3 Tips for Keeping on Task

I love Fridays.  I really do.  The one day of the week where I have nothing planned, don't need to leave the house and can just relax and hopefully not have to worry about anyone or anything.
This past week was crazy - my husband was out of town at a conference in NYC and my girls had a ton of activities to be at.  Every time I thought I'd be able to relax, I just couldn't do it.  Something would come up.  I had a schedule all made up for the week but I admit by Friday I really wasn't following it.  So I thought this might make for a great Periscope or blog post... or both.
3 Tips for Keeping on Task
1. Brain Dump
Get all of your distractions out on paper.  Don't do this on your computer.  Make sure you sit down with few distractions at the beginning of the week or at the beginning of a project and write down everything that you have going on for the entire week or everything you need to do in order to accomplish your goal or task.  You can always sort it if you need or want to but it is important to just get every thing out if you can and as quickly as possible.  For particular projects make sure you write down steps involved, what it will take to get things done, time estimates and a plan to accomplish it.  Once you've done this you'll be able to figure out the best way to get started.
2. Create a plan
Once you have your brain dump and can see everything you need to do in regards to a particular project it will help you to create a plan for getting it done.  You can then create a schedule or at least know what it will take to get everything done and how you can accomplish it.
3. Set aside distractions and setting aside the time
Once you've had your brain dump and created your plan of attack, find a time to actually work on getting things done.  This means a quiet time where you can work on your tasks with little to no distractions.  For me, this is nap time between 12:30 and 2 and 3 and 4.  Not a great amount of time.  If I really need time with NO distractions, after the kids are in bed is also a good time for me to get stuff done.
Those 3 quick things can really help you to stay on task or to complete a project if need be.  I'd love to help you more - make sure you check out creditsavvydiva.com and join my FB group where we will be talking more about this in depth there.

Shout Out Thursday

It's that day again where I shout out someone who's encouraged me over the past week in some way or another.  This week I am calling out my friend Kija.  She is amazing.  She recently joined my Norwex team as a consultant and she's going to be taking the Honeybadger 101 Course with Kelly Paull with me starting in October.
She is a ray of light who makes me smile and I know if she were here in Boston she'd be one of my best friends.  I am so grateful for meeting up with her through Periscope and Jamberry.
I will be sending her a quick thank you note just to let her know how much I appreciate everything she's done.  I hope that you take the time to shout out someone who has encouraged you and hopefully send them a quick note to thank them for that encouragement.  Let them know how much they mean to you and how much you appreciate them!
Everyone needs a little bit of encouragement now and again and often times it can be difficult to know if you've made a lasting impact on someones life.  Keep that in mind as you go about your week.

Whatchya Reading?

I literally just finished up a book that I really wanted to share with everyone today.  It's called, So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson.
Now, as many know, the idea of public shaming isn't anything new but with the advent of the internet it has gone to a whole new level.  Things that once went down in private settings are now made public and things that one never had to worry about going viral are now being blown so far out of proportion that viral takes on a whole new meaning.
One of the reasons why this book has resonated with me so deeply is that I have to wonder how I would feel if one of my worst moments were taken and made public for the whole world to see.  It really made me think.  I mean, my children are amazing little people but every once in a while they turn into little terrors who like to create scenes and make life more miserable than it needs to be and sometimes my reaction can be less than stellar.  I try my best to stay calm and to not be anything less than a good person while out and about but every once in a while I can say that's not always the case.  How would I feel if my worst self came out and someone chose to film it or discuss it on a public forum or go out of their way to shame me?  I would be mortified.
I highly recommend this book - even though it really had nothing to do with finances.  Check it out.  You can get it on Amazon for kindle or in paperback.

Podcast Tuesday - What Are You Listening To?

It's Tuesday!
I have been playing catch up over the last few days when it comes to podcasts.  I am SO far behind.  I try to listen to them when I'm cleaning the house or trying to get stuff done but I am easily distracted by little ones these days.
This week I have been listening to Direct Sellers ROCK! which is put out by Power Coach Alicia.  Now, if you don't know who she is let me share a bit.  I first came across her during a free training provided by Melanie Parker over at Party Plan 123.  Alicia is a no-nonsense direct sales coach who does not mince words and will basically tell you like it is whether you like it or not.  She is a powerhouse in the direct sales world and has been a coach for at least a few years now after running a very successful DS business herself.
I recently started listening to her free trainings online and have only recently started listening to her podcast and actually investing in a few of her trainings.
One of the things to keep in mind about Alicia is that she does like to swear and so if you aren't a fan of that, well - I suggest finding someone else to listen to.  She is definitely not into the mushy stuff and she will pretty much say what she wants to say, how she wants to say it.  I personally have no issue with this as sometimes I need a swift kick in the ass.  I am linking to her website here if you want to check her out.

It's like that Joni Mitchell Song

Sometimes life can throw you a curve ball.  Something unexpected.  Something that can really make or break your day.  Sometimes you really have no choice in the matter or how things turn out and sometimes you do.
I want to suggest that there is actually something that can be done when life gives us a not so pleasant life circumstance.  I want to suggest that instead of letting a small something turn into a big something or letting our circumstance ruin our entire day instead of a few moments in time that we start thinking about our blessings and remembering that a bad 5 minutes should not ruin an entire day.  We also need to remember that if a person is rude to us that often they themselves are going through a bad moment and may need some compassion and understanding instead of us getting rude right back.
Yes there are times when life can throw a curve ball or when something can go so entirely wrong it can ruin an entire day, week, month or even an entire year of our lives but we need to learn to control what we can in every situation - our own attitudes - and start remembering that life is going to happen one way or the other.  We have to be stewards of our own time, our own lives and our own circumstance.
I want to encourage you today that while life can be cruel at times, we should not be victims to our own circumstance.  Life will happen, whether you choose to engage or not.  Try to be present.  Try to be a blessing.  Try to be compassionate.  And above all else, try not to let your circumstances take over your life.