By Sharon Loduca, Real Estate Professional in Ontario, Canada

A habit I created and the process it took. This is interesting to look back on. Mainly because I used to think that creating habits, meant creating schedules, meant restricting free-spiritedness. I happily admit that is not the case. Forming habits, good habits, one small habit at a time, has turned my life around, it has given me back my power, and it has given me a sense of accomplishment and productiveness.

Creating the habit of starting my day with a focus on personal health and well-being has been a transformative journey. I discovered that dedicating the early hours of the morning to self-care not only energized me but also set a positive tone for the entire day.

The cornerstone of this routine is my commitment to rising before 6 a.m. during the workweek for a brisk swim. This daily ritual serves as a vital anchor for my overall well-being, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

The process of establishing this habit was not without its challenges. Initially, the allure of the snooze button and the comfort of a warm bed were fierce adversaries. However, I soon realized that the moments of triumph that followed each early morning swim far outweighed the temporary coziness of my bed. The feeling of plunging into the pool’s waters and the realization that I was making an active choice to prioritize my health was immensely empowering, quite honestly. Swimming at the break of dawn is also a physical challenge, pushing me to surpass my limits. Each lap becomes a battle against my previous records, a personal competition that fuels my desire for self-improvement.

Following my morning swim, I indulge in a simple yet satisfying routine. A steaming cup of coffee by the lake (sometimes with a book, always followed by a walk) becomes my reward, a moment of pure indulgence in the beauty of nature. The tranquility of the early morning hours by the water’s edge allows for a precious period of introspection. It’s time to set intentions for the day, contemplate life’s intricacies, and find solace in the stillness of the world just awakening, as dawn opens its sleepy eyes announcing the beginning of a new day. This brief interlude enables me to ease into the day and savor the present moment.  I wrap up my me-time with a simple and satisfying breakfast as I dig into my day.

The profound impact of this daily ritual is undeniable. It has allowed me to approach my work with a renewed sense of focus and vitality. The invigorating swim provides an ample supply of oxygen to my body, enhancing alertness and creativity. Moreover, the improved circulation brings about a sense of lightness and agility, which translates into improved productivity.

In essence, this habit has revolutionized the way I experience my mornings. By prioritizing self-care and embracing the simple joy of an early swim, I’ve discovered a means to infuse productivity, health, and contentment into the start of each day. The daily ritual is not merely a habit anymore, but now more of a celebration of the choices I make for my well-being, a source of inspiration that sets the tone for a fulfilling life.

Shall I say, there’s nothing quite as empowering as forming good habits

The post November 2023 appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Sharon Loduca, Real Estate Professional in Ontario, Canada

My favorite DIY Home Improvement or decorating project. It boils down to whatever is the most noticeable & most cost-effective means to give a look of tidiness, cleanness, and brightness.

My main criterion to get the most effective change comes down to this – the 4 P’s….

1. Paint,
2. Pitch,
3. Powerful Lighting,
4. Put it out of sight!

Because these P’s were the least expensive and the most effective, they have always been my favourites.

• Paint
  • light neutral colours on walls will brighten up any space and make it look more modern.
  • Old cupboard door faces, along with modern knobs can create a nice fresh look.

• Powerful Light
  • Swap out old light fixtures for new modern ones can instantly update a room. Most are easy to install.
  • If you like the fixtures, but the light is dull, use brighter bulbs. It does wonders for a room.

• Pitch
  • Other words known as declutter. Hands down the best way to both make your home look tidy and more spacious and, bonus, less to clean up on the next round if you get rid of it . Ooh, and another bonus of pitching, is it makes it easier to move furniture around, giving the room a fresh new feel!

• Put it Away
  • You know, for those things you just can’t pitch, they hold special memories. Find a place for it.  A shelf for display or a piece of furniture with drawers can help a lot.  A few simple floating shelves smartly placed can change the look of any room.

The best about these projects is a little does a lot. You can start with a room, a table, or a drawer, & see results relatively fast. These are small changes, but they will gradually improve your space.

One of the biggest benefits I get out of this is not only a fresh, clean, tidy space. But, in such spaces, I can think, work, and rest more freely.

The post October 2023 appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Sharon Loduca, Real Estate Professional in Ontario, Canada

When life throws unexpected challenges our way, it often leads us down paths we never imagined. For me, that path was entrepreneurship in the world of real estate. Let me take you on a journey of why I decided to start my own business.

My background in business management for both profit and non-profit organizations provided me with valuable skills and insights, but life took a turn when I became widowed and needed greater flexibility in my schedule to care for my three homeschooled children. Little did I know that this shift would eventually lead me to follow my lifelong fascination with homes and their stories.

From a young age, I was captivated by the concept of homes, not just as physical structures, but as vessels of human stories and aspirations. Growing up in a remote corner of Newfoundland, I watched my father, a brilliant man with only a grade 3 education, build his own home from the ground up. He hewed the support by hand, and he taught my brothers the value of hard work and resourcefulness. They invested in their homes on a weekly basis, using their paychecks to buy lumber as their cash flow allowed. Mortgages and credit cards were unheard of in that world. Instead, they relied on the support of friends and their own sweat equity to create their homes.

My move to Ontario as a teenager exposed me to a completely different world of home building—one dominated by land developers, builders, contractors, subcontractors, unions, labor laws, realtors, lenders, brokers, inspectors, and appraisers. Here, homeowners rarely drove a single nail into their homes’ frameworks. This stark contrast intrigued me and sparked my curiosity about the multifaceted world of real estate.

My journey into real estate was anything but planned; it felt like destiny. It all started with a piece of vacant land that I financed, followed by the acquisition of summer properties. Eventually, I found myself buying and selling homes of my own. My foray into mortgage financing was the stepping stone that allowed me to delve deeper into the industry.

I began to understand the concerns and pain points of my clients intimately. I was there for them every step of the way, from listing to closing, and years later. My clients knew that I genuinely cared about their well-being, which led them to entrust me with their home purchases and sales. That was the foundation upon which I built my real estate business.

In my business, I take pride in working closely with clients, lenders, appraisers, and inspectors. I help clients navigate the complex real estate landscape, offering personalized strategies that prioritize their interests. Behind the scenes, there’s a lot of meticulous work involved, but it often feels like creating magic—the magic of helping people find their dream homes and make significant life transitions.

The relationships that have blossomed from these endeavors continue to grow and strengthen, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of my client’s home journeys. From financing a vacant piece of land to becoming a trusted guide in the world of real estate, my entrepreneurial journey has been a rewarding one, fueled by my passion for homes and my unwavering commitment to my client’s happiness.

In conclusion, my decision to start my own real estate business was born out of life’s twists and turns, and my genuine fascination with the world of homes. It’s a journey that has allowed me to combine my business acumen with my deep-seated love for helping others create their own stories within the walls of their dream homes.

The post September 2023 appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Sharon Loduca, Real Estate Professional in Ontario, Canada

The thought of this still makes me chuckle. I had just transitioned from working full-time on mortgages to real estate.  My first real estate client was a lead from my broker. I knew nothing about them. My first phone call with them was a challenge because his accent was so strong. So, I had him come into the office. Face-to-face was easier anyway. But in this case, it was necessary just so I could read his lips and with my best guess of what he was saying, to take it from there.

He had his own mortgage broker. So armed with the numbers he gave me, we set out to see some homes.  Out on the first visit, he picks a home and we put an offer. It is at that time he casually mentioned he has plans already to go back home, get married, and come back with his deposit, a suitcase full of cash.  Aaah! What an adventure we were on!

It was like diving headfirst into the rabbit hole of the real estate world, where the cash system clashed with the money trail paperwork of our conventional ways.  It felt like I was in a whirlwind of learning experiences! Sure, I was no stranger to mortgages or real estate, but this client took me on quite the journey and taught me some invaluable lessons.

I quickly realized that I required a whole new level of finesse. I had to become the master of intense conversations and clearly written instructions. Follow-up? Oh, you betcha! I followed up on the follow-up. If there was an Olympic sport for follow-up, I’d be a gold medalist.

But it all paid off in the end.  After countless persuasive talks, I managed to convince him that bringing a suitcase full of cash across continents really was not the best idea. I really appreciate that he was teachable and listened to reason.

He did go back home. He got married and returned to move into his new home. In fact, he still lives there with his wife, kids, and her parents.

This, my first client, was an incredible adventure that taught me the importance of having the right people on my team. Reputable lawyers and mortgage brokers are like superheroes in this cash-clashing world. And I’ve been perfecting my client-handling process ever since. Constantly learning. Constantly improving.

The post August 2023 appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Sharon Loduca, Real Estate Professional in Ontario, Canada

I don’t think there is anything that no one knows. My life is kinda routine and predictable, and I have a reasonably consistent pattern. Well, mostly. Almost like the steady rhythm of the ticking of a grandfather clock, albeit with a few glitches. But there is this one thing that only a very small number of people know about me. I’m not even sure why I do it, but I do it. It’s such a seemingly insignificant thing, yet it’s become so ingrained within me.

I hold an unwavering respect for the potency of words. I guess it started with my kids on their first birthday. I didn’t plan it; it just evolved from a simple action that became a tradition. It began innocently enough, with heartfelt reflections on their past year and words of hope and love for the year ahead. In one of those moments, I was feeling rather philosophical. I felt in my spirit that the words I was writing could have a monumental impact. They were meant for this kid at this time. They would be fresh manna for their souls. I realized that these words held the potential to shape their destinies, instill confidence, and perhaps even kindle a fire of purpose in their hearts.

During one of those particularly sentimental moments, as I poured my soul into the ink of my pen, I was overcome with a profound realization. In the deepest part of my being, I felt the words were so impactful that they could become everlasting symbols of my affection and devotion to my kids.

For want of a better choice of words, I would say it became such a sacred purpose that I felt I needed to dedicate a brand-new pen that had never been used by me before. I wrote the living words. I clipped the pen to their card so that I would never use it to write anything else for anyone ever again. It was exclusively for their words. Exclusively sealed into eternity.

Over time, this extended to cards when they came home from camp, a card written during Christmas or New Year’s, and cards written for others. But whatever the event, to this day, when I handwrite a personal note of reflection or encouragement to anyone, I only use that pen for that select purpose, feeling a sense of divine connection to the words I am imparting.

I cannot rightly express the importance of this to me, the impact of understanding the value of words shared with someone, meant to impart purpose, value, respect, importance, love, compassion, and encouragement. It became a conduit for my compassion, transmitting the essence of my heart for them onto paper, in a way that would always transcend time.

When the words were finished flowing, I clipped the pen to each card, ensuring I would never use it for anything else, only for this sacred missive.

It is such a simple act, but it took on its own life and added depth to the life of the words somehow. Either way, it holds immense significance to me now. Somehow, it’s as if the pen’s exclusivity bestowed upon the words an everlasting power, sealing them into eternity and imbuing them with an indomitable essence. It was my way of instilling in them that they are valued beyond measure, that their dreams and aspirations matter, and that they are deserving of all the love and encouragement in the world. And that I unwaveringly felt every word that was written to them, for them.

My kids are adults now, but age doesn’t seem to matter. The words continue to flow. And always from a pen of exclusivity. These words of strength and empowerment continue to breathe life and meaning.

Ahhh, the power of the pen. To uplift spirits. Heal wounds. And perhaps from time to time even offer solace. The words it pens are just little ripples in the pond of life, spanning time, always living.

May there always be a pen around to extol the power of words that have the ability to penetrate hearts, minds, and souls. May you give the pen its due respect. May it always express sentiment, humor, compassion, and insight. May that pen always be an ode to the transformative power of words and the extraordinary potential that resides within every soul.

And now, you all know

The post July 2023 appeared first on Led Me to This.

The short answer to the ‘what’ would be to provide valuable assistance and help them achieve their real estate goals. The deeper answer, however, lies in the ‘how’.

For example: For a home buyer, it would be imperative that I understand their requirements and preferences, along with their budget constraints. Only then could I use my knowledge of the market to find them a suitable home in a suitable neighbourhood.  That would be followed by my ability to negotiate prices, terms, and contingencies to ensure they get the best deal and that the paperwork reflects that. After all, if it ain’t in writing, well, it ain’t so! 

If the client is a first-time buyer, my knowledge of mortgage options and incentives would be very helpful to this client.  Then there are these quality connections with lenders, contractors, inspectors, lawyers, etc. to ensure my clients are getting the best all-around professional care. With those pieces in place, I am able to support and guide my clients with due diligence through to closing time, professionally, accurately, and on time.

For a home seller, of course, it would still be imperative that I understand their goals. The process will be just a little bit different.

For example, a seller client would be requiring my professionalism and market knowledge to provide and explain a comprehensive market analysis of not only the current market value but the best marketing strategy as well in order to get them the best price in the shortest time. Sellers would also need to know the best ways to prepare their home even before it hits the market. Once on the market, they could depend on my reliability to be available to them and to potential buyers, as well as my negotiation skillset. They would be able to count on my ability to present the home in its best light, to widely market its best features, my timely communication, and my pristine transaction management. And then, of course, guide them smoothly to the close.

For a downsizer, it would mean all of the above, along with coordinating a smooth clean transition between both properties while transitioning them into a new community environment. My knowledge of financial planning in addition to having a professional financial planner on my team, is usually of great value to this client.

For an investor, it would mean all of the above, along with really understanding their business growth strategy, directing them to properties with the best income opportunities, and the best potential for market increase value. If they are new(er) investors, it most likely would also include guidance in securing the best tenants. Understanding how to redirect equity in existing properties would also be of importance to this client.

I cannot stress enough the ability to listen. Every client’s journey is unique. There will be that ONE thing that matters above all else. It is my job to learn and understand what that is and build their specific best strategy around that.

By fulfilling those needs, I will confidently know that I am providing valuable assistance to every one of my clients. They will have achieved their real estate goals.  Prioritizing my client’s best interests is essential to securing smooth closings, meeting objectives, and ensuring happy clients.

The post June 2023 appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Sharon Loduca, Real Estate Professional in Ontario, Canada

I consider it torturous to narrow it down to ONE person that I admire or look up to.  It is easy for me to, at first glance, look at some famous person and admire them. But all we really know far too often is a social-facing persona only.  That does not mean that they are not worthy of my admiration of course. It just means I don’t really know them. I guess what I’m saying is the depth of admiration for me would be equal to the depth of how I know them.  Indeed, it does spur me on, when I listen to a famous song or read a book by a well-known author, that was birthed from broken pieces, and I connect with it. I also admire anyone who has had the cards stacked high against them, yet, rose high above it, built a great life, and allowed the challenges to grow them.  In a world where everything we do in business and personally has a large online presence,  we “connect” with countless numbers of people during the day, sometimes in mere seconds. And it could seem like we know them. On another social platform, we get to talk about that ‘friend’ we have, or how many ‘friends’ we have, sometimes thousands of them. And it can seem like we know them.

Ironically, what I write here will end up online, on social media. And I do believe in all the powers and abilities we have, with great ease, to ‘meet’ the world at our fingertips, and to contribute to a whole society or touch one person, in mere seconds.

Life moves at such a fast pace and seems to accelerate continually. The to-do list is never-ending. We live in a me-ism society. We have so many demands to meet, and often more bills than money, and more pressures than ease. But at this very moment, I get to time out, turn off my phone, enjoy a coffee, shut out all the other stuff, and reflect on those who I admire, and perhaps even more importantly, why I admire them.

• I think of a very brave young teenager who had her own challenges and broken places yet went on to have 12 children. Without the help of Google, or wealth, living remotely, forging ahead on a daily basis, to build her understanding of home & family. How I wish she had the tools we have today to help her understand, conquer, and share those events that fueled her decisions and behaviours.  What I very much admire about her is how she forged ahead anyway. How she took what she understood to be best practices and implemented them; how she had such strong focus and determination. Without any accolades, or page likes, how she always wanted to do the ‘right’ thing. Not thoughts of it can’t be done, or why me. Just owning what needed to be done – and doing it. Not thoughts of what happens if I fail. There was no time or room for that. She just did. And kept doing. And obstacles might have been setbacks, but only for a season. She just always rose up. How can I not admire that?

• I think of a woman in a terrible marriage, living in a small town, where everyone knows everything about everyone else. I think of the oppression and challenges in her life. Yet, any time I saw her, she was humming.  She had a connection deep down in her soul. She knew who she was. She carried on doing her best to care for her family. She did it all, regardless of some really difficult circumstances, with a song in her heart. And it was so deep in her heart, she had to let it out. She hummed. Always hummed. Pleasant and kind. The circumstances were real. But so what the song in her heart. And she always let it rise to the top, and bring life. How can I not admire that?

• I think of a very young woman who was born with an every-looming death sentence because of a birth defect.  Every day in fact was a gift in real time. She never let it define her.  She was always watching out for the underdog. In those situations where life just wasn’t fair, she would come along, in her own quiet way, she would come alongside, like the Balm of Gilead, bringing in her own way, healing properties, any way she could, even if it was found in a bag of Cheezies.  Always the encourager. Always loving. Always kind. Always finding a way to make a difference. How can I not admire that?

• I think of another little girl. She lived a fairy-tale life, until a devasting death before her eyes, threatened everything she knew to be good, happy, and innocent. I think of how she had to rise up as a child and become an adult overnight. I think of the pain and loss and devastation she carried. I think of how she rose up to the challenges, and tackled them, as a child.  I think of every step she quietly takes today to build her life. I watch her zest for life, and her determination to live deeply, fully, and unapologetically. I think of her desire to help others along the way. I look at her passion for life and her humility to learn and grow, and all I can think is, How can I not admire that?

I can give countless examples of those I know personally that find themselves in difficult circumstances, sometimes born into it and sometimes it just finds them on their journey in life. I think of those that suffer from addictions, mental health issues, and deep anxiety challenges. I think of those that struggle to get out of bed every single day. I think of those that work long hours yet have more outgo than income and the stress never ends. Yet they don’t give up. They may have failed to accomplish what they wanted not for a day but for days that lead into years. But they are the most caring kindest thoughtful helpful people that I know. They continue to find ways to build functional lives. They show up the best they can, and every little success is a big win. They keep improving their game. They keep a great attitude. They are sometimes the greatest encouragers. With all humility in my heart, I have to ask, How can I not admire that?

Yes, I look up to every one of those people. I receive their kindness, their character, and their bravery. They are my heroes. They get up. They show up. They are kind. They care. They are my backbone. And I so very much admire them. I learn from them. They cause me to focus. To Grow. To not ever, ever give up.

In the quietness and sometimes mundaneness of their life, in the words of Vikrmn, they spur me to “Be the one for others who they can look up to; the one you too want to.”

The post May 2023 appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Sharon Loduca, Real Estate Professional in Ontario, Canada

Tell us your big dream in the present tense… to show up fresher, sharper, and more present every day. I’m really not playing with the blog title. Let me explain.

There is a lot to show up for every day – every single day. Life doesn’t really have an off switch. Well, it does, but by then we’ve already done what we are gonna do. I am keenly aware of the days (years) of fog, of just not being with it, the days of constantly feeling overwhelmed. When struggles with mental and emotional health challenges robbed many days of their quality. There were a number of very dark seasons in my life, devoid of purpose or reason.

To come to a decision that better days were yet to be written, when simply getting out of bed was a struggle, at one time was unthinkable. It seemed a nearly undoable feat to show up better every day: present, sharp, alert, and be my best for THAT day. In fact, I could write a few books in this area alone. I am really skimming over it all here because that’s not the topic at hand. But I became consumed with learning how to improve on showing up for life every day.

The struggles are real. The setbacks are real. We can stay wrapped up in a dark cloud for so long that the dark gloom becomes our normal. But my ‘dream’ really is to show up fresher and sharper. and a tad wittier ’cause life is already too serious, after all. My ‘dream’ is to do that so well that it becomes contagious, infecting everyone around me to challenge themselves, whatever that looks like for them. By reflection, my kids would consider it normal, to not only take hold of life’s obstacles, but to put them under their feet, and utilize them as a step to rise even higher.

You see, I know that if I just show up every day, in that mindset, good things will happen, and I will grow, my confidence will grow, and my knowledge and experience will grow. If I can show up at my best, I will eventually get better at handling the setbacks. I will spend less time wrapped in dark clouds. I will spend more time learning and growing. I will spend more time resting. I will become a better communicator, a better writer. I will become more compassionate, more aware.

I’m kinda stuck right now with this article. I’m having difficulty in short form conveying the depth of the darkness, which in turn affects conveying the importance of this to me. I am not talking about being a better performer, or a better conformer. I am not even talking about never having dark or challenging circumstances. Life is full of obstacles, challenges, loops. And the dream of being a better me… it is not egotistical or arrogant. It’s just that there were way too many days I couldn’t show up for me, hence, anyone else in my life. It was a result of many tiny steps that I had to repeat over and over again until they became a habit in my life. When I least felt like it, I had to learn to show up.

Yes, as a result of one tiny step at a time, many times over, I’ve gone on to build a life of structure and discipline; to build a life of becoming better at being available. Yes, I have a great business, frickin-amazing kids, the ability to conquer learning, the ability to better enjoy life. I guess I can say that there has already been quite a transformation, and I am pleased with the growth. Yet, after thinking about the ‘big dream’ … I know that I know, when I show up expecting more, usually more happens. Maybe not the way I was expecting, but even on the worst day, just showing up is a win, a big win. There is nothing quite like ‘being present’ to enjoy the good things in life that are already here and that are yet to come.

“Showing up is essential. Showing up consistently is powerful. Showing up consistently with a positive outlook is even more powerful.” ~ Jeff Olson

“The biggest gift you can give is to be absolutely present, and when you’re worrying about whether you’re hopeful, or hopeless, or pessimistic, or optimistic, who cares? The main thing is that you’re showing up, that you’re here and that you’re finding ever more capacity to love.” ~ Joanna Macy

The post April 2023 appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Sharon Loduca, Real Estate Professional in Ontario, Canada

At that moment, whatever book I’m reading happens to be my best book.  What makes them my fovourite is what I can learn from them, how they motivate me, how challenged I am to apply that knowledge, and how easy it is for me to understand. The most recent one was Your Next Five Moves by Patrick Bet-David.

I also believe that ‘business’ and ‘personal’ are intertwined. Mainly that’s because, whatever we offer in our business model, will still be infused with our individual make-up. It is what separates one business from another. It’s what allows our thumbprint to be on our business, sealing it as ours.

Patrick Bet-David flees the Iranian Revolution and lives for a time in a refugee camp en route to building his life in the US. You can be sure he learned a lot during that stage of his life. He starts his book with an understanding of chess players’ next moves. He quickly moves it from there to our next moves in life. our next moves in business. I know nothing about chess. I do understand that personal growth and business growth go hand-in-hand.  I need to understand tackling challenges and face fears and test solutions in my personal life in order to be able to apply them in my business strategies.

Bet-David’s five moves, you can read about for yourself, but here are the reasons why they connected with me:

1. Master Knowing Yourself:  This rings true to my understanding that our business strategies reflect who we are as persons.

• Master The Ability To Reason. Do you know where it is hard, really hard, to reason? Yes – in our personal life – with those who are close to us! But if we can learn to reason in our personal lives, what skills will we have acquired for business applications?

• Master Building The Right Team. It is imperative we have the right people around us to support us. We need the strength and support of our people. We will also find our best selves as we also learn to find our own strength and wisdom to support them. The right team reinforces us to be our best, strongest, wisest, brightest, and most authentic selves.

• Master Strategy to Scale.  What is this really, at its core? Learn to Grow. Then apply what you’ve learned to grow more.  In business we may hear those words as exponential growth, growth investment, raising capital & creating systems. This can seem overwhelming and beyond our knowledge skillset, particularly as entrepreneurs. However, the first 3 moves above set us up well to tackle move #4

• Master Making Power Plays. How we “power play” will determine our reputation and future business. It’s how we build our name. It’s how we tell the public whether they can trust us to honour our word and to stand behind our product or service. It’s how we tell them about our reliability and our stability. 

A lot of this is played out today on social media. So please, always think about your post and how you will respond. Always be thinking about how it will reflect on you. If you can control your narrative, social media will reflect it for you, worldwide, forever out there. This is powerful.

So back we go to Move #1 and dig in a little deeper. And, always, love what you do.

“The only thing separating us from greatness is a vision and a plan for achieving greatness. When you’re fighting for a cause, a dream, something greater than yourself, you will find the enthusiasm, passion, and joy that make life a great adventure. The key is identifying your cause and knowing who you want to be.” ~ Patrick Bet-David

The post March 2023 appeared first on Led Me to This.

By Sharon Loduca, Real Estate Professional in Ontario, Canada

When starting a business, there are so many things to watch out for. And, just saying “everything” will only serve to overwhelm you. Narrowing it down to one thing is a challenge at best .

One thing though – I’m going with “use your online calendar”. That, right there, would work fine, if I stopped now! This is the ONE thing that will help propel you in the right direction.

Here is my “why”.

Your “Business” has no mercy on your soul! It will consume you. If you let it. Your business can be a tool that allows you to live the life you want, or it can become your life.

No matter how much you LOVE your business. No matter how much you love your clients. Your product. The results you get. The money you make. Even your business needs “boundaries”.

Take time to think about all the things that are important to you: Family. Outings. Pickleball. The gym. Hiking. Clubbing. Hiking. Zen time. Feeding the birds. Study time. Sleep.

I’m a widowed mom who spearheaded three youngins into adulthood. I run my own business. And I love every bit of it. I am invested. Focused. Energetic (mostly). However, I found I wrestled with the amount of time I invested in business. I struggled with consistently being available for quality time outside of it. I would find myself exhausted. And grumpy. Extremely frustrated.

Fast forward to today, my gym time is on my calendar for 630 a.m. Monday to Friday. My kids, and friends, and colleagues, send me a calendar invite for planned events and get-togethers. “Add to calendar” is my favorite feature . Because I was so business focused, I knew if there was an “appointment” in my calendar I was gonna honour it. 

The value in this is inexpressible – giving the same respect and value to all things outside my business as business-related matters. Or at minimal, not letting business crowd out all the reasons why I run my own business in the first place. Just keep in mind that investing in all that defines “you”, is in fact investing in your business. Then, I assure you, you will run your business the best, and have the most fun doing it. So please, go “Calendize” yourself!!

This allows me to feel more aligned in my life – more balance. Less hustle. More focused. More in control.  And other things that are important to me began to surface more – spontaneity, and creativity.  Finding more balance, minimizing stress and burnout.

I get this is still easier said than done. You won’t always keep that appointment you set for yourself. But even then, it will remind you that you matter.  Give yourself grace. always. For what I cannot honour, I can at least acknowledge or reschedule, whether it be personal or business. The calendar is not in control. You are. It is simply a tool to help you process and define the memories you will make, the ladders you will scale. Use it to help enhance your life.

The goal is to find the balance that works for you; that allows you to pursue every one of your goals in a way that is aligned with your values, allowing you to live your most authentic life. And after all, isn’t that ultimately what we are all pursuing, what we all desire?

My friend Dolly sums it up best: “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” —Dolly Parton

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