Origami Day Shape Your Time

One misconception about weekly planning is that only a select group of people need to do it. I have heard many people argue that they are either not busy enough or too busy to take time each week to plan. People in every walk of life can benefit from taking time once each week to ‘reset’ and move forward with intention.

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I wanted to talk a little bit about love. More specifically, love of you. Contrary to what many say, you don't need candles, fancy soaps, or new clothes to practice self-love. What you do need is time, and effort.

This year, I did things a little differently when it came to annual planning. I deeply considered my life, my time, and my goals. I realized my business is about to be 5 years old and I am quickly approaching 40. (#milestones!) I thought about my ideal day. I pictured my dream home. I looked around my current home. In this giant step back, I gained the clarity I needed to move forward. Here is what I rediscovered.

In psychology, there is a method known as “cognitive reframing,” which assists people in changing the way they view negative scenarios and themselves. Reframing is often successful, as it takes a process our minds already do, and alters a few key points to better facilitate confidence and grace. 

Raise your hand if you have been told that you need to take a break and your immediate thought was “I don’t have time for a break!” I have been there and I am here to tell you that there are ways to recharge, even when you have a million things to do. Let’s break it down into three simple strategies; reframing, peaceful productivity, and sharing the burden.

Setting boundaries in your workplace is one of the most important steps you, as an employee or employer, can take in retaining satisfaction and performance.

I was recently lucky enough to spend a week in New York City. The weather was absolutely perfect, so my husband and I used bicycles as our primary means of transportation. Interestingly, biking the streets of New York City helped me reflect on a few critical lessons for living a life of peaceful productivity.

Jeff had one appearance at the plate, he hit a single, and never got another chance at bat. Of all the amazing lessons one could learn from this man’s ongoing resiliency and strength, my favorite lesson comes from the following quote.

With college starting back up, many are already feeling the pressure of assignments, bills, and other commitments piling up. Stress begins to set in, and our thoughts are consumed with “what do I need to do next?” and “what am I forgetting?”  Most likely, the idea of achieving work-life balance is in the back of every student’s mind, a far off, unattainable dream.  

So how do we reach this dream?

July 2nd at noon marked the halfway point of the year. Yes, we are already in the back-half 2021, moving quickly towards to end of another year. Don’t wait until the end of the year to start making it matter. Start now. Start taking small steps to help you feel proud of your life now.

If you are looking for a silver lining to the pandemic, one is the positive impact it has had on remote work. Before the “largest remote work experiment in history” many employers were skeptical of their teams working from home. 2020 gave many employers no choice but to have their employees works remotely.

As many young people graduate this month and begin new chapters, I encourage us to consider what we are teaching them. As you pen a card or offer a word of advice to the recent graduates in your life, I encourage you to impart on them some of the following themes: