Finding Focus – Create a Dream Board

I have spent alot of time this weekend scrapbooking –  trying to get my sweet high school senior daughter’s albums up to date (yes – I am behind!!)  I was enjoying the pictures of all the things we have done as a family, the many things she has accomplished, amazed by how much she has grown.   I was scrapbooking events that had already happened.

I realized that there is another way to scrapbook – what about scrapbooking forward by creating a vision of what you want your life to be – what you want to create with your life!?

A dream board or vision board is a perfect way to create that picture.  In my office hang 3 magnet boards.  On these boards I keep pictures, photographs, quotes, cards etc. of things I want to have in my life.

One one board are pictures of places around the world that I will visit one day – the Coliseum in Rome, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, etc.

On another board are pictures of things I will have one day – the red convertible Mercedes I have dreamed of since I could first drive, the house on the lake, my ideal weight.  There is even a picture of red shoes because I love red shoes.  I already own four pairs of red shoes but just looking at the picture inspires me!

The third board has various motivational thoughts and quotes that I read on a daily basis that help keep me stay focused on where I am going and what I want to accomplish.

Some of of my favorites ones are….

“When you pray, move your feet.”

“Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid”

“Remember you don’t have to get it perfect….just get it going!”

Create your own dream board by combining visual images and words that represent what you want more of in your life.

Get out your magazines or search the Internet for pictures of things that motivate you, inspire you, represent things you want to accomplish in your life.

Do you have a goal to travel to a certain destination, earn a certain amount of money, or own a certain kind of car like I do?  Find a picture of it and put it on your dream board.

Your dream board can be made from a piece of poster-board, a bulletin board or a magnet board.  Be creative – you can even just pin or tape things right on your wall or closet door!

The important thing is that you keep it fresh  and visible.  Put it where you will see it every day.  As your dreams and vision for your life change – change the pictures!

So get out your magazines, scissors, glue and tape and get going!

Do you already have a dream board – I’d love to hear what some of the things are on your board.

If you don’t have one – create your future life by creating a dream board.  Let me know how it goes or better yet – email me a picture of it, I’d love to see what you create!

“Imagination is everything.  It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” 

Albert Einstein

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It doesn’t get easier – it only get’s different!

Easter Outfit Issue I thought I would share with you a few pictures of my girls in their “coordinating” Easter outfits.  I posted these on my family blog this week  but thought you might like to see them too.When the kids were little I would get them all dressed in their matching/coordinating outfits and take their picture.  I remember what a frustrating and sometimes exhausting ordeal it was as we would try to get them all to sit still, look at the camera and smile – all at the same time.  With no digital photography you never knew until they came back from the developer if you got a good one or not!I use to think – “When they are older this will be so much easier!”  Well – I was wrong.It’s a lie – it doesn’t get easier – it only gets different!Here’s the proof!

Even mom got in on the act…

Thank goodness for digital photography and the ability you have to waste dozens of photos trying to get a good one.Finally…….

  

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Easter Outfit Issue

I have issues, in fact I have shared one of those issues before.

According to my children though, I have a lot of issues.  One particular issue that I have only manifests itself three times of year – Easter, Christmas and the Week of the Family Photo.

This issue is – the need to have my children’s Easter/Christmas/Family Photo outfits match or coordinate.  Now you would think that with children ages 14, 18, 22 and 24 I would be way beyond that – but I’m not. In fact I spent a fair amount of time at the mall today trying to find “coordinating” Easter outfits for my girls.

We are going with a yellow, black and white color scheme if you’re interested.

Several years ago they put their foot down and refused to wear matching outfits – go figure!

My excuse for this issue though is that it is in the genes.  Look at this picture  of my sister and I from 1970….

And then there was this one from Easter of the same year…

You see my mother had the same problem – the “Matching/Coordinating Outfit” gene.  So of course it was only natural that when I got married and started a family that the gene would kick into gear….

Yes, I made these cute little linen suits for my sweet boys.  Then baby #3 arrived and it was a girl so we branched out into coordinating outfits…

 

And Baby #4 arrived….

Aren’t they cute!

As soon as Baby #4 got a little older and I could find matching dresses for the girls – guess what?

Soon the boys got older and their standard Easter outfit became a white shirt and tie but I still had the girls….

I guess eventually, one day when the children are all grown up and gone from home, I will have to overcome my “Matching/Coordinating Outfit” issue but until then I’ll keep making those trips to the mall.

And then – someday- there will be grandkids!

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Finding Focus – Part Three, The Power Hour

Today is Part Three of our Finding Focus series.

The last few weeks I have shared ideas on how to find focus in your life and homebased business when you only have a few minutes with the Fifteen Minute Focus or how to get focused when you have a whole day with the concept of the Catch Up Day.

But what about the in between?  You have more than a few minutes but not quite a whole day.  Try the Power Hour!

The Power Hour is a technique I learned years ago from  Sue Rusch, a former top leader with Pampered Chef.

The Power Hour is a catch up technique you can use, like the Fifteen Minute Focus when you are feeling overwhelmed and constantly behind.  This technique has helped me to gather that splattered energy and refocus my attention – to focus on what really matters.

Here is how it works – you beg, borrow or steal one hour during the day to devote entirely and totally to your business or some other project you are trying to accomplish.

If you have young children at home, hire a sitter, trade with a neighbor, negotiate with your husband or stay up an hour later or get up an hour earlier than everyone else (this is what I find works best for me).

During this Power Hour you work as hard as you can on that one thing that has been eating at you – those customer care calls you can’t seem to get done (don’t do this one late at night or early in the morning :), the closet that needs organizing, or that exercise routine that keeps getting neglected – whatever it is that has been nagging at you.

A Power Hour is dedicated to one task or a couple of smaller ones.  If you are using this concept to help you get more focused with your business be sure to stay focused on business building activities!

We need to realize we can not do everything – at least not all at the same time.  You need a clear sense of the activities that are worthy of your time and those that will contribute little to your goals and mission.

Confucius said, “The man who chases 2 rabbits catches neither.”

Having the self-discipline to focus on our best activities – ones that create results that are desired can be challenging.

Focusing on the worthy is the golden key to time management, finding focus, balance and life fulfillment.

Here are tips that helped me during my Power Hour:

• Just like with the Fifteen Minute Focus  – use a timer.
• Decide on what your reward will be at the end of your Power Hour – maybe a cup of tea, a movie with your husband or a hot bath before bed or maybe even some chocolate!
• Do not answer the phone during your Power Hour.
• Shut the door to the room where you are working if possible and remember what I tell my children – don’t bother me unless there is blood or you’re not breathing!

In the book “Don’t Worry, Make Money”  Richard Carlson recommends “experimenting with the one-hour solution.”  Spending one hour each and every day, doing what is the critical inch of your business.  The critical inch being the key parts of our business (not simply busy work), income producing activities.

Just this week, I used the technique to help me get caught up on an Internet course I had enrolled in.  I had gotten very behind (15 weeks behind to tell the truth!).   I set aside a Power Hour each day and set a goal to accomplish two lessons a day and now I am almost caught up!

So what is the one thing that has been nagging at you, causing you to feel splattered and unfocused?  Find time for one Power Hour this week and work on that project.  Give it a try and let me know by leaving a comment below how it works for you!

Happy Power Hour!

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Finding Focus- Part Two, The 15 Minute Focus

Last week I introduced you  to my new blog post category – “Nest” with a fun idea of planting your own Easter grass.

Today I introduce my second new category – “Inspire”.  On Monday’s I will be sharing ideas and tips that have inspired me and that hopefully will inspire you.  The majority of them will have something to do with balancing a job/business or just life with a family but you never know what may inspire me during the week!

Before I share this week’s idea  I want to explain why I chose the above picture to represent my “Inspire” posts.

One of my favorite things to do is to sit in my kitchen or my office and watch the hummingbirds out in my garden.  They are amazing little birds.

Did you know that not only can they fly vertical and horizontal but they are also the only bird who can fly backwards.  They are able to hover midair as their wings flap 15-80 times a second!   They amaze me.

So I chose a picture of a hummingbird in the garden – it inspires me and I hope that my “Inspire” posts will inspire you!

You may remember that last week I shared with you a disorder I suffer from – A.A.A.A.D.D. –

Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

Today I will share a strategy I use when I am really having a hard time focusing.

A  Catch Up Day  is a great idea  when you are really feeling overwhelmed with all those unfinished projects and having a hard time staying focused long enough to complete any of them.  But sometimes a Catch Up Day is just not in the picture, so here is another strategy you can use to help you focus on a project that needs to get done!

The 15 Minute Focus

When you don’t have a whole day to devote to those unfinished projects use the 15 Minute Focus.  I found that I can accomplish just about anything in 15 minute increments.

I have cleaned and organized my garage, weeded the garden, gotten caught up on my scrapbooks, sewn a quilt and organized every room in my house by using this technique!

I have learned that you can suffer through anything for 15 minutes (and longer if a new baby is the result of your efforts!)

So what job have you been putting off and dreading?  Is it cleaning the garage, getting those photos into an album or something else?

The trick that really makes this technique work though is that you only do it for 15 minutes.  I use a kitchen timer to make sure I don’t work for more than 15 minutes.  It is important that you don’t think “Hey I’m on a roll, I’ll just keep going.”

The problem with that is that next time you need a 15 minute focus you will say to yourself, “I can’t do this because I don’t have 30 -45 minutes.”  Only work for 15 minutes at a time – NO MORE!

You’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish in 15 minutes of FOCUSED time.  Allow no distractions, no phone calls, etc.  Set a timer!

Tell your family that they are not allowed to talk to you – lock yourself in the room if you have too.  I tell my kids “Unless there is blood or you are not breathing – LEAVE ME ALONE!

(Those of you with younger children will want to make sure another responsible adult is supervising the children!)

So give it a try and let me know how it goes.  Let me know what you are able to accomplish during your 15 Minute Focus.

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Finding Focus – The 5 O’clock Club

Having been involved in direct sales for 17 years I have enjoyed reading about other woman who have been successful in the industry.  Of course, one of the icons of the direct sales industry is Mary Kay Ash of Mary Kay Cosmetics.  She is an amazing woman and I have enjoyed reading about and learning from her over the years.

Years ago, at the beginning of my direct sales career I first read about Mary Kay’s Five O’clock Club in her book “Mary Kay – You Can Have it All”.

Whenever people would ask Mary Kay how she managed to get so much done she would tell them about her Five O’clock Club and invite them to join her.

Yes, Mary Kay Ash would get up every morning at 5:00 a.m.  That extra hour or two each day, before the rest of the world and her family got up, helped her to accomplish all that she needed to do – and she accomplished a lot. I have since read of many successful people who are members of the club too – everyone from Ted Turner to Gandhi.

When I was a young mom, home with 4 small children and trying to balance family with running a direct sales business and everything else in my life, there just weren’t enough hours in my day.   After reading about Mary Kay’s club I decided to join.  Yes – I decided to get up at 5:00 a.m. each morning.  The thing I was struggling with at the time was getting my exercise in each day so I went to the gym each morning at 5:00 a.m.

Now – I’m not going to lie – it was painful, very painful!  But I was determined to make exercise a part of my life and if 5:00 a.m. was the only time I could make it happen – I was going to do it.  I will tell you that it did get easier – not a lot easier – but easier to get up at that time each morning.

I continued the practice of the 5 O’clock Club for a lot of years – sometimes using it to get my exercise in or other times using it to get up and work on projects I needed to accomplish.

As my children got older though and were gone all day to school I stopped being a member of the 5 O’clock Club.  Maybe it was because I had more time to myself during the day to get things done or maybe I just got lazy!  I have found that the busyness of life has it’s ebbs and flows – some seasons are crazy busy and others are just busy.

We are entering one of those crazy busy seasons for the next few months with sweet high school daughter getting to graduate and wanting to be involved in as many things as she possibly can and I want to be right there to enjoy it all too.  I have a list a mile long of all the things I want to accomplish before graduation (including her scrapbooks!)

Several weeks ago I shared with you one of my goals for my Forty Days of Fanatical Focus – completing her scrapbooks  (family goal) and increasing my exercise program. (health goal)

This week it was time to add in Focus Goal #3 – my spiritual goal.  In order to accomplish this goal I am once again joining the 5 O’clock Club – with one slight modification – it is now the 6 O’clock Club!

For the last week I have been getting up at 6:00 a.m. each morning (this is a half hour earlier than normal) to spend quiet time reading my scriptures, pondering and working on a new assignment I have been given at church.  I have been asked to be a Destiny Leader for our church girl’s camp this summer.  Destiny is the “spiritual” part of camp – each day the girls go to Destiny to be spiritually feed and uplifted.  In order to prepare myself for this responsibility I knew I needed to take time each day between now and then to prepare what I would say and share with the girls.

Being 17 years older than I was when I first joined the 5 O’clock Club I didn’t want to shock the old system too much so I decided to start getting up at 6 a.m. for a week and then this week it will be 5:45 a.m. and then I’ll push it to 5:30 a.m. the next week (So I guess it will be the 5:30 club eventually!)

I have loved this extra pocket of time each morning.  It sets a wonderful tone for the rest of my day and is helping me to find the time I need to prepare for my new assignment.

Is there some project you have been putting off?  Are you finding the time in your day for all the things that are important to you?  If not – you might want to give the Five O’clock Club – or maybe the Six O’clock Club – the more members the better!

Let me know if you join and what you are using the time to focus on and accomplish.

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Finding Focus – Part One, Now what was I doing?

Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. -Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.
This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden.   As I turn on the hose in the driveway,
I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.

As I start toward the garage,   I notice mail on the porch table that
I brought up from the mail box earlier.   I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.  I lay my car keys on the table,  put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table,  and notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back  on the table and take out the garbage first.

But then I think,  since I’m going to be near the mailbox  when I take out the garbage anyway,  I may as well pay the bills first.  I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left.

My extra checks are in my desk in the study,  so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke I’d been drinking. I’m going to look for my checks,  but first I need to push the Coke aside  so that I don’t accidentally knock it over.

The Coke is getting warm,  and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke,a vase of flowers on the counter  catches my eye–they need water.  I put the Coke on the counter and  discover my reading glasses that  I’ve been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back on my desk,  but first I’m going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter,  fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote.    Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I’ll be looking for the remote,
but I won’t remember that it’s on the kitchen table,so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I’ll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers,  but quite a bit of it spills on the floor.

So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:
the car isn’t washed

the bills aren’t paid

there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter

the flowers don’t have enough water,

there is still only 1 check in my check book,

I can’t find the remote,

I can’t find my glasses,

and I don’t remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I’m really baffled because I know I was busy all stinking day, and I’m really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem,
and I’ll try to get some help for it,
but first I’ll check my e-mail….

And I thought I was just having a hard time focusing – now I can blame it on A.A.A.D.D.!  This fun little description was sent to me by my sister in law last week and I thought it so perfectly described how some of my days go.

Is it just me or do the rest of you have a hard time focusing sometimes?

I guess this also explains why more times than I’d like to admit I find myself out in public with only half my makeup on.

I have this morning routine.  I put on half my makeup  and then blow dry my hair.  I wait to put on my eye makeup until after my hair is dry because sometimes my eyes water while blow drying my hair and my eyeliner and mascara run.

More times than I’d like to admit though I get distracted after blow drying my hair.  This week I was distracted by deciding I needed to clean out the makeup drawer.

My makeup drawer is now amazingly clean, and you can once again tell the inside of the drawer is white and not every shade of makeup I’ve every worn.  But I ended up out in public again with only half my makeup on.

I didn’t even realize it until I was over at the high school, working in the costume shop, and my sweet high school freshman daughter (aka Makeup Maven) walked in and announced to the entire room – “Mom, you only have half your makeup on!”

One of the moms commented,”Oh, I thought you just had a cold.”

My goal for this week is to stay focused while applying my makeup and not go out in public with only half of it on!

One of the challenges of trying to balance being a mom with a homebased business is dealing with the many distractions we encounter on a daily basis – everything from phone calls, emails, doorbells, laundry, dirty dishes etc.  There are a lot of distractions that come with just being a mom let alone adding a business or job on top of it!

Over the next few weeks I will share with you some tips and ideas for finding focus in your daily life/business so that hopefully I’ll be showing up in public with ALL my makeup on and both of us will be saying the following a little less..

“I start, but I get distracted and never finish.” 

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