When I started Harts & Pearls, I didn't have a goal, I didn't have a business plan, and I didn't have any money. Looking back I believe the main reason I succeeded that first year was I felt I had no other choice and I had enormous faith/belief that I could give myself and that sweet baby a better life.

Over the years as H&P has grown and developed, I have of course implemented goals and became very clear on my plan and the vision I see.

The biggest change for me and my business came about 15 months ago when for the first time I was taught the importance of schedule and meticulously sticking it. Because I am a very creative person - my brain naturally likes to go with the flow and I am not a huge planner. I also felt like I was being told what to do by my calendar and there was a part of me that didnt like that at all.

When I was first introduced to putting every little thing into my calendar - I didn't stick to it. It seemed boring and I felt like someone was telling me what to do. I had my calendar full with my morning to night routine: Wake up, shower, eat breakfast, take Hartley to school, morning devo, prayer, emails, meetings etc..for over a year before I began truly implementing this idea.

I am still not that great at it. Some days I am right on and the next I get way off - the main thing is I have made progress and I am aware that I still have a plenty of room to grow. If you happen to be anything like me and struggle with the feeling of being managed and/or told what to do here is a couple things that may help you: 

I remember telling a mentor of mine that part of me hated living by the calendar because I didn't feel like I had the freedom to do what I wanted... At the time I was a single mom and I loved being able to pick Hartley up from school early one day or just take her to the park at any moment. I loved the freedom of what my stay at home business created....Her response and our conversation are what change my perspective. 

She said, "Desiree' are you the one making your calendar?"

Me: "Yes"

Her: "Are you scheduling in family time, down time, play time etc."

Me: "Yes"

Her: "Great! Here is what you gotta do. You can still pick up Hartley early from school or take her to the park, zoo, or whatever you want...This is how you do it -- You schedule it in your calendar! The difference between an average business owner and the most successful business owners is they stick to a schedule. If you want to pick Hartley up early from school, every other Wednesday put it in your calendar!  If you want to have a girls day out -- once a month put it in your calendar. Scheule it and take the entire day off and just play. The difference between elite performers and average performers is they plan every area of their life. An average business owner randomly wakes up when they want -- they wake up and if they feel like taking their kids late to school they do. An average business owner will get in a hard spot in their day and to procrastinate they get on social media and space out or just end their day early. It is the elite that do not allow their "in the moment" feelings to take over their day. Elite performers plan for their days-off, their vacations, and each part of their work day -- everything goes in their calendar and they stick to it."

Holy moly that was a mind bomb for me. It made complete sense to me and I began planning my life and days differently and actually started to live by my calendar.

Believe me, I have a ton of growth in this area but as I have implemented this idea over the last 15 months it has changed my world, the way I live and has actually given me more time! When you are intentional with your day, week, month -- it frees up so much time and energy.

This past weekend I got to sit on a private meeting with some of the best sales coaches in the world. Dustin Hillis, the founder of Southwestern Consulting, talked on this very topic with a group of top producers who flew into Seattle. Take a second to watch.

Here is another article that talks on this exact topic and is a little more in-depth. You may find it helpful!