Living Intentionally Personal Growth

Change it up

May 2, 2014

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Yesterday, I was talking to Michael about a parenting struggle I was having and I asked for his thoughts on the subject. His response was refreshing (as it so often is). He suggested changing up my approach and trying something new.

Those words were a wonderful reminder for me.

Sometimes things are so close to our hearts we have a hard time realizing when we are in a rut. We loose all track of time and common sense and we just keep thinking what we are doing SHOULD work, so we just keep doing it.

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Entrepreneurship Living Intentionally

5 tips to make the most of your time

April 29, 2014
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Philter Coffee, Kennet Square, PA

As you may know, Claudia and I are expecting baby #2 in about one month, (Wow! That sounds soon!) and this momentous occasion got me thinking about a lot of things. Not the least of which is how I can make the most of my time before the baby arrives.

Reflecting on how I’ve been getting my best work done, I realized there are a handful of tips and strategies that I rely on pretty heavily. They’re not original to me, but I wanted to share what’s been working in hopes that it might help you.

Here they are:

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Entrepreneurship Living Intentionally Personal Growth

Simple vs. complicated

April 25, 2014

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Instagram has opened my eyes to the power of simplicity. It forces people to get their message across through one picture (and a few words) at a time. Either their message is clear, or it’s not. Simple.

Businesses and blogs are comparable to big Instagram accounts. Either the message of what the business/blog is all about is clear or it’s not. Simple.

What is challenging is having the perception to know whether your message is simple or complicated and then actually doing the simplifying.

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Living Intentionally Personal Growth

7 podcasts I listen to every week

April 22, 2014

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I love podcasts. They were the main thing that set my life on the course that I’m now on – living more intentionally, big dreams and goals, personal growth, and entrepreneurship.

While I find myself listening to fewer podcasts and reading and listening to more books than a few years ago, I still love podcasts and listen to them regularly.

Over the past few years, podcasting has really exploded and there are more to choose from than ever which is great. That being said, I still come back to the same handful of podcasts each week even as I try new ones out.

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Living Intentionally Personal Growth

5 reasons to play the hand you’ve been dealt

April 15, 2014

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At times, I think we all wish that our circumstances were different. Perhaps we didn’t get the house we wanted, or our business isn’t doing as well as we hoped. It can be so easy to wish we had been dealt another hand in life.

Growing up, my family used to go to a cabin every year with my cousins. It was something I looked forward to all year. One of the things we did as we got older was play the card game Rook.

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Living Intentionally Personal Growth

I miss Zig Ziglar

April 11, 2014

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When you are doing something different, it is so very encouraging to know and connect with other people who are doing different things as well. In fact, it is quite necessary if you intend to continue doing what you set out to do!

When we first set out to change our lives and start our own business, one of our greatest inspirations was Zig Ziglar. We listened to his audiobooks like crazy. This man had enthusiasm that was as contagious as the flu! You couldn’t help but smile while listening to his voice.

I would often find myself thinking, “Well, if Zig can keep doing what he is doing, than I can keep doing what I am doing!”

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Living Intentionally Personal Growth

This song will inspire you to move forward

April 8, 2014

Fears, doubts, and insecurities. We all have them. We have thoughts like, “I don’t know how it’s all going to work out.” Or, “What if I’m not good enough and can’t do it?” Or simply, “I just want to give up…”

It’s what we do with those emotions, those thoughts and voices that makes all the difference.

Do we let them paralyze us or scare us back into our shell?

Sadly, this is what most people do.

Today, I want to share a song with you that will inspire you to not be one of those people. Rather, be someone who moves forward in spite of your fears and doubts.

Here is the song (the lyrics are below):

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Entrepreneurship Living Intentionally Personal Growth

Help, my spouse is an entrepreneur!

April 4, 2014

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Entrepreneurship and marriage. I find both to be awesome. Blending them together well, however, can be the tricky part.

I can’t tell you how many people we have met since jumping into the entrepreneurial world that struggle with this issue.

One spouse may be passionate about entrepreneurship and one isn’t, or the business is sucking all the time and the life right out of a marriage. Whatever the issues may be, this is obviously a hot topic and one that needs attention.

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Entrepreneurship Living Intentionally Personal Growth

You really give me no choice

March 31, 2014

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Change makes us feel uncertain, uncomfortable, and sometimes frightened (especially big change). We’re creatures of habit and we like comfort, so most people either never make big changes, or put them off for years and years.

While I certainly haven’t made all the changes in life that I want to (who has?), I have recently been able to successfully make two major changes. Changes that scared the living daylights out of me!

They were: quitting my job to start a business and deciding to stop waiting for the “perfect time” to start a family.

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