Finding Your Work/Life Balance

You know, most of the time I LOVE being my own boss. I encourage everyone to follow their dreams and passions and work for themselves if that’s what will make them happy. And let’s not forget a few other goodies — becoming more financially secure, healthier, having better relationships with family and friends, flexible schedules so you can go to your child’s play, have coffee with a friend, or break your work day up to suit your needs.

Finding a Work/Life Balance can be hard. Even if you run your own business. Even if you make your own schedule. It’s easy to get caught up in all the things that you need to do for your business. “I’ll just answer these emails, put the finishing touches on this project, write that press release . . .” and poof! another hour or two gets added to your work day.

Here are two tips that make it easier for me to keep that balance. I think they’ll work for you too.

1) Set a timer and focus completely on just one project for one hour. Answer your emails. Add to your Facebook posts. Tweet away. Write a couple of business letters. Do some research for your next project. When the timer goes off, it’s time to stop. Take a quick break. If you’re on a roll with that research or in the middle of planning a program launch, you can always re-set the timer for another hour or two.

It’s all the time-sucking extras that a timer really makes you aware of. Like how much time you spend on Facebook. Or how easy it is to get distracted and not truly focus on anything. How many things have you started — or meant to start — but the time just slipped away and you got nothing done? Yeah, me too. That’s why I invested in a kitchen timer. Try it and let me know how it works for you.

2) Decide when your workday will end and stick to it. This is crucial when you work from home. If your workday starts at 9 AM and ends at 6 PM, call it a day when the clock reads 6 PM. Make a quick list of the 3 most important things you want to accomplish tomorrow. Straighten up the mess on your desk. (Oh, don’t tell me you don’t have some papers scattered about!) Then get up from your desk. Shut the door to your home office. It’s time for family, for friends, and for YOU.

The work will still be there in the morning but having that list of 3 priorities will help you quickly focus on what needs to be done. Clearing your desk at the end of the day means you can start in the morning without sorting through piles of papers trying to find what you need. And taking time to relax means you’ll be a lot happier and healthier in the long run.

And if you’re really serious about a Work/Life Balance, you must stick to a schedule that lets you have time off. After all, isn’t that one of the reasons you started your business in the first place? If all you do is work, work, work, then being your own boss becomes a grind. You get burned out. You start thinking that maybe going back to the corporate cubicle isn’t so bad. That’s what happens when you get too tired. Your exhausted brain stops thinking clearly. You can end up making bad decisions that you’ll later regret.

Do you have a favorite tip for finding Work/Life Balance? Please share!

Bonnie Pond is a career change expert for women over 40. She helps people who want to be their own boss find ways to turn their interests into income.

Do you dream of being your own boss? I can help you find realistic ways to profit from your passions! Call me at 931-438-8343 to schedule a complimentary 30-minute Discovery Session. Let’s talk about where you are now, where you want to go, and ways you can get there.

You really can find ways to love your work, love your money, and love your life again. Visit my website,www.relaunchyourlifecoach.com, for more resources to help you with your own ReLaunch journey.

Midlife Career Change? Tap Into Your Creative Flow!

“I don’t have a creative bone in my body!” Ever had that thought? Or how about this? “I love to dance, paint, sing, bake, build wooden toys, clown around (fill in your own words) BUT no one will pay me to do that.”

If that’s you, it’s time to shift your thinking and get into your Creative Flow. Everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, is creative. You don’t have to be a sculptor or a novelist or an architect to qualify as creative. Your special brand of creativity might be in the way you can fix just about anything. Or in the way you make fabulous videos of family events. Or it may be the way you can organize a messy office or closet. You ARE creative, just not in the stereotypical way.

And you know what? That’s not a bad thing if you want to start a business that taps into your personal gifts and talents. You’ve got a unique combination that no one else has — and believe me, there are people willing to pay you for those talents. These are your Creativity Sparks!

You want to make a midlife career change but you’re not sure how. Those Creativity Sparks are clues to working at what you love.

So, how do you tap into your Creative Flow? Here are some of my favorite ways to do that. First, find a place where you can just sit quietly with a notebook for 30 minutes or so. Jot down anything and everything you’ve ever done that was the slightest bit creative. These are your Creativity Sparks.

Title it “All the Ways I’m a Creative Person.” Did you crochet an afghan? Build a doghouse? Help a friend find a solution to her problem? Paint a room? Reorganize your garage? Wrap a gorgeous birthday gift?

The key is to do this without criticizing yourself mentally with statements like, “Oh, that was so easy for me to do. It doesn’t count.” Or “Yeah, I took those nature photos, but they aren’t really all that great.” Or “People say I make wonderful meals but that’s not creative enough to put on the list.” No criticism, no filters. Let go of perfectionism. My guess is you’ll have quite a long list.

Next, ask three people you trust to tell you about all the ways you’re a creative soul. If it’s not comfortable to sit and listen to all this praise, ask them to write about your creativity instead. Your list is getting longer and longer, isn’t it?

So how will this help you find a way to work at what you love and generate income? This is where you can really have some fun.

Let’s say that one of your Creativity Sparks is that you love being around dogs, playing with them, teaching them tricks, taking pictures of them. Move into full-on brainstorming! What can you do that involves dogs that will also create income?

Here are just a few ideas:

• Put together a show demonstrating your dogs’ tricks, response to commands, or ability to follow a scent trail. Figure out how you’ll tell an audience about this in a fun and interactive way. Gather some interesting tidbits of little known facts. Market your show to school assemblies, local festivals, or nursing homes.

• Take pictures of your dogs and create a line of note cards or greeting cards.

• Become a dog groomer.

• Put together “doggie & me” tours for people who want to take their pets on vacation.

• Specialize in setting up “doggie events” to enhance local community events. In our area, Lynchburg holds an annual Frontier Days celebration. The Ugly Dog contest always draws a crowd and generates additional publicity for the celebration.

To get your own Creative Flow going, see what you can add to this list. Not every idea is going to be a winner. This exercise is about freeing up your thinking and letting more Creativity Sparks happen.

You’ve had a little practice with the “doggie” idea so now it’s time to get your notebook and start writing about your own Creativity Sparks.

Don’t neglect asking three people you trust for input. It’s a real confidence booster and will give you more raw material to work with.

Take your list and spend at least 10 – 15 minutes brainstorming about ways to turn your Creativity Sparks into income. I guarantee this will kick-start your Creative Flow. If you get stuck, put your brainstorming away for a day or two. Come back to it several times over the next two weeks. Keep adding to your list.

Use this Creative Flow process with each of your Creativity Sparks. It will help you begin the process of finding ways to work at what you love.

Bonnie Pond is a career change expert for women over 40. She helps people who want to be their own boss find ways to turn their interests into income. You really can find ways to love your work, love your money, and love your life again. Visit her website, www.relaunchyourlifecoach.com, for more resources to help you with your own ReLaunch journey.

Are You a Late Bloomer?

How many times have I heard, “It’s too late for me to ReLaunch. I should have started when I was younger.” So many people let their chronological ages become an EXCUSE for not stepping up and stepping fully into their lives. Do you know anyone like that?  Listen, age isn’t a barrier to ReLaunching — unless you decide to let it become one. I’ve changed course more than once in my life, working at a variety of jobs and even a couple of careers. In fact,  I didn’t really figure out what I wanted to be “when I grew up” until I was in my late 50′s. (Full disclosure here — I’m 61.) Maybe I’m what you’d call a Late Bloomer. If you’ve convinced yourself it’s “too late,” let’s set the facts straight right now. Whether you’re 40 or 54 or 67, there’s still time to do what you love. BUT, you have to stop dreaming and start doing. Don’t believe me? Here’s a list of Late Bloomers to inspire you.  Maya Angelou was in her 60′s when her books and poetry became popular. Now she’s known around the world for her eloquent writing.  Susan Boyle (you remember her amazing performance on TV, don’t you?) was “discovered” as a singing sensation when she was almost 50.  Marjorie Stoneman Douglas started her environmental work well into her 60′s. At age 78, she began her long battle to protect Florida’s Everglades, a fight she continued until she was 100. Remember the Little House on the Prairie series written by Laura Ingalls Wilder? The very first book in that series wasn’t published until she was 65.  Grandma Moses, whose work is world famous, painted until she was 101. Keep in mind that she didn’t pick up a paintbrush until she was 76!  Julia Child was 51 when The French Chef first appeared on TV and her first book was published only 2 years earlier. From authors to marathon runners to film makers and founders of global corporations (Ray Croc was 52 when he opened the first McDonalds, Colonel Harland Sanders was 65 when he started the KFC franchise), Late Bloomers have made their indelible mark on the world. Many didn’t find their true calling until midlife but once they did, they stepped into their brilliance. Tape this statement to your computer, your mirror, your kitchen cabinets:  ”Midlife is NOT over the hill!” The best part of your life can begin right now. The key is to get started, to move beyond fear and outmoded thinking. Choose action over wishing and you can transform your life. Here’s how to get started: 1) Sit quietly for 20 minutes and think about all the new beginnings you’ve made in your life. I’ll wager there were plenty of them and you were able to learn and grow, even when those new beginnings were sometimes painful and unwanted. You’re a survivor. You’re resilient. Congratulations! You have what it takes to ReLaunch. 2) Now, what do you still want to do with your life? Go ahead, remember those dreams, tap into what you love doing. Identify what’s important to you. 3) Choose one thing, just one, to begin this week. Imagine in as much detail as you can muster up exacly how you’ll feel when you reach your goal. 4) If a wave of overwhelm suddenly hits you, stop and breathe. Breathe. It’s OK. You don’t have to realize that goal by Friday. Just take one little step every day. 5) Explore. Look forward to the ongoing renewal of your life.  Become a brilliant Late Bloomer!

Possibility Thinking

Lots of people get stuck, even overwhelmed trying to figure out how to build a new career from something they love to do. Here’s what I often hear. “I love to discover these wonderful little-known restaurants and tell my friends about them. . .  or build elaborate birdhouses. . . or take photographs of old barns — but you can’t make any money doing that.” Fill in whatever YOU love to do, but let’s take out the phrase “you can’t make any money doing that.”

While it’s true that you might not be able to create an income stream from everything you love to do, I’m absolutely certain that you can do so from at least  some of the things you love. Here’s where possibility thinking comes in.

According to Guerrilla Marketing, there are eight top reasons people buy anything:

1) to make more money

2) to become more comfortable, even a bit more comfortable

3) to attract praise

4) to increase enjoyment

5) to possess things of beauty

6) to avoid criticism

7) to make their work easier

8) to speed up their work

Basically, people want to save time and money, make life easier, be respected and happy, make money, and eliminate pain in their lives. 

If you love to create elaborate birdhouses, why would someone buy from you? How about having something of beauty that also lets them enjoy watching birds in their own backyard? And let’s not forget the compliments from friends and neighbors about that gorgeous, one-of-a-kind birdhouse.

Maybe your love is finding those terrific restaurants that hardly anyone else knows about. How could you build an income stream so people will pay you for that knowledge? You might design and lead exclusive Off-the-Beaten-Track dinner tours for small groups. Make the dining experience even more special by adding background information about the restaurant, the chef, a specialty dish, the building’s history, or the neighborhood. This kind of business helps people satisfy #4 on the list — to increase enjoyment. People are looking for unique experiences that they can talk about with their friends. Experiences become “status stories” and you could parlay that into quite a lucrative business.

You’ve all heard of Curves, the exercise and health gym just for women. Gary Heaven applied “possibility thinking” when he created a 30-minute exercise routine set to music. A trainer is right there to encourage and help women who want to tone up, lose weight, and get fit. Membership includes a private monthly weigh-in and measurement to record your progress and plenty of support with a “we’re all in this together” atmosphere. It’s all about making exercise quick and fun, with a sense of built-in camaraderie.

Take a another look at the top 8 reasons people buy. Women join Curves for some or all of these reasons– to become more comfortable, to attract praise, to avoid criticism, to increase enjoyment, even to make more money. (Don’t kid yourself — despite anti-discrimination laws, weight issues can be a real barrier to a successful career.)

Try this exercise to open up your “possibility thinking”:

1) Across the top of a sheet of paper, write one thing you love to do.

2) Brainstorm every single way you can think of to create an income stream doing that using the list of 8 reasons people buy. Wild, crazy, out-of-the-box ideas are encouraged. The more ideas, the better. Use “possibility thinking”  to squeeze every bit of potential from what you love doing.

3) Choose the most promising two or three ideas from your list and start exploring what it would take to move from each one from idea to reality.

4) Which one is the most viable? Is it something you’d truly love doing? Can you start it as a sideline without having to invest a lot of money?

5) Give yourself a Start Date and begin. Allow yourself to be flexible and adjust your course as needed.

6) You can apply “possibility thinking” to other aspects of your life from how to carve out time to do more of what you love to how to do less of what you really don’t like.
Bonnie Pond is a career change expert for women over 40. She helps people who want to be their own boss find ways to turn their interests into income. You really can find ways to love your work, love your money, and love your life again. Visit her website, www.relaunchyourlifecoach.com, for more resources to help you with your own ReLaunch journey.

Go Green Earn Green Telesummit

One of the biggest trends (and promising ones) is the evolution of the Green economy. In fact, last year, millionaire Richard Branson, participated in a Creating Climate Wealth Summit sponsored by Earth Day Network, and in the conclusion, all participants felt “…a Green Economy not only protects ourselves and our planet, but can provide millions of jobs …” They are so confident of the changes that are occurring they are sponsoring a second annual Wealth Summit with other Green Entrepreneurs. Would you like to create your own wealth based on your commitment to going green?

A recent report in Business Week shows how following a Green Economy model will trigger green growth and create more jobs than a ‘business as usual’ approach, while using the Earth’s resources in a more sustainable way. These studies have shown how a growing number of professionals are taking their talents and moving them to jobs that can help improve the environment. Would you like to be part those involved in this green growth? All this week you can be part of a FREE telesummit to help you find a way to start your own Green Business. I’m pleased to be sharing the stage, so to speak, with such experts as Carol McClelland, Mike McGroarty, and Brian Felsen.

Whether you want to change careers into a green industry or you want to create your own wealth by becoming self employed, you’ll learn from industry leaders how you can turn your love of the planet and all things green into a profit. Wouldn’t it be great if you can make an impact, make a difference and get paid to do what you love?

All this week you can be part of a FREE telesummit to help you find a way to start your own Green Business. I’m pleased to be sharing the stage, so to speak, with such experts as Carol McClelland, Mike McGroarty, and Brian Felsen. Just click on this link to sign up. You can listen in the comfort of your own home and learn from the experts. Go Green Earn Green — Your Key to Green Profits.

Carve Out Time For Your Dreams!

Frequently clients tell me, “I want to start my own business but between my regular job, family responsibilities, and everything else I have to do I just don’t have TIME.” I know we’re all rushing, rushing, rushing to get through our daily TO DO lists. And those lists seem to get longer all the time, don’t they? There’s always just one more task, one more appointment, one more phone call. . . one more something that needs doing.

Then there are the family things, right? Birthdays, anniversary parties, kids ball games, dinners to make, laundry and shopping, bills to pay. Whew! No wonder people feel like there’s just never enough time to even think about starting a business, enjoying creative pursuits, or having a tiny bit of time to r-e-l-a-x.

No time to follow your dreams? Today on ReLaunch Your Life, my Blog Talk Radio show (10 AM CST), I’ll show you ways to carve out the time you need and give you ideas for using those little bits and pieces of free time to move closer to your goals. It’s short and sweet today — just 15 minutes. You can spare 15 minutes in the service of your future, can’t you?

And if you’re still not sure what you want to do with the next chapter of your life, time to focus on “what’s next?” is essential. On today’s show you’ll get tips on how to find that focus time in your busy schedule.

Can’t listen live? No problem. All shows are archived so you can listen at your convenience.  You really can love your work, love your money, and love your life again.

Bonnie Pond is a career change expert. She helps women over 40 who want to be their own boss find ways to love their work, love their money, and love their lives again. Her web site is www.relaunchyourlifecoach.com. Tune in to her Blog Talk Radio program every Monday morning at 10 AM (CST), www.blogtalkradio.com/relaunchyourlife.

© ReLaunch Your Life 2011

An Irish Immigrant’s Success Story

I had the honor of interviewing Rachel Gaffney for my Blog Talk Radio show, ReLaunch Your Life, and wanted to share it with you. Rachel immigrated to the United States from Ireland when her husband was transferred here. She loves her new country, but of course, is still very much connected to Ireland.

Rachel is the founder and creative force of Rachel Gaffney’s Real Ireland. She shares what inspired her to start her own business and she tells how she launched her company with just an idea.  Rachel has always had an entrepreneurial side and she shares a great story about being an entrepreneur at the tender age of 12.

Rachel has energy and enthusiasm to spare and is an entrepreneur who truly loves her work. She’ll inspire YOU to start living your own dreams.

Even if you can’t tune in to listen live, visit the archives for 4/11/2011 to hear Rachel Gaffney’s interview.