Last year, I made the executive decision that I was going to sit down every single quarter and plan out exactly when I would be launching when I would be running promotions, and how I was going to bring in new traffic and sales to my business every single month (at least for the next 3 months). And let me tell you, it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Ready to do it for yourself and have the rest of the year (or an entire year) planned out for your business? Here are the 4 steps I take and what I teach my Beyond Busyness members (and it doesn’t take more than 30 minutes):

And if you’re thinking that a 4 by 4 work week simply isn’t possible for you, then you’re going to continue hustling and feeling burnt out with your business until you want to burn it all to the ground. It’s like thinking that in order for a plant to grow, you need to water it 8 hours a day. But, you and I both know that if we did that, we’re actually going to end up killing the plant. Instead, we water it what it needs in order to grow, and THAT’S when we start seeing in thrive.

Do you have thoughts + emotions around these things regarding your goals? Maybe you feel like you don’t have enough time to build a business while you’re working full-time. Or, you don’t think you’re capable of actually replacing your current salary (that deals with cash too). Or, you’re not sure what goal to actually choose or the steps you would need to take. Well, say goodbye to generic resolutions and embrace a strategic blueprint for personal and professional growth. It's time to turn your aspirations into reality!

Here’s one thing that I know about being an entrepreneur… sometimes your currency is time, not money, and if I can spend money to help me be more efficient + productive, then it is worth the investment. And since we’re starting the holiday season, I wanted to share some of the things that I SWEAR by that help me better balance both my life + business.

Discover how to define your morning routines, leverage checklists and deadlines, and maximize your productivity with intention. My practical advice and Leanne’s experienced coaching make this episode a must-listen for any mom in the entrepreneurial space seeking to boost her business and create a fulfilling life.

Email marketing is my absolute FAVORITE way to connect with my followers and audience. Yes, social media is great and a big part of my business, but I love myself some long-form content and storytelling, so email is where I really tend to shine. But, it was sucking my soul to actually sit down and write an email because I had NO IDEA what to talk about. Here’s how I planned the rest of my marketing content for the year…

When I first started a business 8(ish) years ago, I was desperate for more freedom + flexibility in my schedule. I remember sitting in my office at school and feeling like I had a seatbelt strapped across my chest that wouldn’t allow me to move. Fast forward a few years later when I finally was matching my teaching salary to quit, and I was feeling anything but free or flexible. I still had a preschooler at home with me 2-3 days a week and my client load was all over the place at the time. I was working at random hours throughout the day, pulling my computer out at night after the kids went to bed, and I felt like my phone was attached to my hand 24/7.

For some of you, this might be a blessing. You’re used to being able to work on your business at home in silence during the school year, and the fact that the kids (and possibly husband) are home + are also demanding your attention makes it like working 2 jobs at one time. So, having them head back to school means you get your house + time to build your business back to yourself.

You have a to-do list a mile long, but you’re constantly being interrupted by your kids or other distractions. How can you be expected to be a great mom and grow a successful online business? If that sounds like you, you’ll want to check out this podcast interview I did recently with my friend Kristin Maahs on the She’s Building a Dream podcast!

We are officially one week into summer break, and let me tell you… I have been interrupted about a million times by my kiddos. Don’t get me wrong – they are amazing kids and I am extremely lucky to be interrupted, but taking away my focus from my work is such a time suck for me. One of my goals this summer is to work just 4 days per week, taking Fridays off to completely devote to my family. Now, I already only work 4-5 hours a day (20-25 hours per week), but cutting that down to 4 hours per day, 4 days per week can take a major hit to how much I can get done during my work time every single day.

For those of you who might be new here, I used to be a middle school physical education teacher before I jumped into full-time entrepreneurship. And as you know, one of the best things about being a teacher is having those 8 weeks off in the summer. It was so nice to have a BREAK from work and enjoy some time with the family. As an entrepreneur, while I do have the flexibility of where + when I work, I can’t exactly take a full 8 weeks off over the summer because that would just be a disservice to my clients.

Do you struggle to stay focused and get all the things done in your business? The mile-long to-do list is probably haunting you. And maybe you feel like you just suck at time management. (Side note: you don’t!) If that sounds like you, you do not want to miss my recent podcast interview with my friend Natalie on her podcast, Wildly Aligned Marketing.

One of the things many of my clients and Control Your Calendar students struggle with on a regular basis is having so much on their plate on a daily basis that they simply don’t know where to start and are constantly feeling behind. I know you get it… as I tell my husband when he asks if I have any work to do, there is ALWAYS something I can be working on. There is NEVER a shortage of things to do when it comes to being a business owner. From managing your team to marketing your business, it can be hard to stay on top of everything.

It’s officially springtime, which means you’re probably starting to feel the itch to get some spring cleaning done. As soon as we had one nice day, we were outside getting our garage cleaned out. But, have you ever thought about “spring cleaning” your productivity and cleaning up your schedule a little bit? My 1:1 clients have been spending a lot of time cleaning up our schedules to help us better prioritize our tasks and spend time on the things that are most important – in both our lives AND our businesses.

When it comes to improving things in our life, whether it’s our health, our home, or our relationships, we have to find the TIME to make that happen. But, as you know, many of us struggle with overwhelm, procrastination, and perfectionism, making it much harder to not only get started but to stick with our goals. And that leaves you frustrated and in a vicious cycle of starting and stopping – not actually making progress toward those goals.

If you could have an extra hour in your day, what would you do with it? When I start working with my clients or Control Your Calendar students, this is always the first thing I want to know. Because most of the time, they tell me that if they could just wake up an extra hour earlier, they’d have an extra hour to get things done. What they forget is that if they don’t know what they WANT to do with that extra hour, there is really no point. Their alarm will go off in the morning, and they’ll continue to hit snooze until that extra hour is *poof* gone once again.

The very first thing I do when I work with my clients 1-on-1 or when someone joins Control Your Calendar is have them do a Time Audit. In fact, it’s the very first thing you do when you download my free Productivity Planner. Why? Because if you don’t know where your time is actually going, you’re never going to be able to find MORE time in your day. Most of the entrepreneurs I work with are struggling to get things done in their very busy schedules. They feel scattered, overwhelmed, and unbalanced when it comes to their life and business.

Do you suffer from the “Sunday Scaries”? I know when I was working full-time, the Sunday Scaries was a real thing for me. Of course, I didn’t exactly love my job and I was trying to build a business where I could be at home more, but I was dreading going to work on Monday. However, Sunday nights weren’t just about dreading Monday. They were my chance to get my sh*t together so that I could do well at my full-time job while still finding time in my busy schedule to work on my business(es).

I’ve had this goal for the last several years to read 20 books throughout the year. And every single year, I would get maybe 16 or 17 books read – always falling short of my 20-book goal. So, in 2022, I decided that maybe reading 20 books was too big of a goal. So I lowered my goal to read 10 pages per day – or just 3,650 pages for all of 2022. That’s approximately 10 books. That’s doable, right?! Not only did I read all 3,650 pages in 2022, but I also hit that goal by June – AND I ended up reading 23 books in 2022! What changed?

It’s a new year, so that means a new YOU right?! And maybe one of your New Year’s Resolutions or goals is to be more productive so that you still have time to do the things you love. Or maybe you know that you could be a lot more efficient with things in your business, but you’re not sure of the best ways to be productive. Well, you’ve come to the right place because I am sharing some of the best productivity tips that I use in my life + business that has helped to save my time + energy – and make more money as well!