4 easy tips to try this month

Here are a few easy tips to try this month. Remember, small steps and actions will still move you forward!

1. List your achievements so far this year--We're half-way through the year (can you believe it?!) and I'm sure you've already rocked at least a few of those big goals you set for yourself. Celebrate them!
2. Create a vision board--I love this one. Dream about the life and biz that you want and then have fun putting all your ideas up there on the board. This can either be a Pinterest board, or my favorite, an old-fashioned cork board with pages and pics from magazines.
3. Schedule a weekly check-in with yourself--Get out of your house, or usual workspace, to someplace you can be quiet. Then take time to really reflect on how things are going and how you feel about them. Are things going really well and you feel great about them? Awesome! If not, really pay attention to how you're feeling and make changes, if necessary.
4. Simplify one thing--Do your files need organizing? Does your desk make you cringe? Email overflowing? Pick one thing that seems cluttered and organize, minimize or systemize it.

Let me know if you try any of these! I'd love to hear how it went.

Develop rituals to reach your goals and get the job done!

Okay, the workspace is all set up and now it’s time to get down to the real business of starting the business. But what do you do when the days start getting warm and sunny and suddenly your friends are calling you to get together? Or you have more projects than you can handle and you’re having trouble prioritizing? Or maybe you’re finding that you’re just not getting as much done on a daily basis as you would hope.

That’s when you need to pay attention to your daily rhythms. Maybe you notice that staying up late to get things done is burning you out after a while, or that getting up earlier in the morning helps you take care of things that you normally couldn’t.

It’s all about paying attention to what does and does not work for you so you can learn from your mistakes and find a way to set yourself up for success.

Every Sunday night, I write out a list of things I need to get done that week. Then I pick things from the list and fill them out in my planner before each day so that when I wake up I have a clear mission, and I won’t forget about what I’m supposed to be doing. I cross things out as I finish each task, and at the end of the week I highlight all of the things I didn’t cross off and consider them when I make my list for the next week.

Often I will find that it will be the same things that aren’t crossed off the list throughout the week – for me it was little things that I somehow got out of the habit of doing like reading before I went to bed, or there will be situations where I simply did not have enough time to get to something that had been a big priority. That’s when I need to think about what caused that situation and re-evaluate.

It could be as simple as choosing a different order of doing things or making things you don’t enjoy doing a little more pleasant.

For instance, I put on music while I do dishes to make sure that they get done before the end of every day and I’ve actually started to look forward to having those few minutes to myself now. I’ve also found that working for one-hour or half-hour blocks of time and predetermining breaks to work on something in between helps me work on big projects for longer periods of time without getting stressed out – and I end up getting a few other things done in the process! As each week goes by, you may just find that things are rolling along a lot more smoothly just by taking those few extra minutes to evaluate your schedule each week.

I know it might seem kind of tedious to methodically organize your life like this if you’re not used to it (and there will definitely be those days that you’ll just want to ditch the list and live your life), but the more you’re able to form better habits, the easier and more natural it will be for you to be as productive as you need to be to make major strides toward your goals. You’re never going to have a perfectly designed life, but you can try to anticipate and avoid the pitfalls that hold you back by attempting to become fully aware of how they’re caused.

Not comfortable with delegation? Get over it so you can have your ideal work life!

Many entrepreneurs don’t know where to start when delegating, they just know they need to. Or maybe they only know they have too much to do, are busy working 12-hour days and never taking any time off. I don’t think that’s anyone’s ideal work day!

HELP, WHERE DO I START WITH DELEGATION?

 I suggest you first start with the most common and routine tasks you do in your business. These tasks can be things such as bookkeeping, scheduling social media, replying to customer inquiries, research, formatting and scheduling blog posts – any repetitive task that can easily be taught to another person.

And for the person resisting delegation, start making a list daily of the work you do. Then at the end of the week go through that list and make note of the tasks you love doing and the ones you can’t stand. The ones you can’t stand will drain your energy and can be the first ones you delegate to your Online Business Manager (OBM)!

Then make sure that you or your OBM are putting all to do items into a project management system. I love Asana for this.

You will feel the difference!

The majority of us feel overwhelmed at some point in our business and life (for me the two are closely related).

We are more productive when we are thinking clear and, as a result, get more done. Delegating also allows us to focus our energy only on what we need to because someone else is doing the tasks that drain us.

If you are new to delegating and a little scared, I recommend starting small, maybe only 3 to 5 hours a week. What will you do (and how will you feel) with 12 to 20 extra hours a month?

Take those items you made a list of and have your new OBM turn them into the Standard Operation Procedures Manual – saving time and energy for everyone involved.

Have a weekly check-in meeting so you both are on track, and this is crucial if you are an extremely busy person. Also make expectations clear so that you don’t get stressed when things are not done how you wanted.

Trust that this will work!

Trust is a huge factor in delegating effectively. Learning to trust another person can be difficult, but the payoff is huge! There’s always a learning curve when starting with someone new, but I want to make the process a little smoother for you.

Delegation is something that you will get better at with time and practice! Just remember, the first time you learned to ride a bicycle, you were probably not a pro, but as you practised, you continued to improve. Once you start to delegate, and continue with it, it will start to feel more natural. And focus on the result – how good you will feel with time freed up to do the things you truly love!

Little things DO make a difference

As I was making my bed this morning I suddenly realized how it good it made me feel. And then it hit me – doing little things that keep things tidy and organized actually makes me feel in control…and feeling in control, especially when running your own business, is critical to success.

When you consider how much has fluctuated over the past few years in the economy and how clients have either downsized their budget or gone out of business all together, our feeling of security and control has taken a beating to say the least.

The little things that I do have control over such as keeping a clean house, pampering myself, getting rid of things I no longer use, taking the time to exercise and spending time with my friends and family helps in creating a solid personal foundation that then effects my attitude toward business.

I may not have control over what the economy dictates, but I sure as heck can keep my kitchen clean and organized :-)

What helps you to feel secure and in control? Let me know in the comments below!

4 easy tips to try this month

Here are a few easy tips to try this month to improve your business and life!

Send a hand-written note to a client.

How much do you love getting a card in the mail? I know I do! Send a note to a client this month, just letting them know how much you appreciate them. Thank them and take advantage of the opportunity to let them in on whatever exciting things you have upcoming in your biz!

Write a guest blog post.

Writing a guest blog post is a great way to get your name out there and share what you do. Reach out to folks who have businesses that are in alignment with yours, and who you think you can contribute valuable info their audience. Now's your chance to show off your mad skills.

Say "No" more.

This is hard. It’s hard to say no but it’s really important. You have your values, sacred time and family time. You don’t always have to say yes, you can say, "Let me look at my calendar and get back to you," when someone asks for your time. It’s good to think about events and see how they will work on your calendar so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Have an attitude of gratitude.

Spend a few minutes either first thing in the morning or last thing at night reflecting on your day and feel grateful for all you have in your life. I have found that gratitude brings even more abundance into my life.

It's your turn, share in the comments any easy tips you're trying this month!  

Are you a procrastinator? It's time to get to work and reach those goals!

Maybe you have been there...you have a deadline looming. However, instead of doing your work, you are busy checking email, social media, watching videos, reading blogs. You know you should be working, but you just don’t feel like doing anything.

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you know the pains and stress that come with putting things off. Although you may have the desire to accomplish something, getting the motivation to do it is a different matter. Fortunately, overcoming your procrastination is easy to do when you put your mind to it!

Let's get started! Here are five ways to end procrastination.

1. Break your tasks into little steps

Part of the reason why we procrastinate is because, subconsciously, we find the task at hand too overwhelming for us. So break it down into little parts, then focus on one part at the time. If you still procrastinate on the task after breaking it down, then break it down even further. Soon, your task will be so simple that you will be thinking, “Gee, this is so simple that I might as well just do it now!”

2. Finish the hard stuff first

Mark Twain once said that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that is probably the worst things that is going to happen to you all day long. Your “frog” is your biggest, most important task, the one you are most likely to procrastinate on if you don’t do something about it. That is the one that makes most of the difference. And once you’ve done your most important task, you’ll find that the whole day will flow much better.

3. Create rewards

Maybe the reason you procrastinate is because you work best under pressure. So what do you do if your projects don’t have any deadlines? Make your own. Set a time that you must complete your project by, and reward yourself at the end of that time!

4. Work in focused batches of time

If you find yourself being pulled off into the depths of daydreams, set a period of time to do nothing but work. Take ten minutes and remove all distractions – your phone, magazines, all social media, your mail – and go into a working frenzy. Work in a focused, perhaps even frantic manner for that short stretch, and watch what happens. Chances are, you’ll get into a groove and keep working at a high pace even when your frenzy time is out. Working to a timer is generally regarded by most experts as being one of the best ways to develop self-discipline and stop procrastination.

5. Just do it, already!

At the end, it all comes down to taking action. You can do all the strategizing and planning, but if you don’t take action, nothing’s going to happen. Reality check: no one has procrastinated their way to success before and that is not going to change in the near future. Whatever it is you are procrastinating on, if you want to get it done, you need to get a grip and do it.

Your turn...What are some of your favorite ways to combat procrastination? Share in the comments below.

PS Still feeling stuck? It could be because you're business needs a good spring cleaning! Check out my 6 Easy Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Biz to get your business systems all refreshed and renewed.

Do you have a business manifesto?

Do you feel you are going in circles with your business sometimes? You get a new idea, start to work on it, change your mind, get another idea...lather, rinse, repeat. Usually, ideas don't work out if they don't align with your business. What you need is some way to test all of your ideas to see if they fit. What you need is a business manifesto.

What is a manifesto?

A manifesto is a formal declaration of what you you believe in, your values, your purpose, and your goals. It is pretty much a mission statement on steroids. This formal declaration will give you a rule in which to make all your business decisions. If it doesn't fit, it doesn't happen.

Step 1: Identify

Your manifesto is made up of your guiding principles. So, in order to write them out, you need to identify what they are. To get your idea muscle pumping, I've got an exercise for you. Using the questions below write down whatever comes to mind for each topic. Brainstorm it out - fast and furious. Don't be worried about what is right and wrong at this point. You'll have time to edit later -- but first, idea generation!  Try to write down five to ten responses for each topic.

• Who are you?
• What do you do?
• What do you believe in?
• What do you want to accomplish?

From your list above, circle the key phrases that excite you and make you all tingly.

Step 2: Organize

Next, start organizing your manifesto in an outline using the key phrases you circled. The way you organize your principles is how you tell your story, so be thoughtful with the order.

Try cutting out your ideas or writing them on a sticky note or note card. It makes it easy to experiment and reorder your ideas quickly.

Step 3: Make it powerful

Now that you've identified and organized your principles, write out your manifesto in sentences using powerful language. A few power words include: amazing, blissful, bold, breathtaking, courageous, daring, excited, magical, spectacular, triumphant, wondrous. You get the idea.

Viola! Now you not only have a badass business manifesto, you have a guide to go by for all your business decisions.

I'd love to hear your manifesto, share it below in the comments!

You Deserve a Break!

Entrepreneurs have a reputation for burning the midnight oil, and with good reason--it takes a lot of time, energy and other resources to make sure your awesome ideas get off the ground and grow into something amazing. But, if you're thinking of skipping your vacation, think again. A break can actually mean a whole lot of improvement in your business and life. I know what you're thinking, I don't have time! I can't leave everything for a week! What about my clients?? Don't worry, we've rounded up a few tips to help you keep your vacay stress-free.

Make a Plan

The more you plan your vacation, the more likely you are to take it. Schedule your time off weeks, or even months, in advance and be sure to tell everyone about it. This works two-fold; people can plan for your absence, and, if you panic and back out at the last minute, you'll be stuck answering everyone's questions of "Aren't you supposed to be away right now?" Who wants to deal with that?

Delegate or Postpone

For each task, including your ordinary day-to-day responsibilities as well as emergency situations that might pop up periodically while you’re gone, decide whether to delegate or postpone your action. To delegate, designate one of your team members  to take on the task in your absence. This is a great opportunity to utilize your Virtual Assistant. Haven't hired one yet? Now is the time! To postpone, deem the task “unimportant,” and know that you’ll handle it only once you get back. Once you've determined how tasks will be handled, you should be worry-free for your getaway.

Disconnect

Disconnecting may seem like simple step, but in reality, it's probably the most difficult. Who else is glued to their smartphone? *raises hand*  When you’re on vacation, it's your chance to disconnect from the world. Turn off your phone, disconnect your Internet and try not to turn on any of your gadgets. Doing so could serve as a gateway back into worrying about work -- it’s almost unavoidable, and who wants that while you're sipping margaritas under a beach umbrella?

Practice

Ok, if the thought of leaving your business for a week sends you into a full blown panic attack, start with baby steps. Schedule an afternoon off to start; turn off your phone and go to a movie or a museum. Once you’ve become comfortable, try taking a single whole day off every once in a while. From there, you can scale to two-day, three-day or even weeklong vacations and more. Like anything else, you’ll get better with practice and experience.

Being an entrepreneur requires significant dedication, but that doesn't mean you're not entitled to a break. In fact, taking some time off is one of the best things you can do for yourself,  your friends and family and, of course, your business. Whether it's a short weekend getaway or a few weeks of deep retreat, going on vacation needs to be on your calendar. The only question now is, where to? 

Tips for Staying Productive, Even When Things Seem Really Hard

Ok, I'm going to be totally honest here, this past week and the election has got me reeling. I'm feeling shocked, overwhelmed, saddened...you name it, I've probably felt it. And I know I'm not alone. My first instinct was to hide and avoid any work, but I knew that wasn't the answer. So, I thought about some ways that would help me, and hopefully others, stay productive even through really hard times.

Ask for help

I know this can be scary, but I promise that asking for help doesn’t make you weak and it can yield wonderful results. If you’re worried about stigma around mental illness (because I can’t pretend it doesn’t exist), you can be vague in your explanation of why you need help. “I’m going through a rough time right now,” might be sufficient. I will say though, I've opened up to a lot of friends and colleagues, and all of them were incredibly understanding and willing to help me out, even if that meant just lending an understanding ear.  Plus, if reach out you may also find working with someone else on a task can make it easier for you to keep going past the point you’d give up if you were alone.

Work in batches

The idea is to do work for twenty minutes, then take a ten minute break. Breaking up work this way can make it feel more manageable. It’s daunting to say, “I’ll work for two hours,” it’s a little easier to view it as six sets of twenty minutes, taken one at a time, with breaks in between. Setting a timer can help keep you accountable during the twenty minutes, and help you focus on the tangible endpoint when you get to rest. If you’re really having a hard time getting started, flip the equation and start with 10/20s, working for ten minutes and resting for twenty. You’ve just got to get started and chip away at your to-do list in increments.

Prioritize

Often when we’re feeling overwhelmed and going through a hard time, we dwell on every single thing we have to do, mentally piling minute task onto minute task until we’ve built an insurmountable mountain of a to-do list. The reality is often less daunting than we make it out to be. Before you go to bed or when you wake up, write down the three things that are most important to accomplish that day. Then focus on those three things. Obviously, you may have more than three things that have to get done some days, but even then, you can prioritize.

Get out of the house

If you can, I really recommend trying to get out of the house most days. Take with you only what you need and go somewhere where you can breathe and focus. It doesn’t have to be a library. It can be a coffee shop, a park, a friend’s home, anywhere where it’s a little easier for you to work. This can also help remind you there’s a world out there and you are capable of being a part of it. Sometimes the momentum of getting out of the house can give you the boost you need to get stuff done.

Most importantly, take care of yourself

Going to your therapy appointments, taking your medication, resting, that’s how you stay productive. By taking care of yourself. By making sure you’re getting all the help you need and using every tool available to stay afloat. Because if you’re drowning in your sadness and rejecting every life vest available, you won’t be able to get anything done. More than that, you deserve to care for yourself. Be gentle with yourself. 

Those are my reminders to staying productive during tough times, what are some of yours?

Stop Living for the Week-end! 9 Ways to Make Everyday a Little Awesome

Yep, we love Fridays (Friyays?!). We love the heck out of them. We rock the weekends but Monday is always looming...it's only two days for crying out loud! But here's the thing, you don't have to live like that. Wouldn't it be better if instead of living for the weekends we were living full-time?

Of course. So here’s a list of nine ways to make every day a bit more awesome, so you can stop living for the weekends and have something to look forward too besides Friyay.

Get Enough Sleep

I'm going to share a secret here, I'm not the best sleeper; I've struggled with insomnia since college.  A few years ago I discovered sleep hygiene (yes, that's a thing), and it's changed my life. Try it. Change your sheets, take a hot shower, drink some tea and celebrate going to sleep.

Go Out Mid-Week

Yes, I know it’s a school night. But hey, now that you’re getting more sleep (see above) you’ve got no excuses to stay out a little late.

Make big plans for a Wednesday: go to a gig, meet up with friends and stay up too late drinking vino, or catch a show. (Just make sure you have coffee ready for the next morning and you’re good to go!)

Use Your Good Stuff Everyday

Pop open the champers you got as a housewarming gift three years ago. Drink it out of a fancy glass (not a coffee mug as I occasionally get caught doing.)

Wear your diamonds, spritz your favorite perfume, burn your candles; stop saving your good stuff for a special day and make today a special day.

Do the hard jobs first

I know I’m not the first person to tell you this, but it’s important because it’s true. Do your hard jobs, the things you’re dreading most on your to list, first.

I find that when I finally do something I’ve been avoiding, I get a little buzz – a mix of relief and a sense of accomplishment, that helps carry me through the day. Plus, once you’re done your tough jobs, the rest of the day will seem easy.

Practice gratitude

If I’m feeling a little meh and throwing myself a little pity party (oh whhyyyyy must I get out of bed at this ungodly hour…), I try and pull myself together by finding gratitude.

A common idea is to write or name 3 things that you’re grateful for every day; then when I’m feeling cranky or can see a bad mood coming, I open the list and get reminded of how much awesomeness is in my life.

Take breaks

Confession – I am really, really bad at this; 90% of the time I eat lunch at my desk. But, when I do take a ‘real’ break … oh my goodness. The day is so much better. So I’m going to try harder to take my advice and you should too.

If you really struggle to get away for a proper break, at least get up from your desk more often. Make a coffee, stretch,  extra bonus points if you can go outside for a few minutes. While you’re there look at the clouds and see how much better you feel about your Tuesday.

Make your home an awesome place to be

Even if you are just sitting on the couch, make it feel special. Burn incense or your favorite candles, get fresh flowers. Turn the TV off, put on some music, and chill out. I recently bought a record player and I'm loving spending time listening to records I "borrowed" from my parent's collection. When's the last time you listened to an album? Give it a try.

Stop doing so much housework

And I don’t mean ‘stop doing so much during the week and leave it for the weekend instead’ – I mean find ways to really do less.

How? Here are 3 ideas:

1. Hire someone to help. If you don’t think you can afford it, check your priorities and ask if there is something else you could give up instead.

2. Own less crap. Seriously, this has been a huge one for me the past few years. If you own less crap, you have less to clean.

3. Lower your standards. Ask yourself what can be done less often? (No one will judge you.)

Stop counting down to the weekend

Lastly, stop counting down to the weekend. When you’re counting down, you’re telling your brain today and everyday till Friday is crap and not worth living. Be present and enjoy today.