Planning for the year ahead

#34 - Planning out a year of travel (EDITED)

Tue, Jan 23, 2024 2: 09PM • 28:05

Tue, Jan 23, 2024 2: SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Tue, Jan 23, 2024 2: day, retreat, week, planning, love, emma, podcast, events, holidays, booking, put, business, talked, people, kindy, year, feel, episode, son, wednesday

00: 01

00: Do you want to live a life of freedom and adventure? Are you wanting more than the daily grind? Me too. Welcome to the Emma Lovell show, a place where we talk about living a life you love. Now, I'm your host, Emma Lovell, and my number one value is freedom. I've spent the last 14 years running a business and traveling the world. And now I take my husband and toddler along for the adventure to it's possible and I know you can create a life doing what you truly love as well. This podcast will inspire, motivate and encourage you to go after your dreams to create a life you love until you get now don't wait for a time and or someday in the future. I'll be sharing episodes weekly about how I harmonize business travel and self care. I'll also bring on incredible guests to share their journeys, wins the challenges and how they're creating a life they love. Let's jump in and get dreaming. This is a space for you to manifest a life you love.

01: 03

01: I would like to acknowledge and recognize Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first peoples of this place now known as Australia. I am grateful for the continuing care of the land waterways and skies where I work live, listen, learn and play. From here on you can bear country and from wherever you are listening, I pay my respects to the elders past and present.

01: 27

01: My lovely and welcome to today's episode,

01: 31

01: haven't turned out to be what I expected it to be. The idea was to do a episode actually with my executive assistant, my AAA Amber, all about planning out a year of my business and what that looks like. But even the Planning Day didn't go to plan we were supposed to meet or a solid block of hours I do believe at the end of December.

02: 01

02: Or maybe even Yeah, sometime December. And it didn't happen. Because I haven't pulled the plug. I was feeling a little unwell. I couldn't face the drive. And

02: 15

02: actually, yes, it's filling in and not so great mood. I don't know if like it felt like maybe it was like

02: 22

02: procrastination technique or unconscious kind of like, I know, there's things that in the past I've been scared of doing. And then I somehow make myself sick. So I don't know if I'd like even though I was really looking forward to it. And I was going to spend a second half of that day with my gorgeous colleague and client and co host Christine to work on shave rates retreat. But yeah, I just really couldn't face the drive. So I checked in with Amber who's from Operation Amber, my executive assistant. And I said I couldn't do it. We talked about not doing it at all. And then we came around to doing it online.

03: 03

03: And we actually did do a solid session. But I think part of it for me.

03: 09

03: We then talked about her maybe coming to me, which didn't end up happening but something that I'd still like to do, because although I've done it in the past myself, I think it'd be part of planning and preparing for the next year is decluttering and clearing a space. And right now I've got a blurred filter on for my video watches and my podcasts and waving my arms around. My office space is so cluttered. And I've got like two bags of things to sort out. There's no back. There's no space. In the drawers. I've got a cabinet which I love that I made when I was

03: 45

03: in high school. So I was 15 or 16. That's 20 years old. actually made it in woodwork. But it's not really big enough for the space. I don't want to get rid of it. But I don't know where it's going to live right now.

03: 58

03: But I don't think it lives in my office. And so right now I don't feel like I have the right I don't even have the right desk. I think I really need to look at getting a standing desk.

04: 09

04: Anyhow, just

04: 11

04: so these episodes about I guess it's not like things didn't go to plan. And I've been feeling really overwhelmed the past week and I just wanted to share that.

04: 21

04: Because maybe you're feeling that way too. And I've done a few emails and even my episode I hate New Year's was about this whole thing. There's so much pressure on this time of year, so much pressure on Christmas and New Year in Australia.

04: 37

04: Particularly because we have the school holidays at this time as well in the summer,

04: 42

04: too. So a lot of pressure to

04: 45

04: to figure out your whole year.

04: 48

04: And although we've mapped out some things, we've done some really good things and I've had a big aha today of how we're going to structure my week because that's always been a bit of an issue for me.

04: 57

04: It's Tuesday today so Tuesday is going to become

05: 00

05: would cost day and I'm very excited about that. But I've always had like,

05: 06

05: yeah, I've just had

05: 10

05: I don't know, I

05: 12

05: found it really hard to set structure. And I feel like routine or making a structure, it limits me. But I, I do understand. And I've learned over the years that structure and routine can set you free. And having those boundaries and having that set time where you work or the set time where you do activities or batching your tasks together, it can actually move you so much more forward. And so today, we I just sort of said to Amber, let's, let's have set days for things or days where it can be this and this on this day. And this and this, and I've tried a little bit in the past, but I don't think I'm really committed to it. And I just can see. I mean, it's kind of naturally happening anyway, that my day ended up being all of one thing, it's really hard jumping between doing a podcast recording, doing a sales call, going recording an amazing reel, and then trying to work on my website, like in one day, it's just, it's jumping too many hats, then you get an email, and then you get to this and get it out and get thrown off course. So trying to build in some structure. Another thing that we've been really working on building in and something that we did talk a lot about, and I'm seeing more and more need for is like looking at time after I have trips or after I have activities. So I tend to sometimes feel like you know, even next week, I've got my retreat day. And I'm gonna go to on Monday to the Langham and set up and scatter out space and spend time there and relax before the retreat day. experience happens on the Tuesday. And then on the Wednesday, I think it'll check out at 10. But like Wednesdays are generally my day off and my go with the flow day. But there's like this feeling that Oh, well. I took Tuesday off. So then next Wednesday should be

06: 59

06: a workday. But what we're learning from the way I work is that I really do need to have that day off to recover, to process to follow up to do whatever needs to be done in the wrap up and the reflection of that trip. Or that day or that experience or whatever, not just jump straight into

07: 20

07: back into day to day and what happened on my cruise and went on the Disney Cruise in January. Because it was a holiday been inverted commas.

07: 31

07: Air quotes, sorry, I was in better air air quotes anyway.

07: 37

07: A holiday weekend was with a family holiday. But it was an experience more than you know, it was a we went on the Disney Cruise, which is an experience. It's not so much a relaxing trip. And then we have my son's party in Sydney. And I planned it that way. We got off the boat in the morning, we had his party in the afternoon. And then Monday was traveled out we had to travel home and ended up being a lot of admin because I had changed my head to change my phone.

08: 07

08: And yeah, moved our flights forward all this sort of stuff. So to get home and then you know, unpack and all that sort of stuff. And Tuesday, I struggled. And it was like oh my god cause I'm struggling like I needed to I didn't have my Monday, usual Monday of like, easing into the week and doing my admin and sort of out into Tuesday is full on and then Wednesday.

08: 28

08: Just we've just started putting my son in kindy. But otherwise, Wednesday was our day before. So it was my day that it went to our day. Now it's back to my day. They just started a fourth day and kindy which gives me a little bit more structure to the week as well. But

08: 42

08: one full day with a toddler three, a three year old. Oh my goodness was so I was so exhausted.

08: 50

08: We had fun. We did some great things. But my gosh, it is full on. So this gym wrecked my lower back is killing me at the moment.

09: 01

09: And then Friday, it's like oh my gosh, it's Friday, go do everything that I haven't done this way.

09: 06

09: And it all starts again, right? So just building in more days where it's like, okay, let's think about it. If I'm traveling throughout the day, maybe I can't achieve all those things. If I've got, you know, I'm going away then give yourself that day extra to just recover or to catch up. I would be far more productive in three hours of actual working than I am of booking myself in for a day of work.

09: 33

09: I mean, it's my business anyway, I can plan my days I want so you know just giving myself that space. I think I'm also way over booking and again, I've reverted to Amber to help me with like being the gatekeeper.

09: 47

09: Having more than three or four calls like there are a lot of energy in a day. So like for delivery calls or like where I'm showing up and presenting, talking to a client, maybe having a sales call

10: 00

10: are a podcast Kol that all engagement that all networking and talking is quite effortless to me.

10: 08

10: But I don't really I haven't realized how much energy it takes. So planning out less or planning less.

10: 17

10: You know, gosh, learning, but less is more. And I was on a podcast today with Jessica Osborne's come out soon. And we talked about, she was like the quote from Coco Chanel, I put all the things on and then take something off, or we're doing like, lineup all the things that we might want to do and then take out 10.

10: 36

10: That's, that will give him a level to a normal amount of activities.

10: 41

10: But what we did look at and it's something that I would encourage you to do, and I've been told it a while ago, it's you know, the first thing that goes on my calendar, and has been for a long time. So even though I had my son thing with me on Wednesday, Wednesday's have been blocked out of my calendar for three years like to the point where my body on a Wednesday just is like, no,

11: 00

11: the universe knows that I'm not supposed to be working because I have built it in so much. I can do social things I can do kind of networking things, but I can't do delivery things. And even I had last week to calls booked in. And then I'm having to change both of them. I just don't want any bookings on a Wednesday, I don't need anything that I have to do. It's my go with the flow day, and it's in my calendar is that and that is locked in?

11: 26

11: Well, yeah, the the second thing that we were putting in is travel, my personal travel there times when I want to travel and I don't want to be available. So we went in and we blocked all that out. And I encourage you to do the same put in your holidays. The other thing that we've put in, and I need to make sure we go and highlight it even further. And I did it with the calendar with a wall planner. Last year, I bought a wall plan I didn't fill into July. So it's the 23rd of June, I haven't printed off a warm plan, I will see if I can get one printed in the next week. And maybe fill it in in February, that would be like a huge jump on that just to be able to have something at a glance to look at. Because filling that in and seeing how much space is already taken up. Especially with school holidays. Now I have a child who is in candy, but a lot of my sort of client database and seem to be operating off school holidays. And it was really troublesome last year, booking things in around booking things in school holidays and then having them not sell. And so really what I want to be working on his sales and delivery and doing things with people in the term time. And then behind the scenes work in the school holiday time. And I could get onto that routine now. Because my son is going to go to school in about three years. So just like my Wednesday being like go with the flow day and my body being like, No, it's not working day, it will become like that. It'd be like, okay, school holiday time, I have less capacity. And in term time, I have more capacity.

12: 58

12: Just to give myself that like,

13: 01

13: I don't know, grace and space and understanding that that's there is less capacity.

13: 08

13: I am I want didn't want to take a break. And I actively didn't take a break over Christmas New Year because coming off the back of my retreat in India last year, I was so excited. And I still am so excited for my SriLanka retreat, which is going to be November 2023. So that was the very first thing that got blocked out. And a trip all around that we're going to be in India and Nepal, Sri Lanka. Yeah, I think hopefully for about a month, but maybe even five or six weeks, I think I'll be away six weeks, I think my husband and son will come for four weeks, but a solid time away. I'm really excited for that. I'll be working as I go. But like, you know, just recognizing that time have limited capacity and what or lesser capacity or not wanting to do as much and planning for that. So I feel excited for that time. But

13: 56

13: I was also excited for Christine's shave rates retreat in February. And then I'm also working on a retreat with Jade which we're going to hopefully announce next week and the next week or two like officially announced we've talked about it but you know,

14: 10

14: I was really excited for those things. So I was really looking forward to like I said having this time to work behind the scenes. When most people take say the 24th of December 23 of December till at least like the first week of January for the way the this year fell. It was the 23rd I think people stopped till the eighth of Jan. I think a lot of people only really coming back. Now the 22nd or 23rd and children people who are just children are going back to school probably wanting to start back to meet next week. And I spoke to a colleague yesterday she's like my brain isn't really on for this stuff until mid Feb. So in terms of booking retreats and booking time for them and making time for them. She said I wouldn't have to consider that till mid set like to think about booking and not even to go to think about it so that was really insightful for me but

14: 59

14: when end up happening was

15: 00

15: Some, I was working a bit, my son was in candy. But we had family here from overseas and interstate.

15: 09

15: We had storms, which end up being crazy. Then I decided to go to Tamworth over New Year's with friends. And I drove to Tamworth, which is a seven hour drive without stops. Just me and my son. And

15: 22

15: then I went up to Sunshine Coast, the first week of Jan, by myself for a night and I just, that's fine. That's all fine, but not trying to then think that I can do all of this work as well. And I just

15: 36

15: I just realized that I think I've tried for the last few years. And I think each year I sort of thought it's because of something else. Last year, it was a lot really hard. second of January, we found out that my nephew, we are sorry, there was a helicopter crash on the Gold Coast at SeaWorld, which was awful, and my husband was involved in the rescue. So it was really a traumatic, horrible event. And then the day after we found out that my nephew had a terminal illness and a week later, we found out that he had one to two years to live.

16: 07

16: So my last year I had again this wonderful idea of doing some planning behind the scenes work and that's why the wall planners tape dormant for so long. I felt like I couldn't plan anything.

16: 19

16: Working with em is an easy decision to make. her generosity and expertise are only surpassed by her absolute 100% Actually 120% investment in you and yourself your success your mindset, I cannot recommend working with him highly enough. Hi, I'm Justin McLean. I worked with Mr. Pre my photoshoot she was so knowledgeable, so supportive and really helped me nail my messaging through pictures, I would highly recommend working with Emma she is kind supportive and someone you need on your team.

16: 59

16: It does feel nice to to plan ahead, it does feel nice to be able to put things in place. But I think what last year taught me as well is that everything can change on a dime and that I need to be flexible and open. So having contingency plans but

17: 15

17: having a realistic expectation of my time and and the brilliant cartoon wrote a book called six figures in school hours and it talks exactly to this like thinking of 40 hours in a week you don't you think you have 32 with breaks like even as a full time worker, but they don't you faff about you do other things,

17: 33

17: you know, you actually really have 25 hours and then say there's a hiccup or something else comes up maybe it's 20. And something you know you're not feeling it. So maybe it's actually best or base or 15 actual hours of work like between 15 to 25 hours is actually would be incredible if you could give 15 hours to your work to your business. And then there's like the on in. And the brilliant again, day is going to be on the podcast talking about this as well. But like they're working on your business, and they're working in your business, like they're different things working in your business is delivering work is doing the work delivering to clients on your business, which is the thing that I was so excited about that I haven't got to do as much of is the work on the website, the planning, the

18: 21

18: you know, could be building your brand. So me being on a podcast today or reaching out to people to be on podcast. You know, it's the 23rd of January and I've done one podcast. Yes, January is a funny month, but like my goal is to be on three months. So I'm like, Oops, I gotta go get another two.

18: 38

18: It's yeah, it's really,

18: 41

18: really finding

18: 43

18: looking at and each week couldn't have been different, but like

18: 48

18: 1525 hours, imagine 1020 hours, let's go 10 hours delivery. 10 hours on the business. Some weeks will be different like a retreat. I'm doing a lot more delivery than I am working on the business. But if it even averaged out, oh my gosh, how much would you move the needle forward? If you could work on your business? I think we worked it it was gonna be 15 hours deliverable and five hours on the business five hours on the business even oh my goodness, five solid hours. Like I think I put together an events page in 40 minutes last night like that I'd been putting off for ages. I know that when I sit in focus, I can actually get a lot done. So

19: 26

19: I don't actually have

19: 29

19: an answer for you right now. I think I'd like to revisit this episode after another Planning Day with Amber when things are a little less hectic. I'd love to put the word planner together and tell you what it looks like.

19: 42

19: I'd love to learn how to use my weekly planner I'm trying to get in the habit. I've got this gorgeous may Gibson Casey Rubin weekly planner that my mom gave me but just getting in the habit of using one one item and how you you know there's a monthly planner in here. So sitting down at the start of the month to do the monthly

20: 00

20: Find somebody look brilliant, at least by the ways, we look brilliant. I'm definitely not that person. I'm finding the way that works for me, but I think it changes. It's got a gold tracker in here and I wrote one, I didn't write the other goal. And then it's got your weeklies, and then you go back to the month. So I really love this to be a habit, a daily habit to check in a weekly habit to do a little bit of extra time and then monthly to do even more time and, and that's what my assistants, you know, having virtual assistants and executive assistants over the years, having that person who helps me stay accountable and having someone that I can bounce it off. Because when you're in your head, it's, it's hard. And I'd love to hear from you. If you go to planning days, I think having a structure having other people around having people accountable, having having a formula, you know, finding them the way that works for you, but But find having ideas of how to do it be so beneficial. And I think I've finally surrendered to the fact that

20: 56

20: now that I'm a mom, and you know, I've had my son was born 2021 January 2022 2023 2024. So that's that for January's I've had the first January was he was born. So I'd already given that way. And his birthday is to 12, the Jan and I think I made this agreement with someone that it was like, I don't start work until after his birthday. And then last year went haywire. I think I was had blocked out that space. But I'd looked at the space hoping I do a bit of behind the scenes, I think it's just giving myself going, You know what, from before Christmas, to the 20th till the 15th of June, at least, you kind of off. And if you've I feel like doing things by feel inspired, if I want to get some things done, that'll be great. But just not putting that pressure on myself. And maybe actually taking that rest time while everybody else takes the rest taking that easy and the flow time, you know, and using the time when he's in kindy in those days to to have breaks by myself, which I also need, without having to travel without having to do things without having to deliver work without having to be on the go, just being able to have some days in my home. And to enjoy, I was really looking forward to cleaning out my wardrobe to like decluttering the house and all those things haven't happened because they do take time. And, you know, I'm glad I took moments with family. And I'm glad I had the time with my son when I did. And it's just a time where maybe the work has to go in the background a little bit.

22: 31

22: And that's okay, we can block that out, we can work to work around it. So that's what I've learned.

22: 38

22: What is coming up that I do want to share that that's exciting. So what I'm working on and the things that are blocked out in my calendar. So there is now an events page. It's really exciting. It's Emma lovell.au forward slash events. And that lists all the places that I'm going to be running retreats, co hosting retreats, running retreat, days, workshops, masterclasses speaking gigs, attending gigs, like so there's some events that I'm attending throughout the year so that if you want to come and hang out and spend time with me or know like where I do my networking and connecting and meeting of my peeps, you can come and hang out at those events to like International Women's Day or with business chicks. I'll be at the Brisbane the Gold Coast and I think the Sydney event.

23: 27

23: I'm going to be at Jade ones photoshoot event in February. So you can look into that I'll be supporting her on the 24th of February if you want to get some headshots done,

23: 38

23: you know, and then I'll be in India with Christine coasting the sheaf rates. So that's the my first big one is 33 Jan, on the Gold Coast. That is actually this episode we released so it's today. Yay, listening to past me talking about today. So that's my first retreat day, which is so exciting. I do have dates coming up. I'm working around the third week of February. We're looking at maybe one in Melbourne in March. And we're looking at the I think it's gonna be the 16th of April. But go to the events page have a look 16th of April in Sydney at the manly Pacific which I'm a bit excited about. So there's some really great events that you can come along to there. In terms of retreats, we have the shift rates retreat in India are from the

24: 29

24: fifth to the 15th of February. So I know it's only like two weeks from now, but you could totally have not even actually it's like it is two weeks from now.

24: 37

24: If you decide in the next week, you want to jump on you can but hopefully we're going to be having another one later in the year so rare. Let me know if you're interested in that one and watch along on my Instagram Emma lovell.au. We're gonna be sharing so much about that.

24: 52

24: Then, you know the next big one I guess I've got listed there. I've got to add in a few more because I've only just created the page, but we'll be

25: 00

25: cause SriLanka in November. So that is my restaurant received signature retreat. And I will also be doing an Australian restaurant received. So we're looking at July, I'll release the dates as soon as possible. But if you're interested, please email me with rest and receive, I'll make sure you're on the wait list. Those are popular, they will sell out, I have a list of

25: 24

25: 12 people on my wall, and we already have eight spots left. So I am following up those 12 people because they have to commit otherwise, they will get those spots taken. So if you're not really to commit to overseas, the Australian restaurant scene can be great for you. But yeah, it's really good to have that, you know, what I'm prioritizing is having my events blocked in and locked out. And

25: 48

25: so that then I can

25: 52

25: work around that. And

25: 54

25: if I happen to be in a place and there's another thing on like the Taylor Swift concert, which is amazing, my friend got a ticket available. So I get to go to that. That's great. But otherwise, I'm really focusing this year, my plan is to plan around my

26: 09

26: my energy, my holidays, my travel, my family, my events.

26: 17

26: And everything else is icing on top. So I'm really love you to join me at some things and come into my world. And being the rose, I'm welcoming you inviting you to come to me, and I hope to see you so funny old episode, this one, I hope it's

26: 33

26: if you're feeling overwhelmed as well, I hope it's given you some

26: 38

26: you know, relief that you're not the only one. And I hope that it's giving you a little bit of insight into the world of an entrepreneur.

26: 48

26: Yeah, I'd love to do a bit more structured on this, but I just I don't want to sugarcoat it. I'm never gonna be that person who's like perfectly routine and structured and itemized. And, you know, I have some great tools and resources. But I also think one of my beautiful things is that I'm able to adapt and change and go with things. So that's why I have an MA who's detail oriented and completely in line.

27: 10

27: Thank you for listening, I'd love to hear from you. Please write back email me at Emma at Emma lovell.au. And don't forget to I'm sure my address of that as well. But please, it'd be so helpful if you could rate review and subscribe. I'd really appreciate that. Thank you so much, has inspired you to dream big and start creating a life you love today. If you love what you're hearing, don't forget to follow and rate on Spotify and rate review and subscribe on iTunes. It helps other awesome people to find this podcast and get motivated and inspired as well. Want to stay connected. Come and join the live a life you love group on Facebook or connect with me on Instagram. Emma lovell.au, the same as my website. But all the details are in the show notes lovely. I'll see you next episode for more inspiration, motivation and freedom seeking. Go out there and live a life you love