2 Ways To Stop The "So What Do You Do?" Question

Why is "SO WHAT DO YOU DO?" the go-to question when meeting someone new?

Probably because…

70% of us see WORK as our purpose!

We've likely learned this idea from: 

• Older generations passing it down

• College focusing solely on you getting a job

The challenge with WORK being our sole purpose:

• Puts pressure on work to be perfect

• Happiness is coming from 1 thing

• Becomes our identity (that we can sometimes lose)

INSTEAD, what if we…

1) Started seeing ourselves as more than work:

Family, hobbies, entrepreneur, cook, reliable friend

2) Asked different questions to give others the opportunity to be more than their work:

"Do anything fun this weekend?"

"Have anything exciting coming up?"

You're so much more than your work.

So why not start living like you're?

29 Powerful Questions That Helped Me Grow Personally & Professionally

I turn 29 this week - and I thought I would have all the answers by now.

Surprise, surprise I don't - but I have learned to stop & ask myself powerful questions!

Here are 29 questions that helped me grow this year (organized by category):

 —

Personal Health & Values

1) What do I do just for fun?

2) What do I believe? Where did I learn that belief?

3) How many days a week do I need to workout to feel healthy?

4) What do I want my relationship with social media to look like?

5) What would make me happy?

 —

Relationships

6) Who are the most important people in my life and how can I make time for them?

7) Do I put my perfectionism onto other people? Is that fair?

8) What is my ideal day with my partner?

9) Do I give other people the same recognition & appreciation I expect to receive?

10) How could I meet more people?

11) How can I listen & learn more about people?

 —

Corporate Career

12) How do I want my professional connections to describe me?

13) How can I improve this process (not settle for the status quo)?

14) What actions do I need to take to make it easy for someone to give me a raise?

15) What is my ideal work situation & how can I make that happen?

16) How can I be a leader as an individual contributor?

 —

Entrepreneurship

17) Who do I need to connect with to grow my business?
18) What are my quantifiable goals and why that number?

19) How can I build my business around my life? (and not my life around my business)

20) Who do I want to help and what is my mission?

21) How can I dream a little bigger?

22) What progress have I made already that can motivate me to keep going?

23) Am I spending more time planning or taking action?

24) What data points did I gather (instead of declaring something a failure)?

— 

Finances

25) What is my net worth and how can I grow it?

26) How much money will make me happy?

27) What am I saving for?

28) What am I proud to spend money on?

29) What could multiple streams of income look like?

—

The Key -

Using morning journal session to reflect on these questions - absolute game changer for my growth!

Find 90 Mins A Day To Pursue Interests By Changing How You Use Your Phone

I get asked all the time how I have time for anything other than work.

Things like:

• A side business

• Dog training

• Pickleball with friends

• Workout classes

Disclaimer: it doesn’t have much to do with being single with no kids — and everything to do with what we all have!

A phone!

Here's how I found 90 extra minutes a day to pursue my interests by changing the way I use my phone:

—

1) Making my desk a "no phone zone."

This means when I'm at my desk working, I don't use my phone. It's face down or on do not disturb.

This allows me to:

• Be present at work

• Get work done faster

• Leaving me working less hours

• Having time for other things

Getting up from my desk to use my phone can make a great, intentional break too!

Saves: ~30 minutes

--

2) Having little to no notifications on my home screen.

99% of notifications that pop up on our home screen don't need our attention THIS MINUTE!

This:

• Distracts us

• Slows us down

• Keeps us from doing other things we want to do

We can adjust our phone settings so the only things we need to be notified of NOW show up (like texts from loved ones). 

3 phone settings to not overlook:

—Remove email notifications from popping up on home screen

That way you get to choose when you look at emails instead of someone else choosing for you

—Mute group chats

These can blow up your phone! Mute it & choose when you want to check it instead of 10 other people choosing for you 

—Limit social media notifications

Sorry not sorry but you do not need to know when Eggnog the Bulldog posted a new video! Even consider if you need your DM notifications on.

My apple watch friends - think about how you can apply this to your watch too!

If you're worried about staying in the loop -

I like having an intentional time to check these notifications like lunch or evenings.

Saves: ~30 minutes

-- 

3) Delaying phone usage in the morning

I like to challenge myself to do my morning routine before picking up my phone.

The time I would spend scrolling in bed first thing in the morning is replaced with:

• Hobbies

• Interests

• Self-care

The morning is the most underrated time to get these things in; don’t pass it up!

Bonus!

Delaying your phone usage allows YOU to choose what you want to think about first thing in the morning & set the tone for your day!

Saves: ~30 minutes

--

That's 90 minutes a day you've found to pursue interests without even thinking! 

The key:

YOU can take control of your time & attention, instead of someone else taking it from you!

You will be amazed the time you get back & the things you can do!

3 Ways To Still Take Action On Your Goals When Your Family, Friends, Partner Don't Get It

If you want to do more than work, scroll social, watch tv, and drink, you're not alone.

When I was 23 and started my first job, I wanted to…

• Start a podcast

• Maybe start a business

• Have a morning routine

— and I got very mixed responses from the people in my life!

Some people encouraged & enabled me

(shout out to my 1st roommate for letting me turn off our loud air conditioning for a hour so I could record a podcast in the closet)

Some people didn't understand my mindset at all

(I encouraged an ex-partner to get into more things, and the response I got was "I don't do projects like you do." Ok got it.)

So do the people in our life need to be on board with us doing more?

Yes and no.

If you want to be more, start doing more.

Set the example for the life you want to live.

Some people will:

• Encourage you

• Make it easier for you to do it

• Want to do it with you

Invite them, hold onto them, have gratitude for them!

Others will:

• Not understand or encourage

• Not make it easier to do it

• Not want to join you in it

3 ways to still take action when people don't get it:

1) Don't force anyone to do or think anything; set the example

Ex: you want to go on a run in the morning with your partner

Invite them along, but forcing them may not be the move.

You can still go if they don't want to & set the example for the life you want to live 

2) Still communicate what you want to do

Ex: you have a friend or parent who doesn't understand that you want to start a business

Tell those you trust what you're working on, little by little (yes, it can be scary!)

That's the only way you'll give them the opportunity to support, enable you, or connect you to someone who has a similar mindset to you

3) Sync your schedule to their tendencies so you can keep living the life you want

Example: my Maisy pup

She has so much energy in the morning, but I want to work on my business. So I cater to her first and get her energy out, and then work on my business.

—

Don’t let other people stop you from doing what you want to do.

Set the example, communicate, sync your schedule.

The more you take action, the more likely you're to find your people.

Happy, Successful 9-5ers are Doing This 1 Thing Differently

If work hasn't been your favorite thing lately, read this.

Over the past 2 years, I've had a few friends take sabbaticals (voluntarily taking 6 or more months off work). 

I was shocked to hear how they were feeling after 6 months off of work:

• Bored

• Lonely

• Lazy

• Lack of purpose

It exposed the often overlooked perks of having a 9-5:

• Feeling wanted or needed

• Not feeling alone or isolated

• A little structure can get us moving

• Having purpose

Something to have gratitude for!

But is work the only thing that can give us these feelings?

Over the past 5+ years -

Some of the happiest, most successful 9-5ers I've interacted with live as if work is a valuable source of purpose, but it isn't their only source.

They also get purpose from -

Family, friends, hobbies, health, volunteering, etc.

It is this balancing act of deriving purpose from work, but not too much that it starts determining your happiness in life.

A good reminder to ask ourselves -

• Where is your purpose coming from?

• Is it coming from multiple areas of your life?

2 Ways To View Weekends If You Want To Have A Life Outside Of Work

If you want to have a life outside of work, weekends are not time "off work."

There are 2 ways 9-5ers usually look at weekends…

1) Time off work

2) Time to live your life

The first makes work the cornerstone in your life.

The second makes work just 1 thing in your life.

You get to choose how you look at the weekends.

--

If you're like me, I notice myself taking the "time off work" mindset when work is overly busy.

2 ways I get myself back into the "time to live your life" mindset:

1) Use my morning journal session to think about the MANY pie pieces that make up your life (there are more than you may think)

Examples: work, family, friends, relationship, health, hobbies, home, organizations you’re in, etc.

2) Schedule time to act on them: before work, after work, weekends.

Pro tip: the morning can be a sneaky way to get health & hobbies in so you can have time for socializing evenings and weekends

Work is always scheduled, so make sure the other things are too.

—

It’s up to you to decide if work if going to be 1 piece vs. the whole pie.

But always here to remind you that you're so much more than your work!

3 Confidence Boosters For Implementing Work/Life Balance

For the past 5+ years, I thought people needed the TOOLS for work/life balance (and they still may).

But they really need the PERMISSION and CONFIDENCE to implement work/life balance.

— 

3 reasons I find this true:

1) We were taught in college the most important thing was to GET THE JOB.

So when we have interests outside of work, how and when do we pursue those?

2) We want to be good employees SO BAD.

So we allow our boundaries to be pushed, but how far is too far?

3) We live in the new, BLURRY age of flexible work.

Companies have documented guidelines for flexible work, but they also have "unspoken guidelines" -- so which "unspoken guidelines" are ok to implement to help your work/life balance?

— 

3 permissions for my fellow rule-following, people pleasing, perfectionists:

1) Build the ideal work/life you want to live.

Where/when/how you do work and life is in your control more than you think.

2) Trust your own discretion.

You know when you're pushing the limits vs. can use the "unspoken guidelines" to achieve work/life balance.

3) You're more than your work.

When you go to bed at night and wake up in the morning, you know who you're…and it is so much more than your job title.

3 Work/Life Balance Basics For When Your Work Responsibilities Increase

Work/life balance gets harder as your responsibilities increase.

Whether you get a promotion or you've gotten more work added to your plate, you probably go through 3 phases:

Phase 1: You find out you're getting new or more responsibilities

"ok this is going to be a lot, but I got this"

Phase 2: You start doing new/more responsibilities

"omg this is hard and it feels like all I'm doing is working"

Phase 3: You're doing new/more responsibilities for a few weeks

"ok I'm getting better at this, but I need to get back to some work/life balance"

But how do we not get stuck only working, and delay getting back to work/life balance?

Go back to 3 work/life balance basics: 

1) Bring back the boundaries

• Start working specific hours again - like 8am-5pm

• Shut off work notifications outside those hours

• ACTUALLY take lunch (and not at your desk)

2) Have something going on besides work

• Make a point to play pickleball, do yoga, plan things with friends

• This keeps your sanity in & outside of work (those closest to you will thank you too!)

3) Use the morning to set the priorities before the day starts

• Ask: what needs to be done today/this week for me or the team to succeed?

• This may be the only calm time you get in the day, so don't pass it up!

Reminder - you're still a good and reliable employee by doing the life part of work/life balance!

2 Sneaky Ways To Take The Control Back From Your Phone

HOT TAKE:

When you wake up and check your phone first thing, you've decided that SOMEONE ELSE is choosing how your day starts.

This happens most often with:

• THE EMAIL: that makes that puts you into work mode before you've even gotten out of bed

• THE TEXT: from a friend asking for a favor

• THE SOCIAL MEDIA PICTURE: that makes you compare your life to others who look "better"

Instead:

YOU decide how your starts and make 2 small changes to how you use your phone in the morning!

--

1) Delay when you look at your phone in the morning

The morning is likely the only time & space to have an original thought and find a moment of calm in the day.

Don't let your phone ruin that moment!

Pro tips to delay using your phone:

• Make your bed a "no phone zone," meaning you have to get up to use it

• Put your phone on do not disturb so you don't see the notifications

• Challenge yourself to do 1-3 self care activities before looking at your phone

That way YOU get to decide how the day starts.

--

2) Pick a time you'll check your phone and stick to it

If you pick a time and are consistent with it, other people will….

• Start to learn how you operate

• Know what to expect from you

• (Hopefully) respect your boundaries

Example:

For the past 4+ years I've delayed checking my phone until after my morning routine is over.

The results:

• My mom waits to call me until after 8am

• Work knows I'll respond to inquiries at 9am

BUT If you're in situation where you need to check your phone first thing:

Some people will take a quick look just to make sure nothing is an emergency, meaning this thing has to be done NOW and by ME.

(but you'll notice very little things are an actual emergency)

--

An important note for my perfectionists:

Delaying using your phone still makes you a good and reliable employee, daughter, friend, etc.

You're just taking control of your life and deciding how your day starts.

6 Harsh Truths for Achieving Work/Life Balance and Career Growth

It's been 6 years since I entered the battle.

The battle I'm talking about (that you're probably in too):

Navigating career growth WHILE striving to maintain a strong sense of work/life balance.

In the past 6 years, there are 6 harsh truths I had to accept to propel my professional growth without sacrificing my personal life

1) People notice consistency. Be consistent at the right things.

DO

• What you say you're going to do

• Stick to the boundaries you've set so people don't expect your attention during non-working hours

DON'T

• Be the person who doesn't communicate

• Continually rush in late

Start to Ask Yourself: What do I do consistently?

People notice, and relationships are going to be the wind in your sails for your career. 

2) Relationships are EVERYTHING.

• Chat with people before or after the meeting

• Have coffee or lunch with someone you want to connect more with

• Make an effort to go to the office if you're hybrid

Building relationships and trust can push your career forward almost more than the day to day tasks you're doing.

However - no one is coming to save you.

3) No one is coming to save you.

Even if you've built strong relationships, you still have to directly ask for:

• The raise

• Someone to advocate for you

• Extra support or training

Don't assume someone is going to make it happen for you.

Taking initiative and going above & beyond is essential to growth.

4) Just doing your job is not going to be enough (if you want to grow).

In order to excel, you have to find time for:

• Digging into root causes, instead of slapping band aids on a problem

• Leading projects that aren't in the original job description

The time may not seem there, but what are the little things you can do that make a BIG difference?

And despite what you've been told, it's possible to do this without burning out.

5) Your ideal job situation exists.

We've been told that working 60 hour weeks, going to the office every day, and feeling burnt out is normal.

If you don't want to do this to be YOUR normal, your ideal work situation DOES exist!

Starts with getting really specific about what that looks like:

• when do you work

• where do you work

• how much flexibility do you have

Then integrate parts of it into your current situation.

If this doesn't seem possible, don't stop dreaming about it.

You're in control of this more than you think.

6) Wakeup for you, not for work.

Whether you're in your ideal job situation or not, consider WHO you're waking up for.

• Who is choosing what time you wake up?

• Who is choosing what you do when you wake up?

Even if you have to be at work early, you can:

• Set your alarm for the time YOU want to get up so you can…

• Do something for YOU before the work day starts.

This is the difference between work controlling your life vs. you controlling your life.

This mindset shift helps you:

• prioritize you

• takes pressure off of work

• makes you a more effective employee because you've fueled you

--

To recap,

1. People notice consistency. Be consistent at the right things.

2. Relationships are EVERYTHING

3. No one is coming to save you.

4. Just doing your job is not going to be enough (if you want to grow).

5. Your ideal job situation exists.

6. Wakeup for you, not for work.

If I had a billboard to sum up the first 6 years of my career, it would say:  

You're more than your work.

--

What would your billboard say?

Build A Life You Want To Come Back To After Vacation

After 10 days wandering Central Europe's charming streets, I was grateful to return home.

While I thoroughly enjoyed a once in a lifetime exploration of Prague, Vienna, and Budapest with my family, I didn't want to succumb to the common "dread" of returning to our lives post-vacation.

Makes me consider:

How do we build a life we want to come back to after vacation?

Here are 2 things that made it easier to return home:

--

1) Work

I feel needed at work, but not so needed that I can't take vacation.

Building a work situation where you have the appropriate amount of:

• Purpose

• Flexibility

• Support

This is in your control more than you think.

--

2) My Personal Schedule

Building a schedule/routine I'm excited to get back to.

This looks like:

• Having things on the calendar I'm excited about (not just obligations)

• Creating buffers in my schedule to enjoy the simple things (walking my dog, sitting on the deck)

• Waking up to do something for me first (instead of just jumping into work)

--

1 last thing

I deleted social media during the 10 days and was surprised how I wasn't in a rush to redownload.

I didn't really need to know the random person from high school is having a beer on a patio, or compare my travel pictures to an Instagram influencer.

This trip made me reconsider how I use social media going forward & how it impacts the life I'm going back to.

Turn Your Vacation Morning Into Your Everyday Morning

The morning routine you wish to do on vacation is the morning routine you can do every day.

(maybe minus the beach if that's included)

I thought about this as I'm headed on 10 day family trip.

What is my ideal morning on vacation?

For me, it's getting up to

• Journal

• Have coffee while looking at a view

• Maybe do some writing or a walk

4+ years ago, I asked myself why I was waiting till vacation to do these things.

Why couldn't this be my everyday morning routine? Or at least parts of it be?

--

1600+ mornings later, my ideal vacation morning routine is my everyday routine.

Yea maybe my view isn't the beach, mountains, or Eiffel Tower, but it's looking out the window to the trees with a pup right beside me.

And it's a pretty great way to start the day if I do say so myself!

I challenge you to consider:

"how can I start living my ideal vacation morning right now?"

You may be surprised how creative you can get.

3 Questions To Feel Confident In Doing The Life Part of Work/Life Balance

Some of the best employees are scared to do the "life" part of work/life balance.

In the past week, I've been asked…

By an intern:

Do you check emails before you go to bed?

By a VP:

Do you answer a call from an executive while on PTO?

My typical answer: "it depends what's going on."

3 questions to help get clear on what "it depends" means:

1. Is there a specific problem you need to address?

2. Is this something only you can address?

3. Does addressing work right now mean you won't miss any quality time with people, sleep, etc.?

If the answers are yes:

then yes open the email, take the call!

If the answers are no:

the email or call can likely wait!

This intentionality can be a way to reduce anxiety, stress, and burnout that so many people experience.

Most notably - it's important to remember that you're a good employee and experiencing life doesn't make you less than one!

3 Ways To Embrace Your PTO

Vacation & PTO season is upon us (woo!)

How do we actually take time off from work, be present, & feel good about going on vacation?

—

1) Turn off email & chat notifications on your phone

If you can, turn off your work email and notifications on your phone.

That way YOU get to decide if you want to look a work emails/chats, instead of someone else deciding for you.

I also know some people who use vacation as a social media detox, or limit social media to only when they're in their hotel room so they can be fully present for the experiences.

—

2) Continue your morning routine

Vacation usually involves different workout, eating, drinking, socializing, and sleep habits, leaving us feeling a little off.

If there was any time to do a morning routine, it really is on vacation!

Plan an "anchor activity" like meditation or journaling in the morning so you have 1-5 minutes to yourself.

This will recharge your social battery and keep you feeling like yourself.

—

3) Take an extra day off when coming back from vacation

I have not done this before, but want to try it if I have enough PTO!

I know some people who take an extra day off to catch up on work email, get personal things done (like groceries), & get organized after coming back from vacation.

May allow you enjoy the entirety of the vacation and calm those extreme Sunday Scaries when coming back.

-- 

Want to setup your morning routine before going on vacation? Or work on it when you get back?

Let’s book a time on the calendar to chat about it! I have a few free spots left this month :)

How To Create Your Landing Pads

I talk a lot about being "more than your career," but what does that actually look like? 

1 thing I usually bring up in this conversation is creating your Life Pie.

3-5 sections of your life (ex: work, family, health). Can be what it currently looks like or what you want it to look like.

But what you're actually creating when you have more pie pieces than just work are "Landing Pads."

Landing Pads are other places to get our happiness, support, worth, identity, and more.

My favorite Landing Pads have been

• Journaling

• Close friends

• Working out

• My business

These are no longer just hobbies, habits, or "things" on my calendar.

They're Landing Pads!

So if you're contemplating whether to…

• Start that podcast

• Pickup the journal

• Go to the event to meet new people

• (Insert anything you’ve been meaning to do, but haven’t)

…don't think of these just as hobbies, habits, or "things" to add to your calendar.

These are Landing Pads you're creating for yourself!

--

I'm on a mission to help new college grads create "Landing Pads" for themselves!

My Post Grad Guide To Being More Than Your Career is available now.

3 Ways A Morning Routine Impacts Your Career

Let's throw out all the traditional reasons to have a morning routine for just a second.

If you're a 9-5 worker, here are 3 reasons why a morning routine actually matters:

—

1) When you get the Sunday scaries about work on Monday…

You have your morning routine of journaling or working out planned so you can wakeup for YOU instead of work

—

2) When you have a rushed morning…

You have an Anchor Activity, something you do each morning to pause & checkin, to slow down and decide who you're and who you're going to be.

(A quick & easy Anchor is 5 deep breaths in the car before stepping into work)

—

3) The person you show up as at work determines if…

• People are going to trust you in a business aspect (more likely to trust a calm & collected person vs. a rushed & scattered person)

• Want to be around you in a people aspect (the calm person is more approachable than the frantic person)

So how do you build these into your morning routine?

1) When picking what to do in the morning, ask yourself,

• what is something easy you could do for 1-5 minutes to ground yourself (this is your ANCHOR)

• what do you crave

• what would you do in the morning if you were on vacation (yes you can do that now, minus the beach)

• what's something you want to do that you're too tired after work to do

2) To get rid of the rush

• Once you have something planned that is worth waking up for, you're more likely to get out of bed

• Attach your Anchor to something you already do, like brushing your teeth

• Time block your morning so you have checkin points of when you need to move onto getting dressed or making breakfast

3) Use your morning routine to push your career forward

• Journal or walk to get clarity & manifest where you want your career to go

• Do something besides work to take the stress & pressure off of working determining your worth & happiness (I call this "diversifying your happiness")

3 Essential Routine Shifts To Make If You Want To Pursue New Interests & Be More Than Your Work

If you're an ambitious 20-something, you may have reached the point where you want to do more than work, scroll social, and drink with friends.

How do you pursue other interests and expand your identity? 

(Especially when we're stuck in our ways and too tired from work to do anything else)

3 Essential Routine Shifts To Make If You Want To Pursue New Interests & Be More Than Your Work

1) Do something for yourself BEFORE work

There's something about waking up for yourself vs. for work.

Establish some kind of morning routine, like walking or reading, so you choose you before work.

2) Journal about things you're curious about

If you haven't journaled before because you don't know what to say, answer the question, "what am I curious about?"

Start listing those things out.

If you find yourself thinking about 1 more than others, that may be the thing to research more or start pursuing.

Pro tip: do this at the time of day you feel the most creative or expressive (ex: morning vs. night).

3) Change your default activity AFTER work

 If your default or go-to after work is sitting on the couch, maybe change your default to a walk or workout class.

 Decide the night before what you're going to do so you remove decision-making after work, making you more likely to do it.

 Also makes you consider what your other "defaults" are in life. It can be a good reflection point if you’re proud of the life you're living.

3 Ways To Create Work/Life Balance As A Remote Worker

—

I remember reaching my breaking point.

I once got so frustrated with work, I didn't want to even bring my phone into my bedroom.

Not charge your phone next to your bed what?

But I needed a break.

Because nowadays, work happens everywhere.

• The gym

• On a walk with the dog

• At dinner with grandma

• While laying in bed

When we give our attention to an email or chat message, we are bringing work into that space.

So if we want work to stay at work and be present for our personal lives, we need to think about WHERE work occurs.

3 ways to create work/life balance as a remote worker:

— 

1) Identify a Command Center

This is the designated spot where you work, and nowhere else.

This allows you to keep work in 1 spot so you can be present for work and then be present for your life in other spaces.

For most of us, our Command Center is our desks, but work often spills over to the couch or kitchen where our personal lives occur.

Identify a Command Center.

Or look at it in the opposite way, identify "no work zones" in your life.

—

2) Signify a starting and ending of work

This allows work to not occur at all hours of the day.

Signify the start by:

• Going to your command center

• Opening the laptop

• Changing clothes or putting shoes on

Signify the end by:

• Leaving your command center

• Putting the laptop in a drawer

• Changing into other clothes

—

3) Remove work notifications from your phone's home screen

Don't need to remove the apps from your phone, but turn off the notifications from your home screen.

That way you get to choose IF and WHEN you check email and bring work into that space.

You decide what has your attention vs. someone else deciding for you.

—

If you want or need to be accessible at all times, then yes work occurs everywhere.

But not being accessible at all times doesn't make you a bad employee.

It makes you an intentional one.

Just comes down to who you want to be.

A worker or a human who happens to work.

—

If you want support and accountability with keeping work at work, let’s chat!

I open up a few 15-min spots on my schedule each week to chat with people about their habits and work/life balance!

Feel free to grab completely free :)

3 Ways To Make Time For Reflection Before Work

In 2018, I thought my 30 minute commute to work every day was going to be the biggest waste of time. 

Looking back, those were some of the most valuable moments of my early 20s.

The biggest thing I discovered:

Time for reflection isn't important, it's ESSENTIAL

It's the a moment to say to myself "here's who I am and who I want to be" so the world doesn't end up deciding for me.

—

3 ways making time for reflection ended up impacting my life:

1) I decided I was going to start blogging vs. be the person who falls into scrolling social every day after work.

2) My go-to at a social event was going to be a mocktail vs. everyone else ordering cocktails so I could manage my anxiety better

3) I was going to have business AND a full time job vs. the following the entrepreneurship measure of success of "getting out of your job as fast as possible.”

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I'd like to say I intentionally found the time to reflect, but I kind of fell into it with these long drives.

If you haven't found reflection time, 3 ideas for you:

-The drive to work

-Journaling before work

-Taking a walk before you sit down to work from home

Those 30 minutes could be the difference between you vs. the world deciding who you're and who you're going to be.

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If you want help in making time for reflection, let’s chat about it!

I open up a few 15-min spots on my schedule each week to chat with people about their routines!

Feel free to grab completely free :)

12 Step Checklist To A Calm & Productive Schedule

I made a 12 step checklist to a calm & productive schedule that I keep coming back to.

For the past 4+ years, I’ve studied morning routines & time management diligently and the amount of information can be overwhelming.

So the Time Management Checklist was born:

1. Identify the person you want to be

   Who do you want to be? How do you want to show up. Present, calm, someone with boundaries, responsive, etc.

2. Do the Life Pie exercise

   Split your life into 3-5 pieces (ex: health, family, work). Get really clear on what these are. This not only determines where your time is spent, but where your happiness is coming from.

3. Time block

   Take your pie pieces and time block where they’re happening in your week. Example: family time happens after work, workout time is in the morning. If it doesn’t have a time block, it’s probably not happening.

4. Aligned with what you crave

   Is your schedule aligned with how your body/brain operates? If you brain works best in the morning, maybe that is the time to work on that dream business. If your body has the most energy in the morning, maybe that’s the time to workout. This limits the amount you’re FORCING yourself to do something.

5. Beginner mode

   Is your schedule set to beginner mode? Do you have habits or things on the schedule that feel manageable and sustainable, and won’t lead to burnout? For example: if you normally wake up at 7am, but tell yourself you’re going to start waking up at 5am to workout, you’re going BEAST MODE instead of BEGINNER mode. First try waking up 15 minutes earlier and then work your way up so that 5am becomes a lifestyle change, instead of a short term goal.

6. Wind down time & activities

   It takes longer than we think to get our brains to shut down for bed. Instead of having a bedtime, have a wind down time 1-2 hours before bed to get your brain to slow down. That could include not working, leisurely reading, or journaling. Anything that prepares you to be ready to sleep when bedtime comes around.

7. Sleep buffer

   The goal isn’t to rush in the morning, so why rush out of bed? Here’s your permission to give yourself a sleep buffer or 15 minutes to leisurely wake up. This is also a good benchmark if you’re someone who continually hits snooze.

8. Rest days

   This is scheduling unscheduled time. This is time to reset, relax, or maybe get caught up on something that didn’t get finished this week. Creating more flexibility and rejuvenation in your schedule.

9. Special spots

   This is designating a special spot for each thing you do. Where do you work? Where do you sleep? Say your Special Spot for work is your desk. That means your desk is where you go to focus on work, and maybe not scroll social. Likewise, that means work doesn’t occur in bed. The purpose of this is designating a place you can be fully present for what you’re doing, and your brain can easily switch into the mindset it needs to be in.

10. Phone settings aligned

    Are your phone settings aligned with the person you want to be? Are they aligned with your Special Spots? For example, if you want to be present, maybe you limit the notifications popping up on your home screen. Or maybe work emails only get checked at your desk, and not when you’re at the gym.

11. Routine options

    Give yourself options for routine so you’re more likely to do it. For example: you could have a go-to-the-office morning routine that is a little shorter, and a work-from-home morning routine that is a little longer. It doesn’t need to look exactly the same every day and you can give yourself options.

12. Anchor activity

    Have an Anchor Activity for yourself, or something you do for 2-5 minutes each morning no matter. This could be journaling or taking 5 deep breaths. The purpose is to show up and check-in with yourself. It doesn’t always have to be all or nothing when it comes to your morning routine.

Reminder - you don’t need to integrate all of these at once.

Pick 1 that resonates the most right now and start integrating into your schedule.

I have the full 1-pager checklist if you want to download & save for later!

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Need guidance on which 1 to get started with?

I open a few 15-min spots on my schedule each week to chat with people about their morning routine & schedule (for free)! Feel free to grab one before they’re gone :)