Jayne Havens is the founder of The Snooze Fest by Jayne Havens and the Center for Pediatric Sleep Management. I had the pleasure of having Jayne on my podcast last month, and we just recorded an episode for her podcast, Becoming a Sleep Consultant with Jayne Havens. She dropped the above quote during our conversation, and it resonated so much I just had to share it.

Blue Tree Tip of the Week

This week in my Side Gig School program we talked about advanced scheduling techniques, or what I like to think of as “how to get s*it done.” This is so relevant for all of us who have things to do and don’t always get them all done in a way that feels good and organized. The way I teach this is not just another time management technique. It is really more about how we manage our minds, not just our time. Here is my absolute favorite technique: decide ahead of time when you are doing what.

This includes:

• Workouts
• Laundry
• Work projects
• Strategic thinking time
• Reaching out to clients or customers
• Grocery shopping
• Anything and everything else you can think of that you have to get done in the upcoming week.

Friends, this is like stupid simple. Decide, and schedule it in. And yet – this can be so hard to (a) sit down and do and (b) follow through on even if we get part (a) done. Why?

We are wired to do what feels good in the moment. Just like a toddler. Yep, the most ancient and therefore ingrained part of our neurological wiring wants us to just stay comfortable, seek pleasure, and avoid pain (thank you survival instinct!). Left to our own devices, then, we often don’t get what needs to be done done and blow ourselves, our goals, and our dreams off in favor of just staying comfortable.

And, it does not have to be this way. See, we have another part of our brains too – the prefrontal cortex. I like to think of this as the “mom” of the brain – she helps us get organized, problem solve, advance towards our goals, and generally act like responsible citizens.

This simple technique – decide ahead of time what you are doing and when – is how we start to mother our own damn selves.

If there’s something you’ve been avoiding or putting off – try this and let me know how it works!

Real Coaching Results

I am a proud mama bear of a client who just sold her first big side gig package. She took a chance on a dream by reaching out to me months ago, working with me one-on-one on starting a new business while also working in her day job, and taking my Side Gig School program. She has now created evidence that her idea has legs, that it is actually helping people who need her skills, and she is making money doing it. Like, real money that makes a difference in her life.

Podcast Recommendation

Real Talk with Susan and Kristina. This podcast is an absolute must-listen if you’ve got adolescents. Susan Stone and Kristina Supler are student and athlete defense lawyers at Kohrman Jackson & Krantz (and dear friends of mine). They are top notch in their industry and always have great conversations about real issues facing adolescents and their families.