Guess what, I got it from my Momma! In my family, my mom is known as a super cleaner. We joke that she “loves” to clean, when in actuality she just loves a clean space. Now, however, all my sisters and I know exactly what she meant all those years. Having a clean home seriously makes any bad day feel better.
 
The fresh scents, clean counters, and neatly organized drawers makes things easier to find, take stock of and just overall keeps me smiling. I need to look into the psychological effects of a clean space because I swear, there is something to it.
 
But the counters and toilets are not the only things you should be cleaning. Try incorporate the 8 things below into your cleaning routine. These ones don’t have to be weekly cleanings, but things you should do every 1-2 months to keep even the darkest corners feeling fresh.
 

1. Light switches – We touch these probably more than door knobs so keeping these fresh keeps the germs at bay, sticky free from any dirty hands that touch them, and your walls looking fresh.
2. Base boards – This is like a dust collection monster or a shoe scuff’s favorite spot. A magic eraser sponge does wonders here. 
3. Drawer/Cabinet crumbs – No matter how much I try to keep things in organized tupperwares or their sealed packages, there always seem to be crumbs, especially in the junk drawer. So every time you clean, try to dump out one drawer or cabinet and wipe it down. And then overtime, you’ll keep those crumbs under control.
4. Dishwasher filter – I always forget about this one and then wonder why my dishes aren’t looking as clean. The first thing my mom says, “did you clean the filter” and every time, that is the reason. One day, I’ll remember, and now all of you can too :-)
5. Kitchen cabinet faces – Whether it’s a little cooking grease that accumulates or dirty hands hitting them as they pull the drawer open, these can sometimes start to look a little sad. Taking a quick spray and wipe down makes your kitchen stand out even more.
6. Door knobs – Seriously, we touch these all the time and so does everyone else that comes to our home..
7. Fans – Dust accumulates up there, especially during summer months when our doors and windows are open more.  Wipe them down with a damp cloth and keep a bag nearby to wipe the dust into so it doesn't fall on the floor or your furniture. 
8. Under the bed – turn your mattress while you are at it. To keep your mattress lasting longer, you should actually rotate it often so that you don’t end up with too deep of indents on any particular side. So, while you lift the bed to get all those dust bunnies, take a mattress rotation too. 

How often do you guys clean these spots? Any other nooks and crannies that need some extra love and attention on your list? I'd love to hear them in the comments!

Inevitably we forget things. I think we all have the best intentions to not forget, but no matter what, it happens. And if you think about it, it makes sense. Did you know that we make over 200 decisions a day around food alone? 200! I only remember maybe 6 of those a day. Our brains are certainly impressive, keeping track of things we don’t even realize for all our projects and tasks, all while keep our foundational systems running to help us stay alive.
 
I used to think that if I just focused more or worked harder on remembering things, I would be able to stay on top of things. That may work for some of you still, but, after letting myself down time and time again, I realized that I needed a system to help me. I started with just pen and paper to-do lists, but I ended up leaving them between work and home and not getting much actually checked off.
 
So, slowly but surely, I implemented little things to help me get better. It started out with my hot list to do system (all about it in this post in case you missed it) and as I started getting better from that, I added in other aspects like the Boost Action planner to help keep myself accountable not only to one off tasks but also to consistent habits that help me improve my health, well-being, and specific intentions for the year. 
 
Every Sunday I spend 5-15 minutes reviewing my Boost planner and setting myself up for the week ahead. I realized that I was naturally doing a few other things on Sunday’s to help prep for the week (although not consistently) and when I did, I felt so much more on top of it and was able to reflect on a weekly basis on how well I was doing. That way if, by chance there was anything I forgot, it didn’t go months and months before getting the attention again.
 
I love this system because at the end of the day, the only way we can stop forgetting things is to keep ourselves accountable to our Intentions and actions. If not for ourselves, then for those around us, because if we don't hold ourselves accountable, for many of the things on the list, we don't just let down ourselves, but we also let down someone or some grand goal or vision down as well. 
 
This month's March Boost action planner includes my week start checklist to help you set yourself up for success each week. It will help keep you refreshed, focused and grounded in your intentions so that you can reset and keep moving toward them each week. CLICK HERE to download your template. 

This year, I plan on sitting down and doing a similar exercise for a personal quarterly review. I've included my template in the March Boost Action Planner (click here to get the March Boost Action Plan)
 
Here is how I break it down: 

Where were you in January? Were you only working out once a week and where are you now?
If you’ve been using your Boost Action planner, use metrics! (i.e. I used to do 1 workout a week now I am consistently doing 2 a week) or I’ve been achieving 75% of my goals so far. (i.e. drinking 60 oz of water 22 days out of 30).

It was just about 1 year ago when Brad and I were lying in bed talking about our side hustles. I had just recently shut down my handbag business venture, aLign, and was feeling a little disheartened around the whole thing. The idea had really been good, I had gotten great feedback when people saw it, (now there are some bigger companies that have a bag just like it) but at the end of the day, there were no buyers, or if there were, they certainly didn’t know about me. As I lay there, I thought about what things had gone well and what hadn’t, and I realized that the parts I loved most about the venture was to design. As I progressed with the thought a dream unfolded to have a shop filled with treasures from my favorite places and people around the world, to create, and to share with a community of amazing people. Basically, to do all the things I loved to do outside of my typical 9-5 working hours (although, who really works hours like that nowadays, it’s more like from email to slack to text working hours). Either way, with a bit of reflection, I jolted upright and thought, well why the heck am I not just doing that already. Why do I have to wait for something else, or some other business idea to be successful to enable my true passions to take hold.
 
I literally hopped onto my phone and bought the domain name for beyondtheclock that very second. I didn’t exactly know what it would be yet, just a place for me to share my passions outside of work, but I knew that I needed to make it happen.
 
After a little bit of time setting up the website, I wrote one of my first posts planning my year for myself and sharing it with all of you to help keep me accountable. Here’s how I stacked up and how I plan to keep my goals moving forward next year. 

2018 Goals

• Better management of my to-do list - I came up with a system that really helped me using the reminders feature on the mac and iphone. I create multiple lists and then a single hot list that I move the top 3 things to accomplish each day onto to really keep things prioritized and moving. 
• Learning more about marketing and social media - I studied Instagram quite a lot and learned a ton. There is still a long way to go but between content generation and understanding the algorithm, I think I made a big dent on this goal that I'm excited about. 
• Being more consistent on Instagram - The first half of the year was definitely better than the second. I posted almost every single day up until June. When we launched Little Foodie in July, my focus shifted to that Instagram account. I'm hoping to get back into more of a balance between the two in 2019.

2019 Goals

• Be more confident in asking for the things that will help me grow. 
• Build maturity around product development and product launches/commercialization strategy. This is driven both by my full-time work in the cancer care industry as well as with Little Foodie. 

2018 Goals

• 12 DIY projects - I ended up doing 9 DIY projects and 3 new recipes (all linked below) so I made it to a version of 12 and am excited to do more next year. 
• Pin design inspiration at least once a week - I didn't end up doing anything with Pinterest and focused more on Instagram in 2019. Next year will have a bit more focus on Pinterest to expand my content.

2019 Goals

• 20 DIY or Recipes
• Expand my knowledge and use of Pinterest - Create a pin for every blog post

2018 Goals

• Plan a menu on the weekend with all groceries purchased to be ready for the week. - I probably only ended up doing this a total of 6 weeks out of the year. Next year we may try one of those meal prep companies like Blue Apron to see how that works for us. 
• Eat out for lunch only once a week. (Bring my healthy leftovers instead, also much better for the wallet). - It's more like twice a week on average which I think is an ok balance but I hope that with some shifts I make on meal planning in 2019, this can be more of a reality. 
• Move 7 days a week with at least 4 being more intense workouts - To be honest, I didn't do the best job tracking this. Once we got our dog Stella, I definitely move 7 days a week walking her, however the intense workouts are more like 2-3 times a week. 
• Continue to explore meditation/visualization to find what works well for me. - I started doing this more towards the end of the year and it has really helped reduce my stress so I am excited to integrate it further into my wellness routine.

 
2019 Goals

• Plan 3 weekly menus that rotate throughout the year - I think this way it will be more manageable to do but we will see. 
• Add stretching and guided meditation at least once a week. Keep more intense workouts to 4 times a week.

2018 Goals

• Document my trips more consistently - I actually did a great job with this on my Instagram stories and it was so fun to get questions and comments from everyone learning more about the places. 

2019 Goals

• Continue to document on Insta stories and incorporate more aspects into blog posts as well.

Although I had specific goals, there were a few items that weren't on the list that I added throughout the year. They took some time away from my other goals but were so worth it. 

• Beyond the Clock Design - I launched my home and commercial design work and had 4 clients. It was so much fun to get to work on my passions and find fun ways to make spaces that people love
• Little Foodie - I launched a kids apparel and gift company with one of my best friends. It has been so much fun and we have such great feedback that I'm excited to see where 2019 takes us. 

It’s amazing what happens when you write something down. Overall, I’d give myself a B+. I may not have tracked everything to a T and I definitely fell off from workouts and blogging here and there, but overall, I kept at it, I found my way back and I enjoyed every second of it along the way.
 
The very best part about this whole thing is the people I have met through Instagram, collaborations, emails, and friends I have reconnected with through new conversations. I smiled with delight when I received a text from one of my old friends asking for advice on some new living room décor. I don’t think she ever would have thought of me for a question like that prior to this year and it feels amazing to know that the work I’ve been doing is resonating with others.
 
I know that with working a full-time job and running a baby company on the side, this blog doesn’t always get my full attention, however, I can’t thank each one of you enough for following along on this journey with me through thick and thin. Each like, comment, and email that you send, fills my heart with one of the greatest joys and it means the world to have you here.
 
As we head into the last few days of the year, I wanted to say THANK YOU and get ready for a 2019 filled with fun new content and giveaways to hopefully help keep you motivated and inspired for all things you love beyond the clock. ​Happy New Year! 

So many of you ask me how I stay organized with my businesses and my full-time job. For those of you who are new to the blog, I work full-time in the cancer diagnostics/care industry as a project manager and enjoy sharing my passion for design here (plus I'm working on a secret project that I'm so excited to launch soon). There are definitely some late nights involved and some early mornings, but honestly, I find that with a few key habits and tools, I can get more productivity out of normal working hours and still enjoy quality time with my husband and friends. 

Thanks to all your DM's on instagram, I've rounded up my top 5 tools and tips to keep me organized, productive and balanced. I love when you guys send me your questions so that I can provide you the most helpful content. 

1. Water
I know you have probably heard this one a million times, but honestly, it makes such a difference. Lately, I really haven't been drinking as much water as I used to and I can feel the difference in my energy as well as just how I feel in my body. Since health and wellness have always been important to me, I normally try to make it a priority in my day and when I do, I have more energy to get more things done. 

2. Exercise
Have you ever heard the saying, "a body in motion stays in motion"? This is one that my husband and I use all the time, but we take the slightly modified version from Tony Robbins, "Motion creates emotion". In other words, if you start moving, it creates the emotion and motivation you need to really accomplish your goals. If you can just squeeze in a 10 or 15 minute walk, that will help get more things off your list in the long run. 

3. 2Do
Now for the lists! I love to-do lists and if I don't write it down, it doesn't get done. When I was younger, I always tried to memorize what I needed to finish (for some reason I thought it was more impressive that way) but inevitably something fell off the list - normally more than one thing. So when I found2Do, an app for my ipad and phone, I was excited to have an electronic version of all my sticky notes floating around my house. I have different lists for projects I'm working on and can easily see tasks for all of them on one list or by project and set due dates and reminders as well as add notes. Even better, I can share my lists! My husband and I have one that we share so that we can help keep each other accountable and productive for our family to-dos.

4. Goodnotes
I use this app on my ipad with my apple pencil to take handwritten notes. Like I said, writing things down is how I remember it so not only do I write down to-dos in my 2Do app, but any notes that I take for bigger meetings I'll add in these notebooks. It's like carrying around 10 notepads for each project but they are all in one easily accessible and searchable spot. This app is also amazing for my designs! I do a lot of space planning and DIY sketches so that I can refer back to them as I work through the projects. 

5. Being on Time - JORD watch
The habit of being on time is something my parents taught me a long time ago and has been one of the most crucial pieces to my productivity. It's amazing what this little act can do it terms of building rapport with colleagues and partners as well as helping you stick to your schedule so that you can achieve more. I normally keep time on my phone, but when I"m in a meeting or at a restaurant with friends, I turn over my phone so that I can avoid being rude and looking at my phone with each notification that comes in. Instead, I try to really be present with whoever I'm with. The problem I ran into however, was that I quite literally lost track of time and ended up setting myself back on so many things. I wanted to find a way where I could effortlessly keep track of the time. I had been looking for watches for a while, but a lot of the metal ones, were really heavy and clunky and an apple watch defeated the purpose of trying to unplug from notifications, so when I found JORD wooden watches, I was really interested in giving them a try. I have to say I am SO impressed with both the minimalist design and quality of their watches (I got the Cassia Series, Ebony and Sable.) Not only did it come in such an awesome box, but the wood makes it really light and easy to wear and it also has such an awesome scent, you can ever so faintly smell the unique wood. I've been way better at keeping track of my day and as a bonus I get tons of compliments on my watch.

At the end of the day, the best way to stay productive and keep yourself organized is to commit to your values and goals that you want to achieve. In order to help you all do that and achieve your dreams, I've partnered with JORD watches to give you 10% off any watch of your choice (or maybe as a gift for that friend who is always late) and one of you will receive $100 off!

To get your discount head over here and enter to win! 

Hope you love your watch as much as me and that these tips help you stay productive this summer too! 

Jessica