Collaborated post On average, we’ll spend about 30% of our lives in the office or at work. That means that when you take into account sleep or traffic, and a variety of other mundane activities most of our active life will be spent working. We’ll spend more time working than the time we get with friends, family members, and loved ones. We certainly work a lot more than we play. This can make it difficult to find a balance and keep on top of your personal and professional life. It can be tricky to keep things in check and ensure that you get the best benefits from both. Difficult, though certainly not impossible. Let’s explore some of the ways that you can best approach this issue. Delegate Effectively If you are running your own business, then it’s important that you understand how to delegate and are able to do this effectively. By delegating tasks in your business, you’ll be able to free up more of your time and avoid the dreaded issues with micro-management. Delegating doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Some will certainly struggle to relinquish control and feel stressed because they find they are handling everything in their company. They’ll even have to take care of little jobs. However, it’s a skill that can be learned and acquired over time as you continue to build up your company. Find A Job That You Love If you constantly feel as though your work is dragging down your life and eating into your personal relationships, the likelihood is that you simply don’t enjoy your career. It might be time to think about making a change. A lot of people stay in positions or careers for far too long for a variety of reasons. Like a bad relationship, some are scared that there isn’t anything else out there for them. Others like the security and stability of the job they have and are unable to let this go. You need to be brave here and pursue something that you really enjoy. Don’t forget, this is what you’ll spend the majority of your life doing. So, you certainly need to be passionate about your position. You could even think about setting up your own business. Get Your ‘Me Time’ You might think that you are already gaining this time in your life, but is that really the case? We’re not convinced because for a lot of people ‘me time’ still involves catering to the needs and desires of other people. This isn’t real ‘me time’ at all and instead, it’s just another form of work. Parents find that they encounter this problem quite a bit. They come home from work only to start what feels like a second job. It could even be the reason why a lot of relationships these days fail. People don’t make time for themselves and their partners. It’s worth planning both date days and days where you will be able to enjoy time to yourself. You’ll probably be quite tempting to spend all your time on the people you love. But if you do this, you are going to suffer burnout. Worse still, you’ll take your stress out on the people around you and ultimately end up pushing them away completely. Use The Tools That Are Available You need to understand that tech is providing a lot of ways for people to more effectively manage their professional and personal life. For instance, if you are running a company or freelancing, then you need to think about the processes of automation. It’s important that you understand there are a lot of processes in the typical business model that can now be automated. You will be able to cut down the time and the effort required to complete certain tasks with tools like a subscription manager. You should always be exploring the latest business tech available on the market. In your personal life, you might want to consider using a digital planner. This is an easy and simple way to keep up with the tasks that you need to complete in your daily life. You might also want to use a screen time monitor. It’s fair to say that we spend a lot of time these days staring at a tech device. A screen time monitor can help you understand exactly how much time you are wasting on your tech and encourage you to cut back. Look After Your Body And Mind Of course, if you want to keep your personal and professional life on track, then you do need to think about how to keep your body and mind healthy. Only by keeping yourself in the best possible shape will you be able to deal with the trials and tribulations that life throws your way. For instance, you might want to consider investing in cognitive therapy. Cognitive therapy can help provide clarity in life, even if you don’t think you are dealing with any severe psychological issues. You also need to make sure that you are keeping fit Various research studies have given evidence that staying fit helps the mind cope with stress as well as the body. This is why it’s a smart idea to fit an exercise routine into your lifestyle that you can follow and commit to. With the right exercise routine, you will feel invigorated when you start the day and keep your energy levels high. You won’t find that your work or your personal life is leaving you feeling drained. Of course, this also means that you should be eating well too and providing your body with everything it needs. We hope this helps you understand how to balance your personal and professional life without letting one completely cancel out the other. Unfortunately, right now, employee satisfaction levels are quite low and people aren’t happy in their work positions. If you’re not comfortable or happy with your job, it’s definitely the right time to make a change. Get out there and find something that you love while also discovering the time to get more from your personal life too.

Written by: Agnese Rudzate, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Do you know two reasons why most business owners start their entrepreneurial journey? Financial independence. Time freedom. Do you know what happens a couple of years in their business? They might have reached their financial goals, but they are overworked. No time freedom! They work harder than ever and their dream of having this independent lifestyle vanishes once the next day comes with a never-ending to-do list, meetings, team management. It’s understandable that we want to supervise our business, be aware of processes, systems, and teamwork.  But how about time freedom? Is it possible to have a thriving business and work 4 hours per day or less? If this has been on your wish list, keep reading to learn steps that will get you there. Just make sure to implement them today to save more time starting tomorrow. 1. Prioritize. It can be quite challenging to understand what truly matters because often, everything seems important and urgent. For better clarity, let me teach you a couple of things that will help you put things into perspective faster and preciser.  Getting clear on your goals and vision at this moment will help you create more clarity around your action steps in order to reach them faster and more effortlessly, saving time and overwhelm. These goals should be things you want to focus on right now, a couple of things that need your attention. Instead, they are not lifelong mission statements; instead, they choose achievable focus points that are important to you in the next couple of weeks.  Creating a daily action list that supports your goals is crucial to move closer towards your goals. By choosing just 3-5 things every day that doesn’t take longer than an hour each will leave you with a prioritized list that will get you closer to your goals for this month. If, for some reason, you are not able to finish your daily tasks, be sure to consciously ask yourself what actions are most important now instead of carrying them to the next day. Sheryl Sandberg advises using Ruthless Prioritization as a Key to Great Work instead of good work. 2. Delegate. No one is doubting that delegating and outsourcing tasks can save time, but does it save money? If you have ever worked for someone other than yourself, you might have experienced that draining feeling of doing pointless tasks with no obvious result. You don’t want to be that kind of boss who gives their team tasks to fill their working hours. Why? Because you are paying for their time. So you might as well choose wisely to ensure that tasks you delegate or outsource are well-defined and important, meaning they don't waste your money and your or your team’s time. And most importantly - they bring tangible results to your business. If the task doesn’t require your genius, anyone can do it. 3. Automate. Repetition is the keyword here. Every business has processes that are repeating themselves daily, weekly, monthly, and so on. Why not save even more time by automation part (if not all) of them? This will not only bring in efficiency, increase productivity, but also eliminate human error. It is an amazing innovation that technologies have provided to us - it streamlines the workflows and processes to provide better visibility. When you notice something you do more than once that adds value, this is where you have a chance for automation. It might be scary to trust technologies, but there is no time in the world that is worth the boredom and money waste on repetitive tasks. 4. Eliminate. This part is the one you should approach with caution and also the one to not fear. Getting rid of things is fun and freeing, so it is with useless tasks and processes that have been in your business for no obvious reason. All they do is waste your time and eat up on your sanity. For example, meetings. They are usually held to define the problem - which is highly ineffective and unproductive. Instead, meetings should only be held to make decisions about the predefined situation. To avoid time-wasting chats, be sure to get clear on the agenda first and stay on the topic. Now you have to do your part. Don’t just leave this article without trying to implement things that can be life and business changing. Step aside for a moment and do a little self-audit. Notice what needs to be moved into the priorities list to reach those business goals faster, what can be delegated to create more space for your genius, what can be automated to avoid repetitive tasks, and what eventually needs to go for good. Let me know which of 4 steps are you taking already and which ones your wish to get better at? If you are ready to finally create well deserved time freedom for yourself, book your call and lets talk strategy . For more info, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn or visit my website ! Agnese Rudzate, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Agnese Rudzate is a Business Productivity Coach and Time-management expert with a professional background in Quality Management and Empowerment Coaching. She has turned her lifelong passion for organizing into her mission, helping women gain the confidence, clarity, and time freedom they deserve by providing action steps, tools, and customized strategies. Agnese is a firm believer that anyone can achieve business or personal goals through a deeply focused effort, which is based on her coaching. Through structure, systems, and processes that bring results, Agnese teaches her clients to manage their business with ease, create time freedom, and scale in profits.

Written by: Ikedah Alston, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. If you have children, you know how hard it can be at times to get them to do the things they should. Between after school activities, video games, cell phones, and computers, convincing your kids to take care of their household chores and other responsibilities can be a real challenge. The truth is, not every method of motivation will work with your child. Also, what works for one child may be detrimental to another! The truth is, not every method of motivation will work with your child. Also, what works for one child may be detrimental to another! As parents, it's easy to fall into the trap of wanting to be a friend to your child, but your goal is to be their leader, teacher, and motivator, too! Here are a few things you can try to help motivate your kids to get things done: 1. Kids love praise. Your kids want your attention and praise. If they know that doing the things they're supposed to do will bring them praise, they're more likely to do those things. You're their parent, and they want to make you proud of them. By encouraging them and praising them frequently, you're reinforcing good behavior. 2. Offer rewards. Often, children are motivated by rewards. The rewards don't have to be large or involve money. You can reward your children by: Spending time with them doing an activity they enjoy Reading to them Playing games with them Curling up and watching a movie together All of these rewards are positive motivators for your children. They'll be much more eager to do their household chores if the reward is something they can look forward to. 3. Lead by example. If your kids see you doing nothing all day long, they'll feel as if it's okay for them to do the same thing. Remember that your children are like a sponge and they look up to you and want to emulate you. Show your kids that regular tasks can be rewarding. For example, seeing a bunch of separate ingredients transform into cookies that get compliments can give your child a confidence boost to help out again next time! 4. Fear of consequences. There's a big difference between consequences and punishment. When your children don't do the things they're supposed to do, you can teach them how their actions or inactions can have a negative impact on their lives and the lives of others. Take something away for a short period and explain why you're doing it and how they can earn it back. This example of natural and logical consequences is essential preparation for adult life. 5. Show love. Your children need and want your love and devotion. Get involved in their lives. If your child is really interested in something, do it with them! Showing children you appreciate them and respect their choices will build a deeper bond between you. When you ask them to get something done, they'll be more likely to do it because of the mutual respect between you. Motivating your children isn't always easy. It takes dedication and consistency to provide the example and direction needed to build a child's character. While it may seem easier to throw in the towel and do things yourself, standing steadfast and finding new ways to motivate your kids is much more likely to help him become a productive, responsible adult. As a parent, it's your job to mold your children into caring, responsible and respectful adults. Remember, children are people too and are motivated by the same things that motivate anyone else. Things like love, attention, pleasure, rewards and recognition top the list of things children crave in their lives. Heaping these essential motivators onto your children will provide great rewards throughout their lives. For more details, follow me on Facebook , Instagram or visit my website . Be sure to join my private Facebook Community for valuable information on parenting tips and emotional intelligence. Read more from Ikedah! Ikedah Alston, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine The core philosophy of what I do is to “be who you needed when you were younger” . As a kid, I struggled with negative self image, emotional outbursts and lack of self awareness which followed me through adulthood. Over the past 11 years I have worked with children directly through volunteering in my community as a mentor, scout troop leader and as a mom, so I have seen first hand the struggles that kids go through including not knowing how to handle their emotions. And having gone through it myself, I felt that there is a gap that needs to be filled. That is why I started KIMA Kids Life Coach. I want to give our youth, the future of our world, the essential life skills through emotional intelligence to begin their journey of self awareness, effective communication and better decision making.

Written by: Arthur Gluzman, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Success in life primarily hinges on the habits that you engage continually, which will eventually shape your life. These habits form our lifestyle - the way we live, and invariably determines what we become in life or the height we mount up to in our career. Do you want to discover the most powerful habits that molded the life and career of successful people? Can these habits, when adopted, successfully influence or facilitate your career progress? Absolutely, Yes! They can. These habits are tested and proven to be the systems of attaining higher altitudes as a professional or career person. Habits will either make or mar you as it directly influences the outcome of your life, especially your career, on whether you do excel or be below par. Some habits are healthier than others, and your everyday manners define your future and attitude toward progressing both in your career and life. The following habits discussed below are powerful habits that successful people have practiced over time and have improved their lives and careers. It is guaranteed that if you too can adopt or be addicted to these habits, they will certainly, without any doubt, improve your career and define your direction in life for greatness. 1. Continuous Learning. The most influential and also the wealthiest people in the world right now are avid learners. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet were asked in an interview if they could possess one superpower in the world, what would it be? They both asserted that being the world's fastest reader would be incredible. Reading enables you to partially skip the system of error and trial by forming the future in your mind, based on the knowledge you have acquired from other peoples' mistakes. Why make your own mistake when you can learn so much from others? Reading enables you to "stand on the shoulders of giants" by obtaining crucial information that assists you in avoiding failures or mistakes. Learning is vital for personal growth; when you stop learning, then you start dying. 2. Setting Goals . This approach can be made by practically writing down your goals on paper. This method has often been proven to make a massive impact on the life of successful professionals. A research study was carried out at Harvard University in the book "What They Don't Teach You in the Harvard Business School," in which the author is Mark McCormack. He discovered a strange truth about performance and goal setting. Writing down your goals has been proven over a long time to make a massive impact on people's all-round life! At Harvard University, research on goal setting was done, and the outcome was formatted in the book titled "What They Don't Teach You in the Harvard Business School" by Mark McCormack. There were specific facts about goal-setting and performance using a particular class of students as a case study. The study outcome shows that about 3% of the students who graduated had written plans and goals; about 13% had set goals but didn't write them down, and a large amount of 84% had no particular goals that they set. After Ten (10) years, the very class members were interviewed again, and the results were quite stunning. 13% of those who had set goals were earning twice as much as the 84% who had no set goals. And overwhelmingly, the 3% who had their goals written were making, on average, ten times more of the other 97% altogether." The truth is this; being without goals means you don't have any direction or guidance in life and nothing substantial to work towards as a set target. Set your goals by writing them down, and you will experience a massive positive turn around in your career. 3. Have a Clear and a concise Vision Vision is the road map of your life that directs you to your desired goal and concentrates your efforts with relentless zeal. Having a clear and concise vision helps you eliminate factors that can hinder you from accomplishing what matters most. When you formulate a vision with a better and brighter future, it strengthens your productivity. It also empowers you to make the essential changes needed to have a successful career and life. Your vision will help you convert your dreams into attainable realities by giving you a sense of purpose to succeed in your career and life. And this is what successful professionals possess that differentiate them from others in their careers. 4. Planning and prioritizing Doing the essential things first is a concept spoke and practiced by many successful professionals. Gary Keller and Napoleon Hill both emphasized this very concept of planning and prioritizing in their books. Finding one crucial thing to focus on and achieve every day can drive you to your promised land. This approach enables you to do away with distractions, and your goals for that particular day will be effectively accomplished. Locate your most essential task for each day and effectively execute it. You can also set a time limit for each goal so that you won't get stuck with excuses. 5. Self Development Self-development entails investing in yourself, so you can give the capacity to manage the inevitable challenges that will come your way effectively. Self-development enables you to recognize the beliefs and values you aspire to pursue in your career and life. Self-development also determines the crucial areas of your life and career that need improvement. By so doing, you can further improve your skills for a promising sense of direction to boost your value. Self-development also enables you to promote your skills and make the most of your relationships in your career path. The better you become, the more you are better positioned to excel in your career. Strive to be a better version of your previous self continually. 6. Maintaining Positive Relationships Having healthy relationships are essential habits that will bring positive changes to your career and life. We (humans) are social beings, and our success is primarily built on the kind of relationships we have with other people. The more you humbly and honestly get along with someone, the easier it becomes for you to work or live together. Positive relationships offer you the needed support in hard times, and it is a pleasant way to stay optimistic and healthy. 7. Money Management Managing money is another great pillar of success, which is changing positions from the consuming mentality into the investing mindset. It is essential to start seeing the little dollars you have as seeds. Smartly making use of your hard-earned money will enable you to develop your investments into massive pay-offs over time. Some of the basic principals' successful people have cultivated when it comes to money management include; ● They don't spend above their income. ● They don't ridiculously amass debts. ● They invest and do not spend aimlessly. 8. Follow your initiative Each time there is a need for you to make a big decision, kindly write down all of the cons and pros. Scan through them again to discover the origin of these ideas. Are they right to what you believe, or are they ideas from your society, workplace, and parents? If it is, cancel out those ideas and follow your ideas. Practice this for every significant decision, and you will begin to believe yourself and make decisions that are perfect for you. You will soon discover that you live a life for yourself and not dictated by other persons. 9. Waking up Early. Your time on earth is short. "With an average life span of 79-years," according to Tai Lopez. No successful man is a friend with his bed. They are diligent and focus on achieving their goals. Not that you should spend the whole 24 hours working without sleeping, but too much of sleep can result in a waste of time, and when time is wasted, failure is not far away Cultivate the habit of waking up earlier every day and engage in productive tasks such as reading, exercising, etc.! 10. Diet and Exercise. Finally, keep at the back of your mind that success is not just about your work; it is also about you as a person. You will struggle to flourish if your wellness and health deteriorate. Get good sleep. Exercise as often as you can weekly. And if you haven't done this, invent a meditation practice. Download an exercise app, employ a meditation coach, locate a meditation center or book at least 10 minutes in your calendar to concentrate on your breath. Do this for at least a month, and before you know it, it will be something you can not live without and continuously practice. For more information, connect with me on LinkedIn or visit my website ! Read more from Arthur! Arthur Gluzman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Arthur Gluzman, founder is CEO of a million-dollar recruitment company, and a career coach. For more than 20 years, Arthur has coached and helped various individuals to get their dream jobs within 30 days. He has also helped top reputable companies recruit the best-talent in their organizations. Using his 20 years of recruiting experience, he have helped CEO’s, CFO’s, VP’s, and Talent Acquisition Pros who are looking to hire and retain the best professionals and executives in the known Universe. "I encourage you to take your career to the next level. I believe it’s time for you to receive expert assistance in pinpointing your hidden strengths and passions while building unshakable confidence. Build your brand as an expert in your industry, just like any other leading expert. You will never feel stuck, undervalued, unappreciated, unrecognized, or underpaid - Ever again in your lifetime. So…"

Written by: Cheryl Meyer, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. A key element of leadership is to set clear goals and then to show gratitude when those goals are achieved. Gratitude is an important element in all aspects of business. I believe that everyone wants to do a good job. However, for that to happen, first you must set clear, measurable goals for everyone on your team to achieve, and second you must notice when those goals are achieved. Gratitude encourages engagement and more positive interactions. It sets a positive mindset for the team and is good for everyone’s physical health and stress levels. If an employee does not know what your expectations are, it is impossible for them to achieve them. If they do achieve it, and it goes unnoticed, then they decide it was not important after all. Gratitude focuses on success and getting the job done correctly. Practicing gratitude creates a happier workforce and attracts excellent team members. Gratitude needs to be expressed to the individual, one on one, and to the team. It needs to be freely given and authentic. Celebrate your victories as a team and their contributions as an individual and keep the focus results orientated. The people who work for you will thrive if you recognize their contribution. Gratitude is an important element in all aspects of business. Express gratitude to your coworkers, and they will work harder to collaborate with you. Show gratitude to your bosses, and they will work harder to support you. Make sure your boss gives you clear guidelines of what excellence looks like in their eyes so that you can accomplish their goals. Show gratitude to your customers, and they will find ways to do more business with you. Show gratitude to your suppliers and they will work harder to supply quality and to keep to your agreed upon timetable Gratitude serves you well in all of your relationships within the organization, from the mailroom, to window washers to Employee Relations support. The more you recognize and express appreciation for what others do for and with you, the greater your success and the more positive your impact. Gratitude enrolls them in your success because you are acknowledging their success. Everyone works harder for someone who appreciates what they contribute. Leadership based in gratitude fosters a positive work culture and encourages your team to be more productive, happy, creative, and collaborative in all your business relationships. People who practice gratitude see an abundance in their lives. It is a relationship-building practice. The opposite of gratitude as a leadership tool is self-absorption. You cannot be a good leader if you are only concerned with your own success and not with the success of the total. If you view relationships as disposable, then the only person you value is yourself. The collective mind and effort are always more successful than the individual, and self-absorption stifles creativity and cooperation with other people. It is stressful and annoying to be around someone who is only out for their own glory. That person becomes a weight that slows the others down. This atmosphere hinders productivity, and creates a dog eat dog environment with others positioning to appear important without being vulnerable and without contributing to the whole. Ungrateful people tend to be characterized by an excessive sense of self-importance, arrogance, vanity, and an unquenchable need for admiration and approval. Narcissists are all about themselves. Narcissists “expect special favors and feel no need to pay back or pay forward” or to even acknowledge efforts made outside themselves. So why would others give their best performance to such a person? Self-absorbed bosses often are “victims” looking for others to blame for their failings. They create an environment of negativity, regret, resentment, and paranoia. These bosses stifle other people’s achievements. They create spectators out of the team and not do-ers. People who would be proactive become reactive, and accomplishments are thwarted. Employees do not produce their best work, co-workers do not want to work as a team, customers are not loyal, suppliers do not save their best product for the self-absorbed player. If you are a self-absorbed manager, others in the organization do not give their best, because their best always goes unnoticed. Employee relations does not pass their best people to be on that team, because they do not want to lose that person to a narcissist boss. Entitlement is at the core of self-absorption, so when and if the achievement arrives, there are always grievances that outnumber the victories. Be the grateful boss, and success will follow you wherever you go. Grab a free chapter from my first book all about health. This chapter is about the healthiest places on earth and why we should adopt their principles. This book, It Feels Good to Feel Good has now won 15 awards. For more information, follow Cheryl on Facebook , Instagram and connect with her on LinkedIn ! Cheryl Meyer, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Cheryl Meyer suffered from autoimmune disease. By eliminating hundreds of toxins, she reversed her pain. Cheryl has a BA from UC-Berkeley and is a health coach from IIN. Cheryl is an award-winning author, international bestseller, health coach, speaker, local tv host and guest podcaster. Cheryl has written four books on health and toxins available here . Her podcast is on Voice America . Cheryl specifically works with clients with chronic illness giving them hope and helping them find solutions. It is never too late to start healthy habits. Cheryl is available to speak about the toxins in our world that are making us ill. She is a sought-after expert on toxins, in our food, cleaning, water, minds, including toxic stress and toxic lack of sleep. She also talks about the impact of toxins for our children and our pet’s health. Contact Cheryl for one on one coaching or speaking at cherylmhealthmuse@gmail.com . Eliminating toxins is a crucial step to regain wellness.

Written by Melissa Gamarra, Online Business Manager & Author Melissa Gamarra is a Certified Online Business Manager and Author living in Salt Lake City. She helps online business owners create organization and business strategies so they can scale their companies effortlessly. Have you ever set a goal in your business, worked super hard and then just missed the goal post completely? You’re not alone! Everyone in the business space talks about setting goals and how to achieve them. The problem is that setting goals that are specific and measurable simply isn’t enough! You have to have a clear strategy in place and the support team available in order to move your business forward. So let’s start with what a business strategy even is. Business strategy is probably a term you have heard before, but maybe you aren't sure what they look like or how they get put together. A business strategy is a very clear plan of action to get you from point A, your starting point, all the way to point Z, your end goal. This type of plan should detail every task that needs to be completed, your team's timeline and expectations. It should also be readily available to your team or accountability partner so that you have someone holding your feet to the fire. Now, this is all fine and sounds like a really awesome thing to have, but where do you even begin? Unlike setting goals in an arbitrary fashion, creating a business strategy takes into consideration your history as a business owner to ensure you aren’t shooting for the moon without any fuel in your rocket. So the first step to creating a business strategy plan is to analyze your previous performance. This means looking at subscriptions, followers, purchases, clients, dollars in the door, revenue, etc. You want to make sure you know where you are starting, so you have a good idea of what is possible. For example: if you started your business yesterday, it’s probably not the greatest idea to set a goal to make $500,000 in the next 12 months. Now, this is an extreme example, but the point is still the same. Many business owners set goals based on others' accomplishments rather than their own metrics and previous performance. This is only setting you up for failure because not only are the goals, not your own, but they might not even be realistic. I recommend looking at your businesses growth over time and come up with projections based on this. So if your business is growing by 10% every month, then take this into consideration and aim for something a bit above that number. If you are brand new to the business world, shoot for getting that first client in the next 30 days. Once you have done that, shoot for a second one in the following 30 days. See how that goes and begin setting your sights in the future based on how easily you are able to accomplish these primary goals. Once you have looked at all the data and really gotten a feel for your current situation, it’s time to start planning. This is where we are going to talk about setting goals, yes they are a piece of this process and they obviously have a purpose. The key to setting goals is to not let them be the end all be all. When setting goals without these other steps, you are basically just throwing things at the wall and hoping they stick. So let’s jump right in! Armed with the information you gathered in step 1, it’s now time for you to decide on 3, 6, 9, and 12-month goals for your business. You don’t have to do all of these time frames, especially if you are someone who gets overwhelmed easily. Start with a three-month goal and make you plan for that amount of time and then work your way up. When planning your first goal, your 3 month, it’s really important to think about things you want to do in the immediate. For example, you might have a course you are planning to do another launch for in the next 30-60 days. This is obviously going to be included in your planning. Maybe you had five people sign up last time you ran the course and after all your expenses, you barely broke even on the launch. This means you will want to set a 3-month goal to launch again and maybe you want to double the amount of people who enroll. This is a great goal because it is specific and takes into consideration multiple facets of your business. It’s important to note that when you are setting your goals that they need to be very specific, the more specific, the better. Being specific will help you create a plan of action later on. Follow this same process of looking over your data, looking over current business projects, and coming up with a goal that makes sense for you for your 6, 9, and 12 month goals. During this process, you should also be writing down the dates or relative timing of completion for each of these goals. All the same S.M.A.R.T. principles apply when setting goals for your business strategy. If you aren't familiar with S.M.A.R.T. goals, it is an acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-sensitive. Okay, so now that we have looked over our business performance, created specific goals and determined when these goals are to be completed. It's time to start planning. This process might feel a bit overwhelming to do on paper or in a spreadsheet. I recommend using a task manager such as Asana or Monday so you can organize things, assign them to team members and even see tasks in a calendar view. Now that we have the desired goal and the time frame for which you minted to complete it, it's time to write down every single task associated with accomplishing this goal. Let's use the example above, if you are planning to launch your course for the second time, you obviously don't need to create the content, but you might need to add content. You will need to adjust your marketing materials, adjust your sales page, reach out to clients for testimonials and potentially work out affiliate marketing. As you begin writing all these things down, it's important to also assign them a date to be completed. These dates can be adjusted as you add more tasks but start by assigning the ideal timeline for the task to be completed. I find it best to block off a full day to do this type of planning once every quarter. There is nothing worse than trying to create a business strategy plan and getting interrupted or feeling rushed. This is something that needs some TLC because it is the roadmap for how you will move your business in the desired direction. Once you have all the tasks laid out, it’s a good idea to take a step back and look over the amount of work needed to accomplish this goal. Do you have the current team to support the work involved? Do you have the time available to do the things you assigned to yourself? Is there too much work to be done in the amount of time? This is your opportunity to look at this from a very clear, big-picture view and make decisions based on what you have in front of you. After you feel confident with your plan, it’s time to present it to your team or an accountability partner. One of the easiest ways to derail business growth and development is not to have anyone holding your feet to the fire. This is why the entire coaching industry exists, to hold you accountable. So even if you feel hesitant to present this to others, remember that you are not equipped to hold yourself accountable in the way someone else is. It’s human nature. So make sure you schedule a meeting with either your team or accountability partner to go over your business strategy and expectations. This meeting is an opportunity for you to make revisions based on others' schedule, get constructive feedback about how realistic these goals are, and add any tasks you may have missed. Quarterly planning in this manner is the most effective way to move your business forward. I know that it is a lot of work, but the reward of having a very clear map of how to hit milestones in your business is priceless! If you are feeling overwhelmed by this process, just know you aren’t alone. This is something I can help you with! My business strategy sessions include a 90-minute call with you to go over assets, finances, team members, and current business projects. We will come up with goals and completion dates based on your current business performance during this call. After that, I go and list out everything that needs to be done to accomplish these goals as well as the dates of completion and who needs to accomplish the task. You then get to review and once you are confident in the plan, we will schedule a second 90-minute call to discuss the plan with your team or accountability partner and make adjustments in real-time. The only thing left after that is for you to begin hitting your business milestones! If you are ready to get a jumpstart on your business and make real progress, you can schedule a strategy session with me by clicking here . Follow me on Facebook , Instagram and connect with me on LinkedIn ! Melissa Gamarra, Online Business Manager & Author Melissa Gamarra is a Certified Online Business Manager and Author living in Salt Lake City. She helps online business owners create organization and business strategies so they can scale their companies effortlessly

Absence due to sickness has increased sharply in recent years in Sweden, both among managers and employees. We repeatedly see how leaders expose their employees to mental illness because they are being stressed. Should we continue like this? Is this good for anyone? In times of crisis, managers need to take care of themselves and manage their stress. Therefore, the experts at Mood At Work are now working to urge the seriousness of this and, at the same time, offer help, so that companies and managers can both save money and health during these difficult times. In times of crisis, managers need to take care of themselves and manage their own stress. It's just like with the oxygen mask on airplanes - take care of your own oxygen first, and then you can help others. This is extra important now, because the leader must be on hand to support employees who are extra dependent on security and clarity when there are uncertainty and worry. Each manager's behavior affects the work environment to a great extent, and here is an opportunity to be a leader who positively affects the health of the employees. Many managers and leaders usually live with the feeling of having too much to do and way too little time to do it. That feeling is most likely reinforced in these challenging "corona times." But it is essential to take the time, inform, listen and be supportive to their employees. "It should not be difficult to do things right." As the company name reveals - Mood At Work - Their area of expertise is prosperous at work. They are specialists in the working environment, leadership, HR, and practical labor law, and work together with companies and organizations for a healthy working environment. – For us, this is more than just a job. Our passion is to develop and inspire managers, employees, and companies to create a profitable and healthy workplace. In fact, we think it is a human right to feel good at work! For us, it is not "just" about doing the right things according to law and agreements, but it is profitable for companies to invest in the work environment and leadership development, says Jessica Schultz, one of the founders. Jessica continues: – We know that it is both fun and easy to do the right things if you know how to do it. That's what we do - we show the way. Many studies and research show that companies that invest in different efforts in the work environment receive so much back to the company. That is, it is an investment, not a cost. People who are happy and feel good at work perform better. We work long-term with most of our customers because this is not a "quick fix". Creating a change takes time. "Prioritizing and focusing on sustainability will, in the long run, result in higher profitability." Working with sustainable individuals and organizations is profitable, and we offer our customers research-based process support for sustainable results and employees. To give a few examples, a person lowers their productivity by 12% when having sleeping problems, and 9% when feeling stressed. It may not sound much, but it affects the company enormously. Here is 4 things you can do to work with sustainability and save lots of money: 1. Engage - Management's commitment is essential Don't just create a document filled with policy rules and guidelines. As a manager, you have to lead and show the way. Get your employees to think and work safely, both physically and psychosocially. You probably need to change your behavior. Do things differently. Sit down with your employees and talk about what you do in the company. What do we do in the company? What are the risks? It is essential to understand why working with the work environment is necessary. The management's task is to sell it to the employees. Get them on board! 2. Prevention, prevention, and prevention! The preventive work. In addition to reducing human suffering, there is money to save. Take sick leave as a simple example; here, you can quickly obtain improvements by working preventively. The significant advantage of working preventively is that there is money to save, not only in reduced costs but also in increased productivity. Productivity loss at high-stress level, lack of sleep, and/or lack of work environment is according to studies between 9-40%. These figures apply when employees are present at work, less productive, but not yet sick. Absence due to illness or sick leave is a simple example where you can very quickly recover cost savings. If the managers do not have to call in substitutes, do not manage administration, do not have meetings with the Social Insurance Office and doctors, do not have to spend time dealing with the consequences of the sick leave. All sick leave can not be avoided. But having routines for how to work preventively, before employees are absent, saves time, money, and often human suffering—especially linked to mental illness where the average absence due to illness is almost 130 days according to Statistics in Sweden. And the way back to work is long and time-consuming for both employers and individuals. 3. Plan You need to have a plan for how the work should be carried out. Take, for example, a project manager who is working on a large project that runs over the summer period. Can he/she take out their planned vacation, or must telephone calls and crisis management be handled from the beach? Can you introduce someone else in the project to ensure recovery and prevent unhealthy workload? 4. Risk assessment Risk assessment is about deciding and anticipating risks before they occur. You will not be able to handle all the risks, it is about prioritizing, and you must deal with the severe risks. Here, you greatly benefit from preventative reports on risk observations, learning from things that have happened, and best of all, from things that have not yet happened but that have been identified as a potential risk. To be aware of the risk situations that can occur and assess what we can do to minimize sickness and accidents, our work must be done regularly. Mood At Work: - Credibility - Competence - Generosity - Innovations

Maxim, Wellness & Business coach and Founder of www.livewithsmile.com, started his entrepreneurial journey as a personal trainer and wellness coach. Through the years of self education and working with clients in achieving their health goals, he realized that real wellness is achieved through a balance and fulfillment in finances, relationship, parenting, and of course, self-care. His mission is to help stay at home mothers, parents or those who are not fulfilled in their life to breakthrough their beliefs, transform their relationship and communication as well as start building an online coaching, consulting or experts business that will both allow them generate more income, free more time, promote self-growth and in the end lead to that desired fulfillment with finances, relationship, kids and well being. You’re the Wellness & Business Coach combining Health, Wealth, and Fulfillment into your work. Why are those three topics so important to you and how did you become an expert within it? I started my journey about five years ago when I have begun my wellness coaching business here in Hong Kong. 
I started it while I was still working full time as a logistics manager of a beauty company. And I can tell to you one thing - I hated my job. It made me stressed, and it has impacted my quality of life physically and mentally, which lead to it affecting my family relationships. So firstly, I have done it for me: I needed to re-establish my health and get control over my life and start getting independent while calling my own shots and having the ability to grow and expand.
 Thru the years, I was involved in self-development one way or another: Reading books, attending seminars, working with coaches, participating in mentorship programs, doing online courses - you name it. 

With my experience working with clients on the health aspect, I have realized that many of them are in some form or shape in the same situation I was in the past: 
Stuck in a workplace, they don’t enjoy. So I decided to change that and start working with people to achieve financial, parenting, relationship and health fulfillment because they are interlinked and impacting each other.
 It took me a lot of reading, conversations, coaching sessions and just seeing what’s going on around in the coaching industry to find my voice and fine-tune what I do and its reason. You’re living in Hong Kong right now. How is that, and did you move there because of business reasons? I moved to Hong Kong over 12 years ago, and it was not business related (in a sense).
 Back then, I was working in a bank while living with my parents. I had a conversation with a friend of mine where I told him that I know that I will get stuck with my parents forever if I do not do something drastic.
 So I looked for jobs that include relocation, and I chose Hong Kong as it was a cool destination to practice martial arts ( I am a certified Tai Chi instructor ), so I said let's jump do it. 
Since then many things have changed, but my passion for health and wellness has never changed and probably never will. Connecting with moms is something you’re good at. What do you think is the reason for that, and what kind of help are they mostly looking for that you can provide them with? Being a parent myself while going through pretty rough times with my kid and my wife that almost led to divorce - I learned to see things not only from my side but from hers (realizing how self-centered we are without actually paying attention to it)
, which I think helped me better understand what mothers are going through and to have this immediate connection and understanding. 

I don’t know if women are more comfortable to work with women or men when they go through coaching but what I found is that every time I had a coaching call with a woman/mom, I was able to get her entire life story pretty much in 1 call with everything she went through and they were willing to share it with me willingly. "That's why many mothers sink in depression and anxiety." I guess people feel comfortable opening up to me - I think there is a truth to that.

 When I had done my research, I discovered that mothers, be it if they are working moms or stay at home, will always be torn apart between investing in themselves and their family. 
If they are working, it is usually work stress combined with missed time with the kids. if its stay at home moms they tend to lose their identity and find that they live their kids' lives instead of their own and at some point, they realize they gave everything to everyone, but they got nothing for themselves. No one appreciates that. So that's why many mothers sink in depression and anxiety. They are stressed in their relationship, and it is not helping anyone.

 What I do is to help them first to identify their real deep-rooted challenges to overcome so that they can be in control of what's going on with them and have clarity and direction in life. Then I help them start an online business of service and contribution ( be it as a coach, a consultant or an expert of some kind ). That both helps them achieve a sense of purpose, start generating income for themselves - which many times get them back their confidence and independence and build themselves up as the best partner and mother they can be so the whole family will be happy and fulfilled in all the aspects I have mentioned earlier. Weight loss is one of your areas of expertise. What are your three best tips on weight loss? When I have started my journey as a wellness coach, I thought like many others that 'let's fix nutrition and exercise', but it is far from it - you actually need to create a holistic approach to weight loss to achieve sustainable long term success (by the way its no different from building a business) 1. Understand what is not working: People tentatively think that if they want to lose weight, they can do it by start exercising. Although exercise is very important for a healthy lifestyle and weight loss, it is not the main factor.
 People need to look at the whole picture: their physical activity, their diet, their environment, their stress, sleep, hydration, and identify sabotaging patterns. 2. Its a game of numbers: The weight loss formula is pretty simple, and it has never changed no matter how people tried to complicate if. 
It is still calories in, calories out (though compared to business, you actually want more out then in). 
So you have to get clear on what your daily intake is and your daily expenditure first and start working from there. If you don't know the numbers, you are just playing a guessing game, and it is not the best strategy for success. 3. If you go to the extreme - you have to be ready for it. 
Both health and business are a marathon, not a sprint. If you make drastic changes (like crash diets or some type or restricted diets ), first you need to know what are the side effects, understand the challenges, and be willing to deal with them.
 Although we hear people who have achieved success on different diets ( see point 2 ), Most of the time, people can't sustain it because they are missing the part of self-discipline and healthy habit creation, leading to a drastic weight loss following by a rapid weight GAIN.
 With everyone I have achieved success with - I have worked on a balanced diet, continues followups, adjustments, controlled caloric deficit, and shifting the mindset around food and healthy choices - and it works 100%. Positioning yourself in business is something you find very important. Do you have any specific tips on how to position yourself? Before you position yourself, you have to get clear that you can 100% produce the results you promise (and if not, you will do whatever it take to do so). 
I see many people starting coaching business with no idea about coaching or without undergoing coaching themselves, so they claim they are a coach, yet they act more like advisors. When your purpose, skills, knowledge, and ability to produce results aligned, positioning yourself is simple: start doing what you do best and impact people's lives.
 Share your experience openly, be authentic with your audience and showcase your expertise. 
Like anything else - if you get good at what you do at some point, you will reach the 
'tipping point 'where people will automatically find their way to you just because they know you are the best (or at least the best for them).
For some people, it might take longer for some, it happens pretty quick. 
But as I said about diet - it is a marathon, not a sprint. Finally, what do you have in front of you and what’s your next big goal or project? Now my goal is to reach and help as many parents and families as I can to achieve fulfillment with finances, relationships, parenting and find happiness.
 2020 is a tough year for many families and although it impacted their financial situation, many are still dominated by fear and their own limiting beliefs and accept their reality, be it earning less, working more, and living under constant pressure and stress.
 This can change very quickly, but they have to believe it first and want to go on the journey themselves Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Maxim!

Susan Watson specializes in working worldwide with all ages experiencing Anxiety, Emotions, and Trauma, in a content freestyle, so that no talking really needs to take place unless wanted. Working with feelings and emotions within the body, Susan releases the emotional connection of past experiences. She teaches self-help tools to help others live their best life, the life that is deserved. Susan supports individuals, groups and the workplace with her Be Your Own Empowered Hero workshops, which were introduced as a measure to reduce the risk of future issues with mental and emotional health. Introduce yourself, who is Susan? – Who I am? That is a huge question! Okay, I am a wife, married to my lovely husband Scott, and we live in Kirkliston, a village on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. I am a mother; I have 3 adult children, and I am a grandmother to 8 ranging from 3 years to 21. I have a son and 3 grandchildren who live in the USA, and I love my visits there and my ever-patient daughter in law puts up with me. My other son and daughter live local to me, which is wonderful. Over and above that, I am very independent and have found my purpose in life by supporting others through challenging times in their life, and I love to laugh and my happiest and most enjoyable times are spent with my family. I am also a therapist and a coach, which is a driving passion in my life. I treasure time on my own to recharge my batteries. This normally entails listening to some loud Rock / Metal music, which is my self-care time. Tell us a little bit about your business, Perfect Solutions Coaching. – I have 2 sides to Perfect Solutions coaching. On one side, I work with all ages who experience life challenges, mainly anxiety, unhelpful emotions, or are struggling with past trauma. This is on a 1-1 basis, and I work in a way that blends many of the therapeutic methods I have trained in. I spend around 1.5 hours in a session with the client, for clearance, and teaching them self- help methods, and then they have a take-home “tool kit” to use themselves when they need it most. I work in a way that is all about self-empowerment, helping people to be able to manage their own lives and make positive changes on their own, and I am just there in the background should they need me if they decide that is needed. I run the sessions in person and worldwide over the internet, which is fantastic. – My work's 2nd branch is my workshops, “Be Your Own Empowered Hero” I started the workshop initially as a preventative step, to teach young children and families about their mind and body, to recognize emotions and stress, anxiety, etc and self-help tools. This was all about reducing the risk to young people and families. I then realized why should self-care stop at any age? I take the workshops now into all groups, workplaces, etc. Promoting self-care, personal responsibility, and importantly all the workshops are fun, interactive, and teach life-long skills to help everyone manage their own wellbeing. Prevention is so important. You have lived with an anxiety disorder for almost 40 years. What was that like, and what did you do to leave the anxiety behind? – I did not even know I had anxiety until I started looking into this when I was in my 40s. I was always a troubled child, quite a loner and never really felt that I fitted in anywhere, bullied at school and felt like an alien in the world, that I was not meant to be here. I did not like anything about myself and was rebellious. I also had some emotional problems just due to life experiences and felt extremely uncomfortable around people. Anxiety made my world so much smaller than it should have been. I always felt I was being ridiculed and judged. The strange thing is that even as I hated being around people, I was so desperate to have a connection and to feel part of something. I always felt so alone; I did not see my own value at all. I could hardly speak to someone without it becoming such a major event and socializing was a nightmare for me. I had this chronic fear of upsetting other people and would replay conversations constantly with obsessive worries about what other people thought of me. – This led me to make life decisions that were not good in any way. I left home very young, I was married, had 3 kids and on my own again by the time I was 23. Fast forward to age 40 and I had 3 broken marriages, homeless twice and had been in woman’s aid and experienced a lot of all kinds of abuse in my life. It was recognizing that my life could not continue in this way that I started to look for ways to make changes. I finally realized that I had made bad decisions and choices, which were based on accepting less than I deserved, fear and having exceptionally low self-worth and I set out to change that. – I made a pact with myself that I would take responsibility for all the bad things in my life and by doing that, I would be responsible for my future. I took a different route than most, I was lucky enough to get my first office job at 40 and they must have seen something in me as within a year, I was a manager and point of contact for staff with Mental Health issues. This was a huge boost to my confidence, I then went on to study diplomas such as Stress Management, CBT, Life Coaching, Hypnotherapy, all of this was to work on myself and I cried through every course I ever went on, just releasing pain and other emotions. I just kept pushing through the fear, I didn’t let anything stop me, no matter how bad it was, I just did it, and the more I did it, the easier it became, slowly but surely. I have trained in so many techniques and methods now. I look back on the past version of me with compassion and love. I am a hugely different person now. My own life experiences led me to work with clients with emotional issues and anxiety and past trauma. I have been there, I know that no matter we experience in life, it is possible to make the changes you wish for, it may take effort and hard work at times. However, it is so worth it. Everyone deserves an opportunity to live their best life. If I'm feeling anxious, what are your three best free tips to relieve the anxiety? – The 3 tips that I am sharing today are quick and easy, and I have selected them as you can use them anywhere at any time, without being noticed as they are quite discreet and when you have the anxiety, you want discreet. It always helps to breathe correctly when doing the exercises. Just remember a long breath out, if you can do that, this will go a long way to calm you. 1. Just sit at home, nice and quiet and hold your wrist in front of the wrist bone and close your eyes, and say in your mind PEACE, feel it, breathe it… see a peaceful color or picture… every part of your body full of peace. Practice this often. Then when you need to feel peace, no matter where you are, just squeezing your wrist on that same point. You have installed what is called an anchor. Your mind will associate that grip with peace and calm you and fill you with this when you need it most 2. Stick out the index finger and middle finger on one hand ( one hand will work better than the other, so try both) now with the other hand, grip those two fingers as high up to the hand as possible and SQUEEZE. Squeeze until you feel a little movement or pulse….if you hold the fingers that tight with that pulse for around 2 minutes, it calms you and can stop the panic. 3. Have a color which represents peace and calm for you, or perhaps a light and just imagine that color or light washing through all your body, everything it touches relaxing, healing and comforting… like little kisses of peace spreading all the way through you, make it stronger and brighter, imagine your heart glowing in this color, every breath you breathe in are this color, your body’s cells and organs becoming all this color, relaxing and peaceful. Carry something with you which is also this color and just hold it in your hand, squeeze it and look at it when you need it Who should book a session with you? – If you feel that you are ready to move on from anxiety, unhelpful emotions, and past trauma's heaviness, then even making the first step to have a chat with me is worth the effort. All you need is an open mind to trying things that are a little different. We only talk details if you want to talk. Mainly I work with the emotion, so really, I do not even have to know any details of what has brought you to see me. My sessions are interactive and we both have a part to play. I show you how and your own mind makes all the changes. We can do this work over the video so anywhere in the world. The main point here is that no matter what the age I am working with, they come to see me willingly and are ready to make a change. What kind of content will you provide our readers with? – I am looking to share a variety of content and information. Self-help techniques, educational information on the mind and the body along with information on the different methods I work with that can very quickly help all kinds of life experiences. I would also like to share tips of confidence building and the importance of self-care as I know how life-changing this was for me. At times this can be tough love. It isn’t all hugs and light. When we just have to say enough is enough, take a deep breath and go for it. It is just easier with a helping hand supporting you on your journey. If anyone has any questions for me, they just need to contact me. I am always happy to help. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, connect with me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Susan!

Mindset and wellness mentor Sara Abaza comes from Kuwait and a conservative Arabic family, and she was fed with thoughts of limiting beliefs and a narrow mindset from early age. She was stuck in that mindset for a long time but the turning point came when she started listening to English music. That was the one thing that inspired her to go beyond her surroundings, to go beyond what she thought she was. What is the reason why you help people control their level of stress? – Stress is the main cause of all the diseases mentally and physically in the modern world and people don't understand the main reason for the disease is a continuous pattern after getting motions and feelings. Ones they are trapped into the stressed, they are actually trapped into a bigger picture which is an emotion which is not healthy which rewires your brain neurologically and the change our whole emotions negatively that's not serving them. What do you say is important working and being a stress coach expert? – I organically speak about my career with everyone and anyone. It's like my number one topic to help someone with their stress or to allow them to see the positive aspects of their life to uplift them and make them see that it's also choices when it comes how we feel and make them see gratitude and appreciation. You are helping corporations and schools with your work - what is the reason for that, and why do you think they choose you as a speaker and coach? – When it comes to school, I represent the generation and I feel that students want to see someone like them, and it's very important to show them that I have been as from this generation through a lot of emotions and self Discovery that made me self-reliant and obsessed about getting myself to understand myself. – If students know what I know, they will be happier and with fewer regrets and less stress in their future as they will be equipped to handle the stressful situations in their life and can perform better and bigger in their early stage of career, so it's essential to invest in the mental conditioning of students. – I believe it is a duty of any school management that they invest in bringing the mindset of students of their schools to grow and achieve less stressful conditions. As a client and a coach, everyone walks through businesses and I always pay attention to the people who work smooth their body posture and everyday conversation with each other. I always see that I have something that can be implemented to get better results as a whole and make business Rise and Shine and make people happy and more satisfied. You are such a positive person. Is that something you always been, and can you teach others how to become more optimistic? – I have always been an intuitive person. I've always relied on listening to my intuition since I was a kid, and my environment wasn't the healthiest or the best. However, I think that's what I feel my purpose is and why I have become very wise from inside of everything happening around me without getting involved in the emotional state that may drag anyone into it. I think its power like something from God. I will always be a positive person and have always been looking at the best-case scenario of my life. Finally, what are your goals for the near future? – For the Future, I want to work with as many people as I can. I want to help as many people as I can, and I am bringing on a very special and very focused program for people who want to get a better life, a better future for themself just by understanding some concepts and going through some easy to use techniques a daily basis. I want to serve every human on this globe to live a better and happy life. To learn more, visit Sara's website and follow her on Instagram Read more from Sara!

Written by: Tanya Slater, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Do You Want Business Success AND Quality Time with your Family? Then, go home! The Girl Who Simplified explains how her students are moving forward in life, and business, by decluttering and simplifying their homes. Tanya’s alternative, holistic approach to happiness, fulfillment and success is exploding and about to take the business world by storm. Tanya says, “When you take control of your home, you WILL take control of your life.” As one of Tanya’s students puts it, ”Move over Marie Kondo, The Girl Who Simplified takes clearing to a whole other level!” Let’s take a moment to look at the reality for many female business owners and entrepreneurs. The child/work guiltconundrum - Being responsible for children, a home and a business is a common scenario for female business owners. Millions of us are in this (or similar) situation, knowing we are capable of so much more than we’re currently achieving. If only we had more time to focus on the business without interruption or distraction. When working, we feel guilty that we’re not doing more with the children and when we’re with our children, we feel guilty about the work we’re neglecting. This never-ending cycle of emotion hampers creativity and productivity in both areas. This, dear mum, is when you need to go home. Self-Care – But I’m too tired! – You see it everywhere you look; you should be exercising, you should be taking time for yourself, you should be eating healthily, not to mention you should be the most important person in your life. Now, while I admit that one of my favorite sayings is “shoulda’s are shit”, there is an element of truth in all of this. You know the drill; you can’t pour from an empty cup! That’s all well and good, I hear you say, but how can any of this happen when I have no spare time, energy, headspace, or money? I’m already struggling to fit everything in, so how are things ever going to change? This, my deserving fellow human, is when you need to go home. Want to make £10k a month? – Surely that would solve all my problems, right? Hmm... nope! I frequently see this ‘magpie effect’ (and been subjected to it myself) where some clever marketers have managed to speak to your deep-rooted insecurities, convincing you that what they have to offer is the missing piece of the puzzle. That if you implement their software, use their tool or embark on their coaching program, you will finally make it; you and your business will be a success! Be honest with yourself, how many things have you invested in that you have not used because, surprise surprise, you don’t have the time or the energy to commit and/or be consistent. This, my ambitious business-owning friend, is when you need to go home. Boundaries. Setting them AND upholding them – This could be an entire article on its own (and most likely will be!), but for now, we’ll just dip a toe in. What is the one thing you wish you had more of? Most people will answer “time”. Time is the most coveted global commodity. None of us know how much we have, and most of us give it away far too freely to people and situations that we don’t really want to and, as a result, don’t give our precious time to the people and things that are most important to us. Why do we do this? I believe it’s partly due to a lifetime of conditioning and partly due to our inability to set and uphold boundaries - both in our personal life and in our work. This, my beautiful soul, is when you need to go home. So, what do I mean when I say, “Go Home”? Exactly that! If there’s anything in your life or business that isn’t working, that’s draining you or taking up time and energy you know would be better invested elsewhere, look to your home. “When you take control of your home, you will take control of your life.” - Tanya Slater I have been on a decade-long journey of clearing and simplifying. I started in my home and went on to declutter my entire life: finances, friends, family, health, business, spirituality, commitments, the lot! I now know that our home should be a place of sanctuary, a place where each household member feels accepted for who they are and that they belong. When our home supports us to feel like this, we feel connected to ourselves and to each other. When we experience this, we start to gain clarity on our purpose and goals in life, and with that comes improved confidence in ourselves and our ability to run a house, lead a family, be healthy and grow a successful business. Over many years, a lack of this connection has seen us fill our homes and lives with unnecessary ‘stuff’, hoping it will solve our problems and bring us happiness. The reality is that all this ‘stuff’ we have accumulated is actually why we constantly feel tired, drained, overwhelmed, financially strained and like we never have enough time to do all the things in life we want to and know we’re capable of. There is a solution that can solve almost all your problems, and I want to spend my life shouting about it because it’s so simple. It costs nothing and anyone can do it—Declutter your home my friend. I’ll say it again. DECLUTTER YOUR HOME. That’s it. I love this quote, “Clutter is just a load of delayed decisions.” Unknown. This is something we tend to be oblivious of, and it’s only when we shine a spotlight on the clutter in our homes and lives that we begin to understand how much it weighs us down. I love witnessing the transformational shift in my Home Clearing Club students when they begin to experience weightlifting and the knock-on effect this has on their well-being, family, home, life, and business. It is truly magical. There is an old saying “tidy house, tidy mind”, and in my many years’ experience, this is spot on. They go hand in hand. I find that I can’t keep my focus on work or relax when I try to, if my home is upside down and many of my students often share with me that their house is a direct reflection of how they are feeling inside. If you have reached your ‘enough is enough’ moment and want things to change in your home, personal life, and business, why not put a stake in the ground and with a decided heart, try implementing the following actions and begin your own clearing journey. 9 Things you can do start creating a home that supports you and your family better and trigger a ‘snowball effect’ of benefits by simply ‘simplifying’. Get yourself a dedicated Clearing Journal Write down your big life goals and desires Think about how a clearer, more simplified home could benefit you and your family – what would you all gain? Think about the purpose of your home and write that down too Now visit every room in the home and decide on the purpose of each space – This is a great opportunity for fun family discussions Start in the entrance to your home and schedule a time this week to begin clearing With the purpose of each space in mind, first remove everything that appears obvious not to belong there Next, spend some time working, item by item, through the room, removing everything that is no longer needed and does not support the purpose of the room Over the next few days, observe how people come and go and find solutions for the items that seem to need a home there. I hope this short read has given you an insight into the power of decluttering, and looking within for the answers you seek, to start you on your own clearing journey. If you would like to learn more about how I help women like you turn the page, pick up your pen and write the next successful chapter of your life story, check out our awesome online community and enjoy regular tips and inspiration to your inbox. You can also check out my website, learn about my Home Clearing Club starting October 1st and join my free private community, The Curious Souls Life Clearing Club. I cannot wait to meet and empower you to take control of your home so you can take control of your life. Here’s to the simple life, Tanya Tanya Slater, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Bringing together a lifetime of experiences, childhood trauma and adult pain as well as a decade of clearing, Tanya introduces entrepreneurs to the power of decluttering so that they can enjoy success in business AND quality time for themselves and their families. Working online, Tanya runs The Home Clearing Club, guiding and coaching busy business owners methodically through the rooms in their homes while leveraging the power of peer support in the group. Her proven method sees her students experiencing the concept “when you take control of your environment, you can take control of your life” very quickly for themselves. Tanya loves witnessing people's surprise as they experience the transformational shift from such a simple act of clearing. The Girl Who Simplified mirrors Tanya’s own learning and journey of 30+ years condensed into a succinct and tried and tested formula. The Home Clearing Club has her students coming back for more and continuing their clearing and simplifying adventure in other areas of their life as members of The Curious Souls Life Clearing Club. Clarity, confidence, calm, inner peace, purpose, improved relationships, better mental and physical health, family communication, business success, life purpose, and the list of benefits are endless and joyful and it all starts in your home and heart.

Written by: Yogesh Osher, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. In my 20 years of coaching people, I found that the one single most common problem that stops so many from achieving their life or business goals is the lack of motivation or you can say the tendency to procrastinate. Procrastination can cause damage in every area of life, be it in business, relationships, health, wealth, education or even spirituality. Today I want to share with you a different, unconventional, thought-provoking and even you may say radical approach to this big problem of procrastination. Firstly let us recognize that emotions are at play with all procrastination. And therefore, awareness of emotions must also be part of the solution. There are two ways you can approach a task, want or should, and the difference is like day and night. The key is to know what kind of approach attitude or mindset, if you like, are you using and what are the emotions involved around the task. In general, with procrastination, I identify three core emotions that accompany the experience, fear, shame and resentment. These three are deeply interconnected and have been ingrained, in many cases, from early childhood. Yet they are not actually the problem; they are side effects; they can serve and help us to grow in becoming more aligned and fulfilled. Now you may think what the H is he talking about?! Bare with me. You’ll see what I mean, I’ll elaborate… The three emotions of fear, shame and resentment are powerful messages from the deeper true self. These emotions are signs that something is not aligned, that there is a gap, that your self-expression and the deeper aspirations are actually different and maybe even contradictory. They can be either a bad sign from the true self that we are NOT being who we really are, or a good sign that we are actually making some productive progress and it feels uncomfortable. In every case, awareness of these emotions helps us move towards a more integrated, authentic and fulfilled life. Let me explain . The life experience we have is the result of our emotions and the emotions are the fruits of our perspectives, and our perspectives are created by the ways we’ve learned to view the world and ourselves. The good news is that we can re-learn to see the world and ourselves in a way that serves us rather than hurts us. If you experience procrastination, it means that you keep entertaining a familiar way of viewing yourself and the world, even if it is outdated and painful. In turn, this fosters the three emotions to cycle through and makes it even harder to do what you want to do or get where you want to get. But this is not always bad. Because if you’re not aligned with your true self, you’ll be just compounding suffering for yourself. For example, a person with high artistic nature may feel fear and think they ‘should’ be making money, so they adjust to a job that has no artistic avenue, and they will slowly but surely feel more and more resentful, and inwardly ashamed of not being true to their calling. Today I’ll go deeper into looking at the first emotion, shame, and its two functions. But firstly, let’s look at what is the ‘True Self’? The ‘True Self’ is that sense of ‘I’ that is deeper than the perspectives and behaviors that we may adopt to please others to conform and be accepted by family, friends or society. True self is not a face to the world, neither good or bad. It is the deeper truth we experience in a given situation. This true self is made by the inner aspirations and a value system that we innately have. That’s not to be confused with the morals we learned or the world rules we uphold, but an inner knowing that is simply here. Now back to the first emotion attached to procrastination, shame. Shame is the feeling of I am not OK, I am not good enough, I am inadequate, or flowed. Shame is triggered when there is a split between the emotional experience and the superimposed idea of how ‘should’ I be. In a radically individualistic world, we may get a message that we are never good enough on the one hand and that we are entitled to everything on the other hand. Believing either or both of these ideas will inevitably arise shame as we deeply know that both are not true. Not good enough is a message, so many people have internalized and have to spend the rest of their lives proving wrong by achieving more and more. The external achievements however, can never fulfill the deeper longing for feeling ‘good enough’. Rather the opposite may happen. The more you rely on external approval, accreditation, recognition, or admiration, the more vulnerable and the more dominant is your pride and the weaker becomes the inner sense of ‘I’. Shame that I am not what I ‘should’ be or shame that I am what I ‘should’ be. Are two opposing functions of shame and tell us two very different messages! One is external shame or false shame, and the other is inner shame or true shame. When we are alienated from our true selves, we hold a facade of personality, say high achiever or expert or master or teacher or anything that is not truly integrated. We then experience a gap, and we know it. We know that we are false, and we feel shame and want to avoid the falseness. But here is the catch! We may also feel shame when being honest and true to who we are, because we think we 'should' be something else. And as long as we hold that 'should', we will suffer persisting procrastination habits, and we will not be free to be ourselves or interact honestly. The opposite case may be that we are aligning to ourselves and then stand out from the crowd, becoming no longer the 'normal'. We then become uniquely differentiated from others and may have conflict with people or culture around us. This can trigger shame too, but this shame is false and can be transformed by going deeper and knowing your inner aspirations and, most importantly, by the rejection of 'shoulds'. (Detoxing the root cause of Procrastination). So shame in itself is not the problem. The actual problem is the 'should' and the gap that this should presents and superimposes on our true self's authentic expression. To overcome this, you'll have to do the work of detoxing the 'shoulds'. That means to look deeply into each 'should' that you may carry and examine it with your adult eyes and think, do I really want to carry this 'should' or not? Does it actually have anything to do with who I truly am and what I truly value? When you have an awareness of emotions at work, you can DETOX yourself from 'shoulds,' and you'll have more chance of aligning your actions with who you really are. When your 'shoulds' are detoxed, you remain with an honest want or don't want. This dramatically empowers you and reduces or even eliminates your Procrastination. If you’re successful in overcoming false Shame, than the next enemy is fear. And this will be the topic of our next article. We will explore fear of being your true self vs. the fear of not being your true self. Remember, Awareness gives you Choice, and Choice leads you to productive Action! For more information, visit https://www.livingtotalwellness.live/detoxpro Yogesh Osher, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Yogesh Osher holds a Masters Degree in Gestalt Therapy. He is a highly skilled Gestalt therapist and group facilitator as well as a certified Wellness Coach and Yoga teacher and a Detox Practitioner (Dip. Natural Therapeutics). He is the founder of Living Total Wellness and a co-founder in the global naturopathic movement of Natural Yogic Treatments. In the past two decades, he has been studying, practicing, and teaching Zen, Tantra Yoga Meditation, Gestalt Therapy and Functional Medicine. His life purpose is true wellness. Engaging a synergetic synthesis of east and west, and drawing on methodologies, practices and systems that bring real results. He currently offers online wellness programs integrating personal growth with detoxification and lifestyle changes. He brings a spiritual outlook to promote lasting transformations in the life of his clients. Using gestalt process, self-empowerment and practical wellness, Yogesh promotes a heartfelt integration and elevation of life as a whole.