Unmotivated to Motivated

Are you unmotivated in you business?  How about at home – you know those chores that never seem to get done?  I saw some tips in a recent blog by The Nectar Collective that I think can help to improve your productivity and your motivation which as a result will help you to get STUFF done…

• Cut Yourself off from Social Media.  UGH!  Really, I feel like sometimes that is the only way that I connect with people.  Of course, then there are those days that I get lost in the black hole of Facebook.  I have turned notifications off on my phone so that I don’t get that constant ding when I am out with hubby.  It is said that “when you hush the chatter of the online world, you’re able to get back into the groove of that pesky to-do list that’s been giving you side eyes since last week.”
• Recognize when you’re at the top of your game.  I used to believe that I worked best at about 5AM before the craziness of the day kicked in.  A little older and definitely a little wiser, I have found that no matter how early I get up, my best work is done by 11AM.  Sad, right?  But the truth is, now that I am VERY much aware of this, I save my mindless tasks till the afternoon when I am not functioning 100%.  For those that read my blogs, I am sure you could probably guess the days that I am writing in the afternoon versus first thing in the AM. Be honest!!!
• Create rewards.  Does this really work for you?  For me, little rewards like a piece of candy when I knock something off my to do list is not much of an incentive.  Believe it or not, just seeing the green highlighter line through something on the list does it for me.  I know, crazy, right?  When everything on my to do list has a green line through it, I have accomplished all that I set out to do that week.  That is when I can truly relax and kick back, ready to reward myself.
• Organize that hot mess of yours.  On any given day, my office is a hot mess.  Funny considering that I write about getting organized and give lots of tips to help others – the truth is, I don’t take my own advice.  If I did, I would be a ROCKSTAR in my business and in my personal life.  Hubby would say that I am a rockstar but that is because he loves me unconditionally.  “Squirrel moment”.  At the end of the day, before I leave my office, I take about 10 minutes to organize my desk for the next morning.  When my work space is clear, my mind is clear and ready to start working instead of wasting time and energy searching for things in the morning.
• GIVE UP.  Some days, you are not going to feel like pushing yourself to get work done and if you do you will probably only get mediocre results so why not play hooky for the day or even a few hours.  Don’t beat yourself up – relax and take a break.  Okay, so I am not very good at this.  I push until I am on overload and as a result, my brain kicks into depression mode so that I stop and take a rest.  Always the extremes for me.

WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS FOR GETTING STUFF DONE WHEN YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE IT?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

#motivation

#productivity

#HopeWs31

Facebook Addict

“Hi, my name is Hope and I am a Facebook addict”.  WOW!  That was hard to say, and even harder to admit.  I was sitting in my office this morning reading a blog by Vanessa Coppes that talked about productivity when it hit me.  One of the things on her list was “blocking out distractions”.  What distracts you?  For me, it is Facebook (maybe on occasion Pinterest)!  I never log out so when not on my computer, my phone is blowing up with “notifications”.  UGH!

Facebook is a great tool for direct selling.  It is an online portal that lets us build relationships with people which as a result can mean more business.  I feel like it is a double edge sword with a love/hate relationship.  How much is too much posting?  When I am trying to use Facebook for business (within the policies and procedures of Thirty One), what should I not post?  Ask my hubby and he would say post NOTHING!

Jennifer Fong blogged about this exact same thing…. so let’s see how many of these I (and you) do that we shouldn’t.  Ready?

1. Status updates like “join my team” and “buy my stuff” updates may sound desperate instead of showing that you really want to build relationships with potential new customers and recruits.  Thankfully, Thirty One has a policy against this.
2. Events that aren’t really events.   Okay, I don’t get this one!  My invites to events are specifically for the people that I want to invite.  Okay, there is the occasional Facebook event where I invite EVERYONE.
3. Cat Fights. If someone bashes your company publicly online, get over it.  Maybe I am living in a pink bubble but I don’t see much of this on a company basis or on a personal basis.
4. Bad Photos.  Thankfully, they don’t mean  bad as in not a very good photographer or I would be in trouble.  Don’t post any pictures that anyone could remotely take offense even if you think it’s funny. Remember, everything you post reflects on you, your business and your company.
5. Your Logo As Your Profile Picture.  People do business with people.   Make sure your picture is front and center, so people can look you in the eye and feel a connection to you.  Even thought I don’t like most pictures of me, I am doing this.
6. Strong Political or Religious Opinions.  This seems like a no brainer to me.  I’m not saying you can’t have them, just be mindful of what you share so as not to create any of those cat fights.
7. Too Much Information. Okay, you know what I am talking about here… you see them all of the time.  The posts from friends who give you every detail of their life.  The posts you read and wonder “why would you put that out there for the world to see”.  I may be at fault for this on occasion but I am trying to spare those on my personal/business Facebook page the gory details.  That is best done in a phone call or text message among friends.

So what is on YOUR list of Facebook no-no’s if you are using it for business?  What would you add? Would love to read your thoughts in the comments below!

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Measuring Up

” … The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7b (NLT)

Today is a definite day of REST… I figure I need a lot after the last almost week.  This may seem like an odd post talking about “measuring up” after the last week of inspiration but believe it or not when I am tired, I wonder if I measure up.  I saw a devotional about this that really made to reassess things…

As I got ready to head to conference, I was packing  physically but there was one thing that I packed mentally which is always hard for me to shake…you are wondering what that is, right?  It is a measuring tape.  Not the usual one that you use when measuring something physically… the one that is in my head comparing or measuring my productivity.  Here are some of the rulers that I tried to get rid of  BEFORE I left for National Conference:

The ruler of productivity that assesses my accomplishments.  The comparison game is something that goes on in my head ALOT. It assigns value based on my what I have “not” done instead of calculating the worth of immeasurable investments.  The ruler or productivity makes me a slave to time rather than knowing the gift that time fives me.

The beauty barometer has me thinking about the “jiggle thighs” or  my “shabby chic” look versus the one that is all put together.  I really need a stylist to show me how to coordinate my clothes and my accessories.  This barometer looks at the external and fails to calculate my value of my inner beauty.

The happy homemaker meter measures how good of a wife I am based on how clean the house is, how many meals I prepare or how well I think I take care of my family.  I feel guilt when all of my best intentions turn into things I MUST do instead of things that I want to do for my family.   I become exhausted instead of inspired.

Tape measures may be entertaining in the hands of curious toddlers, but they stunt the growth of women like you and me.

Are you ready to give up your mental measures, and let God grow us into the women He’s dreamed us to be?  His vision for us is refreshing and life-giving.  Instead of measuring, why not mend?  Isn’t that what God longs to do for us. He wants to destroy our tape measures and heal the wounded places in our hearts from constant comparisons and the failure to meet unreasonable expectations.  So, as I reflect on the past week,  I am going to abandon my ridiculous rulers, in exchange for God’s immeasurable grace and healing. Want to join me?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!