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Lori Bruton

Author | Writer | Lifestyle Blogger |Speaker

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Hi, I'm Lori.
Author, Speaker, Coach, Ghostwriter

Is Your Full Plate Devaluing Your Client’s Time and Projects?

November 1, 2021 by Lori Leave a Comment

It was a requirement by my mentor to attend certain events. The motive and intent were for my good. Learning the same business and personal training was a valuable experience.

As I observed her life and the craziness of the event, she said to me, “If you want what I have you have to do what I’ve done.”

Without hesitation, I said, “I don’t want what you have! Weeks without seeing your husband, working so hard and long that you collapse and hardly get any sleep. That isn’t my definition of success. That isn’t how I want my life to look. No thanks.”

I know it’s one thing to be driven and “hungry,” but you can’t be so out of balance for a long period of time without it literally making you sick and tired, burned out with damaged relationships.

My dad often said I needed to work three jobs, come home, pull weeds, and cook a hot dog, and go, go, go every minute. Work hard, yes. However, that pace and method look different for everyone. Many people brag how many jobs they are working while building their dream and business. They wear it like a badge of honor and may discredit people who aren’t working as hard as they are and even label others as lazy.

Is it worth it? Have you taken on more than you can handle? What consequences have happened?

I see it often. Business owners are taught they need to sign up for every program, group, and training. Keep in mind to choose what works for you and not get caught up in the marketing aspect of it.

On top of that, you are told it’s necessary to lose sleep, sacrifice time with your family, and work until you drop.

Yes, sacrifices are necessary, but at what cost? That can’t be the only way to achieve your dreams. Fair warning, it may result in resentment from your family, friends, and clients.

Pushing yourself to burnout isn’t benefitting anyone. Working multiple jobs while building your dream will affect how and if you show up. That will compromise your reputation and whether or not people can trust you.

Life happens and we all have missed or been late for meetings and appointments. It’s when it’s more the norm than the exception that causes problems.

Keep in mind when you set a date and time for a meeting and are late, unprepared, or a no show, what message does that send to your client? Repeated apologies get old real fast.

Your plate is not only overflowing, its breaking. The tasks you forgot to do or put aside affects more than you, it spills onto your clients. You tell them their project is being worked on, but is that just an excuse due to the way you managed or mismanaged your schedule?

If none of this matters, and the way you are doing things is working for you, keep doing what you’re doing. Success looks different for everyone.

Those of you who are ready to admit you can’t keep up your current pace and there is too much on your plate, maybe these 8 recommendations will help.

  1. Evaluate your current status. How many jobs do you have? How many trainings and groups are you in? Are you able to give your best to all of them or do you just pop in to make an appearance? Invest in yourself, yes. However, if you are in too many things at once, no human has the capacity to reap the full results and benefits.
  1. Does anyone get your full attention? Multitasking is an illusion. Active listening is a skill. How many times has someone been talking to you and you only heard bits and pieces, if anything, because maybe you were texting or doing other things while pretending to listen? Did that save or cost you time? What message did that portray to the person in front of you? Important note: If you rarely give full attention to your spouse, one day you make look up and they’re gone. If your marriage isn’t important and you prefer to be away from each other, then that may not matter. Love and happiness look different for each couple. 
  1. Who and What are Your Priorities? We are all created by God for a purpose. That doesn’t mean you have to cram too many things into each day. God wants us to enjoy life in abundance. What does that look like for you? Stop and see the big picture. Dreams are important, but when you’re on your death bed will you wished you worked more? Or did you work so much it literally killed you? These are things we often don’t consider because we are racing the clock every day. Personally, the harder I push myself results in sickness and exhaustion which is costly in many ways. That doesn’t make me a wimp or lazy. Discover what’s right for you and prioritize accordingly.
  1. Pace yourself and know your limitations. Rest is a must in these human physical bodies. If you don’t, your body will rebel at the most inconvenient times, which will affect not only your health, but the commitments you made with your clients.
  1. How is doing everything yourself working for you? Hanging onto control of it all will cost you one way or another. For example, did you schedule a webinar, but you didn’t show up on time? Everyone has a learning curve with technology, but that’s when it’s good to practice or get help. If you or others were promoting a specific day and time and inviting people to the webinar, but it ended up changing at the last minute, that will affect whether or not people show up and wait for you or not show up at all. Before your meeting or webinar, assure that you have correct logins, resources, and presentations ready to go and you tested them ahead of time.
  1. No More Delays or Assumptions. It isn’t always about a client’s expectation of when each phase of their project gets completed or not. It also involves how you schedule your time and anyone on your team. Setting and meeting deadlines involves many people and their priorities. Missing meetings, not responding to messages (especially in a timely manner), and assuming your client will contact you all result in delays. Clear and timely communication is essential.
  1. Get Help. If you are exhausted and not able to keep up with everything and everyone, it’s time to get help. You can’t afford not to. Otherwise, you are risking your reputation, trust, and business.
  1. Remove things off your plate. When you keep piling on more things, other things will get buried, including yourself. There is a time and season for everything. Not everyone can successfully juggle too many jobs and clients and fit in family and fun. It will be like a house of cards waiting to fall. You may end up oversleeping and not hearing the alarm.

Hopefully, this was a wake up call for you and provided valuable considerations and solutions. Look at what is packed into each day. Make changes, adjustments, deletions as needed.

Observations and personal experiences brought me to write this message. Reach out if you need recommendations for assistance in managing your life and business.

Wishing you wellness, success, and happiness and the time to enjoy it.

Filed Under: MY BLOG Tagged With: alarm, appointments, assumptions, attention, balance, blog, burnout, business, clients, connections, consequences, control, death, delays, disappointment, dream, events, exhaustion, goals, help, job, marketing, marriage, meetings, message, plate, preparation, priorities, projects, recommendations, relationships, resentment, rest, sleep, solutions, success, time, training, trust, VA, virtualassistant, wakeupcall, webinars

Lori’s Story of a Snail

September 21, 2021 by Lori Leave a Comment

Hey Snail, what’s your story?

What made you show up at my house?

Do you have a message for me?

 

What can I tell from your attractive spiral shell?

Could it be that I am going in circles?

Am I going too slowly?

 

A snail’s pace is often an accusation of laziness.

But, what if, it’s a sign to slow down and rest?

You are a gentle creature who comes in peace.

 

Wherever you go, you are at home.

How do I know? Because you carry your home with you.

You make your own trail and travel at your own pace.

 

You bring a message of patience and I’m right on time.

No need to get caught up in the ways of harried humans.

I’ll take a clue from you and will not participate in the pressure.

 

What else may I glean from your visit? Ah, it’s time to pivot.

Look at potential dangers and what’s not working.

With a shell of safety and protection, explore a new direction.

 

You appeared to me so that I could see your mobility.

I stopped to observe and consider other possibilities.

I ask myself what are my undiscovered talents and abilities?

 

Speed is not the key to success.

Your colorful, spiral shell reminds me to cherish each season.

Life is fragile. I am here for a reason.

 

Thank you, Snail, for crossing my path when I have much to handle.

You showed me your mobile home, and how to survive alone.

There is a time to be still and a time to move, help me find my groove.

Filed Under: MY BLOG Tagged With: ability, author, awareness, blog, copywriter, decisions, direction, discouraged, help, home, hope, hopeless, inspiration, journey, lessons, life, lifestyle, lorisstories, lorisstoriesbythewater, message, motivation, move, nature, notice, overwhelm, pace, path, patience, peace, pivot, possibilities, pressure, protection, rest, season, shell, sign, snail, speaker, speed, story, survive, talent, time, travel, travel blogger, travel writer, visit, visitor, write

6 SOLUTIONS FOR WHEN URGENT MATTERS KNOCK YOU DOWN

February 20, 2021 by Lori Leave a Comment

At any moment, urgent matters may arise. Immediate action is required. It can throw you into emotional turmoil. You may feel like life is spinning out of control. Or…

You can put your own spin on it. Choose to transform urgent matters into living life with urgency. Allow those challenges to awaken a new way and a new you.

Imagine what it looks like beyond what’s happening now. See yourself conquering every challenge. What does it feel like to get to the other side and find a way to achieve your goals and dreams?

Sometimes stress and change can knock you down, but don’t let it knock you out. Like Les Brown says, “When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up.” 

Your situation may seem impossible, but God has a comeback for every setback and a new beginning for every ending. –Oola

Do you feel like you’re in too deep? Overwhelm and procrastination can keep you stuck and scattered. I know saying goodbye makes me cry. There is loss but you can turn it into a gain and treasure the moments you shared with people and places. You may feel lost while you watch others succeed. You are happy for them. For you, maybe you see no way out. What’s happening in your life that feels heavy and looks impossible to handle?

 

Here, with me, you won’t get beaten down. This is a safe place. Has anyone ever said to you: “You’re not special,” Or “It could be worse,” Or “You’re not tough enough,” or “You can’t do that;” Really? I don’t know about you, but those words tend to be critical and discouraging not understanding and encouraging.

Let me encourage you and help you get back up with these 6 solutions:

  1. U = UNDERSTAND. Understand there are unprecedented times and that whatever has happened may be new to you; you’ve never experienced it before. It’s a big adjustment. You don’t have to conform but instead transform. Disregard people who compare or make it seem insignificant. It’s significant to you. As I write this, we are living in unprecedented times. Then when you add your personal circumstances it compounds. Breathe. First, just breathe. Be present in the moment. You don’t have to figure it all out right now. If one day at a time seems too much, break it down to one minute at a time. Everyone has a different pace. Honor your own pace and don’t feel pressured by anyone else. Know that you are greater than your circumstances.
  2. R = REST & REFLECT. Break. Take a break. Did you think I meant breakdown? That’s okay too. Shedding tears is cleansing. It’s healthy. Keeping everything inside can be toxic. Handling urgent matters may mean letting go and taking a break from other things for now, even a job. Ask yourself, “What’s most important right now?” Will you wish you worked more when you look back? Not likely. Take time to take care of you. There may be more going on than just emotions. Maybe you need to take a nap, soak in the tub, and eat good food to refuel and refresh.
  3. G = GIFTS. Believe. Accept the change and believe it will be okay. Get a new perspective and see the gifts this urgent matter brings. You may experience a wave of emotions and face challenges. Ride the wave. It’s okay. God promises to work everything together for good. Be grateful for the gifts.
  4. E = EVALUATE. Assess the situation. Explore new possibilities. What can you do to move forward? Where do you want to be? What do you want to be doing? Who do you want to do it with? Picture it in your mind. You don’t have to let any situation “infect” you and keep you feeling stuck, sad, and hopeless. Allow this new thing to “affect” you and transform you into having a better life. You get to choose. Are you living for other people and not living the life you were born to live? You were made for more.
  5. N = NECESSARY. It’s necessary that you work on yourself and develop yourself despite disappointments and setbacks. It’s necessary to surround yourself with quality people who believe in you and lift you higher. Remember, when things go wrong, don’t go with them as Les Brown would say. Not just when things go wrong, but when major change happens give yourself grace to shift into a new gear, adjust your sails, enjoy the new journey.
  6. T = TRUST. Trust the process. No matter how it looks now, know the best is just ahead. Take a risk. You don’t need to grab the next branch before letting go of the one you’re holding onto now. Don’t let yourself get buried alive. Don’t let your dreams die. Do a new thing that makes your heart sing.

There you go. Implement these 6 steps and live life with urgency. No more procrastination, settling, or giving up on your dream and the life you were born to live. No more putting off the passion that burns inside you. Maybe it’s writing a book, traveling, starting a business, speaking, creating a new invention, or moving to a different area. What is it for you?

I have a better understanding of it’s hard but worth it. You’ll be okay. Get excited and embrace new adventures. We can evaluate together if you like. We are created for a purpose. Let’s explore where you are now and where you want to be so you can get more out of your life.

Text URGENT to this text only number:  844-394-4798.

Peace and Love,

Lori

Creator of The LORI Factor, Author, Speaker &

Certified Oola Life Coach

Filed Under: MY BLOG Tagged With: assess, author, awaken, belief, believe, blog, breathe, challenge, conquer, dreams, emergency, encouragement, entrepreneur, evaluate, faith, gifts, goals, God, gratitude, hope, hopeless, inspiration, left behind, loss, love, move, necessary, oola, overwhelm, personal development, personalgrowth, procrastination, reflect, rest, speaker, stress, transformation, trust, understand, urgent, urgent matters, victory

Sleep Deprived perhaps?

October 26, 2020 by Lori Leave a Comment

Trouble sleeping?
Trouble Sleeping?

Here is what I know. Sleep affects everything! Especially since the pandemic and increased stress, sleep has been disrupted and interrupted in many cases. Is this true for you?

You know me as an author, writer, and speaker mainly. Why am I talking about sleep? Without wellness, which includes sound sleep, everything is affected personally and professionally. It throws off our life balance. I teach about how to have more balance in 7 key areas of life using the Oola framework. Getting quality sleep is essential and very Oola.

It will feel so good not being tired, right? I am sharing this Young Living blog with you. Rest assured that these valuable resources may be the answer to help you function better naturally. Make the decision to support your wellness. Love yourself. Take care of you. Feel better. Be better. Get started here.

Let me know if you want me to teach you more. I have virtual classes available. Message me or text my text only number: 844-394-4798.

Quiz: Tell us your bedtime routine for a sleepy time diffuser blend

 

Filed Under: MY BLOG Tagged With: answers, author, balance, blog, books, classes, coach, corona, covid, decisions, educate, essential oils, faith, feel better, guide, hope, love, oola, pandemic, read, resources, rest, sleep, sleep deprived, speak, speaker, stress, support, teacher, tired, tools, virtualassistant, wellness, write, young living

7 Ways to K I S S

March 31, 2019 by Lori 2 Comments

KISS – Keep It Simple, Sweetie

A kiss is sweet. If you want more love, give more love, especially to yourself. It sounds simple, right? To love and be loved is in our nature. Most of us desire to live a happy, fulfilling, simple life.

Living a simplified life in today’s world can be challenging. We are bombarded with information overload, distractions, cramming too much into our schedules, giving attention to digital devices that suck our time and energy.

Maybe you feel that you haven’t accomplished enough each day. Or, maybe you accomplished a lot, but you are exhausted. Is what you’re spending time doing worth it? Will it matter in the long run? If the answer is YES; keep doing it. You’re on the right track. If the answer is NO, take a moment to decide what does matter to you and your future that will leave a lasting legacy.

Maybe you’re not busy enough and each day slips by leaving you in a state of defeat and disillusionment. Could it be that you are overwhelmed? Overwhelmed just means you don’t know what to do next, which can be coupled with overthinking. What can you do to overcome this dilemma?

7 Ways to KISS:

  1. Stop pursuing perfection and pursue PEACE.
  2. Change your physical state by standing up or going outside; breathe deeply.

  3. Break down big tasks into smaller ones; set a timer. If you like variety, spend small chunks of time alternating activities.

  4. Instead of go, go, go until you collapse; take breaks and rest.

  5. On the flip side, too many breaks or long breaks may paralyze you and keep you stuck. Find the balance that works for you.

  6. Get help. Maybe you think you have to do it all alone and figure everything out by yourself. Who is willing and able to collaborate with you? The right help will empower you and them.

  7. Be present. Enjoy each “NOW” moment. Past and future thoughts can rob our present moments. Of course, treasure the past and learn from it. Pursue and plan for the future. Mostly, enjoy what you are doing this moment.

I am enjoying writing this blog for you. Let me be totally transparent. I admit I was consumed with overthinking mode. It’s important that I write words that add value and help you. I realized I wasn’t keeping it simple. How silly, right?

A complicated, bittersweet KISS may feel like this:  Knotted, Isolated, Self-Sabotage, Stuck.

Emotional Knots are tied to emotional wounds that rob your freedom and ability to grow. Staying Isolated can keep you separated from where you long to go and what you plan to achieve. Self-Sabotage conflicts with our thoughts and behaviors causing procrastination. This is a block to our success. When we are blocked, we are Stuck and cannot move forward. This type of KISS doesn’t sound enjoyable, does it?

Pucker up, Baby. This is the kind of KISS that will make you soar and you’ll want more. Kindness, Inspiration, Smile, Spontaneity.

Kindness is warm and tender, which is a welcoming relief in this harsh, cold world. Fill your heart and soul with Inspiration and motivation so you have enough for yourself and give inspiration to others. Put a Smile on your face to brighten your countenance. It makes you feel better and blesses others. Spontaneity is freeing and removes inhibitions. Some of the best experiences are unplanned and spontaneous.




Much Love,
Lori

Allow yourself to lighten up, enjoy life, and Keep It Simple, Sweetie. As my Grandpa used to say, “Apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze.” Eat the cheese and embrace the sweet life. May you receive the best Hugs and KISSES.

 

Thanks for sharing this intimate, authentic time with me. Please share ways you KISS (aka Keep your life simplified.) Did I make you SMILE?

Filed Under: MY BLOG Tagged With: abundance, analysisparalysis, authentic, balance, behavior, blocks, blog, business, busy, communicate, community, decisions, defeat, delegate, desire, dilemma, distractions, entrepreneur, exhausted, freedom, fulfillment, fun, help, hug, inspiration, intimate, isolated, isolation, keepitsimple, kindness, kiss, knots, legacy, lonely, love, motivation, overanalyzing, overthinking, overwhelmed, peace, perfection, perfectionist, procrastination, productivity, purpose, relationships, relief, rest, schedules, selfsabotage, separation, simplify, spontaneity, spontaneous, stress, stuck, success, team, transparent, wellness

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Hi, I'm Lori!

I'm a copywriter, blog writer, and ghostwriter, with a focus in the inspirational and travel niches. Need custom copy that motivates? Learn more about what I do!

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