Dear friends.

Do you find yourself feeling like you have wasted days? Gotten caught up in facebook or email drama? Feeling like you are meant to do something BIG in life, but never have time for it? Maybe you do great for awhile, but then get caught back up in the same old rut?

Welcome to my last hmmm 4-5 years? Honestly hitting amazing points of stride in my life and business and then becoming overwhelmed, a constant cycle. Finding my identity in places where it shouldn’t be and getting caught up in stream of life passing by on facebook. It’s almost embarrassing to say but if someone were to ask me how much time I spent on Facebook/Instagram a day before the last Making Things Happen Tour in October, I would honestly say I was at a place of 4-5 hours a day. Even when I had facebook deleted off my iPhone!?! Heck it was up on my computer most of the day in an open tab.  Cause that’s what you do when you are self employed right? You can multi-task like a superstar. WRONG. 

I really believe that we cannot multi-task, an attendee of MTH2011 shared a beautiful saying. You aren’t multitasking…… you are actually just switching from task to task. That has completely stuck in my mind since and challenged my heart.

Preparing for our last road tour of Making Things Happen, I so looked foward to the break. I looked forward to the amazing clarity that I find when I don’t have time for hours on social media. When I have my phone OFF almost all day long or I am on a plane and don’t have service. I flourish there. I forget about facebook. I feel LIGHTER. I get clarity. I get strong. This has happened EVERY tour, yet I always seem to fall back into a funk when I get home with getting caught up with my computer.

This time I needed to keep that focus. I needed to be committed to nourishing my soul with the right things. I needed to be committed to stop wasting time. I needed to vigilant to protect my heart. When I got home I needed boundaries.

Boundaries that wouldn’t limit me but would SET ME FREE!

Set me free to spend time and fill myself up with things that matter. Things that fire me up. Things that make me jump for joy and spend time learning and filling my heart up with what makes it tick. Which in turn creates better work and more intentional relationships and images.

(In my next post I will speak to setting boundaries on the amount of time on your sites, but first we have to start with how the heck you get to them anyways.)

It’s all about Access folks. Ladies and Gentlemen………..

Meet Boundary Number 1. Speed Dial 2.

Note :: Now all of these boundaries I have set up via a Google Chrome browser. I have always loved Chrome, so get on and download it

Isn’t she PRETTY! This is my homepage. This is what comes up everytime you hit a new window or tab. Awesomesauce right?

This FREE Google Chrome app replaces the “top sites” or most visited pages that come up in your browser. I helps me focus on what matters. How you say? I am taking away the easy access of just going to social media sites or other big time waster sites because they automatically pop up. Within this app you can set your own links and use a photo that is linked on the web as your image. I am a crazy visual person, so looking at images that make me feel clear and lifted changes how I feel.  So I created these little image tabs in photoshop and then uploaded them to my Pinterest to get a link to them. I freaking love them and honestly will constantly make new ones that inspire my heart. Next on the list is a Dance PARTY that will link to Pandora!!!

Then you choose what your “boxes” and  links will be. They can link to whatever you choose to. I chose to make this place a positive place that focused my heart on the BIG Picture. On scripture, on client communication, on getting things done. Here is what each of my images click through to……

• -Do what matters :: Links to my blog because for me writing and sharing really matters to me. It’s a HUGE passion I have.
• -Emails are just decisions :: Links to my email. It helps me not get overwhelmed and reminds me just decide.
• -Trust God :: Is a link to a verse in Matthew that tells me not to worry and to trust the Lord in everything when I am feeling anxious.
• -Choose Joy :: Is another favorite verse.  Rejoice always,  pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1st Thes. 5 :16-18
• -Be Intentional :: Links to my Shootq, which is my client management system. Reminds me to be intentional in all my communication with each piece of my business.
• -Find Comfort Here :: First I love that lil’ image to pieces and second it brings me back to a verse that helps me choose the Lord instead of comfort in food or social media.
• -Prepare Nummy :: Is a Gluten Free Dairy Free website that helps me plan scrumptious healthy meals for my family, which is a key to me feeling whole.
• -Inspire Others :: Actually does link to my Facebook business page. It reminds me to look at the post it on my computer of what my social media purpose is. To spend time encouraging, lifting others up, sharing HIM, connecting and loving on others. Then when I find myself looking at someones else’s life, photos, kids….wanting and/or comparing their life. I can prompt myself that I need to hit close on the browser.
• -Life Found Here :: A link to the You Version online. It’s a great resource to devotions and reminds me of where real life really is.

Here is an image of how where you can set the direct links to the images & actual sites.

Feel free to use the images I created in Pintrest or make your own, just give it a try! It’s helped me tremendously on smiling at my computer and really focusing.

I can’t wait to share the next Boundary that has CHANGED MY WORLD in volume 2.