How to Leisurely Hustle

Numerous jokes have been made about me being a lady of leisure…. And it’s true! I am indeed a proud Lady of Leisure. Oh, yes! In the evenings, you’ll usually find me lounging on the sofa with a glass of wine reading Rumi. My daughter knows that I’ll be taking a bubble bath between the hours of 8 and 9. My massage therapist expects to see me every two weeks.

I spray my favorite perfume on before going to bed and first thing when I wake up. And, the thought of being in a hurry rarely crosses my mind.

Yet, my house isn’t falling apart.

My daughter is functioning quite well in society.

And I have a thriving business.

Actually, when I think about it, it amazes even me. So, I was quite shocked when I looked up the term “lady of leisure.”  Turns out that it implies that a woman is free of responsibilities or duties or a polite term for an unemployed woman. Well, I am proud to let you in on a little Tonya secret:  I am neither.  In fact, I’ve been working since I was a young teen.  And now, as an adult, I have a family to tend to, a home to manage, and a company to run.

I have discovered that I have two women within me:

My inner lady of leisure and my hustler.

So, I started thinking about this concept of “leisurely hustling.” Not two words that you’d normally put together, but I’ve discovered that it’s completely possible.

In fact, it’s the only way, in my opinion, to go through life, combining moxy and ambition with elegance and sophistication <tweet it!>

So let me give give you a peek inside my La Tête

First things first, let’s talk about mindset, because leisurely hustling is more about what’s between your ears than anything.  So, I’m going to let you peek inside my head for a moment. My OLD (frazzled) beliefs:

• I don’t have enough time.
• I have to get things done.
• I’m behind.
• I’ll do (insert that thing thing I really want to do) tomorrow.
• When I finally (insert a goal), then I’ll do (insert a desire).
• I don’t have enough money.

My NEW (leisurely hustlin’) beliefs:

• I have all the time in the world.
• I don’t have to do anything.
• I’m right where I need to be.
• Pleasure can’t wait.
• Feelings, not goals, are what I aim for.
• This moment is where it’s at.
• I have all the money I need right now.

This mental reprogramming took some time, but it’s been worth the wait. I know what you’re probably thinking. “But Tonya, how do you ever get anything done if you’re always waiting to feel good?” My answer is simple:

I work on feeling good before I do anything.

I decide how I want to show up in that moment, and then I generate those feelings for myself. Then, and only then, do I do the work. If I’m feeling resistance, I don’t avoid action. I just get inspired before taking it. Nothing is worse than creating from a state of fear, anxiety or overwhelm. Nothing is better than creating from a place of love, generosity and excitement. Ladies of leisure know this.  And this is why you’ll often find them having a “eureka!” moment during yoga class or while they are covered in a salt scrub.   It is in those following moments that they are clearly ready to hustle.

I am clear on what I will not sacrifice in order to get more things done.

Movie night, a beautifully set dinner table, coffee dates with friends, bubble baths and nightly readings.   These are my non-negotiables.  I suggest that you get to know yours. These beautiful moments are creating my life, and there’s no amount of money that will tempt me away from them.   I work to live, not live to work.  (That’s my lady of leisure talking.)

I combine leisure with my hustling spirit.

I am a master of combining work and pleasure, and I have discovered some fun ways to combine leisure with my hustling spirit. For example, meet a business associate at a spa, exchange your home with someone else for a week in the South of France, find a way to speak to a group in a place you’ve always wanted to visit, serve Champagne at your next presentation, recruit your kids to help with social media. With a little creativity, you can combine what you love with what you do.

I continue to remind myself to slow down.

Sometimes, I must remind myself to slow down.  So, I bring my walking pace down to a saunter.  I slow down at the table.  I slow down my speech and listen more. The truth is that I love living fast, but I also want to live slow enough to savor my life, which is why I’m always reminding myself to decelerate enough so that I can take it all in. Most women are living fast out of fear – fear of being behind, not being good enough and fear of failure. The problem is that actions taken out of fear create more fear.  It’s a toxic cycle that’s impossible to escape unless you’re willing to slow down. So, I have a question for you:

Want to join me on the Leisurely Hustling train?

Here are some ideas that can help YOU get started, ma chérie.

1.  Start the Day off With Some Leisure

Jumping out of bed checking emails, cooking breakfast, taking the trash out or feeding the dogs is a great set up for a stressful day.  That energy just spills over into the next thing of the day, keeping you on the wheel of doing.  This, darling, leaves very little room for leisure. What if you started your day off by, ….savoring a cup of coffee ….journaling your intentions for the day ….reading a passage of Hafiz ….taking a stroll around your neighborhood? Life honors the lady who respects herself and life enough to take a little extra time for pleasure.

2.  Dress the Part

Ladies of leisure take great pride in how they present themselves to the world. Think Audrey Hepburn or Jackie O.  On the flip side, a hustler is always ready for the next opportunity. So, you must dress the part – both for leisure and hustling. I’ll admit that it’s really tempting to sit around in my PJ’s all day, because no one would know. Or, would they? I am a big believer that everything is energy, including what you wear. My inner lady of leisure wants to look and feel fabulous, and my hustler wants to be fabulous. So, putting on a cute dress and a little lipstick actually sparks inspiration and productivity, and you never know when your destiny will be knocking at the door.  That hustler in you better be ready, with heels and lipstick, of course!

3.  Know What you Want (And, be reasonable)

Each Sunday, I decide on my top 3 projects for the week.  (Did you notice, I said just “3”?) I no longer feel the need to inflict torture upon myself with these god-awful modern day to-do lists. This week, for example?  I am working closely with my daughter to prepare for her college entrance exams.  I’m finalizing details for my upcoming Le Voyage Paris Experience (Oh my…I have no words for how amazing this will be for the handful of ladies who I get to watch transform before my very eyes, to cultivate their Paris State of Mind). And I am booking all of personal and business travel for the next 6 months.  These are my main focuses for this week (or, we can call them “projects”). Often times, however, a project feels too big to feel manageable, so I break each one into small doable tasks.  For example, “Have a meeting with my event planner to talk about haute couture excursion,” “Interview SAT tutor and buy Princeton Review Study Guides”, or “Look up Amex travel mileage totals and compare to purchasing tickets directly on USAir.com .” Once I’ve broken my big focuses into smaller tasks, I schedule them into my Google calendar. This frees up so much mental space for leisure. Oh, yes.  that is the goal, ladies.

4.  30 Minutes at a Time, Darling

I’ve never admitted it in public, but I think I suffer from ADD. Actually, I think everyone has a touch of this modern day disorder.  But, that’s no excuse to not take action in your life.  However, there’s a way to work with your attention deficit, and it’s called “30 Minutes at a Time.” Or, 30 Minutes of Hustling then, 30 Minutes of Leisure.  I’m amazed at how much I can get done in just 30 minutes when I have a clear focus and know that 30 minutes of leisure awaits. Here’s an example of how my day will play out:

• 30 Minutes of Writing….30 Minutes of Dining.
• 30 Minutes of Exercise, 30 Minutes of Pinterest.
• 30 Minutes of Studying, 30 Minutes of Social Media.
• 30 Minutes of Planning, 30 Minutes of Daydreaming.
• 30 Minutes of Calls, 30 Minutes of Pampering.

Everyone’s formula will be different depending on your lifestyle, work and preferences. Perhaps for you, it’s for every hour of hustling, you offer yourself 15 minutes of leisure.

5.  Decide How You’re Going to Show Up

I am a big believer in taking inspired action.   I don’t push myself to write when I’m not feeling it.    I don’t create programs, products, and services when I’m out of alignment.   If I’ve signed up for crossfit and it no longer feels good to me, and even though my monthly membership is non refundable (so if I choose not to go I am “technically” loosing money), I go for a walk in nature instead.  I don’t believe in grinding, gripping or pushing myself.   That’s too much testosterone energy for me.

“The Leisure Effect” is no longer a theory;

I dare you to give it a try! Repeat after me:  There is no hurry, and I’m right where I need to be. <tweet it!> Yes, it seems counter-intuitive to take moments for leisure when you’re wanting to get things done in life. So, let me offer you a final reframe that may entice you to become a lady of leisure (who also happens to be a hustler).  I’ve noticed this consistent occurrence associated with my leisure time. It’s called INSPIRATION.

In those moments when I step away from the office and meet up with friends, go for a hike, play with the dog or cook a divine meal, I have revelations. Ideas are sparked. People show up. The next step is revealed. And it all happens without me “trying” to figure it out. See the big difference on how I am getting it all done? This leads me to my final conclusion:

A woman who feels good is a magnet to her desires.

And her inner hustler will know how to make it happen!

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Tell me below….How are you choosing to leisurely hustle this week?   With Ambition & Ease,   Tonya