Business owners have a serious obsession with productivity.

And, with good reason. Generally, more productivity translates to a better bottom line.

I have several tricks up my sleeve for creating more efficiency and productivity throughout my workday. These strategies have allowed me to accomplish more without increasing my to-do list.

But, I return again and again to my #1 productivity booster, which I refer to as the 3R’s:

Rest. Relax. Refuel.

Before I created YBBL, I was in desperate need of a change. I was deep into the cycle of “feeling like I always needed to be working”. Somehow I feared that my business would “fall apart” if I stepped away. 

I was working from the moment I woke up until I finally “crashed” at night. And, it wasn't even effective. Working all the time was making me less productive, less profitable, and generally miserable.

We all have times in our businesses that need more effort....

Hello Lovies!

2020 has been….

Well, let’s say that I am thankful that our little family embraced what we could and made the best of it.

And, it wasn’t all bad.

In fact, 2020 forced me to re-evaluate my need for “busyness”. I took the time to revisit my self-care practices and path for healing. If not for staying home, I may have skipped valuable lessons for which I am feeling grateful.

Looking Back

We started the year as an RV family, and in March, made the huge pivot by putting down roots in SW Florida. Beach time allllll the time!

And then, COVID.

I miss our travel lifestyle, but I am thankful that we were able to quarantine in the new house. We kept busy with “projects”:  painting, putting together furniture, etc...We got to know our sweet little town by walking in the parks and trails. Met our new neighbors and had a few great socially-distanced driveway meet-ups. 

Plus, time and stability allowed YBBL to blossom.

I remember the day our business crossed the eight-figure mark.

 We had arrived at the “pinnacle” of our success.

 Sadly, what should have been a joyful moment, seemed rather soul-less.

I looked down at my miles-long “to do” list sighed and thought to myself: 

”This is it? This is what I have been (over) working for?”

It felt...empty.

Looking back, I can see that I had lost my joy.

As our business grew, I let go of all the little experiences that buoy a meaningful existence.

Instead, taking time for joy became an elusive cat and mouse game of “if” or “when”.

There was always “something” that became the new priority.

I was so focused on the business and I failed to recognize that I COULD and SHOULD lean into creating the space for joy.

Why Is Joy So Important?

Such a happy little word, yet, there is an elusive quality in describing joy.

The definition, “a feeling of great...

Before business life, I prided myself on my commitment to self-care.

Movement was especially important to me, I would log several miles a week on my daily walks.

But as things got busier, taking time away to walk felt self-indulgent.

I tried to schedule walks on the weekends, but because I already had a backlog of “to-do” items, it rarely manifested.

At first, I was willing to forgo self-care because my business was a high priority.

In fact, I saw my “sacrifices” as a badge of honor.

I was a dedicated business owner, giving my all to see the business succeed.

But, the sacrifices kept coming until my entire regime of self-care practices disappeared.

My business was like a screaming child, demanding all my attention...

My schedule climbed from an eight-hour workday to ten, twelve, even fourteen hours.

If I wasn’t sleeping, I was working the business, talking about the business, or thinking about the business.

And, with all the stress,...

Welcome back, friend! 

I'm so excited to continue sharing my journey to overcoming overwhelm & exhaustion. 

So, grab a cup, and let's dive right in! 

In my last blog post, I shared from the outside, it looked like I had it all together. 

But on the inside—a whole different story.  

I was in the mindset of “doing whatever it takes” which resulted in: 

• long hours 
• me doing the work of three people, barely stopping to take a break

There were moments I would stop and think, “is it really supposed to be like this?”

I would wonder if all SBO's worked "all the time".

And, what was the signal that would like me know I could take a break.

Those important questions were subdued by comments like “great job" and "you're amazing" and "you are killing it!”. 

In reality, overworking was killing me. 

To make things worse, I wasn’t making the connection between the...

Well, hello FRIEND! 

Come in, come in. 

I am SO happy you are here. (Seriously!!!)

Get cozy & let me put on the coffee. 

I am excited to have a spot to share my thoughts...

and my overflowing amount of WORDS.

The hubs is SO happy I have another place to use those words ;-).

I am still a bit new to the blogging, writing, contenting thing.

So, a general disclaimer, please forgive the bad grammar, typos, and the like.

(I do my best, promise!) 

And, don't worry, I am a good listener too. 

I would actually LOVE it if you dropped me a line after reading these posts. 

Your experiences are meaningful to me, and I love getting feedback about my shares. 

Right now, I have a feeling your pretty curious about me. 

That's cool. I don't mind sharing. 

In fact, you'll get to know that I am pretty darn open.

My mom says, "WAY OPEN", like TMI all the time -- lol.

I can't help it. I'm just gonna lay it all out there...