Lead Like A Queen Coaching and Consulting, LLC

Category: prompt

  • Slow Simmer for Summer

    Slow Simmer for Summer

    What if slow was a superpower instead of a weakness? In our current fast-paced world, slow is seen as never good enough. But can you think of times when slowly planning and progressing has been best to make you and what’s important to you better in the long run? Read this article and use the journal prompts to help you plan your summer. – Coach Donna Marie

    MY SLOW SIMMER SUMMER 

    I am using this summer to slowly simmer all of my creative juices. If you’re a cook or a foodie, you know that only good things come from slowly simmering your food. All the flavors in the dish seep all the way through every bite when you let it just cook down on the lowest setting and slowly. This is what I’m doing to myself and my creativity for this summer. The goal is that when I’m ready to launch season 5 of the Plant Your Seeds of Transformation podcast in the late summer or early fall, every single interaction or piece of content will be absolutely delicious for my audience and clients. 

    WHAT ARE YOUR SUMMER PLANS? 

    Summertime can be a great time for families to focus more on family time without the normal daily distractions or weekly interruptions created by the school year. For many workers and business owners, summertime can offer more opportunities to get away for a retreat where you can rest, reflect, and be refreshed. 

    Journal Prompts to Help You Plan Your Summer

    What is your most important summer goal, and what will you put on your calendar and in your budget for it? Pick one or more of the following journal prompts to start planning your own slow summer with something that is realistic and attainable for you at this time of year. 

    • Rest: Schedule dedicated downtime for relaxation and self-care. 
      • Date and Time ________ Budget $______ 
    • Reflect: Set aside time to ponder your experiences and insights. 
      • Date and Time ________ Budget $______ 
    • Refresh & Renew: Plan activities that rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. 
      • Date and Time ________ Budget $______ 

    MY SUMMER PRIORITIES 

    I will share mine with you. I need more rest because my now more mature body (including my brain) is going through a major transition and experiencing things I have never experienced before. So, I am making more rest my top priority. This includes getting more help from a sleep doctor so I can sleep better. Unfortunately, a hefty co-pay is attached to this, but I am worth the time and the money needed to make my sleep better. 

    As I rest more, I am also reflecting more. I am learning more about myself than I ever have before. I agree with what my wise father used to say: as I get older, I realize just how much I do not know. I am grateful to have behavioral health support which is helping me become more compassionate and gentler with myself during this self-discovery process. I am also grateful that I have the time and resources needed to stay consistent with managing my mental wellness. 

    As I get more rest and reflect more, I am definitely being refreshed and renewed. My commitment to loving myself and taking better care of myself is definitely paying off, over time. There are no instant results here, but I have peace and joy in this journey. I am truly grateful and willing to be patient with my process. 

    PROTECT YOUR SUMMER PLANS 

    If you’re committing to do similar things for yourself during your summer, I hope that you are setting good boundaries around your plans so that you don’t allow anyone (or anything) to disrupt these plans. This is something that was hard for me in the past, but I am becoming better at setting and keeping my boundaries so that I can take better care of myself. If this is an ongoing struggle for you, you deserve support so you can learn and improve your boundary management. Listen to one of my podcast episodes where I discuss the topic of boundary-setting and let me know what information you found to be most helpful. 

    • Who Helps the Caregivers: God and Good Boundaries – article link 
    • Relationship Between Trauma Recovery and Good Boundaries – article link 
    • What Can Black Women Do To Listen To Their Hearts, Set Boundaries, and Get Unstuck – article link 

    Your summer has potential for immense power because there is power in planning and setting up sturdy boundaries that can support you for the rest of the year. Even when progress seems gradual, remember that each small step toward better self-care is a victory. During this warmer and brighter season, reflect on your journey. What specific small shifts can you make? What moments of rest, reflection, and renewal will you intentionally weave into your days (and your budget)? Put it on your calendar, and save money for it as part of your boundary management.

    Share Your Insights: I’d love to hear from you. Reach out and let me know how this article has resonated with you. Maybe you will make your own summer plan to nourish your spirit, fuel your growth, and bring joy to your days.

    As you think about this and prepare to plan, please remember that progress can be slow over time. It doesn’t have to be instant or fast. It is most important that whatever you do is intentional. Here’s to a summer of taking small purposeful steps! 

  • My Hardest Personal Goal for 2023

    My Hardest Personal Goal for 2023

    This has been a very rough year for me. Here’s part of my story.

    Daily writing prompt
    What was the hardest personal goal you’ve set for yourself?
    View all responses

    During the end of 2022 and for the first half of 2023, our family experienced a major crisis that deeply traumatized all of us and then we had other unexpected crises that set us back a bit more, too. So, following through on some of my personal goals in the first half of 2023 fell by the wayside while we recovered. The hardest personal goal for me to fulfill this year was getting back to podcasting, which I originally started back in 2020. So, I started season 4 of the podcast (Plant Your Seeds of Transformation) knowing that: 1) I was truly afraid to share what I had been through over the past many months, and 2) my schedule and availability were much more challenging than ever before due to new responsibilities.

    Reflecting on My Hardest Personal Goal for 2023
    Photo by Houcine Ncib on Unsplash

    Despite the fear, I found the inspiration and motivation to get me moving forward with creating season 4 of the podcast. And now, guess what?! I just finished episode 10 of season 4! Wow, that’s amazing that I went from not planning to follow through to now having over two months of content. It feels good to be able to celebrate this.

    If you’d like to check out that last episode, I discussed the fact that money mistake shame is dangerous. I gave advice on ways you can start to get past it and get unstuck from cycles of the same money mistakes happening over and over.

    If you decide to check out my channel, here’s a link to the community tab so you can comment and leave a note and let me know you found the podcast through this blog article.

  • I Got Excited by Community

    I Got Excited by Community

    Daily writing prompt
    Tell us about the last thing you got excited about.
    View all responses

    My last very exciting thing was plugging in with community: with like-minded women leaders who are passionate about pursuing their goals, just as I am, and who are also committed to loving and taking care of themselves as they pursue those goals. I had the awesome opportunity to interview one of these ladies on Tuesday morning. I am honored that she joined me on the live for The Plant Your Seeds of Transformation podcast. She, like me, has experienced trauma and neurodivergence which impacts how she implements productivity strategies. She gave really good advice and raised very good questions during her interview, and I hope you’ll take a look or listen on YouTube or your favorite podcast app, like Spotify or Apple Podcasts. I also wrote a brief article about building your beautiful community for my Plant Your Seeds of Transformation newsletter/publication on Medium.

    Photo by unsplash.com/@voneciacarswell
    Photo by Vonecia Carswell on Unsplash

    If you’d like to connect with me, the easiest way to reach out to me is by using the contact form on this website. I do read those emails, and I will reply to non-spam genuine emails. I love meeting new like-minded people, and if you’d like to get to know me because you think we might be like-minded, I’m all for that.

    Being part of the WordPress community is exciting, too, so I just want to say thanks so much for reading and following and sharing.

  • This Creative Tool Is Always With Me

    This Creative Tool Is Always With Me

    Daily writing prompt
    What is the most important thing to carry with you all the time?
    View all responses

    I carry my iPhone (and Apple watch) with me everywhere, even to the bathroom and shower*, because I can type/text or record my creative ideas whenever they pop into my head. This has been a crucial part of my progress as a writer, a podcaster, and an entrepreneur. There are other tools I also use, but my watch and phone are my ever-present tools that are versatile enough for me to use even if my hands are covered in grease or occupied in a sink of dishes. Sometimes I record a video journal while I am driving… my watch can turn on my camera handsfree. And sometimes I send a text to myself if I don’t have time to open my notes app. Other times, I’ll open up a blogging app or a podcasting app to start a draft that I can finish once I’m back at my computer.

    Buy A Smartphone*

    There are really a lot more ways that I can get my creative ideas down, and these are just brief examples. As a creative, getting my ideas down has become just part of my daily routine. AND… sometimes the best ideas come at the weirdest times, like when I am just regaining consciousness after a nap or a full night’s sleep, so I keep my phone next to me in bed to record these types of ideas, too. Remembering my ideas so I can develop them more later when I have time to sit down at a computer is one of the most important skills that I’ve learned for continuously improving as a solo-micro-small business owner.

    As I mentioned earlier, I am a podcaster, and if you’d like to listen, it’s over at PlantYourSeeds.show here on the WordPress platform, or you can Google or search for it on YouTube or any other podcast platform under the podcast name, “Plant Your Seeds of Transformation“. I also write over on Medium, and I’d love to have you follow me there, also at leadlikeaqueen.medium.com.

    I love that WordPress is making it easy to remember to answer these writing prompts. Thank you for reading my answer. I hope it’s helpful if you’re a creative who always has ideas popping up for you at weird times like I do.

    *Important Notes:

    —My devices (phone and watch) are waterproof, but not all of them are, so please be careful to learn the waterproof (or dustproof ) level of your devices before wearing or using them constantly as I do.

    –AFFILIATE LINK DISCLAIMER: f you use my Amazon Affiliate link to search for a smartphone on Amazon, they may compensate me for referring you, so , thank you in advance for supporting my work in this way, if you choose to do so.