I made a mistake
On my way back in town this past Sunday, I was editing my podcast in the car because I knew my schedule was thrown off, and it wouldn’t have been done. I haven’t outsourced my editing to my assistant, because I like to keep my personality and quirks part of the episode. So I edited the podcast in a car full of disgruntled traveling children. Note to self: just don’t!
When I recorded the podcast Skype cut out for a few moments while I was telling Chivon my story. When it reconnected I told her I would edit that part out. So when editing in the car full of distractions that was the one part I did not edit.
So as I listened to the uploaded episode this morning driving my babes to school and I heard myself say, “no worries I’ll edit this part out.” I felt like such a loser. How could I listen and MISS the one part that needed to be edited out. Immediately the perfectionist in me couldn’t get home fast enough. I wanted to delete the current episode, edit the portion out, and re-upload like it never happened.
Then I thought, “girl, you do not have time for ANY of that in your schedule today.” I was thinking how I could move things around to get it done, but it wasn’t plausible. Sometimes I have to have pep talks with myself.
So today’s pep talk went something like this:
Mistakes happen. You aren’t perfect. Get over it. No one cares. Really, no one cares. So what.
After my pep talk, I was fine. I went on with my day. I promoted the episode, because it’s a great conversation. Even the bit I had planned to edit.
3 Chic Tips to Mastery if you ever make a mistake:
1. Own it! Acknowledge that you made an error.
2. Apologize if necessary.
3. Move on! Try not to make the same mistake and keep moving!
Even with systems, you will make mistakes, and thats okay. Don’t let them hold you back. Download the episode on Self-care for solopreneurs. Being kind to yourself is definitely a self-care tactic.
{Tele-seminar} Self-Care for Solopreneurs
Join me for Self-Care for chic + savvy solopreneur women tele -seminar.
December 11, 2014 @ 8PM EST
I’m going to show you the importance of self-care and how it impacts your business, the three pillars of self-care, and how to make time for self-care during stressful times.
What do you do every day? Assess your schedule
What do you do every day? From the moment you wake up *hums I woke up like this*
To the minute you fall graciously asleep. What are you doing?
About a year ago I became very intentional about my time. I was already intentional about my living but had just connected the dots that I wasted a lot of time doing NOTHING. I was busy being busy.
I did an assessment of my days and times. I've since helped hundreds of women to take the same assessments. On average my day starts at 6 am and ends at 11 pm.
Below is a sample of a typical week for me: I do an overview then enter it into google calendar. Click on the image to see it in action. Save yourself a copy.
Assessment of your time:
What time does your day start?
What is your morning routine? Does it include personal time aside from hygiene and getting ready for the day? Do you eat breakfast? Do you cook it? Is it ready made? Are you drinking water? Tea? Coffee? Juice? Do you have babes you need to get ready? Do you drive them to school? Sitter? Daycare? Do you wait for them to get on bus? Etc.
When do you work best? Don't work 9-whatever end time just because you think everyone else is.
what time do you eat lunch? [SN: you need to eat at least 6 times a day]
On what days do you work in your business and what days do you work on your business?
What are your office hours?
Client hours? Content creation hours? Biz development hours? Networking hours?
Do you cook dinner each night?
Do you go grocery shopping?
Of course you have to block off time for Scandal.
Which days are reserved for dates (kiddie dates, lunch dates, and romantic dates with your honey)?
When do you workout?
- When do you shop offline?
3 Chic tips to system mastery
1. Assess your current schedule. Use this PDF to help you.
2. Create a schedule template here. [save a copy to your google drive]
Transfer to google calendar once completed.
3. Honor & respect your time to ensure that others respect your time also.
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Are you a planner or a planner decorator?
In the past few weeks I see EVERYONE on Facebook proclaiming they are planning for 2015. Oh I know you've seen the image:
Just wait until December, we will really start seeing 2015 will be my year images and memes. JUST WAIT!
The calendars are cute and planners are nice, but let's be real if you aren't doing anything but writing and decorating that pretty little planner, you will be in the same exact place that you are in right now.
3 Chic Tips to Systems Mastery
1. Get an accountability partner or have your business bestie review your first 90 days of 2015 with you.
2. Break those plans down. All the way down, so there's no confusion on how you're going to accomplish them. Paper and pen haven't failed me yet for mind mapping.
3. Take action!
System's aren't sexy
Systems aren't sexy.
Most people believe it or not, don't wake up and say "I really need to get my systems together."
They may say “WTF/WTH...why isn't this working for me? I'm doing everything right. I'm doing EVERYTHING my XYZ coach says do. I'm doing EVERYTHING from that course and academy I took.”
Oh it happens.
No one thinks to look at their systems or processes, because systems just aren’t sexy.
Wanna know what is sexy?
Butts! The BOTTOM line! The bigger the better depending on who you ask.
I like butts. Big butts.
I'm a little obsessed with my booty. I worked hard for it. I sacrifice cupcakes and I love cupcakes. I do squats and weighted 180 pounds squats at that. Squats aren't sexy, burpee’s aren’t sexy. and cardio just plain sucks!
Yet the bottom line makes me happy!
Same thing with systems. Systems show you where there's holes in your business and life and help you to patch them up.
A big bottom line for your business equates to more time and more money. Now that’s sexy!
You aren't wasting time on unnecessary tasks if you have proper systems in place. That is sexy!
And you my friend, are a sexy beast! Don’t let the lack of systems or improper systems decrease your sex appeal.
Here are 4 systems that every business needs to have:
Daily System
Content Creation System
Money Generation System
Marketing System
These 4 systems can be broken down into itsy bitsy processes to make sure you don’t leave room for error. As sexy as we are, we’re prone to an error here or there.
If you don’t have any system in place today...I want you to pull your left hand out and put it in front of you then pop it with your right hand! Now that we got that minor portion of corporal punishment underway.
The first system that you should implement is a Daily System, which is a group of systems that is pertinent to everyone who has goals to be accomplished. Daily Systems include daily schedules to include personal [yours + your babes if that applies + your huni if that applies] and business; self care routine, time management processes and organization.
Soon, I’ll share a process with you that I use with my clients to help them to maximize on their day and add to their daily system. However, for now here’s a downloadble PDF that I use daily in mapping out my day.
Live. Love. Action.
Watch Ellen’s Anaconda vide for a good laugh
- Call a friend and ask them what was the funniest thing that happened to them last week.
Download the PDF and get your day(s) rocking!
What are systems?
Systems are the rules you create for your business. You're the boss, you're the mama, your rules!
You just have to make sure your rules are for the greater good of your business.
Systems are documented practices that you do in your business over and over and over.
However many solopreneurs don't have systems or they don't follow the rules. Things get done here and there. Solopreneur success does not come with here and there shooting from the hip.
Systems have checks and balances.
Systems ensure that things get done.
Systems allow for you to get sick and your business' immune system goes untouched.
Systems automate your business.
Systems eliminate overwhelm because you already have plans in place for this or that.
They allow for you to hire and outsource tasks.
Systems allow for you to have more free time to do whatever makes your heart smile.
So many people talk about the hustle and bustle in business. Rest and FUN are just as important.
Systems allow for you to make more money.
So that's more time, more money, more fun.
What systems do you have in place?
Action Jackson
Evaluate your daily systems.
What do you do over and over in your business?
Write out one system in your business structure.
Google Drive
No secret Google and I are pretty close. Hey G! We're besties.
Google Drive is one of my favorite tools.
I didn't start using google drive effectively until this summer. Previously I was just saving pictures randomly and things I bought from Fiverr.
Google Drive from now on will be referred to as “GD” because well it's shorter and this whole post is about Google drive.
Okay, glad we're clear on that.
GD gives you 15GB of storage which doesn’t include the documents, spreadsheets, forms and presentations that you create within GD. Can you say, “SCORE!”
I create folders in GD for everything.
Okay folders...who cares? We do!! Organization is the key to streamlining.
DOCUMENTS
I write all blog posts, site copy, love letters, EVERYTHING in GD. I have a list of hashtags that I use regularly on Instagram. Life saver!!! Especially if you have the GD app on your phone and you’re out and about getting your instagram on.
Now see I used to do these things in Evernote BUT Evernote and Macbook must have a dysfunctional relationship because the Evernote app wouldn't open for weeks and even going to Evernote’s website wouldn't open, but when on a windows computer it would work. All that drama was too much for me. I was tweeting them every other night. I don’t even tweet that often, so they probably flagged me as spam.
GD has a wonderful feature “revision history” that keeps track of the revisions when you make changes to documents created and edited in GD Documents.
GD allows you to share folders and documents with others. Genius! So if you have a collaboration no need to send things back and forth or upload to another program. You can control the settings so if you want to give the other party access to edit or just read. Both of you can edit at the same time also. You can share folders and documents/spreadsheets/forms/etc.
SPREADSHEETS
I love spreadsheets! They help me to stay organized. My editorial calendar process begins in a GD spreadsheet. [I’ll share my editorial process one day, just know it’s truly a process, but it ROCKS] My biz and personal budget are spreadsheets in google drive. Social media & promo tracker are also GD spreadsheets. Same sharing capabilities.
FORMS
You can create surveys and such to query your clients. I created a calendar for my mentoring girls based on a calendar another user created.
If someone emails me an attachment I can save it right from gmail to guess where... GD. I can even be in gmail and access GD to send an attachment.
Google Drive has an extension within the Chrome Browser called Save to Google Drive which is an excellent way to save images, links, and documents from websites.
Google Drive can be used offline.
Google Drive Folder can be added on your computer similar to Dropbox feature.
Here is an awesome reference that I bookmarked with 100 Google Drive hacks.
Are you using Google Drive? Let me know how you’re using it.
Live. Love. Action
Be adventurous and try something new this week.
Create something awesome in Google Drive to share with the world.
Organize your folders in Google Drive if they aren’t already.
Ignore the noise
People are full of a lot of things. One thing in particular is advice. We all love to tell someone what we think and how they should do things. Often times this advice is unsolicited. Then there are times when we ask for the advice.
Be Careful what you ask for.
Agendas. We all have one. Sometimes advice get tangled in someone's agenda.
And this isn't in the paranoid sense that someone is out to get you.
However, their agenda frames their thought processes. So in times things that they say to you truly don't apply to you because their frame of reference is coming from where they are & have been.
Ignore the noise.
Once you get clear. And I mean super clear of your values...don't deviate from them.
Your values will help define your goals, passions, and purpose.
If something or someone doesn't align then...ignore the noise.
If you are following social media accounts that aren't positive...delete them. Even if it's someone in your family...DELETE them.
If that makes you uncomfortable since social media is so important to many, hide (facebook) mute (twitter) them. I'll block someone, family or not so QUICK!
My peace and purpose are far more important than a simple "we follow each other." And it doesn't mean I don't love or like the individual. It just means we aren't aligned and I don't want their "stuff" in my subconscious.
Everyone does not deserve to be a part of your subconscious.
If you’re on email lists that aren't helping you to get where you need to be, unsubscribe.
Living intentional takes some work until it becomes automatic.
Learn to discern what's for you and block the rest.
Ignore the noise.
Noise is essentially anything that distracts you from completing what's necessary.
Some coaches will tell you to stop watching television. Television is not the devil. [SN: scandal comes back tomorrow. Let's all have a silent scream fest!!!]
Okay, back to business. Watching tv, reading books, and listening to podcasts or webinars are all okay. Now when these mediums distract you from completing what you need to do...they become noise!
Ignore the noise!
Comparison + Research
Remember in school when the teacher said to keep your eyes on your own paper. You know the saying "stay in your own lane."
This right here will eliminate all sorts of noise and self doubt. Comparing yourself to others takes time away from what you could be improving on. Researching others offerings and services and processes takes away time from you researching what you need to do. Carbon copies are so 1990. You're too fly for that.
Live. Love. Action
1. Unplug from social media from time to time + unfollow + block when necessary.
2. Brain dump weekly at minimum.
3. Smile & nod @ unsolicited and solicited advice and do what feels best to you.
4. Unsub from mailing lists you never read and (or) aren't providing you value.
5. Stay in your lane
6. Call someone you love & ask them what was the funniest thing that they have experienced today.
Virtual Board of Advisors
The past two weeks I've been doing a lot of work with my non-profit board. The brillance that my board brings overwhelms me. Initially I was apprehensive to having a board of directors. However, a non profit organization requires boards for multiple reasons which I now understand.
“If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”
I decided I needed a virtual Board of Advisors. Here's my board:
Oprah
Beyonce
Myleik Teele founder of CurlBox
Maya Angelou
Steve Jobs
Barack Obama
Michelle Obama
Serena Williams
Kelly Cutrone
Darren Hardy
Iyanla Vanzant
Just as with my Board for Divasinc. I learn and apply from these amazing individuals and apply the lessons to my life and businesses. I read their books, I pay attention to what they do as well as what they say. If they recommend a book or another amazing mind, I check that person or resource out.
I know some people idolize celebrities and this isn't what any of this is about. Although I do love me some Beyonce. This is about taking inspiration from their success. When Beyonce released Beyonce without any marketing and informed the world via instagram at midnight *picks life off the floor* I immediately purchased it. Then was in awe at her tactic. She created New Rules. And those rules are there aren't any rules. You want "it," go get "it." Everyone talked about the release.
That's one thing about all of my advisors. They all are game changers and have made their own way.
I try to take what they say and represent then filter it to work for me.
Live. Love. Action
1. Who is on your virtual Board of Advisors?
2. Who inspires you?
3. Take it a step further. What gems do they give that you can apply to your life and business?
Monday Motivation: Be you!
I interviewed Monique Koch on Dreamer's Paradise. Check the episode out here. Here's a takeaway from our conversation:
