Timely Observations
Am I making good use of my time? Am I in need of an audit to whip my hours into shape? One author recently found her purported 60+ hour work week and 6 hours of sleep a night were easily corrected by being honest with where she spent her time. She found she could easily accomplish all her work in 45 hours and have her 8 hours of sleep a night with a little discipline. The data geek inside me is screaming for the opportunity to track, measure and audit my time choices for a week. Anyone else up for the challenge?
Writing and creating for WELL in L.A. is an absolute joy, but it undeniably takes a dedicated portion of time each day. Enter the days when life is or seems so busy that writing is a futile effort (hello picture-filled post!). When I feel the onset of a writing or creative block, I know it’s because I’m not making enough time to experience life. Conversely I’d love to say I’m so busy I simply don’t have the time, but that would be a lie. I know the hour a day exists if I really want it to be a priority. Skipping yoga to write a blog post has happened more times than I care to admit and it’s my own fault for not managing my time well. So how does this girl keep it all together (I’ll share the full secret when I figure it out!)?
When I feel compelled to write a post, but I can’t find the words, I turn to my photo collection for visual candy to develop a full-fledgesd story. I share bright colors because they remind me to eat foods in every hue. Events, places, details and life as I know it in L.A. are intended to share a slice of joy with you. Perhaps photos seem like an unusual source of inspiration for a wellness writer. Honestly the beauty and imperfections captured in photos and experienced in every day life leads me to cherish it more. Photos remind me to live a a life firmly rooted in wellness. I want to feel, experience, breathe and soak up every moment. Life is too short to do anything less.
For other writers and creative-types reading this site, I’d love to know how you keep the fire fueled for your pursuits. How do you overcome blocks? Manage the time (especially if you have a day job, too)?
P.S. My new favorite tea spot also offers yoga. See the last block of photos for all the free yoga details.
Dream Big: Nailah Blades
Last fall while attending a Creative Connection event in Los Angeles I had the pleasure of meeting Nailah of Polka Dot Coaching. We talked about our love of coaching, creativity and being women who make their own paths in life. I secretly hoped we would be friends upon meeting her. I was absolutely floored and honored when she asked me to speak on the topic of wellness at her upcoming Fierce Leadership Summit (but your tickets using the link and code on the right!!). Nailah and I have had fun getting to know each other better this year, from attending events together and volunteering to sharing a meals and inspiring conversations.
Meet Nailah. Get to know her passions, which include helping you make a plan for your big goals and dreams happen. Find more inspiration by ‘liking’ Polka Dot Coaching on Facebook and following @NailahBlades on Twitter.
Why you should know Nailah Blades:
I’m a certified Life Purpose Coach and I help women in their 20’s and 30’s sweep away their head trash and uncover their true passions – by breaking down queen-sized dreams into bite-sized goals. I work with women who are looking to uncover their passions, budding entrepreneurs who need help clarifying the business start-up process and visionary women who are stuck in the overwhelm of their big idea.
Right now I’m working on the Fierce Leadership Summit, which is a unique, in-person event for young women who are ready to completely dominate their lives. I’m bringing women from across the Los Angeles area together to harness the power of their unique talents & strengths and become more powerful, authentic leaders. I have 9 incredible speakers lined up – one of them is Erin!! – whose expertise ranges from entrepreneurship to relationships to personal finance. The purpose of the Summit is to learn what it takes to step fully into your power and become the fierce woman you were born to be.
What are your big dreams in life?
Wow – this is a huge question! I am a big believer in the power of women. I think that we literally have the ability to change the world. But too often we doubt our abilities and play way too small. My big dream is to become a force to help women and girls recognize their full greatness. I want to provide resources and tools and support for women who are ready to acknowledge that greatness. The Fierce Leadership Summit is a step in that direction for me.
When will you feel like you’ve succeeded?
Omigod, yes! I could have never imagined that I would be where I am right now a year ago. I believe that success is deeply personal. If you measure your success by someone else’s standards, you’re bound to always feel like you’re playing catch-up. I already feel like I’ve succeeded and I know that I’ll continue to surpass my expectations. It’s definitely all about the journey!
Define wellness:
Wellness is doing what it takes for you to feel your absolute best. If I exercise and get enough sleep and drink enough water I feel strong enough to tackle all of the things on my plate. When I let my wellness slide I begin to feel sluggish, which is not helpful when you have a lot going on. I’m always trying to add new things to my wellness routine but I have to be careful that I don’t go overboard and push myself to some crazy extreme! Everything in moderation, right?
How do you take care of you?
I run 4 times a week and I do yoga regularly. Both are really essential in keeping my stress levels down and keeping my creative engines going. I’ll be honest, I have a terrible diet! I just really love carbs. Like bad carbs, not the wholesome brown carbs. For years, I convinced myself that I can just make up for my diet with exercise but I’m realizing that isn’t the case. So I am actively trying to balance my diet a bit more. My main focus is to eat whole, healthy foods. I also recently got a juicer, which has been helpful in adding fruits and veggies to my diet.
How do you structure your day?
I create themes for my days. Some days are marketing days, some days are writing days and some days are more client-focused. I also ask myself what are the 3 most important things I need to work on each day and focus on those. If I get them done, great, I can move on to something else. One of the things I noticed when I first started coaching full-time was that I underestimated how long it would take to do most things. As a result I would jam-pack my to-do list with tasks and would be disappointed when I didn’t get everything done. Feverishly checking tasks off of a list wasn’t fun and it wasn’t what I had built my business to do. I block everything off in my calendar. For example, I block 2 hours off in my calendar for writing each day. That way I don’t waste time deciding what to work on and can just dive right in each day. Lastly, I recognize that some things are not going to get done. When you’re busy, you have to be ok with letting some things slide.
Give us a sense of your work/creative environment.
My office space is surprisingly clean! It’s difficult for me to concentrate if there is a ton of clutter around so I do a good job at keeping my space neat. It also helps that my office is a husband-free zone. I suspect he contributes to a fair amount of the clutter in our home!
Tell us about your perfect day – start to finish.
My perfect day would involve lots of laughter, a few bottles of wine, my husband and my closest family & friends.
Who would leave you star-struck?
I love people with bigger than life personalities. I would be totally star-struck if I met someone like Kanye West or Richard Branson. It would also be cool to sit down with Oprah and pick her brain a little bit. I like learning more about people who are leading remarkable lives.
A quote that best describes your outlook on life:
Jump in. Feet First! You can think and muse and research till the cows come home but sometimes that best thing to do is just jump in. I try to live my life that way. Heck, I even have it tattooed on my foot!
Share a secret with us!
I am more than a little ashamed at the sheer amount of trashy, terrible reality TV I watch. I don’t know what it is, I just get hooked on those shows. It’s my guilty, guilty pleasure.
[banner image source from Flickr; all other photos courtesy of Nailah Blades]
Royal Tea Time
One of the biggest challenges for this year has been the ongoing goal to simplify life. To not over-commit myself, learning to say “no” and really focusing on my big dreams in life. In the last few weeks it’s meant writing a few less posts for WELL and choosing to take a yoga class, go for a bike ride or create a healthy dinner in the evening hours. It’s also meant slowing down to savor our time time with loved ones and friends, and making them a priority.
One of my favorite ways to slow down is over a great cup of tea. It’s not a drink to rush. It’s about sipping, enjoying its benefits, letting its warmth envelope you and detecting all the layers artfully blended. On Sunday my friend Simone and I enjoyed the Royal T house special (black tea blended with rose petals and soymilk) and a tower filled with nibbles containing just the right amount of wrong: portobello and red pepper panini comfortably nested below brownie bites and fresh fruit. If you haven’t been to Royal T it’s a “L.A. must”. It offers a wide array of conversation starters if you ever needed any. It’s a Japanese-style tea house that blends music, food, art and the very light-hearted cosiplay style of attire (you’ll know what I mean when you see the servers). Wandering through its spaces, looking at the art and enjoying the offerings in the gift shop makes for a very fun experience. Plus there’s the amazing tea!
I’d love to know how you slow down and spend time with friends – what’s your favorite way to make the time linger as you catch up, connect and nurture your friendship and soul? I love a long hike, an evening shared over a bottle of wine and I’m obviously up for a cup of tea any time you like!
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