Calm Down
I don’t profess to be a life coach - sometimes I can barely manage my own life.
But I am one of the calmest, truly happiest, least overwhelmed (mostly) people I know.
That’s why I’m pecking out a few thoughts on creating healthy habits and calm in your day. Not because I’m an expert, but because I want everyone to have the rewarding days I do.
Calming actions
Get shit done
Stop overthinking, stop putting things off
You don’t even need to plan to finish - just start
Make a list - with milestones to keep you on track
Tick items off the list to make yourself feel accomplished
Did you know you can add tick boxes in Google Docs, Keep and Sheets?*
Done good enough is always better than not done at all
Stop caring more about your client’s business than they do
Triage your work
See #4 below
If clients aren’t meeting your collaboration schedules don’t drop everything when they do get you docs and information - they go into your triage of work
Be “bossy-nice” about it though, it’s okay to set boundaries but there’s no need to be ornery
Shut off your effing notifications
Pretty much says it all, but here are more thoughts on it if you are interested
End your workday with a plan for tomorrow
End your workweek with a plan for next week
Execute ruthlessly
Declutter and/or organize - especially paper
There’s an app for that - or many :-}
Starting with an online scheduler
Use the scheduler to manage when you “people”
Block your days and hours to create a regular routine of work and block it completely if you are feeling overwhelmed or “over-peopled”
Get help
Delegate what you hate
To a human or to an app
Implementing tech overwhelming you?
There are people for that - including me (shameless self-plug)
Engage a coach
I am super excited to be starting with a business coach - I have been perseverating (aka overthinking) on what slowing down looks like to me so I will be bouncing my thoughts around on someone professional rather than driving my friendies and hubby nuts with it
There are some wonderful coaches and groups in the accounting industry - to scale your business, to help with client wrangling, to educate your team or move deeper into advisory work
Healthy habits
Eat veggies for breakfast.
You can’t veg all day if you don’t start in the morning
Buy packaged salads or prep veg ahead so they are ready to eat first thing with no hassle
Let’s talk about water - love it, hate it?
You need to figure this out. I love plain water, right from the tap, so I’ve only a few lame-ass suggestions on this.
If you don’t love it - My BLT* feels your pain, she is super fussy on this and I am a constant nag to her about it
She only likes it ice cold - if this is you can you invest in a water cooler?
How about getting a drinking cup you really like?
Stand up when you work.
Sit down when you eat.
It’s a mood improver
It will get you moving
It boosts creativity
I love forest bathing, which I realize is easy for me to do since I live rurally. But it’s da bomb and you should try your darndest to get some in.
Healthy thoughts
Call up your social media universe.
Create boundaries on negativity
Do not follow the crazies, the dissidents and those whose values don’t mesh with yours
Do not “doomscroll”
Do not be a “post-hole” - people often post a controversial view and then get angry when others reply with differing opinions
This draws the drama into your social universe
If you don’t want to listen to others’ opinions, stories & viewpoints, keep your contentious posts to yourself
The more you participate in social media content that is not in line with what gives you joy - the more ugly the algorithms/universe it pulls into your feeds
It is unlikely that people need a social media time out as much as they need to skip the crap that corrupts the sheer fun of engaging in social media
You don’t need to win all the battles to win the war.
Do you even need a war?
Embrace your circadian rhythm.
My mother is stunningly successful
She has a PhD, she was the Chairman of a number of College faculties for 31 years, she wrote a textbook on ECE, she travelled to a few less developed countries to set up University programs and in her mid-50s she started a restaurant that she owned for 27 years (proving it’s never too late to start something new)
She is an absolute nighthawk - it’s not just the early birds that succeed, it’s the ones who know when they work best
Do what you need to do to enjoy your morning routine- not what we are told to do.
There is a ton of advice that we should do this and we shouldn’t do that to make our start to the day successful.
Rubbish - if you don’t do what works for you it simply ain’t gonna work for you!
No making excuses - they have to be routines that really work for you rather than justifying self-defeating habits
You will need routines though - these are key to setting the stage for your day
Love to read your emails, so you know what you are up against - have at it
Want to slow it all down with a long coffee or bevvy of choice - give er
Does a run straight out of bed do it for you - get help… just kidding
Breakfast, no breakfast - eat or don’t - but if you do eat breakie make it veggies :-}
Have a positive mindset about what others think about you
You will gain confidence by absorbing what others think of you with a clear, open-minded attitude. Taking action on insights presented to you - of how you are viewed from outside your view - is a chance to become a better human being, a more interesting person, a kinder one, a more fulfilled individual.
To be clear, nothing is carved in stone, there will be days they we just… can’t… do… what we know we need to do.
And no amount of calming actions, healthy habits and healthy thoughts are going to make every day joyful and calm. But you can make bigger strides by implementing lists, getting help, establishing routines and setting boundaries.
BLT* = bestie long time
Simply yours, Kellie :-}
::Shameless Call To Action::
I sell cloud accounting templates, standard operating process handbooks and client guides.
