D. Allison Lee LLC
Hi, I’m Deb, a digital productivity coach helping solo business owners and creatives (👀 yep, writers too) stay focused and actually finish what they start. Subscribe for simple focus strategies, easy mindset habits, and useful tech tools. Come work alongside me during live Action Days.
What to Do With the Time You Just Got Back
Hey Reader, A few weeks ago, I shared a quick Google Calendar trick to shorten meetings by trimming a few minutes off each one. (yes, you can do that automatically!) So, you know what this means, right? You probably now (or will soon) have small pockets of time that pop up in your day. 🎉🎉🎉 A few minutes here. A few minutes there. Not enough to start a big project, but just enough to notice a different flow to your workday. Here’s what I’ve found. When I decide to "cash in" on those extra...
Here's your Friday5️⃣
Hey Reader, I'm stopping by your inbox today to share the Friday5️⃣ -- five helpful things I've come across that might challenge your point of view or get you thinking a little differently. This week, I learned something. Always nice when that happens, especially since that "new thing" came from none other than Mari Smith. More on what she said below along with a "music" video, an "awe-some" podcast, and an AI book that came across my desk, plus a good-for-you app. Last thing - Habesne...
A Simple Google Calendar Trick to Shorten Meetings and Get Your Time Back
Hey Reader, We need to talk about meetings. Specifically, the idea that meetings have to be 60 minutes long.(it's sort of an outdated work tradition, isn't it?) Somewhere along the way, an hour-long meeting became the default. Not because every conversation needed to be an hour, but because that’s what the calendar tools decided for us. (and maybe a few colleagues too) Most of us just went along with it. I know I did. 😐 The funny thing is that I've noticed something really remarkable when I...
😮💨 when everything feels harder than it should
A Smarter Way to Work In my last email, I talked about matching your work to your energy, but it's not lost on me that sometimes we're not just low on energy. As small business peeps (and humans!), we're flat-out exhausted. And it's more than the “I need a nap” kind of tired. It's the kind that comes from doing everything the hard way. Like ping-ponging between tasks and carrying way too much in our heads and on our plates. (hello, massive cognitive load) A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post...
⚡ low energy? try this instead
Hey, hey, Reader, Is your to-do list feeling a little ambitious but your energy is not quite matching up? When you try to "power through" tasks that don’t match your energy, your focus, your capacity, or even your mood, everything feels harder than it needs to be. (I get caught by this sometimes 🙄) But there's a simple fix for that. Instead of asking, “What should I be working on?” Try asking, “What kind of work can my brain realistically deal with right now?” Here are a few examples: 🛟 1....
🌱 if work feels a little clunky right now, this is for you
Hey, hey, Reader, Did you find it weirdly hard to get back into work after the holidays? It was a little trickier than I expected. It seems strange and a little unreasonable to expect time away means we should come back ready to go at full speed. I’m not a robot. You’re not a robot. And easing into work is not a character flaw. It’s just common sense. 🙂 Here’s the one thing that has helped me the most: I give myself a “buffer day.” It’s not an extra day off. Just a lighter day. Fewer big...
🎁 Here's your Sunday Cinco - Holiday Gift Edition
Hey, hey, Reader, So… this was supposed to be a Friday5️⃣ email, but the high school application season said “LOL, cute” and stole my writing time. 😂 So welcome to the Sunday Cinco. Same vibes, just fashionably late! If you’ve got a to-do list that includes finding gifts (or, ahem, treating yourself), I’ve got five fantastic options below, all hand-picked for solopreneurs, go-getters, and folks who appreciate practical solutions. …and who wouldn’t mind a little more structure, a motivation...
✋ Tired of feeling behind? This will help.
Don’t Hustle Harder. Just Figure Out Where Your Time is Going. Has this happened to you, Reader? You sit down, coffee in hand, determined to finally make progress, and then somehow, hours disappear. You were busy. You felt productive. But when the dust settled, your to-do list still looked the same. (no judgement, I've been there too) Like the time I spent 45 minutes reorganizing the Thrive-Hive calendar instead of writing the blog post I said I was going to finish. (true story 😳) The wild...
Your next bright idea might already be waiting 💡
If you feel like your motivation needs to be topped up, this is for you. First, you're not alone. Sometimes inspiration can be hard to find as the year comes to a close. (particularly if you haven't checked off everything you set out to do) Here’s the good news: inspiration can start flowing when you least expect it. Maybe it’s during your daily reset walk, while listening to a random podcast episode, when you sing in the shower, or even while you’re making your morning coffee. (yes, it...
Here's your Friday5️⃣ - Friends Edition
Hey, hey! It's time for a new Friday 5 -- five interesting things I've come across in my internet travels. Last time, I shared some ways for you to hack your motivation and get things done before the year closes. In this Friends Edition, I'm sharing awesome sauce offers from some peeps in my circle, like: how to bring back the harmony this holiday season (enough said!) a brand new podcast (for those of us who are of "a certain age") how to to get re-focused on your writing (🐰🐰🐰) an AI legal...
Hi, I’m Deb, a digital productivity coach helping solo business owners and creatives (👀 yep, writers too) stay focused and actually finish what they start. Subscribe for simple focus strategies, easy mindset habits, and useful tech tools. Come work alongside me during live Action Days.