CONTENT
30
22
Five Ways To Overcome Procrastination
Mindset Reset: Build A Business You Can Love
DAYS 06 CELEBRATED IN THE MONTH OF
04 SEPTEMBER EDITOR’S NOTE
HACKS: DID 14 GMAIL YOU KNOW YOU
COLORING 36 ADULT PAGES & MONTHLY
SEPTEMBER
COULD DO THAT?
PLANNERS
08
16
Set Up An Epic Home Office In 10 Minutes Or Less
Simple Ways to Make Your Coffee Healthier
KETO 28 RECIPE: SMOKED SALMON
MAKEOVER 34 7-DAY YOUR MORNING
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OF THE 38 CHARITY MONTH: ONE-
SANDWICH
SEPTEMBER BLOG AND PODCAST WATCH
CHALLENGE
HOPE WINE
SEPTEMBER 2018 | VOLUME 1 | ISSUE NO. 4
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FROM THE EDITOR HI THERE BEAUTIFUL! THAT’S IT. IT IS SEPTEMBER AND SUMMER IS JUST ABOUT OFFICIALLY OVER! Seriously though, Where did it go? No really, what happened? I want answers! If you are like me, you’ve got some disappointed kiddos in your house wondering why the pool will be closed down in just a few short weeks. Saying goodbye to summer is just another moment in the year that I like to reflect on what my current goals are probably because Everyone starts selling those super cute planners again, and I can’t resist buying yet another one. So, as we turn past another quarter of the year, check your goals that you made for 2018. How are they coming along? Are you on track? A little behind? No matter, that’s why we reevaluate. If you are chugging right along, it gives you a chance to up the anti and maybe add another goal. If you aren’t quite there yet, you’ve still got a few months to kick into gear and finish strong. Me, I think I’m somewhere in between, so I’ll be taking a look at what I can do better over the next few months. How about you? Are you on track to finish strong? Go get ‘em tiger!
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SEPTEMBER 2018 | VOLUME 1 | ISSUE NO. 4
what’s going on in the month of september? 21
world gratitude day
self improvement month
6
6
read a book day
Better Breakfast M
18 national cheeseburger day
When are those wacky holidays that no one really knows about but we all love to celebrate? Here are some notable ones for September.
9 grandparents day
Month
9-11 remembrance day
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SEPTEMBER 2018 | VOLUME 1 | ISSUE NO. 4
The whole point of leaving the 9 to 5 is so that we can get out of that dreadful ‘office’ environment. Death to the cubicle! But even if we are fortunate enough to ditch the commute, we still need to set up our home environment for success.
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creaming kids, barking dogs, helpless husbands, ringing phones, nosey neighbors – I have enough distractions at home and I’m sure you do too. Unfortunately, that is one of the trade-offs of
working from home. Even if you don’t have kids, maybe you have a roommate who won’t stop talking or a dog that needs to go for a walk every few hours. Whatever your situation, you need to create a space that you can retreat to for optimal productivity. A number of people have a spare room or space (like a loft) that they can devote to their home office, and when you have that luxury (yes, many people consider that a luxury), it makes it easy to create a separate space. If you have limited space – we can work with that too. I’m going to walk you through a few steps that will get you set up and move you toward your optimal home office space. I personally do have a separate bedroom that I use as an office – actually, it’s the guest room but it is big enough that I was able to fit a desk in there as well. The great thing is that it’s a guest room and doesn’t get consistent use. If you don’t have anything set up, use these quick steps to get started. If you already have a home office, double check that you are set up for success. The key is not to dwell on one thing for too long. We are grabbing things you already have in your house to get you started and if you need to do more research on something – like the type of chair you want – then plan to carve out another 10 minutes for that activity another time. Start the clock.
THE SPACE (2:30) First things first. Think about the extra space you have in your house. If you have a bedroom or den with a door that you can use, then this part is easy. If not, think about the areas in your house where you can set up a desk or a small table – preferably by a window so you can get some natural light. It helps you work better. It’s a zen thing. If you don’t have a window near your desk space, go grab a table or floor lamp and add daylight bulbs to lighten the space up as if it were natural light. continued on next page
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HOW TO SET UP AN
N EPIC HOME OFFICE IN 10 MINUTES OR LESS
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52 SMALL CHANGES: UNCLUTTER A ROOM
SEPTEMBER 2018 | VOLUME 1 | ISSUE NO. 4
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Actually, let me expand on that – even
laxation separate – kind of like a work/
if you set up your space near a window,
life balance. This can be tough with your
you’ll still need a lamp of some kind, for
work and your life under the same roof,
those cloudy days or night working. If you
so sometimes you have to schedule in
are having a hard time thinking of a good
time for yourself or give yourself a ‘quit-
place, go room by room until you see a
ting time’. Create rules like: No work after
space that might work. If you’ve done that
7pm or no electronics in the bedroom.
and still have not found anything that works, go to your dining room. Pick a spot
Lastly, don’t be tempted to set up in the
near the window and designate one chair
garage or an area that is not climate-con-
as yours – for your office. If you live with
trolled. It may provide the extra space
others, make sure they know this is your
you need, but you may end up being mis-
space – “Nobody in my seat!”
erable and unproductive if it becomes too hot or cold and you can’t adjust it to be
I wouldn’t recommend setting up in your
comfortable.
bedroom. We want to keep work and re-
“Don’t be tempted to set up in the garage or an area that is not climate-controlled.”
DECIDE ON YOUR EQUIPMENT (2:20)
Phones are a bit trickier. If you will be us-
You’ve probably got a phone and com-
ing your cell phone, make sure you have a
puter of some sort that you can start
plan with great coverage for the area you
conducting business with. Here is where
are in and unlimited long distance. There
I want you to decide if you want to use
are tons of conference call services now
your laptop or desktop and if you want to
that will help you save on your phone bill.
use your cell phone or a landline.
One of my personal favorites is Uber Conference.
Even if you have a family desktop in your home, I’d recommend investing in a busi-
You may want to look into investing in a
ness laptop – they come in especially
landline if you will be making many calls,
handy when you need an environment
or if you suspect you might have many in-
break and want to head to the nearest
bound calls.
cyber cafe. But don’t get me wrong, this is not an excuse to bring your laptop (and your work) to bed with you.
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continued on next page
SEPTEMBER 2018 | VOLUME 1 | ISSUE NO. 4
Some companies that use VAs as contractors may also
You’ll want a surge protector (especially if you’ve set up
require landlines as they are more reliable in some
a desktop) and even though you may not have tons of
cases, so keep that in mind as well. If you don’t already
chords right now, if you continue to add equipment,
have a printer (I’m going to sound like a broken record),
your chords will start to pile up and become unruly. For
research some printers online. You may think you won’t
a quick fix, use zip ties or binder clips (yes, I went DIY
need one, but even if you don’t want to print out those
on you), and when you start getting more chords, use a
course worksheets, there will come a time when you
cable organizer to make it pretty.
will want the convenience of having your own printer. If you don’t have the money for one at the moment, you
Chances are you’ve probably got some boxes or bins
can always send your print jobs to the UPS Store On-
somewhere in the house that can double as storage for
line Printing or FedEx Office. If you find yourself printing
now. Go ahead and grab them and stack them in a cor-
pretty often though, I say just bite the bullet and buy
ner of your room. We can work out the details later of
your own.
what they’ll be used for. If you can’t find any, first sit down and make a list of what you will be using storage
POSTURE & ERGONOMICS (1:40)
for – extra office supplies, client files, etc. – then search
Ergonomics: the study of people’s efficiency in their
the types of storage that align with your purpose and
working environment. Basically fancy talk for sitting up
decor. Amazon, Target, Ikea, Pier 1 and The Container
straight and using the right chair – all in the name of productivity. If you’ve set up in your dining room, then BAM, you’ve got a chair. Unfortunately, it’s probably not the best chair for working since dining chairs are only meant to be used for 30-60 minutes at a time. If you need an office chair (because you’ve set up in a room or small space) then head down to Best Buy or your nearest office store and try some chairs until you find one that feels right. Also, research some ergonomic office chairs online and this way you can check the reviews and see which one might work best for you.
GET ONLINE (0:30) If you are at home, you likely already have a wireless network set up. All you have to do now is find your network name and connect your computer. This step is done.
ORGANIZE IT (3:00) Charging station, surge protector, storage. This is where we make it look like an organized office. If you’ve got a mess of office supplies strewn everywhere, not only will your productivity decline as you try to find whatever the heck you are looking for, but your family will get super annoyed tripping over your computer chords.
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Store are among some places to get started.
KEEP IT CLEAN! (0:00)
WHAT IF YOU REALLY DON’T HAVE EXTRA SPACE IN YOUR HOUSE? If all else fails, use this 10 minutes to research co-work-
Well, during the setup, this part takes no time. I’m as-
ing spaces near you. They are popping up everywhere
suming that when you prep, you will put everything
and are a fantastic option. Switch locations every once
where you want it. Remember, ‘A place for everything
in a while for a change of scenery. Use places with free
and everything in its place!’ But please, once you start
wi-fi (but make sure your connections are secure) like
working – keep your place clean and organized. My
coffee shops, bookstores, and libraries. Alternately, if it
dad’s office is a complete mess, but it’s ‘controlled cha-
is in your budget, check out local rental office spaces
os’ as he calls it. He remembers what pile he put that
like Roam or Third Workplace or Nationwide spaces in-
form in, but if he needs to tell someone else to find it,
cluding Regus Offices, HQ, DaVinci Virtual Offices, and
good luck with that.
OfficeList. They range in price and locations, so pick one that is most convenient for your situation.
Bottom line, keep your space organized and you (and everyone else in your household) will be much happier
Take a step back and look at your office! Next, don’t for-
and productive.
get to personalize it and make it your own.
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PRODUCTIVITY
12 Cool Gmail Hacks: Did You Know You Could Do That? 04 01
01 FILTERS & LABELS If your mom sends you too many forwards or emails you too much about coming to visit, then create a folder and have her emails ushered into it automatically. Check it when you want. Boom. To create labels, click the button at the top that looks like a gift label. Name it something relevant and you’re done.
02
02 UNDO SEND One of my favorite Gmail hacks – the undo send. Enable it and it allows you to undo the sending of any message within a specified chosen time frame. You’ll find this in your settings (click the gear icon) under the general tab. Click the checkbox to toggle it on and then set it to either 5, 10, 20 or 30 seconds.
03
03 CREATE A CALENDAR EVENT FROM AN EMAIL During schedule planning and calendaring you may have to add the final agreed upon date and time on the calendar. Choose the “create event” option from the “more” drop-down list. looks like a gift label. Name it something relevant and you’re done. It automatically opens the calendar with an event created for you – all of the email info will be populated for you (no copy/paste necessary!).
04 CREATE TASKS FROM YOUR EMAILS
In the same way that you can create an event, you can create a task from your emails as well. For those of you that use the Gmail task list feature, this is a pretty cool shortcut Find it in the same drop-down list as the previous tip.
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05 PLAIN TEXT FORMATTING You ever copy/ paste something into your email and it keeps the formatting exactly as it was? Yep, that’s how Gmail does it. as well. Rather than trying to match it with your default text by choosing the font and text size, just highlight the part you want to change and click the Tx in the bottom right-hand corner.
06 SPLIT THREAD
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Gmail “threads” messages so that instead of a whole new email popping up in your inbox, it adds it to the original email and compresses the messages. Sometimes those messages may get really long and on a completely different topic, so you may want to take it out of that original thread and start a new one. You’ll find this option in the drop-down triangle to the right of the message. The very bottom has the option to “Split Message from Thread”.
“EMAIL, INSTANT MESSAGING, AND CELL PHONES GIVE US FABULOUS COMMUNICATION ABILITY, BUT BECAUSE WE LIVE AND WORK IN OUR OWN LITTLE WORLDS, THAT COMMUNICATION IS TOTALLY DISORGANIZED”
d 07 G-CHAT
07
You can totally chat with your contacts while you are in your email. Think AOL Instant Messenger of the 90’s … only in your email browser. For everyone postAOL, it’s comparable to Facebook messenger while in your Facebook web browser. Your chat list is in the left sidebar – just under your tiny profile picture. Click on people to chat with them if they are available and you can also search for contacts if they don’t automatically show up in your list.
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08 SEND AND REQUEST MONEY
What? Yaassss! You ever notice that little dollar sign at the bottom of your draft email? Using Google Wallet, you can send or request money right from your Gmail. It works just like Paypal. You can send money by replying or when composing an email.
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09 KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
Having to use the mouse can slow you down so an easy fix is to enable and customize your keyboard shortcuts. Click the gear icon to get to the settings. You’ll find this tool in the labs tab. Enable it and save your changes at the bottom. Now you can use any of these active shortcuts while in your Gmail browser (change them in settings).
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10 CUSTOMIZE YOUR EMAIL ALIASES
One cool thing about Gmail is that you can create numerous versions of your email (using + or . ) for any reason and they will all be delivered to your inbox. For example, miranda+promotions@gmail.com, or miranda.recipes@ gmail.com will all deliver to miranda@gmail.com. You don’t even have to set anything up on the backend! Just create folders or labels for those emails and you can have them ushered directly where you want them to go.
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11 THEMES – CHANGE YOUR LOOK ON THE DAILY! Don’t live your email life with the theme they gave ya – let your personality shine through! Go to the settings gear again and the themes tab is the last one on the list. Choose one, adjust the options if you’d like (like photo blur), and save your changes.
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12 CANNED RESPONSES
If you offer customer service in your business or seem to answer the same frequently asked questions a lot, then canned responses will be convenient for you. Also in the labs tab of your settings, you’ll need to enable it before you can use it. Once enabled, canned responses will appear in the bottom drop menu of a composed message. You can create any email as a canned message and then you’ll be able to choose it from the list next time.
SEPTEMBER 2018 | VOLUME 1 | ISSUE NO. 4
Why You Should Drink Your Coffee Black “Those fancy coffee shop concoctions don’t count as health food.”
Despite what you may have heard, coffee isn’t bad for your health and well-being. Quite the opposite is true. Coffee is actually good for you. This is particularly true when you drink it black. I hate to break the bad news to you, but those fancy coffee shop concoctions - or that cup of coffee with vanilla creamer that looks and tastes more like a cookie - don’t count as health food. While you still get the benefits from the black coffee, you’re more than negating them with the sugar, trans-fats, and artificial flavorings. For optimal health, switch to drinking your coffee black. Not only is it much better for your body, you’ll also be saving quite a few calories. For example, did you know that the average large Cafe Mocha has close to 500 calories? That’s a fourth of your total calories for the day for the average moderately active person. Having one of these just twice a week may be enough to start seeing the pounds creep up over time.
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SEPTEMBER 2018 | VOLUME 1 | ISSUE NO. 4
It doesn’t even have to be that
your coffee is bad for your teeth.
pleasant. Consider weaning your-
drastic. Let’s look at what your
It can lead to tooth decay and cav-
self off the sugar by cutting back a
regular cup of coffee adds to
ities. On the other hand, drinking
little at a time. Switch your sweet-
the calorie budget. How much
your coffee black can give your
ened creamer or half-and-half to
sugar and cream or milk do you
chompers a little extra protec-
two percent milk. Eventually you
put in yours? Look up the calo-
tion. Sugar has also been linked
want to make the switch to drink-
ries and figure out how many
to inflammation in the body.
ing your coffee black. Your taste
calories you’re drinking per cup.
That’s one of the reasons you feel
buds will start to adjust.
Then multiply that number by
so crappy after binging on that
the cups of coffee you drink per
box of doughnuts. Cut down on
If black coffee still tastes bitter
day. It quickly adds up. For most
your daily sugar intake by leaving
to you, consider switching to a
of us, this equals to 200 or more
it out of your coffee.time.
different brand, brewing it with a pinch of salt, or adding a little
calories per day. Cutting out the sugar and cream may be enough
Now that you know why you
cool tap water to your cup. Once
to finally start losing those pesky
should drink your coffee black,
you acquire the taste for it, good
five extra pounds.
let’s talk about how to get there.
black coffee is something to be
If you’re a sweet and creamy
treasured… and it’s good for you.
Of course, the benefits don’t end
coffee drink person, moving to
there. The sugar you’re putting in
drinking it black isn’t going to be
SIMPLE WAYS TO MAKE COFFEE EVEN HEALTHIER Turns out that drinking coffee is
the plant it came from, the more
actually good for you. It can help
health benefits you’ll reap from
protect your liver, your heart,
drinking the finished cup of cof-
and even your brain. Isn’t it nice
fee. Keep that in mind the next
to know that the steaming pot
time you shop for coffee. Look
of coffee in the morning - or that
for high quality roasted beans. If
dash to the shop around the cor-
possible, go for an organic brand.
ner when the afternoon slump
The nutrients found in coffee
hits - isn’t something we should
beans, including the antioxidants
be feeling guilty about? But let’s
and much of the flavor, slow-
not stop there. Today I want to
ly start to deteriorate once the
share a few different tips with
beans are ground.
you that make the coffee habit Your best option is to buy whole
even healthier. Let’s dive right in.
beans and then grind them Start with High-Quality Organ-
fresh right before you brew your
ic Beans and Grind Them Fresh.
coffee. If that’s not an option,
It all starts with the right beans.
choose vacuum sealed ground
The better quality the bean and
coffee and store it in an airtight
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Container. Skip the Sugar and
that’s good for you into your body
Artificial Creamers. While black
will help you make it through this
coffee is good for you, the sugar
time of adjustment to the true
and artificial creamers most of
taste of coffee.
us add to it aren’t. They often negate the health benefits of coffee
Boost Your Healthy Fat Intake
and then some. The easiest way
with Coconut Oil. I’m sure you’ve
to make your coffee healthier is
heard of bulletproof coffee and
to skip them. Coffee doesn’t have
the many health benefits, in-
to taste like a vanilla wafer. Start
cluding more healthy fat in your
cutting back on the sugar or arti-
diet. One of the easiest ways to
ficial sweetener, and replace your
do this is to simply add a spoon
favorite flavored creamer with a
of coconut oil to your morning
splash of milk or heavy cream.
coffee. You can let it melt into
The feeling of putting something
the hot beverage or use a milk
“The nutrients found in coffee beans, including the antioxidants and much of the flavor, slowly start to deteriorate once the beans are ground.”
frother or blender to blend it all
Not only is the flavor amazing,
up. Blended, you end up with a
there are some additional health
creamy and smooth cup of coffee
benefits found in these additions.
without having to add any cream-
Cinnamon has been shown to
er. If you prefer, add a splash of
reduce inflammation and im-
cream with the coconut oil, blend
prove your insulin sensitivity. Co-
it all up, and enjoy. You end up
coa powder has a positive effect
with a delicious coffee drink that
on blood pressure and it boosts
will keep you energized and full
your mood. Both are also an ad-
for hours.
ditional source of antioxidants.
Add a Sprinkle of Cinnamon or
So, now that you know that drink-
Cocoa. I get it. Drinking black cof-
ing coffee the right way is good
fee or even the blended version
for you, what are you going to try
with coconut oil day after day
first to make your cup of coffee
gets boring. When you’re ready
even healthier?
for a little change or want to spice things up, add a dash of cinnamon or cocoa to your cup.
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See the world together.
Mindset Reset:
BUSINESS
Build a business you can love again
OVER TIME, YOU MAY FIND THAT YOUR BUSINESS HAS MORPHED INTO SOMETHING YOU NEVER ENVISIONED. YOU’RE WORKING WITH LESS-THAN-IDEAL CLIENTS AND YOUR PACKAGES AND PROGRAMS DON’T EXCITE YOU ANYMORE.
A PHOTOGRAPH OR PHOTO IS AN IMAGE CREATED BY LIGHT FALLING USUALLY PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM.
It can happen, and it may have already happened to you. You wake up one day and realize you don’t love the direction your business is going. Either you aren’t serving your ideal client, or you feel like your brand isn’t really representing your vision. If that sound like the path you are on, it may be time to step back and take a look at your mindset and your business. It may be time to rebrand your vision. One of the best reasons to rebrand: wanting to up-level your price point for your packages and products after realizing you have been seriously undercharging and need to charge a significant amount more. But rebranding is not a step to be taken lightly if you’ve already built up a large list or a strong social media following (or both). If they’re not paying customers and clients, however, there’s less to lose if they leave you. If they are, here’s what will happen: Some may leave you, but when they realize the value they were getting from your company, at least half of them will be back … with a new appreciation for you. If you’re relatively new and you only have four clients, twenty subscribers and thirty people who follow your
Facebook Page, go ahead and rebrand immediately! Nobody really knows you yet and you’ve got everything to gain! One of the best ways to rejuvenate yourself and get excited about working in your field again lies in giving your own training and knowledge a powerful booster shot. What courses can you take that will make you even more qualified to advise your clients about their businesses or mindsets? Do you need to commit to a higherlevel coach in order to up-level your own game? Consider going on a VIP Retreat. Not only will it help you bounce ideas off of real, caring, fellow professionals and learn exciting new strategies, just physically being in a different location (usually a beautiful and relaxing one) will make the whole experience feel like the best sort of vacation. Are your programs out of date? Stale? A little bit tired? Or are they just not getting the reaction they once elicited? If your programs have been kicking around too long and/or sales have dropped off, it’s time to make them exciting again.
SEPTEMBER 2018 | VOLUME 1 | ISSUE NO. 4
kicking around too long and/or sales have dropped off, it’s time to make them exciting again. First, identify and eliminate any programs that: a) don’t fit in with your branding or re-branding, b) you don’t want to focus on anymore, and c) are causing more work and expense than they bring in. Let’s evaluate the last one. Take a look at the actual time you expend in administering your existing group and courses. Are you teaching a live course that really drains your energy? Are you offering coaching packages that generate too much preparation? Is a group demanding as much of your attention as single coaching clients? Way more attention than you planned on expending?
flow neatly into your NEXT funnel. In fact, it sounds as if you don’t have a ‘next funnel’, doesn’t it? But if your clients still want to stick with you and are clamoring for more, that’s when you really need to upgrade your services to a VIP level! Brainstorm what type of high-ticket offerings you could add. Choose from these six popular options: Luxury Retreats, live mastermind events, VIP half-days and full days, exclusive Top-Level club (restricted to a really small number of clients at a really high price), or high-end meetups (one-day workshop for a small number of people, with fabulous meals provided). The options are endless! Freshen up those old programs by re-launching them.
That’s a sign the group needs to be restructured or closed. Prepare for this, but meanwhile, quietly appoint co-administrators and extra moderators. Choose from your team members or from top students or clients active in the group: Ones who have been there a while and who are familiar with you and your offerings. Never just cancel a program. Always replace it with something even better. If the retired program was popular, but you really don’t want to deal with it anymore, grandfather existing members in, reassure them they will always have access to the material they’ve paid for, but that there will be no new content added after [pick a date about a month or more away]. Meanwhile, use the final sessions to build excitement for what’s replacing that program or group. Have an existing-members-only special-price membership drive. What do you do if your clients and members have outgrown your content? If you find yourself repeating the same round of lessons and you’ve got no “next step” to offer those who have already gone through your membership, you’re in a sticky spot. You’ve committed that ultimate Sales Funnel Sin of not helping them
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Not as they are now, but with new visual branding, new components, and added-value bonuses. Another easy, fun way to freshen up your sales without actually doing work on the programs or products: Totally revamp your landing page with something that is interactive and fun! Instead of just giving people the benefits of your offer, entice them to qualify themselves by offering a quiz, a webinar or a free 3-video mini-course You can also reanimate interest in your site by running contests and giveaways or adding a tripwire offer to your free quiz. You are not locked into your old way of doing things: Neither are you locked into your old
mindset. Start getting creative again, thinking outside the box, tipping the box upside down, wondering what would happen if you changed its shape and find what excites you out of these explorations. Eliminate programs or products that are no longer in alignment with who you really are. Transform tired programs and products, the way you help clients transform too. Be as tough on your offers as you are on clients – and be as kind to yourself as you are with clients too. And finally, give yourself permission for a mindset reset, so you can reap your own transformational benefits and put back the magic in your business and your life.
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SEPTEMBER 2018 | VOLUME 1 | ISSUE NO. 4
BLOG & PODCAST WATCH
Blogs & Podcasts For living your best life WHO DOESN’T LOVE NEW BLOGS TO READ AND FOLLOW? MY FAVORITES ARE USUALLY WOMEN CENTERED AND CATER TO CREATING YOUR BEST LIFE. I’VE STUMBLED ACROSS A GOOD AMOUNT, AND SHARING IS CARING! SO HERE IS A ROUND UP OF BLOGS YOU SHOULD BE CHECKING OUT. DON’T FORGET TO VISIT MY BLOG: WWW. THEPRIORITIZEDLIFE.COM/BLOG FOR MY VIEWS ON LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE..
Do you fancy listening more than reading? Well, I’ve got some podcasts for you! We don’t always have the luxury of sitting down with our tea or coffee (or wine!) and reading words. In those cases, we need something a little more portable and effortless. Enter podcasts! Add these gems to your playlist for instant life enhancement.
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01 CAIT FLANDERS
Cait blogs about
budgeting, simplicity, and travel, among other things. Curious about doing a shopping ban? Cait’s got advice for you! https://caitflanders.com
02 WONDER FOREST Founded by Dana Fox, Wonder Forest is collaborative archive of projects, blog and business tips, advice, and positivity. https://www.thewonderforest.com
03 LET IT OUT discusses everything from productivity and creativity, to self-care and wellness to relationships, sex, love, body image, and more. Sometimes things get super deep and spiritual and sometimes they are funny and light because life is both.
04 LET’S DISCUSS Conversations on all things life, love, work and wellbeing. Helping to create the best life you can, with the resources you currently have, and ultimately want to be the happiest version of ‘you’ possible. https://www.letsdiscusspodcast.com
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SEPTEMBER 2018 | VOLUME 1 | ISSUE NO. 4
keto breakfast: Keto smoked salmon sandwich
“Smoked salmon and creamy scrambled eggs—it’s a culinary match made in heaven!”
If you are on the Keto diet, or dabbling in trying to reduce your intake of sugar and carbs, you know that it is tough to find something that you want to cook (or eat!). The struggle is real! Occassionally, I’m on the lookout for anything that sparks my interest. This open-faced Keto sandwhich did just that. It’s not just another delicious blend of eggs, and smoked salmon, this one sits atop a slice of spicy pumpkin bread! It’s fall, so you know we are entering the spived pumpkin everything. View the full menu at Diet Doctor: https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/smoked-salmon-sandwich
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Recipe Credit: Diet Doctor
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5 WAYS TO OVERCOME PROCRASTINATION “Procrastination is like a credit card: it’s a lot of fun until you get the bill. -Christopher Parker”
The thing about procrastination is how sneaky our own minds can be. For example, one copywriter might procrastinate by doing endless research on a project. She’s not sitting around twiddling her thumbs. She’s not playing Candy Crush. She’s doing vital work for her project, and her project is on her mind. But she hasn’t started writing—and she should have started writing two days ago. She’s procrastinating. And in this case, her procrastination trigger probably has to do with self-confidence. She finds the subject intimidating or too technical. She doesn’t know how she’s going to spin a simple subject into an entire eBook; or her client for this particular project is difficult to work with, and she’s dreading the interaction. Three different problems, apparently—but if you take a closer look, they all stem from a lack of confidence. Is the way she’s coping with it “bad”? No. She’s not avoiding the project itself, she’s merely avoiding putting pen to paper. Research can help, when you’re not familiar with a subject (and also when you are familiar with it)—but there’s such a thing as too much research.
Turn Every Stone.
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People who want to write books often go through a similar procrastination routine. They endlessly research, write snippets of content, scrap them, write more, edit them, etc… And then there are those who have phobias. They don’t make telephone calls because they feel uncomfortable talking on the phone. They don’t make videos because they are self-conscious about some physical feature or what viewers will think of them. On top of the differing reasons for procrastinating, one also has to take into account learning styles and preferences, as well as personality traits and conditions like ADHD, chronic or acute health issues, past traumas or learning challenges. We all do it. We all procrastinate for different reasons. We have different trigger points. And we all procrastinate in different ways. While there are common causes and reasons for procrasti-
nation, there are even more “cures”. Pick through these ten ideas to find strategies that work for you. 1. BANISH GUILT If you’ve been a procrastinator since childhood, it may have been made worse by overly-authoritarian parents or teachers. Procrastination can also be a type of avoidance behavior, where those who feel habitually powerless take back personal power in the only way known to them—procrastination on tasks they are ordered to do. Along with avoidance-based procrastination unfortunately comes its offshoots—guilt and shame. We hear the voices of those authority figures telling us that we “blew it again”, “can’t be depended on”; even all-or-nothing statements like “you’re a complete failure” (usually accompanied by comparisons to a perfect sibling or neighbor)—long after we’ve grown up and supposedly left
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all childhood voices behind. Guilt and shame have no place in working on becoming the person we were born to be. One good dose of shaming (especially from yourself) and you’re likely to revert to the one defense you’ve truly mastered—the mental equivalent of curling up in the fetal position in a darkened room—procrastination. Learn to banish guilt by using cognitive reframing. Replace those excoriating self-lashes with phrases based in reality. For example, instead of saying to yourself, “I did it again. I’m a complete screw-up!” try stating just the facts. (“I spent an hour of `me’ time. Now it’s time to put that aside and go to work.”) It feels much better when you take the blame-and-shame out of your procrastination habits, and focus on realistic solutions.
2. TAME THE TIME STEALERS Keep an eye out for “time stealers”—small tasks that nibble away minutes and eventually hours from our days. These are tasks like checking email or Facebook, answering the phone while you’re working, answering the door, getting up to make a cup of coffee… It doesn’t matter what you stop working to do: Record it! Keep a log for a few days, and see where you are spending too much time on one particular distraction (for example, you may discover you actually get up to make six or seven cups of tea or coffee during the day, when you were sure it was only three or four). Repetitive behaviors can become procrastination habits. Tame them by setting a limit to how many times per day you can indulge in that particular activity; or set a time limit—for example, “ten minutes only for checking email”. Make sure you actually use a timer though so you will stick to it!
(Use a simple timer with an audible alarm such as TickCounter to help you manage your new time limits.)
cies, put the sub-title “Optional” over priorities #2 and # 3— that way, you won’t feel you’ve “failed”.)
3. PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY! If you’re a compulsive message-checker or texter, don’t even leave your cell phone in the same room.
Only when you’ve cleared the priorities should you add more tasks or actions to your list. Keep adding 3 more tasks until you’ve completed the big picture.
Unless you’re waiting for news of earth-shattering importance (a grandchild about to be born or a status update on a critically ill relative), the world won’t end without you checking your messages. And you’ll be training people who don’t respect your work hours that you really do have boundaries. 4. KEEP YOUR LISTS SHORT Break it into steps, but if you end up with ten steps, focus on no more than three top priorities—and congratulate yourself if you get one done. Use daily planner sheets to keep your ideas in order. (If you have perfectionist tenden-
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5. FOCUS ON YOUR SUCCESS! Sometimes the simplest strategies are the best strategies of all. Gretchen Ruben, best-selling author of The Happiness Project, shares this tip: “On the top of a piece of paper, write, “By the end of today, I will have done __________.” This also gives you the thrill of crossing a task off your list.” Along the same lines, the Chrome dashboard extension Momentum, allows you to input “What your focus is today”. You’ll see it every time you open a new tab and when you complete it, you can check it of.
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CHALLENGES
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7-DAY MAKEOVER YOUR MORNING CHALLENGE
Have you ever run around wondering if you should journal or take a shower first? Maybe you weren’t quite sure what you should be eating for breakfast and that lack of decision making made you run late. If your morning starts with you jumping out of bed at the sound of your alarm (after you’ve hit snooze 3 times), then you need to establish a routine. If you’re ready for a routine to be better prepared for unplanned disturbances... Then it’s time to makeover your morning! Join the challenge: http://www.theprioritizedlife.com/makeover-your-morningchallenge/
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SEPTEMBER 2018 | VOLUME 1 | ISSUE NO. 4
ADULT COLORING
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FREE MONTHLY PLANNING SHEETS “Give crayons. Adults are disturbingly impoverished of these magical dream sticks. ~Dr. SunWolf�
Visit The Prioritized Life to grab your September coloring and planner pages! 5 Monthly Planner Pages Include: Calendar, Weekly Planner, Daily Planner, Monthly Menu Planner, and Gratitude Worksheet https://www.theprioritizedlife.com/coloring/
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SEPTEMBER 2018 | VOLUME 1 | ISSUE NO. 4
Charity of the month: onehope wine
“Make a positive impact with every purchase of our world-class wines, gifts and coffee. Let’s change the world together.”
ONEHOPE was founded by eight friends with a lofty vision: to create exceptional products that inspire people to indulge while doing good. Our commitment to quality wine is as important as our commitment to the causes we support. To date we have made more than $3 million in donations, provided 46,000 people with global health care, 49,000 forever homes for shelter animals, 1.8 million meals for children, 163,000 life-saving vaccines and much more.
h t t p s : // w w w . o n e h o p e w i n e . c o m
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