Meet Alexis Haselberger

We were lucky to catch up with Alexis Haselberger recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alexis, we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?
I think of self-care not as a separate thing I do when I’m starting to feel burnt out or stress (or once I’m already there!) I think of self care as a set of practices that are built into the structure of my life so that I can avoid extreme stress and burnout.

Specifically:

Sleep:
I prioritize getting at least 7.5 hours of sleep, on average, each night. Everything is better/easier if you’re well-rested. My goal is actually 8.5 hours, but I consider 7.5 hours good enough when I’m in a particularly busy time.

Time for leisure:
Studies show that the sweet spot for free time is between 2 and 5 hours a day and I build that into my schedule. In order to make that happen, I have some pretty well-formed boundaries around my time.

Boundaries:
– I set and maintain regular work hours, and I don’t check email or Slack outside of those hours. (No one uses written communication in an emergency!)
– I set clear guidelines with my clients about when I’ll be available to them and when I won’t.

Organization:
While it sounds like a funny self-care strategy, I prioritize organization via a task system that acts as my external brain. By getting things out of my head and into a system, I feel less stressed and more in control. This allows me to be present in the moment and focus on important tasks without the anxiety of unfinished work hanging over me.

Planning:
I plan for tomorrow, today, and for next week on Fridays.

With these strategies in place, I’m able to be fully present when I’m working such that I’m very effective throughout the day, and I know that I have a plan for tomorrow, so that I can disconnect from work in evenings and on weekends.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m a time management and productivity coach who helps people do more and stress less through coaching, workshops and online courses.  My pragmatic, yet fun, approach helps people easily integrate practical, realistic strategies into their lives so that they can do more of what they want and less of what they don’t.  I’ve has taught over 156,000 people to take control of their time and my clients include Google, Lyft, Workday, Capital One, Upwork and more.

What’s different about my approach is that I start from the premise that everyone is an individual, with a different brain, different needs and different circumstances. I teach folks to build sustainable strategies around who they actually are, rather than try to fit themselves in a box made for someone else.

While in the past, I’ve offered 1:1 coaching and group coaching (and still do), I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve recently made a self-study version of my coaching program available as well. This allows me to serve even more people!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Just start: You don’t need to wait until you have things perfected. (That’s impossible anyway!)

I think it was Reid Hoffman who said “if you’re not embarrassed by your first product, you’ve launched too late”

And when I look at the stuff I was doing a few years ago, my face flushes a little. “I thought this was good at the time?” I say to myself.

Yep, I did. And the fact that what I’m putting into the world now is so much better than where I started is not actually cause for embarrassment. For me, it’s cause for pride because I can see how much I’ve grown.

Break it down to get it done:
I have done so many things since I started my business that I’d never done before, and that I’d never even contemplated doing.

And I definitely did not have a start-to-finish plan for any of them. At best, I had a rough idea of the phases. Sometimes, only a rough idea of the goal.

But I didn’t let that stop me. Because there’s one thing I know for sure, and that’s that I can figure anything out, one step at a time.

If I can identify the very next step, and do it, then the step after that reveals itself and so on, until the thing is done.

Let me repeat that: You don’t need to know all the steps in advance, you just need to know the very next one.

You need colleagues (even if you’re staunchly independent):
I’m about to say something that might be controversial: I’m not exactly a “team player”. This is not to say I’m not collaborative, or that I don’t work well with others. I am and I do. (Or at least that’s what my managers have always said in my performance reviews!) But I don’t prefer working on a team. I like working alone. A lot. Like, a lot, a lot.

But when you’re running something on your own, ALONE can be quite lonely. You need sounding boards, you need feedback, you need a place to vent, to commiserate and to celebrate.

And so I sought and found a community of other coaches, consultants and solopreneurs. I now have MORE than a handful of people who I consider not just colleagues, but real friends, with whom I can chat about business and learn from.

Even if it’s not a business, but a project, or a hobby, upon which you’re embarking, being in community with other people is essential.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
Most of my clients feel overwhelmed most of the time before we start working together. And I can sometimes start to feel overwhelmed as well. When I notice that starting to happen, here’s what I do:

Brain Dump: I take a few minutes to do a brain dump. This involves writing down everything that’s on my mind, all the tasks, deadlines, and concerns. It helps me see the big picture and prioritize effectively.

Break It Down: I break overwhelming tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks. This allows me to focus on one step at a time and make progress without feeling overwhelmed by the entire task.

Delegate and Seek Support: I recognize that I can’t do everything on my own. I delegate tasks to others when possible and reach out for support from colleagues or loved ones. Sharing the workload and seeking assistance can alleviate some of the overwhelm.

Take Breaks: It’s important to give myself permission to take breaks and recharge. Stepping away from the overwhelming situation, even for a short time, can provide clarity and help me approach it with a fresh perspective.

Practice Self-Care: Engaging in self-care activities, such as exercise, meditation, or spending time in nature, helps me reduce stress and regain balance. Taking care of my physical and mental well-being is essential when feeling overwhelmed.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Alexis Haselberger

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