Author: Carol Williams

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Productivity Time strategies vacation Wellness

Be strategic this summer, but not in the way you might be thinking

Summer. Beach and a book. Or is it?

I live in the Northeast. It’s “bad sledding” time right about now (you think I am kidding? Seriously, we had snow a lot in April….)

This article focuses on Strategic Summer. What’s that? Well, here’s what I find. When we are working and it’s 80 degrees and gorgeous out, we want to be outside. We are dreaming about vacations.  We are NOT being productive.  Counter this with being on vacation, phone and laptop in tow. Are we really on vacation? Ummm, nope. We are being in ambivalence. We have one leg on either side of the fence. And you know what? If you fall down, that HURTS! Ouch!

So, the message is: (1) be present and (2) slow down to speed up. How?

When you do not use your vacation time (or as an entrepreneur, your “time off” includes only sick time, running around your family time, continuing education time, etc. and not “what lights you up” time), you are not allowing your mind to recharge.  How does a worn down battery operate? Our minds are not that different. We are NOT machines.

I have a challenge for you.

After you find your week of vacation, add 2 long weekends.  Make them a stretch; something you said you would do “someday.”

Ready?

Go! And get ready to watch your productivity climb like crazy!

Rest well and be productive.

Carol

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Get Organized More time in my day procrastination Time strategies

It’s a kind of magic – How to free yourself from the time trap and make time expand

Oh, if only we had a Time Magic Wand. Wouldn’t it be nice to call our personal Fairy Godmother (or father) every time we can’t accomplish something on time?

In my previous post, I wrote about the chronic lack of time we all seem to complain about. I invited you to shift the perspective from time in terms of quantity – HOW MUCH more time we need – to time in terms of quality – what we can actually DO in the time we already HAVE.

In this fast-pacing world, we can easily become overwhelmed with “to-do” lists of tasks that drain out the best of us. This constant feeling of being overwhelmed, of not being capable to cope with many tasks or situations at one time, leads to chronic stress and fatigue. We feel like we cannot take a break, cannot go outside at lunch, etc. The truth is that these practices will actually increase your productivity.

So, let’s take back control of our work-life. Not with magic (or not Fairy Godmother kind of magic at least) but with some sound techniques that, when applied in the right way, can certainly give us the feeling that our time has actually expanded. (Note, our time will not have expanded. Our brains will relax into doing Our Great Work.)

1. Value your time- treat it as currency
Ask yourself this. Would you give out money to everyone who asks, just because they asked for it?
In order to start giving our time the value it deserves, we must take a step back and look at the existing state of our day. What’s happening now? Awareness is key. Acceptance is next. If we have a daily routine, great. The next step is to identify the activities that are of highest value toward our stated goal. When we allow others to dictate our schedule, we feel out of control, responsive, and exhausted. A related concept is fulfilment. The more you can find fulfilment in what you do, the more you can contribute to the world by being who you are and living with purpose. I once participated as a speaker in a retreat and we created Fulfilment Jars. Each person added rocks to his or her jar when he or she created more fulfilment in his/her work life. It was empowering.

2. Use your time wisely
What is the key to making the most of your time? Have a clear set of priorities and work towards reaching your goals. It’s a good idea to break down your top priorities in a written set of smaller goals. This is an example:
Priority – spend more quality time with my family

  • Goals:
    – Finish work every day at 5.30pm
    – Spend 1 night out with all the family every week
    – Etc.

Constantly review your goals, then make them a part of a good written plan. With your plan in hand, try to separate the majors from the minors, the really important things from the things that you just have to do. And prioritize. A little thought will save you a lot of time. A little accountability and a series of micro steps toward the goal will work wonders, too.

3. Stop making excuses
Just stop it! This step had me thinking about a really funny video

Some people are just late. They are always trying to squeeze in one more thing. They like to play beat the clock. They don’t want to get stuck waiting for a start time. And, heck, they are busy and important, right? Well ….

What’s true is that being late erodes confidence and trust. So, if this sounds familiar, try flipping the mindset to “I can read 10 minutes of that e-book if I am 10 minutes early.” (hint: these are strategic priorities!)

An excuse should be a warning sign that our priorities are not in alignment with our values. Tell that to Doctor Bob in the video.

4. Focus on the present
Be present. That’s Deepak Chopra, right? And that’s awesome. Another gift of the present is the incremental steps of the present moment as a way to the strategic vision of the future. Bit. By. Bit.

5. Don’t procrastinate
Procrastination kills creativity, it kills motivation, and it will do nothing but wear you out. See another article of mine for more info. When you procrastinate about something, you avoid doing it because you find it unpleasant. But, WHY do you find it unpleasant? What are your expectations and how can you change them to re-motivate yourself? A good way to re-motivate yourself is asking why something is important (relate it to your larger mission). Visualize yourself in your success. Cool, you are doing this for a reason! Remember – you are in control!

One of the keys to effective time management is just staying in charge. It’s important in running a business, and a life. If you don’t stay on top of things, the business will run you before long. You have to stop every once in a while, and say,

“Wait! Who’s in charge here?”

YOU ARE!!! Success is the constant process of working toward your goals, little achievement by little achievement. Little achievements can produce big results, and anything is possible in those 24 hours we’re given each day.

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Get Organized More time in my day Time strategies

The Time Trap – why are we all captured in the idea of not having enough time?

“Tick, tock, tick tock, merrily sings the clock” … says an old nursery rhyme about time.

Time – oh, such a popular topic of conversation. We are all so much concerned about time, or the lack of it… Together with money, time seems to be what we all complain to never have enough of. Do any of these sound familiar?

“There is never enough time in my day.”
“At the end of my day there are more to-do’s on my list than I started with”
“I wish I had time to exercise”
“I want to work on the strategic stuff but I’m bogged down with emergencies”

“My assistant says “that’s the nature of our work, we can’t plan”

We seem to think that if we had just a little more time… a few more minutes, a few more hours in a day or a couple of extra days… than yes, our life would be perfect. That we could get everything marked off our to-do list, our house would be clean, the kids would be happier, our partner would feel loved and all problems would instantly disappear from the face of the world. At work, we’d get that promotion and walk around all calm, cool, and collected.

Are we REALLY sure about that?? What if we are looking at our chronic lack of time from the wrong perspective?

Why don’t we stop for a minute and start focusing not on how MUCH time we have but on how we spend the time that we DO have! What if the trick is actually do the opposite of what our hectic lifestyle seems to imply?

Tip One: Stop running around trying to do a million things. Instead, slow down and use some of the time we have to understand what is really important.

Implementation technique one: Start with a good night sleep. Sleep makes you feel better, but its importance goes way beyond just boosting your mood or banishing under-eye circles. Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Stress and sleep have a two-way relationship. High stress levels can make sleeping more difficult. They can even lead to sleep disorders. At the same time, getting a good night’s sleep can help reduce the effects of stress. So, go ahead and give yourself the pleasure of a good snooze.

Implementation technique two: Learn to say “No”. If someone asks you for a favor or to take up a commitment, you may feel obligated to say “Yes.” Remember, just because you can do something it does not mean you must do it. Give yourself permission to say “no”. Make yourself and your mental health a priority and work on avoiding guilt after saying “No.” (Hint: When you know your priorities, it’s easy to say YES to those and NO to everything else.)

Tip Two: Know your Why. Take a good look at your life. What are the things that make you happy? What are your biggest time-wasters? Make a list of your priorities and take practical actions to make sure you have time to dedicate to them. We will go into more detail in the next blog.

The bad news is time flies – the good news is you are the pilot.

Categories
Time strategies Wellness

How to achieve great results using your inner power

Change is scary. It is. No one likes to stand on the edge, assessing the major drop-off between where we are right now and what direction we are supposed to go next. However, change is good – and it is happening anyway, whether you like it or not.

Now that you’ve worked on growing your inner strength, it’s time to embrace change and use it to get outer results.

What is the one thing in your life that will make you give up everything else? No vague statements like ‘I want to do something meaningful’ or ‘I want to make a difference’. Drill down until you clarify what life (or professional) goals are really important for you – where do you want to be in 5 years’ time? Are these any loose ends you want to cut? Is there anything you’ve always dreamed of doing but never had the courage to really try?

If you don’t know where to start, maybe you can try to implement these six core actions.

  1. Define your path to get results

Make a specific, measurable, realistic, and time-bound list of everything you want to achieve, either in your personal or professional life. Keep it short, ideally 5-6 things that are the most important for you. Set small goals each day in order to achieve them. If you break things down and work towards them little by little you will not allow yourself to think “it’s too much, I can’t do it”.

  1. Protect your boundaries

Once you know what you want, you have to be strong enough to protect your boundaries, respect your priorities, and make sure you understand what compromises you may need to accept to succeed and grow.

  1. Commit yourself 110%

Commit yourself to achieve the results you want without doubt or reservation. This doesn’t mean that you should continue on your course blindly, crashing into the rocks without modifying your course.  Work hard and give everything you have, but at the same time remain flexible and avoid overly attaching to one particular vision or outcome. Don’t hide your head in the sand. Instead, work to fill the gaps in your knowledge and ability.

  1. Master powerful communication

You know the “why” behind what you are doing, so now create a captivating story. Speak about your visions and accomplishments in an engaging way that excites people to help and work alongside you without putting them off.

  1. Nurture empowered relationships

No person is an island. You can’t achieve your goals alone, so invest time and energy in building two-way beneficial relationships, solid bonds and energizing partnerships that will last over time. If you build your relationships on trust, honesty and integrity, it is more likely that you will develop an empowering, engaged community that paves the way for success.

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Wellness

Yes, we can! 5 ways to grow our inner strength.

Many people concentrate most of their time on their outer growth. They work hard to be recognized for their achievements. They progress in their career and reach a status thinking that they will finally feel fulfilled and achieve a sense of accomplishment. Sometimes they call this happiness.

The problem is that life is full of issues – stress, losses, vulnerabilities, pain. Some are out there in the world, such as financial concerns, relationship problems, losing a job. Others are physical like injuries or illnesses. And some others reside in our minds – anxiety, depression, low self-esteem. To complicate things, sometimes it happens than more than one issue comes at the same time (oh, joy!). One time, I talked to a man who needed a little help decluttering his overwhelmed mind. I suggested that he prioritize his life in terms of what he valued. For example, in my life, my top 3 values are: 1. My health 2. My kids 3. My work. He said that everything was all jumbled in his mind. If this is true for you….please talk with me…you might be right on the verge of a breakdown!

What you really need to take back control of your life is a strong inner core. The journey is made by ups and downs. In life, as in business, challenges can become obstacles and opportunities can turn into triumphs. Guess who’s the only constant? YOU. To effectively deal with issues, we need resources. Easy, right? So, your next question is – where do I find these resources? Guess again… Inside of YOU of course!

That’s your inner strength, all the good stuff you have in yourself.

  • Capabilities such as mindfulness, emotional intelligence or resilience;
  • Positive emotions like gratitude, love, self-compassion;
  • Attitudes like openness, confidence or determination;
  • Virtues like, generosity, courage, wisdom.

Let’s do some housekeeping now. Go and find these great qualities you have buried inside yourself, dust them off and let them shine. Here are a few steps you can follow to nurture your inner growth.

  1. Know who you are

Your personality is the foundation of your power, while insecurity can kill your inner strength. Invest some time in understanding who you are, what makes you happy, what is really important for you. Remember, the path to success (or happiness) really depends on the variables we use to describe what ‘success’ (or ‘happiness’) is for us.

  1. Identify your strengths

All of us are born with unique capabilities and skills, and the way to build one’s strength is to focus on these specific skills and work to enhance them further. Give yourself time to recognise the tools you have to direct the life you want to lead.

  1. Take control of your body

Use your body to strengthen your soul. Physical and mental strength work in synergy and feed each other. Follow a balanced diet, sleep 7 hours a night, exercise, dress to make you feel good. If you feel good when you look in the mirror, you will start your day with confidence.

  1. Create a positive circle

Make an effort to be surrounded by positive people, who make you feel good, energized and motivated. Spend time with others who are strong inside, celebrate you and feed positive energy into your life. Limit any time around negative people or energy.

  1. Ask yourself “why”

Whatever you do, do it purposefully. Cultivate the things that make you feel accomplished and fulfilled. Make an effort to do something meaningful so that you feel you make a difference in what you do. When you decide, commit and then act. Being strong requires an efficient use of energies.

Inner growth comes from the knowledge that you have the equipment and tools to handle life’s challenges. Building inner strength is a lifelong task. If done right, not only will it pay off when difficulty arises, it will become a habit, and eventually a part of your identity. Yes, you can!

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Uncategorized

So Tell Me What You Want

“Tell me what you want, what you really, really want”

OK; we all know that song. Right? The Spice Girls sing it!

(ready to dance? Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw-QRyQcFH8)

How many times have you been asked your opinion and you answer, “I don’t know”? How does this feel? I’ll bet you may feel a bit lost when answering this way. It feels unsteady; uncertain. Most of us do not like living in the land of ambivalence.

In contrast, when we know what we want, and are able to articulate it, we feel more strong and powerful. It feels satisfying. Even if we are not GETTING what we want in the moment, it feels good to at least know what we want. Because to some degree, simply knowing puts on the path to achieving that desire.

In the last article, we went through 5 steps to getting what you want. This time, I would like to take you through an exercise that Michael Losier uses in his book, Law of Attraction. This was really helpful to me when I was first becoming an entrepreneur in 2009. It’s called “Clarity through Contrast.” When you are really clear about what you do NOT want, this is a very helpful exercise.

Step One

  1. Get out a sheet of paper and draw a vertical line down the center.
  2. List the things you don’t like on the left side of the paper (this should be easy!)
  3. List the things you would like instead (contrasting, line by line, from the left side) onto the right-hand side of the paper.
  4. Create a statement like “I am moving towards/working on/becoming” so the desire does not feel like a falsehood, even though it has not yet manifested, and it is placed in a positive light.

Please note: This exercise is taken from the book: Law of Attraction The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t ISBN 0-9732240-0-2 book available on-line at www.LawofAttractionBook.com Copyright 2003 Michael J Losier

Step Two

Allow it – really make it believable by pointing out to yourself how many people already have it. Remember, you get what you expect.

Step Three

Notice it happening.  Celebrate and be grateful for all the goodness in your life each day.  Notice.  Do this daily.

And…

That’s it! Yes, it is simple. Yet, it is very powerful. Start today and do this each day for 10 days. Then, see what results you find!

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