[00:00:00] Kc: Hello, hello women developing brilliance. I love connecting with you every week, and I appreciate you taking the time to tune in. So today's going to be a little different. I thought I would share a little behind the scenes of my day and I, I went back and forth on this topic one because I'm so value-driven and I am very respectful of your time.
[00:00:24] And then on the other side, I was like, but wait, you know, I tuned in. To hear things on YouTube, like what I eat in a day and how I organize my closet to be a capsule wardrobe. And I thought I'm very interested in other people's behind-the-scenes. So I thought maybe you would be too. So I'm going to test this out.
[00:00:44] I usually do a very, how to type podcast, that has a bunch of points. And like I said, my goal is to keep it concise and value-packed, but I think you still might get some points from today. So curious as always to your thoughts
[00:01:00] and also the topics that you like to listen to. So anyway, here we go. So as you know, I've been an entrepreneur for 30 years and over that time, my days and weeks have looked very different.
[00:01:13] How I structured my day when I was running our confection manufacturing factory, because we were managing. 12 employees is obviously different than my day-to-day, where I am coaching one on one. So very, very different. However, there have been a couple of things that remain constant. And the cool thing about being your own boss is you have this flexibility.
[00:01:39] This fluidity and this autonomy to be able to make your own decisions. And sometimes that can also be a double-edged sword because it's so fluid and you don't have to punch a time clock and there aren't other people in your room. Space. Many of us are working in a home office. So we have to [00:02:00] be that much more disciplined.
[00:02:01] So here are a couple of things that remained constant for me over my three decades of being my own boss. One is definitely the mindset, the mindset of this unwavering belief in myself, in my product or service, and the reason why I'm doing it all, to begin with. I think that that is. A key foundational pillar.
[00:02:25] The other is focus, being very clear on what tasks are going to move the needle the most. So working on the business versus in the business. And that one absolutely is something that's a practice. It's very, very easy to slip on that and start becoming the worker bee, especially when. Me, myself, and I, so, but that is something that when it's dialed in, you definitely feel like you're winning.
[00:02:52] And then the third one is structure, really taking the action steps consistently towards my goals every [00:03:00] day. So that's something to be really aware of. And I think again, when we don't ink something down, it can very, very easily. Willy nilly. So even though we're our own boss, having the structure, the guideline, the framework helps keep those boundaries helps keeps us knowing where we're going.
[00:03:20] It kind of gives us a little GPS, a little map of where we want to go. And it's funny. I had a recent connection call with a budding entrepreneur the other day, and I was sharing just a few fundamentals that I found helpful. Some of them are what I shared and some of them were other basics here, greed that they all resonated, but then also commented how simple they were.
[00:03:44] And many times they are simple, right. We over-complicate things. Most of the time the fundamentals are fundamentals for a reason, they establish the base of something. And the tried and true principles have stood [00:04:00] the test of time. Most often they're not sexy. And I think that's why it's so easy to fall down rabbit holes like designing our website with no experience or reworking graphics in Canva.
[00:04:13] Oh, you know, trying to get them to be like Uber queue or trying to figure out tech roadblocks for hours without reaching out for support. And it absolutely happens to the best of us. So yeah, just a couple of things to keep in mind. I also think. It's easy to ignore the basics because there are so many shiny objects out there, and there's always going to be a new trend to latch onto whether that's reels on Instagram.
[00:04:39] Right? Many of you probably heard the CEO was saying that Instagram is no longer just a, you know, photo-sharing app and that through a lot of people in a tailspin and they're going more towards video. So it may be so. Tempting to be like, okay, how do I figure out how to do reels and dance [00:05:00] around and point to things on the screen?
[00:05:02] You know, and I think that there's a part of us that feels like if we don't jump on the bandwagon that we're going to be missing out and we get distracted. And to me, distraction is what kills productivity. Every damn time. There are so many things to be allured by, and I'm mindful of the inputs every day.
[00:05:22] And it still takes work to follow boundaries that I've set for myself. And trust me, this is not about perfection. In fact, if you try to squeeze yourself into an endless box of rules and timers, you will be miserable. Mark my words. So absolutely use tools that support you of course, but also allow for some space and fluidity.
[00:05:47] And I want to say here too, like this space and fluidity piece. I even feel that we have to match our body to that as well, because there have been many times, [00:06:00] if not blocks of years where I have just sat behind the computer and been crunched over my desk and then realize like, why am I stiff? Why do I have so much tension in my shoulders and so forth?
[00:06:13] And, you know, I have. Research different studies about how to reset our back and how to be, you know, not falling into sitting as the new smoking, type of thing. And I've tried like the stand-up desks and things of that nature. And I'll go in a different kind of, I don't know, ups and downs of trying something like that.
[00:06:37] And I've also heard that some people will set a timer for every thousand seconds. To go off on their phone because science is showing that at that mark at that marker of like 16 minutes. Four seconds, something like that, is the opportunity to reset our back and to prevent stagnation. So I've [00:07:00] tried that there was a few too many beeps and buzzes going on through the day.
[00:07:03] I'm okay with that method for maybe the first two hours, but then it gets annoying to be honest. Um, so there's all these different little tricks that we can use. In the vein of space and fluidity. I think one of the big keys is just being very mindful of our body and making sure that we're not this crunched-up rigid thing, that at the end of the day, you can barely get up and move your joints, without some kind of creeks or cracks or pain.
[00:07:32] I think a flexible mind is also a very powerful tool. So that's something that I'll probably get into deeper. But back to the day in the life of, I start my day, the night before, and many of you may already do this, and there are all different ways that you do this. And I think too, There is no one right way.
[00:07:55] Like I talked about watching YouTube channels that talk [00:08:00] about like what they eat and how to be like an amazing vegan and be the best minimalist there is out there. And, and I think, you know, what I want to say is it's great to get inspiration from people that are doing things that interest us and then still.
[00:08:16] Be the artist of our own life and tune within and design things that are going to work for us and always have this hat of curiosity on so we can just see what's working for us. Is it working awesome? Could it be a little bit better? Cool. Let me tweak that. So. You know, take what I do with a grain of salt.
[00:08:37] If something sounds interesting, absolutely implement it, test it on, see how you can make it your own, and go from there. So for me, starting my day off right begins the night before. And I do that by either writing out my day's events by hand. A lot of times I'll get like an artist sketchpad. I found that I love that big white space and [00:09:00] I have a bunch of colored markers and I'm very visual.
[00:09:02] So. Sometimes I will, you know, sketch it out on the artist pad. Other times I'll just print off the data glance from my Google Cal and this way, the main thing, whatever style I'm in the mood for that night, I'm mentally prepared. For the things on the docket. So I know am I going to be live? Am I going to be interviewed?
[00:09:24] Do I need to be interviewing somebody? And I work out of two different locations. So I just kind of have to get my head wrapped around, like, do I need to remember to grab my mic from one office to another or those kinds of things? Is it going to be too hard? In my main office where I don't have air in my main office.
[00:09:42] And if I'm going to be recording, then I can't really have the windows open because there's going to be road noise. So there's just, you know, little details, little details of life that I don't want to get hit in the face with at 8:00 AM. You know, in the morning, I would rather just have like a little mental snapshot and [00:10:00] be ready for the day, the night before.
[00:10:03] Absolutely sleep is one of those fundamentals that I think is often overlooked, especially with high achieving people that you know, more is more. And if I can just talk one more thing in, and that definitely doesn't work for me. I have found that when I can gauge my bedtime more. Nine 15. That works really well for me, even if I push it to 10, I'm going to feel a difference.
[00:10:31] So making sure a good night's sleep is attended. Is one of my most basic and key fundamentals, to make sure that I can show up and have high productivity. The next day, my personal nightcap consists of a magnesium supplement called calm, which is pretty incredible. It works, wonders, it relaxes your muscles.
[00:10:53]Yeah, I've used that, like I said, on and off for years and I'll go in stages. You know, when I feel like my [00:11:00] body is calling for supplemental support. I'll definitely plug into it. And then there are times where I don't add any supplements to my program. So again, it just depends. And it's about tuning in and not staying so rigid to a should list.
[00:11:16] I should take an XYZ or I should do 1, 2, 3. So I try to be a little bit gentle with myself in that way and just tune in to. Should I do it today for myself. Like what do I want to do today for myself? Not necessarily a should. So anyway, there are a few more elements to that PM bookend, and I'll get into that a little later on, but that's just kind of a little bit of a, of an overview.
[00:11:44] So. I have a cat, his name is Jasper and he usually wakes me up somewhere in the 4:00 AM hour to go outside. So that used to be a little bit irritating. Cause that was a little bit [00:12:00] earlier than what my natural clock wanted to do, but I thought, how can I turn this into. A little marker to do something that maybe I wouldn't ordinarily do on a daily.
[00:12:11] So I chose to use that as a little indicator to go and scrape my tongue. And if that sounds weird and you've never heard of it, tongue scraping is actually a very old Ayurvedic technique for oral health. So when I let them out, I just go in the bathroom, scrape my tongue, rinse my mouth out and head back to bed.
[00:12:32] And then around like five 30 or six, whenever my body wakes up naturally, I will get in a 30-minute meditation and I don't use alarm clocks. I don't even have a clock in my bedroom. So I minimize all light distractions. I have no electronics in the room. And like I said, I don't use a clock and. I'm a light sleeper and I'm, I'm sensitive to inputs and lights.
[00:12:57] So I don't use that. I totally rely [00:13:00] on my internal clock to wake me up, but the very first thing I do, and this was something that had to be a habit that was cultivated is non-negotiable. I meditate for 30 minutes. That's the very first thing I do when I'm officially awake. And then what. Comes naturally.
[00:13:19] And this wasn't something that I had to contrive or put on an am to-do list, but I had this beautiful, prayer flag. Set up on the wall and each flag has like a different word and simple symbol on them. That is about like integrity or bravery. I think one is playful. Spirit. One is success, and I give myself a little time to daydream about each one of those and what they mean to me.
[00:13:51] What it's going to look like to embody those qualities in the day ahead. And it's not a long practice, but it's something that I found is [00:14:00] just like a really nice, gentle way to start the day. And it primes me a really naturally to just have these positive feelings and this intention of how I want to show.
[00:14:12] And then depending on if I'm in a book that has exercises in it or something like journaling exercises or daily prompts, Rhonda burns a great author for that. Like in her book, the power or the magic, she gives you some beautiful daily prompts. So sometimes I'll kick my day off with that. Like whatever the prompts are, whether it is what to be grateful for.
[00:14:38] Well, she has got a bunch of cool little ones. So if I'm into a book like that, that has a daily prompt suggestion, I'll plug into that. Otherwise, I might journal out a few gratitude statements or visions. That piece is really fluid and flexible. It's just kind of like, what am I doing right now? What feels good?
[00:14:56] Like I said, Emma, into a book that I want to [00:15:00] stay with because a lot of times they'll have. You know, an invitation for like do this for 28 days or do this for 40 days. So if I'm in a little cycle of one of those daily prompts, I'll plug into that. And sometimes I'll be totally on a break from that piece.
[00:15:17]The one thing that I have found, and I've been doing this all year and I've shifted my time actually on this is moving. And I used to only exercise in the evening and then after doing some research and found that if you move and get your heart rate up in the morning, you actually get to take advantage of a 12-hour mood booster.
[00:15:44] And I was like, okay, great. Well, I'm all about maximizing efforts. I'm sure you are too. If you're listening to this pod. So I shifted. Exercising from like it probably the six o'clock hour or two, it ends up being around 6 45. By the time [00:16:00] I'm done meditating and doing those other pieces. And I have been loving this program that I stream through my Roku.
[00:16:07] It's called Body Groove by Misty Tripoli. She's fantastic. She brings it a lot of life wisdom. So it's not about the rigid calisthenics program. But it's about fun and creativity and expressing yourself and your own unique way. And not just following along like a robot, in fact, she's like, don't copy us, like do your own thing.
[00:16:31] And it's very cool. So I have been doing that and really enjoying it. And like I said, take advantage. Like if you haven't tried that. Morning exercise or morning movement. Like maybe you're used to taking a walk at the end of the day, like switch it up and see if your mood is boosted by just changing the hour that you move.
[00:16:53] It's pretty amazing. Next, I typically have a little bit of brain food, which is about [00:17:00] 30 minutes of education. Sometimes less, depending on my time, but I'm currently in a program to enhance performance. So lately I've been listening to those course modules. When I'm not doing a program, I might pop something in like Abraham Hicks or something, uplifting and inspiring on YouTube just to get pumped up for the day.
[00:17:20] And then I'm off to work by probably seven 30 ish. I do have a home. But then I also have my main office set up in my partner's home, just six doors down from me. So it's very, very convenient. And that office is really, you know, kind of my recording studio and it's very, very set up like very office, like, so it's not a little space that I've carved out in my home, but really a beautiful dedicated office.
[00:17:49] So I've done a little bit of testing. I find that I'm way more productive overall. When I have to leave the house and I go to my dedicated workspace. So that's [00:18:00] what I do for the most part. Like I said, if it gets too boiling, like some of our days here in upstate New York have been super Scorchy hot, like 90 degrees with heavy humidity, and then I just have to head home and just, you know, had there and do that.
[00:18:16] But it's nice to have the flexibility of two different locations to work in. And yeah, so basically. If you're still sticking with me, and this is interesting. That's awesome. I appreciate you. You know, have a bite of breakfast. I say good morning to my sweetie, which probably puts me at my desk at maybe eight o'clock.
[00:18:36] And then my goal is to pull out my planner and have a look at my quarterly goals. And this has been a huge game-changer is to be so aware of what I want. To happen in that, in that period of time. And a lot of times, you know, I used to do a word of the year and that was pretty cool. But if you've tried that at sometimes can fade, you know, midway.
[00:19:00] [00:19:00] And so now I really try to focus on. The main goal and I deduce it down to a word for the quarter. So, this quarter Q3 2021, Michael has visibility. And so it just is really nice to have that reminder. I like to make sure. The first two hours of my day, are like my coveted golden hours. I have a lot of good energy.
[00:19:24] I've already done my morning routine and I'm in this headspace of being so focused and I want to get my most important things done. And that first two hours of the day, it could be content creation, prospect follow-up or something chunky, right. Something chunky. That's going to make a deal. Then I check my inbox at around 10 and I attend to my clients' emails first.
[00:19:47] If they need my eyes on something they're working on, that'll be my next priority. I used to have my email tab open all day long, and maybe you can relate to this. And that was just the way that I [00:20:00] did business. I would have, I have three different inboxes and I would have sometimes all three of those email tabs open, and literally, I would check emails.
[00:20:09] At least a hundred times a day, then that sounds so excessive. But if you were really to start keeping track, you probably. Are up there too, if it's not something you're really working on. So it wasn't until this year that my coach invited me to instill a new habit of only checking email twice a day.
[00:20:28] I've talked about this before on other episodes loads. And so that's what I do at 10 and three. Sometimes I slipped back. It's really, really easy to slip back. Um, but most days I really, really strive to do that. Um, again, About progress and not perfection. And on the days that I can check it two, three times, I am so much less drained and I do have more energy.
[00:20:55] So I know that there is something to that. Absolutely. [00:21:00] And it's easy to fall back into old habits. So, and it's funny because when you do. It's like, what am I avoiding now? What? I fall back. It's not like, oh, I have to attend to my emails. It's more like, okay, what am I really supposed to be doing? What's really the next big thing that I'm trying to avoid and fool myself that I'm actually being busy.
[00:21:24] So keep that in mind. Like, it's really interesting how those things pop up. So it's all good information. All right. The rest of my day unfolds. It depends on the day. Right now Tuesdays and Thursdays are my main coaching days where I interface with clients. Those are awesome. I love those Wednesdays. I leave for podcast creation, interviews, writing, pitching to be guests on other podcasts and Fridays.
[00:21:52] I leave for connecting. And, pre-pandemic I used to do in-person coffee chats. I was a part of the Rochester, [00:22:00] network women's network organization. So, you know, local things where I would meet or there'd be masterminds since COVID, I've really done more. You know, engaging on social and returning some DMS on LinkedIn, having a couple of slots open for coffee chats, which is really cool because they usually result in some kind of collaboration.
[00:22:22] So it's super productive. And then of course, I write my weekly newsletter that's top of the morning on Fridays and that's pretty consistent. So what I have found is when you have to change the channels less in your brain, You are far less likely to be burnt and spent at the end of the day, I'm very aware of burnout.
[00:22:43] And the other cool thing is when we focus on these deep work blocks, where we have themes of our days, and this may seem like, oh my God, that's a lot of work. Like that's a lot, that's a lot. I just want to be fluid. And I get you. Like, I love fluidity too. [00:23:00] And this has been super helpful for me on the weeks that I look at my calendar and I'm like, okay.
[00:23:08] Mondays. I'm really focused on my CEO tasks on communicating with the team. I'm looking at my metrics. I'm seeing, you know, in my mind really clearly what my offers are. And then Tuesday, Thursday, I have my client work. Like I said, Wednesday is content Friday's connection. When I look at my overall week and I'm asking myself, how did this week go?
[00:23:31] The weeks I kind of stay within those boundaries or themes. I am blown away at how much I have off of my checklist. Not only off my checklist but that's aligned with my quarterly goals. And I actually have an accountability mentor, which has helped me with this process. And I have to submit. Basically my to-do list, how my week went, what, I can optimize, and [00:24:00] what I'm looking to do coming up in the week ahead.
[00:24:03] That's been super helpful. We use software called 15 five, and I communicate with her every week and I write my goals out for the week coming up. And then she comments on different things. Stuck point or if she sees that a task was, you know, regurgitated for the week coming up, she'll usually touch base and be like, Hey, how's it going?
[00:24:24] Where's the stuck point. So it's super helpful to have that. And like I said, it's been a game-changer to put these boundaries in. There's absolutely fluidity. This is not about having it tidy in a box with a pretty bow. It may sound like that, but it's not. If you look at these more as like, Overarching post-it notes.
[00:24:45] So you just have a little bit of clarity and direction. How you stack the day in between that can be where your creativity and fluidity and less rigidity comes in. And it makes for a really, really nice balance. So [00:25:00] I do have a pretty consistent routine. I leave for lunch at noon and usually connect with my bestie, which is kind of fun if we don't Blab too long, we talk in meditation after we eat, and then I'm back to work at two.
[00:25:14] So I do leave myself a nice two hours. Block, of time for rest and connection and good eats. And then my two to four hours usually consists of some admin stuff, interviews follow up or general biz development. So, it's good. It's good to know where your energy waves are. So like I said, Those two hours for me in the morning that eight to 10 slot, those are like my golden hours.
[00:25:43] And that's where I really want to be doing things that are going to get me closer to my goals. If I were to do those from two to four, I think my business would look very different because for me, there's kind of a general [00:26:00] energy dip in that time. I'm not at my like highest clearest, most creative. You might be very different.
[00:26:07] You might be a night owl. You might get like an energy burst. You know, I don't know when the kids are to bed at seven o'clock and you get your most focused, concentrated work in. So we have to do whatever works for us, but be really aware of how you schedule it. What you schedule when I used to do implementation services because I've been doing them for so long, I would schedule them in my calendar for those two to four hours when I was building people's websites and writing copy for them and building funnels or doing lead magnets, because I could do that kind of stuff in my sleep.
[00:26:42] I didn't need this. High motivation, confidence, like go get an attitude, that kind of stuff. I would shove into my eight to 10 and the other things I could feel like, oh yeah, this, this is like just what I can do super easily. I would shove into two to four. So do what works for [00:27:00] you, but it is interesting to keep in mind of the cycles of our energy and try to match our tasks accordingly in our day.
[00:27:10] Okay. Cause I mean, don't beat yourself up, like when you're like, oh geez. You know, I'm just so exhausted at four o'clock and all I want is, you know, a cup of coffee and a chocolate bar. It's like, well, if you know that about yourself, what can you do? You know, that is going to be very aware of that. Not feel like you're behind the eight ball because that's happening on a consistent, so just a couple of thoughts.
[00:27:33] So anyway, I wrap up my day at four and I meet up with my bestie again, and we walk around our local winery, which is so fun and we could bets about the day. It's totally amazing and mind blowing, how much life happens. And like just a few hours or it's, it is crazy, but it does. And I'm really blessed to be able to have that outlet.
[00:27:57] And we have, the same [00:28:00] routine, the same little, walk that we do. And there are neighbors that come out and say hi to us. We have like two, three sets of different neighbors that come out. You know, ask about our day and it's nice to see you and all those flowers are looking beautiful that you're planting and it's really cool.
[00:28:15] So we have different touchpoints with neighbors in that little winery walk that we do. And it's just a really great way to get outside and enjoy nature. And again, just kind of offload everything that happened during the day and, have someone else's perspective back and forth. So that's been really.
[00:28:35] My evening routine consists of preparing a veg. meal. I've been a vegetarian since I'm 16, so lots of years. And sometimes I'll put in another course lesson or I'll read. I always take a hot bath with, either my favorite essential oils or lately I've been into. I've got this spider bite that is so inflamed.
[00:28:57] And so I've been just trying to do things that are more [00:29:00] cooling and anti-inflammatory but yeah, this, this spider bite got me. So, but generally, I love to relax and unwind with water. I think water is so very healing. And then literally every night I hang out with my boyfriend and we kind of. Chill and listen to each other's day.
[00:29:18] So I'm really lucky that I have people that I love in my life that I can connect with, on a consistent, so that's super cool. And then I've already shared with you. I used to go to bed at 10, but I've really dialed that back and it's made a huge difference. Just that extra 45 minutes. Shifting it to 9:15 pm, there is such a difference in my rest and then feeling rested when I wake up.
[00:29:44] Enjoying my ringing ball. So I don't know if you have one or used one or heard one. They're absolutely beautiful. In fact, you might have, because in my little commercial intro, there's a ding. And it has [00:30:00] this beautiful resonance. And so I have the bull in AF, which is to boost immune and it's also, connected to the heart chakra.
[00:30:11] So my ritual is really dinging that and the end of every day, and really reflecting on what I'm grateful for, and that has become a nightly ritual. And yeah, I think even Jasper and Chris, both really loved that. In fact, on some of the days that I'll forget. Chris will usually say where's the singing bowl.
[00:30:30] So in the beginning, he's like, what is this hippie shit? Now he's really into it. He's like, oh, you forgot your wringing ball. So I'm like, oh, okay. I'm not the only one, right. That, that is into this. So that's basically, and I'm going to say that it's not even a nutshell because I really gave you a lot of detail, but that is basically.
[00:30:51] A day looks like for me, and as much as I love routine and being a tourist, I thrive on it, but I am also so [00:31:00] open to change and interested in what sprouts up that's going to serve me even more. As you know, I am a fan of the Kaizen philosophy, which is that never-ending improvement. Right? How do we be curious?
[00:31:13] About our life and what's in it. And the things that we choose, whether it's what we eat, what we wear, how we act, who we hang out with, you know, how is it working for us? Is it making us feel expanded and loved and balanced or is it not? And so I'm always kind of shifting and tweaking things. I'm curious how you set yourself up for success.
[00:31:38] Do you have a morning or an evening routine, and also what's your biggest distraction, right? Because this isn't all about just focusing on what's going well, but it's also like what isn't working for me or where are the times in my day that I fall or that it's like, you know, I'm just not productive [00:32:00] or I find myself endlessly scrolling on social.
[00:32:03] You know, where are those times? And what's one little thing we can do to shift that slightly, right? We're not taking a hard left because those hard left's very rarely stick it's those micro shifts. Those 1% changes in our habits that make a big difference over time. So I'm super curious as always, you can DM me.
[00:32:27] Or you can share in the women developing brilliance, Facebook group, where we always continue. The conversations started here on the podcast. I hope that was fun for you. And I hope you got some inspiration or an idea of what you can do. Do and your routine, or, you know, maybe it's even, categorizing the days of your week.
[00:32:48] Maybe that was the thing that popped out like, yeah. I love that deep work idea where each day has a theme. I'm telling you, when you shift gears less, you will feel so much more on [00:33:00] top of things. Grounded and focused. So if you had an aha moment, let me know what jumped out at you. And if you like this kind of behind-the-scenes stuff or like personal stuff, let me know that too, because I am Cree curating this kind.
[00:33:16] For you, right. It is my way to connect with you. So if you have a topic that you want me to talk about, let me know. I would love to create a podcast episode for you. So thank you so much for listening until next week. Breathe Joy.
