The Power of 30 Minutes

Productivity Hack


Setting a timer for 30 minutes has become one of my super-secret strengths. Sounds simple enough, but it's changed my work day from a reactionary snarl of endless to-do's into a series of powerful and focused chunks of time with a purpose. A start and stop. A way to measure success or failure. Interested?


Here's the scoop:

Determine what task you hope to accomplish - type a sale's email, finish a recipe, research a vacation home, whatever - this can be something you've been avoiding or just something that required intent attention that you simply haven't been able to wrap up. Sit yourself down and start your timer. You now cannot go anywhere or do anything other than your task at hand until that timer rings.

This is what I found once I started my timer:

- This works as insurance that no rabbit trail I accidentally embark on, will take over my entire day because my alarm reminds me what I'm supposed to be doing.

- It also tricks my mind into not getting overwhelmed with an entire day of activities because I "only have to focus for another 30min." Keeps things potent, focused, and powerful.

- This keeps me fresher for longer by reminding me to stretch, get water, give my eyes a break, etc...since I have a tendency to run myself into the dirt when working on a project.

- This rewards me with a feeling of accomplishment and pride when I'm able to totally get "in the zone" and I forget that I even set and alarm until it goes off.

- This forces me to think in chunks of time and attempt to break projects into bytes that require progress and decision immediately.

Originally, I was persuaded to try this 30min timer system after listening to an audio recording by Eugene Schwartz - old school, badass copywriter who deserves a blog dedicated solely to his life and techniques.

Comment below and I will send you the file if you want to learn more! Your next 30min could create something AMAZING!!!! Don't underestimate the power of your timer.

Pick Yourself Up on Monday

Beautiful Meltdown

You know exactly what I mean by that phrase don't you? Nothing is wrong with you. Everything you're feeling is valid and justified. Each ache and pain is legitimate and raw. The world has invited you to a stacked talent show and upstaged every hard-won magic trick you've got in your tattered little book. 

You're down. You're freaking OUT. None of your usual coping techniques seem to have any effect on your MACK truck of emotions that's freakishly accelerating toward unquestionable disaster. You can't seem to apply the breaks because there ARE NONE.

This is a Red Alert Freak Out. You could be hyperventilating, holding your breath, starving or overeating, yelling, shaking, sweating....

Sh*t just got bad. You could easily cross the line into permanent damage - to yourself and those around you.

Oh, you've taken that manic joy ride too?! Ok, here's my question:

What the BLEEP do you DO?!

This weekend, I had the rare delight of wanting to shave the skin off my palms just to chanel some of my internal torment OUTSIDE my body. I'll also confess strong desires to wield a bat on several occasions. ;) I also had a compelling urge to splash crimson paint over the interior walls of my house. (Don't ask why...)

Here's some of the emergency advice I've heard: 

"Meditate." 

"Go for a run - that always eases my stress." 

" Eat a spinach salad." (Because THAT's what I'm craving under pressure!)

"Soak in the tub."

"Read a good book." 

"Just acknowledge that you're exacerbating a frustrating reality."

All good, solid advice - pure to the core and very effective. But what about the times when you need MORE?! Like a super high dose of Anti-CRAZY?! I ended up just doing a ton of these type of things on this list - one right after the other. Normally any one activity or practice would alleviate the pain, but this beautiful meltdown took all the antidotes I have in my medicine belt. 

I don't know that my solution was the best response to King-Kong crisis, especially because it's not always physically possible to go for a run or soak in a tub when your psyche most needs them. 

I want to hear what you strong, beautiful people do. Please comment! Anyone out there conquered their meltdowns? :) I pray so!

Escape

Whew! That last section was pretty heavy, so here's a fun, stimulating new app I found this weekend! Couldn't put the darn thing DOWN!

I searched for "puzzles" in the iTunes store and rambled into this Myst-style, room-by-room challenge that hides keys, combo locks, and other contraptions for you to solve or assemble to escape oto the next room! 

Gorgeous graphics. Gradually increasing challenge (but never TOO hard!). ADDICTING! :) Play it on your tablet for best effect.

Here it is: Can You Escape

Try it out and let me know what level you get to! If you're stuck, I may be able to send you a hint, but shhhh don't tell! ;) 

Superhero UP!

A dear FB friend of mine Amy Kauffman (here she is with her blog "Amplifying Specs of Life"), posted this absolutely, show STOPPING motivational, Monday morning wakeup rally written by Daniella LaPorte! My spirit was giving Daniella a standing ovation after only the first couple paragraphs. Read! And then go forth and kick-butt, my friends! :) 

"I’m all for mental health days. And gentleness. And I think the world should take the month of December off. And, for the love of all things holy, a four-day workweek would revolutionize the collective human spirit and, thus, health care.

But this pep talk isn’t about taking it easy. This is about another form of self-care: doing whatever it takes.

Just got dumped? Lace up your runners and move your body.
Under the weather? Go to work anyway, wearing your favorite sweater.
Up to your earrings in deadlines? Go cheer on your friend. Show up at the bake sale. Call your mother.
Crying before show time? Put some tea bags on your eyes. Say a prayer. Enter stage left.

Push. Turn up the volume. Go hard. Go harder.
Re-prioritize your aches and pains.
Infuse your sensitivities with courage.
Tell fear to Eff off.
Devote to Done.

There are soul-justified reasons to cancel. There are times to just stop. This isn’t one of them. Keep going. Show up. Full on. Full tilt. Full out.

Decide to be one of those people who pull it off.

Do what you say you’re going to do.
Don’t let us down.

Decide to rise.

Why decide to rise? Not for the reasons you might think. In fact, these are the reasons that will make you sick and tired:

Do not rise out of obligation. Do not rise because of feared consequences. Do not rise because you think being tough makes you smarter (it doesn’t).

Decide to rise because you want to expand your being, your life, your possibilities.

Decide to rise because super powers are meant to be activated and applied in everyday life.

Decide to rise to explore your place in the universe.

On the other side of deciding to rise is illumination, ecstasy, insight. And the angel of your strength is there waiting, smiling, and applauding with a goblet of endorphins for you. Drink up.

When you transcend circumstances, you get special privileges. You get evidence that you are indeed amazing and irrefutable proof that what your heart and mind choose is what matters. And you get the deep knowing that life wants you to win.

Decide to rise.

Lean in. Listen up. Closely.
It’s your soul speaking, and she says,
Get UP! I need you. I want you. I am you. Choose me.
Lean in. Listen up. Closely.

Decide to rise."

-Danielle LaPorte, "The Grand Pep Talk," on Positively Positive

Monologue Madness

Presenting:

I made a total fool of myself. But it was all for a good cause! This week in Act Now Studio's comedy acting class, I delivered my very first.....

...Monologue...

I sucked. It's not that I didn't bust my lady balls practicing and prepping.... it's just that I've had ZERO prior coaching on  monologues specifically and am a beginner (gosh, that word chaps my hide!).

The class and instructor were very kind to me, but gave precise and decisive feedback confirming what I knew - imma total newbie!

So here's why I'm sharing this with you: I could see this "failure" coming from a long way away. All week, even after making serious progress understanding the reversals, antitheticals, point of view, and voice, I KNEW in my core that my best effort would still fall drastically short of my usual expectation of elegant, timeless....

...Perfection...

No pressure, right?! Standing in front of an inevitable outcome of "insufficient" and allowing my ego and mind to stay malleable to the learning process is taxing. Everything in me wanted to run away from the growth-producing stress and back toward the calm, soothing water's of Tara's Comfort Zone. But I didn't.

Nothing too earth shattering came of it acting-wise - that will take years of dedicated practice before I even scratch the surface of acting competency! - but I took HUGE risks and strengthened my humility muscle. Along with actively accepting life outside of the normal, the comfortable, the competent.

Pertinent pic shared by Shara and Nancy from the outstanding Queen of Your Own Life

So, how have you stretched yourself and done something that FREAKED you? Please comment below and share with us what's worked for you! :) Keep being awesome and I'll talk to ya soon!