Change can be awesome and change can be terrifying. If you’re like me, it’s almost always the terrifying kind. This week I’ve thought a lot about positive growth and change. As I mentioned before, my daughter started preschool and is having a rough time, but let’s be honest at who’s REALLY having the rough time with it – ME. I have even gone as far to say I HATE preschool. I hate that the drop-offs are so hard, but really I hate being so alone without her. I miss her so much during the day.

But, I know it’s just that GROWING PAIN STAGE that smacks you in the face, in the beginning of a cycle of change. That period of time when you start second guessing your decision, when you have knots in your stomach, when you wish things would just go back to normal. When every ounce of your body is resisting, but your mind tells you it’s the right thing to do.

I love the other side of change, when the tide begins to shift and there is the downhill swing and the hard work pays off. I keep reminding myself of the rainbow at the end, that I know is there. It makes it all worth it.

Change is essential for growth. Change is essential for getting BETTER. The first step to change is figuring out WHAT needs to be changed. Sometimes we put our blinders on to something that desperately needs to be changed, just because we are afraid to change it.

Since I run a small business, it’s easy for me to use that as example. Let’s say you want to make more money. You’ll need to take a hard look at what you’re currently doing – by that I mean – what you’re currently doing WRONG. What needs to change for you to make more money? Are you spending too much extra money? Are you under-charging? Do you need to diversify your revenue stream so that it’s not feast or famine? Figure out the problem first, and that’s the next step to finding your solution.

Maybe you want to make your business operations more streamlined. Do you spend too much time procrastinating? Do you not have a tight enough schedule? Are you always running behind? Do your clients not respect your boundaries? What’s wrong with this picture that’s causing this bad outcome for you?

I’d like to encourage you today to take a hard look at some area in your life, that you’d like to improve. Make a list of things you’d like to improve on. It’s the first step to making a change. You don’t even need to take action yet – since that’s the biggest piece. Let’s just do a baby step today and identify those areas in which change needs to come.

Happy weekend everyone!

Only a couple days left on the early-bird discount for the Design Life Project e-course! If you want in on gaining some clarity and balance with us, make sure you grab your spot, as we are already close to selling out!

This and last week have been a bit crazier than usual. My daughter just started preschool, and is having a rough time with it. She also brought home a sickness that both of us get to share. Combo that with our busy season at Love-Inspired, and things are going all topsy-turvy on me.

I have been hearing a message over and over lately, it’s nothing new, but it keeps repeating in my world. I’m hearing that people wish they could slow down, take a break, or have some time for self-care.

It got me thinking, when was the last time I took some ME time? It’s been awhile. I’m not sure even what one does on ME time. I had to Google it. I found some suggestions, that I really like. I decided this week I’m going to schedule in some ME time. I’m going to block out 2 hours of this week, somewhere, turn off my phone and emails, and head to a movie by myself. Okay, I wrote it down, so hold me accountable!

Self-care is essential to a balanced life. We all KNOW it. But do we live it? When was the last time you SLOWED down and took some time? Maybe it’s a date with your boyfriend or husband. Maybe it’s a trip to the mall (or if you’re me – to Target) to shop. Maybe it’s coffee with a friend you haven’t seen in awhile.

I know it’s inconvenient. I know it’s hard to schedule – but DO it anyways. At least once a month. Don’t you think you deserve to slow down at least ONE day out of the month for a couple hours?

Let’s do it together. Go to your Calendar, pretend it’s a meeting, and schedule some YOU time, “MEETING WITH ME.”

Registration is open for the Design Life Project e-course! This week is the last week of the early-bird discount! We have had great feedback, and I’m so excited to start this with you all. We are keeping this class purposeful and smaller, so grab your spot before it sells out!

photo credit

Today, on a Monday, I’d love to talk about sharpening your focus. Mondays are always my busiest days, and need the most focus possible (which can be pretty hard to do, when you’re coming off of a weekend full of fun).

When we give things focus, we get the most done, to the best of our ability. When we lack focus, it makes us feel pulled in a million directions. It’s important when we’re busy, or overwhelmed, to try our best to focus. Sometimes it doesn’t come naturally, so I have some tricks that I use.

There are four ways that we can easily improve our focus right away. Heck, even implementing one of these will help you improve your focus! Here’s my cheat sheet to getting better focus when things get blurry.

1. Give FOCUS Priority.

Make the goal of FOCUSING in, #1. Let go of your other pressures, or at least ease up on them for now. Maybe let go of knowing the latest gossip. Let go of being RIGHT in your inbox as the email comes in. Let go of the pressure to be perfect. Just let being FOCUSED be your number one goal for right now. Give it the respect it deserves and give it your attention.

2. One thing at a time.

The other day I posted an instagram, saying “Let go of anxiety as a lifestyle, or exhaustion as a badge of honor.” I’d like to add a third thing – let go of MULTITASKING as a secret to success. Multitasking in it’s simplest form is fine, but nowadays multitasking has gotten completely out of hand. Now multitasking is actually a surefire way to make sure you get almost NOTHING done. Focus in on getting one thing done at a time, and then knock out the next. Kinda like the snowball effect for tasks.

3. Write it down; make a list.

There is crazy power in pen and ink. I suppose you could use the computer too, but honestly a piece of paper works the best for me. I don’t have to scramble to find it, or find the file to check it off. I also love that I can see all the things I’ve gotten done that day to really feel accomplished. Another perk to writing it down, is getting those thoughts out of your head. Getting your to-dos on paper gets them out of your head, and clears up room in there for you to be able to really focus on the PRESENT.

4. Give things their space.

Respect your tasks, and give them the time they deserve. Stop trying to work at break-neck speed. At first, give your tasks 1.5-2x the time you THINK they will need. Under-promise and over-deliver to yourself. Give yourself breathing room. You’ll have the time to fully relax into what you’re working on, and you know you’ll have plenty of time to get it done, without worrying about the next thing on your list. If you finish early, it’s time to go out and do something for yourself. Everyone wins!

Today I’d love to encourage you to try out one, or all four of these things, one day this week. Let me know how you feel that day! Probably super productive, and fresh! Woo hoo!

These are some basic steps. We’ll be going into more detail on how to customize and best execute your focus in the Design Life Project e-course. Registration is now open, and this is the LAST week for EARLY-BIRD rate. There are limited spots to keep the experience personal, and we actually only have a few seats left. Go grab your spot!

I planned on discussing a different topic today, but I decided to address something that has been on my mind instead.

I want to tell you, openly and wholeheartedly, that I am NOT perfect.

I never have been perfect, and I never will be. I do NOT have it all together. I think a lot of times when someone decides to teach a course on something, or decides to be a speaker on a topic, that there is a pressure to be perfect in that subject. But all of us fall short of perfection (Romans 3:23).

I decided to share my journey with you all – in the quest to continue my own balance. I have found such a joy in sharing with you all. However – I am not perfectly balanced, and I don’t think I’ll ever be – but I have LEARNED what it takes to create some balance. And that’s why I share it with you. I was forced into a situation, where I had to get my butt in gear. I see now that so many people struggle with this same overwhelm, and I want to help with my past and continuing experience.

So then, it’s not about being PERFECT. It’s about learning and being a BETTER person because of your failures.

It’s about working smarter and not harder. It’s about filling your days with things you love and the people you love to work with, and letting go of those things you don’t. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about letting go of worry, of doubt, of fear, when you aren’t perfect. It’s about being OKAY with the fact – even embracing – that we aren’t perfect. It’s about the beauty in imperfection, in vulnerability. It’s about being real with each other.

Yes, I’m a busy person. But yes – I do have TIME for the Design Life Project – because it’s important to me. It’s my passion project. I find the time and I make it work, because it fills up my heart with joy. I stay up longer or wake up earlier and I MAKE the time. This is important to me, and more importantly, this has been put on MY HEART to do – so I will obey.

I’m on this journey too. I just wanted you all to know how grateful I am for each and every one of you. I am so thankful to have you on board with me. Thank you for your supportive emails, comments and messages. Thank you for telling me that what I’m doing here, and in my business, makes a difference to you. To the naysayers, thank you for reminding me what I’m saying NO to – so that I can truly fill up my days with more joy.

I want to close with an encouragement, as usual. I’d love to encourage you today to be at peace with your imperfection. It’s okay to fail. It’s okay to mess up. What’s more important is that we are joyful and we DO IT ANYWAY.

Come one, come all. We welcome the imperfect. Registration is open for the Design Life Project e-course! We have had great feedback, and I’m so excited to start this with you all. We are keeping this class purposeful and smaller, so grab your spot before it sells out!

Let me know if this sounds familiar. Your time is never spent “well enough”.

When you are working, you feel guilty that you’re not spending enough time with your family, or friends… and you feel like you’re constantly missing out on fun things because you have to work.

But then, when you ARE with family or friends, you’re thinking about that client that is pleading for your help right now. Maybe they are emailing you on a Saturday with a crisis. Or maybe they are texting you in the evening after hours (or maybe you don’t even have office hours -you are like 7-11 to your clients). Maybe you’re behind, and you feel like you don’t deserve “free time” when you “owe” clients things.

The answer to feeling you are in the right place, at the right time, is developing a plan, and being ABLE to stick to it.

Developing a plan is essential to designing your ideal day. You need to know where you are heading, a roadmap to get there, and a compass to make sure you’re still on track. Having a plan gives you permission to be doing what you are doing, with no regrets.

There is a power in writing things down, and getting them out of your head, and in print. The components to a plan that make them awesome, are essential to your ideal day success. Even if your plan is to do nothing that day, and relax… You will be able to fully relax because you planned for it, and everything else has its place.

Sounds easy enough, we need a plan. So why then, is developing a schedule, and sticking to it, so impossible?

Sometimes having a plan is scary. It’s scary because you have something that you need to adhere to, no matter what life throws at you. And that is really tough. Life throws us curve balls on a regular basis. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here are the 3 things keeping you from developing or following a plan:

• Plans can unravel when things go differently.
• Plans don’t allow for emotion, feelings, inspiration and motivation.
• Plans are hard to create in advance when things are always changing or are varied.

Sound familiar? That’s because I have been there. And I finally found what works. The answer is, YOU PLAN FOR THE UNEXPECTED. You plan for the unraveling. You plan for yourself to be un-inspired when you go to work on something. You plan for there being 5 emails of someone needing something right now, when you first check your email. You plan for things to be changing weekly, daily and even hourly. You face the reality that things aren’t ever perfect, and you plan around them, knowing that they will be there.

I want to be totally clear – this is different from a back-up plan. A back-up in plan is in place for IF something goes wrong. What I’m suggesting is a plan for the unexpected WHEN it goes wrong. You assume it will be there (because it will) and there are no freak outs involved. You knew it was coming, so you scheduled it in. You are working on what you need to be working on (putting out a fire) and it won’t affect the rest of your day, or the rest of your schedule.

I’d love to encourage you today to start writing things down and giving them space. Need to take a trip to Disneyland with the family? Block out your schedule and write it down. Tell your clients in advance that you’ll be out of the office, put up an office message, and GO be with your people. Schedule that time to relax and REALLY be present while you’re there. You will quite literally have NO other place to be.

I’m just skimming the surface on the topic of planning here. In the Design Life Project e-course, we are going to go IN DEPTH about EXACTLY how to develop a plan that works WITH the crazy instead of coming undone when the crazy happens. Registration is NOW OPEN, and there are only a few days left of the early bird rate! Grab your spot before it fills up!

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

Have a wonderful weekend full of joy!

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!

If you’re anything like me, your right brain and your left brain are in a constant battle. Your Left brain craves order, a system, to know what to expect at all times. On the other side, your Right brain craves freedom, inspiration, and is completely moody. Way to get along, guys.

Also if you’re like me, you’ve gone back and forth trying to please each side of your brain. You’ve tried listening to the Left brain, you’ve read books on organization, you’ve purchased calendars and planners. You’ve read about the newest app that will suddenly organize your life for you. And your Right brain just wasn’t happy, it wasn’t able to create properly within those way-too-serious time constraints – so these plans ultimately failed.

Then you tried listening to your Right brain – you let your creativity run your schedule, you created when you “felt” like it, and heck yes – you did some awesome work (BOO-YAH). But then, everyone counting on you started asking where things were, and when they were going to be done. Your Left brain went into full-fledge panic and wanted to know when things were going to get done, and how you were going to stay on top of things. Your Left brain called your Right brain a slacker! The nerve!!

So, now, you’re drowning in busy, and you’re not sure WHAT to do. The traditional business strategies just aren’t working for you! The problem with the systems, apps, books and calendars that you’ve tried – is that they were made by someone ELSE, for someone ELSE’s personality. Let’s just admit to ourselves right now, that as creatives we will NEVER fit in a one-size-fits-all personality type.

I’m a part of a group of creatives, and I asked them one day, what their personality types were. I was completely SHOCKED when they pretty much ran the gamut – and none of them matched mine. I thought surely, all creatives are somewhat the same. But they are not! The only thing we really have in common is the battle between both sides of our brains.

With all these different personality types, how will we ever develop a system to work and create efficiently and consistently? And what about your lifestyle? Your motivations? Your dreams? These developed systems don’t take into account what you really care about. Are you able to have time to do the things you’d love to do? To share time with the people you love? To go to the places you’d like to see? How can we fit those in to our system?

The answer is CUSTOMIZATION. I finally realized that I had to develop a system just for me, and I had to test it, tweak it, and mold it to fit my individuality. My system is like my fingerprint – and instead of fighting who I am, it takes in to account who I am, and works within my framework to create that perfect balance and harmony between my Left and Right brains.

Today I want to encourage you to stop using someone else’s perfect system, and design your own. Need help on how to start? Tips and tricks on how to balance them? I’d love to invite you to join us! The Design Life Project e-course will help you create a system to work efficiently, create beautifully, and LOVE those around you BIGGER and BETTER. If you feel like you NEVER HAVE ENOUGH TIME, than this course is for you! Scheduling is just one part of a whole new balance you’ll create in your life with this 6-week e-course. 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!

I can’t wait to hear how much you are loving this new system for scheduling! It REALLY works!

Oh AUTHENTICITY. You sure are getting a lot of press lately. At least around my circles, everyone is talking about the importance of finding your true, authentic self. I love this concept, and I totally preach it to my clients.

But there’s another side to this conversation that’s been a bit swept under the rug.

I was invited to be a speaker at Amber Housley Inspired a few weeks ago in Nashville, Tennessee. I spoke about the importance of being authentic and telling your story. Telling your story in your brand and your website (and every touch-point along the experience) is paramount to getting the clients you love, and doing what you’re best at. When we are authentic to our story, we are able to fill our buckets with what we love.

I got a question after my talk that really got me thinking. The woman (a fellow graphic designer) pointed out that she agreed with me – that finding your authentic self really is the right way – but that most of the time, finding your authenticity as a DESIGNER can prove EXTREMELY difficult. And I totally agree, as a graphic designer, it can be darn-near impossible.

We designers pride ourselves on designing for OTHERS’ voice, style, or look. We ourselves have trouble finding a voice, a style, a look of our own. We can get so lost in designing for others, that we forget who WE really are somewhere along the way.

How ironic huh? We can design for everyone but ourselves. Heck, I even design for OTHER designers all the time. I thought a lot about WHY it’s so tough, and here’s where I think the issues lie:

1. We are style chameleons, and METHOD designers.

We are masters of so many styles – connoisseurs of them even.  We can see beauty in just about anything. We are able to change ourselves to the style/authenticity of the client. It’s why we are good at what we do. Just like a method actor, we are able to remove ourselves from the equation to truly immerse ourselves in the client and their needs.

2. We are too hard on ourselves.

We expect whatever we do for ourselves, to be our MASTERPIECE. It needs to be genius, it needs to be the best thing we’ve EVER done. The trouble with that standard, is it’s impossible to reach. As designers, we are constantly growing and learning. The magic design that will be everything to everyone, doesn’t exist. If I’m being honest, I don’t want my brand or site to be the best thing I’ve ever done. I’d rather save my best for my clients. Truly. My clients inspire me beyond understanding.

3. We can’t see ourselves from the outside.

The biggest reason I think we struggle with self-design, is that we can’t see ourselves. We are too “close” to the project to identify who we really are. We know we have a style, but we can’t see it from fresh eyes.

So, what’s a designer to do? How can we share our brand story? How can WE be authentic? Let’s figure this out by tackling the problems above.

1. Identify what sets our hearts aflame.

Although we are masters of a lot of styles, we DO have OUR style in there somewhere. So then, it’s a matter of identifying WHICH one really is the sugar in our tea. We can do this through self-exploration techniques, Pinterest boards, magazine cut outs, etc. We can identify which styles we love above all the rest, and which ones truly fit.

2. It doesn’t need to be genius. It just needs to be YOU.

Let go of the idea that your design is going to end world hunger. That’s too much to ask. It just simply needs to feed your soul, and make YOU feel good. Does it make you happy? Does it make you smile? Are you confident it speaks your language? That’s what matters most.

3. Get to know yourself, outside of yourself.

This is tough, I know. Think outside the box if you have to. How can you get out of your own head? When I was doing my own re-brand, I re-designed my office with the help of an interior designer. I had an ah-ha moment when everything in my style board SCREAMED me. I thought, how can I translate this room into my brand? Now I love my branding and it really speaks to who I am. It’s not my most complimented brand or website, but it’s ME, and that’s all that matters. It makes me happy.

You may notice I didn’t mention anything about designing for your ideal client. While I think it is important, I think it’s just the first step. Designing for your ideal client is easier than designing for yourself. I’m assuming here that your design will encompass your ideal client’s style, and yours. If you are designing from scratch, design for your ideal client, and then freshen it up for yourself. But take care of YOUR needs. You won’t feel understood until the design feels authentic to you.

I’d love to encourage you today to think about YOUR brand and how it makes you feel. Try some of these techniques and see if they jog some ideas out of that brilliant brain of yours. If you need help, I’d love to invite you to join us for the Design Life Project e-course! The first part of the course, we’ll do some exercises to really figure out who you are and what sets your heart on fire. Registration opens NEXT WEEK and there are limited seats to keep the experience personal. Make sure you’re signed up to hear about when registration opens and you can snag your spot.

P.S. The response to telling my story was surprising and overwhelming (in a good way). I got SO many messages thanking me for sharing, and telling me how much it touched them. It was hard to write and even harder to relive, but I’m so glad I did. It meant the WORLD to me to hear from you. I am blessed to have your ear. THANK you all for reading.

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!

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!