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.

Zen Credit

We live increasingly busy and demanding lives. So much to do, so little time. We spend our lives worrying about the things we both can and can’t control. Our active days and the information-heavy world we live in can easily drain our energy, which leads to a lack of productivity and creativity.

When did you last take a moment during the day to recharge your batteries? It doesn’t have to be complicated and you don’t need a special space. You can literally take a minute anywhere. I found this video thanks to a fellow goddess who is also passionate about empowering women :

Benefits of taking a minute for yourself:

• Increased productivity
• Increased creativity
• Sleep well at night
• Avoid burn-out
• A feeling of peace
• Better judgment
• Sound business decisions

If you’re at the computer all day and need a reminder to take a minute, PeacePulse offers a download to help. Every hour, a pleasant ping will remind you of yourself.

Food for thought: Mental happiness is total relaxation.

In my last post, I briefly discussed your options for doing something when you feel like doing nothing. I mentioned that you have two choices: take a step back or persevere.

However, I don’t feel like I was clear enough about a compromise between the two. Yes, there is a middle road. If you learn to organize your tasks properly, you can easily figure out what needs to be done now and what can be put off until later.

The good news is that fancy project management software is not needed. Get out a piece of paper, a pen, and your calendar. Here are a few simple steps to get you started:

1. Create Macro List: Make a list of everything you need to do.

2. Next to every item, establish a due date.

3. Circle what is due today and tomorrow. Add a checkmark next to items due today. Start these tasks ASAP starting with the check marked items.

4. Create Micro List: Break down the remaining (uncircled items) into action steps and assign each step a realistic due date.

5. Transfer Macro and Micro due dates to calendar.

TIP: Color-code your Macro and Micro Lists. It’s easier to see everything at a quick glance.

Now that you know how to prioritize like a project manager, if you ever feel like taking a moment to rest, you will have a birds eye view of your schedule and immediately know if (and on what tasks) you must persevere.

Photo Credit: www.chagrinvalleydir.com

Have you ever felt so overwhelmed with work, projects, and life you simply had no idea where to begin or what to do?

Sound familiar? For many of us, that feeling of having more on our plate than we can handle seems to come along more often than we would like. Here are a few simple tips on how to deal with your overwhelming life:

1. Learn to say NO.
It is so hard to say NO to potential customers, especially when you are first starting your business. Entrepreneur Melani Gordon says that when she first started her service-based business, she would say yes to every client who walked in the door. Eventually she realized that she “can’t be everything to everyone” and began being more selective with her clients and types of services offered.

This being said, you also need to learn to say NO to time-consuming projects that might not be a great fit for your long-term goals. As a successful small business owner with brains, you might have people knocking at your door with different business ideas, ventures, and proposals. Learn to say NO. If it doesn’t fit into your business goals and area of interest, do not be afraid to say so. Despite what they say, you are not the only one who can do the job, so let someone else.

2. Divide your life into compartments and make appointments with yourself.
Pull out your planner, make a list of everything you have to do, figure out deadlines, and prioritize. Now make appointments with yourself and keep them. When you are working on a project, you already have an appointment with that project so do not let anyone else take away from this time. I’ve had many entrepreneurs tell me that many new customers really can wait another week or two until you have the time to meet with them. This, of course, depends on your line of business.

I divide my life into work life compartments and personal life compartments. Even in my personal life I have my must do activities: clean, exercise, visit with friends, spend time with my spouse, and travel. Some things are higher on my to do list than other things (I never claim to be Martha Stewart). Never let your work time interfere with your personal time and never let your personal time interfere with your work time. It’s all about balance.

3. Take a step back and relax.
There are times when you have to say enough is enough and simply take a step back. If you are feeling stressed, sometimes if you leave everything and take a step back for a few minutes or hours, you can come back feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the world. We all need a break, so take one. Go for a walk, inhale and exhale the fresh air, meditate, do something else, or try working on another project for a few minutes. Come back to your activity after you have had a short break and try again.

4. Just do it.
It’s not just a Nike slogan. Quit putting your project off, sit down, and do it! Why waste more time while other things pile up? Live in the moment and do it now.

Katie Skow
Entrepreneur Goddess