A little preview of what’s to come for the Design Life Project e-course.

Have a wonderful weekend full of joy!

The answer NO is an important ally when you are focusing in on your ideal day and ideal life. I talk a lot about IDEAL DAY – and really it’s because it is the answer to clearing the overwhelm, doing better work, and doing what you love. If you design your ideal day, you really can fill your days with joy. Saying NO is a huge part of constructing your ideal day.

Let be begin this post by saying I am HORRIBLE at saying NO. I really am, and I have to be honest about it. I am learning everyday from the mistakes I’ve made, saying YES to something that should have been a NO. So I’m learning right beside you.

I guess I’m a people pleaser or something. It really HURTS me to say NO to things – but I understand the importance, and I’m on my way! The first step to recognizing a problem is admitting to it right? So can we all just admit we are terrible at saying NO? Okay, cool. So let’s start now!

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So what are the kind of things we need to say NO to?

1. NO to anything that doesn’t serve our bigger purpose.

This comes after we define our WHY, our bigger purpose. What is the ultimate goal you’re working towards? Let’s develop a filter in which we ask ourselves a question when something comes up. Does saying YES to this serve my bigger purpose? Does this job/project/opportunity help me get to my goal of _____ ? If not, that can trigger a NO.

2. NO to things we specifically don’t NEED to do.

If you’re wearing a million hats, and some of those hats can be worn by someone else, we should probably say NO to wearing that hat. For example, if you are charging $50/hour for your services, and you can pay someone $10/hour to clean your house, wouldn’t you be better off making that $40/hour profit by hiring a house cleaner and working instead of cleaning? Identify which jobs/commitments you CAN say NO to, and get it off your plate so that you can do more YES things.

3. NO to things that are not on your YES list.

This one is really simple – but can be pretty powerful. A couple weeks ago we created a YES list. Is this task NOT on your YES list? Then perhaps it deserves a NO!

4. NO to mindless distractions.

Are you distracting yourself with social media, just to feel bad afterwards and defeated after something you read? Time to limit this, gut your feed of the negative, and get moving on things that matter. NO to social media distractions.

5. NO to being taken advantage of.

Keep your time off/time with family/refresh SACRED. Develop your boundaries and stick to them. Don’t let others cross those lines you’ve set. Set your office hours, and say NO to letting things TAKE OVER your personal time. Keep your prices firm. Say NO to being bullied.

6. NO to self doubt and fear.

This is a big one, but it’s super important. We talked about fear before, and that we can’t let it stop us. We need to say NO to the negative thoughts in our head, to the naysayers, to anyone who doesn’t believe in us, or encourage us. Let’s say NO to doubting ourselves, and NO to being afraid to take a leap of faith when it matters.

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So today and moving forward, let’s say NO to more things. Let’s be a steward of our precious time and talents. Let’s give them the importance they deserve, fill our time with more joy, and use our talents in those ways that will be TRULY appreciated.

Registration for the Design Life Project e-course is NOW OPEN!. There’s gonna be some earth-shattering, AMAZING transformation in your lives, I just know it. We are going to have a wonderful 5 weeks together and we are going to grow SO much! I’m super excited. We are purposefully keeping this first class small and intimate, so SNAG YOUR SPOT and catch the early-bird rate!

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My favorite memory when I think about negativity is the Debbie Downer skit on SNL a bunch of years ago. I’m sure you’ve all seen it, but just for fun (and to fill our lives with a little more laughter), let’s check it out again.

What makes this skit such a classic is that we ALL know these people. They are not usually ALWAYS this way, and their intentions are probably pure. But their attitude and sentiment can be a major drain on us. I’m a very sensitive person and I pick up the mood from others very easily. It’s so easy for me to get lost in another person’s orbit for awhile. I care so deeply and fully, that their outlook is very contagious to me.

This didn’t occur to me until a few years ago when attending one of the first Making Things Happen intensives.

I realized that the people you surround yourself with is a choice – and that the things you fill your day with, YOU have CONTROL over. I never thought of it that way, and it’s so freeing, don’t you think? You ultimately decide WHAT gets into your psyche and what isn’t allowed to. You are the gatekeeper.

It’s like the famous Jim Rohn quote says, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” So this means, that you should take stock of WHO those people are, and if they are adding or subtracting from your ideal day. This is a simplified notion, but it’s a powerful one. I don’t know that we can ALWAYS excise people who are negative (they may be family, etc.), but I do think we still have control of our top 5. I think you have control to offset THOSE people with the opposite – people who FILL you up! So if your top 5 people are draining you, bump them out of the top 5! Think of it like speed dial (insert Seinfeld reference). Let’s program our speed dial with 5 people who provide love, hope, encouragement and fellowship, all the time.

In the social media age, this means something totally different. We have hundreds, even thousands of “friends”. What is your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram feed saying to you on a daily basis? I am constantly trimming my feeds to keep my speed dial of social media, POSITIVE. This may even mean un-following the competition, if they are constantly making you feel less than. It doesn’t MATTER what these people are doing. You are not them and you don’t have to keep up with anything they do. You are you, and God made you like NO OTHER human being to EVER exist. Amen to that!!

There is another side to this idea that may be shocking to think about. Maybe the Debbie Downer is YOU.

Maybe that negativity is originating from YOU and maybe YOU are the one bringing everyone down. Make a decision to STOP. STOP complaining and START counting your blessings instead. Remember that people are PRAYING for things you currently have. Count your blessings and not your problems. If you need a reminder why you should be grateful read my story again as to how I learned the lesson the hard way. I realize BAD things happen to GOOD people ALL THE TIME. And it’s okay to hurt. And it’s okay to be in pain. But what you choose to do with that pain is up to you. Can you find the rainbow in the storm? Can you, amidst your pain, STILL be a blessing to others? How can you put more positivity out into the world? Can you love on people and serve them REGARDLESS of your circumstances?

This is a hard step, and I know it. It’s a constant battle for some, but it’s worth it. Every single one of you deserves to fill your minutes with JOY and not waste it on negativity and sadness. Don’t let your circumstances, people around you, or voices in your head steal your joy.

Make a list of your new 5 people on your positivity speed dial. Reach out to them and bask in their warmth. Thank them for being in your life. Ask them how YOU can bless them today.

Positivity is going to be a huge focus in the Design Life Project e-course. I’m not going to let you be negative, we are going to do this together! I’d love to invite you to join us! There are limited spots to keep the experience personal, so make sure you’re signed up to hear about when registration opens NEXT WEEK and you can snag your spot!

illustration credit

Let me first start off saying that I have no beef with Mr. Big Picture. He’s a cool dude, and yeah, we’re buddies and I hang out with him ALL THE TIME. But Mr. Big Picture is kind of a beast and he can be a bit frightening at times. He can also be super annoying when I want to make progress – to get stuff done. He hangs over my shoulder, breathing down my neck. I know he’s there, he doesn’t have to make himself known every second while I’m trying to get stuff done.

It’s a silly analogy, but isn’t it totally true? Mr. Big Picture is like a monster in the closet. Trying to see the Big Picture can invite big questions like “what am I doing with my life?” and “am I doing this thing right?” or “where do I belong?” It’s scary stuff, and sometimes we’d rather shut the closet door and keep the monster there.

When we think about the Big Picture, we can often get overwhelmed. We don’t NEED to. Instead, we can acknowledge it, and plan around it. We don’t let it paralyze us, or distract us from moving forward.

When Mr. Big Picture confronts us, we can say “Oh, hey Mr. BP! I got your email asking me about where my life is headed. I’d love to grab some coffee with you sometime and we can chat about it, but right now I’m working on an important project that needs my full attention. Good to see you though!!!”

I’m still not saying that we sweep it under the rug – I’m saying that we make a date with Mr. Big Picture. We take time to give him the audience he needs, but we DON’T let him leech into all areas of our life.

I want to encourage you today, to make a date with Mr. BP in the near future, but for now, to tell him to butt out while you’re trying to work.

Today, I’m keeping it a bit light, because tomorrow I have a whopper of a story to tell you – MINE. I’m going to tell you the story of my catalyst moment – the one that changed me forever. See you tomorrow!

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I’m getting SO excited for the launch of the Design Life Project e-course. We will talk a lot about the BIG PICTURE and not letting it overwhelm you. Registration opens in a couple weeks and there are limited spots to keep the experience personal, so make sure you’re signed up to hear about when registration opens and you can snag your spot!

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Today I thought I’d turn it over to you, to create your “YES” list. This is a list of all the things you can/should/will say YES to. You can turn to this list in moments when you need cheering up, or in moments when you find yourself mindlessly channel surfing (or checking Facebook). Let’s turn to this list when you need to fill your bucket with joy.

Download the YES list, print it out, and fill it out right away. Don’t give things too much thought, think with your heart and don’t edit your answers. These should be easy things that don’t require a ton of effort or stress. Keep these light.

CLICK HERE to download the PDF. Please share the YES list with your friends!

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PS. I’m getting SO excited for the launch of the Design Life Project e-course. This YES list will start helping you identify the things you want to say YES to – and help you on your way to living out your ideal day. Registration opens in a couple weeks and there are limited spots to keep the experience personal, so make sure you’re signed up to hear about when registration opens and you can snag your spot!

One of my favorite quotes of all time from Ralph Marston, is “Thought makes things possible, action makes them real.” I believe so wholeheartedly in this idea; that there is a huge divide between THINKING and DOING.

There is a part of us that can really internally STRUGGLE on the journey between an idea and it’s action. Some of us are naturally doers, but can struggle with getting the right information to move on the decision. Some of us are naturally thinkers, and can struggle with moving forward on an idea with complete confidence.

There are 2 answers to the question if an idea/thought is right for us:

1. NO.

If things are wrong, we usually feel a gut reaction AGAINST them. They are the type of things that usually have a negative consequence as a result (even if the consequence is not RIGHT away, but in the long run). It’s usually easier to spot when things are 100% wrong. It just feels icky and brings you down. Sometimes it sounds good on paper, but it’s a NO because it’s on your “I’m saying NO to” list – it doesn’t fit in with your motivations/goals/hopes for your ideal life, or for the future.

2. YES.

When things are right – we might IMMEDIATELY have a fearful reaction. That makes a yes answer SO hard to get to sometimes. But remember what we identified about fear? We learned that it holds us back, and that we should be courageous in the face of fear. Pay attention if the YES brings fear. Imagine yourself NOT afraid of it – what decision you would make then? Say to yourself, “If I was NOT afraid of this, would I say YES?” When your gut is feeling a big YES, but you’re not sure how it’s possible or going to happen, it’s a YES. That’s how the biggest YES starts.

2b. NOT YET. I put this under YES, because truly it is a YES. I feel like although NOT YET exists, people use NOT YET as an excuse for their fear. If the NOT YET is NOT because of fear, then it should still be a CALL TO ACTION to get to the YES. What are the steps you DO need to act upon now to get to this YES? NOT YET is not a passive response.

So now that you have your YES? Now what?

YOU WALK. You take the smallest step forward. YOU DO. You break that HUGE yes down in to baby steps if you have to. YOU START.

I want to encourage you today, with every ounce of my soul, don’t wait any longer to start your yes. MAKE IT REAL.

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Create a balance between work, play, life + love.

Design Life Project is a five-week, online course to help you custom-design your LIFE. Design Life Project will help you find your balance between work, play, life and love by identifying your core, discovering your strengths and weaknesses, and your natural rhythm. Design Life Project will help clarify and simplify your scheduling, help you to know what you should be working on when, get things out of your head and organized, and allow for maximum creativity to do the BEST DESIGN WORK you’ve done. Let’s make the REST OF YOUR LIFE, the BEST OF YOUR LIFE.

You will learn how to tailor a life balance so that you can wake up in the morning feeling FREE and totally present. Design Life Project will help you to develop a customized and flexible schedule that will FINALLY bring all the pieces together, once and for all.

Are you a creative who is:

• Juggling too many things at once, and are afraid of DROPPING the balls?
• Afraid of being too stressed to do your BEST work?
• Making mistakes, and being TOO HARD on yourself for them?
• Burning the candle from BOTH ends?

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Perhaps you’re JUST starting out in a design business, and you want to start it right so that you develop the balance early on. You’ll learn what I’ve learned in YEARS of running a business, balancing a new family, and doing your best work, in just 5 weeks! I will be completely TRANSPARENT with you and tell you EXACTLY what did and didn’t work for me!

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Would you like to:

• Wake up in the morning and LIVE out your ideal day?
• Be clear on what you need to work on, and WHEN?
• Use a schedule you can finally STICK to?
• Use 100% of your creative potential and feel TOTALLY inspired?
• Work with your IDEAL clients?
• Know the VALUE of your work and price it right?

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Week 1: Your Ideal Day, Motivations and Goals

In the first week, you will learn how to discover who you are and what you were made to do, and how you’d like to do it. I will help you identify what brings you JOY and what ignites your best work. You will learn exactly HOW to map out your ideal day, and what you’d like it to look like. In little, easy ways, you can start filling your days with JOY.

Week 2: Developing Boundaries and Implementing Them

In the second week, you will learn how to create boundaries, and I will teach you how to start implementing them RIGHT away to start clearing the clutter. I will help you choose which boundaries to put in place, for your desired results. You will be able to start clearing out some time and getting some time to yourself to do the things you love.

Week 3: Getting Help and Developing Your Team

In the third week, you will learn how to get help to clear off your plate, and how to afford it. You will learn tips and tricks to simplify your workflow so that YOU are doing less of the work you don’t love, and MORE of the work you do LOVE. You will develop a plan to work smarter and not harder, right away.

Week 4: Creating a Customized Schedule, Get Laser Focused and Be PRODUCTIVE

In the fourth week, you will learn how to custom-tailor a schedule to work WITH who you are, and how you like to work. You will learn that it’s okay to throw out the traditional ways of doing things and you will learn how to design it to work with your personality and style. You will finally develop a plan JUST FOR YOU, so that everything fits and everything flows. I will also help you get you laser focused, by following your schedule and allowing yourself to be FULLY present in what you are currently doing. You will learn the art of focusing on your project, on your family, on your friends – at the right place and time. You will start getting the MOST of your time so that you can stay productive and get more MEANINGFUL things done (in less time).

Week 5: Putting it All Together and Fine Tuning

In the fifth week, you will learn how to fine tune everything you’ve developed, and help you put it all together. You will start to master living out all of the pieces in balance, and you will be able to fine-tune the areas to work even better. This week we will be oiling the machine that has brought you to living your ideal day. It will all come together this week, and you will finish the course with a well-developed, customized plan to fit only you.

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Design Life Project is taught by Graphic and Web Designer Cathy Olson, owner of the design studio Love-Inspired. She has over 13 years experience as a professional graphic designer, and has worked with a range of businesses – big ones like Disney, Costco, Best Buy and Walmart – to small ones like work-from-home moms, working from a desk and a laptop in the wee hours. Cathy started her own design business over 5 years ago, and in that time has helped hundreds of businesses find their authentic voice through exploration, social media, marketing, graphics, and web. She has dealt first-hand with the juggling a thriving business, being a mom to a growing family, and personal goals. She’s experienced overwhelm first hand, and has learned how to balance work AND life in a fun, personalized and EASY TO STICK WITH way. This class is perfect for designers, photographers, artists and creatives who want to have more free time, attract their dream clients, work smarter not harder, and truly start to LIVE the LIFE they want to.

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Let’s FINALLY develop some balance and peace in your design/life. In this course, you’ll learn about setting goals to make your heart SING, determining which boundaries are necessary and ACTUALLY how to STICK to them. You’ll learn how to create laser focus and to REALLY stay productive. You’ll learn how to really be present in what you’re doing and be the BEST at it that you can be. Instead of living someone else’s life/dream/way of scheduling, you will learn the skills to design YOUR ideal day, YOUR ideal week, YOUR ideal year.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

I’m so busy and overwhelmed already. Will I have time for your course? Can I register, but start it later when I know things will have quietened down? The course spans over 5 weeks. Each week we will have lessons and worksheets, and you can do them in your spare time. If you don’t have spare time, the course will HELP you FIND some. Honestly, the BEST time to do this program is WHEN you are overwhelmed, because you’ll start to clear it out RIGHT away. You will also have access to the private Facebook group to bounce your ideas off of. If you would still rather go at your own pace, you can. You will be able to download all the content and access the course site for three months after the program finishes.

What kind of teaching can I expect in the course? What’s included? The Design Life Project e-course is robust. Enrolling in Design Life Project includes full access to the online classroom, video tutorials, Q&A and worksheets to identify your ideal day, as well as access to a private Facebook group where you can connect and share with your classmates and get feedback directly from Cathy. You’ll create an actual working system that is customized to you, so you don’t have to waste another moment in overwhelm or frustration.

When does the class start?Registration opens December 31st, 2013! Class begins Monday February 3, 2014. You’ll be able to download all content and access the course site for three months after the program finishes.

Does the course meet at a certain time? Does it matter what part of the world I’m in? Design Life Project is a virtual course, you can participate from anywhere at anytime! Lessons will be posted online throughout the week, and you can log into the course at any time to view them.

How much time can I expect to spend on the course? You’ll get new content on the course site throughout the week, M-F. We’ll start with a lesson, then a worksheet, some observation and testing, and then end the week with an action step. You can expect to spend anywhere between 30 to 90 minutes reviewing the content and completing the exercises and work for the class each day, depending on the length of the lesson. Some people may work through the content more quickly, and others may want to spend more time. All the content will help you develop your personalized plan by the end of the Design Life Project course.

How are payments handled? Payment is securely processed via PayPal and can be made using your PayPal balance or credit card. Please note that all course correspondence will be sent to the email address associated with your PayPal account. To use a different email address, please forward your PayPal invoice to cathy@love-inspired.com.

Other questions? Email me at cathy@love-inspired.

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