Alegre

I used to get depressed about the end of the holiday season, dragging my feet into the new year with the momentum of a sloth. But now that I have my end of year rituals in place, I look forward to this time of year. Here are the four steps I take to sew up my old year

You've heard me say "one minute of planning saves you ten minutes of doing." However, when the planning is "big picture" planning, the return on investment is even higher!I used to always get a little depressed around this time of year because I love the holidays so much and the new year seemed like a tiresome challenge that I needed to overcome. However, as I often say, a lot of life is figuring out how you think and figuring out how to overcome any limiting tendencies you might have.Year after year, I wouldn't start planning my year until the end of January or even the beginning of February (gasp!)When I recognized this limiting tendency of mine, I tried something new. I started planning my new year around Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving in general, so it created a positive association for me that made me want to keep doing it (aka: habit stacking for those who've heard me say it.)When I started doing this, I found that I enjoyed the holidays even more and looked forward to the new year with EXCITEMENT an

I like to start my annual planning the week of Thanksgiving because it gives me time to "percolate" on the question of "what do I want to do/be/accomplish next year." This is a big, boundaryless question and I find that questions like this are best answered with some writing and contemplation.✍️In this episode I give you some tips and ideas for how you can start thinking about 2026, and if you'd like more guidance from me, I've created a couple of on-demand videos to help guide you through my process for thinking about each year. You can find out more at http://TinyURL.com/GetOrganized2026NEXT EPISODEDec 11, 2025: Interview with my friend, public speaker, and play expert Jeff Harry https://www.rediscoveryourplay.com/Resources:-My favorite planning tools http://tinyURL.com/shopbywd-Get Organized 2026 https://tinyURL.com/getorganized2026 (Use code PODCAST for 25% off VIP package)-Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOOD. FOOD. FOOD! There can be a lot of food during the holiday season, and with a little planning, you can even make sure that the leftovers feel festive and fun.--------------------------------------Next EpisodesDec 4, 2025:Dec 11, 2025:Resources:-Get Organized 2026 https://tinyURL.com/getorganized2026 (watch the podcast for a special code for 25% off)-Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BYWDreams.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-My books: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://TinyURL.com/BYWDbooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

It's the time of year when friends and family get together more and sometimes that can lead to challenging conversations. In preparation, I have a chat with my most diplomatic friend who introduced me to the book Non Violent Communication. We talk about ways to have more effective conversations so that everyone can feel better about the interaction and (hopefully) things can move forward rather than devolving into drama.

You know that feeling when you are doing something and you lose all track of time, your energy seems limitless, and the rest of the world falls away and it's just you and whatever you're doing?That's you in the flow state.It's euphoric and it gives you a sense that you're doing exactly what you're supposed supposed to be doing.In this episode, I chat with Flow State Expert and Author Diane Allen about how she discovered ways to access flow on purpose and how you can bring it into your work life for more joy and purpose.Next EpisodesNov 20, 2025: A Chat with My Friends about the HolidaysNov 27, 2025: Planning for Holiday Leftovers (rebroadcast)Resources:-MeetWithDianeAllen.com schedule a 20-minute chat with Diane to learn how you can access flow-Get Organized 2026 https://tinyURL.com/getorganized2026 (watch the podcast for a special code for 25% off)-Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In September 2024, I went in for my annual physical and everything seemed "fine". I had no aches or pains to complain of, yes, my clothes fit tighter than they had a year ago but I'm also on the verge of menopause. My body has changed and I didn't have any issues with that.However, all was not as it appeared. For the first time ever, I had elevated blood markers in EIGHT categories: liver enzymes (liver disease concern), all the cholesterols (heart disease concerns), hemoglobin A1C (diabetes concern), APOEB (cardiovascular disease). It was a serious wake-up call.My cholesterol has been inching up every year of perimenopause, so that wasn't completely unexpected, but I realized that it was pulling the rest of my good health along for the ride, so I decided to focus on the cholesterol and the A1C and hope the other things came down with it.ONE YEAR LATER...all but one of the markers is in a healthy zone and I weigh ten pounds less.In this episode, I talk about the small daily changes that have had an outsize im

I used to be really unhealthy. At one point, a doctor asked me when was the last time I'd eaten a piece of raw fruit and I couldn't answer. It had been over a decade. When I started on my health journey, I knew nothing about nutrition. Since then, I've found that one of the best ways to ensure I eat healthy is to eat repetitively. The side benefit of this is that it also saves me lots of time and energy. It also reduces decision fatigue which makes me feel less stressed.

Holidays or Holidaze? The holidays should be fun, right? So why are so many people stressed out about them? Because they don't prioritize the many opportunities that come their way.In this episode I give you a simple, 3-step plan to ensure MORE FUN and LESS STRESS this holiday season. Remember, planning makes everything easier...especially the holidays.

Although many people think I'm an extrovert, in many personality tests, I score right on the cusp of being an introvert, which is why I loved meeting Mandi. She gave some great planning tips that ensure success at networking events. In this episode, we talk about these tips, her career in sales for a conference planning broker, and sweatworking (it's a thing!)Next EpisodesOct 23, 2025: Coming Up with a Fun and Manageable Holiday PlanOct 30, 2025: Eating Repetitively: Save Time, Reduce Stress, Ensure HealthResources:-Mandi's website http://www.mandigraziano.com-Start my life design course "Harness the Power of Planning" now! http://tinyurl.com/hpopondemand-Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BYWDreams.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-My books: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://TinyURL.com/BYWDb

How long can I focus? You probably already have a sense of how long your attention span is. You are also probably aware of the fact that some things hold your attention more than others.In this episode, I explain Ultradian Rhythms and how knowing yours will help increase your productivity. I also discuss the one thing that hijacks these rhythm: FLOW, and how figuring out your entry point to flow is the key to more joy and productivity in your work life. Did I say "joy"? Yes, I did!Next EpisodesOctober 16, 2025: Interview with Sales and Networking Expert Mandi GrazianoOctober 23, 2025: Coming Up with a Fun and Manageable Holiday PlanResources:-Diane Allen book on FLOW https://amzn.to/4pTQNtc-My Favorite Planning Tools (stickers, ink, etc) https://tinyurl.com/shopbywd-Start my life design course "Harness the Power of Planning" now! http://tinyurl.com/hpopondemand-Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Most of us have something we'd like to change or improve, but sometimes change can be hard.

Sleep hygiene? That's just a fancy term for making sure you get a good night's sleep.

REBROADCAST In this podcast, I walk you through a powerful planning exercise: the monthly course correct. This is the tool that keeps you on track so that you can make progress on the big and little goals you set for yourself.

Your chronotype is the label that helps describe your ideal schedule in terms of sleep and work. I'm sure that this system is partially influenced by geography and culture, so I don't like to overly generalize, but when I speak about chronotypes to American audiences, I get a lot of affirmative head-nodding.In this episode I explain how understanding your chronotype can help you lead a more productive (and dare I say it, happier?) day.

I'm a big fan of paper planners. I've used one for over 35 years, and so I have some thoughts on what makes a paper planner perfect (say that 3x fast!)To start with, there is no PERFECT planner. The perfect planner is the one that you use. It's different for everyone.In this episode I outline three things to consider when choosing a paper planner so that you can ensure it is perfect for you!

When I start working with someone on using a paper planner, I often notice that they neglect to make time for the many steps that don't have fixed date and time associated with them. I call all these steps the invisible work. For instance, if you have a dinner party in your planner for October 1 at 6pm, you need to write in your planner 6 weeks before to come up with an invite list, 4 weeks before invite people, 2 weeks before choose menu, 1 week before go grocery shopping for nonperishables, 3 days before shop for perishables, 2 days before cook the stuff that can keep and get house in order, 1 day before set the table and cook some more. All of those steps should be in your planner.This works in your professional life too. October 1 at 10am new client meeting probably started 6-8 weeks before at that networking event you attended, the day after you followed up on LinkedIn, three days later you followed up by email, then you had that zoom call, the follow-up email, then you did some research to think abo

This book is a great introduction to the world of the brain

Sometimes letting go is the hardest thing to do. In this episode, I tell you about three experiences I've had with letting go of expectations, and the way I prepare beforehand so that I feel ready to release.

The first day of school is two weeks away which gives you just enough time to implement my 5-step back-to-school plan.Next week's topic (8/7/25): Control What You Can and Let Go of the Rest8/14/25 topic: Book Summary "The Dueling Neurosurgeons"My website: http://BYWDreams.comMy books: http://tinyurl.com/bywdbooks