Tag: change your mind

How to Plan and Focus More of Your Time and Increase Productivity
“Once your mindset changes, everything on the outside will change along with it.” ― Steve Maraboli

Quora Question: What advice do you give to make the most of the hours of the day and be more productive?

As an entrepreneur, I think the number one thing to making the most of the hours of the day and to be more productive is developing your mindset and establishing your “why” behind what you are doing each day. Your “why” determines the “how” and the “what” behind all the activities you do each day.

Once you know your “why”, you can ask yourself questions that will help you determine what is going to get you your desired results like, “what is the priority for today?”.

Mindset determines everything first and foremost.

Once you understand your “why” here are some additional suggestions that can aid in your productivity, especially for those who work from home:
1. Use a weekly planner. Brain dump every task that you want to accomplish within your week along with your target date for completion. There is something about taking the ideas from out of your head and putting them down on paper.
2. Go for a daily walk or run. These types of activities help to gain mental clarity for the tasks of the day.
3. Reduce the number of distractions throughout the day. For example, my phone comes on automatic “Do Not Disturb” mode every day for a four-hour period. Distractions can be the biggest enemy in productivity.
4. Get up and move around throughout the day. If you are struggling on staying focused, getting up and moving helps to relax the brain. This is a great way to reset and spark new ideas.
5. Set office hours. This works great with suggestion #3 because it helps to put you into work mode mindset.
6. Find an accountability partner. Sometimes we work harder for others than we do for ourselves. Share you goals with them and then schedule “check-in” calls with each other.
7. Give yourself grace. There will be days when you are more productive than others. Sometimes a non-productive day is what helps to reset yourself.
Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/mindset

Thank you for taking time out to read this post. I would love to learn more about who you are and what you do. Feel free to connect with me through a Meetup group.
1. Confident Strides Women’s Empowerment Network https://bit.ly/CSWENMeetup
2. Confident Strides Personal Development Network Group https://bit.ly/CSPDNMeetup
3. Confident Strides Women’s Professional Network https://bit.ly/CSWPNMeetup
4. Confident Strides Entrepreneurs Network https://bit.ly/CSENMeetup
To connect with me: https:///confidentstrides
April 1, 2022
Detoured

There is construction on a bridge in the area that is causing residents to find alternate routes to get around a heavily traveled road. At first, it seemed like a huge inconvenience but now feels pretty routine. We just have to plan ahead to get around the construction.

Life will always have “unexpected detours”. Look for alternate routes and keep moving. You will still reach your destination.

Photo credit: click here.

December 2, 2016
Raise the Standards
We did not change as we grew older; we just became more clearly ourselves. – Lynn Hall

I just came back from an eleven day trip that took me to Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. I spent some much needed time with family in San Francisco. I had a chance to step back from my work and see where I was headed. I was getting frustrated not at my clients but with myself.

Each week I try to share a lesson learned. This week I learned the power of clarity. When I stated my business a few years ago, I really had no clue in the direction I wanted to take. I had this great notion that I wanted to be of service and basically that’s all I really understood. I started managing social media sites for clients that needed help building their audience. I did not have any set price or service plan in mind. I worked hard on building a relationship with my clients and I can honestly say that it worked for me in the beginning.

I would say it took about a year for a frustration to set in. I felt like the clients were taking advantage of my kindness, but I would never address this concern. It wasn’t until recently that I realized it wasn’t my clients that were taking advantage of me, it was that I didn’t value myself to raise the standard.

Lessons Learned:
1. Be clear about what you will or will not do.
People are not mind readers. They will not give you more of anything unless you ask. In the same token, it’s their right whether they choose to continue to work with you or not. It’s nothing personal, it’s just business.
1. It’s ok to say no.
Sometimes people will respect you more for being honest in what you won’t do instead of saying yes and botching it up. If you know in your heart you don’t want to take on a particular project, just say so. You have the right to say no in the beginning.
1. You can change your mind.
It’s ok to change your mind. It truly means you are growing. There is nothing that says you can’t change your mind. Figure out what works and change what’s not. Don’t beat yourself up!

Not everyone will like the change, but the empowerment you will gain is priceless.

Quote source: http://www.quotegarden.com/change.htm
September 11, 2015
Look for the Lesson
“The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.” ― Paulo Coelho

This week has been very exciting. I flew to Dallas last Tuesday and then flew out to Los Angeles on Wednesday. I had made plans to attend a red carpet event that I had been scheduled for months. When I had a few little unexpected hiccups in my travel plans, I got so frustrated with things; I almost decided not to attend the event.

My trip began in Dallas. The hotel I made reservations with stated they had a free airport shuttle but the day I was scheduled to arrive, the hotel informed me that the shuttle driver would not be able to pick me up. He recommended the shared ride services. I was pissed because that was the reason I choose that hotel. I didn’t want to get a rental car for a simple overnight stay. Now that I had the additional transportation cost my travel budget had to be readjusted.

When I arrived in LA I was able to get my rental car without any issues. I drove to my hotel and when I checked in, they asked for additional money. I had prepaid for the room but they wanted money for incidentals. I didn’t have the money. The hotel clerk suggested that I request a refund through the booking service and that they would agree to the cancellation. I was able to cancel my reservation and the hotel agreed to the cancellation without a cancellation fee. The only remaining problem I had about $30 to my name until the refund was placed back into my bank account. I reached out to an associate to see if I could crash at her place for the night, but she was out of town. I was technically homeless at this time. Panic started to settle in. I reached out to my uncle who lived in San Jose and started thinking; I could drive up to stay with him and skip the event all together. I had a Toyota Prius and unlimited mileage. My uncle told me to hold on while he came up with an idea. I decided to drive to the beach to clear my head.

I stayed out at the beach for about an hour and a half. It was now roughly 6 pm. My uncle texted back and told me he made hotel arrangements at a hotel and all I had to do was check in. They would be waiting on me.

It wasn’t until the following morning when I woke up that I realized that everything had worked out for my good. I was staying at the hotel I originally wanted to stay at before I even flew out here. The room was paid for and money was in my bank account.

As in most situations I always try to look for the lesson to be learned. In this event I learned:
1. Trust in the Universe.
2. Don’t worry. Take each moment as they come.
3. Trials come to make you stronger and wiser
Quote Source: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/trials-of-life
September 4, 2015
Game Change… I have the Power of Control.

All that we are is a result of what we have thought. – Buddha

Did you know that you are an energy source that attracts either positive or negative energy? Did you also know you can control how you say something, the way you say something and even when you say something? What you cannot control is how someone will react, what someone thinks or what the other person is feeling. That thought alone has been the biggest game changer in my life.

For years, I heard Oprah say that when someone gets angry or mad at you, it really has nothing to do with you. She was absolutely right. My A-ha moment was when I realized that all you truly do is trigger an issue within them. How I learned was by working on my own issues. When I used to get mad, and after I realized I got mad, I asked myself, why is this bothering you? Many times, when someone said something, it was an issue that was weighing somewhere in the back of my mind and they just happened to “pick at it”.

For a long time, I used to get mad at my 22 year old daughter for buying new clothes. She works in a clothing store and on many occasions when I picked her up from work (key phrase…pick her up from work) she would either have a new bag, dress, shoes or something. I was getting tired of her lack of interest in getting her own license. When I would “blow up”, I was actually frustrated with myself and feeling like I didn’t prepare her properly to move out and get her life together especially on the task of getting her own license. I felt like I let her down but instead of addressing my concern, I just got mad. I learn that it was her choice not to get her license, just like it was my choice to pick her up, or not from work.

Let me share with you a more recent issue where, I had to be more mindful in the choices I make. On my last trip from LA, I had a layover in Dallas. The plane was late taking off in LA which of course would affect my time in Dallas. When we arrived in Dallas, I had about 30 minutes to make my connecting flight. Low and behold, the plane was not able to pull into the gate because there was still another plane parked at it. By the time we were parked and the gateway was in place, I had about 15 minutes to get off. By now, reality was setting in and there was a very high probability I wasn’t going to make my connecting flight. Got off the plane had to go to another terminal and so, I knew I wasn’t going to make it in time. I missed my flight to LA just days before. Got to the gate, boarding had ended. I knew I wasn’t going to make it and I still got mad. Here is where mindfulness played a big role in how I quickly was able to get a handle on my emotions. I realized, I didn’t want to attract any negative attitude from the ticket agent. It wasn’t her fault I missed the plane but I needed her help to resolve my issue. I was able to quickly get a hold of my anger. I realized by missing the flight, I had a chance to relax and grab something to eat before my next flight. I also took advantage of the yoga area. All things worked out. I had a pleasant flight into Cincinnati.

Most of the time, we can control our actions and reactions if we are willing to step back from the situation, breathe and process what’s important. Most of the time the situation is not really as bad as our minds makes it out to be. Since, I have been able to put my game changing insight to work, my relationship with my daughter has also improved (despite the fact, she still doesn’t have her license). I know all things will work out in the end.

Quote Source: http://www.thelawofattraction.com/quotes/

August 7, 2015
Don’t Be Scared

The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. ~Joseph Campbell

Many times during the walk I come across a flock of Canadian Geese. Most of the time they are on the pond or on the lake. On a few occasions these birds are close to the walking trail or crossing it. As I come up on them, my heart starts racing and fear of them attacking me comes to mind.

I had a little run in with these birds a few years ago when I was going into one of my favorite retail shops, I accidentally walked to close to a nesting ground. The male bird started to fly towards me, squawking at me. I knew I was definitely in the wrong place. It frightened me and many of other patrons that tried to enter the shop that day. Ever since that incident, I try to stay mindful of their presence and respect their space.

Recently, I have decided to give these birds names. My names are not meant to be harmful to these birds in any way. My names are meant as a visual reference for the fears generated in my mind. Instead of the sign saying “Caution Feeding Wildlife Can Be Harmful” I see “Caution Feeding Your Fears Can Be Harmful. For instance, in the picture above, I would name these birds confusion, worry, criticism and doubt. By giving the geese these names, I started learning to recognize the emotions that fear generates inside. By feeling and accepting the racing heart beat and the nervousness that arises, I recognize these are feelings of fear. It’s not that the fear will disappear, it is the fact that I have to feel the fear, breathe and keep on moving.

Goose Photo Source: This image was created by Matthew S. Staben http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_goose#mediaviewer/File:Geesespokaneriver.jpg

Quote Source: http://www.quotegarden.com/fear.html

October 24, 2014
What is Your Sign?

What matters most is how you see yourself. -Unknown Author

I want to share a story that a friend of mine shared with me recently. She was at the ice cream parlor eating an ice cream cone. As she sat there, a man not smelling so pleasant walked by and she looked up. He was wearing a sign on his chest that stated he was homeless. She said the “homeless” sign really drew her attention. She said the man sat down a little ways from her. She started looking in her purse and in her car for some money but couldn’t find any spare change. She said as she was looking, something inside her said “don’t give that man any money, that man made a choice”

What I took away from that story was that we all make choices each and every moment of our lives. We all walk around with some type of invisible sign on our chest. Some of our signs may say victim, lonely or helpless and we don’t even realize it. It’s not how the world sees you, but how you see yourself that matters. For the longest time I wore an “unworthy” sign on my chest. I got tired of wearing that sign. Now my signs read successful, powerful, wise and worthy. My question for you is: What is your sign?

October 10, 2014