

xoxo,

Functional Planning printables Productivity

The Advent of Productivity Calendar

Hello My Charmed Ones!

Today, I have something very exciting to share with you!

As we are about to step into the Holiday Season, this is the time of year we often see Advent Calendars making their way around the internet and into our local shops.

For many people, Advent Calendars are a really fun and festive way to enjoy the season leading up to Christmas, and I myself have bought a few in the past to celebrate the season, and of course to relive that childlike wonder of opening a little door or a little box each day with a lovely little surprise inside.

And for a few years now, it has been on my to-do list to figure out a way to create my own Advent Calendar for my community… a Productivity Advent Calendar.

I’m pleased to announce that this year I have finally done it!

I am so proud to introduce you to the 2022 ADVENT of PRODUCTIVITY Calendar: 24 Days of Functional Productivity Tools for Your Perfect Planner Setup!

This is a first of it’s kind Productivity + Planning Advent Calendar that you can open virtually online. It includes 24 PDF downloads that you can print and then add to your 2023 Planner Setup!

The downloads included with the Advent Calendar are a mix of inserts and other printable productivity and planning tools intended for you to use to create your own custom planner for the New Year.

What You’ll Find Inside:

  • A mix of 2023 dated and undated inserts
  • Decorative and functional dashboards
  • Planner organization tools
  • Inspirational lists and decor items
  • Functional and beautiful planner accessories
  • A set of print instructions for the items in the calendar
  • Print these files at home as much as you’d like (or take them to a local print shop if you prefer)

The insert designs are half letter sized, however, they can be printed at Half Letter, A5, US Letter or A4 with an included set of print instructions you will find on the Advent Calendar Page. There are also some PDFs included in this bundle that are meant to be printed at Full Letter or A4 specifically- this will be explained in the print instructions. I also recommend to make the most of this bundle you have a paper trimmer, hole punch compatible with your planner binding system of choice, card stock, full sheet label paper and 3”x3” sticky notes.

All designs included with this Advent Calendar are unique, and are not sold separately or found in any of my other offers or programs. If sold separately, the designs would total $250 in retail value so purchasing this Advent of Productivity Calendar is a major value!

The Digital Advent Calendar itself resides on its own page of my private membership site, which you will get access to join upon checkout with your Welcome Letter PDF.

Open a “box” per day leading up to Christmas (or the seasonal holiday or date of your choice) or, feel free to open all the boxes and download all 24 of your productivity tools at once to get your planner set up for the New Year.

Take a look at the beautiful page I designed for the 2022 Advent of Productivity Calendar, with it’s 24 holiday boxes you can open to reveal your daily functional planning tool!

I am overjoyed to bring you this new and unique Advent Calendar in celebration and preparation for Christmas and the New Year!

I sincerely hope the tools inside the calendar help you to create your own sense of Planner Peace with a customized setup and unique inserts to help you manage and organize your life in a more systemized way.

THE 2022 ADVENT OF PRODUCTIVITY CALENDAR IS NOW ON SALE

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR ADVENT CALENDAR NOW

The sales page includes further details about your purchase including a list and preview of the 24 Planning Tools inside Calendar- but be careful if you don’t want to spoil the surprise of what is inside for yourself!

xoxo,

Business Functional Planning Productivity

The Charmed Shop’s 2021 Holiday Sale Preview

2021 ANNUAL HOLIDAY SALE

Here is an overview of the sales and deals happening during The Charmed Shop’s 2021 Holiday Sale.

Sale begins Wednesday November 24th and ends Tuesday November 30th, 2021 at 11:59PM EST!

25% off planning tools, printable planners, masterclasses + ebooks

Use code Holiday2021 at checkout for your discount.

shop now

Don't Miss These Productivity Best Sellers!

Join my Productivity Inner Circle for Ongoing Support + Accountability to Live Your Best Life!

The Productivity + Planning Master Mind

The Productivity & Planning Master Mind is the ongoing support you need to get all your thoughts, plans, dreams and ideas out of your head, and onto paper so you can get down to business creating your dream life!​

The Annual Membership Option is Currently $22/month (billed annually) and includes the 2022 Master Planner System FREE!

Enroll now

ON DEMAND BUSINESS STRATEGY $333 EACH

INSTANT DISCOUNT- No code required!

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2022 GOAL PLANNING SESSIONS NOW ENROLLING

SAVE YOUR SEAT FOR ONE OR BOTH OF THESE GOAL SETTING INTENSIVES!

Please note that both of these goal setting sessions are already included in the Productivity + Planning Master Mind Membership!

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Have any additional questions about the sale or which products might be best suited for your needs? I am always available to help support and guide you. CLICK HERE to email me so I may assist you.

xoxo,

AKA @MissTrenchcoat | CEO & Designer of TheCharmedShop.com

Functional Planning Inside My Planner

2022 Master Planner Launch

Hello My Charmed Ones!

Did you catch the 2022 Planner Launch on Saturday?

(If you missed it, watch the replay by clicking here.)

> The Big News from the Launch…

The 2022 Master Planner is now available for purchase!

It’s the same great OG Functional Planner you know and love with even more organization and productivity sprinkled in.

The Master Planner was the first planner of its kind termed a “Functional Planning System” because it was more than just monthly calendars and weekly agenda spreads like 99% of the planner market.

The Master Planner includes everything you need to get your big thoughts, plans, dreams and ideas out of your head and onto paper so you can get down to business planning for a balanced and successful life!

The 2022 Master Plan System includes:

  • A set of 5 Functional Planning Worksheets to organize yourself and your year successfully
  • 2022 Calendar Spreads (Year on One Page, Yearly Tracker & Yearly Overview)
  • Your choice of: Month on One Page Calendar, Month on Two Pages Calendar, or BOTH Monthly Options
  • Your choice of: Vertical Week on 2 Pages Agenda, Week on One Page Agenda, Day Per Page Agenda, or ALL 3 Agenda Spreads
  • Project Planning Inserts (Yearly Project Matrix, NEW Project Tracker, Project Plan with Notes)
  • Brilliant Ideas Inserts (Braindump Sheets, Brainstorm Sheets, Notes & Index)

2022 Master Plan Bonuses:

  • Get 2021 Master Planner Inserts for FREE with your purchase of 2022 Master Planner so that you can get started with your system TODAY!
  • Bougie Master Planner Dashboard
  • Monthly Review Planning Insert
  • Braindump Triggers List Insert
  • Master Planning Printable Tabs for additional organization

Every 2022 Master Planner comes with:

  • Print on demand PDF files so you can immediately begin printing and creating your own personalized planning system to your preferences and unique needs- this is NO one size fits all planner!
  • BOTH Personal Filofax (3.75”x 6.75”) and Half Letter (8.5”x 5.5”) sized files that can be printed to fit Personal, A5, Half Letter, Letter + A5 (PLUS Happy Planner and other sizes as well!)
  • Detailed Print Instructions
  • Additional Support from me: So if you have trouble with your purhcase or need some ideas for setting up or using your planner, shoot me an email and I am here to help you set up a system that works for you!

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!

What is better than this amazing value on the 2022 Master Plan System?

Getting it as a FREE Bonus when you enroll for an Annual Membership in the Productivity + Planning Mastermind!

Right now I am also running a special limited time promotion on the Productivity + Planning Mastermind Annual Membership option.

Now thru July 31st, when you enroll in the Productivity + Planning Mastermind you will get:

  • A special $222 Discounted Price for your Full Year Membership
  • Immediate Access to the Productivity Mastermind which includes a complete Productivity Course, all the past Masterclasses, workbooks, inserts and resources
  • A full year, 365 days of Mastermind Access which includes the next 12 months of Masterclasses, accountability support and resources
  • AND the complete 2022 Master Plan System for FREE (Including all bonuses listed above for the Planner)!

If you are a functional planner looking to develop your productivity, planning and personal development skills inside a dedicated community of like-minded women, I welcome you to join the Productivity + Planning Mastermind!

CLICK HERE TO ENROLL IN THE MASTERMIND NOW

or

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE 2022 MASTER PLAN SYSTEM ALONE

Remember, the Discounted Price on the Mastermind Membership expires end of day July 31st, 2021 so ACT NOW to secure your spot in the Mastermind + all these amazing bonuses for an incredible price!

Any questions about which offer is right for you? Email me and let me know how I can help you!

Happy Planning + Can’t Wait to See You Inside Our Mastermind!

xoxo,

Functional Planning Personal Development Productivity

9 Reasons You Didn’t Achieve Your Goal + How to Make it Happen This Year!

We are standing at the precipice of a New Year, and if you’re like me and set your goals already, you may have noticed that some of those goals might be repeats from previous years that were never accomplished. Now, of course we all know and have heard many times over that last year, 2020 specifically, was a very different and challenging year. If you set goals last year and didn’t meet them, I do believe in having grace with ourselves, however, I also believe in being realistic with ourselves and taking accountability that we had goals we wanted to accomplish and for some reason or another were unable to do so. I think it’s very important for us to identify and understand what held us back in the past so that we can take the appropriate steps to ensure our goals are met this time.

From my research into the topic of goal setting, I have identified 9 very common reasons why people do not meet the goals they set for themselves, so I will outline those now and explain what you can do to overcome each.

Reason #1: You Didn’t Write It Down

The first reason that you did not achieve your goal in the past is that you chose the goal, but you never actually wrote it down. I know that is such a simple thing, but there is a well known statistic that says when you write down a goal, you have a 41% increased chance of seeing it through. Many of us set goals and resolutions for the year in our heads, we decide what we want, but we don’t formalize it by putting pen to paper. Luckily, this reason is easy to fix! This year, make the effort to write your goals down.

Reason #2: Your Goals Weren’t SMART

Reason number two that you may not have hit your goal in the past is that it wasn’t a SMART goal. SMART is an acronym that stands for a framework that you can use to ensure that your goal is actually something that you can achieve and has a reasonable set of expectations for you to use to actually execute on it. If you have ever set a vague goal like “get better sleep” or “lower my stress” you know that these goals are sometimes hard to turn into action items for personal accountability because most of us don’t have sleep monitors or stress test machines in our homes to be able to gauge our quality of sleep or stress. By using the SMART framework, you can make a vague goal much more specific and set parameters and measures to ensure your success. SMART stands for:

S | Specific: What is the specific outcome you are seeking?
M | Measurable: What measures can you use to ensure you are making progress?
A | Actionable: What are you able to do to affect the outcome?
R | Realistic: Do you have the time, energy and resources to achieve this goal?
T | Time bound: What is the due date or when do you plan to work on the goal?

Take each of your goals and work them through this simple framework to come up with the outline of a plan of action you can use to move forward with your goal.

Reason #3: You Didn’t Create a Project Plan

The third reason you did not achieve your goal in the past was that you didn’t break it down into a project plan with clear steps and any sort of tracking for personal accountability. Once you have ensured your goal is SMART, you should take that outline one step further and break your goal into an action list for a project or objective. That way you always know where you are in your progress and what you need to do next. I have and recommend using project planning inserts like the ones I use in the Master Plan System, or if you have a planner for the year, you can purchase a bundle of project planning inserts separately as well by clicking here.

Reason #4: The Strategy You Chose Wasn’t Effective

Reason number four that you did not follow through with your goal is that the strategy you chose to execute on wasn’t effective for you. I personally believe that there are numerous different ways we can execute on any goal or objective and I think that certain strategies work for certain people. So, it’s very possible you chose a strategy that just didn’t work for you. That doesn’t mean you can’t still achieve you goal. Now that you know what doesn’t work for you, you can find another strategy that may be better suited to your needs now that you have some experience in going after that goal. Don’t give up on your goal, you still have an opportunity to accomplish it!

Reason #5: You Weren’t Checking In Often Enough

The fifth reason you may not have achieved your goal in the past is that you weren’t checking in with your goal often enough. You took the time to write down your goal, make sure it was SMART and even list out the action steps but you got out of the habit of checking in on the goal and stopped taking action on it. I find this can often happen when people keep their goal related plans in a separate or dedicated binder and not side by side with their daily planner. This is one of the major reasons I preach one person, one planner. Because when you have goals and plans kept separately, it can easily become an out of sight, out of mind scenario. Now, it is also quite possible that you are using a planner that just doesn’t give you the ability to really manage project plans alongside your calendar and agenda, and if this is the case, I highly recommend upgrading to the Master Plan System because it is the best Functional Planning System for ensuring you have visibility to your goals and a build in system for tracking them. Click here to purchase yours now.

Reason #6: You Didn’t Anticipate Obstacles

Reason number six that you may not have achieved your goal in the past is that you didn’t anticipate and make a plan to overcome obstacles. Nothing in life ever runs smoothly, we always have some obstacles that pop up on the way to our goals, and many times those obstacles can be anticipated and prepared for if we take the time to think through our plans and identify what could go wrong. In the past you may have been that person who hit an obstacle in their plan and then just gave up because it vexed you, but you don’t have to give up just because you need to adjust course a bit. Right now, I recommend taking some time to think of what might come up for you this year as you work towards the goal and make a quick little plan for how you are going to overcome that issue if it comes up.

Reason #7: You Just Didn’t Take Action

Reason number seven why you didn’t achieve your goal in the past is one that happens to be a tough pill to shallow. Perhaps you just didn’t take any action. I know it’s tough to take this level of accountability- to be able to say, it was my fault, I just didn’t try, but it happens to so many of us. Now, when I researched why this happens there was one glaring reason that I found over and over again; Mindset. Your mindset and more specifically, the limiting beliefs you hold about yourself are a major reason why you do not take action, and this is something even I struggle with, especially when I am setting a very big or ambitious goal. If we don’t believe we can achieve the goal, or if we don’t believe we are worthy, or something in the way we were raised is telling us consciously or subconsciously that we can’t or shouldn’t want a specific goal, then we will sabotage ourselves with inaction.

In order to overcome this issue, we need to first identify the limiting beliefs that are holding us back and then work through them so that we reprogram our mindset and subconscious to know it is safe for us to go after this goal and to achieve it! If you need more resources for mindset and limiting beliefs, I have created a wonderful workbook of journaling prompts to walk you through identifying and overcoming limiting beliefs as part of the Productivity + Planning Master Mind Membership.

Reason #8: You Were Being a Perfectionist

The eighth reason you didn’t achieve your goal in the past is that you were being a perfectionist. Now, I do believe that perfectionism is a form of a limiting belief. Perfectionism is when we set unreasonable or unnecessarily high expectations for our outcomes that ultimately cause us to obsess over actions or the conditions under which we can or will take action. It’s not uncommon for perfectionists to take some action, but often they will set up many hurdles for themselves before they will allow themselves to do the work or they will continue to work on the same action repeatedly, never satisfied with what they have produced.

If that sounds like you, I have two suggestions for breaking free of your perfectionist mindset. First is to really lean into the fact that perfect does not exist. Logically, we all know this to be true, so explain to yourself why perfect is a lie and why it’s not necessary for you to have unreasonably high expectations for yourself. Wouldn’t you rather have it done well enough then not completed at all? My second suggestion is to start talking to yourself like you would a friend or loved one who came to saying they couldn’t do X because it wasn’t perfect. Would you tell your loved one it was okay to give up or would you support and encourage them to make steady progress to their goal? Most of us talk to ourselves much more like our worst enemy than we do someone we love and it ends up ruining our confidence and self-esteem. Changing the way you talk to yourself can go a long way to overcoming perfectionism.

Reason #9: You Didn’t Have Any Accountability

The ninth and final reason you didn’t achieve your goal in the past is that you had no accountability. Accountability is an interesting subject because there is internal and external accountability types and some people require one more strongly than the other. On one hand, maybe you didn’t have any personal accountability or self-discipline and gave yourself excuses not to take action. On the other hand, maybe you need but didn’t have an external support system of people keeping you accountable to your goal. Many of us need other people checking in on us, a support system or community cheering us on, in order to feel accountable. That can go such a long way to ensuring we make progress with our goals! You can find accountability buddies via your friend or family, or if you would like a more structured type of support, the Productivity + Planning Master Mind includes accountability support and is a wonderful place to find a community of like-minded women who are all learning to plan and act productivity together towards our goals. Click here to enroll and join our accountability group!

I do hope this information has been helpful to you. If you would prefer to check out my recent video on this topic, I will link it below!

In the comments of this post I would love to know which reasons have been holding you back and what you plan to do to move forward with your goals successfully this year so tell me all about it below!

xoxo,

Functional Planning Productivity

Get Inspired, Organized + Accountable!

In case you didn’t hear…

ENROLLMENT IS NOW OPEN FOR MY PRODUCTIVITY + PLANNING MASTER MIND MEMBERSHIP GROUP!

You read that right!

A Productivity + Planning Membership dedicated to Functional Planning and Productivity, hosted by yours truly 😉

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Essentially, the Productivity + Planning Master Mind Membership is a private, group coaching community centered around the topics of productivity, functional planning, time management, mindset, and success. Everything I teach and create content around in order to help you get all your big thoughts, plans, dreams and ideas out of your head and onto paper.

The foundation of this Membership experience is the idea that Productivity and Planning aren’t just things you learn about once and then you are set for success the rest of your life. Like many things, Productivity and Planning are a lifelong pursuit where we find the right tools, learn the best strategies and gradually build up the skills that support our ability to plan, act and create the outcomes we want for our lives.

So, if you enjoy my products and content, love my live free master classes and get a ton of value and inspiration from them, this Membership is a way for you and I to go deeper to overcome your specific obstacles and develop the skills you need to achieve whatever success you are looking for in life!

WHAT DO YOU GET?

When you enroll in the Productivity + Planning Membership, each month you get access to some amazing resources hosted within a private membership website and chat group:

✔︎ LIVE MASTER CLASSES: Each month I will host a live Master Class on a new Productivity, Planning or Personal Development topic. During these Master Classes, you will have the opportunity to chat with other attendees and ask me open Q+A to make sure you are learning and integrating the information in a way that makes sense to you. Classes will be held on the first Saturday of the new month at 2pm EDT- so our first class is Saturday November 7th @ 2PM EDT (New York, NY Time Zone)

✔︎ FREE WORKBOOKS + ACTIVITIES: To accompany each Master Class, 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.

✔︎ A LIBRARY OF EXCLUSIVE PLANNER INSERTS + TOOLS: Each month I will be creating new fun inserts and planner designs to share with you. You will get the first look at my latest designs, get a chance to test my latest products and I’ll share exclusive designs with you that I won’t have available anywhere else.

✔︎ 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 will also have our own Private Slack Channel so we can stay in touch via chat throughout the day. I will be sharing 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!

So, I know- that is already a TON OF VALUE packed into one membership, but of course I had to throw in some additional BONUSES!

When you enroll for your membership TODAY, you unlock these 3 value packed bonuses:

🗝 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!

🗝 A PRIVATE 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.

WHAT IS THE INVESTMENT?

So, here is the best part about this whole experience- the price!

I know, I know, that’s usually the hardest part to swallow but in this case, I have priced this experience so competitively because I want this to be an easy YES for anyone who is truly interested in getting the ongoing support, inspiration, encouragement and information to help them achieve their best life.

I know personal development classes and courses can cost in the hundreds.

I know personal development coaching is generally thousands of dollars a year.

BUT, I really want to help as many of the wonderful women in my community as possible see their potential, map out their plans, and get to work achieving them!

So, your investment in this membership experience is just $22 a month!

Now, to be fair, that is my introductory pricing offer. Which means, if you ENROLL NOW you only pay $22 a month for as long as you remain part of the membership.

However, I do intend to raise the price on this membership in the future, so you will want to ACT FAST + SECURE THIS SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE so you are grandfathered in!

I’m sure right now some of you are excited and ready to get yourself enrolled, and perhaps others of you are interested but have a few more questions first.

So, click the link below to check out the sales page, ready more about this experience and when you are ready to enroll, click any ENROLL or JOIN button on that page to be transferred to my shop to checkout!

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE PRODUCTIVITY + PLANNING MASTER MIND

If you have any questions of course, I am here to answer those for you! So, shoot me an email or drop me a comment and let me know how I can help you or what key information I have missed in this post!

Talk soon and I can’t wait to see you inside our private membership community for some dedicated productivity and planning support!

xoxo,

Functional Planning

Discbound Planners 101 | How to Get Started with the Discbound System

In today’s video, I am showing and teaching you all about Discbound Planner Systems. I will be covering why they are my most used system, the different branded systems, the essential elements you need to know about and how to put everything together to create your own custom planner.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

On and off throughout the years, my planner binding method of choice has been the discbound system. If you are not familiar with the disc binding concept, it is similar to the idea of a spiral notebook, but instead of a solid metal spiral holding the notebook together, you have metal or plastic discs that can pop in and out of a cover. These discs being removable means that you can add and remove paper to your disc bound system as you like, so long as the paper has been punched with a disc binding punch.

As you may already know, the current planner I am using was created with the help of the disc binding system and I want to teach you more about the system so you can see just how easy it is to customize your own planner or notebook organization system. I will of course be leaving resources to as much as I can throughout this post to help you get started.

First, lets talk about he BEST Features of a Discbound System

  1. Customization: The main reason I love using a discbound system as my planner is because it is completely customizable. I can create my own custom planner inside the binding and add and remove items on a whim. I find the disc binding to be very secure, but also easy for you to add and remove elements at the same time.
  2. Interchangeability: The next feature I love about discbound system is that they are interchangeable for the most part. In just a moment, I will outline some of the most popular discbound planner systems to give you an idea of the options available, but with each system the discs, refills, accessories are interchangeable so you can pick and choose what you want to use from one collection or another to build your perfect system.
  3. Flexibility: The final feature I love about discbound systems is that they fold over onto themselves like a spiral bound notebook. I love this flexibility because I am someone who does like to fold a notebook over to write. Although my personal discbound planner is kept inside a notebook cover, I frequently remove my planner portion from the cover to write in it, and of course I fold the system over like a notebook when I do!

Next, let’s talk about The Most Popular Discbound Systems

As I mentioned earlier, there are a number of discbound planner systems out on the market currently. Here is a list to help you browse some of the most popular systems to find the right elements to help you build your perfect system.

Now, let’s talk Discbound Planner Essentials

  • Discs: The major element of a discbound system are the discs themselves. Across the different branded systems you can find a variety of sizes, colors and materials like plastic or aluminum.

In terms of disc sizes, across different brands they range from 1/2” to 1.5” diameter

  • ½ inch discs hold 50 – 70 sheets of paper
  • ¾ inch discs hold 90- 120 sheets of paper.
  • 1 inch discs hold 110 – 150 sheets of paper.
  • 1½ inch discs hold 140- 220 sheets of paper

Now, in terms of materials, you can get discs in either plastic or aluminum and they come in a variety of colors and finishes. Plastic discs tend to be the most affordable option, however, I prefer aluminum because I find that there is a smoother page turn with aluminum rather than plastic.

Also, in terms of ease of use, I find that smaller discs are easier to turn the pages on, but thats also what I’m used to using. With larger discs I find I need to be more deliberate when I flip through pages, but I do still use the largest size discs with some notebooks because I need the increased capacity.

As with everything in life, there are benefits and drawbacks to each option that you choose.

  • Front/Back Covers: Each different branded system for discbound has a variety of different binding covers from thin plastic covers that make simple notebooks to thick leather covers with built in organization elements. Even Etsy and Amazon sellers now make personalized or custom covers for discbound systems, so you can find a style that fits your personal preference.

Even if, like me, you are using a slip style cover, you still need to use a hard cover to anchor the system into the cover. 

I’d also like to mention here that with the majority of discbound systems (not including Mambi’s Happy Planner) there are two main sizes of planners and covers. First, is Full Size Letter, which is also compatible with A4, and the second is Junior Size which is Half Letter and also compatible with A5.

The Happy Planner has 3 proprietary sizes of covers and pages:

  • The Classic Happy Planner covers are 7.75” x 9.75” and the pages are 7” x 9.25”
  • The Mini Happy Planner covers are 5.125” x 7.5” and the pages are 4.5” x 7”
  • The Big Happy Planner covers are 9” x 11.25” and the pages are 8.5” x 11”

So, please keep this information in mind when purchasing Happy Planner covers, inserts or accessories- the brand is not 1 for 1 compatible with other discbound planner systems on the market.

  • Punch: Of course, if you are interested in creating a customizable system like me, you are going to need to get a discbound punch. I recommend getting one from the system you use most. I personally use the Arc version and love it because although it is a bit larger, it has wonderful guides to help you punch a variety of sizes of paper. When it comes to choosing a punch, I recommend choosing a sturdier punch even though they can be more expensive. My arc punch was maybe $40-50 but it is at least 6 years old so that was an investment that held up for me. If I had to purchase again, I might choose the levenger punch, because its also very sturdy and perhaps a little more compact. But avoid the travel size punches, i’ve not heard the best feedback about those. 
  • Cover: Although there are a variety of discbound system covers as mentioned earlier, I also use a leather notebook cover to protect my system. My current cover comes from Chanel and is no longer available, but I also have notebook covers from GiGi New York or Graphic Image NY, and I’ve even removed the rings from a Filofax to create a cover for my discbound system. The key with using covers is that you need one that has a back slip pocket to anchor your book to. Unless you are using a cover like this discagenda by dokibook, that actually anchors to the discs themselves!
  • Other accessories: There are many other accessessories available to help you create your custom discbound organization system. Things like, page markers, dividers, pockets, etc. I recommend browsing the selections of each brand to see all the fun extras you can add to your system to make it personal to your needs and desires.

How to Create a Custom Planner with the Discbound System

Another very necessary element of a discbound system are the inserts or refills you use. Now, as you may already know, I use the Master Plan System of inserts from my own shop to create my planner system, but most of the major brands already mentioned also sell calendar, project planning and note taking pages and refills, so if you are not into creating a custom planner with printable inserts like I do, you do have some options. More and more, however, I see that sellers on Etsy are also giving the option to purchase pre-printed and pre-punched discbound compatible inserts, so you have that option as well. Just make sure to check the size compatibility for your inserts with the system you are using before proceeding with this option.

If you are interested in a creating your own custom planner using the discbound system, here is a video tutorial I created that walks you through the very simple process. Definitely check out this video and the links I’ve left in this article to help you find the different elements of your ideal planner system so that you can build a planner that is all your own and custom to your needs!

So that is everything I think you need to know about discbound planners to get you started. I hope this information has been helpful to you as you evaluate the option of a discbound planner system for yourself. Of course if you have any other questions about the system, feel free to leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to help you get the information you need to create your perfect planner system! 

xoxo,

Business Functional Planning Personal Development Productivity

#ICYMI May 2020

Hello My Charmed Ones!

How was your May?

I have to admit, this month was something of a struggle for me. Being at home on lock down since my birthday in March, it’s been a mental battle staying productive and positive for so long in such unusual circumstances. So, if you have also been struggling, my heart goes out to you as well and just know you are not alone. So many people are struggling right now in so many different ways, but just know that your feelings and experience are valid and worth taking the time to acknowledge and understand.

Despite the mental anguish May brought to me, I have to admit, creating content for you was certainly a welcome outlet and reprieve from my own mind. This month I created 12 pieces of content for you that I hope you were able to enjoy and learn from, but if you missed something, don’t worry, I have catalogued it all for you here in this post for your quick reference.

As always, I do hope this post is useful to you, and I do find that for those who like to share my content, this is always a great post to share with friends, family and co-workers because it gives a nice overview of a months worth of content on various topics with easy links to everything new! So, don’t hesitate sharing this post above all because it really is a nice bit of reference for all the content and information I publish in a month.

ICYMI: IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

• My Home Office Tour
• Entrepreneurial: My Formula for Consistent Action
• INSIDE MY BUSINESS PLANNER
• 10 Things Creative Entrepreneurs Should Keep in their Planner
• 10 Books that Changed My Life
• How to Plan a Marketing Campaign for Your Business
• 6 Assets that are More Important than Your Business Plan
• How to Find Balance as a Small Business Owner
• How I Built My Business Website | Blog, Shop & Membership/Course Sites
• 5 Mistakes I Made In My First Year of Business
• MY LIVE CLASS SCHEDULE FOR THE REMAINDER OF MAY 2020
• FREE Television & Movie Tracker Printable Planner Insert *

*Indicates an associated download

I hope this roundup helps you locate any content of mine you may have missed this month. I’d love to hear which content was your favorite from the month and what you’d like to see more of from me in the future. Please leave me a comment below and share your thoughts!

xoxo,

Business

5 Mistakes I Made In My First Year of Business

This week I celebrate my sixth year in business! That’s right, six years ago I left the safety and security of my Fortune 50 sales and marketing job to go full time for myself creating a business and income via social media! I had no clue at the time that just one year later I would have completely replaced my income and grown my community online to over 50k regular viewers, subscribers and followers, and now six years in, have created a steady six figure business with a following of over 125k! If you had asked me when I had gotten started to say what my business would look like in a year, let alone six, I most certainly couldn’t have predicted that my online shop where I sell digital products and services would become my dominate area of income, and that I would be shifting my focus to develop educational programs aimed at helping small businesses replicate my success. But despite all the success I have found in the last six years, I know that I also made plenty of mistakes, especially in that crucial first year of business. No business or person is perfect and I think I fell into some very common traps as I started my business that brought me a great amount of insight into the way I run my business and the direction I want to take it in the future. So, for your edification and perhaps amusement, here are the 5 mistakes I made in my first year of business and the lessons I learned from each of them!

Mistake #1: Work Extremely Hard

I think there is a major misconception that if you work really hard you can make a business a success, as though sheer force of will and effort will make it so, but unfortunately that’s not the case. When I left my job to go full time for myself, I took on a major amount of work, committing to producing five videos a week for my YouTube channel, thinking that this great effort would bring me success. Although I wouldn’t say this was a futile effort, it certainly wasn’t as effective because I was doing a lot of work but it was all over the place. The main problem was that I didn’t have a plan. I just thought I would make a bunch of videos and that would bring me a greater audience. Once I stopped this nonsense and made a plan for what I wanted my YouTube channel to become, I suddenly found that I was able to make fewer videos a week, but because they were focused against my plans for my channel, a cohesive vision quickly came together and my subscriber count grew astronomically!

Lesson Learned: Hard work is useless until you have a clear plan

Mistake #2: Make sure your products and services are perfect before launching them

When I started my business May 2014, one of my major goals was to get a shop up and running where I could sell my printable inserts. I had been asked by numerous members of my community to sell the printable inserts that I had created for my own planner and I thought that the printables would be a nice (albeit small) passive income. I did a lot of research figuring out how to set up a shop on my existing website, and spent way too much time anguishing over whether or not my inserts were high quality enough to sell. It took me until October of that year to finally launch my shop, and once I did, my inserts were met with overwhelming praise and support. I immediately regretted taking so long to get the shop up and running. That small income I had originally expected surpassed my expectations the first month of my launch and then that small income became larger and larger as months progressed and more products were added to my shop. What started off as an idea for a small side income turned into the majority of my monthly income which eventually lead me to replace my former salary in just a few months!

Lesson Learned: Done is better than perfect

Mistake #3: Try to help everyone

Within that first year of business, I experienced an extraordinary amount of growth. I know for some, my numbers may seem small, but I have been able to exceed every goal I have set for myself in terms of my community growth. When I first started off with my business, I told myself that it was of the utmost importance that I gave each and every member of my community my time if they reached out for my help, and in the beginning, this was not a problem for me. As months progressed, however, and I began to get more and more questions and emails from members of my community asking me for help, I began to realize that I wouldn’t be able to personally help everyone. There was just not enough time in the day for me to respond to each lengthy email from a subscriber with an equally lengthy email. I can’t reply to every comment, and I can’t answer every question, I’m just one person trying to do my best for my business. This was probably the most difficult lesson for me to learn, but over time, I began to train myself to give short and succinct answers to emails, to use links to my videos and blog posts to help me save time answering questions and to rely on the help of my more informed community members to pick up the slack with frequently asked questions. Although I’d love to have long email chats with my community members, I know that my time is precious and that I can help more people in less time with my new strategy, which means I can give more of myself in other areas.

Lesson Learned: It’s not personal, it’s business

Mistake #4: Make sure you look busy!

I don’t know if this mistake was something I inherited from my years in the corporate world at a Fortune 50 company, but early on in my business, I became keenly aware that I needed to make sure my community thought I was very busy because busy equals working hard! As a blogger and YouTuber I knew that I was something of an (extremely) minor public figure and that people would begin to notice and comment on how I spent my time. If I didn’t look like I had a lot of work to do I thought no one would respect me. The problem is, I have always been the type of person who likes to get their work done quickly so I have more time to do what I want instead of what I have to do! I have an arsenal of systems and hacks in place that I utilize everyday to make sure I’m getting my work done in less time and that’s the way I like it. To me, it’s not about keeping up the appearance of busy. Busy is bullshit! Way too many people like to consider themselves busy as though it’s some sort of measure of self-importance. Everyone has things to do, some people have more than others, but everyone makes choices for how they fill the 24 hours that they get in a day, so don’t let the concept of being busy create some sort of excuse for you not to achieve certain goals, and don’t let the busy peer pressure make you feel inadequate if you happen to have a simpler life. Personally, I love the fact that I have a good amount of free time during my day because it gives me the opportunity to be creative in a way I could never be if I was always busy!

Lesson Learned: Busy is bullshit! Strive for productivity & efficiency

Mistake #5: You need to discover the secret to success in order to achieve it.

I’m the kind of person who likes to research things ad nauseam! When I first started my business, I was sure that the secret to success was hidden out there somewhere and that it was my job to read and research and learn as much as I could about business until I discovered the secret for myself. Problem is, there is no secret. Literally, there is no secret to success in business. There is no reason why you can’t start a successful business from scratch right now with little to no business knowledge. I didn’t go to school for business, and for some time, I thought this put me at a disadvantage, but the truth is the unique knowledge and skills that I do have, the ones I was busy building while I wasn’t attending business school, are just a marketable and important to the success of my business as any business degree. Don’t let the fear that you are lacking some nonexistent business secret sauce keep you from starting your business and kicking butt at it! You can seriously make your own rules, create your own secrets, and build yourself an empire!

Lesson Learned: You can do this!

Yes, you can do this! The truth is that when you start a business, you will make mistakes, you will learn and you will grow, but the most important part of the process is to continue to move forward and learn from your mistakes until you find the success you are looking for. I wasn’t the first person to make the mistakes that I made, and I certainly won’t be the last, but you don’t have to be one of them! That’s the wonderful part of having the online business community and all the resources available to small business owners today. So many people, including myself, are more than willing to share their mistakes, lessons and resources they have learned in so many facets of their businesses. One such resource I would love to share with you today if you are also a business owner is my CEO Strategy Planner.

The CEO Strategy Planner is an undated, print on demand business planner with 60+ elegant and functionally designed inserts to help you organize, plan and execute on your business vision! Get your ideas out of your head and onto paper, and get down to business with the CEO Strategy Planner!

The CEO Strategy Planner is the ultimate bundle of business planning inserts designed for the modern creative entrepreneur or business owner. The planner is divided into multiple sections that follow the essential parts of any good business plan. This strategic planner seamlessly integrates with the calendar or agenda system of your choice. Whether you use a physical planner, a digital calendar and planning tools, or, if like me, you use a mixture of both- the CEO Strategy Planner can be used in conjunction with any calendar and planning system to create your custom business, marketing and financial plans.

I designed this planner first and foremost, for myself, out of a need for structure to keep myself focused on my business goals and objectives. As a lover of paper planners, who works via the power of digital media, I needed dedicated inserts with enough structure to allow me to outline all my essential business objectives, marketing activities, and financial tracking into one streamlined business plan on paper before I then executed on the work on my computer. As a paper planner lover and a creative, I know the power that taking pen to paper can be for your ideas, inspiration and clarity. There is nothing like getting ideas out of your head and onto paper and then getting down to business organizing and creating your vision.

The CEO Strategy Planner contains all of the essential planning tools you need to organize your business, tackle your to do list efficiently, manage your marketing efforts and keep track of all your key financial targets. With the help of this strategic business planner, you will create a vision for your business and have all the tools and strategies at hand to execute!

I know the CEO Strategy Planner is the perfect tool to help you set and achieve all your business goals whether you are just getting started or have been in business for years. So, click the button below to purchase your copy now because this is a business tool and resource you do not want to miss!

Enjoy!

xoxo,

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,