Happy Monday Morning!

Today’s post is from a fellow Thirty One Leader, Daylene Beyers.  I asked her if I could reprint it because it touched my heart and I hope it touches yours on this Monday morning…

I am loving the fall-scented candles I’ve been using to make my house feel cozy and serene!! Every morning I’ve been lighting them and intentionally putting myself in “the mood”. ❤️ (No, not THAT mood! 😉😂) The feel-good, wanna-get-up-and-live-joyfully mood!

Anyway, today I went to light my candle and I couldn’t get it to stay lit. The wick was buried. Only a tiny bit remained above the surface of the wax, and every time I tried to light it on fire, the wax would melt and quickly snuff it out.

In order to light it successfully I had to dig out the excess wax around the wick first. And when I did, how easy it was to light it!

God speaks to me in the simplest ways sometimes. And this morning his message was loud and clear.

I am the wick.

The things I do are the wax.

The wax is needed for the candle to glow.

And the things I do, like coaching women in the job I love, those things are necessary too because not only does my career put food on the table, it fulfills me. Gives me a sense of purpose. Helps me “glow”!

But…
If I get myself too busy…

If I allow the wax (tasks) to build up too much…

If I work so much there’s no time for me, or the other things which are important…

Like my God, my family, my “air”…

Then it will be impossible for me to shine my light. Because I’ll be suffocated myself.

It’s all about finding balance.

Between the wax and the air.

The world we need to encourage and the God our encouragement comes from!

It’s hard for God to light a wick when it’s buried.

Let’s “dig ourselves out” this week so our lights can shine!

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Do You Have A Routine When You Work?

 Does your Monday look like this?

 Or is this how you look this morning?

I have to be honest, despite working from home, my Monday mornings can go either way.

When I take time to plan out my week and schedule all of the things I have to do – I am ready to conquer the world.  When I wait till the morning to get things scheduled for the day, I am a hot mess who is unable to stick to a routine.  I squirrel towards the next shining object and then get frustrated when nothing seems to be getting done.

Here are 5 simple steps to help you get a little bit more motivated while working from home:

1. Set Working Hours

Decide on what your working hours will be, and stick to them!  This one is really tough for me.  Hubby is off on Monday and Tuesdays PLUS he works the 4 – 12midnight shift.  It means he is home during the day and has his own plan for the day.  I set my alarm for the same time Monday to Friday and stick to a morning routine as if I was going to work (out of the house).  I have found when I stick to a schedule of early office hours, a break to do things with hubby and then back in the office in the afternoon – life is so much better.  I love starting my work day at the same time every day!

2. Use A Planner

Plan out your week using a planner – either on your phone or a hard copy. I need paper when it comes to this.  Hubby bought me a Passion Planner and I absolutely LOVE it.  Lots of room for notes, scheduling appointments daily and setting goals.  I have daily to-do lists so you have a clear sense of what needs doing and get started on tasks immediately.  Having a planner and planning out my time has been a giant stress reliever.  It also helps to give your work days and week structure, while working from home!

3. Create A Workspace

Okay, so I don’t work from bed but I will admit to being in my sweats. I get shower and have my coffee just like I would if I had an office job.  I take the “commute” down to my office.  It is important to create a space in your home  – your own personal “workspace”. Even if it is your living room table or a desk in your bedroom! Set aside space solely for work and nothing else!  Set it up like you would a cubby or office with motivational quotes and make it pretty.

4. Leave The House

It’s unhealthy to stay at home all day and not get some fresh air. So get up every couple of hours to take a work break – make yourself some tea and scroll through Instagram. Take your lunch break out of the house too. Even if you make food at home, pack it up and eat it outside to take a step away from your desk for a change of scenery.  This is one I am working on.  I would have to say my work break is having lunch with hubby every day.

5. Socialize

Do you feel isolated working from home?  With no kids to taxi around, I have found “girl time” is more important than ever.  After-work drinks aren’t as easy when there’s no one to go with from work!  So organize some social meetups post work with friends. Whether they work from home or not, socializing after work is a must. Cocktails? Yes please, always!

Do you work from home? What are your top tips for creating a work-from-home routine and staying motivated?  Share your best tips with us…

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

An Entrepreneur Curse

Happy Monday morning!  I am one of those rare breeds that likes Monday.  Mainly because it means the next two days I get to spend with hubby.  Monday and Tuesday are his weekend.  PLUS it is the start of a new week filled with new opportunities.

You may not feel this way if you are heading to a JOB, facing traffic and dreading your job.  I on the other hand have a 1-minute commute, get to work in my jammies until noon if I want, work any time of the day or night, and have my business phone and email at the tip of my fingers.

All of this sounds AWESOME, right?  It is and I LOVE my pink bubble.  BUT, it can also lead to some serious boundary issues – it’s can be an entrepreneur’s curse.

Some days there is no reason to climb out of the sweats, do my hair and put on a little makeup.  For someone like me who struggles with positive self-image, this can really mess with your head.  It allows Debbie Doubtful to make an appearance.   I don’t know about you but I feel and ACT like a totally different person when I’m up, dressed and have a little makeup on.

Having an office in your home and a smartphone that allows you to be within reach definitely blurs the lines of your personal and business life.  Ask hubby or my daughter how obsessed I can get with the phone checking emails and answering calls.  I know there are NO PURSE EMERGENCIES but you never know when that next call may be an AWESOME lead. Right??

Having set office hours is also a struggle for me.  I like to work in the early morning before most people are ready to head to work.  I often take a break during the mid-morning and early afternoon to spend time with hubby before he heads to work.  Then I am ready to go back into the office about 4PM till who knows what time.  Forgetting about dinner and life outside of my office.  Some may call it dedicated while others would say I am a bit crazy.  It would be great if being in my office ALOT always resulted in income producing activities.

So, I guess you have figured out the Entrepreneurial Curse, right?  The learning curve that involves setting boundaries and having some accountability to make sure that you stay within those boundaries.

Here are some things that I am trying to do to set those boundaries:

• Set office hours that are blocked out so that everyone knows what they are.  Post them for all to see.
• Along with office hours, block out time for income and non-income activities.  Things like tagging catalogs and stuffing envelopes can be done while I am watching TV, or when I am winding down from the day.  These kinds of “mindless” activities don’t need to be done in the office or by you if you have children.
• Turning the phone to “sleep mode” on hubby’s days off when we are spending time together.  This allows for calls/ texts to come through from family but no one else.  Then I can check messages when it is good for me.
• Share interests other than business with family and friends.

Being your own boss is the BEST job but it can also be a curse if you are not able to set boundaries.  I love being in my pink bubble and I often forget that not everyone wants to be in it 24/7.

The key here is always in the communication and setting the expectation for yourself and those who love you. So… what do you struggle with around boundaries and how are you going to fix it?!

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!