Today I’m excited to share with you an interview with Anne Samoilov, author of The White Space Solution. Please welcome Anne, and get ready for some life altering wisdom… she’s a force of nature and she has a lot to share about productivity, fulfillment, and reaching your goals.
1. Tell us a bit about you and your business, so people get a sense for how you got here.
My business is newly defined really. I’ve been helping people break down their projects into do-able tasks for as long as I can remember. I am the project manager at LKR (Laura Roeder’s company) and I’m a writer/blogger as well. My specialty really is managing complex projects – or seeing them in a very simple step by step way. The services I will offer in my own business are quite similar but more in a coaching role — offering productivity & business coaching for women entrepreneurs who are overwhelmed and need structure to get things going!
2. What are your tips for not forgetting your life while you build your business?
This one is tough. The only thing that’s really worked for me is to set hours and specific times I’m going to work on my business. I have chunks of time when I work on Laura’s business, when I work on mine, when I take care of my daughter, when I spend time with my husband.
I place the same amount of weight on all areas — with my family and myself always at the top of that list. I also make time to exercise, do unplanned activities, and plan vacations! It’s tough when you’re starting a business, though, because there’s all this great passionate energy. You are so motivated to get things moving.
But let’s be honest, there is probably an ongoing list of things you want to do – and you have to realize that you won’t get to them all in a day… You need to give yourself the room to brainstorm and think about all the things you want to do, but then let those ideas settle so you can choose which ones really work with your overall life plan
3. What’s your definition of balance – having it all, or trying to?
For me .. balance isn’t a great thing honestly. I don’t want be in balance. Balance to me means not moving, not growing. However, I think the pursuit of balance is a much better way to live.
Always be self-correcting towards your goals – even if they change. Having it all means being able to stop and look at the different areas of your life and see which ones need some attention. … and then actually doing something to improve that area.
4. Give us a glimpse into The White Space Solution, so we can see if it’s the missing ingredient in our lives.
The White Space Solution is all about the pursuit of that balance – of having it all. We often get overwhelmed by some area of our life – our health, our home, maybe our relationships, maybe work…and taking a look at the big picture then diving into each area and taking small action each day helps us get back to that sense of possibility.
I want a little more white space for everyone.
I know that it might seem like a place devoid of action, but I think people who are overwhelmed with their life in any way will get something out of this book. I know going through the daily exercises has been massively helpful for me. The lessons aren’t hard to grasp or difficult to do. The very act of deciding to make some more space in your life is empowering…
5. Anything other words of wisdom? How to give yourself space to grow?
Women have a hard time saying no and not being everything to everyone. We play so many roles — mommy, manager, creator, survivalist, wife, girlfriend, daughter. I think space is the one gift we need to give ourselves…and know that it’s closer than you think.
A month of simple action can give you the room to follow a passion you’ve put on the back burner, or start that business you’ve been meaning to start, or realize that you can leave your family for a weekend and go to a conference. Give yourself that room to live. Make white space part of your language – of how you question yourself every day… Do I have enough white space?
You can check out Anne’s blog and grab a copy of The White Space Solution while you’re at it! (I should note that I contributed to the book, so I’m definitely biased about how good it is. ;)
Do you have enough white space?
Leave a comment below and let us know if you’re in need of white space in your life.
