I am not a fan of unproductive meetings. The main culprits are unprepared participants. Attending or leading a meeting you did not prepare for is disrespectful to yourself and others. It is even worse when an unprepared attendee wastes everyone’s time participating in the meeting.
Don’t waste my time, don’t waste others time, don’t waste your time. Be prepared.
#Just Be Better
#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong
#Be Prepared
#iownthemorning
Life Happens, and we need to equip ourselves to react to it. The best way to respond is to be prepared. We can only prepare so much for things we cannot foresee. However, we can prepare by frontloading our schedules to free up time for when our priorities need to shift. The more you get done at the beginning of a workflow (week, day, session, etc.), the more you can meet the unexpected challenges you face. No matter how well you plan, there will always be times when your priorities, schedule, and times are challenged. Be prepared. Frontload your workflow.
#Just Be Better
#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong
#Be Prepared
#iownthemorning
It’s not that I hate working out at night; I hate thinking about how I still have to. I start the day with a small workout. When I get home from work, I get changed and hit the weight room or go outside for a run. Sometimes, I do both. This timing does not work for everyone, but it works for me.
Opportunity is another reason for front-loading my workouts. I do not want to say no to opportunities because I have not achieved my goals for the day, and I do not want to sacrifice my daily goals for an opportunity I did not anticipate. I don’t miss workouts. By frontloading my workouts, I can get the important things done and out of the way so I can be more receptive to the unscheduled possibilities of the day.
Have a great early workout, and be prepared to say yes to the opportunities that come your way.
#Just Be Better
#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong
#I Own the Morning.
I have a saying at work: “Life Happens.” This mantra reflects my reality—things rarely go as planned. When unexpected changes occur, it’s crucial to adapt and re-prioritize my goals. If I don’t front-load my work, I risk getting stuck in an endless cycle of catching up when “Life Happens.”
To stay ahead, I front-load my work in two key ways:
Without front-loading, I wouldn’t be as successful, effective, or efficient as I strive to be. This strategy means less work to bring home at night or on weekends, less stress, and greater capacity to support my team and clients. Front-loading enables me to react to change swiftly and focus on helping others when they need it most.
Give it a try and see how it transforms your workday!
#JustBeBetter
#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong
#Iownthemorning
I am always trying to front-load my money. I do this by placing more into savings at the beginning of a cycle, paying additional principal early in the loan cycle (it is funny how I do not miss the money), saving up money for big purchases, and making sure I put money away for the “regular” expenses I encounter, such as event gifts ( i.e., birthdays, graduations, etc.), landscaping, training, etc. I can only meet the financial demands if I plan my expenditures and stay disciplined with my saving protocols. I check my balances every week and ensure that my current goals and expenditures align with my future plans (retirement and grandchildren/golf/travel). The more I front load, the easier it is for me to adapt when “life” hits and I must divert my money elsewhere.
I put money aside each month to pay off unforeseen issues with our house. This year, we needed to divert money to pay for a costly and unexpected repair. Luckily, I had already saved up a good portion of the expense, so the hit to our other expenditure and savings streams, i.e., the vacation fund, did not take as big of a hit. By front-loading, I avoided being a victim of life’s little surprises.
Front-loading is a key to my financial success. Try it out, and let me know how it works for you.
#Just Be Better
#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong
#I Own the Morning.
One of the habits I am continually working on is “Front Loading,” which is the idea that one gets as many things done as possible initially. It is based on the premise I would rather be proactive than reactive. I like it because it allows me to better handle the challenges that confront me each week. It is an excellent accompaniment to being prepared and staying organized, two of my favorite strategies for achieving success.
I make my schedule weekly for each Sunday night. I have a checklist that tracks how many tasks I have completed, how many I have left to do, and my weekly completion percentage. I will be super productive and frontload my tasks on Monday if I am on point. If I do not frontload on Monday, I will have no chance to complete my tasks for the week because no matter how well I plan, “Life happens!” There will be things that I am unprepared (not on my schedule to complete) for that demand my attention over my checklist.
Frontloading will lead to success in so many areas of your life.
Give it a try and let me know.
#Just Be Better
#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong
Keeping habits is hard, and developing habits is harder. Right now, I am focusing on getting 100 oz of water. Some days are easy, and others are impossible. As I age, I am learning about new things that I can do to make myself healthier, wealthier, and happier. I have a few rules to help me adapt them smoothly.
First, I only add one new habit at a time. Trying to change too much too soon is a recipe for disaster. I prioritize the changes I want to make and then add them to my list.
Second, what gets measured gets done. I have a checklist that I have developed over the years using a spreadsheet. I find that I am more successful when I have a To-Do list to track my actions toward my new habit. For instance, I am working on my flexibility. I have a protocol that I want to repeat twice daily. I use the checklist to track my progress toward developing a new habit.
Lastly, I practice patience with myself. I used to get frustrated trying to add new habits, and I could not figure out why I could not add them to my protocols with ease. Change is hard, and change takes time. Some say it takes 21 days, and others say 6o days. I have not found a timeline that works for me. Regardless, without patience, the new habit will never take root.
I wish you luck in developing your habits. Take it slow, measure your progress, and realize that you are human.
#Just Be Better
#Stay Strong, Stay Healthy.
When someone asks me a question about my area of concentration, I expect to be able to give them a great answer. I pride myself on being the expert on my topics. When I cannot provide a great answer, it is because I am unprepared. I strive to be the expert in the room on my topic, and I work on this daily.
Preparation is the key to success. The more you prepare, the more you develop your expertise. Keep working so that others can rely on you as their expert on your topic.
#Just Be Better
#Stay Strong, Stay Healthy
When I try to form new habits, I find the only way to be successful is to record my actions. For example, I am trying to improve my hydration. Hydration is essential for promoting good health and preventing the destructive results of insufficient water to be in homeostasis. Being adequately hydrated reduces my “need” for coffee, especially when I experience an afternoon slump, and keeps my skin smooth and healthy. I struggled with consistency until I started measuring and recording how much water I drank daily. Once I began to do this, I was more likely to reach my daily goal and maintain proper hydration levels. I use a spreadsheet instead of an app because I can customize it to what I want. I now track all of the daily habits I am trying to develop. Once they become a habit, I no longer need to track them.
#Just Be Better
#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong
I hate negative conversations. When I am unprepared and in a negative conversation, I get emotional. I am neither rational nor productive when this happens, and the outcomes are always frustrating. However, instead of avoiding negative conversations, I work hard to anticipate and prepare for them.
Anticipating negative conversations takes time to learn. I do not want to waste my time thinking that every conversation will be negative. I use my past experience to predict which ones will be negative and prepare for them.
Preparing for a negative conversation allows you to stay calm(er) and more focused during the presentation. A negative conversation aims to correct things to force the future you want by realigning the present course of action with your vision. This cannot happen if you are unprepared and emotional.
#Just Be Better
#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong
#Be Prepared
Everyday is an Interview 