The Intentional Advantage

What if I told you that you don't need as much time as you think you do? That you actually have all the time you truly need, right now. Today I am going to be talking about prioritizing you and saying no to others so you can say yes to yourself. We're diving into the 5 ways you can intentionally make time for your goals by rethinking the pockets of time you have, cutting out time-wasters, and letting go of distractions that hinder your success. If you've ever felt like you were in a crunch for time, you'll want to hear today's episode.

What's In This Episode:

Rethinking what it means to be "busy"

Living by your own rules and not worrying about what other people think

Feeling okay with where you choose to spend your time

Letting go of projects that are potential distractions to your success

5 ways to intentionally make time for your goals

Knowing where to focus can be a huge barrier that, if faced successfully, can have a profound impact on our lives. Today I was joined by Taska, an entrepreneur facing a curveball in her personal life that has her feeling off track and unsure about where to focus so she can continue to grow her business. We talk about prioritizing tasks that will get you closer to your goals and honing in on the vital few rather than the trivial many. I share how to use themed days to focus on specific tasks and how the 80/20 rule can help you make a more significant impact.

What's In This Episode:

Supporting your work life when your personal life has thrown you a curveball

Prioritizing what you need to do to get closer to your goals

Designating themes to specific days to help drive yourself forward and focus

Using the 80/20 rule to help design your life

Too often, we let our days pass by in a blur, with each one scrambled together with countless tasks and events. Today I want you to take the time to slow down and savor moments throughout your day. It's up to us to create more joy in our everyday lives. By carving just a few minutes into your day to do what you enjoy, you could be setting the foundation down to create a memorable, joy-filled day that you'll cherish and think back on for years to come.

What's In This Episode:

Taking the time to slow down and savor the moment

Creating memories for every day of your life

Stopping and making time for yourself so you can do your best work

Finding the joy in missing out

Creating and sticking to new habits is always a challenge within itself, but it's definitely doable. If you're looking to start some new healthy habits, then you'll want to hear this episode with today's guest, Brenda. If you're a member of our Facebook group, then you likely know Brenda because she's always quick to lend support and encouragement on different posts. Plus, she's hilarious. Right now, Brenda's in a transitional period in life. She's decided to step away from her day job to pursue her passion for ministry. We discuss how she can use her current habits as a springboard for creating new ones and using cues as triggers for developing them. We also touch on determining the bigger "why" behind the habits you wish to create.

What's In This Episode:

The 4 Steps to Creating a Habit

How to use existing habits as springboards for new habits

How to get rid of excuses you make for yourself

Creating ways to record your successes and giving yourself grace when you stumble off track

Oftentimes, we're way too hard on ourselves when it comes to our habits and discipline. We spend so much time feeling down about veering off track that we forget that nobody is perfect. It's okay to have off days. Today I talked with Stacy, a busy career woman who has a two-hour commute to work and, on top of that, manages income rental properties out of state. We dive into how she can use the 4 A's to overcome the hurdles she faces and the tiny steps she can take to get back on track. I touch on discipline, how to acknowledge that you're doing a lot better than you give yourself credit for, and why you should find an accountability partner to support you on your journey toward your goals.

What's In This Episode:

Veering back on track when you realize you aren't quite where you want to be

Realizing that what you see in other people's lives isn't always accurate

Acknowledging that you're doing better than you give yourself credit for

The 4 A's to overcoming an obstacle

Finding an accountability partner to support you

Considering what tiny steps you can take to get back on track

Have you ever wondered how to focus on your passions and priorities when you feel stuck doing mundane tasks like laundry, buying groceries, and paying bills? I think it's safe to say we've all been there, but I'll let you in on a secret - systems. Today I had a conversation with Laura, a wife and mother of two sons, ages 10 and 12. She has a Ph.D. and works at a university with faculty, students, and staff to support the use of technology in the curriculum. We dive into how she can make systems work for her so she can live a life that's more centered around her priorities. We discuss embracing yourself and the imperfections we all have, zoning in on areas that need a system in place, and making others responsible for their own productivity systems.

What's In This Episode:

Zoning in on specific areas that need a system in place

Giving people responsibility for their own productivity systems

Getting systems up and running to put your tasks on autopilot

Using a springboard to help you overcome obstacles

Embracing your imperfect self

Whether we know it or not, we're all managing a team. It could be a work team or our family; the concept is still the same. We have to continually work to build our team mentality and to have everyone contributing to the greater good of the group. Today I was joined by Kristi, a busy career woman with three teenagers and a husband who is feeling like she needs to take some things off of her plate. She shares how her family's hectic schedule poses a problem for outsourcing tasks. Together we create a plan for empowering her family members to take ownership of their assigned responsibilities. I discuss how outsourcing gives others the gift of being able to uplift us and the role communication plays in building a team mentality.

What's In This Episode:

Understanding that you really can't "do it all"

Empowering our team to feel like they have ownership over their choices and days

Tackling outsourcing one chore at a time

Allowing others to lift us up from time to time

Using communication to help team members learn their roles and the values they bring

Some people tend to think of delegating tasks as a way to free up some of their time. While it certainly does achieve this, it also empowers those around you to take ownership of their responsibilities while strengthening the camaraderie of the team. In today's episode, I talk with Susan, an overwhelmed mom of four, teacher, and caregiver of her mother. We chat about the steps she's already taken to start delegating and how she can continue to delegate even further without feeling like she's nagging. I emphasized the importance of creating a shared vision, setting expectations, and mapping out exactly what those expectations look like to those around us.

What's In This Episode:

Getting comfortable with the idea of delegating tasks to others

Carving out space for yourself, no matter how busy you feel

Setting expectations and mapping them out to others

Letting people take ownership over their assigned tasks and creating a shared vision

How to successfully delegate tasks to others

When we have a big dream, it can be a challenge to have to wait before having the chance to pursue it actively. But sometimes, it's necessary. Maybe the timing isn't right; maybe you aren't financially ready. Whatever the reason, there's a silver lining to waiting. That's what I discussed with today's guest, Tyanna. Tyanna is a wife to a retired army infantry soldier who is currently going back to school, and she is working to support him in his big dream while raising their two-year-old daughter. She also has a dream of her own that she has put on hold for the time being. Tyanna wants to take the leap into entrepreneurship. We discuss how to choose a timeframe for when you'll be ready to leap and how to find hidden pockets in your day to work on tasks that will help you reach your bigger goal. I also dive into the concept of reframing it from waiting time into preparation time and using that time to start building the foundation for success.

What's In This Episode:

Recognizing that you play several roles well: a mom and a successful business owner

Reframing how you look at the goals that you're pursuing

Choosing a timeframe for when you want to take the leap

Looking for hidden pockets of time to focus on tasks that help you reach your bigger goal

Deciding what your "time-wasters" are and cutting them out

Optimism permits you to dream big. Today I am joined by Jess Ekstrom, founder and CEO of Headbands of Hope, an expert in optimism and the author of Chasing the Bright Side. Jess came on to share her realization that bad things can happen to anyone, and why, despite knowing this, she chooses to look at the bright side of life. She shares how you can choose to live in the fear of the unknown or live in the excitement of the possibilities of what could happen. She also dives into why she'd rather try and fail than to regret never trying, and why you should give yourself permission to take small steps toward your dreams.

What's In This Episode:

Why Jess came to the realization that anything can happen

Deciding between the fear of the unknown or living in the excitement of possibility

Jess's thoughts on why she'd rather fail than never try

Giving yourself permission to make the small steps toward your goals

Staying optimistic and Jess's belief of what could happen if everything worked out