27.3K
Downloads
674
Episodes
Do you feel overwhelmed with your todo list? Is "creating fulfilling happiness" missing from that list? Everyday Happiness with Katie Jefcoat is here to help you. In 2-minutes a day, over time, you’ll discover how to reduce overwhelm and create lasting happiness through Katie’s signature method of Intentional Margins, happiness science, and musings about life. Start your day with a positive mindset. Many of us can get deep in the feeling of overwhelm. The anxiety of our own ambition can weigh heavily on our thoughts and emotions. We lay down and close our eyes at night and our chest begins to feel heavy. More items on the to-do list than the day before. How will we ever going to get off the hamster wheel of to-dos? When are we going to start living life for more than the hustle? As a recovering lawyer and passion driven entrepreneur, Katie knew something had to change. What she found is that you can have harmony, be intentionally productive and create massive impact, all at the same time - without feeling guilty. So she asked herself a simple question: "How can I get off the hamster wheel and how can I show others how to do the same? She knew she'd had a system for herself, but she’d never put it into defining words. On August 15, 2019, she sat down at her dining room table with her friend Jenna (her business bestie). Post-It notes covering the table. This is where she first defined the concept of Intentional Margins. What are Intentional Margins? INTENTIONAL MARGINS™ (n): A buffer of space and time to create harmony between your to-do’s and your priorities. Now you can get the support you need to manage your overwhelm, one little tip at a time. Regardless of the industry, Everyday Happiness blends inspiration with a pragmatic approach to finding Harmony. You'll be encouraged to throw “balance” out the window for a more achievable approach called harmony. Through Intentional Margins™, you'll be encouraged to develop what harmony means to you, by identifying your priorities at work and at home. Every day, we'll end the podcast help you feel equipped to jump off the hamster wheel of overwhelm and go out there and crush your day. --About the Host-- Katie Jefcoat is a community curator, speaker, author and motivator who supports ambitious women (and a few good men) move from feeling hectic to harmonious. As a recovering trial lawyer, she knows first hand what it feels like to have a demanding job. As an entrepreneur with a passion that lights her hair on fire and a busy family she’s in the thick of it with you. Many people strive for balance and think overwhelm is just a part of life. Sadly, the hustle culture and our never-ending to-do list is creating a life where our priorities are getting the leftover scraps of time. Katie introduces people to what she calls - Intentional Margins™ - a kind of life in which they reduce randomness, create harmony between their to-dos and their priorities and intentionally enjoy the meaningful parts of life - without feeling guilty. Without exposure to a different way, we remain stuck on the hamster wheel of to-dos and never find the “balance” we yearn for. Katie works diligently to expose her community to different ways of doing things, because she fundamentally believes we deserve to make time for our priorities. We deserve to live a life of harmony. And it’s within our control to create it. Katie curates a smorgasbord of content related to managing your calendar, handling overwhelm, setting boundaries, reducing randomness, saying no, self-care, the power of your choices, and more in her Intentional Margins™ Membership Community -- which she calls the coziest virtual coffee shop (on Facebook). Connect and learn more at www.katiejefcoat.com.
Episodes
Thursday Mar 31, 2022
Thursday Mar 31, 2022
Oftentimes we push off the no because we don’t want to hurt any feelings or we’re just indecisive. But actually, that’s worse than just being honest and kind with your no.
Transcript:
Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in 2 minutes a day, through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life.
I'm your host Katie Jefcoat, and I’m saying no to morning coffee dates sporadically scattered around my calendar. I love connecting and it’s so easy for me to say yes, not only for the connection, but the coffee. But what I realized during the pandemic, is that I am more of an introvert than I realized and if I want to achieve my goals, I need to be aware of where I spend my time. So I’ve created boundaries. And I wanted to share what that looks like and also some inspiration from an article that I read that said How to Say No to “Grabbing Coffee” by Jenny Taitz and Greg McKeown.
I’ve learned that I have the most energy and creative brain function in the morning and I need to capture that time so that I can be the most productive and efficient.
What was so interesting about this article is that they argue a softer no, like saying, not this week and pushing it off is actually worse than a flat-out nope, can’t do it.
What struck me, as we talked about our Intentional Margins in the last two episodes is that the authors make a great point that not all time is created equal and how we feel and the energy it takes to devote to something is also worthy of some decision making. I talk about this in the way we create our ideal weeks.
But they go on to say that “You may realize that devoting more than one night a week to a work dinner deprives you of being able to spend time with a loved one or on a passion project.” So this goes back to our pillars. How do we want to spend our time? We can go out every night of the week, which may feed our connection pillar, but is that activity actually a detriment to another pillar. This is the harmony we are all after. The time spent in each pillar is not equal.
This is a holistic approach to how we design our life. And in closing, the authors argue for a firm but compassionate no, if it really is not something that is aligned with your Intentional Margins® right now. They say you can do this by “warmly validating, honestly expressing preferences, and offering something pleasant if you can’t contribute personally — whether that’s a nice alternative like an email introduction, a better time to chat, or simple well-wishes.”
So when you feel bombarded with tasks that do not align with your margins and you have the capacity to say no (so it’s not something your boss needs) - consider being firm and kind. It goes a long way. No one wants to be hanging on for a “yes” if you already know the answer is a big fat “no”.
Until next time, remember, kindness is contagious.
Get Everyday Happiness delivered to your inbox by subscribing at: https://www.katiejefcoat.com/happiness
And, let’s connect on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram
Links: https://onamission.bio/everydayhappiness/
Comments (0)
To leave or reply to comments, please download free Podbean or
No Comments
To leave or reply to comments,
please download free Podbean App.