My new 6 Week Reboot Program

I recently polled my clients to find out how I could support them in their businesses. I found out that a lot of them are so mired in the day to day of running their business that they don’t have time for big picture thinking and planning. They wanted an opportunity to take a step back, look at the bigger picture, set strategic goals and have someone to meet with regularly to bounce ideas off of and provide accountability. 

I am offering a 6-Week Reboot to meet this need. We will start with a 45-minute meeting to see what your goals and challenges are and how we organize them so that you have a plan on how to move forward in a way that gives you more time, space and simplicity. 

After we set up your initial goals and plan I will meet with you each week to help you stay on track, set up systems, and give you guidance on how you can reboot your business. 

My expertise is in systems. With my eyes on how you are functioning in the office, we will quickly identify ways that you can do things better, easier, faster and cut out the extras that are driving you crazy. 

My commitment is to making your business run smoother and easier, what I need from you is 30 minutes a week to make sure that happens. 

Click here to schedule a call. 

I’m here to help you and your business get ORGANIZED so that when the New Year rolls around you’re off to have a great 2020!! 

Are you getting enough sleep?

Anyone else struggle with insomnia or getting enough sleep?  I do.  In order to feel organized, productive, centered, and really anything else positive about your day, you need to get enough sleep.  And good sleep.  I bring this topic up because I struggle with insomnia and wanted to share some things that I do to help me get a better nights’ sleep.  If I don’t sleep well or get enough sleep, my whole day is off.  

According to the National Institutes of Health, adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep to function at their best.  With our fast paced society and technology that brings us information instantly, there seems to always be one more thing we can get done before bed.  One thing I make sure I do is turn off all screens at least an hour before bed and this seems to really help my brain start to slow down.  

Next up is  let’s make sure your room is clutter free.  If you have lots of clutter in your bedroom it can drag your energy down and affect your sleep.  Clear out anything that doesn’t belong in your bedroom, isn’t serving you anymore or you don’t absolutely love.  Your bedroom is a room in your house that you spend the most time (maybe besides your kitchen), why not make it clean and tranquil.

I make sure I’m getting good exercise, not drinking caffeine in the afternoon (I’m currently taking a break altogether) and not eating too heavy of an evening meal after 6pm.  I like to take a warm epsom salt bath to relax and have a cup of chamomile tea as part of my bedtime routine.  According to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, your bedroom should be cool and dark to sleep well and keep to a consistent bedtime in order to set your body’s internal clock.

And when I’ve done all the right things and I still can’t sleep, I get up and write in my journal.  Sometimes just getting the ideas out of my head helps.  When I’m really desperate I make an appointment with my acupuncturist.  What do you do to help you get a good nights’ sleep?  I’d love to know!

A Thoughtfully Curated Kitchen

I had the pleasure of teaching a class last week with the lovely Emma Malina of Basking in Goodness (if you don’t follow her, check her out: @baskingingoodness on Instagram) at Municipal Winemakers in Santa Barbara.  We called it a Thoughtfully Curated Plant Based Kitchen and our goal was to inspire everyone to breathe new life into their own kitchen and see how easy it is to incorporate a plant based diet into your routine. 

First and foremost, we wanted everyone in the class to feel like they could find something about their kitchen they love. Too often we focus on the negatives and what we want to change.  When we do a little kitchen refresh we can be inspired to be more creative and motivated to try new things.

The first step is a kitchen refresh:

• Pull everything out of your drawers & cabinets so you can really see what’s in there.
  

• Wipe down!! When is the last time you really did this?
  

• With each item ask yourself, do I really use this? Really, be honest!
  

• If not, it goes. Perhaps to the garage first. Make space and breathe life into that space.
  

• Take note of anything you are missing. A good non-stick pan, cutting board or knife?
  

Bringing it back to the basics, how are your knife skills?  Did you know that if you hold an onion against the cutting board and make your hand into a “claw”, you have a much less chance of cutting yourself.  It’s amazing how easy it is to almost cut your finger off when cutting an onion but when your knuckles are bent in this claw shape, the knife just rolls right off.   

Some pantry staples to have in a plant-based kitchen include grains, beans, legumes, seeds and nuts, in addition to lots of fresh veggies.  One of the most important things to remember in a kitchen refresh is that when we acknowledge and celebrate what we’re good at, we can build from there in the kitchen.

I love talking to my clients about time saving and meal prepping and here are my top five favorite tips.

Time Saving/ Meal Prepping

• Keep a running list of groceries you need and run out of during the week.
  

• On Sundays (or whatever day makes sense to you) grocery shop and prep for the week.
  

• Choose a few simple meals that you can make during the week. Plan for leftovers.
  

• Always have prepped veggies for salads, stir fries, lunchboxes or unexpected guests.
  

• Cook a few staples like rice, quinoa, couscous or lentils that can be used as the foundation for simple, but nourishing dishes on the fly.
  

What do you do to stay organized in your kitchen?  If you’d like help with a kitchen refresh, give me a call!

When is the Last Time You Really Played?

Over Labor Day Weekend, I found myself pondering the importance of play.  As adults, we tend to forget how to play.  Really play.  Losing ourselves completely to fun.  Laughing so hard we are snorting. I had to stop and wonder, when was the last time I really played?

My 11 year old son, Asher reminds me to play.  Mom, “play with me” he says.  Surf with me.  Play Uno with me.  Skateboard with me.  I sleep better and feel better when I do.  

Kira Malone of Mama Manifest says,  

“Play is our direct link to joy and happiness.  It helps us access our creativity and enter into a flow state.  This flow state brings prosperity and is the gateway for manifestation”.

At work, play can help speed up learning, enhance creativity, and increase job satisfaction.  At home, play can enhance bonding and communication.  While I’m working, I try to get up and move on the days I’m sitting at my computer.  I put on my favorite music and take a ten minute dance break.  I’ve even been known to jump rope for five minutes, just to get my blood flowing.  And I feel like a kid again.

I challenge you to incorporate play into your day.  See how it feels.  I’d love to hear about how it goes and what you do for fun.  And if you are having trouble fitting it in, give me a call. I’d love to help you find more time to play.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Museum

Earlier this summer, my son Asher and I were visiting my family in Washington D.C for a few weeks.  One of the things we love to do when we’re there is to visit the Smithsonian museums.  They are all free and there is so much to see and do with exhibits constantly changing.

It wasn’t until we were settled in on the metro heading into the city that I realized I had forgotten my phone.  At first, I was panic stricken.  I kept thinking the worst.  Had I lost my phone?  Had it slipped out of my bag?  What if there is an emergency?  How will I call for help?  Do they even have pay phones any more?  If so, how much do they cost?

At this point, there was no turning back.  We were well on our way and I decided there was a day of adventure ahead of us, phone or no phone.  Once I came to this conclusion, a sense of calm came over me.  

What’s the worst thing that will happen I kept asking myself?  The answer that kept coming up was that people won’t be able to get a hold of me.  People won’t be able to get a hold of me.  I finally realized, this will be great to have a day alone with Asher with no distractions where he will have my full attention.

Even though I knew I didn’t have my phone, I unconsciously kept checking it every twenty minutes at first.  It was a very unconscious habit.  We would see something we wanted to take a photo of then realize we had no phone.  We giggled and laughed and then began taking photos with our pretend phone.  By the end of the day I was not missing my phone at all. 

I realized that I need to schedule more phone free time into my schedule, especially with Asher.  And into my work days, too!  I know this will give my brain a break and help me to be more productive by setting aside several hours here and there where I’m not distracted.

If you’d like to work on turning your phone off, being more present and getting more done, I’d love to help.

How to Say No and Create More Space in Your Schedule

I want to say, “no,” more.  

Not as in, “NO! I won’t do this,” but as in, “thank you so much for thinking of me but I really can’t commit to that right now.”  

They say that the most successful entrepreneurs have the ability to say no.  When I say no, it’s to create more clear space in my life.  In my schedule to be exact. I would use it to have more  down time and to give my brain a rest. 

What would you do with more clear space in your schedule?  Would you take time to ride your bike?  Go to the beach alone or with family? (While I’m with family I can’t fib, I sometimes daydream of lying on the beach alone where no one is whining about getting sand in their peanut butter and jelly sandwich). 

Because saying no doesn’t come easily to some of us, let’s practice together. Because at first it’s definitely not easy to say no if you’re not used to doing it.

So let’s learn how to say no and set boundaries, politely.

Some fun ones first:

• I’ve the plague and it is contagious

• My turtle needs me

• I gotta catch up on Degrassi

• It’s not you it’s my turtle (who needs me)

• I’ve done a lot of research on the matter and it’s still a no

I have a hard time saying no because I don’t want people to think I’m not dependable. But the funny thing is that I know I’m dependable. So why do you have a hard time saying no? Is it usually the more we say no, the more people respect us. Here are a few that have worked for me so far.

So now the real ones that work really well:

• I’m flattered you asked me but I can’t this time.

• Thank you so much for asking but

• I really appreciate you thinking of me but

• Not this time but maybe next time

• I can’t help you out but maybe Sally can fill in for me

  If you'd like to work on saying no together to find some clear space in your schedule , call me!  

  
  Happy Organizing,
  
  Amy