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5 Productivity Tips for Busy Solopreneurs by @DONNAAMOS

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by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

First of all, let me correct the title of this article. “Busy solopreneurs” is completely redundant. If you’re a solopreneur who is not busy, the word to better describe you is BANKRUPT. The very word solopreneur means“entrepreneur who does it all.” But we all know that solopreneurs can use help with increasing productivity and efficiency.

The fact is, no one can do it all. Even solopreneurs need help. You may be the solitary person responsible for everything in your business, but that does not mean that must perform every task. In fact, that is a sure prescription for burnout and failure.

So, in your few free moments to read and invest in YOU, here are five tips to help you be more productive without robbing you of even more time for personal needs.

 

Set Priorities

It’s important to take time each day to prioritize tasks. Rate each task by its due date and level of importance. Then, arrange them in descending order of importance for each day. Now you can focus on completing each task one at a time. There is a distinct pleasure in checking completed tasks off your list.

Studies reveal that multitasking reduces your productivity. Besides, multitasking really just means switching your attention between tasks, which increases the risk of making errors and slows you down as you realign your thinking to each task.

Determine when you are the most productive, and schedule important tasks for those blocks of time. During each block, focus on one very specific task and ignore everything else. For example, if you’re most productive in the mornings, use that time for creative work and save responding to emails for the afternoon.

 

Schedule Tasks

Following a schedule makes efficient use of your time. Schedule business hours and work diligently during those hours. Schedule everything, including working times and breaks. Appoint mundane tasks to be completed at the same time each day, and save your best hours for creative client work.

This is different from simply blocking out hours of the day for certain types of work, discussed above. This is setting your regular working schedule for every week. Of course, sometimes projects demand overtime or weekends; that is inevitable. But with a regular schedule in place, if something demands overtime, you can more easily charge overtime costs for the extra time you work outside your normal working schedule.

 

Use Tools

There are tools and apps for everything, and a wise solopreneur will make full use of them. Consider utilizing efficiency and budgeting software to cut down on end-of-the-month tasks. Download a scheduling app to use with your working schedule. Join it to an organization tool and input your daily task list to stay on track throughout the day. Apps like this cut out paper lists that can be lost, and will even provide timers and reminders.

Your particular industry will determine what tools and apps will best help you with productivity. Keep that in mind. Just because everyone loves a certain tool doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Software and apps that help you write better are popular, but if you don’t create copy in your business, why do you need it?

 

Delegate Tasks

As a solopreneur, you’re likely accustomed to doing everything. But there are probably some tasks that you don’t enjoy, perhaps even absolutely loathe. Like bookkeeping, or transcribing interviews, or writing sales emails. Don’t be afraid to delegate those tasks to someone else, even another solopreneur with skills in those areas.

You can increase productivity by focusing on your strengths and delegating other tasks to people who possess strengths in those areas. This doesn’t have to be a paid gig. Sometimes, family or others around you would be happy to help out just to learn about your business or help you out. Besides, you can always review the work (and you should) to ensure it meets your quality and accuracy requirements. There are also options for finding a marketing apprenticeship like GenMwhere you can pay $150 for three months and get help for up to 10 hours per week.

 

Schedule Time for You

Solopreneurs can easily work themselves into the ground. And no one is around to warn them about hitting the brakes. So, this is your warning. Just like you schedule time for working hours and completing certain tasks, schedule time for you. If you don’t schedule it like a business appointment or task, you will allow something else (like a business appointment or task) to bump it from your schedule.

Eat healthy foods and incorporate exercise into your daily activities. Make sure you get adequate sleep. Take the time out to rest and rejuvenate. Schedule exercise, meal, and vision breaks into your daily routine. Scheduling time for yourself (and taking it) is the best way to honor your business and your clients. If you do, you’ll be able to give the business your all and even more when it demands it.

Schedule and invest in a vacation away from work demands, if possible. Pay into a vacation fund as if it were an actual monthly expense. Get away from where you normally work and relax, eat out, have fun, and celebrate your solopreneur freedom and accomplishments. If you plan ahead for a vacation, budgeting finances and time for it in advance, you can do it.

If for some reason you cannot get away from work, at least travel to a relaxing destination and work from there. In your off hours, you can still eat great food, visit beautiful places, and engage in relaxing or fun activities. Even working from an exotic or fun location can be invigorating and refreshing, just the thing a busy solopreneur needs.

What are the best productivity hacks that work for you? Share them with our readers in the comments below!

Potential Power Lies in Your Personality by @SBSLEducSoltns

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( A walk in the personality ‘park’ under temperament ‘trees’ & social style ‘leaves’  )

Personalities.

 

We all have one.

And we know others do, too.

Far from an earth shattering observation, mind you.  Yet, why do so many entrepreneurially minded pros, whether in a sales role, running a micro or small business, or self-employed ( CPA, consultant ), not lean into their personality type, or gloss over them entirely?

One root reason?  Conventional classroom based schooling, whether primary/secondary (‘K-12’), collegiate/undergrad, even graduate program studies, oft times don’t include it in curricula, required or elective.

I’ve discussed becoming a self educated, lifelong learner, with no expectation of credentials before; now this becomes ever more valuable, since there are so many ‘trees’, with multi colored ‘leaves’ in this ‘park’. Said another way, there’s much to share about how much potential power there is in knowing about your own personality & temperament, let alone those of your client/customer, your staff, & your prospects.

 

 

Going Beyond Generic Labels

 

“You’re too much of an introvert, Emma. Join us at happy hour to network! ”

 

“I think I’m an extrovert, Lianne; do you agree?”

 

Introvert. Extrovert.

Two commonly mouthed words in many professional workplaces in all industries, in your home office, & at the coffee shop.

 

We should be more specific; we mustn’t over complicate matters, however, the more we can unpack ( depth ) & expand our horizons ( width ), it’ll benefit our businesses in a number of different ways.

 

 

Everything DISC

 

The DISC model has a long & storied history

( to trace it: Timeline )

 

DISC ** is unencumbered by complexity; most anyone can clearly interpret the results from the assessment.

I stress that it’s an assessment & spotlights preferences & tendencies, and is not a test, nor an exam.

 

If you’re having challenges with closing sales, or tend to be someone who wants to please everyone, you just might be an ‘S’.

Are you often inadvertently forgetting appointments, or talking your way out of a deal?  Say ‘hi, ‘I’ !’

Maybe you’ve had issues with turnover, or staff satisfaction in your workplace?  Look into swapping your ‘leader’ , who is a ‘D’ style , for someone else.

Or, perhaps you need someone to do your financials for you that won’t miss a single number?  Put a ‘C’ in this position.

 

 

Personality Plus

 

This model was the first that I learned about, not long after my professional development journey began nine years ago this month.

 

While the roots of it are birthed in faith, please don’t assume or close your mind off to how it can apply to any type of workplace, for a sales manager/team, or in your home based business.

 

The four types which Mrs. Littauer discusses have history stretching back millennia, to ancient times. One small drawback is a need to learn, or brush up ( if you’ve been classically, or liberal arts centric educated ) on what ‘choleric’, ‘sanguine’, ‘phlegmatic’, & ‘melancholy’ mean, before you read the books *** & take the assessment.

 

I’ve found much value in combining DISC & Personality + together when I talk with others; it’s a double dose of learning how to better walk in the ‘personality park’.

*** please see below for all 3 #mustreads

 

 

MBTI   

 

Myers-Briggs [Type Indicator/s] usually is the 1st to be recognized: some would say it exemplifies what marketers refer to as the ‘First-Mover Advantage’

 

This isn’t to downplay its value due to age, or perhaps apparent complexity. There’s much value in being aware of it, & perhaps deploying in your assessment ‘toolbox’ for talent, or people development; sales training; & as a high value input into hiring, firing, & promotability decision making.

MBTI Online is a great place to start to build understanding of this model’s philosophical underpinnings and practical applicability to your business/workplace, and you’ll also find certain consultants, trainers, & coaches who leverage it, such as Jeff ( someone I know fairly well. )

 

Tying it Together

 

Silo’ed results, in any business let alone an academic setting, isn’t ideal. So, let’s do our best to intermingle all 3 measures of personality, temperament, & social style together.

 

MBTI’s ‘E’ & ‘J’ =  ‘D’ (ISC) = ‘Choleric’  while ‘N’ & ‘P’ = ( D ‘I’ (SC)) = ‘Sanguine’ , as ‘I’ & ‘F’ = (DI ‘S’ ( C)) = ‘Phlegmatic’ , & … lastly, MBTI’s ‘S’ & ‘T’ = ((DIS) ‘C’ ) = ‘Melancholy’

 

Lots of letters …

Some lingo/language that might be unfamiliar, let alone the acronym.

 

Please embrace your walk, and study the leaves under the trees. 🙂

 

 

Suggested Social Profiles

 

Everything DISC

 

MBTI

 

Personality + ‘s  Marita (daughter of Florence)

 

Interested in More?

 

There are gold & silver veins below the surface of this ‘park’.

Please invest time to buy your entrepreneurial pickaxe, plan a trip, and begin your dig!

 

Best Personality Assessment

Top 10 Most Popular

*** All suggested books in the series ( PP 4 Parents ; PP – Original Bk ; & PP 4 Couples )

MBTI to DISC

 

 

In short …

 

  • The ‘gap’ : why personalities, temperaments, & social styles oft aren’t utilized.
  • Generic labels
  • Model 1 > DISC
  • Pers + >> Model 2
  • Model 3 >>> MBTI
  • Intermingling all three models
  • To continue your journey

 

Thank YOU for reading!

________________

Disclaimer: I’m an authorized partner & recommend DISC ahead of others, however, I’m very open minded & often will intermingle other models/assessments in my 1:1 mentoring, consulting projects, & family advising.

Empowering Women Going through Relationship Challenges: The Untold Stories of Divorce Coaching by Lilly Parks of @naked_recovery

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by Lilly Parks

The good news is that the divorce rates in the US have started dropping since 1990, and have followed a downward trend since then. And thanks to millennials who are doing things differently, the rates will likely continue to decline. This is according to a sociology professor at the University of Maryland, Philip Cohen, in his analysis of the American Community Survey (ACS) data.

Still, the divorce coaching industry is thriving, but not for reasons that you’d normally associate with it.

Divorce coaches make a living out of helping people, cope with the breakdown of a relationship. They also empower these men and women to become better. This makes divorce coaching a rewarding business, what with a bigger cause behind it. But the real reason that lawyers work with divorce coaches is that they’re the ones who take care of the non-legal work that lawyers and their legal staff generally don’t do.

It’s easy to associate divorce coaching as something similar to therapy, which is not exactly far off. But these independent third parties provide more than just encouragement, guidance, and motivation. Their work also covers pre-divorce, during a divorce, and after divorce.

The roles divorce coaches play

Before a divorce
● Assess a marriage to identify if there’s still hope to work on the marriage or if a separation or divorce is the only solution
● Assess the counseling needs of parents and children
● If the decision to get a divorce is final, prepare clients for the upcoming journey
During a divorce
● Help clients work through their financial and personal needs
● Encourage sound decision-making by providing clear information about the divorce proceedings to clarify thoughts and concerns
● Help a client build a personal support system

After a divorce
● Help set goals for the future
● Share the positives of divorce based on their own experiences since some divorce coaches have gone through divorce themselves

How divorce coaching helps and empowers women

● Hand-holding

While your friends and family can provide support, relying on them comes with its own emotional baggage. Family members could be pushing you to take your ex to the cleaners or suggest many ways that you can hurt the other party.
As an independent third party, a divorce coach can create a non-judgmental, patient, safe, and supportive environment for you to get down to what really matters without pressure. Emotions are also excluded.

● Overcome separation

And the emotional turmoil that comes with it.

Grieving the loss of a relationship is one of the many things that women go through following a breakup or divorce. A divorce coach will help you deal with the loss and then help you build your support system.

One of the first things they look into is the immense confusion you are experiencing and then help address your overwhelming emotions and fears.

Part of their job is to discuss major concerns, such as:
● How can you manage financially?
● What will happen to your children?
● How do you break the bad news to your children?
● How do you deal with co-parenting?

With a seasoned divorce coach, you will be able to navigate through the financial, legal, and practical challenges of divorce.

● Grow and learn

There are lessons to be learned following a divorce. But unless someone is guiding you to the right path, you may not see those important lessons. You could get stuck in the grief stage, never to move on from there. You could choose to use alcohol, drugs, and food to cope with the fallout rather than take good care of yourself.

The right divorce coach can help you appreciate the good side of such a horrific experience.
It is possible that you chose the wrong partner. You made mistakes that contributed to the breakdown of a relationship. By identifying what went wrong, you’ll know better next time.

● Help reboot and create a new life

After a divorce, the focus of coaches is to help a client establish a vision and goals for the future, both for the short-term and long-term.

This is how divorce coaching empowers women, especially women who experienced self-discovery and happiness following a relationship breakdown.

Short-term goals may include going on a divorce retreat to learn about mindfulness and meditation. Many women who went on a retreat post-separation came home with a new perspective. They got to know who they really are, which is the greatest gift you can give to yourself. Another goal is to travel a lot, which some women say has helped them re-evaluate their values in life.

A good example of a long-term goal is to live a healthy lifestyle. A study that appeared in the Journal of Women’s Health showed that 80,000 women became healthier after a divorce.

A divorce coach can help you set similar goals for yourself.

If you want to take back your power, you will find a guide and supporter in them.

Once you’ve rediscovered yourself, you can start building a new life, a new career, and a new you.

—————————————————————————————–

Lilly Parks is a Divorce Angel and part of the dynamic Naked Divorce team. She is committed to helping her clients find the path towards healing and has been providing assistance to those who are going through the difficult trauma of divorce for more than 5 years.

 

Becoming a Holistic Entrepreneur in Four Easy Steps by Dez Stephens of @RadiantCoaches

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by Dez Stephens

Most entrepreneurs hope to make money outside of someone else’s control, someone else’s payroll. They might have left the corporate world for something more meaningful. They might be searching for something special to fulfill their career dreams.

Entrepreneurs commonly focus on one thing, and it’s typically money. They continually strive to replace a full-time income with a self-earned paycheck. This focus can lend itself to financial tension and create a lot of unwelcomed stress.

Other entrepreneurs focus on the hustle. Either way, this one-sided targeting can get them in trouble because it’s just that – one-sided. This can lead to major imbalances in their professional careers and even their personal lives.

Supreme Self-Care
Taking care of oneself as an entrepreneur is vital to success. Without it, the whole system collapses. This might entail taking a walk and getting some fresh air when a break is needed, or even getting a weekly massage or acupuncture treatment.

Walk the Talk
It’s vital as a holistic entrepreneur to live the way that we would recommend to others. If we don’t take great – not just good – care of ourselves, we are not leading by example.

Caring is Daring
When we focus on self-care as a daily regimen instead of a once-in-a-while activity, we are purposefully nurturing the most important thing in our business – ourselves!

Pampering is Powerful
Sometimes we downplay the benefits of a great massage or getting some fresh air on a nice walk. Turns out that these simply practices are powerful when it comes to how much they can impact the quality of a workday.

 

Many entrepreneurs work from home and it’s easy to get isolated emotionally and mentally. Taking care of these needs is so important for overall health and well-being.

The Holistic Rule of 10
An easy way to make sure that entrepreneurs care for themselves is to implement simple self-care activities. These include getting proper rest, hydration and movement each day.

10 Hours of Sleep Daily
Humans are well-designed to sleep for 10 hours each night, but very few do so. Sleeping in a cool dark room is ideal, and a great night’s sleep does wonders for having the energy needed to get through a workday.

10 Glasses of Water Daily
Staying hydrated helps the mind stay clear and the body look great stay strong. It doesn’t matter how big the glasses are – just get them down.

10 Minutes of Movement Daily
Movement can include ten minutes of stretching or jogging in place or a walk around the block. Better yet – high energy for 2 minutes, then low energy for 1 minutes – repeat 3 times.

Each of these practices have a “10” in them so they’re easy to remember. Ten hours of sleep, ten glasses of water and ten minutes of movement. These can easily be scheduled into everyday life.

 

As many entrepreneurs know too well, working for yourself is the hardest work they’ll ever do, so it’s important to optimize physical, emotionally, mentally and spiritual health.

Life Purpose
Many entrepreneurs find meaning in their work. They are driven by their passions and are inspired by their dreams. The ones who succeed are likely to be the ones who take a holistic approach to life and the work they love.

Find Some Purpose
Holistic entrepreneurship is about finding a purpose in what you do. We don’t need to be grandiose about it. Sometimes it’s as simple as finding meaning in the everyday small tasks.

Purpose vs. Presence
We don’t have to “go to the mountaintop” to find a purpose. All we need to do is to get quiet and clear. Being present is something so basic yet, for some, something so elusive. When we get present, we can much more easily sense purpose.

Personal is Professional
As entrepreneurs, we kid ourselves that we have a personal life and separately a professional life. These two worlds are constantly intermingling so it’s imperative that we seek our purpose in both. Gratitude for both helps.

This means treating a life as a whole – not in separate parts like recreational time, community connections, physical wellness, emotional stability, spiritual groundedness and mental clarity.

Instead of being “all in” professionally with a neglected personal life, entrepreneurs can find a beautiful balance between their work and their time away from work.

Life as a Whole
Entrepreneurs who pay attention to both their personal and professional needs tend to thrive as self-made business owners. When someone puts too much effort into their career without nurturing their relationships or caring for their bodies, they quickly become unproductive.

Holistic Means All Parts
Living your life and running your business “holistically” means that you are paying close attention to all the moving parts. Your business is a living-breathing entity that is always responding to the ways in which you treat it – so is your personal life.

Notice What You’re Noticing
Take a moment to observe what you’re observing. Notice the bodily sensations. Notice your breath. Notice your thoughts. Notice your feelings. Notice any resistance – any comfort or discomfort. This awareness will help you pay attention to the things that need attention.

Whole and Hole
When we get intentional about all the parts of our business and life, we might find some missing parts. Maybe you realize that you’ve neglected your physical health or your friendships. Maybe you notice you’ve let go of some favorite hobbies. The awareness this brings is the first step in creating the holistic balance you naturally crave.

The whole purpose of entrepreneurship is to succeed financially and otherwise without having to rely on others. This is also true in all areas, not just financial.

 

When entrepreneurs implement simple healthy practices, they are much more likely to make it through the hard times that are inevitable with the harsh-yet-fun reality of working for themselves.

 

————————————————————————–

Dez Stephens is the Founder & CEO of Radiant Health Institute, a social enterprise and prominent international coach training school that certifies individuals to create vibrant, professional, private practices as holistic life coaches, wellness coaches and business coaches. She is a certified life coach, master trainer and marketing strategist. Dez is also co-executive producer of the documentary film, “End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock” highlighting Native women fighting to keep clean water on their Native lands in North Dakota and beyond.

How divorce coaching empowers women following a relationship breakdown by Lilly Parks of @naked_recovery

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by Lilly Parks

The good news is that the divorce rates in the US have started dropping since 1990, and have followed a downward trend since then. And thanks to millennials who are doing things differently, the rates will likely continue to decline. This is according to a sociology professor at the University of Maryland, Philip Cohen, in his analysis of the American Community Survey (ACS) data.

Still, the divorce coaching industry is thriving, but not for reasons that you’d normally associate with it.

Divorce coaches make a living out of helping people, cope with the breakdown of a relationship. They also empower these men and women to become better. This makes divorce coaching a rewarding business, what with a bigger cause behind it. But the real reason that lawyers work with divorce coaches is that they’re the ones who take care of the non-legal work that lawyers and their legal staff generally don’t do.

It’s easy to associate divorce coaching as something similar to therapy, which is not exactly far off. But these independent third parties provide more than just encouragement, guidance, and motivation. Their work also covers pre-divorce, during a divorce, and after divorce.

The roles divorce coaches play

Before a divorce

  • Assess a marriage to identify if there’s still hope to work on the marriage or if a separation or divorce is the only solution
  • Assess the counseling needs of parents and children
  • If the decision to get a divorce is final, prepare clients for the upcoming journey

During a divorce

  • Help clients work through their financial and personal needs
  • Encourage sound decision-making by providing clear information about the divorce proceedings to clarify thoughts and concerns
  • Help a client build a personal support system

After a divorce

  • Help set goals for the future
  • Share the positives of divorce based on their own experiences since some divorce coaches have gone through divorce themselves

How divorce coaching helps and empowers women

  • Hand-holding

While your friends and family can provide support, relying on them comes with its own emotional baggage. Family members could be pushing you to take your ex to the cleaners or suggest many ways that you can hurt the other party.

As an independent third party, a divorce coach can create a non-judgmental, patient, safe, and supportive environment for you to get down to what really matters without pressure. Emotions are also excluded.

  • Overcome separation

And the emotional turmoil that comes with it.

Grieving the loss of a relationship is one of the many things that women go through following a breakup or divorce. A divorce coach will help you deal with the loss and then help you build your support system.

One of the first things they look into is the immense confusion you are experiencing and then help address your overwhelming emotions and fears.

Part of their job is to discuss major concerns, such as:

  • How can you manage financially?
  • What will happen to your children?
  • How do you break the bad news to your children?
  • How do you deal with co-parenting?

With a seasoned divorce coach, you will be able to navigate through the financial, legal, and practical challenges of divorce.

  • Grow and learn

There are lessons to be learned following a divorce. But unless someone is guiding you to the right path, you may not see those important lessons. You could get stuck in the grief stage, never to move on from there. You could choose to use alcohol, drugs, and food to cope with the fallout rather than take good care of yourself.

The right divorce coach can help you appreciate the good side of such a horrific experience.

It is possible that you chose the wrong partner. You made mistakes that contributed to the breakdown of a relationship. By identifying what went wrong, you’ll know better next time.

  • Help reboot and create a new life

After a divorce, the focus of coaches is to help a client establish a vision and goals for the future, both for the short-term and long-term.

This is how divorce coaching empowers women, especially women who experienced self-discovery and happiness following a relationship breakdown.

Short-term goals may include going on a divorce retreat to learn about mindfulness and meditation. Many women who went on a retreat post-separation came home with a new perspective. They got to know who they really are, which is the greatest gift you can give to yourself. Another goal is to travel a lot, which some women say has helped them re-evaluate their values in life.

A good example of a long-term goal is to live a healthy lifestyle. A study that appeared in the Journal of Women’s Health showed that 80,000 women became healthier after a divorce.

A divorce coach can help you set similar goals for yourself.

If you want to take back your power, you will find a guide and supporter in them.

Once you’ve rediscovered yourself, you can start building a new life, a new career, and a new you.

 

—————————————————————————————–

Lilly Parks is a Divorce Angel and part of the dynamic Naked Divorce team. She is committed to helping her clients find the path towards healing and has been providing assistance to those who are going through the difficult trauma of divorce for more than 5 years.

6 Science-Backed Activities For Leaders To Become More Zen In Life by @AngeKYoumatter

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by Angela Kambouris | Featured Contributor

Whether it’s mothers trying to separate teens from their screens to the busy executive going from conference calls to meditation, the evolution of technology impacts all facets of life. The digital world is permeating the fabric of life and its time to redefine the future of living.

As of December 2018, there are over 2.32 billion monthly active users worldwide on Facebook. There were 1.15 billion mobile daily active users. The average time spent per Facebook visit is 20 minutes and every 60 seconds, 510,000 comments are posted.

The average American spends 24 hours a week online. E-marketer trends forecasted that US adults would spend an average of 3 hours, 35 minutes per day on mobile devices in 2018 and by 2019 mobile will surpass TV as the medium attracting the most minutes in the US.

Smartphones and apps have changed the way we work, communicate and play. Technology is a double-edged sword. It brings people together, makes it easier for people to collaborate however the negative impact can be soul-destroying. People’s physical health is being compromised due to poor eating habits, working more late hours, exercising less through to posture issues, headaches, and the quality and quantity of sleep and emotional wellbeing being impacted.

It’s time to take back your overrun attention and life. Let’s dive into 6 actionable activities that support you to get your focus back, live more consciously and build a more mindful life.

Work Smart Rule

The Pareto principle, 80/20 rule is well known for 20% of your work is going to account for 80% of your results. If you apply this universal truth to business and life, you invest 20% of the time on the tasks that yield 80% of the results. Leveraging the principle involves in asking quality questions to decipher what you are investing your time in:

  • What have l done that has moved me closer to my vision?
  • What have l invested my time in that has had a negative or no impact on moving me towards my vision?
  • What would be the steps that l would need to take to move one step closer to my vision?
  • What would be the first thing l would implement to bring me closer?

By being specific, you will determine the very step you need to execute daily to become the most productive version of you. By organizing your daily tasks, you prioritize the key bite-sized chunks, you focus on the tasks with the highest payoffs and you tackle your top 20% of tasks first.  When you execute those tasks, your brain release dopamine, the feel-good hormone. By cultivating small achievements, you propel yourself to greater success.

Zen Time

The practice of mindfulness and meditation has been around for thousands of years. In more recent times, the business world has embraced these practices because research supports how these practices can change the wiring and makeup of your brain. Companies such as Google, Salesforce,  and Toyota have understood the personal benefits of mindfulness to support business objectives.

Training the mind to focus is becoming more critical than ever as your attention is being pulled in 1000 different directions at once. Learning the basics of mindfulness and meditation through courses, books, apps, and YouTube videos is readily available. Commitment to a daily practice, starting with dedicated time in your day to learning to be present. This can be a sitting meditation using an app such as Headspace or practice being in the moment when going for a walk.

The Art of Now

Being in the moment can be a reminder for you to be more mindful of wherever you happen to be. When emotions, thoughts or desires arise, you notice them, be kind to them and allow them to be just as they are. When you embrace the moment with an open mind, you merely observe without judgment. By being in the moment, research supports that by fine-tuning your ability to be present, you decrease your stress responses and increase your positive emotions. When you make room for the full range of your human experience, you will live with more inner peace.

Self-inquiry

Another way is to focus on the inner orchestra of your body by scanning from head to toe. Notice which part of the body you connect with and notice what you feel. Another way is to focus on one part of your body and notice the physical sensations you can feel. When you focus on bodily sensation you release tension that perhaps you were not aware of before. When you bring attention to areas of discomfort within the body you decrease symptoms of stress and improve psychological well-being.

Purposeful Action

Multi-tasking is a mere illusion and addictive. Your brain convinces you that it loves to multitask when in fact training your mind to focus on one thing at a time allows you to produce more meaningful results. When you commit to your actions being purposeful and deliberate, you slow everything down. You shut down your mental autopilot to allow the logical part of your brain steps into the driver’s seat.

Act of Nature

In our modern work, distraction is running rife. Being able to disconnect and go into nature, whether it be a walk, hike or just sitting, you re-sensitize yourself to the life and beauty around you.  Environmental Health and Preventative Medicine published a study that found participants that walked in a forest had lower blood pressure and levels of cortisol (referred to as the stress hormone) afterward than those who strolled through a city environment.

Shinrin-Yoku or “forest bathing” was developed in Japan during the 1980’s, designed to combat stress from overwork. Today, it has become a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine. By simply being in nature, connecting through your senses of sight, hearing, tastes, smell and touch. By opening your senses, it bridges the gap between you and nature.

Your repeated experiences will shape your thinking and the way you live your life. What your practice, grows stronger.

CoWorking is Cutting Edge ( and Cool! A Primer. ) by @SBSLEducSoltns

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Coworking is a remarkable concept that will enable many additional citizens to pursue their callings in entrepreneurship without the pratfalls of the prior 2 eras, the blue & white collar industrial ages.

 

No longer will the price tag, complexity, or fear of having to sign a multi-year lease, or rent to (eventually) own agreement be a stumbling block to the dream to be in control of your income stream(s); you’re now sharing costs & concurrently joining an entrepreneurial tribe.

 

What is coworking?!

 

This is a superb definition

 

Think it over: We’ve really only had this option for little more than a decade. Running parallel to the astonishing rise of social media & the proliferation of smart devices, co-working grew from humble beginnings.

 

At this point, choosing to become a member of an existing co working space, whether it’s new, or well established, tags you as a late ‘early adopter’ or at the onset of the ‘early majority’ class(es) of business owner/professional.

 

Intrigued to know more?  Please click here.

 

Options for your business’ physical presence

 

All things being equal, there are 4 choices:

 

  • Work from home.  The flexibility of merging personal & professional lives under 1 roof always has appeal. Yet, if you’re a mom-preneur, have other neighborly commitments, or are easily distracted by the mass media, you might want to ask the hard question: will you be productive, or will you be ‘’busy’ ?

 

  • The ‘coffee shop’ = office.  Whether its an independent cafe, Starbucks, or Panera Bread, maybe you arrive early in the AM, order coffee & bagel, set up your notebook/tablet in the far corner near an outlet, & start working; that remains viable for some amongst us.

  • Conventional ‘bricks & mortar’.  Some business models & professions simply must have their own physical space:  Medical office/clinic? Restaurant/bar? Retail, esp. a clothing store?

 

  • And, then, there’s coworking. This article breaks down common options that most any space in your metro area will, or already is, offering.

 

Click to Tweet

 

“We break down walls so that we can breakthrough in our businesses!”

 

— Cynthia Chiam

 

Plusses of Coworking

 

Choose from the 4 above; none are ‘wrong’ – each option will appeal to someone & that someone might be you. However, let’s focus on the benefits of coworking.

 

You quite likely will …

  • Save a significant amount
  • Opt into various perks ( who doesn’t love ‘complimentary’ coffee?!? )
  • Find flexibility ( month to month arrangements are commonplace )
  • Learn how easy it can be to ‘barter’ services &/or products with your community/tribe

 

What if …

 

… co working hasn’t yet come to my area?

Take heart: many visionaries haven’t yet pushed outside the top 25 metros.

As always, there’s a trail of ‘breadcrumbs’ that the profit motive will enable, bringing facilities to your city.

 

One pioneer shares his vision – click here to read a short Q&A w/ him.

 

How Does Co Working fit into the Gig Economy?

 

Jim Collins, in his terrific book, ‘Great by Choice’, taught us to be able to zoom in & zoom out.

 

Let’s zoom out …

 

… & answer this Q.

 

  • 1st, co working is similarly flexible.  Do your research & check as many options as exist in your area; most spaces heartily welcome entrepreneurs who don’t want to sign multi-year deals.
  • 2nd, the Gig economy spotlights project ( ‘gig’ ) based ‘work’; so does a co-working space. You can run this type of business easily & find much joy in the process
  • Next, this economy encourages interdependence, as does the coworking option. Your ‘benefits’ ( insurance, investment vehicle/s ) could very well come in a barter agreement with a sales pro who offers them to solopreneurs & sits right next to you in the space.
  • Last, your ability to be cash flow positive is accelerated; you can keep your prices aligned with your ideal avatars & earn more without having to pay steep lease or rent payments.

Suggested Profiles

 

Using hashtag #coworking as a starting point, I suggest 3 Twitter handles worth a follow:

 

Deskmag

 

kowrkdotcom

 

New Worker Magazine

 

If you happen to be in, or looking to move to, central OH …

… the options are a plenty! Here’s a quick primer on some tip top choices:

 

CoHatch

 

Brickhouse Blue

 

Haven Collective

 

&  Serendipity Labs

 

Fantastic ‘All in 1’ Resources

 

As with any topic, the internet is a treasure trove of goodness, when used for altruistic means.

 

Co-working is no exception to this mantra. Here are a handful:

 

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-rise-co-working-spaces/

* the BEST. The infographic on the above from December 2018 is amazing!

 

Top 60 CoWorking Blogs, Websites, & …

 

From coworking spaces to who is …

 

In the Gig Economy, Coworking spaces …

 

In short …

 

  • What exactly is coworking? Let’s explore.
  • 4 options you have for locating your business.
  • The positives of choosing coworking
  • Coworking’s a big trend, yet it’s not everywhere yet. It will be, though. Stay tuned!
  • Coworking & the Gig Economy are ‘fellow travelers’ = deeply interrelated.
  • The Twitterverse, unsurprisingly, has valuable handles worth following

 

Thank YOU for reading!

3 reasons you should take your dog to work by Suzy Wright of @PoshPetsClub1

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by Suzy Wright

So, you are missing your sweet pup during the day and you know she is missing you. Are you sitting at your desk, knowing you have an important deadline you can’t miss but your mind keeps wandering to your dog and wondering if she is bored or getting into something she shouldn’t be

Most “working outside of the home” dog parents struggle with these same thoughts and guilt. So, what to do about it? Bring your dog to work with you. But you say, “My boss will never go for that.” Okay, well let’s convince her otherwise.

Take a look at these 3 (very good) reasons your pup should go to work.

1. A dog’s presence can be very calming to everyone who comes in contact. It has become quite popular to utilize dogs’ as emotional support animals for those suffering from anxiety and as a means of cheering up children and elderly in hospital and nursing home settings. This is because many people have benefited from the calming effects of just simply being in the presence of a dog. Think about how much more productive you and your co-workers would be by simply having a sweet pup to rub when you need a break or feel stressed out.

2. Many customers feel happier when encountering your pup which can lead to a more positive experience with your product or service. So if you work in an environment where customers and potential customers frequently visit, this can be a very easy and inexpensive marketing tool. For sure a win-win.

3. Can lead to more productivity and creativity. Here me out on this one. Over the course of the day, your pup will need to go out to take care of business. You can rotate with your co-workers, who are interested of course, in taking Fido out for a brisk walk in the sunshine. You will come back to the office energized from the walk, fresh air and sunshine which all leads to more productivity and creativity. Sometimes, we all just need a reason to get out from behind the desk and get some exercise.

So, assuming you have a well-behaved pup who loves people and you want your dog with you at the office but not sure your boss will go for it – show her this list and ask for a trial run. Chances are very good she will agree that having your dog around is a real benefit to everyone.

And it goes without saying that you and your pup will be happier and have a stronger relationship as a result.

So what are you waiting for? Put a tie on Fido and head to the office. You have work to do!

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Suzy lives in North Carolina with her husband and two children and four fur-babies (2 cats and 2 dogs). She is a cup of coffee in the morning and a glass of wine in the evening kind of girl. Suzy’s personal interests include: Animal welfare, writing, tennis, travel, family, lazy days on the lake, fun times with friends. And laughing ~ lots of laughing.

amazon.com/author/suzywright

How Boundaries Make You the CEO of YOU! by @iammypriority_

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by Keiwana Eaton

We all need boundaries, but we all don’t have boundaries. The necessity of boundaries is for the purpose of protecting you, your personal space, and your time, all of which yields good health, positive energy, and peace of mind. More times than not, exhaustion sets in because we haven’t set boundaries for ourselves, for work, or for friends and family. We neglect ourselves to the point of exhaustion, burnout, or emotional breakdown. In the worst case scenario, not having boundaries is detrimental to our physical health. But how does this happen when we are the CEOs of our own lives? I’ll tell you how, and then I’ll give you 3 tips to regain and maintain control of your life.

If you are an empath like me and many others that I know, you naturally want to help people and solve the world’s problems. You are naturally a fixer, whether it’s a fixer of your problems or someone else’s. You might even take on more than your fair share of work and emotional baggage by simply helping others. If you catch my drift here, other people’s emotional and physical baggage with or without yours will literally drain you, and before you know it, you may feel heavy burdened, down and out, depressed and in the slumps. It happens so rapidly…or does it? Fatigue and stress are the number one causes of many health problems and even death. Long before our bodies begin to spiral out of control or go wacky, we neglect every warning sign, such as dark cloud moments when negative people enter your space, manipulative behavior, and restlessness to name a few. These traits and behaviors still our joy, are detrimental to our health, and leave us powerless. But don’t worry, I got your back! Here are three tips that to regain and maintain your position as CEO of YOU:

1. Know the company you keep.
Above I mentioned “dark cloud” moments, and this refers to individuals who are Negative Nancys, Debbie Downers, and Rain on Your Parade Rachels. They are like a sudden dreary and gloomy day when the sun is bright, the air is fresh, and the trees are a vibrant green, with no warning of clouds or a thunderstorm in the sky. As soon as they come in your presence or within your personal space, your energy is immediately turned off. It’s like they instantly suck your happiness dry. I try to stay away from such people, but if you are not black and white like me, then you may be able to handle these type of people in spurts. Either way, you must know the energies that you allow into your personal space.

2. Understand that boundaries are not a form of disrespect.
This is important as empaths are also people pleasers, and we don’t necessarily want to hurt anyone’s feelings. In this case, we are more willing to grant leniency to having no boundaries in place at all. Grave mistake! Boundaries are no disrespectful and are not hurtful to people who understand you and the need for self-care. In fact, people respect you more when you are disciplined enough to establish and impose boundaries that protect you. Doing so, allows you to manage yourself and your relationships. After all, you are the CEO of you!

3. You are your prized possession.
Maybe you should read that again…and again…and again to let it soak in every fiber of your being. Let it ooze through you. Pause a little longer if need be. Say it with me: You. Are. Your. Prized. Possession. Without you, nothing that you do would be getting done in the way that you do it. Aren’t you a badass? Do you see yourself as a badass? If not, well let me be the first to tell you or remind you…YOU ARE YOUR PRIZED POSSESSION BECAUSE YOU ARE A BADASS AND NOTHING GETS DONE IN THE WAY THAT YOU DO IT! If we do not see ourselves in this light, we simply do not value ourselves enough to uphold our standards and boundaries. Your time is valuable. Your energy is valuable. Your space is valuable. You are valuable. If you are a mother, your value extends for generations. If you are a wife, could your spouse be making it without your assistance? Why not take time to care for you, to put you first? Is it that you possibly think putting yourself first is selfish? Well, no it’s not! Or is it just that you can’t possibly see yourself of being more important or just as important as the people you take care of? Let me remind you that you are a badass and nothing would get done in the way that you do it! Sometimes, we need a kick in the butt instead of a gentle reminder that we are our priority too. From this moment forward, recite those words to yourself every day as often as you’d like. Let it become your daily affirmation.

As I wrap this up, it’s important that we regain and maintain control over our lives. Our personal space, positive vibes, and our time is valuable to us on the same authentic scale that we hold ourselves accountable to respecting other people’s time, space, and energy. Regain focus and control by implementing these three very simple tips. Setting boundaries helps you to manage relationships, be assertive, and get your voice back!

 

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Keiwana Eaton is an authentic Life Strategist and Founder of I AM My Priority, Inc. She teaches her best pro strategizing tips with bulls-eye laser focus from her 10 years+ in technical training, recruiting, and inside the walls of TOP corporate public and private offices, as well as over 2 years coaching and strategizing with entry level to senior level driven, passionate, go getters just like you!

She helps her clients uncover their authentic selves through life talks which includes accepting the past them, coming to terms with the present them, to shape the future them. Learn more and get her free Goal Smashing Made Easy Workbook by visiting www.iammypriority.org.

Consumer v. Producer : Which are YOU? by @SBSLEducSoltns

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Stretching your Entrepreneurial Thinking

While entrepreneurs will always consume certain resources, no different from our staff, or other citizens,, we shouldn’t think through a consumer lens nor should we spend precious time being one. So, let’s shake things up!

 

While reading, please invest time to ask yourself some questions. As I often advise mentees, be reflective; forego being reflexive or reactive. The difference is profound.

 

The Consumer

Per Dictionary.com , … origin: 14th C [1375–1425] = “squanderer”

 

What a strong connotation! Do we really desire to have our business(es) associated with this definition, even if its meaning has evolved somewhat over the passage of time?!

 

Why are we ‘encouraged’ , compelled, or even shamed into consuming?

The answer is too complex to address in a blog post, yet, we are able to unravel some characteristics of a consumerist.

 

He/She/They …

 

  • Oft carry a considerable amount of consumer debt
  • Will be watching, listening to, or reading lots of content from the mass media*
  • Quite likely is a side-preneur still receiving a regular paycheck as a W-2’er
  • Fairly often feel uncomfortable discussing economics or talking about money/finances

& …

  • Might use words like ‘retail therapy’, be distressed** , and/or focused on material things

( inc. transactions to make more $ versus building business relationships. )

 

Click to Tweet

 

“Every man is a consumer, and ought to be a producer. He is by constitution expensive, and needs to be rich.”

 

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Sign of a Consumerist

 

Self deception ( vid clip HERE ) is strong; maybe we know in the depths of our soul, by looking at our financial statements, or just in our gut that we are living a consumerist life while building our entrepreneurial venture/s, yet … we outwardly deny it, in our self-talk, our conversations with others, etc.

 

If you do this, you’re not alone. Some signals, both implicit & explicit to home in on & eventually course correct include:

 

  • Not paying off credit cards monthly
  • Driving in a vehicle that you don’t actually own
  • Expensive office space which raises your rates needlessly
  • Not leveraging the countless discount programs/apps/memberships available
  • Buying costly drinks or meals while at events

 

What’ll it Take … a ‘voice of courage’

Laying the groundwork for a major mindset shift will clearly impact all spheres of your business ‘being’ :  heart, mind, spirit/soul, & financial. Yet, it’s still January, and here’s hoping that you invested quality time and treasure creating and then taking action to live out these 2019 mantras, goals, or habit transformations instead.

 

If you’ve not yet carved a line item in your business blueprint for a mentor, a coach, or a niche consultant

( a good friend is ideal for the latter: Cherish Your World/Feng Shui Consultant ),  … now would be a great time!

 

A Producer’s Model

Defined here , with its synonyms including ‘builder’ & ‘creator’; which leads me to ask a few questions:

 

Don’t we all want to be known, in our branding, sales, & marketing, as these things?

Why would we knowingly choose its opposite?

 

Which characteristics might ID this type of business pro?

 

He/She/They …

 

  • Understand Y.D.I.L ***  when it comes to their finances/money ‘mind’.
  • Participate in social capital creating/expanding actions: Connecting others, serving in their communities, & building ‘roots & wings’ in their households.
  • Have eschewed a paycheck from a 3rd party & are sustaining on dollars earned through serving & solving.
  • Understand the value of time > money.  ( read previous post )

& …

  • Oft use words like legacy, leadership, leverage, significance, & value in everyday conversation.

 

Suggested Profiles

 

Brent Wehmeyer

 

Eric Kim

 

Producers Manifesto Poster

 

*** More on Y.D.I.L.

Y = You, Inc. [ ‘investing’ in your mind – trillion $+ ‘real estate’ ]

 

D = {consumer} debt [ pay off, or better yet, bypass proactively ]

 

I = Investments [ mainstream financial vehicles ]

 

L = Lifestyle [ far better to live below or right at par/your means ]

 

By committing to this informal, yet powerful acronym, my entire financial picture & level of consciousness, were shifted, bit by bit.

= I became a producer!

 

You can, too.

Starting, and perhaps expanding,  your business mustn’t originate from the scraps on your monetary table: It should be the main course, growing in parallel with your self-leadership as the “CEO” of You, Inc.

 

Value squared

Many thought leaders have previously opined on similar topic/s; I’m always pleased to cross reference their content & encourage readers in this community to learn more about them.

 

Their specialized knowledge, paired with mine, should generate lots of value for you, the reader.

 

The Producers Manifesto

Consumer v. Producer

Start Every Day as a Producer …

* Infographic – What is the ‘mass media’?

** https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/types-of-stressors-eustress-vs-distress/

 

In short …

 

  • Know the clear differences b/w a consumer(ist) & a producer
  • Click to Tweet the Emerson quote: there’s a very elevated level of consciousness within it.
  • Invest time to click on the links provided to follow the bread crumb trail of wisdom
  • Connect with the suggested social media accounts & thank them for being producers 🙂
  • Paint yourself with a producer’s Picassian flair!  #BeAnExample
  • Y.D.I.L. is very insightful, yet very contrarian.

 

Thank YOU for reading!