Then we found out that we were expecting a baby girl and that slowed my progress a bit and it definitely changed the content of what I’d be reading.  Despite all the excitement, I was still able to read more books than I have any previous year, including a few pre-baby titles. And with every book, comes a whole lot of lessons to put into practice…

My Top 4 Must-Reads from 2019

1. A New Earth – Eckhart Tolle
2. How to be an Imperfectionist – Stephen Guise
3. Declutter Your Mind – S.J. Scott
4. Everybody Writes – Ann Handley

My number one must read from 2019 was A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, in fact, we are only a few days into January and I just finished re-reading the book.  This is the kind of book that you can keep coming back to and get something out of every time. I think that’s something I really enjoy about personal development books; the lessons you learn while reading them are really dependent upon the moment you are in and what is going on for you personally at the time.

How to Be an Imperfectionist was one of the last books I read last year and it really hit home.  If you suffer from perfectionism and find yourself not finishing things – or worse, not starting things –  because you are waiting for perfection, then this is a MUST READ. This book details the root of perfectionism, how it manifests itself in your life, and step-by-step habits to put into practice so you can “become an imperfectionist.”

For the self-marketers out there, I think Everybody Writes is a must-read.  And in reading the book, you’ll realize that these days, we are ALL writers whether we consider ourselves writers or not.  This book is full of tips, concepts, and insights that will make you a better writer. As someone who is constantly creating content and marketing materials for my audience to consume, this book was incredibly insightful and immediately applicable.

Declutter Your Mind was another book with immediately applicable concepts.  If you are looking for a book to read to kick off the new year with a bang, this book is an easy read and loaded with advice and activities you can start to implement right away that will improve your productivity and peace of mind.  I read this at the start of 2019 and you’ll find that we talk about a ton of these concepts in our blogs and podcasts because they are super helpful for the self-employed business owner.

In Summation…

These books definitely taught me a lot of lessons to implement in the new year and I look forward to diving into my 2020 reading goals.  This year, I’m sticking with the 30 book challenge because I really want to hit it and know that I can make it happen if I put my mind to it.  I may have a few re-reads on my list, like “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” a classic that I try to read every couple of years to refresh myself on the age-old concepts that book shares on relationships and success in life. 

For those of you who’ve been meaning to read more, challenge yourself to read a certain number of books this year and let’s hold each other accountable.  The key to getting your reading done is to make time for it regularly and to have a list of books that you want to read so that you always are a few books ahead of yourself on what is coming next.  There were a few times this year when I finished a book and a few weeks would go by before I realized I didn’t have another book on deck to read. So I recommend planning a few books ahead and always looking for new books to add to the list.  Reading is a great way to take a break throughout the day, clear your thoughts, learn and grow. Let’s make it happen in 2020!

And I’m also always looking for recommendations and would love to hear what personal development and business books you might recommend. Share in the comments your favorites and I will be sure to check them out! And as always, I’ll be sure to share my book reviews throughout the year as I find titles that really speak to me which I think you might enjoy.

Happy reading, DOers!!

The post A Year Of Reading In Review – 2019 appeared first on Learn It - Do It.

In episode one, we talk all about work-life balance with Trayce Gregoire of Trayce Gregoire Photography.  This is a cumbersome topic for most business owners and we help our guest Trayce get right to the core of her challenge.  Trayce is a professional portrait photographer who came to us to discuss the challenges of time management, task planning, and finding the balance between personal and business duties.  

Guest Bio –  After having careers in both the Marines [thank you for your service!] and as a Registered Respiratory Therapist, Trayce decided to finally pursue her passion and opened a professional portrait studio in Goffstown, New Hampshire that she’s been running for the past 5 years.  Since then she’s grown her business and she now provides services for:

• Corporate branding
• Weddings and engagements
• Newborn babies
• Maternity
• High school seniors
• Family portraits
• Women and Glamour

Host Bio – Rhi and Pete [Rhi-Pete – now you’ll remember] are a wife and husband team who have been in business together for over a decade.  They run a creative media agency [Do Something Different Media] that provides strategy and consulting, video production, website development, photography, graphic design, and content writing for small businesses.

Episode 1 Summary

• The concept of Batching tasks
• Creating a realistic to-do list
• Making a backlog of tasks
• Sticking to a routine [both morning and night]
• Scheduling ‘like’ tasks for certain days
• Giving yourself actual “me” time that is void of mental guilt
• Setting your intentions for the next day
• Using software to organize your task lists
• Set expectations with clients about communications
• Stop letting client communication interrupt you
• Utilize the screen time app and set “off-time”
• Do a time audit to become more efficient
• Set boundaries for yourself
• Allow flexibility without guilt or overdoing it
• Avoid phone use for 1st hour after waking

The Challenge & The Next 3 Steps

Trayce is a professional photographer who is struggling with how to manage a personal life, family life, and professional life – while staying sane and productive.  In order to solve Trayce’s work-life balance challenges, we came up with these next 3 steps so that she can immediately hit the ground running.

1. Create 3 business tasks for your daily to-do list – create a backlog for other tasks that are on your mind, but not immediate.
2. Batch email time – set a specific time [1 or 2 tops] that you check your email and social accounts each day.
3. Give yourself, “work from home” time and show up at that time – but make sure to subtract it from your workday.

Recommended Resources

Trayce Gregoire Photography – http://www.traycegregoire.com/

Trayce Gregoire Photography on Facebook – @traycegregoirephotography

“Doing a Time Audit Saved Me from My Business” Blog – https://learnit-doit.com/business-strategy/doing-a-time-audit-saved-me-from-my-business/

The post Episode 1 – How to Balance Work & Life as a Self Employed Biz Owner appeared first on Learn It - Do It.