Entrepreneurship

Grief, Rest & Permission: The Day Off Debate

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I was talking to my sister the other day about whether I should take the day off on the one-year anniversary of losing my mom. I kept going back and forth – “What if I’m fine? What if I cancel my appointments for nothing?”

Then it hit me: why not just give myself the space to feel whatever I feel? No need to justify it. No need to “prove” I need it. Just take the time.

It felt SO weird. SO unfamiliar.

Like, really? I can just take the day off without an emotional breakdown as the reason? What if I don’t fall apart – then what?

Well, then I can just enjoy it. No guilt. No self-created emotional roller coaster to justify it.

When I shared this with my sister, she asked, “And you know who cares that you’re taking the time off?”

Curious (and, okay, maybe hoping for a little gossip), I asked, “Who?”

She deadpanned: “NO ONE.”

I cracked up. And felt grateful for both the lesson and the perfect exclamation point she put at the end of it all.

I almost missed Niagara Falls because I had a meeting – Guest Blog by Lisa Crilley Mallis of Impactive Strategies

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Note from Mary: Last year I received this story from my time management coach, Lisa Crilley-Mallis, and I thought, “THIS IS IT. This is one of the best examples of time management mastery and entrepreneurial freedom I’ve ever seen.”

And be sure to check the UPDATE at the end. The story became sweeter over time, because the choices she made unexpectedly let her be there for a once-in-a-lifetime moment with family she would have otherwise missed!

My sister called me and asked if I wanted to head to NY to watch my nephew play soccer.

“We will leave in two days. For three days,” she said.

Here’s what raced through my mind:

  • My schedule’s packed — how am I supposed to rearrange everything?
  • It’s his senior year. I won’t get many more chances to see him play.
  • I started my business for freedom and flexibility. This is what that should look like, right?

And then, crap, she’s waiting for an answer on the other end of the phone! So I took a deep breath and said, “Sure, I can go.”

Of course, as soon as I hung up, I freaked out. My calendar and Asana task list were full and I’d just committed to three days away.

But here’s what I did:

  • Deleted 8 tasks, 1 project, and 3 meetings that weren’t essential
  • Delegated 2 meetings and 2 projects to my team

I freed up enough time to not only watch the game but also visit Niagara Falls—without feeling stressed about the work I’d “miss”. 

Easier said than done, I know!

How do you know what to delete?

How do you know what to delegate?

This is exactly why I created the Delegate Like a Pro Masterclass: Learn how to move tasks, projects, and meetings off your plate FOR GOOD.

Imagine, being able to take off for last-minute trips, attend important family events, or just take a break—without sacrificing your business success.

It’s possible – I’m proof.

To your success!

UPDATE from when I wrote this: What I didn’t know when I wrote this was that it would be the last time I’d watch my nephew play soccer for a while. He dislocated his shoulder shortly after this trip, which ended his season. We build businesses to support our lives, but too often, we let our lives support our businesses. I’m so very grateful I diligently created the time.

Lisa Crilley Mallis

Founder of Impactive Strategies

Purrfect Way to Ease any Year-End Pressure

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The last months of the year can be such a stressful time, with all the planning and expectations to have it all figured out before the New Year rolls in.

To relieve some of that pressure, here’s a compilation of all the amazing kitty pictures I received last week when I asked the people in my network to celebrate Global Cat Day with me.

Enjoy all the furry faces, and if you are looking for a more strategic way to relieve the pressure, get on my calendar now and let’s figure it out together!

Inigo Montoya

Lilo and Moana

Millie

Wyatt & Virgil

Gingi 2

Travis

Max

Shelby

Cyrus and Gus

Nero

Toby Taco

Sunny

Scarlett

Chester

Lluvia

Georgie

Cheddar

Elsa

Baby Bre (BB)

See ALL the amazing cat pics people submitted here!

My End-Of-Year Planning Mistake (+ 2 Others)

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If you’re gearing up for a 4th quarter push, watch this video first. Slow down for a sec (or 7
minutes, to be exact) and make sure you’re not letting these 3 common mistakes derail your
end-of-year goals!

FYI – towards the end of the video, the quality gets a little fuzzy. It’s me, not you. 😊

And here are the links to the two resources I mentioned:

What I Learned from 5 Mistakes at 1 Speaking Gig

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Many years ago, I had an absolute disaster of a speaking gig… but I learned a LOT from it!

Enjoy the video where I share:

  • 5 mistakes
  • 1 thing that I did right
  • 1 thing that saved my bacon
  • What I did next

Resources mentioned in the video: