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​Sometimes, balancing your business and personal life feels impossible.
 
You don't need the media to tell you stress levels are high, manifesting as symptoms of chronic fatigue, physical illness, insomnia, irritability, decreased motivation, and difficulty concentrating. You probably live some of these every day.
 
So, what's the solution?

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"I need to get organized." Have you ever heard someone say this? Have you ever said it? Before getting 'organized,' it is essential to understand the 'why' behind the goal. 

Many people say they want to get organized because their surroundings look messier than they would like. Others say it because they have difficulty finding necessary information. However, making something look tidy does not always result in more effective functionality. The area may look great, but you still can't find anything!

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A short time ago, I shared that fiction books have become essential to my downtime and relaxation. After writing that article, I took a deeper dive into my book collection, and it was an eye-opening experience.

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​​I never used to read fiction books. I thought I was wasting time if I wasn't reading to learn.
 
But I changed my tune.

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Productivity is a popular word these days.
 
For some, it conjures visions of widgets on an assembly line. In a broader sense, it refers to our work habits, level of organization (or disorganization), and, quite often, our feelings of increasing overwhelm. And the constant pursuit of getting more things done often comes with a large side dish of stress and anxiety.

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Is your digital life in chaos? If it is, you have plenty of company. 
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As a productivity coach, I've seen the detrimental impact email overload, disorganized digital files, and calendar congestion can have on how a business operates.

While these hurdles may feel insurmountable, it is possible to successfully navigate your digital landscape with the right guidance and a can-do mindset.

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Have you ever had to make a choice that challenged you to your core? On the one hand, you have the path of least resistance, where you stay where you are, and nothing really changes. On the other hand, you have 'the hard way,' presenting you with a new, challenging, unpredictable, and sometimes riskier path. The outcome is tremendously uncertain, yet a quiet, persistent voice keeps nudging you toward the harder path.

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​As the calendar year ends and anticipation of the coming year grows, it's tempting to set resolutions impulsively, promising ourselves grand levels of change. Those who've been with me for a while know I'm not fond of new year resolutions. In the excitement of dreaming about what's to come, it's easy to overlook a powerful tool that can set you up for success in the new year—reflection.
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At some point, most of us have said, "Next year will be different!" Let's ponder why nothing will change unless we take a moment to look back and revisit our actions from the current year. After all, we can't forge ahead when we don't understand where we've been.

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As the US approaches its Thanksgiving holiday, family, friends, and gratitude are top of mind. But gratitude is more than just saying "thank you." It's a mindset, a perspective that involves recognizing and appreciating the positive aspects of life, even in challenging times. In recent years, gratitude has gained increasing attention, not only for its social benefits but also for its profound impact on health and productivity.

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​Many of us look back at the end of the day and wonder where our time went. Best-laid plans vanish with the first emergency of the day, and the remaining hours unravel from there.
 
Scheduling your time effectively can be challenging, but it's crucial for achieving your goals, being productive, and reducing stress. Below are some tips to help you start getting a handle on your day.

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In today's fast-paced, hustle-and-bustle world, we often find ourselves caught in a relentless cycle of more. More activity. More achievement. More commitment. 
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In pursuing more, we often overlook a fundamental aspect of human existence: the necessity of rest and recovery. Just like a machine cannot function at peak performance without regular maintenance, our bodies and minds also need periods of rejuvenation to perform at their best.

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​I was listening to a podcast recently, and the guest, a personal trainer, made a statement that really struck me. He said so many people he works with approach exercise with a mindset of self-loathing and punishment because they feel inadequate or unattractive. While the subject was exercise, I realized it's true on a much broader scale.

​[3 Minute Read or Listen Below]

How often do you hang your head in frustration because 24 hours a day just isn't enough?
 
Time is one of the most valuable resources you have. You can never get it back once it's gone, so using time wisely is critical. If you feel you're constantly rushing from one task to another and never have a moment to breathe, it's time to explore opportunities to reclaim your time.
 

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Have you ever built up the difficulty of a task in your mind to the point you continually put off doing it? Human nature can lead you to overestimate the challenges of an unfamiliar or perceived unpleasant task. It's a bias that can also cause you to underestimate your capabilities.

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Spring has sprung in my small dot on the world. What does the onset of Spring evoke for you? Some are ready to shake off abandoned new year resolutions and tackle new challenges. Others find a refreshed sense of purpose around the goals they're currently striving to achieve.
 
No matter what spring signals for you, it is a perfect opportunity to plan your next steps. I love all the seasons we experience in the Midwest. Summer is intense with nature's various shades of green against a gorgeous blue sky. Fall feels cozy with the added attraction of the trees' brilliant color change. After leaves drift to the ground, Winter reveals the beauty of nature's underlying architecture, and the gently falling snow feels magical.

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What happens when your productivity increases? You're probably thinking, seriously? What a silly question; you'll get more done.
 
While it is accurate that you will get more done, there is so much more to it. Like most people, you probably feel overwhelmed. Your to-do list won't stop growing. Your email inboxes keep filling up, not to mention your packed calendar and general information overload.

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​We often spend much of our time and energy dwelling in the past and waiting for the perfect future while the present moment slips away.
 
Writing this on National Carpe Diem Day is a beautiful reminder to live in the present, as Carpe Diem means Seize the Day. We often place happiness on hold for 'someday,' delaying using new or treasured items or perhaps postponing action on resolutions until next January.

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How often do you think about systematically removing information from your physical and digital files?
 
Several years ago, I worked with a local manufacturing company after a new HR Director came in. She hired me to conduct an Office Renewal Event. During this event, a team has the time, permission, and resources to eliminate anything from the workspace that can be tossed, recycled, shredded, or deleted.

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Getting organized is consistently among the top five most common new year resolutions. So, it's no accident that January is Get Organized month.

But I want you to look beyond being 'organized.' January is the big exhale for many businesses after a (hopefully) busy holiday season. You should invest this time, or whenever it's off-peak for your business, to focus on improvements that will pay dividends long into the future. One of those improvements is systems.

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My holiday season officially starts only after watching the Walt Disney Pictures TV short, Prep and Landing, with my husband.
 
It tells the delightful story of an elite team of elves, known as Prep and Landing, that helps Santa get in and out of millions of homes worldwide in one night. By preparing each site and guiding Santa and his reindeer in for landing, the team saves the Big Guy an incredible amount of time, allowing him to accomplish this monumental task.

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As we hurtle down the runway toward the most hectic time of year for many of us, both personally and professionally, let's take a moment to keep things in perspective.

Recently, as I attempted to set my priorities for the day, I became acutely aware of my sense of overwhelm regarding what the next 8 - 10 weeks would bring. That's right. I felt profoundly overwhelmed even with my fancy-schmancy task management system and my weekly review.

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Let's listen in on a quick conversation between a man and a woman. As the woman pulls items from their bedroom closet, the man lies on the bed looking at a magazine.

 Woman - "..., I cannot do this job without you. Most of these things are yours."
​
 Man - "Well, honey, why don't you leave all that junk in the closet?"

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How often do you say to yourself (or others), "there aren’t enough hours in the day?"
 
Time management is a popular term. It conjures visions of stopping clocks and herculean feats of efficiency, squeezing in one more task or commitment. In reality, it's less about managing time and more about managing ourselves and our decisions. We know that ineffective time management results in stress, anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, burnout, low self-esteem, and low confidence. Arguably, nothing we want.

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​What does this quote say to you? It tells me in our quest for growth, the best time to act is now. So, what holds us back as we try to improve ourselves? Usually, fear and mistaken beliefs.

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I know this about myself and suspect many can relate - sometimes, I have an all-or-nothing mindset. If I can't complete something from start to finish in one shot, I procrastinate starting at all.