The Intentional Advantage

Intentional thoughts can easily be forgotten in the hecticness of our days. Because of this, it's often important that we find a way to remind ourselves to be intentional with our time and focus. How? I'll let my husband, John, be the example for this one. I'm sharing a quick story of the small Jade Dragon he brought home with him from a Chinese market years ago and how you can find your own personal talisman, too.

Mentally and physically investing in yourself means decreased overwhelm and increased productivity and overall happiness. When others push their priorities onto us, though, we're not focusing on what matters most. Today, I'm sharing the 5 simple steps you can take to start intentionally investing in you, the importance of being mindful and how meditation will have a big, positive impact on your daily life.

What's In This Episode:

• 5 easy ways you can start investing in yourself right away
• The importance of whitespace to boost productivity and your mental wellbeing
• How mindfulness will create space between what is happening and your reaction to it.
• Actionable tips to help you get started with meditations (plus a FREE download to help!)

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Tough times are often just parts of life... it's not something we can plan for. Recently, a friend asked me a question that brought up a time in my life when I simply couldn't plan for what I really wanted with my family. Listen and learn why it's important not to stress too much about the plan so we can keep moving forward - one step in front of the other.

We often have this idea of the path we're meant to be on, but sometimes our hopes and dreams get off track and plans are derailed. Today's episode is focused on how you can deal with hardships and negative situations, and I'll share with you exactly how to turn it all around. Learn the the 5 ways you can begin to move forward if you're feeling like everything is going wrong... Sometimes it's all about the grace we give ourselves.

What's In This Episode:

• Impact Bias: How we naturally think about our experiences - good or bad.
• Choosing a positive outlook in the face of hardship so you can move forward.
• 5 ways we can move forward when everything seems to be going wrong.
• How to give yourself grace instead of beating yourself down.

To join Tonya's free, supportive group focused around productivity, just go to inkwellpress.com/group

Have you ever stopped dead in your tracks when you realize you've been prioritizing certain tasks and events all wrong? I have… and today I'm sharing a quick story with you that involves my love for baking, a family tradition and creating unnecessary (and even unrealistic!) expectations for ourselves.

When you prioritize yourself, your time and the tasks that are important to you, you are investing in your future self. Today, I'm talking sharing how to prioritize the right things which will allow you to spend more time on what matters most. Through practicing self-compassion and defining what success means to you, you'll be able to reflect on mistakes and begin to take action to cultivate change.

What's In This Episode:

• Why we caught up in the idea of efficiency, and how to change your mindset towards being effective.
• Defining what success means to you. What does it look like to accomplish a goal with a specific endpoint?
• Examples of tying important goals and values to your mission so that your priorities are not mismatched.
• 5 reasons why we have a hard time mismatching our priorities, and solutions for each.
• Practicing self-compassion: How to quit sacrificing your own needs and interests just for the sake of being 'busy.'

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Why is it that one negative remark or comment can tear us down? How should we deal with these people who want to knock us down, and what can we do instead of questioning ourselves? I want to share my recent experience with you on this, and remind you why it's so important for us to invest in our future selves right now.

In Part 2 of our interview, Marshawn Evans Daniels shares the struggles and stories of investing in our future selves. We discuss the 5 Success Mountains - the areas of our lives we choose to identify with so much, that we may often lose ourselves in them. We're digging deep in this episode on the importance of showing up for ourselves, and living 'bigger so we can live bolder.'

What's In This Episode:

• Marshawn's 5 Success Mountains: Areas we choose to dedicate our lives to, and sometimes can lose ourselves to in the process.
• The difference in gifts and talents, and how you can recognize yours to use it to your advantage.
• Learning the importance of investing in you and your purpose, instead of always playing it safe.
• How to be there and show up for yourself, not just others, so that you are a priority in your life.

If you enjoy these episodes, could you do me a favor? I would love it if you'd leave me a 5-star rating and review on iTunes so that others can discover the podcast and learn more about productivity as well.

After talking to my guest, Marshawn, earlier this week, I wanted to point out something powerful she said. "We have two voices we hear in our heads - little me and future me." If you've ever felt those voices pulling you in different directions, making you wonder if you're worth the investment and opportunity in front of you, today's episode will help.

Today, I'm so excited to be talking with reinvention strategist, Marshawn Evans Daniels. Marshawn is a life coach, author and speaker whose goal is to empower women to find their true purpose, even when they don't think they deserve it. She's sharing her own personal struggles of shame, embarrassment and finding her true calling in her new book, Believe Bigger. After listening to Part 1 of our interview, I'll know you'll inspired and prepared to take risks and go after the opportunities you deserve.

What's In This Episode:

• A major event in Marshawn's life that shifted her path, and how she gained control of her situation.
• How she dealt with shame and embarrassment through the process of personal development.
• The Purpose Map: the 5 Mountains, or stages, we climb as women that are barriers to confidence and our calling.
• Why it's so hard for us to ask for what we want and what we deserve.

Head over to my personal Instagram and enter the giveaway to win Marshawn's new book, Believe Bigger. I would love for you to gain as much inspiration and insight as I did from it!