Hi there,
Speaker:it's Sue and thanks for joining me for Tips and Talk
Speaker:Day. These are bite sized topics that I pull from community
Speaker:questions and things that I'm observing in the world of handmade
Speaker:small business.
Speaker:If you'd like to submit a topic DME over on Instagram
Speaker:at Gift Biz Unwrapped.
Speaker:Before we get started,
Speaker:I'm gonna share a secret with you.
Speaker:One of my superpowers is the ability to get an enormous
Speaker:number of tasks and projects done each and every week.
Speaker:I easily meet deadlines,
Speaker:rarely forget to do something,
Speaker:and know at the start of each day what needs priority,
Speaker:attention and action type A personality.
Speaker:Yes, and a follow through on the Kobe assessment,
Speaker:which should have given me the clue,
Speaker:but it wasn't until people started commenting to me that I
Speaker:realized not everyone naturally knows how to do this.
Speaker:It's the biggest single contributor to the growth I always see
Speaker:in my businesses without spending hours and hours working either.
Speaker:It's about focus and doing the right things efficiently.
Speaker:Prompted by all the questions on how I do this,
Speaker:I went about finding a way to help you perform at
Speaker:a higher level too.
Speaker:I analyzed my methods and formalized my process,
Speaker:which is one many of my coaching clients now also follow.
Speaker:You can use it too.
Speaker:It's all part of a tool called the Inspired Daily Planner,
Speaker:made specifically for gifters,
Speaker:bakers, crafters,
Speaker:and makers.
Speaker:Make no mistake,
Speaker:this is not your ordinary planner.
Speaker:First off,
Speaker:it comes with a video explaining my productivity strategy and the
Speaker:physical planner isn't dated,
Speaker:so you can start using it the second it arrives at
Speaker:your doorstep,
Speaker:and that's not all included for each day is a motivational
Speaker:or business building tip and plenty of space to capture and
Speaker:book in time for todos scheduled appointments and all those ideas
Speaker:that are now getting lost.
Speaker:You can watch the video for free and then get your
Speaker:inspired daily planner@giftbizunwrapped.com
Speaker:slash inspired.
Speaker:As an empty nester,
Speaker:life has changed.
Speaker:Of course,
Speaker:when the kids were home,
Speaker:my happiness was different.
Speaker:Soccer and basketball games,
Speaker:volunteering at the schools shuttling kids from one thing to another
Speaker:and dropping on the carpool conversations.
Speaker:Okay, I admit it because we're all in the same car,
Speaker:right? Those days are long gone,
Speaker:but it got me thinking about what makes me happy today.
Speaker:First and top of the list always is when I get
Speaker:to spend time with the family.
Speaker:We're spread all over the country now,
Speaker:so it takes planning and is always so special when we
Speaker:can be together,
Speaker:and then when I move on to thinking about day to
Speaker:day things that I love,
Speaker:here is my list in no particular order.
Speaker:First off,
Speaker:the birds chirping at four 30 in the morning.
Speaker:Yep. That's when they start over here,
Speaker:and it's such a beautiful sound coming from the open window
Speaker:along with a light summer breeze.
Speaker:I know I have a little more time to sleep,
Speaker:but often I just lay there enjoying the peacefulness nature brings
Speaker:and anticipating the day ahead.
Speaker:Number two,
Speaker:you might be surprised is cooking dinner.
Speaker:I know you may be grimacing at this one,
Speaker:but it's on my list.
Speaker:We subscribe to Hello Fresh.
Speaker:So the planning and shopping is all done except cooking these
Speaker:meals is no joke.
Speaker:It requires time and lots of pots and pans and baking
Speaker:sheets. A huge thank you to Michael who takes on clean
Speaker:up duty,
Speaker:but I find cooking to be a nice transition from work
Speaker:day to the evening,
Speaker:and the meals are always delicious.
Speaker:It's very satisfying for me.
Speaker:Number three on the list is my favorite place in the
Speaker:house, which is a little nook on my front porch.
Speaker:Our entrance has a long stone space that spans the front
Speaker:of the house.
Speaker:It's covered on top and sheltered by big evergreen bushes on
Speaker:the front,
Speaker:and in the very end.
Speaker:In the corner,
Speaker:I have a table and two chairs.
Speaker:Whenever possible,
Speaker:you'll find me out there with my computer or sitting perusing
Speaker:a magazine,
Speaker:maybe even with a glass of wine.
Speaker:It's my little private piece of paradise.
Speaker:You'll even find me out there in the cold covered in
Speaker:a blanket as long as the season will let me,
Speaker:I stay out there and the very best is during thunderstorms,
Speaker:which brings me to my fourth favorite thing,
Speaker:weather, drama,
Speaker:thunderstorms and blizzards.
Speaker:Bring 'em on.
Speaker:As long as nobody gets hurt,
Speaker:there's never enough snow for me.
Speaker:Although we get our share here in Northern Illinois,
Speaker:I've told the story before,
Speaker:but when bad winter weather is heading our way,
Speaker:I hear from people literally all over the world who know
Speaker:I'm excited and looking forward to a white glistening wonderland.
Speaker:While we're on the topic of weather,
Speaker:another one of my favorite things is doing puzzles.
Speaker:Have you ever experienced a wooden puzzle?
Speaker:Their laser cut and are actually real wood pieces that I
Speaker:get such pleasure in handling.
Speaker:Actually, I learned about these after I broke my wrist because
Speaker:it was a great way to do physical therapy in terms
Speaker:of movement of my hands,
Speaker:and from then on it was love of puzzles.
Speaker:Most of these also include pieces that go with the theme
Speaker:of the puzzle,
Speaker:so it's just really fun to put them together.
Speaker:This is my obsession.
Speaker:During the time when we are more inside October to May
Speaker:all year long,
Speaker:I also love taking walks outside.
Speaker:Okay, not in the rain,
Speaker:but otherwise sunny days,
Speaker:windy days,
Speaker:even snowy days,
Speaker:I'm out for a walk.
Speaker:The fresh air is grounding to me and I look forward
Speaker:to that personal time.
Speaker:Most often listening to a podcast or an audio book as
Speaker:one foot goes in front of another,
Speaker:I find it also a great time to get in touch
Speaker:with the kids or other members of the family where I
Speaker:know the conversation is going to be very long.
Speaker:Number seven on my list.
Speaker:Speaking of connecting with people,
Speaker:getting together with my girlfriends always leaves me feeling uplifted and
Speaker:joyful. Whether it's friends from high school,
Speaker:a dear group of girlfriends I met as the kids were
Speaker:growing up,
Speaker:or friends I've met through work,
Speaker:I always look forward to hanging out together and I always
Speaker:leave our gatherings feeling regenerated.
Speaker:We're already at number eight.
Speaker:I feel so fortunate to say that after 37 years of
Speaker:marriage, I still love being with Michael,
Speaker:and after all this time,
Speaker:we still honor Saturday date night.
Speaker:We both enjoy going out together,
Speaker:and many times it's just the two of us.
Speaker:We have one server who always comments that we actually talk
Speaker:and laugh with each other over dinner.
Speaker:I guess it's not always a common site anymore.
Speaker:We also really enjoy traveling together.
Speaker:We have our set system of travel,
Speaker:and I look forward to each and every trip.
Speaker:I think this next one is going to be a safari.
Speaker:I'm so excited.
Speaker:Moving on number nine.
Speaker:Okay. I was trying to decide whether I was gonna be
Speaker:honest and add this to the list or not.
Speaker:It's my guilty pleasure.
Speaker:I look forward each day to crawling into bed and watching
Speaker:shows like The Bachelor Survivor,
Speaker:dancing With the Stars and Grey's Anatomy.
Speaker:Yes, I do my fair share of Netflix and Hulu binging
Speaker:too. No judgment here.
Speaker:I'll just leave it at that.
Speaker:Number 10 on my list is the only material thing that
Speaker:I have here as a favorite.
Speaker:My Aura ring.
Speaker:Have you heard about these?
Speaker:It's a ring I wear on my finger that helps keep
Speaker:track of my health.
Speaker:It monitors my sleep,
Speaker:oxygen level activity,
Speaker:pulse temperature,
Speaker:so many things.
Speaker:Each morning when I wake up,
Speaker:I see based on my physical stats,
Speaker:how prepared I am for the day.
Speaker:Sometimes it says to take it easy,
Speaker:but most of the time I'm set and ready to go
Speaker:and I wanna know these things to keep myself vibrant for
Speaker:each and every one of my days.
Speaker:I have to add one more brand new bonus favorite to
Speaker:the list,
Speaker:and that is Biscoti,
Speaker:our brand new puppy.
Speaker:In all our years of marriage,
Speaker:we've always had a dog in the house or two,
Speaker:but for the last six months we've been dogless.
Speaker:That's about all we could handle,
Speaker:and I'm happy to say we now have a fun new
Speaker:furry puppy working his way through his teething and learning all
Speaker:about the world.
Speaker:I still find it hilarious that after I did his DNA
Speaker:test, he isn't any of the breeds that we thought he
Speaker:was not a single one.
Speaker:I can't wait for him to see the first snow.
Speaker:I started an Instagram account for him too.
Speaker:You can take a peek at all.
Speaker:The antics over at his Instagram account at Biscoti Tales and
Speaker:Tales is Ta A I L S.
Speaker:Now, why am I sharing my favorite daily life things with
Speaker:you? It's because I want you to think about yours.
Speaker:I found that once I wrote down this list,
Speaker:I gained even more pleasure in all the activities because I'd
Speaker:say to myself,
Speaker:this is one of the favorite things on my list.
Speaker:How fortunate am I write this minute to be doing what
Speaker:I love?
Speaker:And do you notice most of these are simple pleasures,
Speaker:okay? Not the traveling but the others.
Speaker:It's really true that the small things bring the most happiness,
Speaker:the things that make up our day to day minutes as
Speaker:we pass through time.
Speaker:By recognizing them,
Speaker:perhaps you'll find ways to fit them in more often and
Speaker:appreciate them even more.
Speaker:Here's to our small daily favorite things that put a smile
Speaker:on our face and warm our heart.
Speaker:That's a wrap.
Speaker:I'm a get to the point kind of girl,
Speaker:and this is what you can expect from these quick midweek
Speaker:sessions. Now it's your turn.
Speaker:Go out and fulfill that dream of yours.
Speaker:Share your handmade products with us.
Speaker:We want them,
Speaker:and they bring us both.