- A note from Marcia
- Conquer your email
- This week's article: 5 steps to dealing with overwhelm
- Where in the world is Marcia?
Hi everybody
Happy April!
I'm usually very slow to wake up in the mornings because I'm a TOTAL night owl! But on Monday morning I woke up INSTANTLY when Dion announced, "a quarter of the year is gone; how are you doing on your goals?"
Well, that word GOALS got straight through the morning FOG that is my brain and I jumped straight out of bed - LOL ;)
Seriously though, I am hugely excited about the first 3 months of 2008!
I had an article published in a local magazine (check here for details), I've already launched new products, new coaching programmes and am now doing AUDIOS!
Here's what a client said about one of my latest audios, Increase your Self-Confidence in 10 easy steps:
"I've been listening to the self-confidence CD and am enjoying it very much. Better still, I'm excited that I can listen to it over and over again!"
Get your copy at http://tinyurl.com/2bncn2 before the self-development products DISAPPEAR from my store forever.
CONQUER YOUR EMAIL
Are you spending an hour or more a day processing email?
WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER BE DOING?
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, 15 April. Only 9 spots left for this LIVE TELESEMINAR with the Organising Queen herself ;)
Read more and see if this teleseminar could benefit you:
http://www.takechargesolutions.org/?page_id=33
Oh, and I'm giving you a $10 disc.ount for one week only!
HOW TO BE A PROFESSIONAL ORGANISER
Are you passionate about organising?
Join in on the group coaching programme. You get instant access to the MP3 downloads so you can catch up. This is the ONLY time this programme will be offered at this low pri.ce!
You can check out the details and reserve your place here:
http://www.takechargesolutions.org/?page_id=25
Remember the survey some of you took in January?
Well, I'm still busy answering all your GREAT questions so this week's article lists a number of different ways to DEAL WITH OVERWHELM.
Enjoy the article!
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THIS WEEK'S ARTICLE
5 STEPS TO DEALING WITH OVERWHELM
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So many of you write in with this question: Marcia, how do I deal with overwhelm?
A few weeks ago, I was dealing with my own overwhelm.
I had many meetings day after day after day (which means you get behind on the office stuff), my normal business activities plus I had to re-write a LOT of the copy for the website. All on deadline!
Add to that the stuff of life like cooking and cleaning and gym and you can see why I felt overwhelmed.
Doesn't it feel good to know you're not alone?!
We all have our own stories but the FEELINGS are exactly the same - a sense of being out of control and a to-do list a mile long!
So what did I do to cope?
1. MAKE A LIST
I printed out 10 of my master to-do lists (in your welcome pack when you signed up to this list) because it felt like I had hundreds of things to do.
I used one page for each project - website, clients, etc...
The amazing thing was my imagination was much worse than reality because in the end, I only needed 4 of those 10 pages ;) Honestly, it does help to see how bad it really is, or isn't.
Here's that master to-do list - http://takechargesolutions.org/Master%20list.pdf
2. ASK YOURSELF A KEY QUESTION
When you feel overwhelmed, it's important to realise that "this too shall pass" and to CONTINUALLY ask yourself this question:
What is the MOST important use of my time right now?
Remember, it's not about being busy, but about being effective!
3. CUT OUT ALL NON-ESSENTIALS
Once you have the answer to that question, it's easier to cut out the non-essentials.
Let go of the minor website changes and the email responses to your blog comments. Rather answer only client emails.
When the busy period is over, re-look at those non-essentials and REALLY question whether you even need to add them back into your life.
4. FOCUS AND EAT YOUR FROG
Now that you know what is MOST important, switch off cell phones, email, etc. and get it done.
If you have to do a proposal for a company, do nothing else til it's done. That's so that even when your day is done and the to-do list is still half a mile long, at least you have a sense of ACCOMPLISHMENT in having completed that task.
Read more about Eat the Frog here
http://tinyurl.com/27tuz9
5. CATEGORISE AND BATCH
Once you've eaten your frog, and you still have energy, then categorise whatever's left and tackle those items in batches.
Take your to-do list and use letters in the margin, like P for phone, E for email, etc. Then pick up the phone and make all your phone calls in one go. You save energy because you prepare once instead of 5 different times in the day.
And THAT is how I dealt with my overwhelm.
Has this been useful for you? I'd love to hear what you think so I'm leaving the comments open on this blog post.
Have a wonderful week!
Love and (organising) success
Marcia Francois
P.S. Don't forget to check out the Conquer Your Email teleseminar at http://www.takechargesolutions.org/?page_id=33
P.P.S. Don't forget to check out the store at http://tinyurl.com/2bncn2
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MARCIA'S CLEA.RANCE S-A-L-E
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All the SELF-DEVELOPMENT products will be removed from the store soon.
So please go have a look at http://tinyurl.com/2bncn2 and get what you've been wanting now.
AND...if you buy any 3 products (downloadable and/ or audio), I'll give you the f-r-e-e ECOURSE of your choice.
What's available?
- Dream Life Kit
- Self-confidence MP3 and workbook
- Awesome relationships MP3 and workbook
- 8 secrets to success
- Who am I? A guide to discovering yourself
- And much, much more
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS MARCIA?
THURS 20 MARCH - 24 APRIL
How to become a professional organiser - Group coaching programme
http://www.takechargesolutions.org/?page_id=25
TUES 15 APRIL
Teleseminar - Conquer your email
http://www.takechargesolutions.org/?page_id=33
SAT 19 APRIL
Business Organising Intensive - spend the morning with the Organising Queen herself ;)
Read more here
http://www.takechargesolutions.org/?page_id=34
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