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Tweak Your Mindset and Habits – When You Don’t Have a Flexible Work Schedule!

March 1, 2020

“Habit, if not resisted, soon becomes necessity.” – St. Augustine

I don’t know about you, but I find myself constantly scrolling and browsing so many articles, blogs, and even Instagram posts centered on mindfulness, motivation, routines, habits, and making positive daily changes. I often end up feeling bad about myself and regretful, thinking about how much time I wasted, reading and pondering how to actually save and make the most of my time. Ironic, right? Well, I’m clearly seeking something I can pull out and adjust to fit into my own life. I’m often struggling to figure out how I can work in many of these practices or if I can actually do any of them at all with my current job and schedule. I always end up telling myself I’m just wasting more time! I’m not trying to speak negatively of the authors of the many sources and content I find myself buried in many days, but it is usually extremely repetitive. One main difference you will find with this piece of content will be the intended audience. Almost every single article on morning habits and routines I come across only applies and works, if you have a very flexible work schedule or work from home! I currently do not have a flexible schedule and do not work from home, and neither do many readers!

Morning Habits

If you work a regular nine-to-five schedule — or any variation of a typical work day out of the home — those hundreds of articles on changing your morning habits will not work for you or your weekly, day-to-day lifestyle! You most likely don’t have the time or energy in the morning to block off a big chunk of time for goal setting, prayer, gratitude, planning, reflection, relaxed coffee time, or working out! Maybe any or all of those immediately make you feel uneasy or overwhelmed, when thinking about tackling any combination of those habits before you set off for work in the morning. I often find myself feeling this way!

My first recommendation would be to sit down, and write down which daily habits are most important to you each day. What would be most beneficial before starting the work day? Is there any one habit or change in particular you have been hoping to implement for a long time but haven’t been able to make the space in your day? Remember, I’m talking about doing this one or even few habits before leaving for work. Before you get anxious thinking about doing anything extra before you leave, think about what one or two changes might make your day better or more positive. I’ve really been hoping to be able to do my daily prayer, write my daily page, and set my daily goals before I leave for work, and currently, this has proved to be too many to tackle at once.

I started writing my daily goals the night before, which has helped, and I will try to only focus, for now, on doing the daily readings and my own daily prayers before leaving in the morning. If you are willing or find it to be important enough, a change in your morning habits may require a schedule change. If you really want to go for it, you could always try to get up an hour earlier, devoting that hour to getting your work out in or your daily planning or goal-setting! This requires a huge amount of discipline, so if you have it, go for it!

Throughout the Day

If you work a close variation to a nine-to-five schedule, maybe there is a little wiggle room for you to implement small steps or pieces of your new habits. Of course, it depends largely on the type of job and schedule you have, as well as how much time or flexibility you have within the job, during the workday. Maybe you have a regular lunch hour and would benefit from using part of it to take a walk outside or work on a business plan for your side hustle — or whatever it may be!

If you have a job which requires you to drive all day or do deliveries, it will obviously be more difficult to squeeze anything extra into the workday. If you have a corner office and the flexibility to take breaks throughout the day, as long as you get all your work and daily tasks done, well maybe doing some new habit-forming behaviors, would be much easier for you, than doing anything extra in the morning.

Another way to think of how to add anything extra into your schedule, for your own personal development, throughout the work day is to think about what you need during the day for your own well-being and mindset. If doing some work on your daily or short-term goals or prayer and reflection will help your frame of mind and productivity, it may be worth working it into the work schedule each day. Everyone has different high and low points of energy and productivity each day. It is important to know yourself well enough to know when you don’t have enough energy or when you are most productive and energized, before working on new habits during the workday. Balance is key, as we all hear all the time in most things we read, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself with making new personal changes.

Evenings

Once again, it is worth saying, when thinking about the evenings during the week, it of course depends on work schedule, what time you get home each day, and evening commitments throughout the week. Personally, I have a set time my work day ends, but once a week I have a faculty meeting after school and any extra meetings or conferences. Also, at least once but sometimes a few evenings a week, I have commitments at church with my involvement in youth ministry. It is hard to implement a set evening schedule of productivity habits, when each week’s evening schedule is always different.

If you’re the type of person who prefers or tends to keep your evenings open or finish any evening commitments by a certain time, evenings may be your sweet spot for productivity and forming positive, daily habits! Even if you’re not much of a writer, writing just a page a day can be very freeing. It gets all the thoughts from the day down, and it can even include a few notes of gratitude from the day or the best part of the day. Maybe evening is the best time for you to get to the gym, work out at home, or take a short walk around the neighborhood. I function way better at night than morning, so if you can relate at all, you understand how much easier it can be to do a few extra practices at the end of the day, instead of the beginning.

Whether you are able to add in a few new morning mindfulness practices, have the flexibility to work on some personal goals and betterment during the day, or you’re an evening doer similar to myself, you have to work it in the way in which is best for your personality and work schedule. Regardless, it is always a good idea to take even just twenty minutes each day to do a few preparations for the next day, before you head to bed. This usually consists of packing up everything for lunch the next day, setting out and ironing/steaming a work outfit, and finishing up any urgent work tasks. If you can help it, I recommend trying not to bring work home with you as much as possible and not checking work emails outside of work, if your job allows. It will save you a lot of time and stress! The little extra time preparing the night before will be especially helpful for those who dread or are definitely not morning people!

Hopefully you were drawn in by seeing the title, which included “When You Don’t Have a Flexible Work Schedule” and feel more able to implement some new habits, ultimately changing your mindset for the better. If you’re like me, you’ve found yourself disappointed and even frustrated after reading the endless number of morning motivation and mindfulness articles! Most of us don’t have flexibility to sleep in, get up whenever our body naturally wakes up, and begin with an hour of goal planning, exercise, and your favorite personal development book over coffee., This sounds like a dream, but honestly, I don’t even have that perfectly down on the weekend. It is especially impossible during the week. Think about when you have the most energy and motivation to be productive, what makes sense with your schedule, and what will make you feel good, not overwhelmed and anxious. Start with one step!

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Filed Under: blog

The Change

August 11, 2019

Some days are beyond good
Some days are oh so bad
It is sometimes just okay
Would you make the change if you could?

All within your power
All within your reach
Some may never find it
Some may hide or cower

Behind those tears and screams
Behind the fears and cries
Uncover the true potential
Uncover the deepest dreams

Life is what you make it
Life is in your power
Live out those gifts and talents
Live life not to quit

Some days are beyond good
Some days are oh so bad
It is sometimes just okay
Would you make the change if you could?

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Filed Under: poems, UncategorizedTagged: adventure, believeinyourself, change, develop, gifts, inspire, life, motivation, new, newbeginnings, nottoolate, personaldevelopment, power, selfimprovement, startover, talents

You Don’t Love Things

January 21, 2019

“Love people. Use things.” – The Minimalists 

What’s your favorite food? “Oh my gosh, I love tacos and guacamole, basically all Mexican food!” I also love writing, the beach, shopping, makeup, shoes, french fries, and summer. Do I really love all those things? No, but we’re all guilty of using the word love so flippantly. According to Merriam-Webster, love is: a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties. None of these material objects or interests can actually be loved, yet the word is used so carelessly. Admit it. You say you “love” things so often without even thinking about it! Let’s really think about how we use the word love. 

I love guacamole, french fries, and popcorn.

I’ve said it so many times, even about the above items. “I love guacamole so much. I need some guac.” “I’m craving french fries and could really go for some right now.” “I love popcorn so much. I’d go to the movie theater just to get the popcorn.” I’ve been guilty of saying all of this and wrongly using the word love in relation to food.

It’s common to use the word love to describe food you are very fond of, but do you think anything of it? At the very least we should change love to like or enjoy, but the problem runs deeper. The problem is we are placing such a great importance on food and instantly grabbing or stopping to pick up the food we like best or crave. Instead, maybe we can stop ourselves each time we say we love a specific type of food, restaurant, or meal and think or pray about WHO we really do love in our lives.

I love shopping, handbags, and makeup

I would consider myself quite enthusiastic when it comes to all things clothes, accessories, makeup, beauty and skin products, shoes, even journals, pens, stationary, and anything of the like. I’ve been overly intrigued by these things since I was very young, and it’s only gotten worse.

I try to catch myself, when I say I love clothes or “I love those shoes, they’re so cute!” Yes, I get so excited by any of these items, but they are just items, material objects, not something to love. We can indeed have a huge or even extreme fondness for something, but try to remember it is a hobby or interest. Fashion and makeup can be an interest, and many make a living on blogging about those items I just mentioned! What they love, however, is hopefully their families and friends, not the material possessions.

I love to travel

Who doesn’t “love” to travel? I don’t know many people who don’t like to get away and have a much needed, wonderful vacation. Again, you don’t love to travel, but most likely it may be one of your favorite things to do more than anything. We shouldn’t confuse our favorite interests and activities for love. Yes, maybe you travel all the time and go all over the country or world, but still, you don’t love it. Love your family. Love your friends. Show love to other people you may struggle to show patience or acceptance.

This idea ties way back to the Bible. It’s not just something we hear. It’s an actual teaching in the Bible, in our faith. Even if you’re not someone who has faith or believes in God, I ask you to read this verse from Timothy with an open mind.

“For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains. – 1 Timothy 6:10.

As a Catholic writing this, sometimes it admittedly makes me feel like a fraud to say I often catch myself saying I love any of the things I just mentioned. It especially makes me feel like a hypocrite, as I write this post on the topic and read the verse from Timothy. It’s one thing to catch yourself using the word love the wrong way so often, but it’s even harder to take the steps and action to place less enjoyment and value on money and material things. It’s hard for so many of us. I think admitting I’m also guilty of this and struggle with valuing and focusing on things which shouldn’t matter. We’re all flawed. We’re all human.

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Filed Under: blogTagged: bible, blogging, Catholic, clothes, crave, enjoy, enthusiastic, fashion, favorite, flawed, focus, food, frenchfries, God, guacamole, guilty, handbags, hobbies, hobby, interests, intrigued, journals, love, makeup, material, minimal, money, people, popcorn, products, shopping, things, travel, vacation, value

I Don’t Have Time!

July 25, 2018

“If you really want something, you can make it happen.” – Cher

“I don’t have time.” We’ve probably all said it, but we’ve definitely all heard others say it, a lot. The busy response is a crutch, go-to phrase. I consciously try not to say I don’t have time for something, because let’s be honest… It’s not about having time. It’s about making time! We all have the same amount of time, but we aren’t mindful of how we use our time. In such a hectic world, priorities get lost, and the mundane routine takes over.

I don’t have time to work out.

  • It’s an excuse.
  • It’s an easy way out.
  • How long can you keep saying it?
  • Even though I don’t necessarily say I don’t have time to work out, I often wonder to myself how I can fit it into my schedule.
  • When I do work it in, I have more energy and feel better, so it begins to get easier.
  • It’s easier to keep saying you don’t have time, rather than take the first step to make the change.

I don’t have time to see friends and family.

  • I’ve heard people say they don’t have time for their friends or family, usually due to work schedules and what they “need” to fit in each day.
  • Stop putting work and your career first. It won’t be worth it later in life.
  • Closing off from friends doesn’t help, since ultimately, they are the ones who tend to uplift and make us feel happy and fulfilled.
  • Friends and family fill a void your career will not.
  • Saying you don’t need friends in your life is just another poor excuse!

I don’t have time to travel.

  • Take the time off work. You will regret it, if you never take a trip or weekend away.
  • You CAN leave your responsibilities, even if it’s just for a few days.
  • You are replaceable, and the company or business will still continue without you for a little while.
  • If you don’t have enough vacation time, it may be worth taking a few unpaid days. Never taking time off can lead to illness and being run-down, which means you can’t be productive anyway!
  • Don’t have the money? See if you know someone who has a beach house, or rent a budget-friendly Airbnb for a few days. You don’t spend most of your time inside, depending on where you go, so it’s okay if it’s not a top-rated hotel.

I don’t have time to clean the house.

  • You don’t have time after working all day. Schedule 10–15 minutes after work, before sitting down, to clean up, dust, or vacuum, a few days during the week. A little each day saves time on the weekend!
  • If you don’t know where to start, pick one room or section of the house at a time.
  • You aren’t “good” at cleaning. There’s no perfect way. Find a way which works for you and your family. Don’t stress about the whole house. Just focus on keeping things neat and clutter-free throughout the week.
  • Maybe you have too many commitments. If you find yourself having some weeks when you are over-committed, try to choose one day — maybe over the weekend — to catch up on several chores in one chunk of time.

I don’t have time to eat healthy.

  • If you find meal prepping overwhelming or impossible, simply try to plan lunch ahead of time for one or two days of the week. Small steps will make it feel achievable.
  • Planning can be hard, when it comes to eating out or while working full-time. Start with a few swaps you can make throughout the week. If you go out, maybe you can get a side salad, instead of a side of fries, or water instead of soda.
  • Finding recipes and shopping for the food to make them is time-consuming. Again, starting slow is key. I pick one or two to start, and it makes me feel like I can do it successfully!

Maybe saying “I don’t have time,” has become a habit, but it’s not too late to break it. It’s a really bad excuse, used when someone asks if you have accomplished something or one you may offer voluntarily, when feeling guilty for not succeeding in sticking with a habit. I’ve struggled with this myself in the last few years, and recently, it took a week I had off from work to refocus my energy and reprioritize what I needed to put first. Time off can work wonders for your mind!

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Filed Under: blog, UncategorizedTagged: clean, family, friends, growth, healthy, inspiration, motivation, personal growth, priorities, self care, time, travel, work out

The Podcast Perk

April 6, 2018

“Inspiration is hard to come by. You have to take it where you find it.” – Bob Dylan

Who knew the first podcast service provider, Liberated Syndication, launched in 2004? In 2005, Apple iTunes 4.9 released with support for podcasts (internationalpodcastday.com). I’ve always known about podcasts and what they are but have really never been a regular listener. When they first debuted, I was just finishing high school and starting college. I can’t believe that was fourteen years ago!

When I think of podcasts, I definitely don’t think of them being fourteen years old! Lately, I’ve been hearing more people around me talk about listening to podcasts. I also know a lot of the influencers, bloggers, and motivational/self-improvement figures I follow have podcasts. I started really listening recently, when I was seeking extra motivation for fitness, personal goals and development, and healthier eating advice.

Perks of Listening to Podcasts:

1. Inspiration & Motivation

  • There are many podcasts for health and fitness, some of which can be very entertaining and make you want to listen and do better!
  • If you are someone who has a passion or business you want to pursue, there are many to help you follow your dreams.
  • Personal growth and self-improvement is a big genre with many options, depending on what you want to work on and improve.

2. Social Media and TV  Substitute

  • You won’t miss the TV so much!
  • We could all use a break from social media. Let’s face it, it seems to be taking over so much of our time. Podcasts are a great replacement for some of that time.
  • Fill the time with motivation and educating yourself instead… with a little entertainment along the way!

3. Make Tasks Less Stressful

  • Listening to a podcasts makes the time pass so much faster! A recent example of mine is listening while I cook. I actually can’t stand cooking but am trying to do it more to be healthier and save money. If I listen to a motivational podcast while I cook, I find it more enjoyable!
  • Getting ready for work and the drive there will both go more quickly.
  • Mundane, day-to-day tasks such as cleaning, doing laundry, or catching up on email will be easier than they used to be.

4. Education

  • Learn more about a specific topic or skill by listening to a show regularly.
  • Many podcasts are geared toward career development or business .
  • Entrepreneurs can learn a lot about getting started and how to survive!

5. Entertainment

  • Many podcasters are very amusing and entertaining, making it fun to learn something new or even find out more about becoming healthy.
  • They serve as a great distraction from the everyday mundane routines, tasks, and stress.
  • Becoming a regular listener is practically guaranteed to help you relax and wind down, in a world filled with busy schedules and chaos!

My recent habit of becoming a podcast listener – to a huge variety of shows and topics – has helped me keep going, when I am struggling with something or losing motivation. Depending on what you’re seeking or in the mood for, there are so many choices. Choosing a different topic or show for each day of the week would prevent boredom.

As I mentioned, with the help of a few podcasts, I have sought out the motivation I’ve needed recently to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Maybe more importantly, they help me with finding, or making, the time to write. Both of these areas are hard to intentionally make time for with a regular schedule and other areas of life to balance. I hope you will seek out at least one show to try soon, whether it’s for entertainment or motivation!

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Filed Under: blogTagged: balance, blogger, busy, development, education, fitness, freelance, goals, healthy, healthy eating, inspiration, inspire, intentional, learn, lifestyle, motivation, mundane, podcast, schedule, self-improvement, social media, stressful, writing

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I'm a teacher and writer, who loves everything fashion, beauty, travel, inspiration, motivation, shopping, and education...to name some. I have a wide variety of interests and topics I'm excited to write about. Check out my main site for articles, poems, and how to hire me for freelancing!

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Tweak Your Mindset and Habits – When You Don’t Have a Flexible Work Schedule!

March 1, 2020 By tmb219 Leave a Comment

“Habit, if not resisted, soon becomes necessity.” – St. Augustine I don’t know about you, but I find myself constantly scrolling and browsing so many articles, blogs, and even Instagram posts centered on mindfulness, motivation, routines, habits, and making positive daily changes. I often end up feeling bad about myself and regretful, thinking about how […]

The Change

August 11, 2019 By tmb219 Leave a Comment

Some days are beyond goodSome days are oh so badIt is sometimes just okayWould you make the change if you could? All within your powerAll within your reachSome may never find itSome may hide or cower Behind those tears and screamsBehind the fears and criesUncover the true potentialUncover the deepest dreams Life is what you […]

You Don’t Love Things

January 21, 2019 By tmb219 2 Comments

“Love people. Use things.” – The Minimalists  What’s your favorite food? “Oh my gosh, I love tacos and guacamole, basically all Mexican food!” I also love writing, the beach, shopping, makeup, shoes, french fries, and summer. Do I really love all those things? No, but we’re all guilty of using the word love so flippantly. […]

I Don’t Have Time!

July 25, 2018 By tmb219 Leave a Comment

“If you really want something, you can make it happen.” – Cher “I don’t have time.” We’ve probably all said it, but we’ve definitely all heard others say it, a lot. The busy response is a crutch, go-to phrase. I consciously try not to say I don’t have time for something, because let’s be honest… […]

The Podcast Perk

April 6, 2018 By tmb219 Leave a Comment

“Inspiration is hard to come by. You have to take it where you find it.” – Bob Dylan Who knew the first podcast service provider, Liberated Syndication, launched in 2004? In 2005, Apple iTunes 4.9 released with support for podcasts (internationalpodcastday.com). I’ve always known about podcasts and what they are but have really never been […]

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