Tamera Sutton 12/9/21 Tamera Sutton 12/9/21

Holiday Drink- Cranberry Mojito

Who doesn’t love a delicious cocktail during the holiday time.

I decided to put a little spin on my one of my favorite beverages Cranberry juice, and create a Cranberry mojito.

It was very delicious and refreshing. Check out the recipe below

Cranberry Juice- half cup

Rum ( I used Lime rum but regular rum is fine too) 3/4 cup

Agave 1 tablespoon

Lime Juice- 1 teaspoon

Mint Leaves 2 leaves

Cranberries

I have a Cocktail mixer but a spoon or whatever you have available should work just fine.

Side Note these are the measurements I used for my drink. Please feel free to use more or less because that’s your business in my Tabitha Brown voice.

Let us know if the comments what is your favorite holiday drink or if you like our Cranberry Mojito drink.

Tamera Sutton 11/15/21 Tamera Sutton 11/15/21

Stay productive with the Pomodoro Technique

Have you ever felt like you can’t focus on one thing in your business? Any time you pull your laptop out to complete some work you are easily distracted with social media, your children asking questions, or social media notifications.

Do you struggle not knowing where your time went or cant give an account for what you accomplished or what you need help with in your business?

Staying focused as a woman in business especially when you have a family, career, and other obligations can be so challenging. It always feels like something or someone needs our attention.

So as you all know I am the founder of All Women Rock Global, podcast host and I offer social media marketing still to some of my old clients. Not to mention I am mother, wife, team leader at my church and lets not forget human.

I have not properly diagnosed by a physician but I truly think I have ADD as painful as this is to admit when I am in a conversation after 10 minutes my mind starts wondering like crazy. Sometimes I wonder if its because I have too much on list. Even as a mother you know how your kids have those long drawn out stories and you want them to go ahead and tell you what happened.. This is wrong I know but sometimes it can take a child forever to get to the point some adults do that too. But the point is I struggle with staying focused.

After 10-15 minutes I am ready to get up and do something else.

I started to see this was affecting me as a business owner and it wasn’t productive to be all over the place.

So one day I was listening to a Youtube live with Pat Flynn this was during 2020 when he was going live everyday and someone asked about staying focused and suggested to try the Pomodoro method. I had never heard of this before I was truly intrigued to see what it was so I can get my life together.

This popular time management method asks you to alternate pomodoro’s which are— focused work sessions — with frequent short breaks to promote sustained concentration and cut off mental fatigue.

So if you are new to this the Pomodoro method is focusing on something for 10-20 minutes and then getting up and taking a break let me give you an example

If you are working on a blog post, focus on the blog post for 20 minutes get up out of your seat for 5 minutes and move away.

Pomodoro Method

So lets say you have multiple task to complete

Get a to-do list and a timer.
Set your timer for 25 minutes, and focus on a single task until the timer rings.
When your session ends, mark off one pomodoro and record what you completed.
Then enjoy a five-minute break.
After four pomodoros, take a longer, more restorative 15-30 minute break.

Now I do struggle with diving into something and it can be hard to pull me away for instance if I am updating the AWR website two hours have passed by and I am still working. I exhaust myself and then its hard for me to get back productive.

So when I first started this method once that timer went off I kept working. I had to literally make myself get up and leave. As I have learned nothing works in life unless you do. Now you have to be sort of distraction free with this for instance you cant be working and looking at Facebook notifications, emails and laughing at Tik Tok while working. If you are using a device like a phone for your timer set the timer and turn it over I personally like to use the one of my laptop so I am not tempted to pick up my phone and answer a call or a text. Sometimes I will put my phone in another room.

If you do not have a lot of task and its easier for you to try one thing just pick one task dont overwhelm yourself sis with

Ladies this method really helps you focus on where your time goes.

If you are focusing on 5 different things at once its hard to track what you accomplish if you accomplish anything

Now I am not an expert by any means on this method but it worked wonders for me so I wanted to share it with you.

Give those time blocks your all

Now I will say those 5 minutes break go fast just like lunch breaks and the weekends when you have a 9-5 but remember the goal why you are doing this and the benefits of it

Once you get more comfortable with it you can try longer pomodoro’s like 45-60 minute sessions and 10-15 breaks

I also think this method gives your mind a break, and your eyes especially if you are on a computer or laptop all day like me

Now sis I also want to say don’t forget to set the timer for your breaks don’t go watch tv and forget your break was only 5 minutes and you have 2-3 episodes of a show and totally forgot you were working. It happens trust me I know.

Sometimes our minds can be very forgetful and if you like me I can plan to go in a room to get something get in the room and totally forget what I came in there for and if one of my daughters ask me something while I am in there you can forget it. Each session is a fresh start to reevaluate your goals, challenge yourself to focus, and limit distractions. You can make the system work for you.

I truly believe that is true because staying consistent helps you stay focused. The goal is never perfection its try something and give it your best

Get a to-do list and a timer.
Set your timer for 25 minutes, and focus on a single task until the timer rings.
When your session ends, mark off one Pomodoro and record what you completed.
Then enjoy a five-minute break.
After four pomodoro’s, take a longer, more restorative 15-30 minute break.

Leave me a comment on the website and let me know how it works out for you or if you have tried it before or currently using it leave a comment on the blog I want to hear from you.

Tamera Sutton 9/7/20 Tamera Sutton 9/7/20

7 life lessons from Mulan

My family and I decided to watch Mulan over the weekend. I had a lot of work to do but I wanted to make sure I spend time with the family and they made me feel bad for not watching the first one. This movie was so good entertaining and had lots of life lessons in it. Once the movie was over I felt empowered, inspired, and interested in watching it again. If you have not had a chance to watch this movie, young, or old its entertaining and has a lot to learn form it.

Photo Credit : Disney imDd.com

If you have not watched the movie these life lessons I am about to share does not necessarily spoil the movie but will have you ready to watch and learn how Mulan took her strengths and made work for her life. By reading my 7 life lessons you will see how you take your strengths, weaknesses, and use them as an advantage in your life, career, and business.

1st lesson - She was put in a box from her family. Mulan did not fit the mold her family prepared for her.

How many of us can relate to this? Our family wants us to have perfect grades in school, attend college, pledge their sorority, take over the family business, or go after the career they think is best for you. In the back of our mind we really do not want to do it but we are hit with the guilt trip when we don’t pursue their dreams.

2nd lesson - Strength. Her family thought running after chickens, and being her authentic self was a weakness but actually it was a Strength

In the beginning of the movie Mulan is running around her neighborhood trying to catch a chicken but while she was running you get to see her be athletic, focused, and determined in what she was after. The neighborhood thought what are you doing? You are making a fool out of yourself? I saw it another way. As a little girl she was using her strengths but never really knew what they were because of what she was exposed to.

How often are we exposed to toxic relationships, generational curses, negative family and friends. We sometimes feel crazy or looked at as if we are crazy because we are not gravitating to what they are doing. Don’t allow your outside circumstances or environment make you feel like something is wrong with you because you live your life they way they do.

3rd lesson- She tried to fit the mold of being a man, and left home in darkness because she felt she didn’t fit who they wan’t her to be.

Family and friends have an odd way of making us feel hopeless and in darkness because we don’t fit the mold they have created for us. So often we get jobs we don’t want, and live a life we do not want because we feel out of place. Being in darkness leads to anxiety, depression, loneliness, and God forbid even suicide. Society has so many high expectations we are expected to achieve or life a “normal” life.

This is why its so important for us to be okay with coloring outside of the lines, being okay if I live the life that makes me happy. If it does not work out don’t beat yourself up always remember at least I tried it.

4th lesson She found her true self from the enemy Who are you?

As Mulan was fighting her enemy she was three times who are you? Each time she answered the name she created for herself while pretending to be a man. The enemy told her you are going to die pretending to be someone you are not. The enemy actually thought she killed her but being someone else saved her life. This says so much in so little words. I ask you today reading this blog post Who are you? Not who your family and friends say you are ? Get a piece of paper and start writing down 5 things about yourself. Write down things no one knows about you. Those dreams you want to achieve write them down, the life you want to achieve write it down, the life you want to live write it down. This is who you are and who you are predestined to be. Why risk you life pretending to be someone else.

5th lesson- Her weakness ( strength) helped her defeat the enemy

There was a particular scene in the movie where Mulan was chasing a hawk. I started remember in the beginning of the movie how she was chasing that chicken. Those skills she acquired as a little girl chasing chickens became an asset as she was face to face with her enemy. I often ask women in AWR University what are your strengths? What did you enjoy doing as a child? What is something you can do so easily or people reach out to you for help for? Those skills, strengths or what the outside considers weaknesses can be strengths to help you get to the next level in life. For years we have buried our strengths to live a life someone thought was best for us. We don’t know what are strengths because we don’t see it as valuable or even an asset.

6th lesson- Once she embraced her true identity She was a leader.

Once you start identifying your strengths, your skills, and how to turn your weaknesses into an asset your leadership skills will become visible. You will now understand what you bring to the table, what you don’t and how to apply them. Once you identify your strength make every effort to master it.

7th lesson- Right when she thought the enemy was about to defeat her The Emperor told her to rise up and become the leader she is.

The time is now more than ever for you to rise up. Don’t let the enemy make you feel defeated because you lost your job, had a divorce, single mom, bankruptcy, foreclosure, or lost a loved one. Your life is not over. Take the time to identify who you are and make a list of your strengths. Master your strengths, and understand what your weaknesses are and use them to your advantage. Your weaknesses are a part of your story, your journey, and people want to know how did overcome that obstacle in your life.

Those are the 7 lessons I loved from Mulan. Another thing I want you to remember was Mulan was considered a Phoenix. Phoenix is a bird that rises above its ashes. Will you rise above your weaknesses, add value to your strength, and soar like a Phoenix?