Are you sensitive to noise?

Are you sensitive to noise?  Are you one of those people who feel like you can hear a dog whistle, well not really, but you know what I mean.  For those of us that are highly sensitive to noise, we know which day of the week our neighbors gardener is coming with that annoying leaf blower and we might even check the noise decibel rating of a new restaurant before we go.  (This is really a thing) 

I’ve been working from home for about 6 years now and I’ve learned a thing or two during this time about what works for me and what doesn’t.  One thing that is really important to me is quiet.  And when I can’t get it, I need a little extra help. 

I’ve invested in a pair of noise cancelling headphones (https://amzn.to/313LAVU) that have been a game changer.  Initially, I purchased them for a trip I took to Sri Lanka where I knew one leg of the flight from LA to Dubai would be 17 hours.  Noise cancelling headphones were recommended to me as one way to deal with the engine noise for that long.   I ended up listening to a binaural brainwave program (https://bit.ly/33UJwBy) for about ten of those hours and it was pure bliss.  

Since March, my headphones have continued to come in handy.  Now I use these headphones when things get noisy at home.  When my son and I are both on zoom at once (he for school and me for meetings) I make sure I wear my headphones to drown out the background noise.  Or if I’m trying to write a blog post I will listen to a meditation app with the noise cancelling on to fully concentrate.

I love to help my clients utilize what they have to maximize their productivity and find what works for them.  Whether it’s their physical space or systems for their business.

If you or anyone you know is ready to stop struggling with organization and finally get into ease and flow, click here to schedule a call! There really is nothing like working with a coach to help get out of the clutter. 

Getting Thoughtfully Organized for School

School will be starting again in a few short weeks, whatever that may look like.  And the start of school always takes me back to the first days of school when I was a kid.  Brand new sneakers, new pencils, a lunchbox and a very thoughtfully curated first day of school outfit.  I’m a little sad that Asher won’t have an on campus first day of school this year but these are the times we are in.

We had some practice last spring with distance learning so I know I’m going to take what I learned then and tweak some things. One thing I learned last spring was that  Asher needed his own workspace that wasn’t in the dining room.  He needed a proper desk to do zoom school on his own.  I’m not really sure what took me so long to make this change but once we did it was a game changer.

I’m also looking ahead to make sure that my son has activities planned in the afternoons to get him out of the house once the school activities of the morning are over.  Swim team is happening at an outdoor pool so we will make sure that that happens twice a week.  My friend is creating a cohort for after school play dates so that her kids are busy while staying covid safe.  And some families are creating learning pods to share the burden of teaching kids while also trying to work from home. 

Do you or anyone you know have kids that will be engaging in distance learning and need help getting their space ready?  I’d love to help!

Travelling Now

I love international travel.  It inspires and rejuvenates me.  Now that I can’t do it, I’m thinking of it more than ever.   I’m looking back at the trips I’ve taken and looking ahead to where I’d like to go next.

I know that once we are able to travel again we’ll be that much more grateful for the experience.  I know that I’ve completely taken for granted that I’ve been able to plan a trip and fly anywhere in the world I wanted.

Maybe another silver lining in the inability to travel internationally is that it’s the perfect time to get your passport in order.  Who knows when we’ll be able to travel again, but at least you’ll be ready!

Because of the times we are living in and the fact that it’s not the best time to travel by plane, I’ve realized it’s the perfect time to explore the country we live in.  I’m noticing friends posting about amazing road trips they are taking across the country and up and down the west coast.  Camping in national parks and seeing sights they’ve never seen.  I’m planning a trip to the Sierras near Mammoth Lakes in August and am excited to see a place that’s totally new to me.

How can you make local travel fun?  Can you think of three places you could drive to that you’ve always wanted to visit?  Or is there a special place you’ve been meaning to go back to but haven’t made the time?  I’d love to hear about your summer travel plans!

My 6 Week Deep Dive

I’m so excited to share my new 6-Week Deep Dive Online Program for business owners. Over 6-Weeks I will work with you to take a deep dive into getting organized by teaching you high impact habits and providing you with the systems you need to stay organized. The best way to learn is by doing, so I will walk you step by step through each area of focus. 

Week 1: Assess and Identify Your Goals

Look at your current projects and challenges and identify strategic areas of improvement  

For example - 

• Calendaring/Time-Blocking to provide focused work time

• Streamline Meetings and Employee Communications

• Set Project Timelines, Delegate Tasks, and Communicate Milestones

Week 2: Time Management 

In my experience, this is an area of great challenge and it’s important to tackle it early and thoroughly. This week we will take a deep dive into how you are managing your time.

For example:

• Syncing calendars and streamlining appointments

• Identify and Remove any time wasters

• Cut down time of meetings

• Add in personal time for things you love

Week 3: Systems Review

Based on understanding your use of time and time management, we can turn to systems. This is where we determine what tasks you are doing over and over again that can be automated, simplified or delegated. We will look at both systems that are currently in place and also what may be missing.

For example:

• Communication

• Finances

• Physical organization

• Scheduling

Week 4:  Business Habits and Routines

Identify the business habits and routines that are working so we can amplify them and replace the ones that aren’t so you can successfully maintain the progress that you’ve made so far.

• What habits and routines are working well?

• What are the most important habits you need to build into your day, week or month? 

• What are the ways that I can simplify or build them into your existing schedule?

Week 5:  Review Goals and Troubleshooting

At this point you will have had several weeks of getting more organized, implementing changes and working towards your goals. Naturally, roadblocks will appear and this is our opportunity to tackle them and find solutions.

Together we will look at what’s working and what’s not? 

• Identify the things that may be more difficult to implement and streamline further

• Alter a strategy if necessary

• Look at areas where you might be getting hung up

• Identify steps needed to be taken next?

Week 6:  Evaluate  completion of goals and create plan for moving forward  

In concluding our deep dive together, you will be extremely organized, and have been implementing the habits and routines you need to stay organized for several weeks. With that knowledge we will complete our work together with a clear plan on how to continue moving forward.  

Your Workspace Checklist

During the quarantine months, I realized that I didn’t have a good setup for both myself and my son to work at home.   I started by getting him a desk and creating his own space for school at home.  I got rid of an area that had a keyboard because I really really wanted him to take piano lessons and it just never happened.  Luckily one of his electives at school during the lockdown months was beginning guitar and it made me realize that it better suited him anyway and a guitar is portable. 

As an Organizational Coach even I get stuck in not seeing the whole picture and having an objective view of a space. I had toyed with the idea of getting Asher a desk and finally one day woke up and realized, now is the time.

It was a game changer.  Asher having his own workspace helped him focus and be able to really do zoom school well.  Much better than trying to work at the kitchen table, when I was cooking, washing dishes or putting away groceries.

This experience inspired me to create this checklist and I thought it might be useful for you.  Here’s the link to my 10 Ways to Refresh Your Workspace.

If you’d like my checklist, click Here!

Why Everyone Needs a Cheerleader for Their Business

If you own your own business, you know that things don’t always go smoothly and come easily to you. In fact, Between 20-50% of small businesses fail in their first five years. This is a daunting fact.  So if you’re a business owner, don’t hesitate to find someone that encourages you and cheers you on.

It’s an amazing thing to have a cheerleader that roots for you and encourages you to keep going.  Someone that has your back and whispers in your ear that you’re doing an amazing job.

I have that in my Dad.  He’s been my biggest cheerleader from the very beginning.  Telling me how proud of me he is and that I’m doing a great job and usually it’s when I really need it the most.  Any time I send out a newsletter, he’s the first to respond that it’s thoughtfully written or full of great ideas.

It’s his 75th birthday this week and I’d like to honor him so that he knows how much I appreciate his love and encouragement.  He’s been a constant since the beginning and inspired me to always do my best work even when I may have not believed in myself.

I owe a big part of me being a great coach to the fact that I’ve learned how to be a great cheerleader from my dad.  My clients have told me that not only do I crack the whip but I also encourage and inspire them to keep up the great work.

If you’re ready to have a coach and a cheerleader for your business, give me a call!