We have all heard the term “work/life balance.” It’s a catchphrase that has been used to describe an individual’s ability to balance the demands of work and life. Chances are that at some point in your life, you have tried achieving work/life balance as a goal, and I could almost bet that trying to achieve this balance has caused you quite a bit of stress. It’s caused you stress because, in reality, work/life balance does not exist. I am here to invite you to stop stressing over work/life balance and instead strive to achieve life balance. You may think this is the same, but it’s not. Most people seeking work/life balance are overworked, unhappy with their work, or are struggling with difficulties in their relationships inside or outside work, sometimes both.

If your work feels completely unrelated to the activities that stir your interest, enthusiasm, energy, and sense of meaning, then it may be time for you to transition to the next step of your career. While your work doesn’t need to satisfy all of your needs for purpose, meaning, social connection, and challenge, you should expect work to provide you with moments of satisfaction, accomplishment, and connection. If it doesn’t, then you do not need work/life balance…you need a new job, or you may need to change careers. 

However, if you are getting fulfillment and satisfaction from your work but feel that you just don’t have time for anything else, then that may mean you have to learn how to delegate or create boundaries. You may also need to establish priorities to learn how to integrate your personal and work life and ultimately find life balance.

Technology and work-from-home flexibility have contributed to much of this “off-balance” feeling. We work from home, and our devices are connected 24/7, which can adversely affect our mental health, emotional well-being, and relationships. So how do we disconnect, and how do we find this “life balance?”

Rewire Your Mindset:

Yes, mindset is key when seeking life balance. When life is busy, or all your energy is focused on a special project, it’s all too easy to find yourself off balance, not paying enough attention to important areas of your life. While you need to have the drive and focus if you’re going to get things done, taking this too far can lead to frustration and intense stress. We must understand that we are one person with many responsibilities and interests that can be balanced. The key here is that we are “one person” and to look at our life as one life vs. dividing our life into two different areas. You are one person that enjoys hobbies, family, a significant other, kids, pets, and work. Work is an integral part of your life, so why try to keep it separate? Keeping this division adds to our stress. Instead, I recommend integrating all of the areas of our life, including work and finding balance.

Integrate Life: 

Life integration will look very different for all of us. Work-life integration involves blending both personal and professional responsibilities. Rather than viewing work and personal time as separate entities, is finding areas of compromise. If you arrange your work and home lives, so they fit together to fulfill all your needs, you can create a life with time for your work and relationships, family, and outside interests. The advantage of life integration is freedom. When we integrate our life, we feel free, and our stress levels decrease. Integrating means that you are scheduling hours around your priorities and when things need to get done. It also means understanding productivity times and setting boundaries.

Set Boundaries:

When integrating life to find life balance, it is crucial to set boundaries. This means that to have work and personal life coexist, you must maintain firm boundaries between home and office, allowing you to devote your full attention to each at a given time. This means scheduling office hours, time for emails, and conference calls and the same goes for your personal items. 

Understand Priorities:

Prioritizing is key to a life balance. We must understand that sometimes our work will require a little more attention, and sometimes our home or personal life will require that extra attention. As one person, we could only do so much, so it’s important not to feel guilty when prioritizing what needs the most time and attention and enjoy the times when we are smooth sailing.

Here are some additional tips that may help:

 Create time to reflect: go for walks after lunch, take advantage of slow periods, go on mini-vacations, turn off email notifications on weekends

Align your work with your purpose and passions: do work that moves you and understand you’re why

Utilize your talents: challenge yourself at work or raise your hand for a project that excites you

Find time for high-value activities: volunteer, run or walk a 5k, collect for your favorite charity, or take an art class

Invest in your relationships: create time for your family and friends; go to lunch or dinner; plan activities; make a phone call

Be flexible: know that life is not perfect and that even challenging times can provide a gift or opportunity to learn

The key to life balance is enjoying your life without having to separate or compartmentalize life. 

Want to learn more about following an integrated life balance approach to work and life without stress? Schedule a free consultation: www.beproductivecoaching.com/contact

About Be Productive:

Founder Vimari Roman changes lives by helping professionals achieve peak performance and fulfillment through career strategies, coaching, professional branding, and mental fitness.

She began her career in Hospitality, and after over 20 years, she realized she had outgrown her career; in 2013, she transitioned her skillset, earned her Certificate in Meeting Management, and started her first company, Be Productive Meetings & Events. After a great start, she felt that something was still missing. She went inward and discovered that she missed the coaching and leadership of her teams. A year later, in 2014, she received her Global Certificate in Leadership Coaching and founded Be Productive Coaching, a boutique firm based in Miami, Florida. With over twenty-five years of experience in leadership, Vimari has mentored and coached hundreds of high-performing professionals in various industries, amplifying their unique talents and strengthening their mental muscles to help them achieve peak performance, fulfillment, and growth.

Vimari is a Certified Leadership and Positive Intelligence Coach who speaks on Mental Fitness, Professional Branding, and Career Strategies and Transitions. She is a proud and engaged member of the South Florida ICF Chapter, and in 2019 she was recognized by LinkedIn as a LinkedIn Career Expert.

Know someone who could benefit from working with a coach specializing in career strategies, professional branding, positive intelligence, and mental fitness? Personal Introductions are the lifeblood of solopreneurship! www.beproductivecoaching.com

Disconnecting is being productive, but nowadays, with so many of us attached to our phones and working from home, being able to disconnect is difficult, and it takes a conscious effort.

It is no wonder why burnout, mental health, and wellbeing are hot topics these days. And that’s because we are not disconnecting!

I get it … as an entrepreneur with a Hyper-Achiever mind, it’s extremely difficult for me to find moments of silence which is why I treasure my escapes to nature.

My last escape took place in September. I had been non-stop from April to early August, and by the time my schedule slowed down, I felt exhausted, and no matter the amount of sleep or PQ reps, I could not relax. That’s when I decided to turn a wedding weekend into a 10-day road trip with my hubby and chocolate Labrador Zeke. Our trip felt like a late summer vacation that was much needed and perfectly timed, avoiding the rush of summer travel. And I’ve been so clear and productive since I return that I couldn’t help but want to share these tips with you.

Besides increased productivity, the benefits of disconnecting are endless and include:

Increased focus and concentration

Lowered stress and anxiety

Increased creativity

Higher energy levels

Better life balance

But in the midst of all that we have going on, how do we disconnect without feeling guilt or FOMO?

The answer: By setting healthy boundaries!

Here are my tips for setting boundaries so that you can disconnect:

Communicate and delegate before disconnecting so that your employer, employees, or clients know that you will be offline.

Turn on your out-of-office and turn off your work notifications.

Get out in nature and turn off your phone or put it on airplane mode for as long as possible.

You can, of course, do any other activity that you enjoy, but I highly recommend just being out in nature to truly disconnect. Other activities may require brain work, and you may not get the necessary recharge. I find that being quiet and still are the best ways to disconnect.

About Be Productive:

Founder Vimari Roman changes lives by helping professionals achieve peak performance and fulfillment through career strategies, coaching, professional branding, and mental fitness.

She began her career in Hospitality, and after over 20 years, she realized she had outgrown her career; in 2013, she transitioned her skillset, earned her Certificate in Meeting Management, and started her first company, Be Productive Meetings & Events. After a great start, she felt that something was still missing. She went inward and discovered that she missed the coaching and leadership of her teams. A year later, in 2014, she received her Global Certificate in Leadership Coaching and founded Be Productive Coaching, a boutique firm based in Miami, Florida. With over twenty-five years of experience in leadership, Vimari has mentored and coached hundreds of high-performing professionals in various industries, amplifying their unique talents and strengthening their mental muscles to help them achieve peak performance, fulfillment, and growth.

Vimari is a Certified Leadership and Positive Intelligence Coach who speaks on Mental Fitness, Professional Branding, and Career Strategies and Transitions. She is a proud and engaged member of the South Florida ICF Chapter, and in 2019 she was recognized by LinkedIn as a LinkedIn Career Expert.

Know someone who could benefit from working with a coach specializing in career strategies, professional branding, positive intelligence, and mental fitness? Personal Introductions are the lifeblood of solopreneurship! www.beproductivecoaching.com

Did you know that September 21st is World Gratitude Day?

World Gratitude Day has been designed to bring the whole world together in a day that is all about being thankful. World Gratitude Day joins organizations, nationals, and individuals in sharing their gratitude in a number of different ways.

History of World Gratitude Day

The celebration started in 1965 in Hawaii when an international gathering decided that it would be a good idea to have one day per year to formally express gratitude and appreciation for the many wonderful things to be found in the world. Following the meeting in Hawaii, many attendees marked Gratitude Day on 21st September 1966 when back in their own countries. Since then, the number of people celebrating Gratitude Day worldwide has grown and grown. (https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-gratitude-day/)

The benefits of practicing gratitude are nearly endless. In celebration of “World Gratitude Day”, I want to share with you some of those benefits in hopes that you can incorporate this important practice into your life.

It’s proven that people who regularly practice gratitude by taking time to notice and reflect upon the things they’re thankful for experience:

• positive emotions
• feel more alive
• sleep better
• express more compassion and kindness
• even have stronger immune systems

It’s in the little things:

• being grateful for waking up
• your health
• simple as a delicious piece of pie
• your mani & pedi
• your ability to move your body and exercise
• coffee
• a hug
• your daily dog walk
• being alive

This is all great but is there any research? Absolutely, positive psychology and a recent case study recognized that a gratitude practice increases:

• happiness and wellbeing
• appears to create a healthier heart (A Grateful Heart is a Healthier Heart)
• in the same study, gratitude was also associated with improved sleep and less fatigue

In addition, gratitude has been shown to:

Help you make friends: A study found that thanking a new acquaintance makes them more likely to seek a more lasting relationship with you.

Improve your physical health: People who show gratitude report fewer aches and pains, a general feeling of health, more regular exercise, and more frequent checkups with their doctor than those who don’t.

Improve your psychological health: Grateful people tend to have stronger sage muscles enjoying higher well-being and happiness, and suffer from reduced symptoms of depression.

Enhance empathy and reduces aggression: Those who show their gratitude are less likely to seek revenge against others and more likely to behave in a prosocial manner, with sensitivity and empathy.

Enhance your self-esteem: Grateful People have increased self-esteem, partly due to their ability to appreciate other people’s accomplishments.

Increase in mental strength: Grateful people have an advantage in overcoming trauma and enhanced resilience, helping them to strengthen their sage mental muscles allowing them to bounce back much quicker from highly stressful situations.

Combine your gratitude practice with a mindfulness practice, and you’ll actually be able to shrink your amygdala.

The amygdala is the ‘fight or flight’ center of the brain regulating:

• Worry
• Fear
• Reactivity
• Our response to stress

In addition, Univ. of Wisconsin – Neuro Richard Davidson, professor of psychology and psychiatry, confirmed that this combination could also increase the Immune System in as little as 8 weeks of training.

My goal behind sharing this information with you is that you understand how powerful a gratitude practice can be in enhancing your health, cognition, and performance.

Here are 4 simple exercises you can do to introduce a gratitude practice into your life:

1. Gratitude Journal – One Week Commitment: This is my favorite exercise to suggest for my clients. Take time at the end of each day to write down 3 things that you are grateful for. Think about what you’re grateful for concerning your work life, friendships, past events, or life circumstances. Maybe try doing this daily for one week, and then you can do it once or twice a week. When the strategy starts feeling like a chore, stop it for a while or mix it up. If you are ever feeling especially down and need a quick pick-me-up, take your journal out and read it to remind yourself of what is good in your life.
2. Handwrite Random Thank You Cards or Letters: I love doing this at conferences and retreats and leaving these randomly for my husband. Buy a stack of blank “Thank you” cards or just blank cards, and for one month, mail out a minimum of one (1) card or letter per week to someone who has done something you appreciate and/or you are just grateful to have them in your life.
3. Gratitude Rock: The secret to this exercise is that the rock is just a symbol, a physical object you can use to remind yourself of what you have. I brought a gratitude rock back from my recent pilgrimage on the Camino as a reminder of how wonderful I felt during that trip and how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to complete the journey. The instructions are about as simple as instructions can be: just find a rock! Make sure to pick the one you like, whether you like it because it’s pretty because it is smooth or has an interesting texture, or because you picked it up from a special place. If you have another small object you’d rather use instead, feel free to substitute that for the rock. Carry this rock in your pocket, leave it on your desk where you will see it throughout your day, or even wear it on a chain around your neck or wrist. Whenever you see it or touch it, pause to think about at least one thing you are grateful for. Whether it’s something as small as the sun shining down on you at this moment or as large as the job that allows you to feed yourself or your family, just think of one thing that brings you joy or fulfillment. When you take the stone out of your pocket or off your body at the end of the day, take a moment to remember the things that you were grateful for throughout the day. Repeat this process when you put it on or in your pocket again in the morning to remember what you were grateful for yesterday. Not only will this help you remember the things you are grateful for, but it can also trigger a mini-mindfulness moment in your day. It will bring you out of your head and into the present moment, giving you something to focus your attention on. It can also act as a switch to more positive thinking.
4. Gratitude Jar: The gratitude jar is a stunningly simple exercise that can profoundly affect your well-being and outlook on life. My sister-in-law gifted us a jar a few years back, and we love having it on the kitchen counter as a reminder. It only requires a few ingredients: a jar (a box can also work); a ribbon, stickers, glitter, or whatever else you like to decorate the jar; paper and a pen or pencil for writing your gratitude notes; and gratitude!

Step 1: Find a jar or box.

Step 2: Decorate the jar with your decorating implements to make it a happy sight. (See pic for an example)

Step 3: This is the final, most important step, which will be repeated daily. Think of at least three things you are grateful for throughout your day. It can be something as benign as a coffee at your favorite coffee shop or as grand as the love of your significant other or dear friend. Do this daily, write down what you are grateful for on little slips of paper, and fill the jar. Over time, you will find that you have a jar full of many reasons to be thankful for what you have and enjoy your life. If you are ever feeling especially down and need a quick pick-me-up, take a few notes out of the jar to remind yourself of what is good in your life.

Tip: You can make any of these a team-building exercise, but I particularly love and recommend the handwritten thank you cards and the gratitude jar. With the gratitude jar, you can bring it to your monthly team meeting and have the team pick one piece of paper out and read it out loud.

I hope these inspire you. Gratitude is much more fun when shared, so share these with family and friends.

In gratitude,

Vimari

p.s. If you are seriously interested in shrinking your amygdala, I recommend you consider joining my next Mental Fitness Bootcamp. This truly life-changing program correlates with the 18-dimensions of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and is proven to increase your EQ by teaching you to respond to life’s challenges with a positive rather than negative mindset, creating more calm, ease, and healthy relationships in your life. The next cohort starts Mon 9/26, and it’s all virtual. Learn more here: Crushing Mental Fitness 7-Week Program

About Be Productive:

Founder Vimari Roman changes lives by helping professionals achieve peak performance and fulfillment through career strategies, coaching, professional branding, and mental fitness.

She began her career in Hospitality, and after over 20 years, she realized she had outgrown her career; in 2013, she transitioned her skillset, earned her Certificate in Meeting Management, and started her first company, Be Productive Meetings & Events. After a great start, she felt that something was still missing. She went inward and discovered that she missed the coaching and leadership of her teams. A year later, in 2014, she received her Global Certificate in Leadership Coaching and founded Be Productive Coaching, a boutique firm based in Miami, Florida. With over twenty-five years of experience in leadership, Vimari has mentored and coached hundreds of high-performing professionals in various industries, amplifying their unique talents and strengthening their mental muscles to help them achieve peak performance, fulfillment, and growth.

Vimari is a Certified Leadership and Positive Intelligence Coach who speaks on Mental Fitness, Professional Branding, and Career Strategies and Transitions. She is a proud and engaged member of the South Florida ICF Chapter, and in 2019 she was recognized by LinkedIn as a LinkedIn Career Expert.

Know someone who could benefit from working with a coach specializing in career strategies, professional branding, positive intelligence, and mental fitness? Personal Introductions are the lifeblood of solopreneurship! www.beproductivecoaching.com

Did you know that you can redefine your happiness baseline?

If you’ve been following me for some time, you already know that I am obsessed with personal growth and development. I am always learning and love to share what I’ve learned. So today, I am sharing two things that I learned last week. 

First things first: A few of my clients and I attended a live call with Shirzad Chamine, the founder of Positive Intelligence, and the topic was “Happiness.” During the live call, Shirzad shared research on happiness that two psychologists, Brickman and Campbell, first wrote about in 1971 in their essay, “Hedonic Relativism and Planning the Good Society” and coined the term “hedonic treadmill.” 

Along with their original research, a notable piece of research on the hedonic treadmill studied two groups of people: One was a group of people who won large lottery prizes, and the other was a group of accident victims who were now paralyzed (including quadriplegic and paraplegic people).

The research revealed that, in the long term, after the initial reaction of happiness or sadness, neither group appeared to be happier than the other. The effects didn’t turn out to be long-lasting, and people in both groups shortly reverted to their previous happiness levels. In the original theory of the hedonic treadmill, they found that people immediately react to good and bad events but in a short time return to neutrality.

If the treadmill theory were 100% correct, then any effort to increase happiness would be pointless — meaning that if our happiness set point is on the low end of the spectrum, we’re doomed to unhappiness.

The good news is that recent research challenges the assumption. New research reveals that changes in our baseline happiness levels are POSSIBLE, that our baselines are often positive rather than neutral, and that we have multiple set points that might move in opposite directions. And in addition, this supports the research done by Positive Intelligence (PQ) that PQ does increase happiness! 

These newer studies prove that interventions to increase happiness can be effective and that changes can be targeted at both an individual and an organizational and social level.

The second thing I learned was about a really cool content creation tool called “Giide.”  I have a love-hate relationship with social media and struggle with creating content. Still, thanks to my colleague Rachelle Stone, PCC, CPQC, I truly love this new tool and think I could create great educational content for those like me who may be a little bit obsessed with personal growth and development. I made my first one over the weekend and decided to make it about happiness.

Check it out below. View it by clicking on the happy image below, then just press play. Oh, and be sure to send me a message with your thoughts on it so that I know if I should continue creating content with it.  

About Be Productive:

Founder Vimari Roman changes lives by helping professionals achieve peak performance and fulfillment through career strategies, coaching, professional branding, and mental fitness.

She began her career in Hospitality, and after over 20 years, she realized she had outgrown her career; in 2013, she transitioned her skillset, earned her Certificate in Meeting Management, and started her first company, Be Productive Meetings & Events. After a great start, she felt that something was still missing. She went inward and discovered that she missed the coaching and leadership of her teams. A year later, in 2014, she received her Global Certificate in Leadership Coaching and founded Be Productive Coaching, a boutique firm based in Miami, Florida. With over twenty-five years of experience in leadership, Vimari has mentored and coached hundreds of high-performing professionals in various industries, amplifying their unique talents and strengthening their mental muscles to help them achieve peak performance, fulfillment, and growth.

Vimari is a Certified Leadership and Positive Intelligence Coach who speaks on Mental Fitness, Professional Branding, and Career Strategies and Transitions. She is a proud and engaged member of the South Florida ICF Chapter, and in 2019 she was recognized by LinkedIn as a LinkedIn Career Expert.

Know someone who could benefit from working with a coach specializing in career strategies, professional branding, positive intelligence, and mental fitness? Personal Introductions are the lifeblood of solopreneurship! www.beproductivecoaching.com

They say your journey to the Camino de Santiago (The Ways of St. James) starts as soon as you decide to go and start planning the trip. Still, I didn’t know what that meant when I signed up to join my cousin Irisaida on her 50th birthday pilgrimage. 

My Camino started on October 27th, 2021, when I received the invitation to join Irisaida and four of her friends on the Camino Frances. Of course, I immediately said yes because this had been on my bucket list for some time, so the planning began. I quickly purchased my flights to take advantage of reasonable airfare and had planned to do some research for training and packing over the holidays. Still, as life would have it, I came down with the Omicron variant of Covid on December 23rd and spent my holidays in bed. “No problem,” I thought, “I will start planning in January once I am over this terrible virus.” 

January 10th was the first day I was 100% well. It was my first day back in the office since December 17th, and I was excited to get to work and prepare for my next Crushing Mental Fitness 6-week program. Shadow, my 15yr old chocolate labrador, had to go to the bathroom at about noon. I ran to open the kitchen door to let him out, but I was a little too late, and my poor baby had an accident in the kitchen on his way out to the yard. I started cleaning and wanted to hose down the kitchen stairs, but my husband had not replaced the broken hose. I had to improvise while being highly annoyed at my husband as I’ve been asking him to replace the hose for a few weeks. When I saw Shadow trying to get back inside, I quickly grabbed him by the collar to bring him in by the side door so that he wouldn’t drag the poop back in, but when we went to the door, it was locked. “The door that my husband had kept open for weeks is locked just when I need it to be opened,” I thought. I became even more annoyed, and as I turned around, I fell on the concrete stairs and floor. Ouch, the pain! I twisted my ankle and could barely walk when I got up. I first thought of my trip, the Camino, my ankle. “Oh no, this happened to my sister and spiritual mentor Liz when she was going on her Camino. If she could get well and still travel weeks or months after her injury, I should be fine too.” And so my pain and suffering began, and the last 70+ days have been unpredictable. 

I utilized the RICE method for a couple of weeks before realizing that I may need medical attention. I made an appointment with my fabulous Podiatrist Dr. Marizeli Olacio founder of Omega Group. Fifteen days later, I got the medical attention I needed for a torn ligament and contusion. I had to wear a walking boot for four (4) weeks. I then transitioned to a heavy-duty brace while doing therapy three times a week with Max Wolters DPT, CSCS, all in hopes that I could still make the Camino.

If that wasn’t enough, a week after I fell on January 17th, my husband had fallen asleep in the living room. When he went to get up to come to the bedroom, he fell on our living room floor. He is not sure how but his hand was super swollen. He, too, waited a week or so before getting medical attention, and when he did, they told him he fractured a bone. 

As humans, we were never promised that life would be perfect. If you are reading this, I bet you too have had your share of pain and suffering. Pain and suffering are necessary for us humans to appreciate the gifts that life brings us. Maybe your pain and suffering have not been as intense as some of the people you know or the stories you’ve heard. Still, I bet you’ve experienced an accident, betrayal, or life disappointment at one point or another. We all have, and the worst part is that we never know when it will come. We can plan and set goals, but life often turns out differently, and it’s up to us to see the gift and opportunities (Sage Powers).

As my husband and I were getting into the routine and on our way to healing a couple of weeks later, on February 2nd, we got the terrible news that my husband’s uncle passed away in a car accident and that his little cousin who was in the car with her grandfather was in ICU. So as if our physical pain was not enough, we now have this emotional pain and grief. Three days later, my maternal grandfather, Abuelo Alberto, passed away. 

When it rains, it pours, they say, ” Boy, did we get a storm in our way. I had planned for 2022 to be the year I would unleash the power within me and the power within my clients. Still, on February 5th, I had no idea if I would be able to do anything. But this is life. As Forest Gump said, “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you are going to get.” 

As the weeks went by, my physical body was healing, and my heart was recovering. But before I could celebrate and start packing for my March 24th trip, I got my last test and challenge on my way to the Camino. 

In February, I noticed that my monthly menstrual cycle was late. I didn’t pay much mind to it because I realized all of the stress and emotional pain could have an effect on our hormones. I did find it strange as I am very regular but didn’t pay much mind to it. Almost 14 days later, the flood gates opened on March 3rd, and on Monday, March 14th, I started to get nervous. I was only 10 days from my trip, and how could I travel this way? I am now hijacked by my saboteurs and on edge because of what I’ve experienced over the past three months. I think of the worst and make an emergency appointment with the Gynecologist. I went in the next day, and the first thing the doctor says is, “you may need to cancel your trip.”

My heart started beating fast, and I wanted to cry. After all of this, no way…why? I did some of my PQ reps and took some nice breaths, and we continued the conversation. He rushed me to get a ton of blood work done and a couple of sonograms and gave me a prescription to stop the bleeding. The results started to appear in the portal on Friday, and the blood work showed that I was anemic. I didn’t understand the other results, so I patiently and nervously waited the weekend with all of my Camino packing items on top of my living room table because I was too nervous to pack. Finally, Monday comes along, and I get a message in the portal from my doctor’s office that he wants to see me ASAP. You can probably imagine how I felt. I nervously called to make an appointment, wondering what news I would receive and now basically getting mentally ready to possibly have to cancel my trip. They squeezed me in to see the doctor on Tuesday afternoon. I drive there doing PQs, breathing, and praying. I finally get to see the doctor, and he goes over the results with me and gives me the okay to travel along with some instructions. I took a deep breath and could almost cry from the excitement and relief that it wasn’t anything life-threatening or urgent.

The roller coaster is over for now, and I can pack to go on my Way to St. James. “Thank you, Lord,” I thought!

Amid this pain and suffering, I’ve received many lessons and gifts thanks to my way of looking at life and my mental fitness practice. At 45, I am on my way and still learning!

(Image provided by Positive Intelligence)

I want to share a few of my Sage lessons:

Because of my fall, I’ve been alcohol-free (no vino) since December 17th, and I feel fantastic! More on that in the future.

I am now more empathetic to physical pain.

I am now more aware and empathetic to the aging process with my dog, my grandfather, and my own body. I’ve realized that our body is our temple, and we need to take care of it.

I’ve really learned that I must let go of control. (This is one of my top saboteurs, and I must continue working on them.)

I’ve come to appreciate the importance of sleep and recovery.

I’ve been building new habits and allowing others to help me. 

I thoroughly appreciate the importance of having a good team (husband, doctors, physical therapist, and coaches)

I am off to the Camino! We depart tomorrow, March 24th. If you want to follow our walk, sign up to receive notifications of our “Seis Caminos – Women Empowerment” Blog. This post will be there, and you’ll get to meet my cousin Irisaida and the other four women walking with us. Here is the full link: https://browslasheshope.org/camino-blog

Until April – I’ll be on my way! 

xo, Vimari

(Image taken from REI – https://www.rei.com/blog/travel/how-to-hike-the-camino-de-santiago)

About Be Productive:

Founder, Vimari Roman helps professionals get out of paralysis analysis, gain confidence, and take massive action to succeed in the career that moves them.

Vimari began her career in Hospitality and after over 20 years, she found herself bored, frustrated and discouraged. She realized that she had outgrown her career and in 2013 transitioned her skillset, earned her CMM (Certificate in Meeting Management), and started her first company, Be Productive Meetings & Events. After a great start, she felt that something was still missing. She went inward and discovered that she missed the coaching and leadership component of her teams. A year later in 2014, she received her Global Leadership Certified Coach designation, and Be Productive Coaching was born.

Vimari serves clients from all over the world working virtually. With over twenty years of experience in leadership, she has successfully mentored and coached 100’s of high-performing professionals in various industries assisting their transition to living exciting lives, filled with purpose, greater career satisfaction, and higher pay. Check out how she can help you at www.beproductivecoaching.com

Imagine what would happen to your life if you were mentally fit. Suppose you knew that you couldn’t trust every voice in your head. If you learned how to discredit the Saboteurs in your mind by utilizing an operating system that will help you activate the emotions of empathy, happiness, and love. What if, in addition to those emotions, you were able to activate positive Sage powers while handling work and life’s greatest challenges? What if you could take calm and clear-headed action daily? What becomes possible for you, in achievement, in peace of mind and wellness, and your relationships?

I am here to tell you that this is all possible with Positive Intelligence (PQ). I am speaking from my own experience. Like many other people, I’ve spent my adult life working on becoming a better version of myself. I read and listened to many self-help books, took classes, training, and assessments, researched, only to apply what I could remember. That work and investment helped me become a better leader and achieve much of the success in my previous career. It also made my interest in personal development and human behavior grow. But much of this was focused on my career and dismissed the needs at home.

Not knowing that my top saboteur was the “Hyper-Achiever,” success depended on consistent performance and achievement for my self-respect and self-validation. I moved out on my own at the age of 17, immediately after graduating high school. I opted to work and focus on supporting myself while building my career in Hospitality vs. continuing college to become a Psychologist. These “Hyper-Achiever” tendencies made me focus on external success that led me to become a workaholic losing touch with deeper emotional and relationship needs.

I lacked empathy and looked at feelings as a distraction. I didn’t understand how someone could stay home from work because they had cramps and often judged them. I was great at covering up my insecurities to show a positive image to continue growing within my career. And although I’ve always been the life of the party (coming across as an extrovert), I kept people at a safe distance not to get distracted from my goals. This distance resulted in me feeling alone and misunderstood. You see, the “Hyper-Achiever” lied to me, telling me that life was about achieving and producing results. Yes, it helped me gain a lot but at what cost?

The shift in my life started in 2013 when I matured and realized that life wasn’t all about achieving and producing results. I was tired and lonely. Before finding Positive Intelligence, I continued working to grow my emotional intelligence (EQ). That work led me to get certified as a Leadership Coach. But, the “Hyper-Achiever” was still so very active, and it took a pandemic and a complete burnout for me to realize that I was at war AND I was determined to win.

There are no coincidences in life because God’s timing is perfect! Positive Intelligence arrived at the ideal time. Shirzad Chamine had just launched the program for Coaches in 2020. As a result of the pandemic, his vision was to create a world where mental fitness was accessible to everyone. He could do that by offering the gift of this program to coaches. I was introduced to the work by my friend and colleague and completed the program in February. After completing the program, just like that, I no longer felt burned out, and I felt happier with a clear-headed focus.

In only six weeks, I realized how much my life had changed that I wanted to provide that gift to others. I realized that I needed to incorporate Mental Fitness into my coaching practice. On March 26, I joined Shirzad’s vision, getting certified as a Positive Intelligence Coach. As the year was coming to an end, nine months later, I received my official certification as a Certifed Positive Intelligence Coach, aka Certified Mental Fitness Coach.

So as I move forward with 2022, I tell you that the secret behind unleashing the power within is Mental Fitness. Now is the time to take action so you can start 2022 with a bang and let this New Year be the year that you unleash the power within.

Don’t just take my word for it. Listen to what some of my clients have to say:

https://youtu.be/aAKujepGC5M

Today I invite you to please join Shirzad and me in manifesting this vision where we live in a world where everyone around us is mentally fit. Do your part by becoming mentally fit yourself. Be the change you want to see in the world.

You can do that by joining my next Bootcamp starting on Sat, January 15. This app-guided program will teach you step-by-step how to build lasting new positive habits so that you can respond to life’s challenges with a more positive mindset.

Vimari Roman your Certified Mental Fitness Coach will be leading our group meetings and supporting you throughout the program to help you transform your performance, wellbeing, and relationships. Ready to strengthen your mental muscles to deal with challenges with less stress and greater clarity? Register today!

Register today via Eventbrite and receive a 22% Discount. www.eventbrite.com/e/208848921747/?discount=FriendsofBeProductive

About Be Productive:

Founder, Vimari Roman helps professionals get out of paralysis analysis, gain confidence, and take massive action to succeed in the career that moves them.

Vimari began her career in Hospitality and after over 20 years, she found herself bored, frustrated and discouraged. She realized that she had outgrown her career and in 2013 transitioned her skillset, earned her CMM (Certificate in Meeting Management), and started her first company, Be Productive Meetings & Events. After a great start, she felt that something was still missing. She went inward and discovered that she missed the coaching and leadership component of her teams. A year later in 2014, she received her Global Leadership Certified Coach designation, and Be Productive Coaching was born.

Vimari serves clients from all over the world working virtually. With over twenty years of experience in leadership, she has successfully mentored and coached 100’s of high-performing professionals in various industries assisting their transition to living exciting lives, filled with purpose, greater career satisfaction, and higher pay. Check out how she can help you at www.beproductivecoaching.com

The first Monday of 2022 has approached and the anticipation of the New Year is still in full swing. You are back to work, kids are back at school and you sort of feel like the same person you were on Dec 31st. Shhh, I have a secret, you are the same person as you were on Dec 31st and that’s beautiful.

So many of us get anxious as the New Year approaches and our minds go crazy with anticipation of what we will accomplish, what resolutions we will make, and how we can become brand new, then January 1st comes along and boom we are still the same person. What happened? We then get slowly into the New Year but we put off the diet, the going to the gym, the goal-setting all because Jan 1st fell on a Saturday and we can wait to start everything on Monday. But Monday rolls around and… New Year and you are the same you, you feel the same and you don’t have the energy or same enthusiasm to start. Does this sound familiar?

If this sounds familiar then that’s because perhaps you have not made the internal and mental changes that need to be made. Change needs to come from within. Quality of life comes from our own feelings and emotions. You can make 2022 the year that you unleash the power within by the way you show up.

Cultivate how you want to feel by creating deliberate habits and incorporating the following internal changes:

• Be Kind – to yourself and others
• Let Go – of all the pressure and negativity, be stressfree
• Be Present – slow down, be still, be mindful
• Be Respectful – of yourself and others
• Don’t judge – yourself or others and look at yourself and others with dignity and love
• Keep Your Word – to yourself and others. Don’t break promises that you make, especially to yourself.
• Be Grateful – it’s the little things. Where focus goes energy flows. Focus on what you are grateful for.

Create these habits by using the 21/90 rule: It takes 21 days to break or make a habit and if you do it for 90 days then it becomes a way of life.

Once you commit to making the internal changes then you can start to reflect on the previous year, your life, and the goals you want to set for the year.

Here’s how you can make 2022 the year you unleash the power within without the anxiety of the New Year resolutions:

• Get Clear: Do a self-assessment of where you are in every area of your life.
• Create a Vision: Whom do you want to be? What kind of person do you want to become? On Dec 31, 2022, what do you want to look back to and be proud of?
• Set Goals: Set Goals that support the person you want to be in the next 12 months so that you can have an extraordinary 2022. Be ambitious about your goals and take command of your life by making them happen regardless of the outside circumstances.

Be Productive Coaching New Year Goal Setting

For the last several years I’ve broken up my life into twelve (12) areas and I’ve written a minimum of three (3) new year’s goals for each of those areas.

As we enter 2022, I invite you to do the same. Following I share the twelve (12) areas (in no particular order). If you feel there is an area that I left out, go ahead and insert that area into your goals for the new year. If you would like me to email you the free New Year Goal Setting worksheet email me your request at vimari@beproductivecoaching.com

Here are some tips for getting ready to set your new year goals:

• Get yourself into a relaxed state of mind (pray or meditate and take some deep breaths)
• Sage or light up a candle or incent (this is a good way to cleanse the room that you are going to be sitting in and bring in good energy)
• Grab your favorite pen or pencil and write your goals on a piece of paper or in your journal.
• Dream: Be open and do not limit yourself.

Start by writing the following statement at the top of the page:

“I accept these things into my life now or something better for my highest good and for the highest good of all concerned.”

1. ATTITUDE: MENTAL/EMOTIONAL – EXAMPLE: Do not judge, Let go and let God, Be Fearless, Be Joyful, Have more focus, etc.
2. RELATIONSHIPS: SIGNIFICANT OTHER/FAMILY/FRIENDS – EXAMPLE: Date nights, Talk to my dad once a week, Spend time with my mom.
3. SPIRITUAL – EXAMPLE: Pray daily, meditate, etc.
4. PHYSICAL/HEALTH – EXAMPLE: Detox, exercise three times a week, etc.
5. CAREER – EXAMPLE: Change jobs, go for promotion, etc
6. EDUCATION/LEARNING – EXAMPLE: Get a certification, finish a degree, etc.
7. FINANCIAL – EXAMPLE: Refinance house, pay off debts, etc.
8. PLEASURE – EXAMPLE: Girls night out once per month, bowling weekly, etc.
9. SERVICE/MISSION – EXAMPLE: Volunteer, Donate, etc.
10. CREATIVITY – EXAMPLE: Take guitar lessons, draw, journal, etc.
11. TRAVEL/ADVENTURE – EXAMPLE: France, Skydive, etc.
12. GENERAL – EXAMPLE: anything else you may want to set a goal for or that you want to pay extra focus to like your romantic relationship or a big project.

Once you write out your goals:

• Put them away in a safe place where you can access them monthly and take a look to see how they are coming along.
• Choose one day out of the next 12 months that you will view your goals and evaluate your progress.

If you are an overachiever then you can also:

• Write your goals using the Rapid Planning Method (RPM) – this will break down each goal on how you are going to achieve it. I teach this method to my coaching clients and you too can learn it or we can schedule a VIP Goal Setting Day. This is a 6-8 hour coaching and #strategy session focused on you. You will have the option to complete it between one session or two sessions. Each VIP day is customized based on your individual needs and here’s some of what we will work on together:

1. Check-in with your values & purpose
2. Clarify your vision for 2022
3. Roadblock Clearing
4. Goal setting
5. Create an Action Plan

Apply to reserve your spot by scheduling a free consultation: www.beproductivecoaching.com/contact

Now get going and get started in unleashing the power within to make 2022 an extraordinary year!

Know someone who needs to unleash the power within? Share these tips with your friends on social media, via email, or LinkedIn.

Get Mentally Fit in 2022 & Unlock Massive Results in Every Area of Your Life! 

Maybe it’s transitioning your career to live out your greatest purpose, taking your relationships to a new level, or getting your physical body in shape.

The new year always comes with a list of resolutions and goals that are not attained. Research shows that 80% of new year resolutions fail by February. This is your opportunity to make 2022 your greatest year with Mental Fitness, Coaching, Career Strategies, and Professional Branding.

Sign up now for my next 7-week Mental Fitness Positive Intelligence Bootcamp and Get 22% Off before January 6, 2022

Click on the link to receive the discount: www.eventbrite.com/e/208848921747/?discount=FriendsofBeProductive

*The next 7-week Mental Fitness Positive Intelligence Bootcamp starts on January 15, 2022. Keep this discount for yourself or gift it to a loved one.

Want to include Coaching? Following are the 2022 applicable packages at the non-discounted pricing: 

Sign up now and receive 22% by clicking on the appropriate link to get these rates locked in today:

Unleash the Power Within 

Work/Life Happiness Transformation

Mental Fitness Transformation

Not sure which package is best for you? Schedule a free consultation: http://www.beproductivecoaching.com/contact

About Be Productive:

Founder, Vimari Roman helps professionals get out of paralysis analysis, gain confidence, and take massive action to succeed in the career that moves them.

Vimari began her career in Hospitality and after over 20 years, she found herself bored, frustrated and discouraged. She realized that she had outgrown her career and in 2013 transitioned her skillset, earned her CMM (Certificate in Meeting Management), and started her first company, Be Productive Meetings & Events. After a great start, she felt that something was still missing. She went inward and discovered that she missed the coaching and leadership component of her teams. A year later in 2014, she received her Global Leadership Certified Coach designation, and Be Productive Coaching was born.

Vimari serves clients from all over the world working virtually. With over twenty years of experience in leadership, she has successfully mentored and coached 100’s of high-performing professionals in various industries assisting their transition to living exciting lives, filled with purpose, greater career satisfaction, and higher pay. Check out how she can help you at www.beproductivecoaching.com

Just the email I needed!

I’ve slept, I’ve watched movies, I’ve been quiet in my thoughts, I’ve walked my dogs, and I’ve slept some more, and I am rested. I should probably change my calendar to say omicron Covid vacation vs Christmas vacation.

All kidding aside, I am alive and grateful. Oh, and I am now officially a Certified Positive Intelligence Coach (CPQC) aka Certified Mental Fitness (PQ) Coach.

This time last year, I felt exhausted and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to think or create. I was #burnedout from serving non-stop and not really taking care of myself. Little did I know it was my top saboteur the Hyper-Achiever that caused this burnout. I was able to recognize it once I enrolled in the six-week Mental Fitness program that my friend and colleague invited me to take. On Feb 22nd I completed the program and just like that, I felt like that was the start of my 2021.

I had just returned from a trip to Greenville, SC where I was hoping to make that area my new home. I was so burned out that I thought moving would help. I went there with lots of hope and expectations but apparently, it wasn’t the time yet. What I did receive during that trip was clarity. Clarity on how I wanted to move forward with my coaching practice. I realized that I wanted to truly focus on transformations and I realized that Mental Fitness was going to be how I did that. In only six weeks, I realized how much my life had changed that I wanted to provide that gift to others. I was going to combine my God-given gifts and professional training as a coach with an operating system that would change lives forever. On March 26, I joined Cohort 5 and began my journey towards getting certified as a Positive Intelligence Coach.

Nine months later, as the year comes to a close, I finally received my official certification and the timing couldn’t be better. I’ve been sick with Covid and in bed since Dec 23rd and to receive this certification a week later was God’s message to me that this too shall pass and that 2022 is just around the corner waiting for me.

I am ready to make the year that I finally unleash the power within and I want you to do the same.

Here’s to a year filled with health, mental fitness, joy, and prosperity!

Cheers everyone!

Got Covid?

Our health is everything and taking good care of ourselves when we are sick helps us recover. Although not 100%, here are some tips that eight days later have helped me feel better:

1. Drink lots of water – I feel that Coconut Water helped me a lot.
2. Remove all stress – stress attacks your immune system and will delay your recovery.
3. Movement – if you can go outside and walk a little fresh air does wonder and if you have a dog…take them out..it helped me have to take care of them and force myself to get out with them.
4. Shower daily – yes, this may seem obvious but when you feel like crap sometimes it’s hard to get up. But like exercise, no one ever regretted a shower.
5. Keep your skincare routine – or start one. I am so grateful for my wonderful skincare routine as it helped me feel good and almost normal.
6. Change your sheets daily – ever wonder why at the hospitals they come in and change your bedding daily? I never thought about it until now but I decided to have clean fresh sheets daily and it made me feel so good. Plus hopefully, it kept the germs away.
7. Use cozy socks and change your PJs daily – my sister-in-law gave me these cozy sleep socks for my birthday and boy did they come in handy. Having fresh PJ’s daily and the cozy sleep socks helped me enjoy my bed so much more.
8. Download Instacart or a similar app – up to this past week I enjoyed shopping for groceries. I especially enjoy my Costco runs but I did the responsible thing by staying home and downloading this amazing app. Shopping was easy and I am afraid I may never uninstall it.
9. Stay off Social Media – for the most part, we all know social media is not 100% healthy and while you are sick, life goes on. Seeing everyone else having a great time is not helpful for the immune system. Get off social media and enjoy your time off!
10. Stay in the present – when thoughts start coming about what you are missing or what you need to be doing…dismiss them. Tomorrow will come and you will soon be able to catch up.

Get Mentally Fit in 2022 & Unlock Massive Results in Every Area of Your Life! 

Maybe it’s transitioning your career to live out your greatest purpose, taking your relationships to a new level, or getting your physical body in shape.

The new year always comes with a list of resolutions and goals that are not attained. Research shows that 80% of new year resolutions fail by February. This is your opportunity to make 2022 your greatest year with Mental Fitness, Coaching, Career Strategies, and Professional Branding.

Sign up now for my next 7-week Mental Fitness Positive Intelligence Bootcamp and Get 22% Off before January 6, 2022

Click on the link to receive the discount: www.eventbrite.com/e/208848921747/?discount=FriendsofBeProductive

*The next 7-week Mental Fitness Positive Intelligence Bootcamp starts on January 15, 2022. Keep this discount for yourself or gift it to a loved one.

Want to include Coaching? Following are the 2022 applicable packages at the non-discounted pricing: 

Sign up now and receive 22% by clicking on the appropriate link to get these rates locked in today:

Unleash the Power Within 

Work/Life Happiness Transformation

Mental Fitness Transformation

Not sure which package is best for you? Schedule a free consultation: http://www.beproductivecoaching.com/contact

Statistics are taken from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) 2009 Coaching Client Study.

About Be Productive:

Founder, Vimari Roman helps professionals get out of paralysis analysis, gain confidence, and take massive action to succeed in the career that moves them.

Vimari began her career in Hospitality and after over 20 years, she found herself bored, frustrated and discouraged. She realized that she had outgrown her career and in 2013 transitioned her skillset, earned her CMM (Certificate in Meeting Management), and started her first company, Be Productive Meetings & Events. After a great start, she felt that something was still missing. She went inward and discovered that she missed the coaching and leadership component of her teams. A year later in 2014, she received her Global Leadership Certified Coach designation, and Be Productive Coaching was born.

Vimari serves clients from all over the world working virtually. With over twenty years of experience in leadership, she has successfully mentored and coached 100’s of high-performing professionals in various industries assisting their transition to live exciting lives, filled with purpose, greater career satisfaction, and higher pay. Check out how she can help you at www.beproductivecoaching.com

We are all going to have some bad storms, are you weatherized? 

When the rainy & stormy season sets in, we need to be ready. If you live in cold weather, you know exactly what I am referring to, and you can relate. Fall is the season to get your car and home weatherized from the elements of nature. And while you are at it, I invite you to check in on your mind and spirit. Are they also weatherized? Are they ready for any weather? Especially the bad weather?

As humans, we all experience bad spiritual and mental storms…the question is, when will they arrive, and will we be ready when they hit?

Let’s take Christmas and the holiday season, for instance. The holiday season has approached, and our troubles and lives continue. Some may be dealing with financial issues, health, or relationship problems…and those troubles don’t disappear over the holidays. Others during this season are longing for connection and feel lonely or depressed. Some fill their time with holiday parties, shopping, and ways to feel connected. But then, disappointment arrives because of the expectations created.

So how do we weatherize our spirit and mind so that we can weather the storms of disappointment, stress, anger, health issues, and so on?

The answer is empathy for ourselves, others, and the circumstances around us. We can access empathy and compassion by asking ourselves, what is this situation teaching me? What gifts or opportunities is it offering me? What’s the most loving way I can respond to this situation before reacting?

We need to explore all factors and consider alternatives to disappointment, stress, anger, or despair. And we need to seek the wisdom within us and ask ourselves, at the end of my life, looking back, what would I want to remember about this situation? These questions will allow us to take positive action.

No matter how bad the weather gets and how many disappointments, we need to be ready so that we do not drown in despair. Getting ourselves prepared with mental fitness to bring in our Sage will help us cope with weathering any storm. Because when, not if, but when the storm hits, preparation will beat procrastination.

Here are some tips to get your mind, body, and soul prepared for the season:

1. Consider taking a spiritual practice to quiet your mind.
2. Start a gratitude practice. At the end of each day write down at least three things you are grateful for.
3. Movement: Go for walks or exercise.
4. Let go of expectations and let life and others surprise you.
5. Stay in the present. The future brings anxiety and the past brings depression.

I hope these tips help you as you get “weatherized” to face the next storm. I share tips and provide you with support to be more productive and shine both in life and in your career. I’d love for you to join me by subscribing to be notified when new articles are released.

Cheers to your success!

Vimari

Get Mentally Fit in 2022 & Unlock Massive Results in Every Area of Your Life! 

Maybe it’s transitioning your career to live out your greatest purpose, taking your relationships to a new level, or getting your physical body in shape.

The new year always comes with a list of resolutions and goals that are not attained. Research shows that 80% of new year resolutions fail by February. This is your opportunity to make 2022 your greatest year with Mental Fitness, Coaching, Career Strategies, and Professional Branding.

Schedule a free consultation to learn more!

Ready to get started? Register for the next Mental Fitness Positive Intelligence 7-Week Bootcamp starting on January 15, 2022. Register before Dec 15, 2021, to receive the Early-Bird Discount via Eventbrite.

About Be Productive:

Founder, Vimari Roman helps professionals get out of paralysis analysis, gain confidence, and take massive action to succeed in the career that moves them.

Vimari began her career in Hospitality and after over 20 years, she found herself bored, frustrated and discouraged. She realized that she had outgrown her career and in 2013 transitioned her skillset, earned her CMM (Certificate in Meeting Management), and started her first company, Be Productive Meetings & Events. After a great start, she felt that something was still missing. She went inward and discovered that she missed the coaching and leadership component of her teams. A year later in 2014, she received her Global Leadership Certified Coach designation, and Be Productive Coaching was born.

Vimari serves clients from all over the world working virtually. With over twenty years of experience in leadership, she has successfully mentored and coached 100’s of high-performing professionals in various industries assisting their transition to live exciting lives, filled with purpose, greater career satisfaction, and higher pay. Check out how she can help you at www.beproductivecoaching.com