The Peace and Productivity Podcast

Do you need some help in structuring your business? In this podcast episode, Sarah discusses the challenges of time management and productivity as a busy mom. She introduces Brittany Dixon, a guest who specializes in simplifying productivity and time management. 

 

Create a Unique System

 

Structure in your business and your life provides freedom. It provides the freedom to choose how to organize your life and ultimately if done in a way that works for you, you can have more freedom to do the things that you love. Creating a unique system and staying organized is not easy for everyone. 

 

Everyone is not that type A person who needs organization. Brittany shares the importance of making organization a habit and learned pattern, where repeating organizational behaviour over and over can lead to the ability to create a system. There will come a time when you need to re-evaluate a system. This could be due to a new season or a life changing event that causes you to reorganize the way you run a business or live your life. Pick a time to reevaluate what no longer works and put new systems in place.

 

Create a Clear Vision

 

Brittany shares the importance of having a clear vision of where you want to go, especially as it relates to business. She uses the analogy of going on a roadtrip with no end destination and that everyone has a few stops along the way. It is important to have the destination in mind so you are not lost and confused on what you need to achieve and accomplish.

 

Brittany talks about her top 3 non-negotiables for systems for all business owners. The first is having an organized digital workspace. It is crucial to have a digital workspace that is organized so you don't lose information and it works to your benefit. Whether it's a software where you take notes or make lists or a file sharing platform, it needs to be very organized and up to date. If not, you are wasting time searching for information. The second non-negotiable is task management and having a system to track and delegate tasks. The third is a customer service manager (CRM), which is where you store your contacts, customers, leads and potential clients. All of these allow business owners to move quickly and stay successful.

 

Create White Space

 

It can be tough to not fill every inch of your calendar with a task. Some may feel if they don't, they get into the habit of procrastinating or slacking off. Brittany shares the importance of not filling the white space. The white spaces on a calendar are empty slots in between other tasks. It is important to use that white space for self care or fun things in the middle of the day. Use the white space to work out, go for a walk, take a nap or do a fun activity. Every inch of your calendar does not need to be filled up unless you want to burn out!

 

The 3P’s of Business

 

Lastly, Brittany teaches about the 3 P’s of productivity, which are process, plan and prepare. She shares how she created a process of carving out 15-30 minutes at the end of the day to plan for the next day. The planning portion involves sitting down and going over everything you need to get done. Take a look at the calendar to see what you will be doing over the course of the next day or week and plan accordingly. This all allows you to feel prepared for the next day.

 

➡️ Take a listen to learn more!

 

Episode Highlights:

10:51 The importance of systems

15:41 How to reevaluate systems

20:47 Have a clear vision and purpose in order to make progress

22:00 Brittany shares her top three non-negotiable systems for business owners

28:51 Exploring the significance of intentionally creating white space

 

Connect with Brittany:

• Website

• Podcast

• Facebook 

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

 

Links Mentioned:

• The Peace and Productivity Planner 

• Podcast

• Free

 

Do you want to learn more about organizing your space and your life? In this podcast episode, Sarah introduces Jenny Layton, a leading organization expert and mindset coach. They discuss Jenny's approach to organization, which encompasses mindset, space, time, and calendar management. 

Creating a Home Base

 

Jenny talks about how important organization is in people’s lives. Organization does not only apply to labeling bins and organizing physical items, but it is about the ways people take care of themselves and their families. Jenny refers to this as “home base”. A home base is an area in your home that when it is clean, you can think clearly, but when it is messy, you get overwhelmed or edgy. For many, this could be the kitchen or the bedroom.

Organize for You

 

It is important to ensure organization serves you. Jenny shares how many clients feel like they don't have their lives together because they see others on social media with clean homes, an organized calendar and a “perfect life”. This image of organization is going to look different for  everyone. You need to find a method that serves you so you don't feel like it is not a target you can reach.

 

Tangible and Intangible Clutter

 

Jenny shares a simple tool people can use when they are overwhelmed and feeling all tasks are becoming a priority. This involves getting all the thoughts in your head out on paper. There is both tangible and intangible clutter. This involves physical clutter and clutter in one’s head, such as thoughts and actions. Write a list of all the tangible clutter in your home and all of the “clutter” in your head and categorize them (ie. errands, cleaning, meals, etc.)

 

In collaboration with this physical list is the three D mind dump that Jenny shares. These stand for delete, delegate and delay. “Delete” are items that do not need to be done today and can be completed at another time. “Delegate” are tasks that can be put on another individual. This could be picking up groceries for dinner or getting the laundry together. Ask others in your household to help so you feel supported. “Delay” are things that cannot be done today, but will be pushed to the near future such as tomorrow or next week. You can plan time in the calendar for these tasks so you have time to focus on them.

 

Imperfect Progress

 

Having a busy life with many moving parts can lead to issues with perfection. Jenny shares the mantra of: “Done is better than perfect”. This can really create a mindset shift for people who struggle with perfectionism. Realistically, no one has the time to do every single task perfectly, especially with so little time. It is important to remember to focus on getting tasks done and not focusing on perfecting them.

 

If you are really struggling with keeping something in your home organized, start small and work your way up. Maybe focus on re-organizing your kitchen cabinet, your spice drawer or cleaning supplies. Give yourself more time in the calendar to commit to this small project to ensure it gets completed. Think about things you no longer use or need and think about where the items would be better suited in your kitchen. Design your space in a way that works well for you!

 

➡️ Listen in to learn more!

Episode Highlights:

6:09 How organizing our physical space can have a direct impact

7:41 Introducing the concept of "home base".

10:52 Understanding that organization should serve you

19:54 The three Ds

 

Connect with Jenny:

• Website

• Podcast

• Facebook 

• Instagram

• YouTube

 

Links Mentioned:

• The Peace and Productivity Planner 

• Podcast

• Free

 

Is achieving a positive mindset difficult for you? In this podcast episode, Sarah introduces Mindi Huebner, an intuitive mindset mastery coach, and they chat about the importance of mindset and empowerment in our lives. Mindi delves into the science of how our brain works, how to have a better mindset and what tools to use to achieve this mindset.

  Structure is freedom

 

Mindi shares the belief that structure is freedom. In order to be productive, you need to have control of your calendar (whether that be physical or mental). Knowing what needs to be worked on, where you have space to do something personal and when to sit down and focus is a great way to ensure you have a positive mindset.

  Becoming a Belief

 

Mindi shares some insights on how our brains work and how it leads to different mindsets. She shares that our brains delete, distort and generalize everything. For example, if you think that you are overwhelmed and you keep telling yourself that over and over again, it becomes a belief. Being overwhelmed becomes an “I am” statement and it is now your identity. It is what you are in the moment. At this point, you create habits to prove to yourself that you are overwhelmed. You have to make a decision on if you will continue to be overwhelmed or reverse it by believing something else. This could be an empowered or a reassuring statement. Using this habit can really change your mindset for the better.

  Negative Mindset

 

Many people struggle with limiting their beliefs, especially if they do not have the ability to reverse a negative mindset. A limiting belief holds someone back from achieving their potential and living the life they deserve. These beliefs usually stem from what we know as our “comfort zones”, where we are too afraid to venture outside of it to either learn something new or take a risk. Getting out of limiting beliefs involves getting into better habits, which will take time. A better habit would be thinking the following questions about yourself: Who am I being? Who do I want to be? It is important to cast a vision of yourself in a better mindset and then figure out how to work towards that. 

  Creating a Vision

 

Mindi also shares the “why” in creating a vision for yourself. It is important to understand the “why” for your vision. Why do you want to get healthier? Why do you want to chase that dream job? Once you understand this reasoning, you need to focus on the “what”, especially for limiting beliefs. For example, what is it that stops you from achieving a healthier body? This allows you to identify the exact issue behind what limits you so you can tackle it head on.

 

Mindi shares a few tools to get people into a better mindset. One of them is the practice of mental rehearsal. How this works is starting with a well formed outcome such as wanting to drink 8 glasses of water a day. You then start visually seeing yourself drinking these glasses of water and using your other senses to help. You are seeing the glass in your hand, tasting it, seeing the fun glass you are drinking out of. You are seeing and imagining everything that has to do with drinking water. Casting this vision allows you to subconsciously achieve it.

 

Listen in to learn more about how to get into a better mindset!

 

 

➡️ Take a listen to learn more on how to leave a legacy.

Episode Highlights:

10:14 The belief that >>> structure is freedom

18:32 How our brains delete, distort, and generalize based on our beliefs

26:06 What limiting beliefs are and how they can hold us back

37:03 Exploring the importance of asking "why?" when creating a vision for our lives

47:31 The concept and practice of mental rehearsal.

 

 

Connect with Mindi:

• Website

• Podcast 

• Free Meditation

 

Links Mentioned:

• The Peace and Productivity Planner 

• Podcast

• Free

 

Do you want to be remembered in years to come? Do you strive to leave a lasting impression with people? In this podcast episode, Sarah introduces Kaitlyn Cey, her guest, who is an author, speaker and leadership coach. They discuss the importance of influence and impact in our lives and how to leave a lasting legacy. 

 

 

Prioritizing your mindset is such an important productivity tip. We go through many things in life that are both good and bad. It is important to maintain a consistent attitude even if things go wrong. By maintaining this attitude, you can decide where to place your focus. It is crucial that you place your focus on things that matter the most to you.

 

 

Kaitlyn talks about how growing your influence is important when wanting to leave a legacy behind. Growing your influence is all about knowing who you are and standing strong in that. Being secure in your identity and not letting others influence how you behave is a great way to ensure people remember you. Kaitlyn explains how she helps women stand secure. Standing secure is a mixture of how we think about ourselves and practicing that thinking through action. This practice can be done through meditation or prayer.

 

 

1| The Learner Mindset

 

 

Kaitlyn speaks to six key principles that people can follow in order to grow their influence and impact. One of them is the learner mindset, in which you allow yourself to explore new things. With this mindset, you don’t hold on to always being right and know when to embrace imperfections and learn from others. 

 

 

2 | Self Awareness 

 

 

Another is self awareness, which includes being able to recognize an emotion and step back to reflect in order to correct yourself if need be. Developing your voice in another principle Kaitlyn speaks to. It stems from your core and develops from who you are as a person. It affects your impact in the world and allows you to do what you were meant to do.

 

 

Using your clarity to determine what is not serving you is important on your journey to leaving a legacy. In the current culture, it is so easy to get lost in all the trends and lose focus. Think about what is and isn't serving you. What do you want to bring into your next season? What do you want to let go of?

 

 

3 | Courage & Confidence

 

 

Kaitlyn talks about the connection between courage, confidence and standing secure. It takes courage to not stay in shame and to keep your head high and push forward. This will allow you to create a new pattern for yourself that is based on what you learned. With this, you become a lot more confident in yourself and can stand secure in your actions.

 

 

Kaitlyn tells women to take action and transform themselves!

 

 

➡️ Take a listen to learn more on how to leave a legacy.

Episode Highlights:

2:33 Kaitlyn discusses the six key principles that can help us grow our influence

7:27 Kaitlyn’s go-to productivity tip

26:21 The importance of standing secure

35:13 Clarity in discerning what is not serving us

42:13 The connection between courage, confidence, and standing secure in ourselves

 

Connect with Kaitlyn:

• Website

• Podcast 

• Courses

• Instagram 

• Facebook

• Resources

 

 

Links Mentioned:

• The Peace and Productivity Planner 

• Podcast

• Free 

 

Are you a working mom who struggles with ADHD and needs some tips to help stay on top of your day? In this podcast episode, Sarah interviews Patricia Sung, host of the Motherhood in ADHD podcast, who talks about time management and productivity for moms with ADHD. 

Self care is something many people do not prioritize, especially if you lead a hectic life. Patricia shares the importance of taking time, even if it is a few minutes to just slow down and take a breath. 

 

1 | Schedule Self Care

 

Whether it is 2 minutes or 20 minutes, whatever time you are able to take is important. It might be helpful to proactively schedule self care into your day so that way you are less likely to move it around. Pencil in time in your week for a facial, massage or a walk around the block.

Patricia spends time coaching moms who have ADHD. She helps moms figure out what works for them and how to create routines and systems. As someone who has ADHD and realized there were very little resources available to help moms, Patricia brings that experience and knowledge to other people. There is no one size fits all structure of living life and Patricia brings that lens to her work.

 

2 | Guilt and Shame

 

Living with ADHD can come with feelings of guilt and shame. Whether it be not being present in a conversation, forgetting what someone told you or struggling to maintain your composure, many feel like something is wrong with them. Patricia speaks to the need to understand that ADHD is a theme of how the brain functions and no one is at fault. There are shifts in the mind that need to occur to move away from these feelings.

Everyone is different and will do things in a way that works for them and their mind. For moms with ADHD, it might help to understand how to work best for you and you alone. Think about how you function and how you get your tasks done throughout the day. It might be good to think about the triggers that affect ADHD and how to mitigate them. Do you need some time outside of the home when things go crazy? Think about adding “time outside” to your calendar to help with this.

 

3 | Utilize Your Strengths 

 

ADHD does come with a few superpowers that can be utilized, especially for working moms who suffer from it. There is a problem solving aspect that comes with ADHD. Patricia shares about being able to see things from a different perspective and finding the answers to problems no one can solve. Many who have ADHD can read people, understand the emotions and needs of others and work well under pressure. Though individuals with ADHD understand the emotions of others, it is important to set boundaries and know when you have had enough. Patricia mentions how moms need to understand what their limit is and when to draw a line. It is important to know yourself and what matters to you.

Patricia also speaks to how moms with ADHD can create systems and routines that work for them. Many people with ADHD struggle with being on time. It is crucial to create systems and routines that work for your brain and the way you do things. For time management, it might be best to consider ways to organize the day in a flow as opposed to rigid schedules that have to be followed to the minute. Take the decision making out of tasks and weave it into the day so it flows nicely. This also helps in saving energy for other things that matter most. 

Take a listen to learn more!

➡️ Take a listen!

Episode Highlights:

6:18 How scheduling self-care on the calendar helps to prioritize it

9:08 Patricia’s approach to helping moms with ADHD

20:29 The guilt and shame experienced by mothers

31:52 Creative problem-solving skills that come with ADHD

47:47 How moms with ADHD can create systems and routines

Connect with Patricia:

• Podcast

• Everything Page  

• Instagram

• YouTube

• Facebook

• Pinterest

• Free ADHD Checklist

 

 

Links Mentioned:

• The Peace and Productivity Planner 

• Podcast

• Free

 

Are you curious about how to successfully balance your personal and professional life? In this episode, Sarah interviews Lindsay, a balance and freedom business coach. They discuss productivity tips and Lindsay's journey in coaching and balancing her business with her personal life.

 

It is tough to maintain balance in life. From competing priorities in our work and personal lives, it is easy for things to pile up. Lindsay shares an important tip on listening to yourself and your needs. Everyone’s life is different. So one person’s needs are not going to be another person’s needs. Balance is about productivity, peace and knowing when to prioritize each.

1 | Number One Key to Balance

 

Balancing your personal and professional life includes managing your time well. It is best to be strict with your day, where you are giving enough time to your job and your family. If you are a business owner, you need to ensure you are giving enough of yourself to your clients so they don’t feel neglected. Discipline is key in keeping productive because it is easy to become overwhelmed and overworked. 

 

2 | Tips to Staying Focused

 

Lindsay suggests a few tips to keeping a good balance and staying focused. One tip is to have a list to focus on. Choose a few things to focus on throughout the day or link days of the week with specific topics. For example, Lindsay uses Mondays to focus on the admin side of her business, where she works on metrics and money. Tuesdays are all about social media. With this, it allows you to work on a few things at a time and at the end of the day, you have accomplished something.

 

3 | Beware of Comparison

 

It is so easy to fall victim to comparison, especially in a social media age. When you have a business, it is so important to sit down and think about how you want to run it and what your goals are. Everyone’s goals may be different and the reason someone has a business might differ from another. Listen to your intuition and do what works for you!

 

Lindsay also speaks to how wasting time is a business killer. Don’t spend time focusing on things that can be done later on. If it doesn't add value to you at that moment or needs to be done within the next couple of days, give yourself more time back and leave that task to when it needs to be complete. Another time waster is fear of rejection. You will not accomplish anything if fear of rejection is keeping you stagnant. Get out there and make mistakes because that will lead you to success down the road.

 

➡️ Take a listen!

Episode Highlights:

3:20 The importance of listening to oneself

9:38 Lindsay's disciplined approach to managing her time

11:45 Advice on staying focused for a period of time

26:05 Tips for reconnecting with intuition

30:06 Common time wasters

 

 

Connect with Lindsay:

• Website

• Instagram 

• Private Facebook Group

• Podcast

• Confident Coach Club

 

 

Links Mentioned:

• The Peace and Productivity Planner 

• Podcast

• Free

 

Are you struggling to choose happiness in your life? In this episode, Sarah interviews Darienne Mobley, author of "Dare to Choose Happy" as well as a life and leadership coach. They deep dive into all things productivity and mindset! 

 

Many people do not reflect enough throughout the year. Darienne shares how a great productivity tip is to consciously reflect at certain points in the year to think through what has gone well and what you need to improve on. This can even include reflecting on adding new routines to your day to become more productive. 

 

With the back to school season, now, is the perfect time to reflect as most kids are entering a new chapter and most parents are prepping for it. For those getting their kids ready for this new and exciting time, do the same on a personal level through reflection.

 

Darienne speaks about how to choose happiness and how to do so intentionally. We are not guaranteed happiness. But it is something we are able to choose through our thoughts and actions. It’s very easy to choose negativity or to focus on small roadblocks throughout the day. It could be a terrible morning getting the kids ready when nothing goes right or a bad day at work. But simply thinking about small things that make us happy and implementing them can make all the difference. 

 

For some, it could be buying some fresh cut flowers for your kitchen or turning on some music in your house to get you in a better mindset. What makes someone happy will differ from person to person, but the end result is the same.

 

Sometimes being intentional can be tricky, especially when you have a busy day or don't get much time to yourself. Darienne uses four strategies to help with intentional action in choosing happiness. These four  are: intuition, clarity, priority and truth.

 

➡️ Intuition is within all of us and we all need to trust it because it is always right. If you know something will make you happy or doing a specific task or goal will create happiness, you listen to yourself and work towards that. 

 

➡️ The second is clarity, which involves really thinking about what you want and what will truly bring you happiness. 

 

➡️ The third strategy is priority, which involves doing things daily that make you feel accomplished. This can be doing your daily workout or taking time to work on a personal project. These can make even the long days feel more enjoyable. 

 

➡️The last thing is truth which involves speaking up for yourself, even when you think it is hard. Saying no to something because it doesn't bring you joy or happiness is completely okay.

 

At the end of the day, achieving happiness is a mix of the mindset and the actions. It is the little steps you take each day to move closer and closer to what you define as happy. Whether it be getting to a certain place in your career, settling down with a family or taking a leap in pursuing your passion, small steps each day will lead you to anything you set your mind to.

 

The sky's the limit!!

Take a listen to learn more about how to be intentional in creating your own happiness!

Episode Highlights:

6:25 Darienne discusses the importance of reflecting on past accomplishments

13:00 Exploration of simple things that bring happiness

14:03 Emphasis on being intentional in choosing happiness

23:20 Importance for speaking up for oneself

42:47 Importance of small steps

 

Connect with Darienne:

• Website

• Book 

• Facebook 

• YouTube

 

Links Mentioned:

• The Peace and Productivity Planner 

• Podcast

• Free

 

Pre-Order The Peace and Productivity Planner

 

 

This episode is special for a couple reasons. First, the planner is officially ready for you to pre-order your copy now!

 

 

 

Second, I invited my planner team, the women who helped me to bring this planner to life, onto the show today to give you a peek behind the curtain.

 

 

 

We dive into the process of creating a planner from design to publishing and everything in between.

 

 

 

These ladies are absolutely incredible and so good at what they do! I can’t wait for you to meet them, learn more about the planner, and get inspired to turn your dreams into reality!

 

 

 

Pre-Order The Peace and Productivity Planner
https://www.instagram.com/sarahmdalton/

Core Values Workbook 

 

 

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https://www.instagram.com/northandthird/

 

 

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I LOVE talking about core values! Today I am sharing a training I did for The Purpose Driven Mom Summit over the summer: How to use your core values to plan your time!

 

I dive into the what, the why and the HOW when it comes to your personal core values and how that translates to being intentionally productive on a regular basis.

 

ENJOY!

 

 

Links Mentioned

 

 

JOIN THE PEACE AND PRODUCTIVITY PLANNER WAITLIST

@‌thepeaceandproductivitypodcast 

Core Values Workbook 

 

 

Connect with Cara Harvey

 

@‌apurposedrivenmom

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/purpose-driven-mom-show/id1465377461

 

JOIN THE PEACE AND PRODUCTIVITY PLANNER WAITLIST

 

 

Today is day three of the back to school series with myself and Lauren from The Intentional Edit Podcast! 

 

Today we are chatting all about our weekly plannig rhythms, routines and resets. We share how you can create your own simple systems around preparing everything from your schedule to school lunches and everything in between! 

 

Be sure to tune into the final day of the mini series tomorrow over on The Intentional Edit Podcast! We are sharing tips and tricks for the back to school meal planning, execution + Lunch and Snack Prep! 

 

 

This is a MUST-LISTEN series! Be sure to hit subscribe to both podcasts to hear all of the episodes. Here’s to a peaceful, calm, and productive back to school season!

 

 

 

Be sure to subscribe to The Intentional Edit Podcast to Listen to ALL of this week’s episodes! https://intentionaledit.com/podcast/

 

 

 

Connect with Lauren:

https://intentionaledit.com/

 

 

 

 

Connect with Sarah:

www.yoursimplybiglife.com

 

 

 

 

@‌thepeaceandproductivitypodcast 

 

 

 

 

 

Core Values Workbook