April, 2020 |

April 21, 2020April 21, 2020

Morning Routine and Daily Structure

Today I am going to share with you why having a morning routine and daily structure is so important. Especially now in our current state.

I have seen tons of posts and talked with my clients about how difficult it is to maintain a routine when we have to stay at home.

First, I want to talk about the fact that it is not that you can’t maintain a routine, it’s that you need to adapt your normal routine to your new normal.

It’s a different perspective for sure. It’s different. And it’s doable.

I will talk about all that in a minute because first, I want to start with the morning routine.

I want you to think about how you handle your mornings. After all, how you handle them will dictate how you handle your entire day.

If you are continuously snoozing your alarm and then jump out of bed, rush around getting ready, and then run out the door, how can you expect your day not to be just like that?

Sure, we have responsibilities. We have kids and husbands and pets that all need tending to and cared for.

But it IS possible to tend and care for yourself also!

The trick is (shocker) to change your mindset first. Instead of thinking “I don’t have time in the morning for me” you need to think “I have all the time I need for me” and then MAKE the time.

If you are “looking” for time, it will never happen.

Let’s take a look at my morning routine.

I wake up at 5am-every day. Except occasionally I will allow myself to sleep in an extra hour on the weekends if I was up later the night before or not feeling well.

This is easy for me because I am a morning person. My body naturally wakes early.

But for those that have trouble waking early, start with 15-minute increments and increase from there.

I read for a minimum of 10 minutes every day. The topics of reading are all personal development, educational, self-help, or inspirational in nature.

I journal my gratitudes-every day. I actually write them out. Then I go back through and read each one slowly and actually FEEL grateful while reading them and say thank you.

I write out my 10 dreams every day. This is a practice I got from the amazing Rachel Hollis and I can do a whole session on this later, but it works just like the gratitudes. As I write them, I say and read them slowly, and say thank you as if they have already happened.

I meditate for 10 minutes every day. I meditate on my business. I meditate on my affirmations. I meditate on the life that I am creating. Whatever it is. I take this quiet time for me.

So, as you can see, I am at about 30 minutes total. Notice what DID NOT HAPPEN…

I did not once say I checked my email, social media, the news, or picked up any electronic device of any kind.

When you are first waking up, your subconscious is still fully engaged so you definitely do not want to infiltrate it with all of the negative or stimulating things that can send you spinning first thing.

Now, I am awake and feeling refreshed and so I get out of bed and get ready for my workout.

My workouts last anywhere from 30-60 minutes depending on how I feel and what I am doing. I work out at home so if you have to drive somewhere, be sure to plan your time accordingly.

Now, my workouts aren’t always hard and intense. The goal is to move the body for 30 minutes at an elevated heart rate. That’s it. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

Some days, I do what I call a “get ready for work workout” where I start my activity on my Fitbit and start marching in place and then pick up the stepping while I am tending to the dog, packing, my lunch, making my bed, getting my clothes ready.

I incorporate jumping jacks, running in place, high knees, etc. every few minutes to get a little spike in the heart rate.

I do squats and lunges while I am brushing my teeth.

I then do some push-ups and crunches, a little stretching, and then hit the shower.

I am ready to hit the road. Or, in this case with my current situation, hit my dining room table and get to work.

I had to develop this way of working out because I have such a long commute to the office and I am not able to work out at night, so I work in a workout as I get ready.

You can do the same with chores but I add my 80’s music and it becomes a dance party!

That’s the morning routine guys. It’s not glamorous but I LOVE my morning routine because it sets me up for great success for the rest of the day.

And speaking of, now let’s talk about the daily structure. Adapting your normal routine to your “new normal”.

I am going to use my daily “normal” as an example so if you have kids at home, you can adapt their daily normal to your “new normal” as well.

And speaking of…the whole workout thing. I see so many of you saying that you “can’t work out at home because you have kids”. I call BS on that. Here’s why:

They can do what you are doing! And they will love being included AND get their own exercise going!

So, in the example of my “getting ready for work workout”, have them do the same. As they are “getting ready” have them keep their feet moving while making the bed as you are doing the same.

Then yell out “20 jumping jacks” and you stop and all do them together. Keep doing that until everyone has completed the said tasks. SIMPLE GUYS.

Ok, back to the daily structure.

I have two words for you. TIME BLOCKING.

I am not even kidding.

USE YOUR CALENDAR!

Actually block out the time you will be working out.

Block out the time you need to spend “working”.

Now working for you should be as close to the normal time and hours spent you would be working during a regular day.

If you have been furloughed or laid off and have kiddos at home, your working time would be the time you are spending homeschooling or doing activities with them.

But you need to time block this.

I am not blessed to have kiddos at home while also trying to work from home but I do have some thoughts and suggestions as to how to manage both.

By no means will this be perfect. But keep trying, stay flexible, and you will get to your new normal.

Incorporate their “study” time with time that you are “working”. That way you all are focused at the same time.

Take breaks and get up and move, and start again.

But time block this.

Set a block of time for each task, study/work hour, workout, whatever on your digital calendar and set a reminder to go off when you should be ready for each task.

This will help you stay focused, more efficient, and hopefully less stressed about your day.

I have some people say that they have to time block their showers because they will forget..and that’s ok!

So, I hope this helps. I am available for questions or bouncing ideas. And as always, you can book a call with me to talk about this or any other issue you are having and we can look and see if hiring a coach is the logical next step. Click here for access to my calendar.

April 13, 2020April 13, 2020

What is Your Plan During Uncertainty?

Today I want to talk about money and career/jobs and ask if you are prepared for your next move.

When we are in such an uncertain time with a forced stay at home order, some may be able to survive by just working their jobs at home and some will have to take a layoff order and file unemployment.

If you have your own business, the physical brick and mortar locations are forced to close while other service types or sales businesses that can be worked from home tend to slow down and even come to a halt because people are scared to spend money.

Which of these are you?

Me, I fall into a couple of these categories. I have a full-time accounting job (that I was laid off from, called back in 24 hours later, and now am just waiting to see what happens next), and since I started writing this, I was laid off again.

While the stay at home orders were being issued all over the state I live in, I was still having to drive to the office every day. My company didn’t believe in working from home. It’s all about butts in seats for them. A very old-school way of thinking. That is, until our Governor made it mandatory state-wide. I was able to work from home for 2 weeks and I am so grateful that I had that time to keep earning.

I also have my coaching practice. This, I do from home, but I recognize the state of the economy now and am shifting a bit with my focus and offerings. I aim to be visible and available while offering as much support as I can.

And, I have my husband. He is considered “essential”. He is in the construction industry, which thank goodness, has not ceased yet. He also holds his Master Plumber license so he can provide service to those in need of a plumber.

What would happen if we became unable to work?

My husband and I talk about this at length. Although we are so grateful he still has his job during this unsettling time, the reality is imminent. We could both become unemployed…at any given time.

Are we set up for this? I have to honestly tell you, no. We are not.

You see, we were doing great, but he had to step away from a better paying job at the end of last year so that he could improve in his career. He took a month off to study and test for his Master Plumber’s license and then had to take a position with a company making about 60% less than what he was making.

He had to do it though. And the timing wasn’t great because here we are.

My practice slowed down quite a bit so my secondary income has also slowed down quite a bit.

I have become unemployed, although temporary, I just don’t know for how long.

And out of this, we have used most of the savings up because of living between his unemployed month and reduction in income.

So we are sitting in the same place as most of you all are. And knowing that unemployment really only covers about 1/4 of our living expenses is no help.

But our mindset is that of survival. We are grateful now for what we have and we have faith that we will come out of this just fine.

So what do you do?

First things first. Check-in with your mindset. Are you freaking out? Are you ONLY focused on what you DON’T have? If so, that isn’t going to help your situation AT ALL.

You need to make a plan. You need to make a plan NOW, not when it’s over.

Look at your spending habits over the past couple of months. Where is that money going? Is there anything you can live without for a couple of months?
How about TV/Cable? Is there any miscellaneous spending you are doing for things that are not necessities?
Create a budget
- Base your income on the guaranteed minimum. If it is unemployment, base it on that amount first.
- List out the necessities and dollar amounts of things that you NEED to survive:
  - Rent/Mortgage
  - Electricity
  - Gas
  - Water/Sewer
  - Phone
  - Auto-lease/note
  - Food
  - Auto-Gas (if you are still working and need to drive to get there)
- Is your income enough to cover these items? If the answer is no:
  - Figure out how much you can pay for each one if you can pay any of it.
  - Don’t look at the payment as what you are SUPPOSED to pay, rather look at it as how much you CAN pay at this time over the next month or so.
  - Contact the companies and tell them your situation and how much you CAN pay, if any. Believe me, these companies are going to work with you.
Get your resume updated!
- People are still hiring. You can take a temporary job until you figure this all out. Let go of your ego! Go work at the grocery store stocking shelves. Go work in the Amazon warehouse. Find something to supplement your income for now.
- You need to be applying to jobs all over the place. What if your current company doesn’t come back from this? You need to be prepared to hit the ground running. Plus, interviewing is a great practice!
Take that class/training you have wanted to take but haven’t had the time for.
Have you thought about starting your own business? Do it now!
- It doesn’t happen overnight, so get it all ready today so that you can be ready to hit the ground running.

Don’t wait for this to be all over before you get started, guys. This is too important!

Remember to focus on only the things you CAN control and you CAN control how you respond to all of this. Take a proactive stance. Stop being reactive!

And don’t forget, I am here to help! If you need someone to bounce ideas off of. If you need some added support. If you are already a boss babe or are looking to become one, I can help with those wanting to grow their businesses or ladies who are just starting and need some help. If you are considering becoming a coach, I can help with that too! NOW IS THE TIME LADIES!

I have space in my 1×1 Action for Change coaching program for those who are ready to take some action TODAY so that they can be ready for tomorrow.

If any of this is appealing to you, let’s talk about it! Book some time on my calendar for a free 30-minute breakthrough session so that we can where you are headed!

April 1, 2020April 1, 2020

Surviving a World of Uncertainty

The world is CRAZY right now! Many of you are thinking “How in the heck am I supposed to keep a positive mindset when I don’t even know if I am going to have food to put on the table right now?”

The key IS your mindset.

I am always saying thoughts become things.

Your THOUGHTS create feelings and your FEELINGS create your ACTION.

So think about the toilet paper situation-yes, the toilet paper. It’s what is happening right now and it’s a good metaphor to see how this all transpires.

When someone starts to think “what happens if the world shuts down and I run out of toilet paper?” That thought then creates a feeling of fear and lack. So, in response to that feeling, said person decides to take action and runs to the store to buy as much toilet paper as he or she can to ensure that he or she will not run out, thinking this will dissipate the fear.

Did the fear go away? No!

Because it isn’t about the toilet paper at all. It’s about how the person is thinking about what is going on.

How could this have been different?

By reframing the original thought.

Now, I want you to know that I am not looking at this situation through rose-colored glasses and not believing this is a real pandemic. Quite the contrary.

I am fully aware of the severity of the situation. I am being affected by what is going on around me directly.

I have elderly, not well parents that could be literally taken out if they caught this virus.

My Tai Chi center closed until further notice so that we can participate in the social distancing.

We have a friend that stayed with us a couple or weekends ago and was not aware that his mother, who lives with him, has not been feeling well the past few weeks. Her doc asked her to come in and there was a good chance she may have needed to be tested.

Which meant our friend would have had to be tested and in turn, if that test came back positive, we would have had to be tested.

Good news, Mom only had one of the symptoms and actually had a sinus infection causing her to feel yucky.

A couple of weeks ago, I was laid off from my job. Fortunately, I called back and a week later, was told that we were all going to start working from home because of the state mandated Stay at Home order.

Everything is still uncertain for me as to if I will have a job tomorrow.

Does any of these scenarios cause fear within me? A little, sure.

However, the difference with how I am CHOOSING to respond is how I look at the situation. My thoughts around what is going on may be quite different than yours. I am NOT living in a state of fear and allowing it to consume me.

Am I concerned about our medical system? Am I concerned about my future and how I am going to come out of all of this, especially since I just launched two program offerings RIGHT BEFORE this all went down?

Sure I am! But it is NOT dictating my life.

I am carrying on, business as usual, with even more passion, vigor, and drive. I know this is all temporary. We will come out of this.

And, I look at this as an opportunity. An opportunity to educate, create awareness, and hope that I can make a difference in someone else’s outlook, which is life-changing.

I am the beacon of light in a dark situation. I know this. This is my gift and what better time to burn the light even brighter?

I went live last Sunday in my private Facebook group, from my bed (because it was self-care day) and again Monday morning and talked about the state of fear we, as a society, are operating in and how we can survive the state of uncertainty. I also posted about gratitude and how gratitude is the antidote to fear.

I practice gratitude every. Single. Day. All. Day.

It is the number one way to stay resonating at my highest power and combat fear or any other feelings of uncertainty.

In addition to gratitude, here are 4 things that you can do to make this time a bit more bearable:

Move your body-exercise is the number one top thing you can do to mitigate depression and anxiety. It releases all of the feel-goods that we need in our bodies to maintain a healthy outlook, not to mention it makes us physically feel good.

Talk about your feelings-holding in is never good no matter the situation. My husband and I talk every night about the things that transpired during the day and discuss how we feel about it and what our next steps will be.

Be hyper-aware of what you are consuming from the media and eliminate that which does not serve you. The media is not necessarily your friend. Don’t take their updates as truth. Question everything. The news is here to instill the fear so that you stay glued to the TV which increases ratings. That’s all. Do your research. Stay educated but not through the news or what people post on social media.

Only focus on what you can control. You can’t control what is going on “out there”. You CAN control how you respond. You CAN control if you wash your hands or keep the social distance. You CAN control if you are bombarding your thoughts with fear-based information.

So, check-in and see how you are responding to what is going on around you. If you are stuck in a state of fear, choose to get out!

Start implementing gratitude and the 4 recommendations and start to thrive in this horrible situation.

As always, you can contact me anytime. I am here for you. If you would like to get a bit deeper with this topic and are considering hiring a coach, contact me! Here is the direct link to my calendar. I offer FREE 30-minute breakthrough calls to see where you and how to get you to where you want to be. Just click Here-http://bit.ly/TiffenysBreakthroughCall