Time Management

Work smart, not hard…is my approach to time management. For me it’s all about making life’s activities daily activities more efficient so I can spend time on the things that really matter.

In life there are things that must be done and things you want to do. To get them all completed in a timely fashion, you will want to implement some kind of time management system.

Step 1: Prioritize

This means differentiating between those things that must be done today and things that you would like to do. Some examples of things that must be done today are: appointments, school, work, morning routine, taking out the trash, daily exercise, laundry, grocery shopping, and other errands. An example of things you would like to do could be: researching a topic you’re interested in, taking a course online, listening to podcasts, painting, hobbies, watching a tv show, or other enrichment activities.

For me the things that must be done today take precedence over the things I want to do so I will tackle those first and use the other activities as a reward for completing tasks.

Step 2: Pick 3 goals per day. Work with your SMARTER goals, but only give yourself 3 main goals for the day.

As part of my end of day review, I set up my three main tasks for the next day. First, I look at my schedule and see if there’s any important appointments or activities, then I look at my long term goals and pick tasks from there. An example of three main tasks for a day for me could be:

• Chiropractor
• Work on the garden
• Write a blog

Having only three goals doesn’t mean that you’re limited to doing only three things. I pick only three main things to build confidence and to monitor daily progress toward the larger goals. As a high-functioning anxious person, this will put my mind at ease knowing that I have completed enough to be satisfied for today. I also believe that we live in a culture that celebrates being “busy”. What I’ve noticed in my own life is that when I am “busy” either realistically or artificially, I miss the flavor and depth of day-to-day happenings.

Step 3: Set a Time Limit/Window

If you have a lot going on in life like working full-time, going to school, raising a family, or some other time consuming life events, you can still achieve your other goals by carving out a window of time each day. For example, if you want to learn how to play an instrument, start a business, or begin a meditation practice, you can set a specific amount of time each day that you will dedicate to this activity.

An example from my life is setting up a two hour window in the morning for my morning routine. I make it a point to wake up 2 hours before the first thing on my schedule. This allows me enough time to get ready for the day, get in a good mindset, take care of any at home tasks, stretch, etc. without being rushed. This time is super important for me because it sets the tone for the day.

Step 4: Take Breaks Between Tasks

A good rule of thumb for work or longer projects is to work for 50 minutes followed by 10 minutes off. This helps to keep your brain fresh for endurance tasks.

With multiple different tasks, you can try breaking up the tasks with a water break or a snack. If the task is something like research or a meeting I like to take a few moments to journal any thoughts, feelings, or questions that may have come up. This helps determine the next step on a project.

Step 5: Remove Non-essential Tasks

Every now and then, its a good idea to have a look at the grand to do list and cross some things off that are not essential for completing your long-term goals. For me this often ends up being things like watching a certain movie, reading a particular book, or something that’s no longer relevant because I shifted the long-term goal along the way.

This process is similar to getting rid of old clothing. The trick is to put everything on a hangar, and every time you do laundry, you hang up the clean clothes on the right side. After so many months, the clothes you never wear will be on the other side and you can donate them.

With your to do list, this would be the stuff at the bottom. If it hasn’t been done in three months, you probably won’t get to it. Take a load off and delete those items. If they are important enough to you, you’ll remember to do them at some point in the future.

Step 6: Re-evaluate

Time management is a continuous re-evaluation process. Your life goals or situation may change drastically and you will need to reprioritize different aspects. You may discover a new work-out routine or method of completing tasks which can cause a shift by making you more efficient with your time. Either way, as you work with time management, you’ll get to know yourself better and how to use your time wisely.

Do you have tips or tricks for time management? Write them in the comments below!

End of the Day Reflection

It’s the end of the day and things are winding down. Time to take stock of what happened and review. This is a great moment to reflect on the good things in your life, recognize areas where you have improved, and notice other things that came up to work toward.

The act of writing down your review of the day will help to solidify in your mind the direction of your life. It is a great way to track your physical, spiritual, and emotional progress. I encourage you to build your own end of day reflection routine. Remember to keep the routine simple and achievable so you know that you will do it every night. Here are some sample questions to get you started:

What went well today?

How often did I feel happy? What was I doing when I was happy?

Did today matter?

If today was my last day, would I be happy with it?

List 5-10 things I’m grateful for.

How can I make tomorrow better?

Who can I forgive?

What can I let go of?

What was today’s lesson?

How would I describe today in one word?

What didn’t go well today?

What did I learn about myself today?

Where can I send some healing energy out into the world?

What did I do that was nice today?

Here are some activities that you could add to your end of day reflection time:

• Journaling
• Meditation
• Day Dreaming
• Drinking Tea

Here’s a sample of my end of day reflection prompts:

What does your end of day reflection look like? Do you have any additional questions to suggest? Write me below in the comments!

Morning Mindset

You are a tiger coming out of your lair, getting ready to devour the day! In order to shake off dream land and get in the zone you need the perfect blend of “get-up-and-go”. Utilizing the first 20 minutes of the day to get pumped can set your day up for success.

There are many ways to get into your ideal morning mindset. I encourage you to craft your own set of daily prompts. Here’s a list of different ways to get into the flow:

Activities

• Drink Coffee
• Meditate
• Yoga
• Play with Pets
• Journal
• Listen to Music
• Write down your dreams
• Sing
• Write out your long term goals
• Look at inspirational quotes

Questions

• What are my top 3 goals for today?
• What things must be done today?
• What can I get excited about?
• What is one thing I could do to strengthen a relationship today?
• What are my long term goals?
• If I was a coach, what would I say to inspire myself?
• What 5 things am I grateful for?
• What is my intention for today?
• What is something I could do today that is outside my comfort zone?
• What kind of person do I want to be today?
• What are my affirmations for today?
• How can I brighten someone’s day?
• How can I bring more consciousness to my day?

You only want to spend 20-30 minutes getting into your morning mindset. An example of a morning mindset routine could be:

Do push-ups and sit-ups for 10 minutes while listening to music that gets you in the zone. Write out your top three goals for the day. Set your intention for the day. Write out three affirmations and five things you are grateful for, check your schedule for the day, and have a hot cup of coffee.

Do you have any suggestions? What is your morning mindset routine? Write in the comments below!

How I got into Thai Yoga Bodywork

I was supposed to be a rockstar. Doing bodywork was never on my radar growing up. If you told me that I would be working in close proximity with people like this when I was younger, I would have called you crazy.

In my spare time when I wasn’t working toward being a rockstar, I studied. I started with the first philosophers and worked through them up until present time, then I read about psychology, metaphysics, quantum physics, and eventually intuitive medicine.

I have been studying intuitive medicine from different perspectives since 2006. I started with sound, voice, and music healing. Then I worked with the Tomatis Method, Thetahealing, Chakra healing, Vapassana Meditation, Guided Meditations, Affirmations, the metaphysical connection between the mind and body, understanding the beliefs and patterns that are associated with different diseases, and Reiki.

I wasn’t a big fan of talk therapies at that time. I kept on searching for something that resonated with me. It was when I studied Reiki that I finally found something I could work with. Hint, hint….it wasn’t Reiki.

I was studying at a place in downtown Milwaukee and I loved the space so much that I emailed the owners and told them I had to work with them (not, could you hire me? do you have any openings? no, I HAD to work for them). I offered the services I had at the time of cleaning or answering phones. They said they needed more Thai Massage people and I replied, “Where do I get training?”

I started my training in Milwaukee and then started working. At first I was terrified to work on other people’s bodies. I felt it was such a huge responsibility and I didn’t want to hurt anyone, but I continued. As I worked through that first year and a half I noticed the healing benefits of the work. I wanted to learn more.

A client of mine recommended the Thai Massage Circus which is taught in Laos every year during the month of February. I wanted to learn from the source and signed up for the training in 2016.

It was a life-changing experience. I felt that in Milwaukee I learned the A-B-C’s of Thai Massage and in Laos I learned how to write paragraphs and tell stories.

When I came back home, I opened Firewalker Arts and started practicing at my own space. Since then I have been back to Thailand to for additional training and learned foot reflexology.

And again, with foot reflexology, I was a non-believer when I started, but after several years of practice and hearing stories from my clients, I realized that the similarities were not just a coincidence.

I love this work and hope to continue to do bodywork for as long as I can. I have had countless clients come in and enjoy the transformative experience of Thai Massage.