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!

Boost Your Professional Brand By Changing Your Morning Commute

If doing a morning routine before work seems like too much, level up your workday with a "transition" instead.

The transition from personal life to work life in the morning is often overlooked and underutilized.

Take your drive into work for example.

This may currently feel rushed, frantic, possibly a waste of time.

But you could look at this as your "transition" to the workday and use this time to:

• Mentally prepare for the day

• Pump yourself up

• A moment to breathe

That could tangibly look like:

• Identifying the 1 thing you want to get done today to make your priorities clear

• Putting on pump up music to set the energy & focus for the day

• Taking 5 intentional breaths to ground yourself

For my work-from-home friends…

Your "commute" or "transition" could be stepping outside for 2 minutes before you hop on your laptop to do these same things.

This could be the difference between you starting the workday…

Rushed & scattered brained 

Vs.

Calm & clear-minded

How does this impact your work?

• Who is more present in that first meeting?

• Who's decision-making do you trust more?

• Who do you want to be around?

Rushed & scattered brained person

OR 

Calm & clear-minded person

Even if a morning routine seems like too much, a morning "transition" could determine the professional brand you're building for yourself.

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.

3 Habits I Don't Recommend Adding To Your Morning - Without Considering This

I got asked if I speak to moms.

My answer:

Although I don’t usually cater my morning routine content to moms since I am not a mom and don’t pretend I know all the things moms go through (because moms are the heroes of the world!)…

Some of the information could still be applied to their life!

It's like with any information we consume….

Some can be applied to our situation and some can't.

Take morning routines for examples.

3 common habits people try to add to their morning without considering if it works for them:

1. Waking up at 5am

2. Working out first thing

3. Doing the same thing every single day

Why these don't work for everyone:

1) Waking up at 5am:

If right now you wake up at 7am every day, starting to wake up at 5am every day all of a sudden isn't going to be super sustainable.

Meet yourself where you're at and then work your way up!

But it really isn't about what time you wake up, but why you're waking up at the time you're. 

What and who are you waking for?  

Make sure you like the reason, and that will make 5am seem a lot easier.

2) Working out first thing

I encourage people to cater their daily schedule to what their body/mind naturally crave.

When does your brain feel the most stimulated?

When does your body want to move?

Sync your schedule with your body/mind if you can!

Then the things like working out won't feel as forced in your day. 

3) Doing the same thing every single day

There is a chance your schedule is not the same 5 days a week, and definitely not 7 days a week, so why do the same routine every day?

You're allowed to have versions of your morning routine!

For example, you could have a:

• WFH routine & go to the office routine

• Workout morning routine & a writing morning routine

Pro tip: if you're worried about staying consistent…

• Have an "anchor activity" like journaling that you do every day

• Then after journaling, maybe you do yoga when you WFH and nothing when you go to the office

It’s a way to have consistency without doing the same thing every day!

Because it's not about doing things perfectly every day, but are you showing up majority of days!

--

I've made the mistake of applying what other people were doing with their finances, career, dog, etc. to my life, and then beat myself up when it didn't work!

YOU know YOUR situation best!

Take what you think works and leave the rest for someone else.

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?

You're Probably Doing A Morning Routine & Don't Even Know It….

You're probably doing a morning routine and don't even know it….

• You get up

• Brush your teeth

• Get dressed for the day

• Etc.

The foundation is there, now what if you could take it to the next level?

Level 1:

Do your morning without rushing

(maybe try only hitting snooze once)

Level 2:

Add something you've been wanting to do, like 2 mins of journaling

(habit stack or place it after brushing your teeth to make it easier)

Level 3:

Make it a non-negotiable

(remind yourself that you're living your life on your terms, so you're going to start your day on your terms)

THE KEY: starting from where you're at & taking small steps forward

You've already built the foundation so now take it to the next level!

And always here to cheer you on!

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.

Is Your Perfectionism Ruining Your Morning Routine?

8 times out of 10, if a moment gets ruined, a perfectionist ruins it for themselves. 

Take a yoga teacher who happens to be a perfectionist.

They will likely…

• Come with a complete plan for the class

• Teach the class

• Receive praise after from students

BUT they will have criticized themselves for the whole 60 minutes about how they could be teaching better.

I know this because I've been that perfectionist yoga teacher (and I know I'm not the only one)!

For so long I thought yoga is about doing poses correctly, but it's actually about modifying poses and doing what feels good to your body and mind that day.

Probably a lesson we could apply to everything else…

~Stop ruining the moment with your perfectionism.~

--

When it comes to morning routines, 8 times out of 10, we ruin the morning for ourselves.

(the other 2 times coming from an external person or situation)

I hear things like:

• "Yea I hit snooze, so the morning just went downhill from there."

• "I could only do a 30 min workout instead of 45, so I didn't really do my full routine."

• Or the BIG one: "I didn't do my routine perfectly."

There is no perfect morning routine.

It's about adjusting, adapting, and doing 1 small thing to fuel you that day.

Don't let your perfectionism stop you from enjoying your morning (or doing your routine at all).

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.

Are Morning Routines A Privilege?

There's 1 subject about morning routines I've steered away from talking about, but is an important conversation.

Are morning routines a privilege?

I'm talking the morning routine where you wakeup at 5am or after to journal, workout, or have a moment to yourself before you start work.

Is there privilege in…

• Choosing what time you wakeup?

• Choosing what you want to do in the morning?

• A schedule, responsibilities, and a body that allows you to get enough sleep?

• Working typical 9-5 or flexible hours?

• Having financial or people support to watch over those you care for while you take time for yourself

My or your situation may make morning routines more accessible than someone else's situation.

This is important to recognize, find gratitude, and not take for granted.

It also makes me wonder how we can make morning routines more accessible for those who want a moment to themselves?

Does it come from…

• Companies having a flexible start time for work?

• Educating people on the morning routine options?

• Providing support to parents and caregivers so they can have a moment to themselves?

• Reminding people that they're worth getting out of bed for

For you -

Maybe this conversation gives you gratitude for your situation, a kick in the butt to not take it for granted, and grace for others' situation.

For me -

Amongst the many articles on morning routine tips and benefits, the conversation around accessibility is something I would like to explore more.

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 Decisions Successful Leaders Make About Their Morning Routine

Sometimes we forget there is a human behind successful leaders.

Behind the fancy accolades and job titles is someone…

• waking up

• turning off the alarm

• making the decision of what the first moments of the day are going to look like

I recently came across this Balancing The Grind article about morning routines of successful leaders.

(people like Sara Blakely, Whitney Wolfe Herd, Gary Vaynerchuk)

Here are the 3 decisions they make about their morning routine:

 —

1) Being aware

When asked what their morning routine entails, no one is saying "not sure."

They're aware of what they do in the morning and are pretty specific about it.

Makes you think this awareness translates into their success in the business world.

—

2) Being intentional

They have a reason for why they do the things they do.

Whether it's working out or "putting around," there is a reason they do it, and it’s usually because there isn't another time in the day they're going to get to do it.

—

3) Taking control

These leaders are starting their morning on their terms. 

They aren't saying "I have to do XYZ."

Instead, they say "I like to do XYZ."

It's the mindset of taking control of not only your morning, but your life.

—

1 MORE THING

When looking at people we admire, before we adopt the tactics they use, I like to consider if I value the same things as them.

More specifically how our time is spent.

With family, friends, working, exercising, etc.

What we do comes from what we value, and if we don't value the same things, we don't need to do the same things.

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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 :)