Happy Labor Day Reader! Last week we looked at the water we're swimming in here in the U.S.--the water that makes constant productivity feel normal or even virtuous. Although I've been aware of this cultural pressure for many years, I still succumb to it regularly! As a business owner it's easy to put pressure on myself to work more, work harder, work longer to get my business to succeed. It's hard for me to slow down and rest when there is still so much to do! A webinar I could be watching. A networking event I could meet a potential client at. A new productivity tool I could try. But there's a lot of science out there that proves that rest is actually necessary for us to do our best work. "Rest allows me to be more productive and efficient." One of my favorite stats from the book Laziness Does Not Exist is that office workers are capable of being productive for about 3 hours a day on average. That's less than half of the "normal" 8 hour workday! Obviously, there are people who do good work for more hours of the day (and you're one of them, of course! 😉) but it's so helpful to remember that it's not reasonable to expect ourselves to fire on all cylinders for 8, 10, or even 12 hours a day. And one way we can extend our productive hours is by resting. A "micro-break" of 1-3 minutes is effective. A 15 minute power nap recharges us. Unplugging from your phone or technology for a day is freeing & rejuvenating. So when that productivity devil on your shoulder keeps whispering that you're falling behind for taking a break, remind yourself that rest is necessary, important, and useful by repeating 21x/day this week: "Rest allows me to be more productive and efficient." ❤️ P.S. Enjoy getting these weekly emails? Share the love by forwarding this to a friend! Upcoming Event - Market Smarter: Time Saving StrategiesJoin me & marketing guru Brooke Thies for a marketing + time management workshop! This two hour workshop dives into the most time efficient marketing actions and how to implement time management tools to actually accomplish your goals to bring you more customers! You'll gain general knowledge of different marketing strategies centered around inbound marketing, and have an action plan with time management tools to tackle your goals. You will also leave having started one of your marketing goals with coaches Brooke and Jen and a clear direction on how to finish the goal.
As always, affirmations work best when you truly believe them. They need to resonate with you and feel achievable. So feel free to modify any I suggest, or develop entirely new ones! Say them as long as you want. I'm sharing a new affirmation each week, but that doesn't mean you have to switch it up each week unless it feels right. You can add new ones as often as you want and have as many as you want. You can say a different affirmation every day, or at different times of the day. You choose! I'd love to hear the impact it has! (But if you decide affirmations are not for you, click here to be removed from this weekly email.) I hope this affirmation sets you up for a kick ass week and I'll see you next Monday for a new one to try! Ready to make time for great things in 2024? I have 1-1 coaching spots available to teach you how to put your limited time, energy, & attention to the work that moves the needle in just 1 hour a week. Hit reply or pick a time on my calendar here to learn more. I always have time for you. ❤️ -- Jen |
Time is the single most valuable thing we have. I help busy business owners get out of overwhelm to work fewer hours in their business (without sacrificing income!) so they can get back to enjoying their business and their life again.
Happy Monday Reader! We're revisiting an oldie but a goodie this week, because I have some big news: last week I started a new part time job! Rest assured, I am not closing my coaching business. I have existing contracts I am committed to and I really enjoy the work. It's all the other stuff that started to wear me down. I woke up one morning at the end of the summer and wondered when I would look forward to starting my day & working in my business. And then I realized with a bit of shock...
Happy Monday Reader! Ever heard of the poem "Desiderata"? That's actually where our affirmation this week comes from! The full line I'm stealing from is: And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should But that felt like a bit too much of a mouthful to say 21 times daily, so I shortened it to the most important bit. "The universe is unfolding as it should." "Desiderata" became an important part of my life when I was in high school. You may have heard me...
Happy Monday Reader! Ever have those days that manage to be the worst day of your month yet also amazing at the same time? Honestly, I'm not sure I've ever experienced emotional whiplash as much as I did last week on Thursday, when I attended the Mid-Continent Public Library's Self-Care Summit. The first emotional extreme came as I was leaving my neighborhood & I sideswiped a neighbor's parked car. Being the cause of an easily preventable accident is not a positive way to start a day! It...