February 2013 Dreams & Behinds The Scenes Update!

Dearest Savvies,
Well, I've turned a corner. I've found a really tangible avenue to channel my passion and energy into. You may have noticed I've not posted a lot here recently. The reason is I've started Life is Crafted. I believe diaries, organisers and planners (or whatever you'd like to call them!) is the basis of lifestyle design.

What you make time for and schedule into your days becomes your life. The pages I've created for Life is Crafted help with inspiration, creativity, productivity and lists for reflection and planning.

Savvy Sassy She is the bigger picture of making life what you want it to be while the products of Life is Crafted is an implementation of it. I've also co-launched LifeTyped which is a manifestation of celebrating your life's moments in gorgeous typographic art.

Anyways, I just wanted to explain what has been going on behind the scenes!

I've done a lot in the last few months, but to draw a line in the sand here are my February Dreams...

Personal

1. Plan trip to Perth - work and social
2. Celebrate little sister's 18th birthday! She's not my daughter but she makes me feel old!
3. Celebrate the wonderful other sister's return to Oz from a few years in the UK
4. Celebrate the Valentine's sentiment on a different day with The Man (we won't be together on the 14th!)
5. Start Healthy Habits Project - deets to come
6. Workout plan to reach health goal on the 1st March 2013
7. Discuss Family Food Blog with youngest sister
8. Look at Christmas Flights to have a snowy European Christmas

Professional

1. Plan personal and professional projects for 2013
2. Create personal branding document
3. Work on Business routines
4. Organise office workflows
5. Release FamilyTyped and RomanceTyped for LifeTyped
6. LifeTyped Etsy Listings
7. Life is Crafted Etsy Listings
8. Create and implement blog plans
9. Create business plan for Life is Crafted
10. List product sections for sale
11. Work on product and production development
12. Do full computer backup
13. Enjoy the business!

What are one or two of your February 2013 plans SSSs?

Make it as you wish!

Arienne

My Portable Office

I mostly work from home, but also work at the 10thousandgirl shared space once a week and then at random places on an ad hoc basis when I just need to get out!

This means I have to have all my important stuff together so I can do what I need to wherever I am.

Some people are very minimalist. I am not one of those people.

I am visual - I need paper.
I need lists I can see and schedules that are in front of me.

So here are the items that make up my portable office (and yes, sometimes I am really daggy and I cart them around in a wheelie case - it was not sexy enough to photograph for this post.):

Phone & Headphones

I love listening to podcasts on the go and the headphones are also good for handsfree conversations.

iPad

I gave up on my internet dongler because it really was hopeless! Now I just quickly check and send emails from the iPad if necessary.

 

 Laptop & Mouse

I don't like the mouse on the laptop so I always have my wireless mouse on hand. It is especially helpful when I'm fussing around with excel spreadsheets and jumping between different programs.

Diary/Organizer/Planner

I cannot live without my planner. It has all my important information in it and its where I schedule and prioritise what is going on in my week.

 

Blog Planner

Since I created my own blog planner I wonder how I survived before! It helps me plan what posts should be ready when and keeps it altogether and clear for my chaotic mind.

 

Notebook

While my diary keeps me on track I use my notebook to scribble out plans and details of the projects I'm working on. I prefer paper first and then I put things together and edit on the computer.

Pencil Case

It makes such a difference writing and planning in colour with nice pens as opposed to just boring old blue or black ink. That's why I carry around my pink polka dot pencil case. It holds all the important writing and work tools including:

Whiteout

Pens

Coloured markers

Highlighters

USB stick

Post its

So, that is my portable office!

Do you lug around as much as I do or are you much more minimalist or digital??


Make it as you wish SSSs!
Arienne

Ch..Ch...Changes and Patience

There is a lot of change going on in my life. Changes that I am responsible for and excited about but that also can be exhausting!

I have been working towards a lot in the area of my career and business. Wonderful things have started to take seed and build momentum. People and things are appearing to help me, to support me and show me that this life I am building is right.

Sometimes through all of this (even though I know in my heart of hearts that I am heading in the right direction) I still have those vulnerable moments. Those moments where self doubt surfaces. Where I ask if I am enough to help others. Where I question if this is worth all the 'stuff' we have to go through to be the master of our own destiny!

I had one of those days this week. Then, literally the first picture I saw the next morning was an illustration about not giving up during the struggle. The FIRST thing I saw when I opened up good old facebook as I started to wake up to the day. Wow! I truly believe that wasn't a coincidence. I choose to recognise that as a sign of something amazing supporting me.

It reminded me that I need to be patient with myself. That even though I have planted seeds and am tending vigorously to my garden, it will take time for my flowers to blossom - to build myself and my business up. That some of the people I have been comparing myself to have been in business for years. That just because you start working out, it doesn't mean you will see results straight away..

A lot is happening at once - which is absolutely wonderful. But I just need to breathe through some of it. I'm also being more understanding with myself - that even though I plan for a lot, it doesn't always all HAVE to happen now. Yes, I have to work hard, but I can work hard in a way that helps me, not in a way that overwhelms and negatively effects me.

I'm proud that there are some extremely important things than I have managed to maintain amidst the craziness. I'm sooooo proud that I've maintained regular workouts because I know how important that is to my general health and how much stronger I then am to deal with everything that goes on.

So this week I am reminding myself of the positive things I can do that will support me - exercise, spend quality time with quality people, setting up the 3 most important things to complete each day and take positive action towards them and giving myself only 2-3 outcomes for the week.

And I'm aware of not doing the things that ultimately hinder me - overscheduling/overcommitting myself to others, planning in too many tasks for myself then getting into overwhelm and doing 'busy' work that really gets me nowhere.

What are you doing that supports you and are you aware of the things that can hinder you in the upcoming week?

Make it as you wish SSSs!
Arienne xo

My Passion. My Inspiration. My Life. My Path.

I started writing this a couple of weeks ago. It was total stream of consciousness coming out so it took me a little while to make it make sense! But here it is...
 
Okay, I'll admit it, I've had a pretty bad week. And I feel a little like I'm bearing part of my soul so be kind lovely readers!

I had a major freak out about my finances after paying for my much planned for flight to Europe to attend my dream of a lifetime art and yoga retreat in Paris and Provence and to meet The Man (aka my Fiance)'s family in Hungary.

Not having a regular income has taken its toll on my savings and finances. I have put many great financial and savings strategies in place, but coming back to basics - having some form of income helps (what a surprise!!!). I've known for a little while I would need to pay attention to this and now is the time!

Sometimes going through a 'freak out' (for want of a much better term) helps you pay attention to what is important. And it can take something big to really motivate you to change or make something a priority.

So I'm doing something about it. I'm putting a plan in place to bridge the gap between where I am now and where I want to be. I'm also reconciling my emotions around it - trying to stop beating myself up about what I should/could have done differently income-wise and appreciating the massive steps I've taken to create the life I want.

Savvy Sassy She is all about working out how to live a life that is how you wish it to be. To question the 'shoulds' in your life and consciously create what you truly want and need. And to do this with sparkly bits and tools and fun and laughter and a great community along the way. I am no expert (but I hope to bring you some experts in different parts of life in the future) and my experience is a journey too. A journey to create what I see my life as being and all the up and down experiences along the way that get me closer to that vision.

After a wonderful and much needed discussion with my mother (thanks mama!!) I brought everything back to why I have chosen this life for myself. We all have bad days, but bringing our attention to the reason why we've made certain choices can help us understand and put things in perspective. The choice in the short run may have not-so-nice consequences, but in the bigger picture that choice is right and is helping to bring you in the right direction.

Why I am choosing to follow my passions and dreams and create a life and a lifestyle around it....

Working in the family biz didn't work for me. Working full time in a university didn't work for me. After 4 years of the SSS idea plodding along in the background I decided to make a go of it. Who knows if it will be as successful (though I'm working my arse of to make it so). It may be a massive learning curve, but I'm willing to give it my all. To decide to make it happen. To not chicken out. To not have a Plan B to show the universe I am serious.

This is important enough to go through some ups and downs for. Making a difference in women's lives. Waking women up to see how they can make their lives work. Empowering them with information, view points, perspectives, systems, tools, inspiration and like minds? Yes, it is worth it. It is important enough. I refuse to be on my deathbed looking back at my life saying "I wish I had given SSS a go. I wish I could have seen if it made an impact." (ooooh, even writing that gives me the heebie jeebies).

I love being able to design my day though I miss structured routine.
I love having a say in my priorities and carrying them out.
I love getting in contact with women's real hearts and minds.
I love doing what I love everyday.

This is My Passion. My Inspiration. My Life. My Path.

This inspiration link from the fav galadarling.com came at the right time!

PS - any paid part time job suggestions/offers?! ;)

Making it as I wish SSSs!
Arienne xo

10thousandgirl Episode 005 - Collaborative Consumption and the Entrepreneurial Journey with Lisa Fox of Open Shed

Just published a fabulous podcast interview with Lisa Fox of Open Shed on the 10thousandgirl blog. What Lisa discusses is well worth a listen if you're interested in the journey of an entrepreneur, starting a social business and the quite facinating area of collaborative consumption. Listen here

Make it as you wish SSSs!
Arienne xo

What the Leap is About!

Photo Credit

I hate it when people are vague and unforthcoming when they post about something going on in their lives (maybe I'm just nosey...) so dear readers, I apologise if that is the way I have been with my 'Taking the Leap' post or any others that have slipped through the cracks. Sometimes you're just not clear and ready to share and therefore can't even put into words the goings on of the mind. That's what has been happening in my world.

Things have been happening, but I've just not been able to sort through them. But now I have some clearer direction and, thanks to a dear friend, have managed to put them into a plan with timeframes and everything (pat on the back me!).

So, I've quit the other day job (still loving my part time 10thousandgirl duties) and am getting ready to launch into the next chapter of my professional life. Yes, I'm putting it out there and sharing it with the world even though it's not all concrete yet. That's faith and trust (and perhaps a little bit of accountability) isn't it?!

I've decided to push forth (with a lot of help from the Universe pushing and prodding me in that direction until I couldn't help but pay attention) with creating the Savvy Sassy She venture. To start crafting what it will become. To see if I can put this passion I have for young women creating a fabulous life for themselves in a fun, supportive community. To do what I love everyday. I have ideas, I have dreams, I have a vision but I'm going to be testing it with young women I know to see if it's what you really want.

I want to add value. I'm surprised by how passionately I hold that premise of adding value to people's lives. I've been to a few seminars lately, where people are on stage showing others how to make money, but have been greatly disappointed by the 'product' they are spruiking. So often, it is not adding value to the world. I mean, do we need crap websites selling something that is already out there adding to the junk that is floating around in this world, just to make someone money? Oh, I could go on and on about how dirty that makes me feel... Lucky for you I won't. But with this reaction I have, it has shown me that I feel really strongly that in everything we do we should be adding some positive value.

Yes, I believe that money is important. But it is important so that we have real choices and freedoms to live our lives with. To be able to look after the things that are important to us. To fund the ideas, projects, loves that we want in our lives. So that we don't need to stress about where the next meal is coming from. So that we can spend quality time with quality people doing quality things rather than having to work in a job we dislike. Life is too short. Sure we may have to do things we don't enjoy in the short term in order to gain more in the longer term, but seeing the big picture is important so we can try to enjoy those shorter term actions.

Phew, well I just had to express that!

So, anyway, I may be asking questions and putting out surveys and I would love if you could get involved! Let me know what you want, what you need, how you would like to be involved in creating a life where you're moving forward in different areas. There may be things i haven't even thought about that are important to you. Reach out and let me know - through my email or on a comment.

I'd appreciate it from the bottom of my value adding heart!

Make it as you wish SSSs!
Arienne xo

The Speeeeeeeeeeeech!

Putting my best foot forward :)

Well. The Speech. Some of you may have been reading the lead up to the event with these posts (feel free to read for the first time or for a refresh!):

23rd January 2011 - Post
8th February 2011 - Post
15th February 2011 - Post

The day of The Speech started off extreeeeeeeeeeeeeeemly early. Bosslady was picking me up from my house at 5.50am (and I hadn't fully packed the night or days before because we had our massive launch event on the night before and I was up practicing the speech I hadn't looked at since the Toastmasters practice run) so we could drive to Canberra for a 9.15am arrival.

It was quite a fun drive down since we were both trying to practice and drive and give pointers and discuss what to expect (and the nerves were slowly building in me...). Bosslady has done a few talks, but this was my first one in front of a 'crowd' of people that I didn't know.

We arrived in Canberra with what we thought was plenty of time to spare. Until we hit Canberra morning peak hour traffic. So we ended up actually arriving at 9.45am for a 10am start to the International Women's Day talk that we were the main event for.

Then technology didn't work as well as we thought it would. Typical!

But the people that greeted us were wonderful. Warm, friendly and engaging. Women started coming into the room and filling out the seats and it was great to see that it was a pretty good turn out.

Very soon it was Bosslady's time to be introduced. She did fabulously and I almost (almost) forgot that I was up next. The audience seemed really connected with what she was speaking about and there was a great Q&A session.

All of a sudden it was my turn. I admit I had a bit of a shaky start by going blank for the longest 3 seconds I'd experienced in a long time. I felt my voice was really rattling when I actually started speaking, but then I broke the ice by speaking from the heart - that I was really nervous because it was my first time speaking in front of an audience but that I hoped that they would bear with me. And I managed to get into the swing of it and adapt the prepared speed to the room and the timing.

And it went great (at least for a first timer!). There was eye contact and nodding from some individuals in the audience. I felt like I was speaking and they were actually listening (yippeee!). I got a nice round of applause and Bosslady was happy too.

Overall it was a great experience and I would really love to be up in that sort of space again. I think I could fall in love with speaking. So watch out, I may be shouting at you from a podium one of these days...

Make it as you wish SSSs!
Arienne xo

Toastmasters - The Speech

So I know that you may not normally do a prepared speech on your second time at Toastmasters, but I did (hey what can I say, I like to do things a little differently!).

I have a speech to give at a government department in Canberra, for their celebration of International Women's Day on the 10th March. I wrote about the synchronicity of how it came to happen here.

So, at my first evening at Toasties, I explained the situation and they said to bring what I'd like in and do the speech so I could make my mistakes there and know what to polish up.

Well, I left the speech creation until pretty much Wednesday, the day I was to present. There was a number of factors in this, work was busy, I had some commitments, and I wasn't really keeping track of my days very well. It pretty much went like 'OMG it's Wednesday...OMG Toasmasters is on tonight...OMG I need to write the speech...OMG I've got so much to do today...'.

Well I managed to work on it in the afternoon. It was great that I was basing it on an article I'd written for 10thousandgirl so I knew what I wanted to say. I just had to convert it to being interesting to listen to and shorten it to a certain timeframe.

I wrote it out, shortened it, expanded some areas for interest, highlighted the key words to prompt me and started walking around the backyard talking to myself like a crazy person. You see, it is very hard to practice a speech when you're just saying it in your head. You actually need to say it out loud. Since I have neighbours, I had the interesting task of trying to say it out with expression and emotion and inflections at a very low sound level...quite a feat.

Then I decided to practice on The Man. Hilarious! Have you ever tried practicing something professional in front of someone you know? I got all nervous and got the giggles. Eventually got there. He was a great listener (thank honey!). He even agreed to sit through it a couple more times as I tweaked and re-emphasised.

I was nervous, but also really aware that the crew at Toasties is really open and welcoming. Constructive in the feedback but very supportive. They told me I was in a safe place and I really did feel like I was.

So I did it. I did it imagining 60 people at the government department sitting there. I started strong, then almost cried at one part which was very embarrassing, I thought I was maybe losing some of the older gentlemen in the room, but the women seemed to be paying attention (thank god!). I had trembling hands at the beginning, didn't notice them in the middle and then as I was sitting down afterwards I did feel shaky!

Supposedly I have very fantastic presence (woohoo), a great voice, good inflections, body language and eye contact. They said that the structure could do with a little bit of work and gave me some pointers. I am so happy I didn't crash and burn and have blanks or confused myself or them. So I will do a bit of reworking, some tweaking, some rearranging and will have an amazing speech to present when the actual time comes.

One of the ladies from Toastmasters emailed me the next day saying she thought it was a great speech and if there was some way to become involved in 10thousandgirl with us. Awesome feedback!

I really loved being up there. Maybe I will be giving a keynote speech to an important audience one day. Just like is on my bucket list.

Make it as you wish SSSs!
Arienne xo

We Toast What?

So, Toastmasters...not quite this:

 Getting a little closer...:

 That's what I'm talking about! Toastmasters - the public speaking type!

A little while ago I wrote this post on synchronicity in relation to a series of events about public speaking (phew, almost wrote pubic speaking...I know you've got an image in your mind right now...)

Anyway, I read somewhere that people fear public speaking more than they fear death. Interesting... While my skills are okay with orating to an audience, I don't do it very often and I get really, really, really nervous before hand. If I know my topic really, really, really, well, it is okay (not superb), but if I don't I go a little blank. Plus I feel I ummm and ahhh and stumble over my words a lot.

So I'm heading to my local Toastmasters' meeting tonight to see what it's all about. Supposedly you should attend a few different localities to see which one you really gel with. I'm wondering who goes to these things? Will I be in a room full of awkward social misfits? Will they be...old? Or will they be lovely people who like to talk? Elderly? Young? Interesting? Passionate? I really don't know what to expect! So I go with bated breath (I am actually really looking forward to it) and I will update this post with how it goes. Wish me luck!

Update: It was great! There were a heap of newbies. All around their late 20s-30s. There were a few older people who have spent many years involved. Welcoming, warm. I even got up and did an impromtu one minute speech and they will help with the Big Speech coming up. I'm going back. So once a fortnight I'll be attending. Yay! And not a slice of bread in sight.

Labours of Love and Learning

I have definitely done a lot of internal musings this week. Struggling with self doubt and questioning my capabilities. It's been interesting, though not pleasant! But I've come to the conclusion that I'm being a little too hard on myself. When you're working in a new space doing new things, you can't expect that you will have the expertise and efficiencies yet to carry them out flawlessly. They take a lot of effort and you are on a steep learning curve. You'll soon be able to step up, but you might make mistakes, drop the ball and generally just feel like you are chasing things rather than being one step ahead for a little while. Maybe you're used to feeling like you can do anything, and do them pretty damn well, so this disconnect gets to you even more. I don't like to feel incompetent. And generally I know I'm not! But gosh, the dreams I had last night about systems and processes made me feel like I didn't know anything (note to my subconscious...let me rest so I can actually do the things I need to do in waking hours!!).

I'm not sure if you ever feel totally on top of everything around you. The to-do list is forever long and you're constantly prioritising and then reprioritising everything because everything is important! Welcome to the world of business huh?! But then I remember what I'm part of and how I'm contributing and being rewarded on almost a daily basis and it's all worth it. It is a journey. And a really exciting one at that.


So, what am I learning?:

• Still put yourself first. Eat, sleep, exercise and do those activities that make you feel good. Doing this will make everything else easier to handle
• Keep looking at the big picture. When everything is busy and you're feeling stressed it is easy to look at the 'small' things (that feel big) and forget the real reason you're doing what you're doing. Put it in perspective.
• Do everything with the right intentions and for the right reasons. If it doesn't work out (and not everything will!) you can learn from it and still hold your head up high.
• Have a 'I feel good about me list'. Sometimes you need to be your own cheerleader. I know it sounds funny and you might sound up yourself (you don't need to show it to anyone!), but having a list of things you've accomplished, personality traits that are great, fabulous things people have said about you, compliments you've received can give you a bit of a pick-me-up when you need it.
  
• Communicate. When you're not feeling confident and I you can, talk to the person and clear the air. You are often interpreting things in a skewed manner that is making you feel worse! And that is often not the intention of the person you're talking to, so clear the air.
• Remember balance. There are only so many hours in the day and some of them you need to use to further things outside of work. Sure you'll need to work hard to meet deadlines and get things moving, but you also need to live. You need to connect socially, you need to go to the gym, you need to have some down time. Don't feel guilty about shutting down the computer at the end of the day and doing the other things that are important to you.

Make it as you wish SSSs!
Arienne xo