Two Truths About Accountability

Sep 02, 2021

“I hear you like an angel on my shoulder”

Those words are the best compliment from a client. She hears my voice in her head when she wants to power through another day without taking time for herself.

I’m no angel but I do want to get inside your head to talk about accountability.

There’s that word...ACCOUNTABILITY. It’s thrown around a lot in the realms of personal productivity.

In my opinion, it’s earned its place. Here’s why:

It works!

Studies have shown if you publicly state a goal, you have a 65% chance of achievement. If you have someone holding you accountable to that goal, your odds increase to 95%.

Those are some good odds.

Despite the good bet, many people still don’t do it. The reasons include

It’s time-consuming
There are no good accountability buddies
The idea that you “have” to do something

The list can go on and on but let...

How I Started Time Blocking and Why It Might Not Work for You

Aug 26, 2021

I’m going to date myself right now but I used to lug around this ginormous book aka my day timer. If you were born after 1980, you’ve probably never heard the term day timer.

I can hear you laughing, but let me explain.

This was in the days before smartphones (and dinosaurs roamed the earth ). I was in love with the idea of a calendar, to-do list and address book all in one place. Looking back on it, this big book might have been a contributing factor to my back issues.

This prototype for the iPhone was the genius work of Stephen Covey. One thing I still use today that Covey taught me was the concept of time blocking.

“The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

What is time blocking anyways?

Time blocking is a time management method that asks you to divide your day into blocks of time. Each block is dedicated to accomplishing a specific task, or group of tasks and...

Why Speed Reading is My New Obsession

Aug 19, 2021

In honor of joining a new book club, I'm digging this post out of the archives from January 2020 and publishing it here.

"I am part of everything that I have read." Theodore Roosevelt

Last year my goal was to read one book a month. I just tallied my results:

23 Audible Books
15 Kindle or Traditional Books

Thirty-eight books, I blew my goal out of the water. And the truth is, my list of books I would like to read grows bigger each day. If you throw in all the articles I would like to get to from my favorite writers and bloggers, I could spend all of 2020 cozied up with a book.

Although that sounds amazing, real-life would set in fast. Is there a way to consume all the content that piques my interest and still participate in real life? Let’s dive into speed reading and find out.

Business or Pleasure

There’s a special kind of joy that comes from curling up with a good book. Taking your time to follow along with each word as the author weaves their story. ...

How to Train Your Loved Ones

Aug 12, 2021

The first hour of my workday is sacred. My home office is quiet, my blood is pumping from just finishing my workout and my mind is sharp. It’s vital that I protect this time to chip away at my most important projects.
My closest friends and family know that between the hours of 9 and 10:30 am my phone is on Do Not Disturb. But they are busy people too and life happens.
Don’t get me wrong. I love to get calls and texts. This time of day is just reserved for getting things DONE!
On most days I call my Dad for a quick check-in right after my workout. Usually, we chat for five minutes and move on with the day. This morning (it happens from time to time) the call goes to his voicemail.
Today this was the message I left for him: “Just checking in to see how you’re doing. I’m about to go into work mode so I won’t be able to talk for a bit. I’ll call you back when I take a break.”
Do you see what I did there?
I told...

Transition Time is Not Just for Kindergarteners

Aug 05, 2021

“One, Two, Three, all eyes on me!”

When a kindergarten teacher calls out this chant to a rowdy group of five-year-olds, something magical happens. The kids chant back “One, Two, Three eyes on you,” and suddenly, the classroom has gone from chaos to focused attention.

We don’t have to leave this magic in grade school. Find a comfy place on the carpet because today’s story is all about the power of transitions.

Let’s brainstorm for a minute the transitions you come across in a day:

Getting out of bed
Heading off to work
Moving from one project (or errand) to the next
Ending your workday
Picking the kids up from school
Meeting with a coworker or friend
Going to bed

This list can go on and on, but you get the idea. I’m not talking about significant life changes here, just the small changes that happen in the course of your day.

Have you thought about those changes? What you do in the moments before you walk into the gym or sit down at...

How Outsourcing Can Save You Time and Money

Jul 29, 2021

I’ve talked about delegation before.

It’s a ninja move to get unbusy but many of you don’t have anyone to delegate to...so today I introduce you to my friend Jono who will educate you on the ninja delegation move: outsourcing.

Jono Petrohilos is the 2020 Australian Fitness Educator of The Year and Founder of The Course Creator Community.

Take it away Jono.

I remember when I created my first ever eBook. I was a Group Fitness Instructor at the time and was teaching 2-3 fitness classes a night, earning give or take $100 a night. I wanted to create an eBook of workout ideas that I could sell to other Group Fitness Instructors to save them time and give them new ideas.

So I opened up Microsoft Word, wrote down every workout I knew (something like 50-60 workouts that were all really good)! There was one problem though. The eBook looked like a Microsoft Word document. It was boring. I knew if I was going to sell it, I...

Put the Fun Back into Life

Jul 22, 2021

The dark and dusty attic was full of old furniture, holiday decor, and boxes. Over 40 years of memories stored in these rafters. I opened a box to find my childhood journals.

I opened the pink journal on top and read “Another LONG day in the car. Almost 8 hours!”

HA! These were my tales from a two-week journey from Northern California to Yellowstone National Park. My summers were defined by the family road trip. Dad would start each day with his checklist of our must-see/do for the day.

Wake up at dawn
Drive into the park - don’t miss the bison
Checkout Old Faithful
Relax a bit at Old Faithful Inn
Move onto Morning Glory Pool
You get the idea….

Have you ever thought about how much of your vacation style is shaped by the trips you took as a child?

Fast forward to my Tahitian honeymoon a decade later. I awoke on my first day in paradise and hightailed...

Reflection Prompts that Get Results

Jul 08, 2021

What will you keep, improve, start or stop doing?

I answer this question very early every Sunday morning. I don’t always have all the answers but just spending time pondering that question has given me some amazing breakthroughs.

I’ll share one with ya. I registered for an online summit a few weeks back but it fell on a weekend. I wasn’t sure how I could attend but not take myself away from my family 100%. I decided to book a road trip that same weekend and planned our drive times around the zoom calls.

Did I get to attend every speaker I wanted to listen to? NO!

But I did get to attend. I made some amazing connections, picked up a ton of knowledge, and my kids were blissful when they hit the beach.

It was a hail mary effort I threw together at the last moment but when I reflected back, it was the perfect solution for a virtual weekend conference.

Are you ready to harness the power of reflection?...

How to Design a Task List that Eliminates Distraction and Enables Hyperfocus

Jul 01, 2021

Yesterday I lost my shit.

In two weeks we should be in paradise (AKA Hawaii) but we still hadn’t booked our COVID tests. I delegated it to my husband but he didn’t seem to give it the same level of importance it was currently occupying in my brain.

I pulled out my laptop determined to finally check this off my list. In just a few mouse clicks, I realized all the free appointments were gone. Putting this off was now going to cost us.

I was grumpy, irritated and felt rushed. I finally found the best option and got hubby on board to complete the online paperwork.

My temper tantrum was 100% a result of a mismanaged task list. I fell off track with managing my list. This is a reminder for me and hopefully it helps you too.

To-Do List Like a Boss

The first step is to find a system for organizing tasks that works for you. I’m not going to get into that here but I recommend finding one that works for your ...

It's Time to Stop Waiting for the Right Moment

Jun 17, 2021

Why you should make a Life Plan instead.

Think back to the last time you took a big trip. You spent time planning what to do, how to get there, and who will be along for the journey. Most of us have limited vacation time. While you may want to travel the world, you narrow your trip to just a few places you can see during the time you have.

Now stop for a minute and think. Have you ever applied this planning to your life?

I remember meeting with a school counsellor in both high school and college to discuss my career path, but let’s be honest while you think you know everything at 18 years old it’s a far cry from reality.

If I could turn back time, I would spend time writing (or refining) a Life Plan at the start of each year instead of a New Year’s resolution I will toss out before February.

What’s a Life Plan?

It’s a concept I discovered thanks to the brilliant Michael Hyatt. A life plan starts with the end in mind. You think about how you...

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What is time blocking anyways?

Business or Pleasure

To-Do List Like a Boss

What’s a Life Plan?

Before You Go...