Work hard, play hard.

Every Entrepreneur Goddess needs and deserves time to play. A few days or weeks away from the office and rat race does a body, mind, and spirit good. When you return to the office and everyday life as you know it, you’ll be that much more productive.

I’ve escaped the rat race for a few days at Mt. Shasta…and beyond!

Stay tuned.

I can’t quite explain it, but something clicked in my brain this afternoon: Am I always in this much of a rush? Do I always live for the next moment instead of the present?

Allow me to elaborate…
I just got back from spending a wonderful afternoon with my dear grandma. Because there always seems to be an infinite amount of work to do or catch up on, weekends included, I find I just have to put her on my calendar or else a week or more will go by and quality visits don’t happen. My plan was to visit at 11, have a quick lunch and run errands with her so I could be back by 2:30 at the latest.

Our quick lunch, it turns out, took over two hours. The lucky people in retirement communities have nowhere else they have to be so lunch, I have learned, is served on European time. Needless to say, I didn’t get back to work until 5pm.

For a large portion of the afternoon, I felt rushed. Needlessly so. Even more interesting is how long it took me to realize I was constantly thinking about the future and not the present moment.  Instead, I found myself thinking about the next activity on our list or the work waiting for me back at the office. I was stressing over nothing when I should have used that time to relax and revitalize.

Remember:
There will always be a list and there will always be more things to do. That’s life. The sooner you accept this and learn to live in the moment, the more relaxed and better off you’ll be. If you don’t learn to do this, you’ll never enjoy what life brings your way.

If you think of only the task at hand, you’ll be a lot more productive. Lists were created so you can give your full attention to the present and think about the future later!

BE PRESENT! Right here, right now.

On a daily basis, or so it seems, I’m inundated with requests to volunteer, donate, or give back in some way or another. From donation canisters at checkout stands to Girl Scout cookies and wrapping paper at my door, the requests seem to be never ending. You help and turn around only to find another request.

As human beings on this planet, especially in such fortunate positions (we are, after all, using the internet which is more than most can afford) it is vital we give back to our communities and world.

Because the guilt factor can be so strong (it’s really impossible to give to everyone), it’s important to find your style of giving. Are you most comfortable spreading your pocket change out among various people and organizations or do you prefer pooling your resources (time and/or money) into one specific area? Both are great ways to help, just know your style.

I enjoy the art of giving and have donated thousands of my own hours and money throughout my life. Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in giving that we forget about our own needs. I’ve seen businesses close because the owners are a bit too generous. If a business closes because they aren’t getting by, they are helping far fewer people in the end because their efforts are not long term and sustainable.

The Lesson: Businesses need a PLAN FOR GIVING.

(Originally posted at Twolia)

The ability to multitask is a highly sought after skill in today’s society. Even those multitasking extraordinaires have an amazing ability to be in the present when micromanaging projects.

[What do I mean by being present? Fully concentrating on the task at hand.]

In order to be more productive, consider the following:

NOISE
For some people, background noise is helpful. For others, it impedes their ability to concentrate. Notice how noise affects you and take the appropriate steps to create the ideal work environment.

DISTRACTIONS
Notice all the small things that distract your concentration. Write the distractions down on a piece of paper and then figure what you can do to prevent these things from getting in your way.
Common distractions/solutions:
-Phone/Turn off ringer during certain hours
-Email/Create designated email moments throughout the day
-Twitter/Turn off TweetDeck and limit the time spent tweeting each day
-Web surfing/Spend a few designated minutes in the morning and afternoon

BRAIN ACTIVITY
You sit down to do something and your brain goes in a million and one “I still need to do this, this, and this” directions. This is one of the most common, yet least discussed, issues. We live in a world where we’re inundated with thousands (if not millions) of messages coming at us every single day. Turn on CNN and you’ll find 24 hours news anchors, stock reports, breaking news, and today’s headlines all streaming across the same small screen. No wonder our brains have issues being present!

One solution I have found to help me regulate my brain activity is mediation. Just ten minutes a day, at any time, helps me to realize how fast my mind moves and calm me down. Even if you start by meditating only a few times a week, you’ll see results.

(originally posted on Twolia)