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Now is the time to prioritize, organize & simplify your life at work and at home. Make sure you join The 7 Minute Life Community and receive FREE access to 20+ time strategies in our MEMBER TOOLS area located on our corporate website:
Where Do You Belong?
As I travel in different cities, groups, and types of settings, I have realized that belonging is so much more than a concept. There are places I walk in and instantly feel welcome, included, valued, and given the privilege of being “one of the gang.” I like that. I realized a few years ago that part of my MORE existence would be to have that feeling more often in my life. Do you do the things you enjoy doing? Do you choose to spend time with the people who matter most to you? Are you living experiences daily, weekly, seasonally that mean MORE to you than the daily work you do?
What is your MORE place? Where do you belong?
As I defined that my purpose was to learn and to share what I learned, I found that I sought to be with other people who love learning. The settings are widely varied, but loving to learn places have taken me to fascinating experiences. Look around you, where do you belong? Is it a place that looks different from where you are? Is it where you are but living it differently? What small changes can you make where you are that will make large differences in your daily existence. One of my friends lately discovered that even the clothes she chose had a huge impact on her creative spirit. She had forgotten how much simply wearing colors she loved, surrounding herself with colors she loved changes her daily existence. Don’t we all do such things? We get so busy doing the “must do’s” that we often leave out the “can do’s”. As I researched and journeyed through the writing as I developed The 7 Minute Solution’s manuscript, I began to list the MORE moments that brought me joy. How I realized, as I wrote that simply affirming awareness of what my joy ingredients include, I realized that just the simple identification allowed the strategy of how to make those things happen more often in life. The five before eleven section on the Daily Progress Report Planner is a direct answer to my own desire to engage in the MORE activities that add high value to my life. These activities for me are making sure that I am where I belong, the places I highly value in my daily life. My children’s presence, time with my beloved pets, my community’s activities, time with my husband, and the service based opportunities I so believe in. They make my heart happy, they encourage my spirit, and I live in a more peaceful existence when those activities are engaged in my daily life. I know I “belong” with each of those activities.
Where do you belong? My hope is that The 7 Minute Solution and the Daily Progress Report will provide you the tools to assist you in living your MORE life. The first chapter of the book is available as are the free Member Tools for a truthful taste of experience with our planner. You are not limited in how many times you download the planner and they are pre-dated for your convenience. We want you to know that it works for you!
~Allyson
Moving the Bump…
Are you so busy looking ahead that you forget that where you are is a good place to be? Is what you are doing right now to support your future neglecting your now life? Have you ever had a moment where you realized you just repeated something unpleasant over and over again that could be changed? I had a chair once that sat just a bit far in the walkway of our home. Each time I would try to leave quietly or early for a trip or flight out I would manage to hit the edge of the chair’s wooden arms and end up with a sore bruise on my hip the next day It only took me about nine times over a period of months to figure out something needed to change. I know…sometimes I am so busy doing what I do that I don’t wake up to the easy things that I could choose to change. In my case it was simply move the chair forward about a foot and it was out of the walkway I needed to walk to get to the car for a trip.
We are creatures of habit, but sometimes we create a habit that is simply unhealthy, unhappy, or doesn’t work for us. Can I hear an amen? We get so busy working on a tomorrow that we forget we also are living today…and today matters.
One of the reasons we have five before eleven is to help train our brains to do meaningful small steps that create a fab life for us today. Maybe your need is to connect to your children or husband more. Maybe a project is overwhelming you and just doing an action step towards solving it each day will make the dragon go away. How many of us would solve, end, or greatly take the power from any problem we have if we addressed it 450 times in 90 days? Now in the 7 minute life we ask for 5 different items before 11….so really that is 5 x 450 items or 2250 steps closer to solving or engaging in your MORE meaningful life every 90 days. Could you see the value of doing something simple but repeating the steps until 2250 times you’ve solved it in 90 days?
Think of the possibilities:
- Decluttering your home
- Taking a walk
- Setting aside quality time for your loved ones
- Volunteering at a local garden
- Reading from your favorite reading list
- Exercising your dog…and your self
The 7 Minute Solution isn’t about the “fix”, its about awareness and how to focus activities and emphasis on where you want to be, how to support your values in daily life. The tools are for you, they are free…enjoy them! www.the7minutelife.com Today I’ll be in Northwest Arkanasas doing a book signing at Sam’s Club in Bentonville. I hope if you’re in the area you’ll join me! It begins at 6:00 pm central time. I am just loving seeing everyone come and share their stories…and no, those cute babies you had yesterday cannot be the big kids you keep showing me at the signing….surely I’m not old enough to see your babies bring babies of their own to show off for you….what a joy it is to see you all!
~Allyson
High Value Change
This weekend my family, friends, and I chose to pursue a high value activity in our life. Time together. As you start each day, week and ninety day period in The 7 Minute Life, one of the continuing asks is that you begin to focus on what are the high value activities in your life? One of our first activities in the beginning of the book, The 7 Minute Solution, as well as in the free Member Tools is to take a quick check off exam to identify and rank your meaningful priorities. We all value different things, and our values influence our actions, our attitudes, and the choices we make in life. When we take time to realize what is most important to us, we begin to focus our actions to reflect our values. Seven minutes is enough time to change the world. Most adults have a maximum ability to remain focused for approximately 7 minutes. Doesn’t sound like long does it? But think of it, most of the important decisions, actions, and directions you focus on take much much less time than that. Do I pull into traffic? Do I touch the hot stove? Do I push start on the washer? Computer? Enter? I know so often i convince myself that change takes much much longer than seven minutes, but the truth of my own experiences is I simply am teasing myself….most tasks are accomplished in shorter time periods. Who knew that you could empty an inbox in 7 minutes (well, maybe not if you’d let it get to 21,351…which a blogger recently shared) Dishwasher emptied? 4 minutes, etc. Do we talk ourselves into believing change isn’t within our grasp?
Today you may have had a weekend out of town like our family did. You may be overwhelmed by a project deadline, as we were during the pre-launch days. You may be focused on starting new actions that will become habits for 2012. in our Daily Progress Reports Planner I ask you to focus on 5 before 11. That means to choose 5 high value activities that you will intentionally engage before 11 a.m. In the book, we saw Reverend John Arnold choose to change his home’s clutter level in removing clutter each day for 90 days. Talk about a huge difference in 90 days…ANY action we consistently do 450 times produces results. What are the results you want to see in your life to make it a MORE meaningful existence? For me it is about MORE family time, MORE giving, MORE respect for my physical body’s need for rest. What are your WHY’s for 2012? What values are you seeking to be supported through your actions to support what you believe? Those items will become part of your 5 before 11 in some way each day or a part of your “7 Minute Life” Connections each day.
It’s Monday, but truthfully EVERY day is a new day, change begins the moment you decide to engage change. Will you begin today? We’re so excited about the MORE’s shared on our Facebook wall. Won’t you join us?
~Allyson
P.S. Don’t forget!!
There’s a new one just for you each day PRE-DATED!!!
It’s been a wonderful week!
The joy of my work is meeting and hearing the stories of other’s lives. I am so humbled by the knowledge that in some small way these books I am writing and our team is so diligent to help the books get to where they go…are making a difference. What personal joy that brings to my heart. Thank you to everyone who has helped with this project. I can in no way be responsible for all that is happening…
~Allyson
It’s Why, not What…
Are you so busy doing the “What nexts” that you miss the gorgeous encounters of the “Why” life? New media offers twenty four hour a day inputting into our brains. Phones rarely stop ringing, buzzing, or texting. If we are not intentional, we can easily spend our entire day allowing whatever is before us explore us and simply never consciously decide or focus on anything. Once upon a time we had interruptions at work of the telephone and meetings. Those could be scheduled, and secretaries could screen when calls went through to your office. We took mid day breaks and lunch, but for the most part, we had hour and a half shots at getting work done.
That’s not today’s world.
Today we have smart phones that beckon to us through messages, video, calls, and text throughout the twenty-four hours we all a day. Our computers often tell us of incoming messages throughout our work time. We work virtually, traditionally, and via satellite. We can watch entertainment at home, on phone, or at work. The hours are becoming universal as the tasks for work are literally carried with us where ever we go….when do we turn off working?
What makes a MORE life? Why isn’t simply scheduling time enough? In the past work was work and home was home, why isn’t that working any more? Why do most people change jobs at least four times in their career now? It’s often because they are not being emotionally fed by succeeding at a task. Too often financial goals or security goals are being met by employment, but the person has “sold out” their emotional goals. To feel safe, appreciated, cared for, approved, meaningful, are desired emotions that each individual should engage when he/she works. To have activities in life that utilize their gifts, talents, and ignite one’s passion for living is invigorating, yet so many people do not choose to engage in high value activities that produce those feelings. What is your Why? Why do you do what you do? Why does it matter to you? Why aren’t you choosing differently if your answer is “my work isn’t fulfilling to me?”
Recently I met with an old acquaintance, I asked, what do you do? His facial tone immediately changed, a somber face responded, ” I do what I need to do to keep my wife happy, my kids in “things” and I gave up the concept of doing anything that mattered to me.” My heart sank. As the conversation continued I remembered the moment that my why happened again, when my best friend shared she had cancer. Why mattered alot more to me when I realized my time is limited and my gifts and talents valuable to others. I started that day to Prioritize, Organize, and Simplify what would matter to me if my life was to end. I wanted to matter. I wanted MORE giving, MORE doing, MORE involvement with people I love, MORE time with children, MORE opportunities to grow, learn, and share. I wanted MORE than the “what” I was doing.
The exercises I went through were helpful to me in figuring out my “why” in life. Its a popular business topic, “What’s YOUR Why” but its not always as easy to figure out. The boundaries have to change. The masks of “should do’s” have to be dropped. You have to look in the mirror and ask “Are the rules and boundaries I am living by truly supportive of my values and my life?”
Very often the answer is “NO.”
Change begins the instant you decide to change. It happens when we take the time to focus our attention on the activities we are doing. Too often we simply do more of the same without ever truly considering the options. The Daily Progress Report is a direct result of my own focus on making sure that I created MORE time for high value activities, MORE appreciation for important people in my life, MORE effort to finish things that hung over me like a dead weight, MORE desire to “keep up” with the life I wanted to live, not just talk the talk.
What is your “Why” for 2012….What does your MORE life look life? I hope you’ll share yours with me here or on our facebook wall. We’re beginning a discussion that I am sure will be a continuing one, about the things that hold you back from your “Why’s” and how to facilitate change of your “Whats”.
The dogs are ready to change my “what” I’ am doing, time to get them outdoors to play a bit!
~Allyson
P.S. Don’t forget!!
There’s a new one just for you each day PRE-DATED!!!
Thursday’s Child…
When I was a child Thursday’s child, the poem said, was full of face. I was simply watching with awe last night as Melinda Emerson’s #SmallBizChat Tweetchat went. Melinda’s goal is to end small business failure and her community is a highly engaged group of small business owners who gather each week on Wednesdays at 8 pm et. Last night the group was so interactive I had to truly engage to keep up! Today Melinda has been kind enough to include me in a guest post at her place. SucceedAsYourOwnBoss.com It’s a great resource for small business owners or those who want to become one.
The beautiful part of my journey with writing The 7 Minute Solution is that I needed the research and answers in my own life. I AM a small business owner, I AM a wife, mother, and community servant. I needed to know how to make my life work and not just endlessly get more things done, I needed MORE to look forward to. Last night it was a fun group, especially because each person contributed their perspective with the goal of helping one another. I want to help every person who wants to learn how to live a MORE life. Melinda Emerson does too. Her goal is to end small business failure. What a big goal! Big goals start with figuring out what your WHY is in life. Melinda knows hers. I know mine too. To keep on growing as a person and to share what I learn with others. Do you know your WHY in life? Your purpose? Our member tools has some really helpful tools to help you wade through the concept of your own “purpose”. I hope you’ll like them. They truly are what I did to figure out my own next steps and WHY’s in my life.
Today I would like to encourage you to download the first chapter of the new book The 7 Minute Solution and the free member tools. Our planner is there too, downloadable, we call it The Daily Progress Report. We’d like you to have a truthful taste of how our system works for you. We welcome your suggestions and comments on our Facebook wall or via email. We are in development for our ipad and smart phone app’s and will be revealing them soon. We always welcome your input as we want to create the tools in format, form and modality to support every user.
Thursday’s child is full of face…and that would be me today…smiling big about all of you and what you’re sharing with me. How humbling to be told over and over again how the pragmatic steps of The 7 Minute Solution is changing lives as individuals and teams learn to Prioritize, Organize, and Simplify their lives. Wow. What a humbling, exciting time!
~Allyson
Tweetchat Anyone?
Isn’t learning fun? The last few months I’ve been learning to use the computer to communicate differently using Social Media. Part of it is necessary for time management, but most of it is simply because it is fascinating to me to bring minds together from multiple locations and conversations on a thing called social media. You may have come to this blog because of Facebook, Linked In, or Twitter recommendations or referrals…most likely through some form of social media. Amazing.
This week on Wednesday night, I get to be a part of a very special conversation with Melinda Emerson, @SmallBizLady, who has taught me about the value of Social Media in helping people reach their goals. Her personal goals? To end small business failure. Sounds like a MORE kind of life to me. Melinda lives the concept out too. I want the MORE life, I want to reach MORE people with tools that help them define and support whatever it is that defines their MORE life. I want to learn, to keep learning, and to share what I learned with others who want to learn. Period. The areas I want to learn are not limited. They almost all involve skills that have come to harvest in my life, but the way they are now used is changing. I was fortunate at a young age to find a life I loved. I wrote at the age of 33, a software technique, or rather I understood what was needed, and from that point forward my MORE life was in action. Along the way for twenty years I worked on solving so many challenges that later gave me the competence to be confident that I could share with people techniques to empower their time management and efficiency to learn, work, or use the tools before them.
Later, I realized I love teaching and sharing what I have learned. That brought a new platform, a need to write and develop books, and to keep building the tools that helped support the learning. Simple equation isn’t it. The 7 Minute Solution is the next level of understanding of what works for me. I want you to know and understand how to find your MORE life. You see we explored in The 7 Minute Difference how to use time effectively to build a life you have time for, but in the following 6-7 years, it became time for the next lesson…to engage the management of time to live a more meaningful life…the MORE life.
The 7 Minute Solution takes my learning to a teach template…I shared the tools, the lessons, and the journey of learning at the next level, documented through the book’s teach. We’ve made the member tools free for everyone. I think its important to share what you learn in life. You can even download the first chapter to get a truthful taste of the lesson. This week we’re increasing the Daily Planner free download to a week, because most weeks just printing two pages at a time can be an ordeal at home with teenagers needing papers printed for school, husbands needing their own time for prep work. Why add undue stress? Relax, enjoy, try it out for a week…go back the next one…try, experience, engage….and learn!
Wednesday we’ll be in a very special place #SmallBizChat with @TaiGoodwin and @SmallBizLady Emerson, Wednesday at 8 pm et, I hope you’ll join us!
~Allyson
P.S. Don’t forget that each day you can download The 7 Minute Life Planner and free Member tools, as well as the download for first chapter of The 7 Minute Solution!
There’s a new one just for you each day PRE-DATED!!!
Do You Take Time or Make Time?
Happy New Year! 2012 has so much to offer and yet I find myself this morning getting ready for the children to go to school and prepare to have quiet work day at home. Part of why The 7 Minute Solution was written was because I had, as a Time & Lifestyle Strategist, gotten to a point where efficiency was more the conversation that engaging the MORE life that I sought. We all get really busy some days. That busy-ness at times cannot be pre-scheduled, and when life happens, if we are not in the habit of making priorities happen efficiently…well, we just start dropping balls. My daily juggle looks like wifehood, workhood, motherhood, and enterpreneurhood…..that’s alot of neighborhoods to visit in a day and we won’t even talk about the side trips to Sportsville, Grocery Corners, Dogwalksville and all the other side trips that my life take just to keep on keeping on. How about you? We all need a system to make time to do the important things….to be able to know that we’ll have the time to do what is important to us…
The 7 Minute Life Planner came into being and continues to be a project we’re further developing because when you start working on your priorities in life. The MORE parts of your life that are important to you, it just makes sense to note those people and items in a meaningful way on the daily goals for your life. Go on, download yours free and start seeing what I mean. Go here The Daily Progress Report (our planner pages) will begin to TAKE a focused look at 7 Minute Life conncections, at 5 things before 11 that will align your MORE life tasks to your purposes. You’ll begin to see three people to appreciate daily. MORE starts showing up in your life. 7 Minutes can make a huge difference when done consistently. Whether its decluttering your home, walking on a treadmill, connecting with an elderly friend online or on the phone, think of what 450 x anything would mean in a 90 day period. I know if I picked up limbs for just 7 minutes each day while I walked, my yard would be SO much further down the road after 450 minutes of doing it! Would it cost me an entire day? Heck no! Just the 7 minutes I walk anyway!
We are on a National Book Tour with The 7 Minute Solution for the next 90 days. I’d like to see what your MORE’s are for 2012. Will you take some fun pictures, videos, or write yours on our facebook wall? ” My MOREs for 2012 are_______________” and put it on http:/www.facebook.com/the7minutelife
I can’t WAIT to see you there!
~Allyson
Save Your Time!
