Relax Into a Refined Plan

A few deep breaths and an air of calm haven’t always been how I approach a new project. My early years were fueled by intensity and determination, backed by passion. These are helpful traits to access when entering a new chapter. However, a steady diet of intensity without a sprinkle of calm isn’t healthy. Like me, I’m guessing you’ve been there? I eventually learned that the addition of slow, peaceful moments is when the insights, ideas, and inspired planning come together.

It may seem ironic that allowing space to pause amid work schedules and commitments is what creates clarity. It’s true. Being open, moving lighter lets you write, think, and solve problems more clearly. Ease cracks open space for ideas to float to the surface.

This natural flow of ideas is what feeds your vision, whether it’s of next month or next year. The proactive choice to make time, focus on your future, and imagine what excites you draws you forward. And, when your day goes sideways, it’s your vision that brings you home, reminds you of your priorities, and the next step in your plan.

If you hold no vision, then you move at the whim of others. Your energy is drained by the lack of a cohesive thread or direction; it’s a road to nowhere. Don’t let reckless and random define your days. Instead, choose a relaxed approach to refine your plan and enjoy this next chapter.

If you're feeling the frustration of bouncing between what others think and dragging yourself across imaginary finish lines, it’s time to pause and take a breath. Refresh and reset. I invite you to join me in Dial Into Your Brilliance. It’s my new coaching capsule. I’m excited to be your guide as you define the next steps of your sustainable, fulfilling plan.

Beauty: More than a view, it's your door.

Instead of looking at beauty as an ancillary concept, what if beauty is a key to elevated, creative thinking?

Consider this mindset shift: Defining beauty on your terms isn’t a frivolous exercise. When you place yourself in your premium environment, it invites, allows, and encourages you to think differently. Why? Because you’ve surrounded yourself with elements that are genuine and meaningful to you.

Don’t settle for the cluttered chaos of other people’s definitions. When you claim what beauty means to you, you're not living in the land of wishful thinking; you’re immersed in an environment that sparks your mind and raises the bar on how you think, move, and operate your business.

Here are tangible ways to use your definition of beauty to shift into your full potential. See how this concept can work for you and how it has evolved for me.

Define It
Define what it is you call “beauty.” You can’t absorb its magic if you haven’t identified what it means. What images, activities, or experiences inspire you, bring calm, and clear your mind?

For example, being outdoors is my definition of beauty. I’m not hiking the highest peaks; I’m the trail walker and sunrise stroller. It inspires me, helps me breathe deeper, and gives me a fresh perspective. I’ve been doing this for years and thought it was just what I did in my downtime.

Once you define it, seek to create subtle, simple, and sensational ways to weave this inspiration into your life. For me, it means candle scents in birch, pine, ocean, and other aromas fill my studio. Photos and artisan decor representing these scenes are displayed throughout my home and office.

Taking this step will allow you to find more joy, renewed excitement, and calming fulfillment. Consider how this powerful energy enables you to think differently in your work.

Pay Attention to Your Passions
What do you love to do when you’re alone with time? I walk each week in neighborhoods and parks. I’m up at sunrise to witness the serenity of daybreak, and I take a lot of pictures everywhere I go. I also value quality, unique print products; magazines (yes, the ones you hold), stationery, cards, bookmarks, journals. And, I write, I note what I’m thinking, jot down ideas. All the time. For years, I considered these separate from business. Until now.

When Beauty Meets Business
A few years back, I was taking photos outdoors for our artisan gift business at clients’ home properties. This activity sparked a connection with another long-held passion, a love of print elements. After years of this creative current running under the surface, the light bulb switched on, and I began experimenting. I could use these photos to create postcards as a thank-you gift for the homeowners. They could use them as notes to invite others to come and visit. Suddenly (Well, this took years to figure out!), I combined print, artisan gifts, and photos to create a product, a gift for others - a meaningful combination.

The door in my mind opened, leading to new product ideas and expanded thinking, events, and collaborations. Now, it allows me to stretch beyond focusing only on traditional business topics to a powerful blend of beauty, brilliance, and business savvy - more of what I truly enjoy.

Moving forward, you’ll see the impact of this combination in my quest to inspire and elevate seasoned and savvy women in business.

Ask yourself, where do you see beauty? What passions are you overlooking that can add excitement to your daily work? How might these create opportunities to impact your business bottom line?

Practice weaving the work you love around the life that fulfills you.

Photo examples of how defining beauty, owning my brilliance, and elevating my business savvy moved me toward new ideas and next steps. Visit the new Collection!