Getting the Balance: Work vs Recuperation

I've been away from writing for the past few days testing out an idea I had about getting the balance between my work and making more time for myself to recuperate. In doing so I have been speaking to various people who have struggled or are still struggling with getting this balance. This applies to those that either work from home and feel as if they are working 24/7 or finding that the feeling of 'I've got some free time let's get some work done so I can get ahead' is constant. If you're burning the candle at both ends, well there is no way you are going to be able to make it with your health and mind still intact. I tested out a few guidelines for myself this week to see if they would help initiate this balance and give me a more focused mind.

 

Set Out Your Work Hours

Make sure your weekends are for you and your evenings give you time to recuperate. If you plan on doing a 9 to 5 day then stick to it. Always remember the time taken out is just as important to make those next few working hours more productive. For me these hours meant, if an email is coming in that person would have to wait to until 9 am the next day, I don't even open the email. In addition I do a lot of work through social media, so a Facebook detox was in order last weekend. A great tool I used to block the site temporarily called 'Self Control' worked wonders.

Prepare Yourself for the Day Ahead

Always start out with a daily routine before you pick up your phone to look at those emails coming in. You need to be ready to take on the world if something crazy happens. My daily routine includes; meditation, breakfast, shower and if time a little bit of comedy. When dealing with the worst case scenario and your business or job starts to go down the drain you want to be coming from a position of strength rather than weakness. So start the day on a high.

Don't Blow Yourself Off

This little pointer I picked up from Marie Forleo, but worked wonders for me. It's so important to take that time out for yourself but dedicate it to you too. In committing to yourself you understand that this is the same concept as booking in a meeting and holding yourself accountable. Just think, you wouldn't skip a meeting last minute so why would you give yourself any less respect? Make the time for you and stick to it. This compliments the two pointers above. 

Your Health is Your Baby

Feeling stressed out and overwhelmed with work can have a serious knock-on effect with your health. Many times I have felt my body saying 'enough is enough', with the consequence of bad back pains and 3 days of being ill. Back pains are still something I still deal with on a regular basis due to the injury I had caused about a year ago from ignoring the problems. If you don't look after yourself who will? Your health is the number one priority. Yes I understand you might have a life changing event going on but frankly if you're not well you can't go. Not only will you feel rubbish once you are there but your minimal efforts to interact with people will come across as rude. 

Be Present - All You Have is Now

Being present is being mindful. I was so grateful to be taught this by Eckhart Tolle who understood that the present moment is all that you have, so why settle for anything else? We live int he present not the past or future. When you are eating, just eat rather than thinking 'what do I have to do today?' or 'I have that deadline I'm worried about'. It won't help you become more productive in the task you are currently doing. All you can do is all you can do. I get that saying just stop the worry and the buzz in your head, but there are ways to calm your mind on a regular basis through meditation. I highly recommend meditation to anyone suffering from anxiety, stress or just a frequent worrier. The practice will allow your mind to become more focused, relaxed and allow you to take in your surroundings giving your mind a mental break. See my previous post 'Switching off to standby and Switching Off' for more on this.

My Top 3 Female Entrepreneurs

It's always important to have someone you admire and can frequently draw inspiration from as it often gets you through the hard times in business. You will realise you aren't on your own and look to others who have maybe been in your situation and how they coped with it. That's why I have my top 3 entrepreneurs. This post is also a reminder to the many that I ask "name me a female entrepreneur", the most common reply; a blank stare and the remark "ooo...there aren't very many". This is not true!

Karren Brady - http://www.karrenbrady.com/

"People are scared of change, whereas I like it. I like the challenge of it."

 

Image from: www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

Successes:  Received CBE, director of Sports Newspaper at the age of 20, named as Business Woman of the Year 2007, Vice Chairman of West Ham FC in 2010.

 Having started working full time at the age of 18 at Saatchi & Saatchi and making it to Director of Sports Newspapers by the age of 20, Karren Brady is one woman who know the value of true hard work. Although she now sits as Vice Chairman of West Ham football club and is often referred to as 'the first woman in football' it's important not to forget that this young woman worked her butt off to get there. True dedication and an open mind to a challenge is something that can be taught but its better if you can just harness the business aspects and run with it. Understanding what drives a consumer can be underestimated and if understood can be a miracle your business needs. Karren has launched her career from so young and made it look so effortless.

  Read more: http://www.karrenbrady.com/biography/

Anita Roddrick 

"My job is to inspire. But we have a bloody business to run."

Image from: http://www.smh.com.au

Successes: Founder of The Body Shop, activist on animal rights, DBE in 2003, OBE in 1988, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Honouree in 1997.

A hard-nosed and business woman with a string passion and core values at heart - that's something I can draw on for inspiration. I try to add a little bit of Roddrick's strength in her business to my own and make sure everyday that I am sticking true to my values and why I began the business in the first place. This inspirational woman founded The Body Shop protecting the rights of animals and when she passed away in 2007 still held true to those values. Everyone can do with forming their core values in their business and be reminded of them everyday.

Marie Forleo  - http://www.marieforleo.com/

"I’m known to deliver the most innovative and highest quality small business and personal development training in the industry."

Image from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel

Successes: Established multi-million dollar business over the course of the last 13 years, 190,000 subscribers in 191 countries around the world, 4 top selling fitness DVDs, best-seller book.
 
Not only has this young woman been super successful in marketing herself and image in such a short period of time, but her vibe undoubtedly will put you in a good mood. She is focused on helping others (particularly women) in accomplishing their goals in business but is also very aware of succeeding in personal development and retaining femininity. Marie currently features on her own YouTube channel answering questions from her audience to make sure that the wants and needs of her viewers are fulfilled. This for me is something that makes her stand out from the hundreds of female entrepreneurs out there today...she gets it. Understanding your audience is something we all can struggle with but if you need someone to guide you, this is your woman. Having interviewed and worked with the likes of Richard Branson, Tony Robbins and Oprah, Marie's credentials are ones to be trusted.  

Read more: http://www.marieforleo.com/about/#ixzz2tnXNahAb


Kimmy x

Feeling Bad... Just Stop It!

When I was a kid I was the worst at throwing a tantrum if I didn't get my way or something went wrong. Well now that I am older, I still cry but instead of getting angry about something when it goes wrong I have to deal with it, because frankly no one else will. Sometimes you have to give yourself some tough love and JUST STOP IT! Stop worrying and you can deal with the problem more logically and clearly, get worked up about it and you won't be as effective. If you have a bad habit then only you can change it no one else will and it's just that simple!


Here's a little video to demonstrate my point of tough love...

Top 10 Tips on Networking

Networking can be intimidating and some people avoid it altogether. It's not a magic formula that needs to be uncovered or something you are just born with. However networking techniques are out there and can be taught but they are nothing special. Here are my top 10 tips to networking that always work for me. 

# ONE - Just Smile... Genuinely!
Never underestimate how far a smile can go. I know it sounds cheesy but really it does go a long way. Whenever I meet people for the first time the first thing I do is greet them with a smile. Immediately your body language will open up, and this 'stranger' will see you invite them in as a friendly face. I get told I smile a lot and laugh too (probably a little too much) but its better than being the grumpy one in the room. One extra tip would be to smile genuinely rather than just any old smile. How do these differ? Well a genuine smile can be seen in your eyes and your mouth, think about it when you are next laughing, rather than just smiling from your mouth.

#TWO - Keep an Open Mind
There is no way you can begin to network when you have preconceptions of people before hand or you judge them on the way they are dressed or look. You have to remove this completely. What happens if you meet someone who is your next big investor or worse someone who could be your next best friend and you don't give them the time of day because they are wearing tracksuit bottoms? You are inhibiting yourself by eliminating people you may deep down be fearful of or intimidated by. Make sure you are aware of when you are casting a preconception we all do it out of habit but take a chance to speak to everyone...what's the harm?

#THREE - Find a Friend
I recently went to an event by myself and knew there would be a lot of music industry professionals there that could potentially be great contacts. However I did feel intimidated and thought that I might be on my own for most of the night. I consciously made the decision to find a friend to network with that night. It was as simple as turning around to the girl next to me in the queue and asking "so how did you find out about this event?" As a result we are still in contact, she introduced me to some of her friends who happened to be a great link to get some of our artists into some top London venues.

#FOUR - Be Outgoing 
Confidence is always the common denominator in attractiveness for men and women. So why would networking be any different? I've found the most confident (not always the loudest) person in the room, to be the one person most people have been drawn to. If you are feeling shy, the best thing to do is fake it 'til you make it! Think of someone you believe is super confident and say to yourself 'what would they do in this situation and how would they act?' and be them for the night.

#FIVE - Asking the Questions
People love to talk about themselves, so the best way to make a friend quickly is to ask as many questions about them as possible. Keep them talking about their ventures and their experiences and so on. Not only will you gain a friendship but you will uncover what that person does for a living or hobby which might be beneficial to your business or build on a stronger friendship.

#SIX - Set Your Goals
Have a goal when setting out for a networking meeting. You know what type of field most people at the event will be in so use this to your advantage. I will normally go into an event saying I will be giving out 5 business cards minimum or I will be approaching .... for a video interview. Set your goals to make the event worth your while, don't just linger. If you can find a friend make a healthy competition out of it and see who can give out the most cards in the evening.

#SEVEN - Presentation is Key
You shouldn't judge people by their clothing or appearance but this doesn't mean people won't judge you. Go in with the best odds by presenting yourself the best way you can. Be formally dressed but with a little bit of personality. Look clean, professional, carry mints and smell good.

 #EIGHT - Let People Find You After the Event
Never leave the house or go to an event without business cards. If people have had a great conversation with you make sure they can find you. Always make sure your cards are accessible and never be afraid to give out a card even if people have not asked for one. As soon as you are about to leave a conversation follow it up with a goodbye, card and possibly the next step or time you will be in contact. These cards represent you, so make them good!

#NINE - Be Nice 
If you can't be nice then go home. Open with a compliment when you are first meeting someone as a good conversation starter. First impressions might last a long time for some people, so make sure you aren't giving the wrong one. You have chosen to go to the event, so make the most of it and make friends. This is an obvious point but you'd be surprised how many people get this wrong.

#TEN - They are Probably Thinking the same Thing
Many times I've felt scared and intimidated by various people at an event to even approach someone, but what I've found is most likely they are feeling the same way. So keep that in mind when you approach someone out of the blue. That same person is probably waiting to be talked to by you. Greet them confidently and with a smile and they will most likely do the same, treat them how you would like to be treated.



Love Kimmy x

Prioritising Work - The ABCD Rule

I have a problem which I noticed a year or two back about finding a way to manage my work. I was constantly stressed, procrastinated and overwhelmed, all due to taking on too much at once. However, I didn't want to give up the projects that I was working on. I made the decision I was going to be super organised, plan ahead and make sure if there was a spare moment I was relieving the work by working on the next due tasks. Sound like hard work...well if you don't want to drop the projects you already have, then what other choice do you have?

Its surprising how much this technique reduced the stress in my life and even opened up free time for me to take time out. Tasks were done with more quality and as a result my grades improved at university by 20%. If you have a similar problem with task management follow these few tips:


1) List all the tasks you need to complete - however large or small, long or short.
2) Look at all the tasks you have written and if you can complete any tasks in 2 minutes...then do them now and cross them off as you complete them.
3) Label each of the remaining tasks with a simple ABCD rule.

A- Immediately important and urgent with large consequences if not completed
B- Immediately important and urgent with little consequences if not completed
C- Not urgent and little consequence if not completed
D- Task can be delegated elsewhere

4) Immediately delegate all tasks labelled D and cross off as many tasks labelled C
5) Now begin to work through the tasks labelled A. Apply the rule that you are not allowed to work on any other tasks until all A tasks are complete, then all B tasks and finish with all C tasks.


Happy working and let me know of your successes below!

Love Kimmy x