Archive for the ‘Organization’ Category

The Keys to Your Future

March 2nd, 2010 by Administrator | No Comments | Filed in Goals and Obstacles, Organization, Time Management

Here are the 3 Keys to Getting What You Want From Your Future:

1. Vision
Set aside a certain amount of time to dream and vision about the future. Vision your outcome, write down your goals, etc. Just make sure to keep that time in check. You should be visioning for just a little while each day to pump you up so that you have lots of energy and steam to achieve those goals. However, spending tons of time dreaming and no time doing will leave you right where you are now and your future will never come.

2. Plan
Once you know what you want from your future, it’s time to plan out how you will get there. Break big goals into small mini-goals (example: a small step for being on Oprah may be to tackle local news stations first so that you are well-prepared for the big league). Then break those mini goals into smaller steps. Planning for your future is not a waste of time. In fact, it has been shown that for every minute you spend on planning, you get at least 10 times that back in the future because you have a concrete plan and are not wondering around aimlessly. It’s easy to see how spending just 10 minutes each day on planning will really pay off in the future.

3. Do
The best way to get the future you desire? Take action. Once you’ve dreamed and planned, actually do the work it takes to get what you want from your future. Let the fear of failure and rejection go and put those plans into action!

Follow this simple 3 Step Process now and you will achieve your goals and be living your dream in no time!

Brandi Hamrick
www.thequeenbcoach.com

Just Say No!

February 25th, 2010 by Administrator | No Comments | Filed in Goals and Obstacles, Organization, Stress, Time Management

Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? If you feel like you don’t have enough time to do everything you need to do, then you are saying yes to things you shouldn’t. We all have enough time to accomplish everything that we need to, so look over your list and see what you can say NO to.

Remember, you have time to do anything you actually need or want to do, just not EVERYTHING under the sun!

Brandi Hamrick
The “Queen B” Coach
www.thequeenbcoach.com

Bigger is Better!

February 11th, 2010 by Administrator | No Comments | Filed in Goals and Obstacles, Organization, Time Management

If you want to achieve big things, you need to play big and think even bigger!

1. Brainstorm Big!
Hopefully you have a notepad or journal where you brainstorm and write down all of your brilliant ideas. This is a great first step in playing big, but why stop at just a small notebook? Why not use a huge drawing pad to record your ideas? Get a large artist or easel pad to brainstorm. Also get really big, fat markers to go with them. Start writing all of your “big” ideas on “big” paper! If you have a blank wall in your office, you can also use it to stick all of your creations on for inspiration. This can also be helpful when writing a book or doing anything in sequence because you can arrange your papers and notes in the order you like.

2. Vision Big!
Once you have brainstormed, sit with your ideas for a few days to figure out if they are really something you want. If the answer is yes, vision yourself in the best possible outcome imaginable. No small finishes here, I mean think really big! Once you have the biggest and best outcome pinpointed, start from the finish line and think backward to outline the necessary steps needed to achieve this goal. For instance, if you want to write a book, you may have envisioned being a best-selling author on Oprah. Start with the end goal in mind and think of as many steps as you can in between Oprah and where you are right now.

3. Get Moving!
Once you know what you want, start with the first steps needed to achieve your goal. If you want to write a book, set aside even just 2 hours a week to write. Also set goals for how many typed pages you will finish in that 2-hour period. You will be surprised at the progress you will make simply by getting started. Then you will be well on your way to having that best seller in no-time! The important thing is that you start taking even small steps today to achieve those big goals for the future.

Achieving your goals can be as easy as 1-2-3 when you are thinking BIG!

Brandi Hamrick
“The Queen B Coach”
www.thequeenbcoach.com

Ask Brandi: I Feel Like I Haven’t Gotten Much Accomplished This Year!

December 16th, 2009 by Administrator | No Comments | Filed in Ask Brandi, Goals and Obstacles, Organization, Time Management

Dear Brandi,
As this year comes to a close, I can’t help but looking at the goals I set for myself last year and am realizing I am not going to achieve some things that I wanted to. This makes me feel very unmotivated and lethargic. Any advice?
Rachel

Hey Rachel!

Thanks for your question. First of all, big Kudos to you for actually setting goals for yourself! I can tell that you don’t realize what a great thing you have done by not only setting goals for yourself, but reviewing their progress. This calls for a celebration, so pat yourself on the back!

If you haven’t gotten as much accomplished as you would have liked, there are two things (or a combination of both) that could be wrong here.
1. You didn’t give yourself enough time to achieve the goal
2. You didn’t manage your time and plan well

I am betting you put too much on your plate. I am also betting you got much more accomplished than you are giving yourself credit for, but you are concentrating on what you DID NOT accomplish rather than what you DID accomplish. In the next couple of weeks there will be a complete E-zine on goals, but here are some of my favorite tips to get you started in the right direction for next year (let’s use losing weight as an example to keep things simple):

* When writing down your goals, have a base goal and a stretch goal. Make the base goal something easy that you know you will achieve and make your stretch goal much harder to attain. For instance, you may want to lose weight and you may want to make it to the gym everyday, but that’s probably a stretch. Set your base goal as going to the gym 3 times a week and your stretch goal as going 6 times a week. You are achieving your goal as long as you make it 3 times, and deserve a big pat on the back, and you can really celebrate if you happen to hit your stretch goal! If you set goals that are too rigid from the beginning, you will feel like a failure even if you really got a lot accomplished. By setting both base and stretch goals you are accomplishing goals at a comfortable pace while challenging yourself at the same time. Consider rewarding yourself with a manicure, massage, or scented candle when you hit a stretch goal for the month.

*Set mini-goals. If you are setting all your goals at the beginning of the year and expect to have them finished by December, you must create mini-tasks throughout the year. List all the steps it will take to achieve your goal and then assign deadlines for them throughout the year on a monthly or quarterly basis. This way you don’t forget about your goals until the end of the year. Say you want to lose 20 lbs this year. Set a goal of losing 1-2 lbs each month and check in with yourself to chart your progress monthly.

*When you accomplish a goal, no matter how small, put it on a separate list. Keep that list so that when and if you don’t reach a goal, you can refer to that list to see what all you have accomplished!


Good Luck!
Brandi Hamrick
The “Queen B” Coach
www.brandihamrick.com

Ask Brandi: HELP! It’s the Holidays and I Feel so Overwhelmed!

December 9th, 2009 by Administrator | 2 Comments | Filed in Ask Brandi, Organization, Stress

Dear Brandi,

I feel so overwhelmed right now! I always get stressed out around Christmas, but wish I could enjoy it! I feel like I have so much to do: presents to buy, a house to clean, meals to cook, trips to plan, cards to send, and a business to run! Annual reports for my business are right around the corner and I don’t see how I have the time to get everything done! HELP!

Susan, Colorado

Hi Susan! You aren’t alone. The Holidays can definitely be a stressful and busy time of the year. Here are my suggestions for you:

1. Delegate.

If you have too much to do, then you simply have to delegate. Consider hiring a Virtual Assistant to help you with business tasks and mailing cards, and ask your spouse/kids for help at home. There comes a time in your business when you just simply can’t do everything at home and at your business all by yourself anymore, and if you don’t get help somewhere, you risk getting burned out. Could you hire a housekeeper or get your family to pitch in more? Could you order your Holiday meal from a restaurant or get everyone to bring a dish? Could you hire an errand runner to do your shopping? List the items that ONLY you could do, and then decide who else would be able to handle what’s left on your list.

2. Relax.

This is a great time to implement breathing, meditation, yoga, and affirmations into your schedule. Also give yourself at least 20 minutes a day to do something for yourself (take a bath, read a book, watch TV, etc.). This will help you feel less stressed when you are doing things for everyone else!

3. Make a list and check it twice.

List the business tasks that HAVE to be done by the end of the year. Work on them first and put everything else to the side if you need to. You can do less important things after the first of the year when things are a little less hectic!
Remember, even if the Holidays are stressful, they don’t last very long. They will be over with and you will be back to normal in a few short weeks!

Brandi Hamrick
The “Queen B” Coach

How to Reach Your Goals by Being Healthy

December 9th, 2009 by Administrator | 3 Comments | Filed in Brandi's Life, Organization, health

If you are like me, being healthier is always on your to-do-list! The most common New Year’s Resolutions have to do with weight loss, diet, and exercise. But, did you know that by reaching your health goals you are also setting yourself up for success in personal and professional areas as well?


When your body is functioning at it’s optimum level you have more success in every area of life. Some examples:
1. You have more energy. When you have more energy, you get more done.
2. More time. Being healthy means less time being sick, less time at the doctor’s office, and less time feeling sluggish.
3. More creativity. One result of not exercising and eating right? Brain fog. When you have brain fog it’s almost impossible to think clearly and outside the box.

Unfortunately, this week, I know the symptoms of lethargy and brain fog all too well. After spending 10 days in California and stuffing myself with rich food on my trip and Thanksgiving, I am run down this week. As many of you know, I struggle with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the smallest slip-ups in my nutrition, sleep, and supplement routines leave me feeling run-down for days. Luckily, I haven’t felt this way in a while now, and it’s enough to make me want to not fall off the wagon ever again!

Most of us know what we need to do to be our healthiest, we just don’t implement. Let’s talk about some ways to be healthy and stick to the plan!

See your doc.
Whenever beginning a diet and/or exercise plan, be sure to talk it over with your doctor. She will be able to tell you if you have any health concerns that would affect the way you need to eat and exercise. If you are clueless about nutrition, your doc will also be able to refer you to a nutritionist. In addition, be sure to go for your annual appointments.

Eat well.
Once it’s been determined what you should be eating, make it easy on yourself to stick to the plan. Eat foods that nourish your body and don’t skip meals. Plan your meals for the week on Saturday and go to the grocery store. Make it easy on yourself by having healthy foods and snacks on hand (and throwing out the junk food).

Start moving.
A trainer I had once told me that most people fail at their exercise plans because they can’t stick with their routine. They get super excited and motivated for a month or so and hit the gym for hours each day. Schedule exercise into your day. Even 15-20 minutes adds up. Also incorporate movement into your habits: take the stairs, fidget at your desk, pace while on the phone, and knit while watching TV. A recent study showed that among a group of non-exercisers who had similar diets, the “fidgeters” of the group weighed up to 30 lbs less simply because their fidgetting during the day added up to about 350 calories burned. Every little bit helps!

Write down your goals.
Write down what health goals you want to achieve. Next, make a list of the steps you need to take in order to achieve each goal. Lastly, write down the motivating factors behind each goal (living a long life to be here for your family, feeling better and work, having more confidence, etc.).

Journal.
Get a small notebook that can easily fit in your purse and keep a food and exercise journal. This will help create consciousness. Also be sure to jot down how you feel after eating and exercising!

Affirm.
Create positive affirmations that support your goals and say them throughout the day. Jot your affirmation on a post it and stick to the mirror to be sure to get your day off on the right foot! My favorite health affirmation? I am slim, trim, and healthy!

Let’s work on our health together, oh and don’t forget to get your SLEEP!

To our health!
Brandi Hamrick
The “Queen B” Coach
www.brandihamrick.com

Control Your Clutter!

October 10th, 2009 by Administrator | No Comments | Filed in Lifestyle, Organization

Being organized can not only save you time and money, but it can actually be good for your health by eliminating stress from your life. In this article we will discuss how to implement a plan to get control of your clutter once and for all, but first let’s discuss why you should want to get organized:

1. When you know where everything is you save tons of time by not having to aimlessly search for things. You also save time because cleaning your house won’t take as long when everything is already in its place.

2. You save money by not purchasing items that you already have. When you start organizing you will be surprised at the amount of multiples you find (I know I was!). Screw drivers, flashlights, pens, and cork screws are just a few of the items that I have several of each!

3. Not only does clutter cause stress by wasting valuable time and money, it causes stress by just being around you. Clutter literally drains you of positive energy by being a constant reminder of unfinished business. Stress can ruin your health and has been linked to an increased risk for cancer, heart disease, diabtetes, and many other illnesses. We all should want to be organized for the reasons listed above, but many people feel they just don’t have the time. Taking control of your clutter doesn’t have to take a ton of time. I used the tips below and had an organized home in no time! Being organized will add to your productivity so much that you will soon realize you don’t have time NOT to be organized!

The 5-Step Plan:

List every space in your home that needs organization. Grab several sheets of paper and list every room in your house on the top of its own page. Under each room list every drawer, cabinet, and closet that needs organization.

Set aside a time slot to organize. I set aside one hour each day to organize until I finished my list. Even if you can only spare an hour or two a week, you will make progress. Having only one hour to organize made me work fast and I was always surprised at how much I got done in that hour. Some closets may take you several hours, but some areas such as cabinets and drawers may only take 20 minutes. Begin in one room and start at the top of your list and cross off each space once it’s completed.

In addition to your list, fill one garbage bag each day with things you no longer use. Donate what still works and throw away what doesn’t. Pretty soon you will find it harder and harder to fill an entire bag and will notice clutter disappearing.

Make sure everything has its place. Designate the spaces in your home for specific items: tools, linens, crafts, appliances, office supplies, etc. As you de-clutter you can put what you keep in a place that it belongs. Whenever you buy something new, ask yourself where it belongs in your home and if you have room for it before you buy.

When you are finished, create a maintenance plan. Set aside a time to make sure the clutter doesn’t creep back up. For me, every other Monday evening I go through the spaces I listed on my sheets of paper just to make sure they aren’t getting out of control. It doesn’t take me long, maybe half an hour. I just straighten things up and take care of anything that’s not in its place.
Try the tips above and you will have a clutter-free and more productive life in no time!

Good Luck!
Brandi Hamrick
The “Queen B” Coach
www.brandihamrick.com

Are You Selfish Enough?

October 10th, 2009 by Administrator | No Comments | Filed in Confidence, Goals and Obstacles, Lifestyle, Organization, Stress, Time Management, health

Chances are if you are a wife and or/mom or even if you are just a female, you often put too much on your plate. Who knows if we are born with the desire to do things for other people or if society just makes us that way? The bottom line is that if we really want to help people, we need to learn to be more selfish ourselves. The next time you are about to have a nervous breakdown because you are so busy doing so much for everyone but yourself, remember it is okay to say no. Here are 5 ways being selfish actually helps other people

1. Getting enough sleep

One of the biggest complaints I hear from women is that they don’t have enough time to sleep. Sleep is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves because it is our body’s way of recharging itself. All sorts of health problems are attributed to not getting enough rest, so you really can’t afford NOT to get enough sleep. If you are properly rested you have more energy and are more efficient at doing things during the day. In this way you actually get MORE done when you get sleep than when you tire yourself out staying up a couple extra hours a night. This will help your family, spouse, and co-workers out because you will be more proficient throughout the day. It could also potentially add years to your life by warding off stress related illness, so you will be around for them much longer.

Obviously when you have small children and babies you may not be able to get the sleep you deserve, but if you are able, set strict schedules at your household. Put children to bed early and let older kids know that YOU have your bedtime. Also make it clear to everyone that if your help is needed on an assignment or decision you will be available up until a certain time (maybe 8 o’clock), and otherwise they will have to wait until the next day. If you have trouble sleeping go to your doctor. Click here to check out my blog on tips for sleeping.

2. Saying no at work

Women typically want to please everyone around them, their boss included. Females are much less likely than men to say no to an assignment or project. In fact, some bosses report that the reason they often call on women is because they do what is asked without complaining (to them, we all know we still complain to our family and friends, right?). It’s perfectly fine to want to be a great employee and have that added sense of job security, but you must know when to say no.

When you are working several hours overtime with no additional pay on a regular basis just to complete what is expected of you, it is likely you have taken on too much extra work. This is especially true when other co-workers are not having the same issue as you. All jobs require a certain amount of sacrificing to get the job completed at one time or another, especially when a big deadline is approaching, but you shouldn’t be overworked on a regular basis.

Know that even though you might think saying yes will help your boss and your company, it really isn’t. When you take on too much work you get less productive each additional hour you are working, and the quality of your work may not be where it should be at that time. You will also probably harbor a bit of resentment for your company and boss when you are overworked and that trickles down into the services, products, and eventually the customers. The fact is that most reputable companies want their employees to be happy and taken care of. Employees are the bread and butter of the business. When your boss asks you if you have time to complete a task, he may really want to know. Don’t be afraid to tell him that you wouldn’t be able to do the quality of work deserved in that length of time. Also don’t be afraid to ask for help.

3. Taking time for yourself

Taking time for ourselves is something we rarely get to do, but it is so crucial to having balance in your life. Ladies think that they are being selfish if they take time away from their families to read, start a business, or take on a hobby. What they don’t realize is that by exploring those passions they are creating a great way of channeling stress and will be a better mom, wife, and friend because of it. Do you ever feel overwhelmingly happy and productive after you have let yourself do something you really enjoy?

4. Health, Nutrition, and Fitness

Being healthy is similar to sleep in that it can add years to your life and keep you around for your family much longer. It will also keep you from being a burden to your children when you age, and isn’t that the most selfless thing you could do for them? Take time to eat right, exercise, and see your doctors. These things all take time, but pay off big time in the long run.

I started a breast cancer foundation with my mom (a breast cancer survivor) and we went to visit a volunteer of ours in the hospital who was having a double mastectomy. We were sitting by her oldest sister who had taken over the mom role of the family and who did everything for everybody. We asked her if she made sure to get her mammograms and to my surprise she said she hadn’t had one in 9 years! We asked why and she said that she didn’t have the time because she was always doing so much for other people. Even with her little sister having breast cancer she still had not taken the time to get herself checked.

Most health problems are easily fixed when we find them early enough, but when you put them off until they become a big problem you run the risk of leaving your family sooner than you have to. Spending a little time being healthy now will keep you around in years to come for your family.

5. Saying No at Home

It amazes me at some of the things I hear that moms still do for their older children. They think they are being a good mom and spouse because they do everything for their family. It is crucial that the people around you are self-sufficient. Don’t let your own desires of wanting to feel depended on get in the way of teaching those you love to be self-sufficient.

Take a look around your home and you will probably find dozens of tasks that people could be doing for themselves. Don’t be afraid to delegate. We all know the saying about teaching someone to fish rather than giving them a fish. Teach your family to do things for themselves and they will be more productive and you will have more time to put into your health, sleep, and hobbies so that you can be a part of their lives for a long, long time!

It may feel strange at first when you start saying no and asking people to do things for themselves. Taking the time to work on yourself and explore your own passions may seem even more foreign to you. Just keep it up and in time you and everyone around you will notice how much easier things flow. When you keep yourself in tip-top shape and those around you are self-sufficient, it will make for a much better atmosphere for everyone!

Brandi Hamrick
The “Queen B” Coach
http://www.brandihamrick.com/