Coach Cassandra Rae | SimplyFearless.com » time management

Gift for You: Time Management Tool

Cassandra Rae — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:34:01 +0000

As a super-busy-entrepreneur-mom-wife-all-around-really-cool-chick, I have a lot on my plate and there is always more that I want to do then I have time for. That, my friend, makes it very easy to go to bed at night feeling like I haven’t done enough. Which is why I’ve created this Time Management Tool. I love it so much that I want you to have it too. Woohoo!

Click here to download now

Here’s how it works:

Pick your top 3 goals for the week.
Each day Monday through Friday pick your top 3 goals for the day.

Use your top 3 weekly and daily goals to guide your decisions about how you spend your time. Give yourself permission to focus. You might have a lot more than 3 things to accomplish in your day. That’s fine. Make as long a list as you’d like (there’s room at the bottom of the worksheet.) BUT, pick the 3 most important items and when they are done give yourself credit for taking care of business. Let it be enough and really feel how it feels to be done. Aaahhhh…

Questions to ask yourself:

What’s most important?
How do my daily goals match up with my weekly goals?
How do my weekly goals match up with my overall goals?
What would I feel most proud of accomplishing?

Download the worksheet. Try it out. Give yourself a chance to succeed because…

How you use your time affects how you feel about yourself.

How you feel about yourself is the foundation for your success both personally and professionally.

3 Simple Ways to Feel Better Now

Cassandra Rae — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:12:20 +0000

Lately I’ve been waking up in the morning without the same zest for life that I usually have. It’s very curious. Something is missing and I don’t know what it is.

Here’s what I do know. I know that the lack of happiness means that I’m not fully aligned with my Soul. You see, my Soul has everything I want and it’s my job to align with my Soul so that I can receive my desires. Yeah, easier said than done. But, it’s well worth every ounce of effort because when I am aligned with my Soul that’s when I am in flow with life. That’s when I am joyously present. That’s when people and opportunities show up in perfect timing. That’s when I am in sync with my creative juices. And that’s where I want to be.

Photography soothes my Soul

So today, right now, I wrap myself in loving compassion understanding that this empty feeling is only temporary and that at its core it is a gift to me. How else would I know I’m out of alignment?

I also give myself permission to make taking care of me my top priority today. Yes, I have a ginormous list of things I’d like to accomplish. But, if I plow my way through my to-do list while ignoring how I feel, I know that I will (1) drain my energy, and (2) not receive the results I want. Plus, giving a little to myself now always leads to having more later.

Does all of this freak me out? Heck yes! But, I already feel a little bit better just by writing about it and sharing it with you. Now before I move into the rest of my day, I’m going to invest in 10 minutes of silence. I’m simply going to sit, relax, and open up to receive any guidance from my Soul.

Everyone benefits when you share:
What do you do when you feel empty?

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Today is Simply Fearless Friday! What simple act of courage have you taken this week? Share your Simply Fearless Friday story on your blog. Then come back here and leave a link directly to your blog post so that we can go check it out. Let’s face our fears and grow our courage together! If you participate, then I promise to leave a comment on your Simply Fearless Friday blog posts and you know how cool comments are :~)

Are you ready to let go of control and hire a VA?

Cassandra Rae — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:20:00 +0000

SimplyFearless.com

What are you doing that’s stretching your comfort zone to grow your business?

My Soul consistently tells me, “Ask for help.” You see, I’m the kinda woman who likes to do everything and take care of everyone. Yup, you guessed it, I’m a control freak!

But, the truth is if I’m going to grow my business, then I must begin to receive help in running it. This is a big stretch for me because it means letting go of control. Ak!

I feel like a mom who is taking her baby to the sitter for the first time. Oh! What a brilliant analogy because I’ve actually done that before. I know that when you find the right sitter, your baby has so much fun and you’re healthier for the time you get to do non-mommy stuff. Whew…I feel better!

So this past week I began the process of hiring a virtual assistant {VA}. It’s “funny” because there were moments when I was like, “I don’t have time to do this.” But, then I reminded myself that if I’m going to invite more success into my business that I must invest a little bit of time now. I know it will pay off in the long-run.

Just in case you’re a control freak too here are 4 things you can do to begin the process of hiring a VA for yourself:

Talk to people who are already using a VA to find out more about the process and to receive referrals
Look in your stack of business cards that you get at all those networking events you go to {hint, hint!} for cards of VA’s you’ve already met
Turn to a trusted organization for referrals {one I turned to is the Coaches Console who provides my Private Client Center}
Interview at least 3 different VA’s – keep interviewing until you find one with the right skills to meet your needs

Remember that you might be letting go of control by giving the reins to someone else on a few projects, but you get to choose how it’s going to work and who that someone is. See, letting go isn’t that bad. Right?!

I’ll keep you posted on who I choose to work with & let me know if you have any questions.

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Today is Simply Fearless Friday! Blog about one thing you’ve done this past week that’s stretched your comfort zone and then come back here to share the link directly to your blog post. Facing your fears is an absolute must when you are building the business of your dreams. But, you do not have to do it alone. Share your story and I promise to swing on by and leave you a comment. You know you’d love that!

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Blogging for Your Business Basics

Cassandra Rae — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:32:25 +0000

{note: right click here to save recording to your computer or listen via the player at the end of this post}

We just finished our free bonus call all about blogging for your business and it rocked! Seriously, it was probably one of my all-time favorite connections. The energy and information was off the hook! Thank you so much to all of the Simply Fearless Fempreneurs who were on the call. You brought out the best in me and I loved connecting with you.

Our next free Simply Fearless Coaching Call is on Monday, January 25, 2010 at 12noon Pacific where I will be introducing our brand new Fempreneur Group!

Here are all my notes from today’s call…

Opening quote:

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”

~ H. Jackson Brown Jr, author of Life’s Little Instruction Book, found on ThinkExist.com

One of my favorite mantras is, “I have plenty of time.” The truth is, no matter how you look at it, you still have the same amount of time! So you might as well choose a perspective that empowers you and provides a sense of calmness.

6 Questions Every Blogger Should Answer:

Why are you blogging?
1. Set your intention
2. Make your title match your intention
3. Create a powerful tagline to share your intention
Who are you writing to?
1. Create a clear picture of your reader
2. Pick one person – real or fictional – and flesh her out
3. What are her problems?
4. Beliefs?
5. Feelings?
6. Experiences? Etc.
What do you want visitors to do?
1. One very clear call to action
2. Above the fold – no scrolling to find it
3. You might know what you want them to do, but do they know?
4. Give away valuable content you could sell to encourage sign-ups
Why should your readers listen to you?
1. Let go of “I’m not educated enough,” or “I’m not experienced enough,” etc.
2. This is about your mindset
3. Write from a place of believing in yourself, which will attract more people
4. Your experiences are valuable and it doesn’t matter how much education you have to share what you already know
How personal are you going to get?
1. Others do what you do, but there is no other you
2. Share your personal story – it will set you apart
3. Being a one-person business is an asset!
4. People want to connect with people
How often are you going to publish without getting overwhelmed?
1. Be realistic!
2. Make a promise to yourself & your readers
3. Be consistent
4. Release any judgment
5. Make adjustments as you go

Closing Quote:

“There is only one you for all time. Fearlessly be yourself.” ~ Anthony Rapp, American film and stage actor, found on ThinkExist.com

Peeps who were on the call: please leave a comment letting others know what you gained from this call. Be sure to include a link to your blog so that we can check you out!

Video: small moments lead to big results

Cassandra Rae — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:48:15 +0000

Time Saving Secret

I Have To Fix This Right Now…. Don’t I?

Jenny Good — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:05:54 +0000

As a woman who was raised to be independent, I have always prided myself on pushing through the task at hand until it is finished. In the business world, my drive to close the deal and see the project through has always served me well…. or has it?

Recently I was faced with a situation in which a business deal was turning sour. Being a bit *cough* of a perfectionist, I was beside myself trying to figure out where I went wrong in that interaction…. what should I have done differently…. and what could I do to fix it NOW. Distressed that I couldn’t seem to come up with the answers, it happened that I was about to have a session with my own coach and I brought my situation up with her. She asked me a question. She asked me “What would happen if you did nothing?”

Nothing?! Did she really just say that? Hey I thought life coaches were action oriented! I thought about her question and I said, “I have no idea. I have to fix it though.” She asked me why I had to fix it NOW. It began to be more clear to me that sometimes doing nothing is an action all its own.

As my assignment or “fieldwork” for that week, I was to try my hand at letting this situation sit. To leave it alone without trying to fix it and without trying to analyze it, then revisit it in 1 week. Guess what?

6 days later the client involved phoned me and was quite apologetic. He explained he had personal things going on and that he just sort of was on overload. He wanted to see if I would consider staying on the project! If I had changed anything in the 6 days I chose to wait and see what happened, I would have devoted my energy to an area it needn’t be expended.

Surely I am not saying you should ignore your challenges? Not at all. But what I am saying is that sometimes we have to slow down and really step back for a moment to be clear on what area our energy is best expended. Your personal energy and will are powerful tools so it’s important to use them in the ways and areas that best suit you. Many times we believe we have to fix it now or we have failed. It is okay to leave an issue unresolved to gain some perspective on it.

The next time you are beating yourself up to have the right answer, stop. Ask yourself what would happen if you didn’t fix it…. TODAY.

Coming Back to the FOCUS

Michelle Ward — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 16:46:40 +0000

I’m having a bunch of revelations this month. It’s odd. I feel sick, run down, stressed, sulky – but yet my eyes are open to a lot of things that need to change.

At ICA, my coaching school, there is a lot of talk around a UAC, or an Underlying Automatic Commitment. This is something that everyone has, lurking there under the surface, telling you how to behave. Your UAC could be that candy makes you happy, and that’s why you haven’t been able to lose those 10 pounds. Your UAC could be that you shouldn’t attempt to do anything if you’re not perfect, and so you never start projects you’re dying to try. I have a few UACs myself, but I think I hit the motherload.

My biggest UAC is this:

Being busy is the same as being productive, and being productive is being successful. Therefore, busy = productive = successful.

Huh. I think I really do believe in that equation, which is mind blowing as I look at it now. If I’m busy, it must mean that I’m wanted, or worthwhile, or smart, or popular…And if I’m all those things….then I’m a success! That’s why I have allowed myself to become so ADD-like in recent years, often keeping a dozen browsers open while I start one task while abandoning (or “just stepping away”) from the other. But while my ADD tendencies are fairly new, the busy-ness isn’t. When I was in elementary school I’d be balancing school and homework with piano lessons, Hebrew school, plays, soccer, baseball, & play dates. And that’s when I was 9!

I recently commented on Danielle LaPorte’s post about entrepreneurial time management, asking what she suggests someone with a full-time job, school, a new marriage, and a coaching business that’s on the ground floor should do to best utilize her time/not pull her hair out. Her answer was both eye-opening & insightful:

say no to more. let go of a few commitments.
make sure you have a sacred place at home to do your work.
get a support network in place – a mentor, two fellow entrepreneurs to jam with.
go easy on the Twitter and Facebook time – use it as a tool to create community and spread your love.
ruthlessly purge stuff from you living/working space
have just 3 goals for the year
be compassionate with yourself–everything is progress!

Having 3 goals a year scares the crap out of me (that’s only 1 goal every 4 months! I should have 10 for the same time frame!), but if I start there…..that’s progress. That’s focus. If I got together some other peer coaches from school to talk about the business building aspect…..that’s focus, too. And recently I’ve been dreaming about where I would want to make my coaching calls from, and all I can think of is a bright orange circle chair (like this, but orange) in a nice big office/studio. While I don’t have an office or a studio (or a circle chair at all), I need to find the best space that I do have to work with, so I know when I’m there it’s coaching time. Focus time. Gettin’-down-to-business time (not to be confused with Business Time).

I’ve already determined that my word for 2009 is FOCUS. Now I’m gonna implement that….