Archive for the ‘Life Balance’ Category

What’s the secret to effective multitasking? 

I don’t know about you, but I am a major “multitasker”. It’s in my genetic makeup – the way I have always functioned.  Most of the time, I have 10 projects all going at the same time, big ideas, lots of excitement, lots of doing and lots of overwhelm.

Does this sound like you?  You may even be very successful in spite of yourself simply because of your enthusiasm and high energy.

How is your multitasking serving you though?

Look around.  Are there multiple unfinished projects sitting around?  Do you create To-Do lists that are miles long, only to start a new one all over again?

Would you like the one biggest secret to effective multitasking?  Okay…here it is…Stop!  Don’t do it. 

Having many uncompleted projects, or multiple new projects pending or all going on at the same time begins to weigh on you and this creates stress, overwhelm and it knocks your confidence too.  I know, because I suffer from this too.

Anytime you do more than one thing at a time, you delay the completion of both tasks.

The key is to focus on ONE thing and ONE thing only until completion.  Simple.

If you are in the habit of multitasking throughout your day, I challenge you to focus on only one thing at a time and observe how much more productive you actually are, and how much more you get done.

Try it and see how much you can check off your list today.

Here is a tip.  Try these three steps for ONE week:

• I want you to create an actual list each day with just THREE TOP THINGS that you must complete that day…only three.  Keep that list in front of your printed out and prioritized.  Once you complete the first item, cross it out and go to the next.  You will be amazed at how powerful this system can be.
• If you are distracted by email, turn them off and open them up for very short periods of time at specific hours during the day.  Then go back to your three top priorities
• At the end of the day celebrate and express gratitude for all you have accomplished AND create the list for the next day, so it is waiting for you on your desk when you arrive back at the office in the morning.

That’s it.  Again, very simple!  I know for some, this is simply how they operate, but if you are one of the millions of multi-taskers in the world, try this for one week, and let me know how it works for you below!

This blog post, for example, is #1 on my “list of three” for today.  Guess what, I can now check off “Done!” and do to #2.  Boy this feels good!

BTW, Dave Crenshaw has created a great exercise to help you see the negative impact in efficiency caused by “switchtasking”.    Click Here for the Worksheet Now.

To your prosperity,

Katana Abbott, CFP®
Founder and Prosperity Coach
Smart Women’s Prosperity Institute

P.S.  Be sure to pick up your brand new free gifts that I just created for you, including my signature 33 page Financial Organizer Planning System, my Masterclass on “How to Create Wealth and Live the Life You Love” with Workbook and Transcript.  Go get your free gifts now!
www.HowToCreateProsperity.com

 

By Katana Abbott, CFP®, CSA®

Today is the Winter Solstice – or the shortest day of the year if you live in the northern hemisphere.

One of the things I notice living on the lake is that the sun now sets directly out from our back window and the sunsets are amazing. I snapped this picture last year at this time from my deck. I rarely see anything like this in the summer.

Although I absolutely love the long hot days of summer – I welcome this time of year. It’s a time to really slow down, connect with friends, make time for myself, and to simply savor the simplicity of life. Here are some great rituals that we enjoy as a family.

1: Enjoy great movies

This is a great time to invite friends and family over to watch new movies on great topics and have discussions. Consider subscribing to Spiritual Cinema or getting great movie ideas from Brent Marchant’s book, “Get the Picture: Conscious Creation Goes to the Movies.

2: Light up the candles

These dark evenings are the perfect time to light your home up with gorgeous candles. This can create a sacred space in all areas of your home. I have them in my office, our bedroom, on coffee tables and fire places and especially on the dinner table! Be creative!

3: Bring out the games

The last few weekends we opted to turn off the TV with our children and their friends and have instead dusted off the game boards…literally! The other night we had seven young people playing charades around the Christmas tree while listening to Christmas music. It was magical!

4: Start a family Gratitude Journal

Pick up a beautiful journal and leave it on the coffee table where all members of the family and even friends can write down what they are grateful for. My husband and I start and end almost every day together – usually in our hot tub looking out at the lake or stars – expressing everything that we are grateful for.

5: Feed you birds!

I love looking outside and watching the birds. Not only do we have lots of berry bushes that attract birds all year long, but we try to keep our bird feeders stocked. This creates festive and joyous entertainment as we name all the species coming to visit. In fact, we keep a full color book handy to look up different species. Once I saw a female Red Breasted Groesbeck which looked like a very large sparrow!

6: Get out in nature

We live near lots of nature trails and parks, so one of my favorite activities is to call my friend and take meet in the park with our dogs for long hikes. It’s especially gorgeous when it’s just freshly snowed. Another fun activity is ice skating on the lake once we get a good solid freeze. This is a perfect time for hot toddies, mulled wine and hot cider and a bonfire!

7: Morning yoga or workout

One of the best remedies for sore and ache muscles is a good workout or I like heading to my yoga class. They keep the room nice and dark and it’s extremely warm. I feel fabulous when I come out and the added benefit is the positive mental state that stays all day long from those nice endorphins released from the workout! It also assists in being present.

8: Engage your creativity

This is the perfect time to brush up on your Spanish or other language you have always wanted to learn. Consider something like Rosetta Stone that is interactive and fun. Or think back to what you loved doing as a child and play! My husband is tuning my piano for as my Christmas gift so I can bring out my old sheet music. Winter is a great time to paint, knit or create something beautiful!

9: Work on the family tree

Open an account with ancestory.com and invite relatives to join you in putting together the puzzle pieces. I have now engaged a relative in Scotland who has sent photos, ship manifests, birth certificates and more about my grandmother’s ancestors. It’s amazing to see where you came from!

Share your winter rituals in the space below and enjoy this holiday season with those you love!

  

What is your daily practice? This is a ritual that you practice on a daily bases – like cleaning your teeth – that help s you stay more rejuvenated, joyful and successful. I just made a list in my journal the other day and I was shocked to see how long the list was.Some of the items had to do with making money, others with getting organized and running my household and others had to do with taking care of myself.

I realized immediately, that the most important – and actually the easiest to skip — have to do with self care.So today, let me know what are the daily rituals or practices that you can create in your life to help you stay rejuvenated, so you can do your best work and have a more joyful and prosperous life!

With love and gratitude,

Katana Abbott, CFP, CSA
Awakened Prosperity
Your Life, Your Dreams, Your Legacy
katana@katanaabbott.com

This is a genius idea by Volkswagen! I was struck by two reasons:

1. My husband is in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra – and making classical music fun is always a great idea!
2. How can we bring more joy and fun into our lives and the lives of others?

When I retired in 2007 to follow my dream of helping people make a difference in the world through their dreams, their work and their legacies, I promised myself one thing: If it wasn’t fun, I wasn’t going to do it.  I have been following that dream with my writing, speaking and coaching all from my home. It’s been wonderful. Now this March, I am leading my first Reinvention and Rejuvination Retreat in Panama!

Fun has a special energy to it. Just a few minutes of joy every morning creates special hormones in the body that stay with you for hours!

Watch the movie, Life is Beautiful and imagine what would have happened if the dad had not made the experience a “game” for his son. The game, play and fun helped everyone stay focused on saving this little boy. Here are some things that I do every day to help me stay in a state of joy and gratitude:

• Create a daily ritual of getting up early and reading inspirational material – even 15-20 minutes.
• Keep a Gratitute and Celebrations Journal – and write in it first thing every morning and before bed.
• Take a little time out each day to simply stop what you are doing to be present, notice how your body is feeling and check your breathing.
• If you can – get out in nature and take a short walk and just be present.  Listen and stop thinking.
• Smile. Think about is, as soon as you smile, you change your energy and everyone around you.
• Be kind to yourself and to others.

None of this requires a club membership, going anywhere or spending any money. It’s all free and will make a huge difference in your life.

Ask your self what else could you get people to do by making it fun?

I’d love to hear your thoughts about how you make life more fun.  Thank you…

With joy and gratitude,

Katana Abbott, CFP, CSA
Midlife Millionaire Coach

Just wanted to share this lovely video with you from our first snow of the year. I looked out this Sunday morning and a huge flock of geese had just landed to rest and feed. They were just here for a few minutes and off they went again on their journey. It was lovely.  I hope you enjoy it.

Morning Ritual:

Would you like to create more joy in your life?  Start with a journal and each morning and jot down all the things you are grateful for.  These could be just small and simple things like “the way my cat purs each morning when I wake up.”  Then if possible take a few minutes to go out into nature and just be present. Spend a few moments totally aware of everything around you and just be silent.  We don’t do this very often do we?  I have a hot tub and go out into nature every morning and every evening.  Taking short walks or bike rides and just letting your mind wander can be fabulous.

A friend of mine suggested that for the soul to be healthy, we need 8 hours of sleep, 8 hours of focus and 8 hours of allowing the mind to wander.  Isn’t this a wonderful idea?  She is from Europe, and I know they have a much more relaxing lifestyle.  I met her on a two week trip to Brazil which was a real luxury to me.  Many of the folks on this retreat were headed out for more “holiday” time. One woman from Sweden says that she get six weeks and it’s mandatory to take it.  They believe it encourages good work/life balance. We should think about this in our culture!

Evening Ritual:

Then each evening before you go to bed, bring out your journal and look at what you wrote and make some comments about your successes and celebrations.  So often, we only focus on the negative things that have happened to us or what we don’t have.  Remember, the Universe doesn’t know the difference when we are sending out negative energy or positive energy…it just reacts be sending back what we are focusing on.

Exercise: 

So start to notice your thoughts, energy and words as well as how you are feeling in your body.  If you are feeling a lot of stress in your shoulders or a tightness in your stomach, just take a short time out and take a few long breaths. Close your eyes and allow your body to be washed with golden energy and allow the negative energy to just slip right out of your feet into the ground. 

Now think about something that you are very grateful for and put a smile on your face.  Remember in the movie “Eat, Pray, Love” where the guru tells Julia Roberts to “Smile from her liver” when she is meditating?  Try smiling and taking these tiny little “time outs” regularly during the next few weeks and see how much more effortless and joyful your days become.

I hope you are enjoying this fabulous holiday season and being kind to yourself. Let me know how this works for you by posting your comments below! 

Happy Holidays!

Katana Abbott, CFP, CSA
Founder and CEO
Midlife Millionaire Mentor

Happy Independence Day and Celebrate Life! 

I have been talking to more and more women who are all going through similar fears that have to do with claiming their brilliance and following their passion vs. playing it safe and hiding out.  We all have these same struggles going on in our lives, especially as we reach midlife.  In addition, many of us are facing major stresses with money, relationships and family issues.  All of this can drag us down and make us want to just let our dreams go. 

Several times in my life, I have been so ready to just give it all up myself, and each time, I found a mentor or just the perfect book to help me get back on track – and you know what – within a very short time, I had reached that dream and beyond.  Here are a few quick tips to help you stay on your path and connected to your Divine Essence:

• Reach out for support from a mentor, friend or councelor
• Read inspirational books and listen to your favorite music
• Take really great care of your mind, body and heart by mediating, exercise and yoga
• Plan time for yourself and time with friends and love ones in your calendar and in advance
• Allow yourself to experience pleasure – seek out joyful experiences
• Invest in yourself and continue to move towards your dreams

Here is my chapter, “Thank God I Was Abused” in the ebook, Thank God I and how I was able to find joy and gratitute after experiencing extreme adversity:  http://www.thankgodimultimediabook.com/pg.php?p=59

I hope you enjoy it.  I would love to hear how you plan to Claim Your Brilliance!

With gratitute,

Katana

Life can be very complicated with lots of unexpected twists and turns that can upturn even the best laid plans. I have found a wonderful solution to help create balance in my life and it only takes a few minutes a day. I call this process the Perfect Life Pause. Any time during the day that I feel overwhelmed, stressed, tired or angry, I follow this process to refocus my energy and intention.

Many of us are actually on an adrenaline rush much of the time during the day. I’ve found if we don’t slow down and allow things to flow, the Universe finds a way to do it for us…often to get our attention.

I suggest doing your first Perfect Life Pause when you first wake up.

Step 1:  Start with your eyes closed. Listen to the sounds in the room, your breathing…notice your body and relax. Then focus on a place, time or experience when you were really relaxed and in a state of pure joy.

• My place is lying in my hammock next to the river with my daughter, Kirsten lying next to me when she was just a little girl. The hammock is swaying in the breeze and we can hear the water from the lake beating gently against the shore.

Step 2:  Now spend the next several minutes in this wonderful state of mind.

Step 3:  Be sure to express gratitude for this moment of joy. Trust that everything is perfect and the the right people and opportunities will flow into your life effortlessly.

All you have is the present moment and by doing this exercise three times a day, you will actually be meditating and focusing your intentions on your perfect life almost 10 minutes daily.  The Law of Attraction states that our outer world is a reflection of our inner world, so this simple exercise may have very profound affects. Try it for a week, and let me know what happens!

Katana is a Certified Financial Planner® and Midlife Millionaire Coach™ who teaches entrepreneurs to Leverage Their Expertise and Create a Midlife Millionaire Lifestyle.   You can contact Katana personally at katana@katanaabbott.com