Devine Fairytale

a magical lifestyle blog

Categories: Lifestyle

Choose Joy Each Morning: My Morning Routine

Shirt: The Hollis Co,
Routines and habits are so important.  They are things that we CAN control, especially when everything else feels out of control.  I choose to start each day in a way that will put me in the right mindset to have a great day!  

After I wake up and shower, I start by drinking a glass of water and making some coffee.  I recently got a milk frother and my morning coffee has been feeling so fancy; like a special treat.  It’s also usually in a Disney mug that sparks joy and that’s an added bonus!  
Milk Frother: https://amzn.to/2Kufr12
With coffee in hand, I pull out my gratitude journal and one of my favorite pens.  The prompts are simple, nothing overly complicated.  I write down five things I’m grateful for from the past 24 hours.  These are specific little things, not all encompassing ones.  It could be the sunshine on the run I took the day before or that my husband brought home Chic-fil-A for dinner.  Focus on those.  Sometimes you have to look a little harder, but they are there. Promise!    
The second part is writing down ten dreams, written as if they have already happened.  The beginning of the journal has some pages to work out what these are for you.  There is also a video series to help with this part if you want to do this practice on a notebook you already have (https://starttoday.com/pages/how-to).  Writing these out each morning keeps you focused on where you’re going.  One of the dreams I wrote down in my first journal was that “I ran a half marathon” and I was able to replace that with a new dream earlier this year!
Start Today Journal: https://starttoday.com/pages/shop

I make my priority list and schedule for the day the night before, but I look over my day after I journal.  This sets my intentions and I can focus on what the day has in store for me!  I know we’re all busy and have to-do lists a mile long, but something that is super helpful is selecting three items each day that will move the needle on your goals and make them non-negotiable.  Get those done first and you’ll have accomplished something meaningful…and not just the laundry!

Next, I read or listen to a podcast for 15-30 minutes depending on the day.  This is typically either personal development or business related.  I finish getting ready for the day and then try to time block at least a couple of hours of work before any meetings or errands.

What does your morning routine look like?

xoxo Shannon 

Categories: Lifestyle

30 Things To Do Before I Turn 30!

Earlier this month, I celebrated my 29th birthday!  It was pretty special, my boyfriend surprised me with a trip to Orlando.  We spent some time at Disney (our home away from home), I got to see my parents, and we got to watch Florida State’s first game of the season against Ole Miss.
I’ve been to Disney more times than I can count, but this was the first birthday I’ve spent there.  They definitely make you feel extra special!  I got to have lunch with the Princesses (they even signed a birthday card for me!) and dinner with Winnie the Pooh.  
Even though I had a great birthday, I can’t help but think that I am really close to turning 30 years old.  Scary!  I really want to get the most out of the last year in my 20’s and make sure it’s full of exciting experiences.  I decided to put together a list of 30 items to complete before my 30th birthday.  Some are new experiences, some are things I’ve done before, and some are things that HAVE to be done. I’ve tried to cover a wide range of tasks and really focus on bettering myself.  So, here’s the list:
1. Have new lifestyle photos taken professionally.
2. Read 30 Personal Development books.
–Girl Code
–Miracle Morning for Real Estate Agents
–Grace Not Perfection
–The Sell: The Secrets of Selling Anything to Anyone
–The Power of Vulnerability
–The Millionaire Real Estate Agent
–Present Over Perfect
–The Desire Map
–Scrappy Little Nobody
–Shift: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times
–One Little Spark
3. Travel to a new country. (Antigua, May 2017)

4. Take Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom Tour.
5. Get a new hairstyle. (September 20, 2016)
6. Paint a canvas or piece of pottery. (August 2017)

7. Recreate my blog’s website.
8. Design a blog logo. (August 2017)


9. Start my Youtube channel.
10. Create my morning routine.
11. Swim with dolphins sting rays. (Antigua, May 2017)


12. Take a beach vacation.
13. Attend a concert. (Smokey Robinson, February 2017)

14. Treat myself to a day at the spa.
15. Start a collection. (Disney Shoe Ornaments)
16. Find out more about my heritage.
17. Buy fresh flowers for myself once a month.
September

October


December

February (Surprise from Johnny)

March

May

August




18. Meet Shaun T. (Charlotte, NC January 14, 2017)


19. Stomp grapes at a vineyard.
20. $1 million in real estate.
21. Get engaged. (December 11, 2016)
Full story is here: https://devinefairytale.com/2017/03/our-proposal-story.html


22. Become a Shakeology 365er and get my shaker cup and golden scoop. (May 2017)


23. Watch an FSU football practice. (October 25, 2016)
24. Be able to do a forearm stand.
25. Write a letter to my mom and dad telling them how much I appreciate them.
26. Fly in a helicopter. (August 2017)


27. Pass my post-licensing exam for real estate. (January 2017)
28. Create a Disney photo album for all of our best pictures over the years (and for the future).


29. Inspire someone to change their life.
30. Swim in a natural spring.
I will be updating this list throughout the year and plan to cross them all off!  Have you done a 30 Before 30 list before (or a bucket list before any birthday)?  I would love to see what you put on YOUR list!
xoxo, Shannon
Categories: Lifestyle

Personal Development Suggestions: How to Find What You Need to Read

Something that has played a huge part in my life over the past couple of years is investing time into personal development.  YOU are important and need to make sure that you are taking time for YOURSELF.  You can’t pour into others if your cup is empty.  You need to feed your mind with positivity, knowledge, confidence.  You don’t have to be in a deep depression or completely lost to need to read personal development.  Everyone has moments where the negative thoughts, or doubts and fears, can creep in and you need to flip the switch.  

I promise that taking a few minutes a day can help change your life.  I am a happier person, I am more focused, and I am more understanding of others since making this a habit in my life.  
I encourage you to look through the list of books and find what speaks to you.  What do you need more of in your life?  Are you doubting that you are on the right path?  Do you want to know how to better communicate with a significant other?  Read something that relates to that! That is how you will get the most value out of your time.  
You also have to TAKE ACTION from what you are learning and be sure to not just hoard the information.  That is how you move forward and better yourself!
Confidence:

“Unlimited” by Jillian Michaels

“Daring Greatly” by Brené Brown

“The Confidence Gap” by Russ Harris


Time Management & Goals:

“Eat That Frog!” by Brian Tracy

“Push” by Chalene Johnson

“Make It Happen” by Lara Casey

“7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey

“The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod


Leadership:

“Entreleadership” by Dave Ramsey

“Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek

“Strengths Finder 2.0” by Tom Rath

“21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” by John C. Maxwell


Business:

“Go Pro” by Eric Worre

“Go For No” by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz

“The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster” by Darren Hardy


Consistency:

“The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olson

“The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy


Connecting to People:

“The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman

“Personality Plus” by Florence Littauer

“The Go Giver” by Bob Burg


Social Media:

“Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook” by Gary Vaynerchuk

“Platform” by Michael Hyatt


Mindset:

“You Are a Badass” by Jen Sincero

“Yes, Please” by Amy Poehler

“Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert

“The Dip” by Seth Godin

“Start With Why” by Simon Sinek

“#Girlboss” by Sophia Amoruso

“The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin

“I Thought It Was Just Me” by Brené Brown


Nutrition:

“The Eat Clean Diet Recharged” by Tosca Reno

“Made to Crave” by Lysa TerKeurst

“It Starts With Food” by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig


I will continue to update this list over time and add new books!
I also want to mention that books aren’t the only option to get in personal development.  I also enjoy listening to audio books on Audible, Podcasts, and Youtube videos.  For myself, it depends on what I need in that moment.  Audio books and podcasts are great while driving or traveling.  I also want to encourage you to keep a personal development notebook and/or highlight in the book you’re reading.  It helps you to remember quotes that spoke to you and actions you want to implement. 
Do you have any suggestions to add to the list?  Leave them in the comments below!
xoxo Shannon

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