15: Live from Toronto: Schedules + Workaholism

Black Sheep Podcast

When you love what you do, and are in the flow it can be hard to not work, but when does the scale tip into workaholism and unhealthy behaviors? We explore this in a candid conversation that led to Jes having a break through on air as Nicole coached her to remove blocks around an area she was stuck in that was preventing her from scheduling the final stage of her rebrand.

This is a great episode for anyone with challenges around schedules, working too much, and needing some coaching to push through. There is a ton of free coaching for listeners both – live on air and in show notes.

We also share an exciting opportunity for one listener to come onto the show for free coaching to launch her podcast! Email us: [e-mail] with your name, info on you, why you want to launch a podcast and links to your social media/website/etc. Learn more about this offer at www.livingblacksheep.com/launchyourpodcast and if you want a free coaching session live on the air email us!

And we want to hear from you! Give us your feedback in two minutes and score our Black Sheep tote http://bit.ly/blacksheepsurvey

Highlights include:

• Finding the right time to do certain time of work can help with scheduling

• Winding down from networking and being on is important and healthy

• “Being able to set your own hours is rally great but it’s not for everyone, some people need that schedule.” - Nicole

• “Even if you work for yourself you need schedule for when work needs to get done.” - Nicole

• “I don’t know that that means - work ending - that doesn’t have any meaning to me these days”. – Jes

• “The tricky thing is, when you love what you do, it can be very hard to know when to stop” – Nicole

• Sometimes life throws you a curve ball and you need to reset and start over and go back to start up mode and the “all in hustle” but the challenge is to know the indicators of when this hustle mode tips into workaholicsm

• “I love doing, I love creating and making things happen” – Jes

• “I love knowing that I will be uninterrupted. “ – Jes

• We talk about how we define workaholicsm and what gets given up in the exchange? It’s hard to prioritize and put more value on what needs to get done on work and in life.

• What can we put in place to help us mange our schedules, to dos and not slip into workaholicsm?

Free Coaching Exercise on What do you do when there is an excess flow of work?

1. After the euphoria of a new idea(s), the key is being able to see through all the steps needed to complete a project to know what needs to be schedule.

1. Create a list of the buckets/areas of our lives that we are focused on now (not all can be on the list)

1. What is everything you want to do in ach bucket, write it down.

1. Now determine how many steps are needed to complete each task identifying the complex ones that requires more time to be scheduled out.

1. Within those buckets what are the three things I will focus on BUT if you have taken care of step four you know that perhaps you can only have 1 or 2 things in that bucket because it is a complex project that needs more time on your schedule.

Looking at each item ask yourself, does this absolutely have to be done? And Will I grow from this effort? Whatever it is. This can be in your person a life as well. It takes time to schedule time projects as well as time with people but the key is to ask yourself :

• “Am I a going to grow or expand when I sit and talk to that person?” Am I going to grow or expand through the process of completing this project?”
• If I will grow from this- it stays on the list if I am not going to grow it comes off this list.

“Your brand is not about you, it is about your customer.” – Jeremy Bailey, Freshbooks

Your schedule is indicative of too much work on your plate when it spills over into your personal?

As yourself? What can you remove/take off of your plate right now? Or delegate?

If you want to hear more about making your list of your Tough Love, All Love and Just Listen people check out Episode 14: 3 Keys to Success – Risk taking, Failure, Being Vulnerable

Timing is everything and then it is not.” There is no such thing as the perfect time to do something, sometimes it has to be now.” Nicole

Jes allowed Nicole to coach her through her “failure to launch her logo” alongside the rebrand of the site.

This is a must listen for anyone who is stuck and not moving forward with a project (personal or professional) who can be coached alongside Jes

“Let go of the past and step into your future but there isn’t enough room for both to exist.” – Nicole

Coaching exercise to for when we are stuck holding onto the past: Write a letter from your younger self is writing a letter to her present self congratulating an celebrating you for everything that you have done.” Then you write back to her as a present self thanking her for ebtying she did to get you to where you are, say good bye to her lovingly.”

Its honest and real, we try something

“This is the time to take a risk.” Nicole

Jes sets the date for the completion of the this journey to rebrand JPD and release the past and step into the new JPD brand. October 12th is the date!

“I do think it is about letting go, you cant full step into something if you are two feet in the past” - Nicole

A take away for both Nicole and Jes and we hope listeners is to remind ourselves that we need to schedule time for self care, inner work, to address the feelings that are within us holding us back from taking action externally.

“If you want to get something done you really do have to set aside time on your calendar.” Jes

Listeners – what software or tools do you use for time management, to do lists, project management?

Coaching tip from Emily from @being when you are struggling to close the deal? Add $500 to the quote

Resources mentioned:

• FreshBooks Cloud Accounting
• Bullet Journaling
• To Doist