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Detox Your Inbox

It’s Friday – a day I don’t schedule anything so I can review my week, tie up loose ends, make a plan for the next, and clean up the clutter that accumulates in my office (I’m a piler, like my Grandma Rose ;-)).

Today is a little different as I’m ‘off’ today and Monday because the kids are off from school for a long weekend so we’re going to have some Forest Family Fun together. 🙂

While they enjoy their allotted screen time for the day, I’m doing some online decluttering…

That means a detox of my inbox.

I have 251 emails in my inbox right now.

(I know some of you have WAY more than that, so I’d like you to pay close attention here)

This is my detox method – I’ll do it as I write this…

1. Delete – down to 193
2. Move – down to 34 (obviously I need to file as I go more! :-))
3. Delegate down to 30
4. Respond – so that leaves 30 emails in my inbox that only I can answer… just knocked off 4 of those, so I’m now at 26

Ahhhh, that’s better… 🙂

So here’s my breakdown, in case it’s helpful:

1. Delete
~ I sort the emails into/ “from” which makes it a lot easier to delete/move in groups if applicable.

2. Move
~ Next I move any emails that need to be filed. For example, if there’s an email from a colleague that doesn’t require a response but I want to keep it, I file it in the “colleagues” file.

3. Delegate
~ I then delegate whatever emails need to be responded to by someone else. For example, I have a podcast interview coming up and the host needs my bio, headshot, etc., so I’ll send that email to my assistant to take care of.

4. Respond
~ What’s left are emails that only I can take action on. I start at the bottom and work my way up. For some reason, this just feels better and seems easier (because I’m releasing them, so the energy is running backwards, possibly).

So in the time it took me to write this email, I’ve detoxed my inbox from 251 to 26. 🙂

You can do it too – and I’d love to hear your results… 🙂

Snow days/delays are no longer delays in my business…

Another 2-hour delay… and thinking tomorrow will be a full snow day.
 
When the kids were younger, and they were home from school unexpectedly, it used to be a lot harder for me to get anything accomplished in my business.
 
But now that are older (and able to entertain themselves), it’s definitely easier – but these are the days when I can’t do the things that really need my undivided attention and focus (like writing a sales page, for example).
 
So a long time ago, I started to keep a sort of master task list. It’s where I write down everything I want/need to do as soon as I think of it.
 
So while I can tell you off the top of my head what I need to do today to move my business forward, on days where my focus is split, I turn back to the master list and choose things that don’t need that level of focus: the small tasks, the tolerations, the quick emails, the quick fixes.
 
Doing this ended my frustration of not being able to get ‘anything’ done when my day shifted out of my full control.
 
If you have other things vying for your attention, what do you do to still get some things done when Life Interrupts?

What happens to your business when Life Interrupts?

It’s been a crazy fall – with my 3-day event, launching my coaching programs, private retreats with clients, my parents moving in down the street, the kids’ general busy-ness, and now it seems sick days have begun…and now that the holidays are in full swing, it’s been throwing me off my game with my business.

(see, it happens to all of us…)

If you’re feeling this craziness too, I want to help…

One of the lessons I learned early on in building my business was that WHEN (not if) Life demanded more of my attention and energy, the only way I was going to be able to give itmyleverageresults without stress was if my business could chug along without me.

I’ve been practicing and perfecting this art of LEVERAGE for 12+ years now…
(see my Top 5 Results –>)

…so that when I have those days or even weeks (and of course when I’m off for the summer), my business still grows steadily without me.

I’ve been teaching my clients how to leverage in their business with amazing results – and now I’m going to teach you how to do the same in my Open MBA Course: Mastering Leverage in Your Business.

Join the Mastering Leverage course if you want the peace of mind to be able to step away from your business when you need to without worry.

Because when I say that I will teach you how to “work less and make more”, I actually mean it – and I can back it up. 😉

And don’t wait – because for 3 days only, I’m saying ‘thanks for being in my world’ with a savings of $150 off this 9-module virtual training course.

Find out more and register here:

https://aforest.leadpages.co/mastering-leverage-in-your-business/

Save

1999…

I was 29 and it felt like my world was falling apart.
 
Not only was I in the middle of a divorce, but I was in my 12th job in 9 years…
 
I was also delinquent – and ultimately defaulted – on my college loans, I was drowning in debt, and my credit rating was so low that FICO wouldn’t even give me a score.
 
And those are just the highlights of what was not working at that time in my life…
 
Yet when we know better, we do better… and it was on an ill-fated trip to Finland for a family wedding (that my parents had to buy my plane ticket for because I couldn’t swing it) when everything became clear to me.
 
My life was MY responsibility. And whether I succeeded or failed, it would only be due to the decisions I made and the actions I took – or didn’t make or take – going forward.
 
See, before then, I was doing what I was ‘supposed’ to be doing – getting a ‘good’ job out of college, marrying my college boyfriend, keeping it all status quo. Sure, my finances were screwed up but so were all my friends’… so I just figured I’d bail myself out over time…
 
And I’m sure I would have – but it gives me pause to think where my life would be today if I hadn’t done something different.
 
You can guess that I was searching for something – both personally and professionally – that I desperately wanted but didn’t have at that time.
 
But I knew I had to find it – or stay miserable, in debt, and at best, live an ordinary life.
 
The pain of that being my reality is what spurred me to make some dramatic decisions, including jumping into entrepreneurship with both feet – and a thudding heart.
 
That was 16 years ago – and I’ve never looked back.
 
The thing is, once I made the DECISION to go for it, to take full responsibility for my life circumstances, as they were then and what they would become… all the help, support and resources I needed to make my business successful started showing up. It was as if the floodgates opened and even with the tiniest of sips, things started to flow, little by little, and then with momentum and time, this sea of abundance appeared.
 
If you’re really ready to change your current reality and this is resonating with you, then I would love to share with you exactly HOW you can take wherever you are in your business and create the financial and fulfilling success you so deeply desire.
 
Join me and an intimate group of kindred spirits this fall for my Online Business Breakthrough Workshop, where I’ll immerse you in 3 days full of just what you need to know now to move your business forward right away AND the path to a profitable business a lot sooner than if you’re trying to figure it all out on your own.
 
We are close to capacity for the workshop so I invite you to read through the details at http://www.obbw7.com/ and, if it feels right to you, reserve your seat right away.
 
If you’re not sure if it’s right for you, I’m happy to help you figure out what’s best for you. Just email me at alicia@aliciaforest.com, tell me where you’re at, where you want to go, and what your concerns are about getting there, ok?
 
Until next time…
 
Cheers,
~ A
 
PS: Please don’t miss this opportunity to attend this comprehensive and 100% content-based business-building training event (oh, you’ll get plenty of inspiration but you’ll get WHAT TO DO with that inspiration too ;-)).
 
I’m holding the early-bird rate for just a little longer to make it an even easier YES for you… Visit http://www.obbw7.com/ to secure your spot right now and I’ll see you in September!

Let’s save your spot… (free tele+chat with me)

Would you like to know how I’ve grown my $15k a year coaching practice into a multiple 6-figure business in less than 15 hours a week, while raising two small children?

I’ve done it by making strategic decisions, staying nimble in my market, knowing what’s working, and having the right mindset.

I’ll be sharing exactly how I’ve done it in this free tele+chat event.

When you join me for this event you’ll learn:

~ 3 principles that have been the critical factors in enabling me to create a multiple 6-figure business while only working about 15 hours a week

~ 5 blind spots that may be holding you back from reaching the level of success you truly desire and deserve

~ The only business model that you can customize to your market and message and that has clients pursuing you instead of you chasing them. It’s authentic, easy and works.

~ A simple yet powerful plan that alleviates overwhelm and gives you a clear path that shows you exactly what to focus on that will bring you to profit sooner.

When you join us and follow my 11+ years experience in building a successful and sustainable business online, in your time on your terms, you’ll find that doing so can actually be quite a bit easier – if you let it.

Just click below to reserve your free spot

http://aliciaforest.com/obbseries/may2016/

We have 264 people registered already and I’d be honored if you’d share this page with your friends and colleagues so they can join us too – and thanks in advance for your trust!