I don’t have time!
I've been hearing that phrase a lot lately.  So, I decided to share my quick Heart-based To-Do List method to help you shift from overwhelm to focus.  

I Don't Have Time - To-Do List Exercise: 

1. Write down your entire to-do list.
2. Look at where your priorities fall on the list. Are they at the bottom of the list, so you never get to them?
3. Close your eyes and put your hand on your heart.
4. Take 3 deep nourishing breaths or Box Breathing To Destress.
5. Ask your heart, "What item should I focus on doing first today?"
6. Open your eyes and glance at your To-Do List and see what jumps out. 
7. Tackle that item first and watch how your day shifts into flow.
8. After that item is completed on your To-Do List, repeat steps 3-7

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I would like to hear what your results are.
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Have you ever experienced one of those weeks where everything seems to go wrong? Well, that was exactly my situation last week. I was working under strict deadlines to finish several projects when, unexpectedly, something happened on Tuesday evening. To be honest, I don't think I could replicate the same circumstances even if my life depended on it. 

Earlier in the day, I was attending many Zoom calls, so I decided to use my desk on wheels because it allows for adjustable heights.  I had placed my computer and a cup of tea on the desk.  Suddenly, I accidentally hit the desk chair at just the right angle, causing the chair to hit the desk on wheels.  As a result, the desk went flying, hitting an overstuffed chair, and then the cup of hot tea and the laptop both crashed onto the hardwood floor.  For some reason, the mug didn't break, so I cleaned up the spilled water, and then I cringed as I picked up the laptop.  The laptop screen had been severely cracked.  And my immediate thought...

F*********k!!!  I just smashed my computer screen!

I immediately called the Help Desk, knowing that I would need a new laptop.  I then called a colleague and had a meltdown as I had many important documents on the hard drive and wasn't sure if I could get them moved to the Cloud.  This laptop is extremely locked down by the organization I work for (I can't print, connect to Starbucks WIFI, or log into Gmail or Facebook), so an external flash drive will not work.  My colleague told me to have a glass of wine and relax for the evening, and he would see if we could find a short-term solution in the AM.

The next morning, my colleague called me with an idea.  Can you use an HDMI cable and connect the laptop to a TV monitor?  Surprisingly, that was one functionality my laptop would allow me to do.  So, I started using my Smart TV as a computer monitor.  You may ask why I don't have a computer monitor (that is another long story, but in summary, the monitor the company sent me has no hookup for an HDMI cable and requires me to download and install specific software, which the security on my computer doesn't allow, so the monitor is hanging out in a closet collecting dust).  

So, what does this bad week have to do with anything?  It reminded me how...

I stopped starting my day with calmness and clarity and instead shifted to starting each day like a bull in a China shop.   
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I had thrown out my "internal balancing routine" consisting of 20 minutes of yoga, 5 minutes of journaling, and my 5-minute morning CO-Create With My Heart Meditation and replaced it with an "external distraction routine" consisting of checking business and personal email, browsing through Facebook, and searching news headlines.  As a result, my morning calm and focused energy shifted to chaos, frustration, and worry.

So, after that harsh lesson, I'm back into my "internal balancing routine" and I was able to move all of my documents to the Cloud.  I'm also making sure I do my Co-Create With My Heart Meditation daily (Its only 5 minutes), to ensure that I stay calm and focused on what I want to achieve vs. being distracted by the never-ending external distractions swirling around these days.

What routines do you do in the morning or throughout the day to find calm and focus? 

Email me or DM me, I would love to know.
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I had a really interesting experience last week. I attended a business dinner where the conversation went from work-related topics to personal ones. We discussed things like marriage, career advancement, moving to more affluent neighborhoods, attending prestigious schools to network with influential people, and even planning which foreign country to buy a second home for retirement. It was quite the walk down memory lane.  It actually made me smile.  Why?  A part of me always wanted that picture-perfect life.  I remember I used to have those conversations and pursue those dreams until...

I watched my life burn to the ground. 

Not once, but twice. The details can be read in my upcoming book:  Discover Your Moxie:  The Trailblazing 15-Minute Daily Ritual to Forge Your Own Path and Embrace Your Inner Power. 
But you know what...

It was the best thing that ever happened to me!

What did I learn from those two experiences...

I was living someone else's dream and not my own!
I was listening to my head and following the logical path established by others.

Through those experiences, I learned to listen to my heart, forge my own path, embrace my inner power, and create a life on my own terms.  So what does my life look like now...

• I live in a small town called Kent, IL (population 75ish),
• I'm putting up signs and starting to knock on doors for my 2024 campaign,
• I work from home (some days from Starbucks), or I travel (both personally and professionally., including internationally),
• I assess manufacturing companies holistically to expand their capacity capabilities.
• I write blogs and books and create oracle cards about personal transformation,
• I create plant sound journeys, 
• I provide mentorship and coaching to individuals and businesses, using holistic problem-solving techniques to overcome personal and business challenges.
• I have too many cats, and
• I grow wildflowers.

Had I listened to my head and stuck to my original plan, I would not be where I am today!  And where am I today...

Finding Joy In The Journey!

Are you ready to take the next step? 
Are you ready to stop playing small and instead create your life on your terms?
Sign up for my new program:  Discover Your Moxie  ​

I started watching season 4 of "True Detective" featuring Jodi Foster last week.  If you haven't started watching it yet, I highly recommend it.  During episode #2, Detective Liz Danvers (Jodi Foster) keeps telling her assistant...

You are asking the wrong question!

That statement really stopped me in my tracks.  Why?  When I work with corporate clients, I'm always making this statement because they tend to look at the problem right in front of them and not the bigger picture of what is actually going on.  They are too focused in the weeds.  However, when I heard Jodi Foster make that statement, I realized that I forgot to apply this statement to my personal life.  Recently, I've been feeling like everyone is pushing me.  Pushing me to do this...pushing me to do that...pushing me to take actions I'm not ready to take.  As a result, I was asking myself...

Why is this happening to me?

As a result, I've been feeling frustrated and angry.  I started asking myself all kinds of "WHY" questions.  Why is this suddenly my job?  Why can't other people take responsibility? Why do I have to do everything?  Why...Why...Why.  However, as I watched this TV show and listened to Jodie Foster, a light bulb went off in my head, and the right question appeared...

Why am I resisting this?

Suddenly I saw the bigger picture of what is going on...

I'm being asked to stretch and grow vs. staying in my comfort zone. 

And once I recognized what was really going on, I decided to react differently and make different choices.  And the results...the resistance, frustration, and anger disappeared and was replaced with clarity and action.

Where in your life are you asking yourself, "Why is this happening to me?" 

What if you stopped resisting and instead asked a different question? 

Make a different choice?  Take a different action? 

What are you really resisting?

Are you ready to embrace your own inner power?