Get my best tips and insights on productivity, confidence, balance, and connection ... learned from 15 years of successfully working from home. Long-term WFH is a CHOICE, a lifestyle, a CULTURE. And I believe that if you're going to do something, you should do it right. But you don't have to do it alone. Activate your free subscription to The Tenacious WFH Entrepreneur newsletter so that you get your weekly dose of grit and grace to keep you going by entering your email address below.
☕ My morning coffee became part of a tradeoff
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What Your Calendar Doesn’t Count Hey Reader, I recently did a little calendar math. One two-hour block of client work became two one-hour blocks across two days. Still two hours. But I’d given up something in the rearranging — the uninterrupted stretch. The reason? I said yes to a 30-Day Substack Challenge. I discovered it on the very day it started. It hadn’t been on my radar, and the timing felt like the universe was telling me something. I wanted to participate. So I said yes. I am the CEO, after all. 😉 With a writers’ conference and Thanksgiving already on my calendar, I’d planned less work for November. The month felt surprisingly open. Then I started adding the live calls and challenge tasks. To fit in the live calls, my morning coffee on those days now comes with the challenge instead of an audiobook and my 1,000-piece puzzle. And making room for the tasks meant rearranging client work. I’m glad I said yes. And I’m also paying attention to what that yes changes. For some work, two shorter blocks may be perfectly workable. For writing that takes a little time to settle into, I may spend part of the second hour finding my place again. That’s a tradeoff worth noticing. In this week’s article, Every Yes Creates a Tradeoff, I share how I’m thinking through those changes — and how you can consider what your next yes asks of you. Some of the things we move to accommodate a new commitment never had an official appointment on the calendar in the first place. My puzzle-and-audiobook time is a mental stretch and warmup before work. Your version might be an unhurried lunch, a walk, or time to catch up with someone you love. When we look for somewhere to fit a request, those moments can look available. But they already hold something worthwhile. This is where I want both CEO You and Employee You involved. One sees what the opportunity offers. The other lives through the workday that results. Your Action Step this WeekChoose one commitment you’re considering — or one you recently accepted and are now trying to fit into your calendar. Finish this sentence: “If I say yes to _____, I’ll need to make room by _____.” Name something specific. What will move, shrink, wait, or go undone? Who will be affected? Then ask whether you’re willing to make that tradeoff. You might decide the opportunity is worth changing your plans. Or you might need a conversation about timing, a different way to participate, or whether you can commit. Either way, you’ll have a clearer next step. For now, friend, give what would move a little attention before moving it. If you’d appreciate a place to work through that decision, November’s Tenacious WFH CEO Tradeoff Sheet is available to Insiders and VIPs. Premium membership also includes the Mini Power Tool archive and our private Audio Experience. Explore Insider/VIP membership here 💛 Insider & VIP CornerTenacious WFH Entrepreneur Insiders and VIPs can download November’s free tool — the CEO Tradeoff Sheet — as well as other ready-to-use pieces of the CEO Toolkit located in the exclusive Mini Power Tool archive. If you’d enjoy practical tools to support your weekly self-leadership, explore Insider/VIP membership here. You can upgrade anytime to unlock not only this month's Mini Power Tool but also the growing archive of practical worksheets, templates, and resources created to help you build your business with greater clarity, confidence, and sustainability. Premium subscriptions start at $7/month. 💎 Upgrade your experience here.
As always, I'd love to know what you think of this week's newsletter. Post your thoughts on social and tag me (@coachmichelepeterson), or simply reply to this email! Thank you. I appreciate you! xoxo, Now for more good stuff ... Upgrade Your Experience ...Tenacious WFH Insiders get access to monthly Mini Power Tool downloadables like this month's CEO Tradeoff Sheet, an exclusive audio version of the weekly newsletter and blog via the private podcast Insiders Only Tenacious WFH Entrepreneur Audio Experience that you can listen to on your favorite podcast platform ... and more! Get all the details here. UPGRADE TO INSIDER or VIP STATUS TODAY! Interesting Reads ...
Win WFH Tip of the WeekWFH Tip: To WIN working from home, get a fresh perspective by working from a new location every once in a while. Grit & Grace Affirmation of the WeekI take pride in who I am. I accept myself deeply and completely. I am immune to negative thinking. Say it. Believe it. Be it. From the book Badass Affirmations by Becca Anderson I hope you enjoyed this week's newsletter. Thank you for linking arms and being part of my working from home tribe! I'll be back next week with more tips, inspiration, and other fun stuff to empower your WFH success. Until then, have a beautiful week! xoxo, P.S. It's my goal to inspire you and remind you of your greatness as we navigate WFH life together. If you loved this week's newsletter, please feel free to forward it to your friends! And just one more thing ...
November 5, 2026 | Coach Michele Peterson
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Coach Michele Peterson
Get my best tips and insights on productivity, confidence, balance, and connection ... learned from 15 years of successfully working from home. Long-term WFH is a CHOICE, a lifestyle, a CULTURE. And I believe that if you're going to do something, you should do it right. But you don't have to do it alone. Activate your free subscription to The Tenacious WFH Entrepreneur newsletter so that you get your weekly dose of grit and grace to keep you going by entering your email address below.
Keep What Matters. Reconsider How It Fits. Hey Reader, There’s a recurring 30-minute appointment on my calendar called “Planning Time + Text a Friend.” The planning is big-picture thinking. The text helps me stay connected with a friend or professional contact. Combining them helps me. Planning often brings people to mind; giving myself permission to send the text seems to help me return to the thinking. Finding the right time for that combination? Still a work in progress. It used to be...
It's Up to You to Choose How Your Helpful Extras Become Part of the Job Hey Reader, Early in my marriage, pie was my job for family holiday gatherings. My grandma had taught me how to make fabulous pie crust. I enjoyed making the pies, feeding people I loved, and hearing how much they enjoyed them. There was a lot to like about the arrangement. But somewhere along the way, making the pies became an automatic assumption. I didn’t necessarily want to stop. It was simply nice when someone...
Have Something Ready for the Woman Doing the Work Hey Reader, It’s just the two of us at home now. But when I make pork chops, I’ll often make four. Two for dinner. Two extras for lunches. Leftover soup goes into individual sealed soup mugs, ready to pop into the microwave. I occasionally manage weekend meal prep. But planned leftovers like these examples are something I do frequently. I’m already cooking dinner or putting food away, so a little preparation fits into what’s happening. Later,...