Productivity Paradox

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.

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.

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.

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.’

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 deserv

Earlier this week, we talked about being protective of your time, and I want to expand on that with Parkinson’s Law. This is the idea that work expands to fill the time you’ve allotted for completion. If you give yourself a week to complete a two hour task… psychologically, you’ll be sure it fills up that week. In reality, it’s stress and tension that fills up our time, so I’ll share a mental trick you can do to make this law work for your advantage.

Time is best spent on the things that are important to you and your goals. Today, I’m discussing the importance of protecting your time and how you can track where you spend yours. After today’s episode, you’ll have the tips and tools needed to go from multitasking and feeling distracted to monotasking, understanding your peak productivity blocks and owning your time. Sign at inkwellpress.com/podcastemail to get free downloads and new episodes sent to your inbox.

In this week’s mini episode, I want to share a story about the person in my life who always embodied his core values - my Grandpa. He taught me that you don’t have to shout what you believe from the rooftops when you live your life exemplifying it. After listening to this story, a great question for us to ask is, “Am I living a life where my priorities and values are clear, or do I get caught up in the day-to-day?”

Your core values are an important part of investing in yourself as it helps you define the actions and behaviors you want to hold central to your life. In today’s episode I’ll walk you through how you can define, modify and use your core values on a daily basis. After today’s episode, you’ll have the tools you need to be able to clearly state your core values and consistently live your life with them steering you.

Do you use the word ‘busy’ as an excuse for not going after your goals or as badge of pride in your daily life? It’s important to intentionally reflect on your ‘busy’ life and schedule in a whitespace retreat. In today’s mini episode, I’ll share how I plan mine, and how you can enjoy a quick whitespace retreat right now, allowing you to feel a bit more recharged (and ready to plan a full-length one).