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.
🗓️ Your yes takes more time than the invitation says
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Make Room for the Whole Commitment Hey Reader, A friend invited me to a networking lunch recently. She was one of the sponsors, and I wanted to support her. Making connections was a good reason to attend, too. The event was 90 minutes long. But there was also a 30-minute drive each way. Arriving early to mingle. Staying afterward to continue conversations. Following up with people by text or email. The extra time easily added up to two or more hours. The invitation was for 90 minutes. My yes was for considerably more. I accepted. Then I made room for what I’d accepted. I marked my regular afternoon coaching appointment times unavailable that day. I moved the writing I’d scheduled to the days before the lunch so I could still meet my deadlines. Those adjustments were part of the decision. It’s easy to check whether an event fits a box on your calendar and stop there. But an invitation usually shows the appointment itself. Your calendar needs to account for the work around it. And that seemingly empty afternoon? It may already have a purpose. Writing. Developing a service. Eating lunch before your next call. Finishing follow-up while the conversation is still fresh. Your own priorities deserve consideration even when nobody else’s name is attached to them. A useful question is: “What else needs to change so I can honor this yes?” That’s what we’re exploring in this week’s article, It Fits, but Does It Belong? How to Make Thoughtful Calendar Decisions in Your WFH Business. I share three questions to help you consider the whole commitment and turn your decision into a workable week. Because Employee You is the woman who has to live through the calendar CEO You creates. If CEO You accepts the lunch but leaves the writing block and appointment availability untouched, Employee You inherits the squeeze. She may rush. Work later. Wonder why she couldn’t get everything done. A thoughtful calendar decision gives her a plan she can actually follow. You can value an opportunity and decide to move it. You can reshape your participation. You can decline an invitation. And you can say yes, then rearrange the week to support that choice. Your Action Step this WeekChoose one upcoming appointment, event, or invitation. Estimate its whole time commitment: preparation, participation, travel, follow-up, and any transition time you reasonably need. Then ask: “Why does this deserve a place this week, and what needs to change so I can honor it?” Decide whether to keep, reshape, move, or decline it. Make one specific calendar adjustment and communicate with anyone affected. Finish this sentence: “My decision is _____, and to honor it I will _____.” Give the moved writing block an actual new time. Close the availability. Have the conversation. Let your calendar reflect the decision, Reader. If you’d like a little structure for putting decisions like this into practice, upgrade to Insider or VIP for October’s Tenacious WFH CEO Decision Bridge, plus the monthly Mini Power Tools and their archive. They’re practical support for the CEO of YOU, Inc. that you’re becoming. 💛 Insider & VIP CornerTenacious WFH Entrepreneur Insiders and VIPs can download October’s free tool — the CEO Decision Bridge — 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 Decision Bridge, 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, take care of yourself with stretch breaks throughout the day. Even a few minutes of moving your body helps improve your focus and productivity. Grit & Grace Affirmation of the WeekI use every criticism for my improvement and benefit. I will not listen to negativity. I will not be shaken. 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 ...
October 8, 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.
Give One Meaningful Priority a Place to Grow Hey Reader, For about 10 years, I’ve had a small boysenberry patch tucked beside our backyard garden. These berries came from starts brought over from my grandparents’ vines. Grandma and Grandpa had three or four long rows, and I have VERY fond memories of Grandma’s berry pies and boysenberry jam. My little patch has kept that connection growing. We’ve enjoyed a modest crop each year. Recently, though, we removed a diseased loquat tree, and our...
Your Business Is Something You Run. YOU, Inc. Is Something You Lead. Hey Reader, When you own a business, it can become surprisingly easy to organize your entire life around what the business needs. What do my clients need? What does this project need? What does revenue need? What needs to happen before Friday? Those are important questions. You're the CEO. Paying attention to the business is part of the job. But there's another question I've been thinking about as we wrap up this quarter:...
You Already Created a Workplace. Now Choose What It’s Like to Work There. Hey Reader, Think about the places you’ve worked at over the years. Chances are, you can remember how some of them felt almost immediately. There were workplaces where people were trusted. Where mistakes became learning opportunities. Where good work was noticed. And perhaps there were others where everything was urgent, nobody really unplugged, or the official company values bore very little resemblance to what...