One of the things I really wanted to learn how to do this year with my iPad was to create a digital planner. I am very much a paper and pen kind of person, but I am trying to minimize the amount of paper items that I utilize.
I follow K Digital Studio on YouTube and Kirstin does an amazing job providing step by step instructions switching to digital note-taking. I actually watched her class on how to make a digital planner on SkillShare, which you can try for 30 days free through my referral link here.
She teaches you how to build a digital planner using Keynote on both the iPad and MacBook. It was a pretty easy process overall with the most time-consuming piece of linking the slides back to the month and week calendars.
I created a blank cover for my planner and linked monthly calendars with the tabs on the sides. For example, here is my August 2021 monthly view of the calendar.
In Kirstin’s class, she teaches you how to make an undated planner, but I went ahead and dated mine for July 2021 – June 2022 in my own handwriting. Here are my daily pages:
I then exported the Keynote file to PDF and downloaded it to my GoodNotes app to use for the rest of the year!
My goal is to continue using SkillShare to learn how to make other digital products that I can sell online through my website and through Etsy.
Because this is my first attempt and I’m planning to use this version myself, I am providing a FREE download of the digital planner here:
Mindset matters and it’s important to figure out how to create positive shifts. I have had a lot of conversations lately with friends and family about mindset shifts. And I’m fascinated by the prospect that we have control over lives simply by changing our mindset about certain situations. Thoughts are powerful things and we can either let them run us down or build us up. As someone who suffers from anxiety, I truly do need to do the work of reprogramming my mind to worry less and recognize reality.
Now, I have done a lot of internal work to overcome this and I believe if I didn’t have such strong goal-setting protocols, I probably would be much more all over the place. Using mindset shifts, I’ve been working on getting rid of limiting beliefs that I think are holding me back from the potential I have.
When I talk with others about the power of changing a fixed mindset, I’m reminded of how much control we can take over our lives. So what exactly is the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset?
Mindset Matters – Fixed Mindset
As an educator, I learned about the work of Dr. Carol Dweck and students’ mindsets toward achievement. Her research looked into how students respond to different messages in terms of motivation and achievement.
In this EdWeek article, she talks about how we need to own our fixed mindsets in some way before being able to shift to a growth mindset. And that the reality is that we are all some combination and fixed and growth mindsets.
A fixed mindset is basically telling ourselves that it is what it is, essentially. My dad always says that and I just realized how that probably influenced a lot of his thinking and actions over the years.
Our beliefs foster our realities. I am truly trying to embody what it means to have a growth mindset during a time of great uncertainty in my life. How can I respond to the cues in my environment to make the most of my situation? What talents or skills am I not putting to full use right now to manifest the things I need in my life.
The writing of George Couros goes beyond the growth mindset to what the terms the innovator’s mindset. The example he uses about obstacles is that someone with a fixed mindset might give up in that situation.
Someone with a growth mindset would persevere despite odds stacked against them. And someone with an innovator mindset will seek possibilities and opportunities within and outside of the obstacles that they face. This is why mindset matters.
As I think about how this relates to my life and the people around me, I want to constantly seek new ways of thinking and expand the bounds of my knowledge. To do that, I have to be open to opportunities and willing to take chances. To do this, I need to work on my empowerment mindset and personal empowerment techniques.
I’m a work in progress right now, but then again, aren’t we all?
Have you ever had any automatic negative thoughts?
As a worst-case scenario thinker, I recently learned from my therapist that these are called automatic negative thoughts (ANTs). And that it’s actually quite common, so I’m not alone in these thoughts. However, if I let them persist, it can result in some not-so-pleasant effects.
Therefore, she said I need to recognize them in real-time and try to create strategies for my brain to stamp them out and get rid of them. I suppose it does feel good to know there is a name for these thoughts as they come into my head and I’m not the only one who has to deal with them.
My therapist used the analogy of these thoughts coming marching in like ants. If I let them take hold and build a nest, then more and more ants will join the group. However, if I see it and squish it before more join, then I can start to change some of my thought patterns for the positive.
It’s okay to have the ANTs, but the key is noticing it in time before it starts to cause more damage to confidence and create unnecessary worry and anxiety.
I immediately thought of the pink panther and had the “dead ant” dead ant” “dead ant” “dead ant” “dead ant” “dead ant” “dead ant” joke in my brain. And if you sang along to those words in quotation marks, you know exactly what I’m talking about. In case you don’t, check out the theme song and put the words dead ant to the beat.
So let’s stamp out thoseautomatic negative thoughts from our thinking. Keep in mind that I am not a licensed therapist, just someone who tries to take my therapist’s advice and apply it in my own way to my own life.
When automatic negative thoughts come rolling in, notice them, acknowledge them, and then find a counter-narrative. For example, if I think that the outfit I’m wearing looks terrible, I might focus on the earrings or bracelets that look nice. Or, I might appreciate something about myself to give me more confidence.
Stop the spiral. So maybe you let in one negative thought by accident. When you get a second or a third, begin to take notice of how those thoughts are impacting your beliefs about yourself and even your actions. Change course and implement affirmations instead.
Be realistic. Start to ask yourself what the reality of the situation entails. What if? What if? What if? By putting things into perspective, you can tell which thoughts are not serving you well. Ask yourself detailed questions about the thoughts or situation.
If you’re having trouble breaking these negative thought patterns and stomping out the automatic negative thoughts, then try some stress-reducing techniques. It’s a process that might take a long time to work through. Trust me, I am deep in the process myself. However, I don’t want to get caught up in toxic positivity either where I’m so far removed from reality.
And if you genuinely find something about yourself that doesn’t feel right, then think about growing and changing, and recognize that that’s okay too. You don’t have to stay the same version of yourself forever.
My new focus is purposeful productivity. I recently read another post about the dangers of toxic productivity. I’m all for getting rid of the idea of being productive for productive’s sake or for the betterment of someone else’s goals and ambitions.
Have you seen that meme about how U.S. workers will be in the hospital having an email away message saying that they can be reached by text while other countries will have an away message that says I’ll get back to you in a few months or eventually or never?
Well, if you haven’t, you should Google it. And then reflect on it because it really slaps you in the face if you’re a workaholic like myself. It makes me reflect on how we’ve been conditioned to think that we owe our entire lives to our employer or our job. There’s even fear of retribution if we have to for some reason call out or handle personal or family emergencies.
Fortunately, I’ve actually worked in a lot of places that have been more understanding of my situations than I have. Meaning, I’ve often been tougher on myself or felt more guilty about not following through if something came up. But, that’s life. That’s reality. And people and family and your personal physical and mental health are more important than a job.
There are many conflicting opinions on what people should have done with their time during the pandemic. Some advocated for rest, while others said it was time to learn a new skill or finally reach that goal. The reality is that we were all living in a time of uncertainty and every single person’s own situation was unique and distinct to them. There is no room to judge others for what they should or shouldn’t have done with their time.
So as I’ve been seeing more and more about the toxic productivity culture, I tried to think of an alternative to always just being productive. I thought of purposeful productivity and was excited at the prospect of coining a new phrase. But alas, Google showed me there were a couple of really awesome articles already written about the topic. One useful checklist includes ideas for mental, digital, and physical areas of our lives. Another post includes 35 strategies to achieve purposeful productivity in your life.
My reason for trying to combine purpose and productivity is that sometimes we can be productive for our own self-care and not just for the sake of getting something done. Additionally, I find that when my actions are tied to a greater purpose or “why”, my productivity actually increases and I have more motivation to complete the task or activity.
As I think about being more purposeful in my day-to-day activities, I’m trying to develop a morning routine to help guide my productivity toward my purpose. There, I set my intentions and my to-do list to match my goals. Here are the questions I ask myself for reflection:
Why am I doing this particular task or activity?
Who does this benefit? (Is it me or someone I care about? Is it related to paying bills and my livelihood?)
Do I need to report back on my time and justify my work to anyone?
Is this connected to bigger goals for the future?
Can I make this task more efficient or automated like a habit?
Even if I can’t answer one of the above questions, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s something I shouldn’t do. However, maybe it’s something that doesn’t need to be done quite at that moment or with a sense of urgency.
As I continue on this productivity journey, I plan to be mindful of my purpose and not fall into the trap of productivity for productivity’s sake. YOU are valuable and sometimes taking a nap or walking or building a sand castle with your kids is exactly the kind of purposeful productivity that you need.
A new morning routine takes work and dedication to create. Well, I’ve written before about some things I do each morning to get started for the day, but I wanted to create a more consistent approach. So this week, I set out to do the same morning routine for 5 days straight and continue to work on becoming the morning person I wish to be.
Habits are something that needs to be continually practiced so that you don’t lose focus or let yourself slide. Starting a new routine is about building habits that eventually become so automatic you don’t even think about it. The problem is that when you first get started, you have to break through old habits and behaviors.
This was my new morning routine the past 5 days:
Wake up around the same time and go for a 25-30 minute walk
Here are the 5 challenges I encountered this week as I started this new morning routine.
Resistance – Since I was getting up early than I have been for the majority of summertime thus far, it was a challenge to wake up each day. I’ve also been a long-time snoozer and have been desperately trying to break this bad habit. I did hit snooze 2 of the 5 days, so it wasn’t a perfect week, but a great start.
2. Time – Now, the reason this week made sense to do this new morning routine was that my schedule was a lot more open than it has been. I didn’t have any courses that I was teaching or anywhere I needed to be before 11:00am each day. It was a clean slate to accomplish my morning tasks. It was also a good test to get me up and out of bed each morning at 7:00am rather than sleeping in until 9:00am.
3. Accountability – Well, this one is super important for anything that you are trying to do in your life. The first day I was walking early, my neighbor saw me. The second day she said, “Hey, I’ll go with you!” Usually, she walks a bit earlier, but she waited for me to go and it definitely helped me stay focused the rest of the week. On day 5, I did hit snooze and I was a bit late so I didn’t like how I felt at that moment because I wasn’t holding up my end of the bargain to myself or to her.
4. Planning – I am a breakfast person and I do like to eat when I wake up. That is typically the first thing I do in the morning before anything else. So, this routine was to switch it up and get the exercise portion done first. Sometimes after breakfast, I don’t feel like going for a walk, and then as the day goes on, I continue to make excuses not to get outside.
However, when I came back inside this week, I didn’t have a plan for what I was going to eat and I was hungrier because I waited longer to eat. I did pretty well focusing on fruits, vegetables, and proteins, but I think next week I will think through what I am going to have for breakfast each day so I’m not scrounging around.
5. Motivation – I wanted to get this new morning routine started now so that when I start teaching at 9:00am again, this will be automatic. However, because I didn’t have any early commitments, my motivation to actually get up and get moving each morning was lacking. To break through this mindset, I had to remind myself why I’m doing this. I want to be healthier. I want to have more energy. Walking is good for me. The why and purpose of this new goal needed to be a constant reminder in my head.
Overall, I had a good first week and I stuck to all of the things I wanted to do each morning. I did sleep in a bit one day and snoozed once another, but it’s a start. Even small improvements each day can have huge positive long-term impacts. What’s holding you back from starting your new morning routine? Or, if you have any helpful tips, comment below!
Limiting beliefs used to run my life. I feel like the universe is trying to tell me something. Lately, everywhere I turn I hear someone mentioning limiting beliefs, including my therapist. So I took that as an opportunity to do a deep dive into what that is and give myself some strategies to overcome them.
So first of all, what the heck are limiting beliefs and how do I know I have them? I had to break it down for myself to truly understand what I was dealing with. First I looked up the definitions for belief and limiting at dictionary.com
So putting it all together, I realized that these limiting beliefs were confining opinions or convictions about certain aspects of my life. The thoughts such as “I’m not smart enough to deserve this degree” or “I can never have as much money as that person” or “This business idea isn’t going to work out even if I try hard so I might as well give up.”
I could go on and on and I bet if you think about it, there is at least one aspect of your life where this may be the case. Perhaps the limiting beliefs are not so obvious to you anymore because these are things you’ve been telling yourself for so long that you truly believe them to be true.
It’s one of the reasons that I started to write daily affirmations to change these limiting beliefs and start to create limitless beliefs and strategies to work through them. Here are some of the things I’ve been doing to help myself grow:
Look for Solutions
If my immediate reaction to something is “oh, that won’t work” or “that’s impossible” I look at the big picture and try to find solutions. Perhaps it seems like it won’t work or it’s not possible because I haven’t tried before or that’s the way I’ve always done it. For example, I’ve been struggling to lose weight. Instead of saying that nothing is working, I can reframe it and say the things I’ve tried haven’t worked. Therefore, what else can I try? Perhaps I need to combine some strategies and make them work in tandem to see the kind of results that I’m looking for.
Take Breaks – let it marinate
If I have lots of negative thoughts or limiting beliefs in a row, then I know it’s time to step back or step away. It’s easy to get caught up in the rat race of work, work, work, but that connection to a greater purpose needs to stay front and center. This is where I use strategies of visualization or go outside for a walk and breathe in that fresh air.
Recognize the thoughts in real time
This is a challenging one that I’ve truly been working on. It’s especially difficult when limiting beliefs have been such a part of my practice and I didn’t even realize it. I’ve particularly had a lot of financial blocks associated with what I thought I deserved or what was possible. So even though my blog hasn’t even made a full dollar yet, I’m taking any limiting belief or thought that comes my way and transforming them.
Now when I have thoughts about an action or activity or myself, I analyze them and decide if it serves me in a positive or negative capacity. If I determine that it’s negative or holding me back from greater potential, then I go back to the solutions aspect.
Write positive affirmations and surround yourself with them
Truly one of the most powerful things that I’ve done to break free from limiting beliefs is to write down affirmations. I have a goal of at least 3-5 per day that should be written. I also have cards posted in my office work area – “I am thankful”, “I am capable”, “I am valued”, “Anything is possible” so that there are constant visual reminders of that change in thought patterns.
My therapist and I have a goal that I will repeat my chosen affirmations to myself in the mirror at least 3 times per day. That has been transforming me to see myself in a more positive light as well.
What can you do?
This process is highly individual and requires a commitment to change. The first thing you need to do is recognize the limiting beliefs you have about family, personal growth, finances, professional goals, and prioritize the areas you wish to change.
Since I recently started my YouTube channel and blog, I thought it would be fun to share some of the inspirational YouTube channels I watch on a regular basis that have inspired me. There are a lot of wonderful, engaging, and informative channels that can help you learn to grow your channel, build your blog, and create content as well. Or, if you’re just looking for helpful information, I will share some topic areas and suggested YouTubers to follow. I’m not going to rank them in any particular order because it’s not content to necessarily compare since each offers amazing videos and helpful advice.
Productivity and Time Management:
The YouTuber who’s video inspired me to just put myself out there and do it, whether I’m ready or not, was Ali Abdaal. He includes videos on productivity, technology, and tips and strategies for a variety of things, including staying motivated and managing your time. There are tons of other productivity inspirational YouTube channels, but Ali is my favorite.
Blogging Tips:
I love going to Nakisha Wynn for blogging tips and strategies to stay motivated and make the most of your content and marketing. She releases a video a week that provides useful information about finding a niche and ways to make money as a blogger.
If you’re interested in learning about marketing using Pinterest, my go to resource is Shruti Pangtey If you subscribe to her email list, you get access to a free webinar where she breaks down content strategy for using Pinterest to market your blog.
Interesting Information:
I love to eat good food and a great channel to get healthy and budget friendly recipes is from Fit Men Cook. And the recipes are yummy!
Now, this person is newer to YouTube, but has an amazing blog that I’ve been following for quite some time. Anne-Laure studies neuroscience and provides really interesting articles about how the brain works and how to be productive. Keep this on your inspirational YouTube channels list!
The videos on the next channel never disappoint and no wonder there is a stampede following Kelly Stamps. Whether you want to learn strategies for YouTube, follow interesting vlogs, or get general life advice, this is the channel for you.
So in order to reach my goal of 1000 subscribers by the end of 2021, I watch videos on strategies to do that. A really helpful channel is Annie Dubé. The videos are to the point, super clear, and provide actionable steps to grow your YouTube channel. She is definitely one to keep on the list of inspirational YouTube channels. Annie also has a really helpful Facebook group and community of engaged YouTubers.
Creative – Etsy and Designing:
The first YouTuber I like to watch videos from is Alissa Rose. If you are looking to sell on Etsy and open up a shop, this creator has tons of helpful tutorial videos guiding you each step of the way. There are videos on social media strategy, designing digital products, and more.
The next YouTuber I like to watch videos from is Kirstin with KDigitalStudio. I recently got an iPad and bought the digital creating program Procreate. It is an amazing program and Kirstin has excellent videos on how to create digital designs on Procreate.
Study Tips:
This channel has over 1 million subscribers and it’s easy to see why. The study tips and note-taking strategies are so helpful and the videos are easy to watch. The channel I go to for study habits and advice is StudyTee by Therese.
Another helpful channel with study information is Estella with Study To Success. One day, I hope to have as beautiful an office set up. I love all the colorful products and it’s fun to see how to making studying not so boring.
Finance:
There are tons of YouTube channels designated for the stocks and Bitcoin, but the ones I follow provide a little bit of everything. The first one I follow is SaraFinance, where you can learn about affiliate marketing, drop shipping, budgeting, and more.
The next one is Charlie Chang, who has a large following on Tik Tok as well as YouTube. This is a great channel to learn about side hustles, investing, and other ways to make passive income and become an entrepreneur.
There are lots more channels that I follow, but I wanted to share some of my favorite ones with you here. Hopefully, you can find some useful information from them like I do. If you have another suggestion, drop it in the comments below!
I’ve been working with my therapist on reducing anxiety and helping to believe in myself. Despite a lot of success, there are still times when I think it’s not deserved or I worry about potential mistakes. I’ll probably do another post on imposter syndrome and it’s impact on my life, but for now, I wanted to share some affirmations with you all.
Why should you use affirmations?
Researchers have found positive benefits of self affirmation theory (Albalooshi et al., 2020). In a study examining the impact of affirmations on two groups – the powerful and the powerless – Abalooshi et al. (2020) found that those in their powerless group had improvements with inhibitory control. This is essentially the ability to control automatic thoughts that might be negative and change it to more positive thoughts of self worth.
By taking the time to change our thought patterns, we can create more positive views of our self. Additionally, we can use those positive thoughts to bring us closer to our goals and dreams.
Many days I use the “I Am” app to come up with affirmations. I like to do this in the morning when I’m having my coffee. If I don’t get to it in the morning, I choose some throughout the day to repeat to myself in the mirror and write in my journal. I thought I’d use this opportunity to share some affirmations that I’ve created for myself.
30 Affirmations
I choose to be happy and thankful for all that I have.
My life is worthy of love.
I accept who I am.
Abundance is coming to me in all aspects of my life.
I am healthy, blessed, and loved.
Wealth and love are arriving in full bloom.
I am beautiful beyond comparison.
I am whole and complete.
New opportunities are on the horizon for me.
I can achieve anything that my mind envisions for myself.
I am grateful for my friends and family who believe in me no matter what.
No matter the goal, I will be able to reach it with hard work and dedication.
My life is blessed and treasured.
There are so many wonderful things in store for my future.
I am enough.
I am important.
My worth is not determined by material things.
The world is calling me to a life of happiness.
True love and abundance is on its way to me.
Nothing is impossible and I matter.
I am worthy of a successful career.
I deserve to love and be loved unconditionally.
I will protect my thoughts from negative interference.
My goals are attainable and realistic.
I am destined to have an abundant and full life.
I have a thankful heart for the many blessings in my life.
All that I do is for a better future.
My positive attitude will help me achieve great things.
Nothing can stand in my way when I believe in myself.
There is beauty in my surroundings.
If you are visual, here is a short YouTube video to use each morning!
Sources:
Albalooshi, S., Moeini-Jazani, M., Fennis, B. M., & Warlop, L. (2020). Reinstating the resourceful self: when and how self-affirmations improve executive performance of the powerless. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 46(2), 189-203.
I truly believe one of the biggest things that has held me back from achieving goals, or at least achieving them as quickly as I could have, has been fear of failure. This is human nature to want to succeed and not look stupid or be embarrassed by a less than desirable outcome of something.
But I have to wonder, how many times has fear of failure stopped me from doing something great or finding a new passion or hobby to enjoy? I recently read Hello Fears by Michelle Poler, which I do recommend as a positive self growth opportunity. She documents her 100 days of facing down different fears from dancing in Times Square to speaking at a TedX conference. In her story, she breaks down different emotions and feelings she had to go through to conquer each of her fears.
Fear of failure is also known by the name atychiphobia. This may be an unwillingness to try anything new unless it is guaranteed to be a success. Sometimes this is tied to another psychological phenomenon known as imposter syndrome. It makes it challenging to feel as though you deserve something or that you will be good enough at whatever it is that you need or want to do.
Why do people have a fear of failure?
Some people grow up in households where they are not supposed to show imperfections or are held to super high standards. Everything is expected to be perfect and anything less than that is unacceptable. This could be something an adult has shown them or some internal pressure placed on themselves.
Other reasons people are afraid to fail include potential shame or embarrassment that may come from not reaching a goal. They may place a lot of emphasis on what others think or have fear of failure accompanied by anxiety.
Perhaps you’ve been knocked down many times in the professional world when you’ve tried to express your ideas. This could be a block to further wanting to share ideas or come up with new innovative ways to do things.
Lots of successful people failed many, many times on their path to success. It is not always a linear process, but many times filled with ups and downs that teach lessons. One of the most famous examples is the inventor of the lightbulb, Thomas Edison, who failed 1,000 before making the lightbulb function and work.
Have you ever heard of Harry Potter? Chances are you have because between the books and the movies, JK Rowling has made over $15 billion. It’s an international sensation, but was rejected 12 times at first.
Oprah Winfrey had a television gig that did not go so well where she faced challenges and was ultimately fired from that position. She didn’t give up and went on to have her own talk show and is a billionaire.
I could go on and on. Think of a famous person who you admire and respect. Do some research about their background. Chances are if they started a business, wrote a book, or starred in a movie, somewhere along the way they faced rejection and failure. The key is they did not let that stop them from pursuing their dreams.
Moral of the story? Failure is a step to growth so even if we might fail, we have to try. If we never try, then we’ll never know if we could have run that marathon, finished that degree, or started that new business. It will always be a “what if?”. How many what if’s do you have and what can you change moving forward?
I find that my mental health and productivity is directly tied to my physical environment. When it’s cleaner and more organized, I am in a better mood and get more done. When I’m down, I’m less likely to clean or put clothes away, and the cycle may perpetuate. I thought it was time to spruce up my bathroom for spring.
My favorite addition to my bathroom for spring cleaning was my new shower curtain. I got mine at Ollie’s bargain outlet for about $3.99 so it was a great deal!
I’m loving this new vibe and I’m so excited for spring! Time to move on to the office!
Tracy Dee Tips 