It's the quitting season!

Estimated read time: 1:17.09 minutes.

Quit optional activities you don't enjoy. My daughter hated T- ball.

There's a lot going on right now. Holiday prep. Election updates. Dark days. Year-end deliverables. Here in the North, we're finally into cold weather. Are you feeling the intensity?

With everything that's happening in your life, the US and the world right now, I want to provide you with relief, permission to rest, and a chance to slow down. I want to help you find some ease.

One simple path to more ease is Be A Quitter.

I can hear some of you saying, "Nope. That's impossible. I can can't shirk my responsibilities." We're taught that being a quitter is Bad with a capital B.

Quitting is good. Sometimes, you must.

You are a kind and generous person. You likely say yes to more things than you can reasonably handle. Quitting is one path to balance. (So is saying no but that's a conversation for a different day.)

Tony Robbins says that quitting in order to honor your values is vital. (And if Tony Robbins says it, it must be true.)

Try these ideas on for size:

• Promised you'd attend a baby shower, and now you feel like you need a quiet evening at home? Send a Babies R Us gift card with a kind note and quit! Honor your value of quiet.
• Volunteered to organize an event and realize you've said yes to one to many things? Send an email and quit! Honor your value of free time.
• Agreed to have lunch with a friend from college who you don't like much anymore? Decline, make a note not to schedule this lunch again, and quit! Honor your value of authentic relationships.

When you are evaluating how you spend your day, consider if an activity brings you joy - nor not. Choose to do the things that bring you joy. And offer a polite, accountable, "I quit."

It's a good practice. And the discomfort of quitting will ultimately teach you where you need to say no to honor your values.

I hope this brings you some ease and simplicity.

Christina

P.S. If you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter, they can sign-up for The Corporate Rebel Video Podcast and Newsletter HERE.

Speeding toward the holidays? Stay on track with these productivity tips.

Estimated read time: 1:02.81 minutes

It sounds weird. And seriously, this tomato-inspired strategy will help you get more done starting TODAY.

In the late fall, the pace of life and work speeds up. This year, there is much happening on the national and international stage. It can be exhausting. Things accelerate - annual reviews, holiday parties, travel, year-end analyses, family visits, and project deadlines. Does it feel like this in your world?

In response to the pace of the wider world, we are keeping things simple here at Corporate Rebel HQ.

I'll spend the next few weeks teaching you techniques for efficiency and productivity so you can focus, do excellent work, breathe, and have more time for fun and festivities.

Here's the first one, inspired by a process called Pomodoro. (Yes, the Italian word for tomato.) This super productivity strategy was developed by Francesco Cirillo who was inspired by his tomato-shaped kitchen timer.

I use a modified version of Francesco's process which you can implement immediately to make your work more productive. Here's how it works:

1. Text or instant message a friend or colleague who will be your virtual pomodoro partner. (You can also do this process alone.)
3. Tell your friend exactly what you are going to work on for the next 25 minutes. Choose one thing.
4. Shut off your email, FB, and phone ringer so you can focus.
5. Set a timer for 25 minutes.
6. When you're both ready, text Go! and start the timer.
7. Focus for the next 25 minutes.
8. When the timer goes off, account your progress and/or completion to your colleague. Celebrate!
9. Take a 5 minute break - grab coffee, step outside, throw in a load of laundry, listen to music.

Rinse and repeat as many times as you like.

I used this process to write this newsletter and am now going to take a break to make breakfast for my kids before school.

Let me know how this process works for you!

I hope this helps.

Warmly,

Christina

P.S. If you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter, they can sign-up for The Corporate Rebel Video Podcast and Newsletter HERE.