Final Friday's Finds for October 2020

In the United States, we are approximately 4 days from the polls closing in the 2020 Elections, and, y'all, many of us are truly struggling to focus on anything else. However, there are so many priorities still happening for home, work, community and self-care. For this final Friday's fab finds, here are a handful of what's currently helping me focus on what matters most and pursue my many passions.

For years, I've been a coffee drinker; yet, when Berri of The Flo Academy started teaching me about why I needed to be drinking organic raspberry leaf tea, I started giving tea more of a chance. I have been thoroughly impressed with Black Momma Teas, having enjoyed every sip of spearmint, peach apricot & fruit, white peach, caramel peach with coconut, English breakfast, mango and detox flavors. Better yet, as Black Momma also offers vodkas, my purchases support Vanessa Braxton, the first African-American, female owner and operator of a Nationally Distributed Vodka in the United States. I love a purchase with a purpose. 

Everyday Neutral Mask Lanyards from Courtney Frye of The Painted Pearl have been the answer to the issue we never imagined before 2020. If you worry about laying your mask down somewhere unsanitary when you take a sip to drink or stop for a snack, these handmade creations are the perfect way to have that mask easily accessible and safe while hanging from your neck. Since studies have shown slipping your mask down to your neck is highly unsafe, this offers an alternative to keep you healthy and productive. Each well-made strand measures roughly 30" in length and features light-weight wooden beads with hints of matte gold and neutral blush tones, making it sure to compliment anything in your wardrobe. Plus, easy-to-use lobster claws are used to secure your mask, ensuring this lanyard can have a life after the pandemic as a necklace.

I am a huge fan of containing similar items together in bags. For example, in my purse, there's a smaller bag for writing utensils, there's a smaller bag for medical items, like Band-aids, a travel size NEOSPORIN as well as a small bottle of Tylenol, and there's a smaller bag for tech tools, like charging cords, plugs and earbuds. During this time of protecting ourselves from COVID-19, I stumbled upon The Pure Bag's ZipPockets, finding a quality layer of added protection. Made of marine-grade, healthcare-quality vinyl, they offer durable, antibacterial protection and are available in a plethora of fun colors, like Jungle Leaf, Pool and Tangerine. An embedded silver component provides a natural, environmentally-friendly barrier against odor and stain-causing bacteria. Moreover, both the exterior and interior look good while feeling great.

As the letters on certain keys for my MacBook Pro had started disappearing from my keyboard, I think it's safe to deduce that I'm using my computer too much these days, but that doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Thus, I ordered a MOSISO Keyboard Cover, and I've been super pleased with its look as well as its feel. After opening the packaging, all I had to do was lay the cover across my existing keyboard, and, voila, my keys were restored. Made with premium, engineering-grade, durable, non-toxic silicone, the keyboard cover is ultra thin and makes typing surprising easy while still be simple to remove or reapply as needed. It protects my MacBook keyboard against dust, liquid spills, key wear, contaminates and more.

The acne caused by regularly wearing a mask or holding your chin while on a Zoom call is truly tough to battle, but I'm getting help from ZitSticka's KILLA kit. First, you wipe the area with a CLEANA swab that's soaked in exfoliating, de-stressing ingredients; then, you affix the KILLA zit patch, which is powered by tiny microdarts that self-dissolve overnight to flood the epicenter of an early-stage zit with targeted ingredients, clearing the acne before it gets real bad. These little circles move my face toward clarity so much more quickly than anything else I've ever found. It's like magic but fueled by scientific advancements.

I’d love to know what you’re currently using, loving and finding can bring you a little comfort amidst the stress and hectivity of life. Add a comment here or email me, and maybe I’ll give your suggestion a try for an upcoming “Final Friday’s Fab Finds” post. Or do you have any feedback on prior months' fab finds that you've tried? Plus, as an update for those following along, I'm shocked to say that my Marble Queen Pothos purchased from The Zen Succulent back in June is still alive. Take care, folks, staying safe and sane amidst all that we're facing!

Final Friday's Finds for September 2020

It's my favorite month! Autumn has arrived, and it's an ideal time to complete your Census, enjoy a football game, go apple picking, decorate pumpkins for your porch, jump-start holiday shopping, splurge on a pair of boots or educate yourself for the upcoming elections. For this final Friday's fab finds, here are a handful of what's currently helping me focus on what matters most and pursue my many passions.

With screen time having increased by at least 30% worldwide, 65% of

American adults are reporting symptoms of digital eye strain, much of which is attributed to our overexposure to blue light emitted by our technological devices. Did you know that blue light emitted by screens can penetrate all the way to your retina, damaging vision and causing eye strain? Ophthalmologist-approved Eye Just blue light blocking screens are scientifically proven to reduce digital eyestrain and protect one's eyes, skin and sleep from harmful blue light effects. The screens include bacteria blocker, are scratch proof and prevent smudges. There are options for your iPhone, iPad and laptop alike. 

Shift is the desktop app for streamlining your accounts, apps and workflows. Instead of logging in and out of various different email, chat, task management and collaborative workspace applications, simply connect them through your one Shift account, and work faster with browsing across all accounts' details. With Shift, you'll have one login to toggle between all of your Gmail, Outlook, Office 365, WhatsApp, Slack, Messenger and more apps, customizing which notifications make the most sense for your specific work needs. 

Mosquitos love me. I have no idea why, but, whenever I'm outside, they target my

skin for all sorts of bug bites. This summer, I discovered the Bug Bite Thing, and it's been amazing. This suction tool extracts the insect saliva and venom from under the skin to help alleviate itching, stinging and swelling. Removing the irritant makes the body stop producing the reaction causing uncomfortable symptoms, truly eliminating the problem. No creams, chemicals, ointments or anything but literally sucking the irritant out from under the skin. Created by a mom on a mission to alleviate her child's hurting, this product is backed by women entrepreneurs and making a positive impact worldwide.

Conscious Coconut Oil is Certified USDA Organic, is Fair Trade Certified™️, is cold pressed, comes in sustainable packaging and serves a higher purpose by donating to Feeding America with every purchase. Plus, the uses for coconut oil seem endless, including moisturizing skin, protecting hair from damage, improving wound healing, serving as a carrier for essential oils, removing stains, making wood furniture shine, soothing sunburnt skin, removing makeup and relieving chapped lips.

I’d love to know what you’re currently using, loving and finding can bring you a little comfort amidst the hectivity of life. Add a comment here or email me, and maybe I’ll give your suggestion a try for an upcoming “Final Friday’s Fab Finds” post. Or do you have any feedback on prior months' fab finds that you've tried? Take care!

Final Friday's Fab Finds for August 2020

As we're over two-thirds of the way through the summer of 2020, the world around us seems both like an opportunity for growth, change and betterment as well as a hamster wheel of Groundhog Days in the middle of so much craziness that we can't control... Amidst the mental and emotional overwhelm, it's vital to fill our toolboxes with what will best boost productivity and help us cultivate the lives we want. For this final Friday's fab finds, here are a handful of the lovely things currently helping me focus in on what matters most and enthusiastically pursue my many passions.

Back in July, my to-do list included the goal to "master face skincare routine", and my efforts at this uncovered a true gem. I've been using True Botanicals' Pure Radiance Oil, and I absolutely love it. All of their products are certified nontoxic and sustainably made as well as vegan and cruelty-free; plus, there's a quiz on their homepage to help figure out exactly which products will best meet one's face skincare needs. As explained on their website, the "face oils deliver nutrients and antioxidants deep into skin, for healing from the inside out." I use the Clear option to treat and prevent acne while minimizing the effects of aging, but all the face oils provide great, clarifying moisturizers that balance skin, which is vital for smooth, hydrated and healthy skin.

As many folks are getting out and about more while wearing a face mask, waiting 6' apart and washing hands as often as possible, there's a continuing need for hand sanitizer. Back when it was nearly impossible to find hand sanitizer on store shelves, I went searching for an option that wouldn't dry my hands out so badly, and I discovered By Humankind's Kindfill™️ Hand Sanitizer refill, which is such a necessary assist these days. This moisturizing, alcohol-based hand sanitizer comes in a large, 8-ounce bottle that is designed to refill your travel-size plastic bottles, and it's surprising cost-effective. The gel formula consists of 65% alcohol, offers Eucalyptus or Grapefruit options that include essential oils and smells (and feels) so much better than other sanitizers I've experienced.


Verb Energy Bars are made with organic green tea, providing as much caffeine as an espresso with only 90 calories. They use exclusively gluten-free, vegan ingredients that are in most folks' kitchens, each bar is small enough to stash in a desk drawer or the pocket of your purse without worrying about anything melting, and you can test them out with a starter kit of Maple Blueberry, Coconut Chai, Salted Peanut Butter and Simply Cocoa. I truly enjoy the Coconut Chai version and appreciate how easy they make getting refills via texts.

Watermelon is a summertime fixture and one of my favorite foods. Even as I have certainly been enjoying my fair share of fresh-cut watermelon slices, I've become a big fan of cold-pressed watermelon juice, whether that's from WTRMLN WTR® or Tsamma Juice. It's easy to keep a bottle handy while working from home, especially with how it's deliciously hydrating via natural electrolytes from watermelon. Every bottle of Tsamma contains over one and a half pounds of Frey Farms' watermelons, cold-pressed, gently pasteurized and cold-packed to protect essential nutrients. Both companies market that their juices include L-Citrulline + Lycopene. These options for watermelon juice are both tasty and healthy, which is a major win-win, especially with all that vitamin C to help me stay well amidst a global pandemic.

I’d love to know what you’re currently using, loving and finding can bring you a little comfort amidst the hectivity of life. Add a comment here or email me, and maybe I’ll give your suggestion a try for an upcoming “Final Friday’s Fab Finds” post. Or do you have any feedback on prior months' fab finds that you've tried? Take care, y’all!

Final Friday's Fab Finds for July 2020

As the temperatures are rising now that we're over a month into summer and yet another hurricane is heading our way, there's still so much happening around us: the COVID-19 global pandemic continues, America's economy just had its worst quarter on record, our communities work toward racial justices, and we all try to balance commitments while focusing on getting done what matters most. Amidst the mental and emotional overwhelm, it's vital to fill our toolboxes with what will best boost productivity and help us cultivate the lives we want. For this final Friday's fab finds, here are a handful of the lovely things I currently can't live without.

While many air purifiers simply collect pollutants on filters where they can multiply and release back into the air, Molekule air purifiers are different. They actually destroy the pollutants instead, and, having added them to my home, I can really feel the difference in my home's air quality. As someone with both seasonal allergies and asthma, I normally have greater symptoms throughout the spring and into summer as well as autumn, but I've really experienced relief since bringing the Molekule air purifiers into my home, using two of the Air versions to make sure I'm covered. Plus, I have to admit that they've provided a little reassurance during the COVID-19 global pandemic, keeping out some of the world's viruses and VOCs to help me breathe easier.

One of my favorite spots for amazing coffee in the Triangle area of North Carolina is Jubala Coffee, and, as a response to the COVID-19 global pandemic and folks not being okay with sitting in a coffee shop, they added the option of ordering Jubala's own Batch Iced Latte, which is 64 ounces of latte based on your preference for flavor and milk. Built on its relationships with coffee communities from which the coffee is sourced, Jubala has a deep dedication to the farmers and partnering with them to provide a top quality product. Every cup is fresh, offers a flavorful taste, supports the local community and has the world's greater good in mind throughout the entire production process. Better yet, there are two locations from which to choose so you can swing by whichever shop is more convenient to you.

As the world is taking 2020 to reflect on what matters most, there is great fluctuation and evolution in the routines that have been developing for me as well as my clients. I have found the Streaks Productivity App to be super powerful in turning behaviors into habits for routines that better enable us to get done what matters most. The app allows for choosing up to 12 tasks that you want to turn into daily habits, like exercising, meditating, drinking a certain amount of water, writing out that for which you are grateful, eating a vegetable, writing a personalized note or calling a friend. Each day that you complete a task, your streak is extended. Streaks is available for iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad and Mac so you can update your progress via any device, easily tracking your results to stay motivated.

No list of fab finds for July 2020 could be complete without the Hamilton film. If you've not seen this yet, make time this weekend to access it from Disney+. You won't regret the two hours and 40 minutes invested in watching the movie. It is no exaggeration when Lin Manuel Miranda explains that "This is a story about America then, told by America now", and it's a must-see for for hope or inspiration. "Hamilton" blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway to convey the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton in a manner that is unlike anything I've seen before. Watching this explains how our country's founding fathers had a vision for a more perfect union, making Independence Day the start of our never-ending efforts at continuous improvement as we move eternally towards that idealistic vision.

As an update from last month's fab finds, I'm continuing my way through Michelle Obama's Becoming, thoroughly engrossed by her delivery of each and every story. Plus, the good news is that my Marble Queen Pothos from The Zen Succulent is still alive, which is quite the achievement. Did you get a chance to try any of my recommendations?

I’d love to know what you’re currently using, loving and finding can bring you a little comfort amidst the hectivity of life. Add a comment here or email me, and maybe I’ll give your suggestion a try for an upcoming “Final Friday’s Fab Finds” post. Take care, y’all!

Final Friday's Fab Finds for June 2020

While wrapping up the first half of 2020, can you believe all that has occurred? We're in the throes of the COVID-19 global pandemic, protests are ongoing as we call for justice and equality in the Black Lives Matter movement, articles of impeachment were approved, Australian bushfires ran rampant, Kobe Bryant died, the Iowa caucus broke down in chaos, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty in a case that helped fuel the #MeToo movement, the nation is struggling with how to safely educate the next generation amidst a novel coronavirus, there are regular developments in the current election cycle, and over 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment. 

When disruption strikes, small businesses feel the impact faster and harder than anyone else with the effects lasting much longer afterward. With that in mind, I’m continuing my “Final Friday’s Fab Finds” series with options that emphasize both the need to support small businesses via shopping local as well as a desire to amplify Black voices. Hopefully, you'll find these sources of hope, inspiration and greater productivity in cultivating the life you want to live. 

Although American Son started as a play on Broadway, it was made into a Netflix film starring Kerry Washington, Steven Pasquale, Jeremy Jordan and Eugene Lee that is phenomenal. The story plays out in real time over 90 minutes. As time passes, tension mounts in a Florida police station as an estranged, interracial couple awaits news regarding their missing, teenage son, and the dialogue is amazingly moving. You feel like you're there with the couple, sitting on the edge of your seat. 

As so many of us have experienced big shifts in life amidst the current global pandemic, there are lots of people adopting new routines, realigning priorities and really focusing on who we want to be as well as what lives we truly want to cultivate. The world is not the same as a few months ago, we may go through a few different iterations before we get to a “new normal”, and there is so much in this evolution that impacts our abilities to be productive. In the spirit of evolving, I began digging into the book Becoming by Michelle Obama, and I’m absolutely loving her approach to answering “What’s your journey of becoming?” I’ve been enjoying her reading of the book on Audible, and there’s so much inspiration in the life she’s leading, filled with meaning and accomplishment.

In my efforts to be more active in being anti-racist, I have been working to amplify the voices of those Black experts in our communities, and I stumbled across Berrion Berry, who is a PMS and Period Educator based out of Florida. Y’all, I feel like I’ve found such a kindred spirit! Berri is an Enneagram 8w7 who self describes as someone who will challenge but inspire you; plus, she has 3 brothers and lost her father to lung cancer. So many similarities, and I am learning tons from this amazing rock star. Berri expertly explains how a woman’s menstrual cycle is set-up to help optimize her abilities for ideation, creation, execution and evaluation, helping me utilize my menstrual cycle as a tool for boosting productivity. Brilliant!

Finally, succulents and house plants are having a moment right now, and I’m well aware of the value plants bring to one’s home based off the stories from my dear friend Kelly, who has over 200 plants at her house. I was overjoyed to learn about Megan George, owner of The ZEN Succulent, who is just as bright and joyful as her welcoming garden center. I have absolutely no green thumb, but I wanted to support local by adding a living thing into my space so I ordered two pothos plants from The ZEN Succulent. These appear to be exceptionally resilient, even with my low maintenance requirement, and I really like the Marble Queen Pothos that I purchased. Stay tuned for how long I can keep this plant alive.

I’d love to know what you’re currently using, loving and finding can bring you a little comfort amidst the hectivity of life. Add a comment here or email me, and maybe I’ll give your suggestion a try for an upcoming “Final Friday’s Fab Finds” post. Take care, y’all!

Final Friday's Fab Finds for May 2020

As we wrap up this month, it feels like we continue an emotional rollercoaster ride: fear, anxiety, excitement, stress, hopefulness, hopelessness and so much more. For each of us, there are daily challenges. Yet, I’m cautiously optimistic that we’re each finding sources of comfort to help us stay safe and sane.

When disruption strikes, small businesses feel the impact faster and harder than anyone else with the effects lasting much longer afterward. With that in mind, I’m kicking off this new “Final Friday’s Fab Finds” series with a few options from small businesses that have been helping me find comfort while trying to maintain my sanity amidst all the efforts to be smart and safe.

Fragrances from candles can be both calming and energizing so I keep finding myself lighting one atop my desk while I’m working from home. My current favorite is Sweet Grace, which is the signature scent for The Flourish Market’s candles. There are numerous candleholder styles from which to choose, making it possible to find something for any space’s needs, and the fragrance lasts well after the candle’s flame is extinguished, meaning the benefits go on longer.

I splurge on my mental well-being by getting a weekly flower delivery, and I love each week’s creation by North Raleigh Florist. They know I’m a huge fan of sunflowers so they incorporate that happy flower whenever possible. Each week’s arrangement is designed to fit on my home office desk, adds something natural to my workspace and puts a smile on my face as I settle into work. Such happiness!

With all that’s happening in the world, my thoughts need an outlet, and I can talk through things to only a certain extent. Research shows that humans are more exposed to critical thinking when writing by hand instead of typing, which is why I find myself being pulled toward journaling on paper. The May Book from May Designs provides an ideal solution, allowing me to choose a fun, colorful cover, pick the size that I prefer, personalize the cover text and customize the inside paper design. It pairs well with a nice, gel pen.

Finally, as many of us are getting overloaded with back-to-back-to-back video conferences, I find myself sending more and more snail mail. The cards made by Emily McDowell seem to say exactly the right thing in a fun, colorful way, and I’m hoping they send a ray of sunshine to each of my friends’ mailboxes. She covers everything from empathy to gratitude to congratulations to a simple “happy birthday” in a witty way with fun artwork, and her creations pair perfectly with this season of unpredictability and contact changes.

I’d love to know what you’re currently using, loving and finding can bring you a little comfort. Add a comment here or email me, and maybe I’ll give your suggestion a try for an upcoming “Final Friday’s Fab Finds” post. Take care, y’all!

4 Ways to Integrate Life's Various Elements for Greater Success

Whether you're rebounding from vacation mode, barreling into new routines with back-to-school season, building a side hustle into something more, increasing the intensity of a countdown to a big event this fall, racing from the office to a nonprofit meeting or simply squeezing all you can into these last almost 4 weeks of the summer season, my client's words about the value of work-life integration ring true.

People often refer to work-life balance; yet, I believe work-life integration is more realistic. In thinking about "balance", I see a scale or seesaw, forcing a perception of costs needed for success, and I don't believe my "work" competes with my "life". Instead, the various elements regularly complement each other, each one adding value to the others with the ongoing mix of priorities. Although balance would be static, life is certainly not, and successful productivity requires flexible, fluid solutions to address one's ever-changing priorities for work, home, community or society and the realm of self-care for mind, body and spirit. As the various elements are layers on top of each other, the emphasis needed for each element continually fluctuates, and each layer enhances the others, making the sum greater than any part.

Here are ways to get starting putting work-life integration into effect for the results you desire:

1️⃣Account for your priorities in all elements of life via your one, individualized game plan on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

2️⃣Aim for activities that accomplish wins (or improved performance) in multiple elements of life at the same time, like brainstorming a big pitch for work or listening to an audiobook at the same time as walking your dog.

3️⃣Acknowledge how the resources around you can help, like creating an organized workspace, outsourcing what needs to be done but not necessarily by you and utilizing any applicable technology tools that are available.

4️⃣Audit how you invest time regularly, making sure your activities align with your goals for greater success as well as less burnout.

Known as the Wharton Work/Life Integration Project, Stew Friedman's research at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania focuses on the interactions between all the elements encompassed in life, empowering each of us to be real, whole and innovative by integrating all elements to make each better.

The above from Joyce Chen of La Marca Prosecco gets to the heart of why work-life integration better enables crafting the lives we want to live. "I hate that 'balance' word. The reality is: It's a rhythm. We're in rhythms where it's high and it's low, it's high and it's low. And I think, in those rhythms, it's ok to let some things go for a little bit, and maybe you get back to it later."

As productivity is about efficiently working to effectively achieve results desired for all elements of life, the most powerful tools in the toolbox of highly successful individuals have been found to include flexibility, streamlining, resourcefulness and a focus on outcomes over the specific activities we "should" be doing.

What tools do you put to work for crafting the life you want to live, fueling what results you want, moving you towards achieving your priority goals and truly helping you organize for success?

Invest in Self Care to Fuel Your Energy Reserves

In a society that is constantly focused on doing more, it is increasingly easy for our energy to become depleted and we get burnt out. It is imperative to act deliberately to take care of our mental, emotional and physical health via self-care practices which replenish our energy reserves. Only when we build up what we have within can we fuel our desired results.

As part of the Simple Change team, I am well aware of how diminishing or replenished energy impacts my productivity; however, like you, I often feel the pain of how challenging it can be to improve my energy level. There's a big difference between knowing you need to take care of yourself to have the energy needed for getting things done versus taking action to boost those energy reserves, right? Although each of us has unique requirements for ways to best boost energy, here are some ideas you can easily implement immediately for better boosting productivity through greater energy reserves:

• Listen to music. Maybe you prefer something upbeat. Maybe you prefer something calming. Maybe it's more about the beat of the bass. Get singing or humming or dancing to it.

• Create a vision board. Add something with vivid color or energetic imagery, conveying excitement and movement.

• Connect with those who matter to you. Sometimes, it can be in person, but, if not, consider a video chat, phone call, text message or sharing something on social media.

• Get moving. Take a brisk walk, especially if you can get out in nature. Physical activity oxygenates blood cells while breathing outdoor air while absorbing vitamin D is invigorating.

• Count your blessings. Gratitude is so powerful; taking time to document appreciation for what we have, who we are with and what lessons we've learned along the way fuels desire for more while energizing our belief that we can get things done.

• Laugh out loud. Find something you've done recently that was funny or watch online videos that you find humorous. Choose something that gets you giggling from down in your gut.

• Eat well. Healthy foods fuel our energy, especially with increased amounts of magnesium and antioxidants. 

• Stay hydrated. Keep a reusable water bottle with you at all times and drink from it frequently, especially when you start to feel your mind drifting or need to re-energize.

• Focus on something you have to look forward to in the near future. Whether you are planning for an upcoming vacation or bought tickets to a special event, that feeling of anticipation and excitement will be a great energy boost.

• Meditate. Sitting quietly and being intentional with your breathing will bring oxygen to each individual cell. Apps like Calm, Headspace, Buddhify, Simply Being as well as Stop, Breathe & Think make it easier to get started.

What kinds of things have you found help energize you? Are you feeling a little low on your energy reserves? If so, which of these can you give a try right now?

Regularly Perform a Time Audit for Optimum Output

Productivity is efficiently working at effectively achieving desired results, and there are so many thoughts about how to best boost productivity. People often refer to work-life balance as a viable option; yet, in thinking about "balance", I see a seesaw, forcing a perception of costs needed for success. I don't believe my work competes with my life, seeing how they regularly complement each other instead. Further, although balance would be static, life is certainly not and requires fluid solutions to address one's ever-changing priorities for the various layers of work, home, community or society and the private realm of mind, body and spirit, known as work-life integration.

As Stephen R. Covey explains, "The sum is greater than the parts... When it comes to organizing your life, nothing happens in isolation. As you take an active role in planning your days, weeks and months, the choices you make influence each aspect of your life, multiplying and amplifying your results". It is when all elements of life work in harmony that we are more effective in attaining our goals; the return on time invested in one element can enhance results experienced from investing time elsewhere, like how skills garnered from leading a volunteer committee can transfer to running a household more efficiently or parenting teenage children.

Whereas operating with harmony between how we invest our time and what matters most amplifies success, misalignment between one's actions and one's goals, priorities or values causes burnout. Achieving this necessary alignment gets complicated as our priorities fluctuate daily, weekly, monthly... Some days will need a greater investment of time in work while others should focus more on community or home, requiring fluidity to shift between work, home, community or society and the private realm of mind, body and spirit as needed. Without regular reflection, there is often a discrepancy between the way we spend our time and how our time should be invested to achieve what outcomes we most want or need. Encourage harmony while discouraging misalignment by regularly completing a time audit to verify each action is in agreement with what matters most.

A time audit is an assessment that can be done at whatever interval is necessary, making it the best tool for looking at exactly how our time is being used to better understand where our time is going and evaluate whether using any minutes in a different way would more quickly move us toward more efficiently attaining our goals. This can be completed by keeping a log of how each minute is used, whether paper or electronic, and, then, taking time to reflect upon what the log says regarding how our time is being used and verifying that it's how we'd really like to spend our time, highlighting time wasted versus time invested.

How do you monitor the ways you're investing your time? How often do you examine that investment to make sure your actions align with your goals, priorities and values? How will you utilize a time audit to amplify your success?

Stay on Track with a Daily Wrap-Up

Are you familiar with the quote "the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry"? This is a common experience for people as they strive to boost productivity. The week starts with a plan, something shifts, and that initial plan seems to no longer fit. Maybe a client has an urgent, unexpected issue arise and needs your time to get the situation resolved. Or a team member calls in sick, leaving you to cover the tasks that can't fall through the cracks. Perhaps one of your employees needs direction to meet a deadline, pulling you away from your must-do list to answer questions.

There are two ways to respond: either feel like the week is lost or make adjustments to get back on track. I find daily adjustments enable achieving my priority goals and fuel my desired results.

Completed at the end of each day, the following checklist enables the necessary adjustments and better empowers staying on track:

• Communications - Get end-of-day updates from appropriate team members, touching bases to drive awareness and get everyone on the same page; think outside the box to include all team members, like employees, subcontractors, vendors, family members, roommates, volunteer committee members and more. Touch bases with new and returning "hot prospects" to increase your awareness of what is happening while keeping you in the other folks' awareness. Verify you're up-to-date processing received emails and following up on voice mail.

• Tasks - Review your must-do list from the day that's ending and look over the next day's anticipated to-do list. Are all important tasks included that need attention to meet impending deadlines? If something wasn't completed today, determine at what point in the next few days time can be allocated for completing those carryover tasks. It is realistic to plan for fulfilling 3-5 actions on any given date, and knowing beforehand which are your must-do items for the next day will allow you to hit the ground running when you return to work.

• Time Commitments - Evaluate your schedule for the next day and verify that you are prepared for everything scheduled. If you are not prepared, when will that preparation occur? Does your calendar include buffers and time to get where is needed?

• Space - Whether you're in 4 walls, an open office space, a vehicle or working from a bag, tidy up your workspace. File new items and put that day's work back into each item's home, creating a blank slate for the next day. Make sure what you need for the next day's activities is ready and accessible.

• Successes - We live in a do, do, do society, meaning we don't necessarily take time to reflect on meeting the goals for which we strive. Instead, each day, celebrate all you've accomplished in the day that's ending. If you got out of bed, you accomplished something, and acknowledging that is motivating. Stop the monotony of simply getting things done, and acknowledge what you've successfully completed to encourage continued productivity. Make sure you take time to celebrate daily successes, no matter how large or small.

• Gratitude - As there is a vast amount of research regarding the many ways gratitude improves productivity, use the power of gratitude to drive your daily productivity. End each day with gratitude, and denote that for which you are grateful each day. Don't stop with simply thinking of that for which you are grateful; actually say it out loud or document in a gratitude list at least 1 thing for which you feel grateful every day.

What is your experience? Do you take time at the end of each day to properly wrap-up the day that's ending as well as plan for the next day? What successes can you share from practicing this habit? On the flip side, what issues have arisen when you've been unable to regroup daily and end each day getting back on track? What aspects of this checklist can you start implementing today?

Clarify Your Priorities

Within each day's 24 hours, we are gifted only 1,440 minutes; coupled with the fact each minute can be invested once, time is the most limited and valuable resource of all.

Saying "yes" to doing one thing is inherently saying "no" to doing something else, and you have to choose wisely in what activities you invest each minute in your limited inventory.

When a dollar is invested, it is with the hope that you will get more dollars in return. When a minute is invested, it is with the hope of an alternative return on investment, and what return you are seeking depends heavily on your priorities. Only when you know what matters most can you align your actions with those priorities to achieve your greatest goals.

Photo: Children's Ministry Magazine

Think of each day as a jar with limited space to fill. In that jar, you'd like to stuff tons of rocks, pebbles and sand. If you start with the sand, you may be able to shove in some pebbles, but you'll never be able to fit all the necessary rocks. Alternatively, if you start with the rocks, you can fill the spaces around those rocks with the pebbles and still fill the sand in amongst the remaining space. Comparing this to your day, think of the rocks as your highest priorities, for which you need to make time in your schedule first; then, the pebbles are lower priorities while the sand is even less important. Only by allocating time to your priorities first can you fit everything that matters into an already busy schedule.

One of the most effective methods for determining priorities is to consider the ramifications for completing each task versus leaving it undone. Depending on how well doing the task fuels your desired results, you can more easily rank that as what needs to be done first instead of later. Rather than getting swept up in what is urgent or on fire, focus on making time for what is most important.

What are your rocks or top priorities? How can you make sure time in your schedule is allocated for addressing those first, working the pebbles and sand into what time remains afterward?

What Will Guide You to Success This New Year?

For many, it wouldn't feel like the start of a new year without setting resolutions, which are formal expressions of intentions made or declarations of what actions will be taken. The most common resolutions as we start a new year include get healthy, get organized, live life to the fullest, learn something new, find a better job, do more good deeds for others, be more fiscally responsible, work out more often and spend more time with loved ones. However, the success rate for resolutions tends to be abysmal. If you choose to set new year's resolutions, follow the advice of Valorie Burton, life coach and author of "Brave Enough to Succeed: 40 Strategies for Getting Unstuck", which outline how to choose the correct resolutions and more likely conquer those goals: be super specific, set a timeframe of strategic deadlines with a realistic timeline of milestones throughout, make sure your resolutions are achievable so you commit or quit, and recalibrate through failures as needed.

I, on the other hand, have found that resolutions don't fit the way I think. To me, they feel like yet another something for my to-do list. Instead, I sought a clear, meaningful path to guide my year, allowing me to live with intention and purpose, fulfilling one of my favorite mantras that "From those to whom much has been given much is expected." Rather than listing out new year's resolutions, I have started picking a "word of the year". Sometimes, it's simply a word for the upcoming season or it might change from month to month; it must be a word that really speaks to me and pulls together what I'd like to make happen in the foreseeable future.

When I first started choosing a word to guide my year, it seemed like a rarity; today, though, it is a much more widespread practice. A quick Google search for "what is your word of the year" pulls up a plethora of articles, blog posts and websites to help you choose what word works best for your specific needs and where you are in life. Delve deeper into the process with Blessing Manifesting, Create & Connect, Cultivate What Matters, kale & chocolate, My One Word, One Word 365 and Susannah Conway.

Going into 2018, I have chosen fulfillment as my word of the year. Searching Google for "define fulfillment" shows that this word means "the achievement of something desired, promised or predicted". This can cover so many things that matter a great deal to me in the new year, like fulfill dreams, fulfill goals, fulfill commitments, fulfill work-life integration, fulfill Greensboro LUNGe Forward's budget requirement, fulfill blog-writing consistency, fulfill RSVPs by showing up, fulfill outsourcing and fulfill business growth. For me, it's about follow-through, particularly as I remind myself that perfection is not required and, sometimes, done is better than perfect when getting things accomplished.

Maybe a word of the year is not enough for you, and that's quite alright. Maybe you'd prefer a phrase or mantra to guide your actions toward what results you'd like to achieve in 2018. There is no right or wrong option for what you choose; it's simply important to pick something that resonates with you, reflects what you desire and provides the direction necessary for getting from where you are to where you want to arrive.

With that word, phrase, mantra or resolution in mind to guide you to success, you are ready to embark upon the journey of 2018, writing the story you desire upon the blank pages of this year and taking with you the resources to best fuel what results you aspire to achieve. Let's launch this new year with "Get Organized Month", where I'll share a daily tidbit that's easy to implement for boosting your productivity, helping you more efficiently accomplish your goals and encouraging greater happiness.

For the new year, will you choose a guiding word, phrase, mantra or resolution? Please share what you've chosen in the comments so we can follow the advice of Alex Sheen, Founder of "because I said I would", who reiterates holding ourselves accountable for important commitments made amidst the over 15,942 words each American says daily.

Is It Time To Simplify Your Life?

The first week of August is celebrated as "Simplify Your Life Week"; however, I feel confident that any time of the year can be ideal for streamlining. With a little effort, you can determine what matters most and develop razor-sharp focus of your resources on those priority goals; you can best invest your limited time in efficiently and effectively achieving the results desired.

Clutter is the greatest deterrent when working to organize for success. Whether the clutter is in your space, your mind, your technology or your calendar, beyond simply robbing you of precious time, it can be physically, mentally and emotionally draining. Clutter makes each of us overwhelmed, enhancing the difficulty of forward-thinking decision-making and creating a scenario where it is more challenging to best achieve your goals.

Taking time to simplify can tame some of this stress, making it easier to quickly find what you need and effortlessly know what needs to be done at any moment. Here are some strategies that can be implemented this month to eliminate the unnecessary:

- Deliberately choose how you invest your time. By developing habits for a weekly strategy session and daily wrap-up, you can map out a specific game plan to guide you throughout the week and, then, stay on track amidst the world's distractions.

- Stay true to your priorities. Yes, priorities can shift by the day, week, month or year; sometimes, there are shifts minute-by-minute. Yet, if you have a flexible game plan that can act as your protective barrier, you can shuffle how you invest your time accordingly, filling each day's 1,440 minutes with only what matters most and keeping your actions aligned with your goals.

- Respect the value of your space. Whether it's in your physical space, electronic files, email folders or calendar, keep only what is accurate, applicable, useful or bringing you joy. When anything not meeting one of those requirements is maintained, there's more to dig through, leading to overwhelm, distractions and stress.

- Be positively present. Try to live in the current moment instead of worrying about the future or what is outside of your control. Listen intently to others, focusing on understanding rather than planning how you will respond. Accept that none of us is perfect, and work to bring folks together rather than fueling divisiveness.

- Learn to say "no". What can you keep out of your space? What can be deleted in general? What tasks or time commitments can be delegated? With tips from mindbodygreen, it's easier to master the art of saying no, which eliminates what doesn't rank high enough in your priorities to earn space in your files or time on your schedule.

- Incorporate tactics for success from work-life integration. Through research by Wharton's Work / Life Integration Project along with my clients' best practices, yes, you can create harmony with goals for work, home, community and self complementing one another rather than competing with each other. Focus on outcomes over activities, and invest your time in activities that accomplish wins in more than one area of life at the same time.

What steps do you take to simplify your life? Will you try any new tactics for this year's Simplify Your Life Week?

Redefining Productivity for Greater Success - Work-Life Integration Is Realistic Way to Tackle What Matters Most

One of 6 tenants to productivity being "efficiently working at effectively achieving desired results" is how work-life integration is a realistic way to tackle what matters most. In January, I looked at what it means to "be productive" or "boost productivity"; today, I'll do the last of 6 deep dives into specifics for redefining productivity by providing ways to implement work-life integration.

People often refer to work-life balance; yet, I believe work-life integration is more realistic. In thinking about "balance", I see a scale or seesaw, forcing a perception of costs needed for success, but I do not believe my "work" competes with my "life", seeing how they regularly complement each other instead. Although balance would be static, life is certainly not and requires fluid solutions to address one's ever-changing priorities for work, home, community or society and the private realm of mind, body and spirit. I help my clients recognize how any element we choose to have in our lives adds value to each of the other elements and how harmony is possible. As the various elements of life are layers on top of each other, the emphasis needed for each element continually fluctuates, and each layer adds value to the others, making the total greater than any part.

Some people refer to it as "getting in the zone" while others call it "being on a roll". No matter what you call it, enabling all elements of life to better each other helps you benefit from greater effectiveness so you ultimately perform at your best. Research shows you can learn to get and stay on a roll by tweaking a few simple aspects of how you handle the various aspects of life.

Stew Friedman has been at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, since 1984 where he is the Practice Professor of Management and founded the Wharton Leadership Program. Known as the Wharton Work/Life Integration Project, Friedman's research focuses a good deal on the interactions between all the elements encompassed in life: work, home, community or society as well as our own minds, bodies and spirits. Whether in my own life or working with my clients, I've seen great validity in Friedman's finding that "you don't have to sacrifice, tradeoff or balance to have a sane, productive and meaningful work life and home life". The mashup of many layers in life may fluctuate over time, but addressing the priorities of those various elements leads to more successful results, focusing on the three core principles of what the Wharton School refers to as the Total Leadership Approach: be real, be whole and be innovative. As Friedman explains, "To be real is to act with authenticity by clarifying what's important to you. To be whole is to act with integrity by recognizing how the different parts of your life affect one another. All this examination allows you to be innovative."

Over the past few weeks, we've done deep dives on the importance of time being limited, being clear on priorities, proactively planning to best invest time, limit distractions and utilize all available resources; it is work-life integration that pulls together each tenant of productivity for your greatest success.

Looking at your own life, would you like to utilize this integration, harmony and efficiency to fuel more powerful outcomes? Here are a few simple steps to get you started:

• Plan for all elements of life in the same daily, weekly and monthly game plans. You are one person, whether at home, at work, volunteering in the community or taking time to care for yourself. You can't be in more than one place at the same time, and multi-tasking prohibits achieving the best possible results. Still, there are only 1,4440 minutes in each day, and you must allocate your investment of time as powerfully as possible to address the ever-changing priorities from all elements of your life. With a clear awareness of your priorities, you can include actions that address goals for all of those most important priorities, rather than segmenting your life, and you'll be able to focus on activities that will address your needs in multiple elements at the same time. Instead of compartmentalizing activities by individual elements of your life, schedule your priorities, and bring your priorities together so multiple goals can be accomplished simultaneously.

• Be creative with simple changes that address multiple priorities at once. With a clarity of which priorities are most important and urgent at any moment in time, you can plan actions to address more than one priority at once; as Friedman explains, aim for "4-way wins, (where there's) improved performance at work, at home, in the community and for yourself." Enhanced productivity and satisfaction come with small changes that are under your control while greater efficiency comes from addressing the priorities from multiple elements at once, which means achieving more of your various different goals concurrently. For example, walking your dog meets your goals to live a healthier life as well as take care of your pet; however, if you brainstorm a big pitch for work or listen to a recording of a book you're reading at the same time, you can accomplish even more via this work-life integration tactic. Likewise, attending a business conference is another excellent example for addressing multiple elements at the same time: you're learning new information, networking with other professionals and visiting new locations.

• Do great work. When you are good at completing assigned tasks, whether at work, at home or in the community, you better position yourself to do something for yourself or another element of your life as a complement, having those from whom you need buy-in be more receptive to your "why" because you were present and focused during the time they needed you to be in achieving goals related to them. When you perform well as needed, those around you are more understanding about how addressing other priorities will empower you to do even better work and better help the team in the future. As explained by Jennifer Dulski, President & COO of Change.org, "If (others) know they can trust you to deliver high-quality results... they'll be less concerned with when and where you get that work done", but you must prove yourself. Turnover, absenteeism and disgruntled workers are costly; therefore, when your work-life integration leads to the business achieving its goals, more options become available to you.

• Offer flexibility as a "temporary experiment". When you frame how your solution benefits the entire team, explain how it will be regularly evaluated and can be discarded if it just doesn't work out as hoped. Then, when you succeed, achieving enhanced productivity with greater outputs, everyone will support the continuation of the tactics in your solution.

• Acknowledge how the resources around you can help. As we discussed last week, it is imperative to utilize all available resources, whether streamlining your workflow processes, creating an organized workspace, hiring consultants whose expertise enhances what you already know or do, outsourcing what needs to be done but not necessarily by you, implementing boundaries or taking advantage of existing tech tools. When you can pull in resources that help address priority goals for multiple elements of your life, it's all the more efficient, effective and, therefore, productive. 

• Focus on outcomes over activities. Rather than doing things you think you are "supposed" to do, have specific goals mapped out for your week and incorporate actions that will drive those desired results. As I'm planning for all elements of life, I use my Weekly Strategy Session and Daily Wrap-Ups to create a game plan for what particular activities will fuel my desired outcomes and help me stay on track for successfully achieving the results I want or need. By focusing my actions on achieving my desired outcomes, I know whether I'm being successful.

• Control what you can control. Only you are the boss of you and can control the fate of your week. Life will throw you curve balls, but you choose how to react and with what attitude you face challenges. How much or how little guilt you experience in any element really is in your control, just as you control with what actions you respond to what occurs around you.

• Complete a regular audit of your time. Experiencing burnout is usually due to a misalignment between your goals, priorities or values and your actions. On a daily, weekly and monthly basis, make sure your actions are consistent with your values, supporting the fulfillment of your goals in whichever life elements are highest priorities currently. For example, are you attending meetings you don't really need to be in just so you can be seen there? If you have trouble staying on track alone, consider incorporating an accountability partner in your efforts, giving you someone to talk through situations where it is more challenging to align your actions with your priorities. Since our individual circumstances changes at different stages in our lives, the percent of each day that needs to be devoted to each element of life will vary, meaning we must keep our focus fluid, and regular reviews of how well you are aligning your actions with your priorities will aid your efforts. 

As you look at the various elements of your life, including work, home, community or society as well as mind, body and spirit, are you integrating those different layers into a mashup that drives harmony, satisfaction, greater outputs and better productivity? Are you pulling the various tenants of productivity (limited time, clear priorities, proactive planning, eliminating distractions and utilizing all available resources) together for work-life integration that fuels your desired results? If not, what simple changes can you make for more success?

Redefining Productivity for Greater Success - It Is Imperative to Utilize All Available Resources

One of 6 tenants to productivity being "efficiently working at effectively achieving desired results" is how it is imperative to utilize all available resources. In January, I looked at what it means to "be productive"; today, I'll do the fifth of 6 deep dives into specifics for redefining productivity, offering ways you can utilize all available resources for greater success.

When I refer to the resources or tools for your greater success, I never limit that discussion to technology. As you are filling your productivity toolbox, consider streamlining your workflow processes, creating an organized workspace in which you know where things are stored, hire consultants whose expertise enhances what you already know or do, outsource what needs to be done but not necessarily by you to employees or service professionals (including house cleaners and personal chefs), implement boundaries appropriate for your circumstances and

Still, in today's world, technology often plays a big role in how we get things done. Take time to evaluate whether paper or electronic tools might better meet your specific needs, taking into consideration your personality, your existing workflows, where you feel like you are losing time and the expectations of those with whom you work (your supervisor, your team members, your clients, your vendors, etc). Writing out meeting notes, tasks and time commitments on paper can aid in remembering those details; however, electronic alternatives have the benefit of automatic carryover, adding reminders and scheduling recurrences as needed, which can be beneficial for certain individuals. I also find the Time and Space Style Inventory enlightening when determining what sort of resources would be the best fit for any particular individual.

Although Three Dog Night claims "One is the loneliest number", I contend that one is the most powerful number for being productive. As you outline resources to implement, whether paper or electronic, keep in mind the power of one: one calendar for personal and professional commitments, one running data dump of all tasks that funnels into one daily to-do list, one address book for all contacts' information, one set of naming conventions for all files (paper, electronic, email), one place for all the information you must remember as well as reference and one strategy session to plan your week that is maintained with one daily wrap-up at the end of each day. Having one of each better ensures your content is kept up-to-date, you know what needs to be done when, nothing falls through the cracks and you don't get double-booked.

Consider what tools you are using to meet each of these needs and fill in what holes exist as you're working to get things done:

• How do you block out web and app distractions? When hopping online for research, writing or social media, it's easy to get distracted and lose time. Limit your access for greater focus and more efficient results by using tools like Flipd, GrooveOtter, KeepMeOut, RescueTime, SelfControl and StayFocused.

• How do you know what to do when? Use the Eisenhower Matrix to narrow down the endless list of tasks being thrown your direction. With this tool, determine if the task really needs to be done; if it must be done, by whom and how quickly. Then, organize tasks that must be done by you with reminders in a task or project manager like Any.Do, Asana, Azendoo, Carrot To-Do, iMeet Central, Convo, Due, Google Tasks, Mavenlink, Nozbe, OmniFocus, Pocket Informant, Producteev, Remember The Milk, Reminders, Teamwork, TeuxDeux, Todoist, Trello, Wunderlist, Wrike and Zoho.

• How do you simplify setting 1-on-1 appointments? When you are trying to reserve time with another individual and you send over a list of available dates, you either have to hold those slots until you hear back from that person or risk that individual picking one that you've since filled with another commitment. Eliminate emailing back and forth while ensuring better accuracy with a tool that provides real-time appointment-setting capabilities. Email a link to your schedule for folks to reserve a slot of your time with tools like Acuity Scheduling, BookedIN, Booking Bug, Calendly, Doodle's MeetMe, Meetin.gs, Pick-a-Time, SchedFast, ScheduleOnce, Schedulicity, Setster, Timebridge, TimeTrade, vCita, Vyte.in and YouCanBook.me.

• How do you make it easier to set meetings? If you are trying to pull together a group of people, every individual will have different requests for when and where to meet. Instead of opening dialogue with everyone to schedule a meeting, enter options that work for you and let those you want to attend vote on which option works for the majority. Choose from tools like Doodle or Vyte for what best meets your meeting setting needs.

• Are you able to seamlessly update contacts? People change jobs, email providers, mailing addresses and more; as we're inundated with information, make keeping up more feasible by automating updating your records via an assistant like EasilyDo, EverContact, FullContact or Sync.ME.

• How do you wrangle all your documents? As it is easier to find what you need when it is in a digital format, convert paper to electronic with mobile scanners like Doxie Go, Epson WorkForce DS-30, Fujitsu ScanSnap and NeatReceipts. Alternatively, the Scannable app provides an excellent alternative that can be accessible right in your smartphone or you can automate pulling monthly statements from your selected providers via the FileThis service. Then, keep those electronic files easily accessible via an online file repository like Box, Dropbox, eFileCabinet, Google Drive, iCloud Drive, OneDrive, SpiderOak and SugarSync.

• What do you use for cloud-based back-ups? Computers crash. Fires can destroy all your devices. Emergencies happen. It's not a matter of "if" but "when" your technology will die, but you can be prepared with automated remote storage. Simply "set it and forget it" with a tool like Backblaze, Carbonite, CrashPlan, IDrive or Mozy.

• How do you control an overflowing inbox? Email can be less time-consuming when you send fewer messages out, unsubscribe from those you are no longer reading and choose to process (rather than check) newly received emails; however, don't stop there. Implement tools to take better control of your email like Airmail, Boomerang, Contactually, Mailstrom, SaneBox, Sortd, Spark and Unroll.me.

• What do you use to store your passwords? As our list of passwords grows, it can become increasingly difficult to remember them all, particularly as components to include vary and with how often they must be updated. Auto-select, retain and autofill logins with a password manager like Dashlane, LastPass, RoboForm, SplashID and 1Password.

• How can you automate more functionality? Automation is a form of delegation where you delegate to technology and can massively expand how much you can get done concurrently. No one can do everything alone, especially all at once; however, automation tools let things get done while you put your efforts into other, hands-on tasks. Set what rules apply to your needs in automation tools like IFTTT, Podbox, Zapier and social media managers such as Buffer, Edgar, Falcon, Hootsuite, SocialOomph and Sprout Social.

• What can you use to delegate more? Even if you don't have employees on your team to whom you can delegate tasks, people want to help you do more. Consider finding support via Fancy Hands, Fiverr, GigSalad, Guru, Moonlighting, Task Rabbit, Thumbtack, Upwork, 99Designs or local concierge services, like Errand Girl, Metro's Other Woman, The Other Woman and Sweeps. Further, keep in mind options for delivery, like grocery options Amazon Prime Now, Instacart and Shipt.

Fill your productivity toolbox with the best tools for achieving specific goals and, then, be sure to utilize all resources available for your success. Are you more of a paper or electronic person? What tools do you currently utilize? What tools can you add to your productivity toolbox?