How To Deal With Feeling Overwhelmed With Tasks

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You know those horrible, and far too regular, days when you are feeling overwhelmed with tasks?

Those days when everyone and everything is demanding so much from you that you really don ‘ t think that you can take it anymore. Those days when it feels like your head is going to explode.

Let me help you manage the overwhelm. IT IS POSSIBLE. It just takes some awareness and action.

#1 – Take deep breaths.

When we are stressed out, the first thing that we do is we stopbreathing. Well, not literally stop breathing, because then we would die. But we do unconsciously hold our breath because of increased tension in the muscles used for breathing.

When you are feeling overwhelmed remember to breathe. Deep breaths into your belly in for 3 seconds and out for 3 seconds. Put your hand over your belly so that you can feel it filling up with air. Do this over and over until you feel a little calmer. Repeat throughout the day as necessary.

It will help you A LOT. I promise.

#2 – Go for a walk.

If it ‘ s at all possible, take some time to go for a walk. There isn ‘ t a woman I know who doesn’t say that her stress levels are always greatly reduced after a walk.

The thing about walking is that it kills two bird with one stone.

Walking encourages deep breathing which calms you down quickly.Also, for some reason, the motion of walking encourages clearer thinking. The rhythm of the stride and the increased oxygen intake can make something that was extremely overwhelming just 20 minutes earlier much easier to manage.

#3 – Identify what is causing the overwhelm.

One of the reasons it’s hard to think straight when you feel overwhelmed with tasks is that you don’t understand what isspecifically overwhelmingyou.

The first step to getting past being overwhelmed with tasks is to identify what specifically is overwhelming you. To do so, make a list of your tasks.

One of the reasons overwhelm occurs is because we know that we have a lot to do but we don ‘ t know exactly what needs to be done and that is overwhelming in and of itself. Once you have a list made of everything you have to do, once it’s laid out on paper, you will have a much clearer vision of what you need to do.

For one of my clients, just knowing what she had to do helped reduce her overwhelm significantly.

#4 – Make a plan.

Once you have made your list, it is time to make aplan. Without a plan, the overwhelm usually doesn ‘ t just disappear. In fact, it can get worse because know you have your list and no way to attack it.

Once my client had created a list then I had her review the list and make another list, this one listing her tasks by priority. Things that needed to be done soon were at the top of the list and things that could be put off were put lower down on the list.

Then, once she knew what her priorities were, it was time to build her calendar.

Here is what we did. Every Sunday night we made a calendar for her for the week. On it, in red, were the things that she HAD to do. Doctor ‘ s appointments, driving to soccer, her half hour walk, 1 hour of writing. And then, in green, were the things that she wanted to get done. Balancing her checkbook, cleaning out closets, making some phone calls. She added things in black as things popped up during the week.

Those items in red were non-negotiable. If an emergency came up and she wasn ‘ t able do a red item then she had to immediately reschedule it for another day that week. It wasn ‘ t allowed to fall through the cracks.

The green items were treated the same but they could be moved to the next week if necessary.

The black were things that tended to get done because they were last minute and she was able to get them done because that ‘ s how she thrived, with a time limit.

She knew I would be checking up on her so she stuck to it as agreed.

It took a few weeks but using her calendar really allowed my client to be as productive as she had always hoped to be. And being so productive ramped up her self-esteem in a big way. She realized that she wanted to keep doing this, on her own, because she liked how she felt and she didn ‘ t want to let herself down. So, she did. I was proud.

#5 – Find accountability.

This is a big part of my role as a life coach. We all need accountability. Someone to encourage us to get things done and to help us figure out why when we don ‘ t.

I know you have your friends and your family and your co-workers to support you but more often than not those people will lean towards supporting you, to listening to your rationalizations and letting you off the hook.

Not me.

I know the importance of staying on track, both for productivity ‘ s sake and for building self-esteem. Productivity is important for its own sake – things need to get done. Period.

Another reason productivity is so important is because of it ‘ s effect on your self-esteem. My clients are always so hard on themselves because they can never get things done, they are so far behind, they let other people down. Not doing these things can boost one ‘ s self-esteem significantly. And having higher self-esteem makes one more prone to being productive. See how that works?

It ‘ s a win-win in so many ways.

#6 – Get some help.

We all need help but we hesitate to reach out for it. I would argue that asking for help is the best way to help reduce feeling overwhelmed with tasks.

Can you hire a housekeeper every other week? An accountant to manage your money? A nanny to give you some hours off? If you can afford to do so, DO! I know it seems like an expensive investment but I can promise you that it ‘ s far cheaper than therapy if you have a breakdown.

So, consider investing in some professional help. If you can ‘ t afford help, find a friend who is a good organizer and barter for her time. Perhaps you can take care of her kids, or bake some cookies or help her finish her work project.

Whatever you need to do, get some help. You will be glad you did!

So, now you know. When you are feeling overwhelmed with tasks there are ways to get past it and get past it quickly.

Next time you are feeling overwhelmed get outside and go for a walk, even if it ‘ s just for 20 minutes. Breathe deeply as you stride. You will see that your overwhelm reduces significantly right away.

As you walk, consider what is overwhelming you so that you can make a list and then make a plan to fix it. And then make it happen. Your life coach can hold you accountable if needs be.

And don ‘ t hesitate to ask for help if you need it. We all do sometimes.

Manage your feeling overwhelmed with tasks. Don ‘ t let it manage you. You can do it!

Are you feeling completely overwhelmed with tasks?

Let me help you learn some tools, NOW, before the overwhelm gets worse!

Email me at [email protected], or click here, and let’s get started!

How To Organize Your Life When You Feel Overrun By Chaos

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Do you often wonder how to organize your life when you are feeling totally overwhelmed by it all?

Is the chaos that is your daily life become just too much to bear?

Let me help!

There ARE things that you can do to get the chaos under control and get things done ‘ ¦.

#1 – Take a few deep breaths.

When we are stressed out, the first thing that we do is we stopbreathing. Well, not literally stop breathing, because then we would die. But we do unconsciously hold our breath because of increased tension in the muscles used for breathing.

When you are feeling overwhelmed remember to breathe. Deep breaths into your belly in for 3 seconds and out for 3 seconds. Put your hand over your belly so that you can feel it filling up with air. Do this over and over until you feel a little calmer. Repeat throughout the day as necessary.

It will help you A LOT. I promise.

#2 – Identify the chaos.

One of the reasons it’s hard to think straight when you feel overwhelmed is that you don’t understand what isspecifically overwhelming you.

A client of mine was SO overwhelmed with her life. She found that she hadno energy to get anything done, she was aways yelling at her kids and she could barely stand being around her husband.

She figured that she was just too stressed out by her day-to-day living and she came to me to help her get more organized.

We talked for a bit and we were able to flesh out exactly what was overwhelming her. She had bills that needed to be paid but didn ‘ t know when. She had money coming in but didn ‘ t know how much. On top of that, there were a million little tasks that needed to get done and she wanted to exercise.

Her mind was just a jumble. She couldn ‘ t move forward.

The good thing was that once we identified what was overwhelming her we were able to start working on a solution.

#3 – Make a list.

An important part of getting things done is to keep a running list.

I used to recommend that clients get a small spiral bound notebook to write down things that need to be done as they think of them. So many of us remember things that need to get done while driving but then forget them by the time we get home. If you have a notebook with you at all times you can keep a running list. And if you have a bound notebook instead of a scrap of paper you are less likely to lose it!

Of course, many of my clients now like to keep their list on their phones. Whatever works for you!!

I had my client make a list of everything that needed to be done. She added to it as new things come and crossed things out that got done (a very satisfying thing indeed).

Just seeing all of her tasks written down on paper calmed her down because it wasn ‘ t all jumbled around in her brain but was there in front of her, clear as a bell.

#4 – Make a plan.

Once you have pinpointed the cause of the overwhelm and made a list of the tasks at hand, it is time to make aplan. Without a plan, the overwhelm usually doesn ‘ t just disappear. In fact, it often gets worse.

For my client, she knew that she had to pay her bills. We worked together to first figure out what was coming in when because understanding that she had some money helped relieve the anxiety around having to parcel it out.

Once we had figured out how much money she had, we built a calendar of what was coming in when and what was due when and then mapped out a plan to make sure everything was paid on time.

When she paid a bill she crossed that one off. When a new one came in she added it. Her bills were organized on her calendar, instead of jumbled in her brain, and they got paid!

#5 – Use a calendar and make a schedule.

The most important part of anorganized life is a calendar and aschedule.

I encouraged my client to sit down every Sunday night with her calendar and her list and charts out EVERYTHING that is happening in the week ahead.

What do I mean by everything?

  • Herworkschedule
  • Her kids ‘ schedule
  • Any appointments that her family might have
  • Time for herself
  • Time for her and her spouse
  • Time spent on social media
  • Things from her list
  • Anything else that might need to be accounted for

Once she makes her schedule, she underlines in RED those things that are priorities and cannot be moved.

As the week progresses, she looks at her calendar daily to adjust it as necessary but if something must get moved, it gets moved immediately so that it doesn ‘ t fall off her calendar and get forgotten.

She makes her calendar, she keeps it with her, she updates it regularly and makes it the blueprint of her life.

#6 – Get help.

It is essential for women overrun by chaos to get help where they need it.

Some women struggle with keeping the finances straight or cleaning the house or cooking dinner. If you need help, get it! Find someone to help you clean or cook or manage your money.

It ‘ s really okay to not do everything yourself.

If an accountant or a cleaning lady is not in your budget, figure out some other way to get help. Your partner and your kids are the most obvious first choices in the help department. They can all help with the cooking and the cleaning and maybe even the finances. They may complain but they CAN do it!

You can also call on your friends to support you and you can support them as well. When my kids were young, the moms all took turns after school taking the kids to various activities. Each of us committed 1 day a week to being the driver, leaving the other 4 days after school open for work or other things.

Either way, you DON ‘ T have to do everything yourself. Ask for help. You will be glad you did.

#7 – Follow through.

The most important part of making a plan is following through. Even the best laid plans don ‘ t work if you don ‘ t follow through.

I have a client who is constantly overwhelmed by her life. She can ‘ t keep her apartment clean, has a difficult time keeping appointments, struggles to do things that involve any planning and who would rather just stay in bed all day.

We made a plan for her to hire someone to clean her apartment once a week and to spend 10 minutes a day neatening up. She was so excited about the plan. And then she didn ‘ t do it. And her apartment stayed a mess. And she continued to be overwhelmed. And even more overwhelmed because she had let herself down by not doing it.

So make sure that you follow through on your plans to deal with your overwhelm. If you don ‘ t your overwhelm could actually truly overwhelm you and that will not be fun.

#8 – Take care of yourself.

More than anything, at the top of the list of how to organize your life when you are overrun by chaos is self-care.

Imagine that you have read the list above and are raring to go – to make a list, to create a plan, to get a calendar, and to get help. You are so excited to get it done and then ‘ ¦.you are so tired on Sunday that you spend the day in front of the TV instead and never get started.

Taking care of ourselves is a key to organizing our lives in the midst of chaos. It is important that we get enough sleep every night, eat a diet that includes at least some fresh fruits and vegetables and that we get at least a little aerobic exercise weekly. If you can add a massage or a pedicure in there even better.

In order to be able to think clearly and act efficiently we need to be healthy. These days it is almost badge of honor in our society to be so overworked that we are exhausted but don ‘ t kid yourself. That kind of living is unsustainable and will ultimately stop you short.

So, when you are building your calendar on Sunday night, make sure you make room in there to take care of yourself. If you don ‘ t, you could be doomed to fail.

Now that you know how to organize your life when the chaos is just too much, are you ready to change things up?

Take some deep breaths, RIGHT NOW. Clear your head and make your list. If that ‘ s all you can do, fine. Come back to that list tomorrow and make a plan, build a calendar and follow through.

You CAN DO IT!!!!

Are you struggling with organization?
I know it’s really, really frustrating. Let me help!
Email me at [email protected] and let’s get started!

 

5 Tips For How To Organize Your Life For Success

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Are you wondering how to organize your life for success?

Have you found that recently you feel like you can barely stay ahead of the chaos that is your life? Are you weighed down by obligations to work, family, friends and self- care? Are you just exhausted and feeling hopeless and helpless?

The good news is is that there is hope and help! There are ways that you can organize your life so that you can stay ahead of the fray.

Here is how ‘ ¦.

#1 – Use a calendar.

The number one most important thing as far as how to organize your life for success is to have a calendar. And use it!

I had a new client who was really struggling with getting things done in her life. She worked full time, and sometimes overnight, and had two little kids. She came to me because she needed help getting organized.

The first thing that we looked at was how much time she had available in the week. It turned out to be very little so I encouraged her stop beating herself up for her lack of organization. You can only do so much with so little time.

That being said, we set out to make her operate efficiently in the little time that she had. The first step to do that was to use a calendar.

Every Sunday night my client would sit down with her calendar and make a plan for the week. She would write down everything that was non-negotiable for the week, like work, appointments, after school activities etc.

Once she had those things registered, she could see where in her week she might have time to get other things done, things like haircuts, grocery shopping and time at the gym. She registered those things on her calendar as well.

The thing about having a calendar and checking it Sunday night is that you familiarize yourself with what your schedule looks like, big picture, for the week. You also know when you have time on your schedule for things that need to get done – you don ‘ t just try to get them done whenever you have might have time.

Calendar use – the number one tool for how to organize your life for success.

#2 – Have a routine.

Once you have your calendar up and running, it ‘ s time to work out a routine.

I encourage my clients to look at what they need to get done every week and to establish a routine around getting them done.

For me, when my kids were young, I went grocery shopping every Tuesday (complete with a typed up grocery list, organized by aisles in the supermarket). I knew when food would be coming into the house and organized accordingly.

I also did laundry on Sunday and Thursday nights. I would do the laundry during the day and fold it at night after the kids had gone to sleep. I chose these days for a reason ‘ ¦TV. In the pre-DVR days we had to watch TV live and Thursday nights was ER. I could justify watching TV because I was folding the laundry!

So, make a routine around your weekly chores and put them in your calendar. You will be glad you did.

#3 – Keep a running list.

An important part of getting things done is to keep a running list.

I used to recommend that clients get a small spiral bound notebook to write down things that need to be done as they think of them. So many of us are remember things that need to get done while driving home but then forget them by the time we get home. If you have a notebook with you at all times you can keep a running list. And if you have a bound notebook instead of a scrap of paper you are less likely to lose it!

Of course, many of my clients now like to keep their list on their phones. Whatever works for you!!

Once you have a running list, when you look at your calendar on Sunday you can see where in your calendar you could get these things done and register them accordingly.

If you know that something on your list needs to be done right away, you can review your calendar for the next few days and see where you can fit it in.

You can also, if you find you have a few free minutes, check out your running list and see if there is something that you can get done in that time. It ‘ s amazing how much one can do in 10 minutes.

So keep a list. Refer to it often. Get things done.

#4 – Get professional help.

If we were all in charge of the world, I am sure that we would delegate our chores to professional help. Who wouldn ‘ t want a personal organizer, a chef or a cleaning lady to take the load off a bit?

I am here to give you permission to do that, to hire some professional help, should your budget allow.

It ‘ s okay to ask for help. This is a chaotic world that we live in and we can ‘ t do it all, in spite of the fact that we think we can.

Imagine all of the free time that would appear if you had someone to mow your lawn once a week. Time that could be used for self-care or so that you could attack that pile of paper on your desk.

If your budget doesn ‘ t allow for professional help, consider bartering with someone to get things done. I used to help organize my friends ‘ houses in exchange for driving car pool. It was a win-win for both of us as I was a great organizer and she had a bigger car!

So don ‘ t be ashamed to ask for help! We all need it!

#5 – Take care of yourself.

More than anything, at the top of the list of how to organize your life for success is self-care.

Imagine that you have read the list above and are raring to go – to get a calendar, establish a routine, keep a running list and get help. You are so excited to get it done and then ‘ ¦.you are so tired on Sunday that you spend the day in front of the TV instead and never get started.

Taking care of ourselves is a key to organizing our lives for success. It is important that we get enough sleep every night, eat a diet that includes at least some fresh fruits and vegetables and that we get at least a little aerobic exercise weekly. If you can add a massage or a pedicure in there even better.

In order to be able to think clearly and act efficiently we need to be healthy. These days it is almost badge of honor in our society to be so overworked that we are exhausted but don ‘ t kid yourself. That kind of living is unsustainable and will ultimately stop you short.

So, when you are building your calendar on Sunday night, make sure you make room in there to take care of yourself. If you don ‘ t, you are doomed to fail.

So there are a few tips for how to organize your life for success.

I know that it seems daunting, doing all of these steps, but really it ‘ s not. All you have to do is start at the beginning.

Get yourself a calendar and start using it. Once you get into the routine you will find that the other pieces fall into place – the establishing routines, keeping running lists and asking for help will come naturally.

Just make sure you take care of yourself. It is always important that you do.

 

 

How To Make It Through The Day When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed And Tired

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Our modern lives are chaotic, jam-packed and exhausting and it can be hard to make it through the day when you are feeling overwhelmed and tired. And because it seems that every day is the same it can be very hard to get ahead of it all.

It IS possible to get through those days overwhelming and exhausting days. All it takes is a little awareness and intention and you can do it!

Here are 5 ways to do so.

#1 – Make a list and prioritize.

When you are feeling overwhelmed and tired just thinking about all of the things that needs to be done can shut you down for the day. And shutting you down for the day is definitely not what you need because that will only lead to more overwhelm tomorrow!

So take a minute and make a list of everything that you think needs to be done today. Once you have a list make a list of everything that REALLY needs to be done today. And then take that list and prioritize what needs to be done first, second and third.

If you know exactly what needs to be done, and you can look at it in front of you, your overwhelm will immediately subside, at least a bit. A big piece of overwhelm is the result of just not knowing what needs to be done.

#2 – Take it one step at a time.

Once you have your list it ‘ s important to start at the beginning.

You have a list and it ‘ s prioritized and now it ‘ s time to take it one step at a time.

Another cause of overwhelm is that we jump too quickly ahead or start to visualize an end result that isn ‘ t what we want it to be and so we get derailed.

So take each item on your list individually. And if something gets in the way don ‘ t give up. Get back to your list and keep moving forward.

#3 – Do something for yourself.

A key part of surviving through exhaustion and overwhelm is to do something to take care of yourself. When we are at the end of our rope our tendency is to put ourselves on the back burner and everyone and everything ahead of us.

It ‘ s important that we take even just a little bit of time to do something for ourselves and recharge our batteries.

What would work for you? Perhaps it ‘ s a walk or a run, a mid-morning croissant snack, tea with a friend, a pedicure or even a massage. Whatever would work for you to make your day just a little more manageable.

#4 – Remember to eat and eat well.

When we are running around like crazy we tend to forget to eat. Or if we do eat we eat something that isn ‘ t good for us.

An important part of fighting overwhelm is to make sure that we eat well, food that will fuel our journey through the day.

What kind of food? Protein is the most important – eggs, nuts, chicken, cheese. Make sure to eat a good breakfast and lunch or, at the very least, keep some protein with you to snack on. A bag of almonds in the glove box can make a huge difference.

#5 – Take a cat nap.

I know you are laughing at the thought of fitting a nap into your crazy day but if you possibly can it will make a HUGE difference.

I am the queen of the 20 minutes nap in the car. I pull over in the shade or sun, depending on the season, put my seat back and snooze for 20 minutes. When I wake up my energy levels are definitely up and I can get through the rest of my day.

So try to make some time to snooze. It will be totally worth it!

This crazy modern life we lead makes being overwhelmed and tired a regular occurrence. And, since tropical vacations aren ‘ t usually available to help us recharge, it ‘ s important that we do what we can do to get through the day.

So make a list, set your priorities and take care of yourself. If you can take care of yourself then you will better be able to take care of others. And get yourself through the day intact and ready for another one tomorrow.

5 Ways to Be More Productive and CHANGE YOUR LIFE

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Lack of productivity can be very destructive. It can lead to overwhelm, which can be paralyzing, and it can be very demoralizing, which can lead to low self-esteem.

Neither of those things help you live the life of your dreams.

There are a myriad of reasons why my clients seek me out to be their life coach but most often a piece of it is that they need some help with productivity. I am happy to report that without exception those clients who were willing to take on their low productivity reported a dramatic change after just a few weeks of working with me.

Today I am going to share with you the work that I have done with my clients so you can learn about being more productive.

#1 – Identify what it is you want. Precisely.

Many of my clients come to me with an idea of what they want from their life. A new job, a better marriage, improved relations with co-workers, how to move forward in a different way. What many of those clients haven ‘ t done is identify what exactly it is they want. Without that knowledge moving forward is impossible.

I have a client who came to me because she was miserable in her job of 15 years but she just didn ‘ t know what to do. She had tried to make adjustments at work so that she could be happier but to no avail. She was stuck with what to do next. Paralyzed in fact.

I asked her where she would go if she left her job. She had no idea. She knew that she wanted out but she had given no thought to where she would like to jump. And, I asked, how would you get to that new place. Again, my question was met with silence.

The next part was quick and easy. We brainstormed new career paths, ideas that made her heart sing. We then cleaned up her resume to reflect that new job she sought. Next she researched job opportunities and applied for those jobs. Within a few weeks she had some interviews and soon after found the job of her dreams.

All this because she identified precisely where she wanted to go. Without concrete information you are stuck. She was. And then she wasn ‘ t.

#2 – Set goals.

Once you know what it is you want to do it ‘ s time to set goals.

I have a client who had created a website and she had been working on it ‘ s blog for almost a year. She had been tweaking and re-tweaking and then walking away, bored and frustrated, only to eventually come back and tweak it some more.

I asked her how determined she was to get this blog onto her site. Scale of 1-10. 10 she said. So we set a date. A date one month later. She put it on her calendar.

One month later, after years in process, after having set goals with me and making a plan, her blog was up.

Was she proud? Did her self-esteem go through the roof? Yes and yes. Awesome!

#3 – Make a plan.

Having a plan is an essential part of being productive. Without a plan you are stabbing about in the dark.

I have a client who HATED going to the grocery store. HATED it. So she didn ‘ t. As a result she didn ‘ t eat well and always felt weak.

I asked her why she hated the grocery store. She said the noise and the lights were annoying, things were hard to find, she never had time to find recipes of things to make, and she didn ‘ t want to spend the money. All valid reasons.

So we made a plan. First we skipped the recipes. I had her make a list of things that she knew how to cook and of things she liked to eat. She made a list using those things as a basis and I helped her organize her list into groups that related to areas in the grocery store. We made a plan of when she could go, at times when it was less crowded. She also decided to wear her headphones so the noise was less daunting.

Last, but not least, we set a specific date and time. And when she was done shopping she had to call me. And you know what? She did it. She has food. She feels better. And she did it again the next week.

#4 – Have a great calendar and use it wisely.

I had a client who had the most lofty goals but she didn ‘ t believe herself capable of following through on anything. As a result nothing ever got done.

Here is what we did. Every Sunday night we made a calendar for her for the week. On it, in red, were the things that she HAD to do. Doctor ‘ s appointments, driving to soccer, her half hour walk, 1 hour of writing. And then, in green, were the things that she wanted to get done. Balancing her checkbook, cleaning out closets, making some phone calls. She added things in black as things popped up during the week.

Those items in red were non-negotiable. If an emergency came up and she wasn ‘ t able do a red item then she had to immediately reschedule it for another day that week. It wasn ‘ t allowed to fall through the cracks.

The green items were treated the same but they could be moved to the next week if necessary.

The black were things that tended to get done because they were last minute and she was able to get them done because that ‘ s how she thrived, with a time limit.

She knew I would be checking up on her so she stuck to it as agreed.

It took a few weeks but using her calendar really allowed my client to be as productive as she had always hoped to be. And being so productive ramped up her self-esteem in a big way. She realized that she wanted to keep doing this, on her own, because she liked how she felt and she didn ‘ t want to let herself down. So she did. I was proud.

#5 – Find someone to hold you accountable.

This is a big part of my role as a life coach. We all need accountability. Someone to encourage us to get things done and to help us figure out why when we don ‘ t.

I know you have your friends and your family and your co-workers to support you but more often than not those people will lean towards supporting you, to listening to your rationalizations and letting you off the hook.

Not me.

I know the importance of staying on track, both for productivity ‘ s sake and for building self-esteem. Productivity is important for its own sake – things need to get done. Period.

Another reason productivity is so important is because of it ‘ s effect on your self-esteem. My clients are always so hard on themselves because they can never get things done, they are so far behind, they let other people down. Not doing these things can boost one ‘ s self-esteem significantly. And having higher self-esteem makes one more prone to being productive. See how that works?

It ‘ s a win-win in so many ways.

Our lives are crazy, jam packed and exhausting. Not being productive can cause overwhelm, and overwhelm can lead you down a path that makes it all worse.

It doesn ‘ t have to be this way. There are ways to be productive and make one ‘ s life a little less exhausting. As you can see above, my clients prove that it can be done.

You can do it too!

Need more tips on being more productive? Contact me and I can help.

5 Ways to be More Productive – Even if You Never Have Been Before

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Lack of productivity can be very destructive. It can lead to overwhelm, which can be paralyzing, and it can be very demoralizing, leading to low self-esteem.

Neither of those things helps you live the life of your dreams.

There is a myriad of reasons why my clients seek me out to be their life coach, but most often, a piece of it is that they need some help with productivity. I am happy to report that, without exception, those clients who were willing to take on their low productivity reported a dramatic change after just a few weeks of working with me.

Today I am going to share with you the work that I have done with my clients so you can learn about being more productive.

Here is my latest: 5 Ways to be More Productive – Even if You Have Never Been Before.

#1 – Identity what it is you want. Precisely.

Many of my clients come to me with an idea of what they want from their life. A new job, a better marriage, improved relations with co-workers, and how to move forward differently. What many of those clients haven’t done is identity what exactly it is they want. Without that knowledge moving forward is impossible.

I have a client who came to me because she was miserable in her job for 15 years, but she just didn’t know what to do. She had tried to make adjustments at work to be happier, but to no avail. She was stuck with what to do next. Paralyzed, in fact.

I asked her where she would go if she left her job. She had no idea. She knew that she wanted out, but she had given no thought to where she would like to jump. And, I asked, how would you get to that new place? Again, my question was met with silence.

The next part was quick and easy. We brainstormed new career paths and ideas that made her heart sing. We then cleaned up her resume to reflect the new job she sought. Next, she researched job opportunities and applied for those jobs. Within a few weeks, she had some interviews and soon found her dream job.

All this because she identified precisely where she wanted to go. Without concrete information, you are stuck. She was. And then she wasn ‘ t.

#2 – Set goals.

Once you know what it is you want to do, it’s time to set goals.

I have a client who created a website, and she has been working on its blog for almost a year. She had been tweaking and re-tweaking and then walking away, bored and frustrated, only to eventually come back and tweak it some more.

I asked her how determined she was to get this blog onto her site. On a scale of 1-10. 10, she said. So we set a date. A date one month later. She put it on her calendar.

One month later, after years in the process, her blog was up after having set goals with me and making a plan.

Was she proud? Did her self-esteem go through the roof? Yes, and yes. Awesome!

#3 – Make a plan.

Having a plan is an essential part of being productive. Without a plan, you are stabbing about in the dark.

I have a client who HATED going to the grocery store. HATED it. So she didn’t. As a result, she didn’t eat well and always felt weak.

I asked her why she hated the grocery store. She said the noise and the lights were annoying, things were hard to find, she never had time to find recipes to make, and she didn’t want to spend the money. All valid reasons.

So we made a plan. First, we skipped the recipes. I had her make a list of things she knew how to cook and what she liked to eat. She made a list using those things as a basis, and I helped her organize her list into groups related to grocery store areas. We made a plan of when she could go at times when it was less crowded. She also decided to wear her headphones so the noise was less daunting.

Last but not least, we set a specific date and time. And when she was done shopping, she had to call me. And you know what? She did it. She has food. She feels better. And she did it again the next week.

#4 – Have a great calendar and use it wisely.

I had a client who had the loftiest goals, but she didn’t believe herself capable of following through on anything. As a result, nothing ever got done.

Here is what we did. Every Sunday night, we made a calendar for her for the week. In red were the things that she HAD to do on it. Doctor ‘ s appointments, driving to soccer, her half-hour walk, 1 hour of writing. And then, in green, were the things that she wanted to get done. Balancing her chequebook, cleaning out closets, and making some phone calls. She added things in black as things popped up during the week.

Those items in red were non-negotiable. If an emergency arose and she couldn ‘ t do a red item, she had to immediately reschedule it for another day that week. It wasn’t allowed to fall through the cracks.

The green items were treated the same but could be moved to the next week if necessary.

The black wire things tended to get done because they were last minute, and she was able to get them done because that’s how she thrived, with a time limit.

She knew I would check on her, so she stuck to it as agreed.

It took a few weeks, but using her calendar allowed my client to be as productive as she had always hoped to be. And being so productive ramped up her self-esteem in a big way. She realized she wanted to keep doing this on her own because she liked how she felt and didn’t want to let herself down. So she did. I was proud.

#5 – Find someone to hold you accountable.

This is a big part of my role as a life coach. We all need accountability. Someone to encourage us to get things done and to help us figure out why when we don’t.

I know you have your friends and your family and your co-workers to support you, but more often than not, those people will lean towards supporting you, listening to your rationalizations and letting you off the hook.

Not me.

I know the importance of staying on track for productivity ‘ s sake and building self-esteem. Productivity is important for its own sake – things need to get done. Period.

Another reason productivity is so important is its effect on your self-esteem. My client is always so hard on themselves because they can never get things done; they are so far behind, they let other people down. Not doing these things can boost one ‘ s self-esteem significantly. And having higher self-esteem makes one more prone to being productive. See how that works?

It ‘ s a win-win in so many ways.

So there you go, my 5 Ways to be More Productive.

Our lives are crazy, jam-packed and exhausting. Not being productive can cause overwhelm and lead you down a path that makes it all worse.

It doesn ‘ t have to be this way. There are ways to be productive and make one ‘ s life less exhausting. As you can see above, my clients prove it can be done.

You can do it too!

Need more tips on being more productive? Contact me, and I can help.

7 Easy Steps to Get Rid of Stuff and Breathe Easier

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We all have stuff. It ‘ s just what Americans do. We collect stuff. Some of us have more of it than others, and some have a more challenging time controlling that stuff.

Having too much stuff can cause a ton of stress.

There is an efficient way to get rid of all that stress-inducing stuff, a few secrets of which I will share with you here today.

#1 – Identify what room needs to be de-stuffed first.

This is the key. If you look around the house and think, ‘ I need to get rid of ALL this stuff ‘ , you will get so overwhelmed that you will just go watch an episode of ‘ Orange is the New Black ‘ instead.

Choose one room. Any room. If you want to start small, do so. Like the mudroom or the laundry. Or even a dresser drawer. Completing the task of de-stuffing that room or drawer, will make you feel so good that it will make you want to tackle a larger room next.

#2 – Give yourself time to start and finish the project and prioritise it.

This is key. You need to make a date with that room that you won ‘ t break. If you try to do this ‘ when you have time ‘ well, you know. Most likely, it just won ‘ t happen.

When planning your week, choose an hour or two (or more) and put them on your calendar IN RED so you will see it, remember it and not change it. If it’s on your calendar, you will likely complete it!

Also, Salvation Army (and other charities) will pick up stuff from your house for free. So, call the Salvation Army and set up a pick up date with them. If you have a deadline to work around, you will be more likely to stick to your throw away schedule.

#3 – Turn on Spotify and set up your speakers.

Throwing away is way easier when done to music. Get out your favorite playlist, wear some comfy clothes and get ready to get down to it.

#4 – Start in one corner of the room.

This is a my special secret and one that WORKS!

In the chosen corner of the room, garbage bag in hand, throw things away. Things that you aren ‘ t using that are broken, that are expired. Put them in that garbage bag. Things you are still using, and keeping get placed nicely back where they belong.

If you aren ‘ t sure whether or not something needs to be thrown out, consider when the last time was that you touched that thing or even thought about it. If it was over 3 months ago, it ‘ s gone. Acknowledge and be thankful for its role in your life, and then say goodbye.

If you come across something emotionally fraught, just put it back and get to it later. Don’t let it shut down your learning out process.

Work your way around the room, repeating this process over and over. Don ‘ t skip ahead. Do all four sides of the room. You can do them all in one session or spread them out in more manageable chunks.

#5 – Use the middle of the room.

As you throw away the things that are broken and leave the things that aren ‘ t, you will come across things that can be 1. recycled or 2. given to the Salvation Army. Put those thing in the middle of the room, in two piles. When you are done, you can put the recycled stuff at the curb and wait for the Salvation Army to pick up the rest.

NOTE: if this step is overwhelming, dividing things into two piles, skip it and get a giant garbage bag. Put it all in the garbage, and don’t look back.

#6 – Take a minute and look around.

Stand in the doorway of that room. Appreciate how de-stuffed it is. Notice how it makes you feel. Less stressed? Recognize that YOU DID THIS. All by yourself.

Appreciating your hard work is a great way to be inspired to keep it up. I used to keep my dining room clean so that whenever I walked by it, I was reminded of what I could do.

If you can do this, imagine what else you can do ‘ ¦.

#7 – Do not buy more stuff.

I know this seems obvious, but it ‘ s what we do. We go to Sam ‘ s Club and think, ‘ Oh, look. This croquet set is so cheap, and summer is coming, and we could play together as a family and ‘ ¦. ‘ The reality is that it may get used once and then put away to gather dust.

Consider purchases carefully before making them. You will not only reduce your stress, but you will save yourself money. Money you can use for a massage or something else that will make your life better.

Getting rid of stuff can change your life. De-cluttering your house can de-clutter your mind, freeing it up for way more important things.

Choose what area of your house you would like to start on, set a date, put it to music and throw things away.

Decluttering your house will free you up for bigger things! How great would that feel?

Get in touch with me NOW to get yourself started. You will be glad you did!

 

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