Eating the Elephant - How to De-Clutter Your Space and Your Mind

The thought of de-cluttering leaves many people totally paralyzed and totally overwhelmed. I have many clients, surrounded by clutter, physical clutter and emotional clutter, initially incapable of attacking the piles, stacks, worries and problems.  

One of the first steps I take, when working with a client, is to break things down into smaller sizes.  I take a stack of papers and divide them into categories.  In the closet we look at only the white shirts or black pants and make decisions about just those.  In the box with all the memories, we look at 10 pieces of memorabilia.  When looking at life, worries and problems, we look at next steps.  Breaking the large, gargantuan piles and clutter into small manageable piles, makes it much easier to get through the task. The process seems achievable when you look at a shelf, instead of a room, a cabinet, as opposed to a whole kitchen, a drawer as opposed to a whole chest of drawers, a next step instead of a huge problem, or a 30 day plan instead of the rest of your life.  

What things are overwhelming you that you can break into smaller, more bite sized pieces?  It literally is impossible to eat an elephant any other way than one bite at a time. 

One Main Reason You Can't De-Clutter - Physically or Emotionally

There are few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them.

~Andre Gide~

Do you want to know why you can't attack that pile of paper?  Why you can't go through those boxes in the attic?  Why you can't seem to move forward in your life?  Why you can't end that relationship you know you need to end?

All of these actions require several decisions.   The decision to take time to take care of it. The decision to press on through, even when it is difficult.  The decision to see yourself as a person of worth, so you will surround yourself with what you truly value in your life.  However, the biggest decision is to work through the fear.  

The reason, we do not attack or make decisions about many things, is FEAR.  Fear is ever present in the decision making process.  We are afraid of letting go.  We are afraid of getting rid of something we might need.  We are afraid of being alone.  We are afraid of making the wrong decision.  We are afraid of change.  We are afraid of success.  We are afraid of failure. We are afraid of what other people will think of us.  We are afraid we will upset someone. We are afraid we won't do it just right.  

Peel back the layers and at the root of many of your indecision, you will very possibly find fear. When you know what you are fighting, it is much easier to fight back.  

Writing Makes My Butt and Brain Hurt

                         (photo courtesy of Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot/freedigitalphotos.net)

in the last 45 days, I have taken on a lot of writing projects.  I am working on being more consistent with my blog. I am working on some freelance articles.  I am working on an article for a magazine.  I am honing my writing skills and my butt and my brain hurt!

Writing is exhilarating, fun, terrifying, frustrating and challenging all at the same time.  While I am writing my blog, I am trying to think about the message I want to send so I think and I think some more - brain hurts!
While writing the freelance articles, I have to research and write and rewrite - butt and brain hurt!
While writing the magazine article I have to sit and tweak, cut words, change words, edit, edit and edit some more - butt hurts!

Writing is something I really love to do.  As Jeff Goins says, "you are a writer when you say you are."  Well, I am saying I am so what am I doing about it?  Writing and writing some more.  You can't write while walking around so you sit.  Some people can write while standing at a tall desk, but not me!  I would spend more time worrying about the fact that I am standing up all day and then my feet would hurt!  

My butt and my brain are engaged in activities out of the ordinary but that is okay; it is the kind of hurt that you know will all be worth it!  

That Alarm is Going Off - Do You Hear It?

(photo courtesy of Rasmus Thomsen/freedigitalphotos.net) 

When car alarms were first introduced, they were intended to alert someone that their car was being broken into or tampered with.  Now, when we hear a car alarm, we just look around to see what schmuck has pushed the wrong button on his remote clicker or who has tried to get out of a car that has been locked from the outside.  The alarms sound, we turn to take a look, then quickly go back to what we are doing, not really paying attention to it and certainly not suspecting that someone is breaking into an automobile. 

We have some of the same alarms going off in our head.  Those alarms were intended to let us know we are headed in the wrong direction, we are not making a great choice or we need to get out of a situation or relationship.  We hear the alarm, but just like the car alarms, we pay little to no attention as to why the alarm is sounding.  We have an agenda so we quickly go back to what we are doing.  Many of us know so much more than we are willing to admit because alarms have been sounding but we refuse to act on them out of fear of change or out of fear of the unknown. 

What alarms are sounding for you today?  What do you know you should do that you have been unwilling to do? 

Alarms certainly can be annoying but they also serve a very useful purpose, if only we would pay close attention to them.  

Saying Goodbye

As I struggled to write an email to a friend that has been given a short time to live, I am somberly contemplating goodbyes.  
  

I realized, a long time ago, I am not good at saying goodbye.  As a child, I was the girl that was homesick at camp; I cried when my parents dropped me off, I cried when they left after coming to visit, and I cried just about every night.  As an adult, I cry when I am driving away from their home.  I really cried dropping both of my boys off at college and when I had to say goodbye to my beloved dog. I wept, writing an email to a friend prior to her death on August 9th.  I had not seen her in many years but that didn't matter.  There was a heart connection that had never been severed and I hated it for her family, her friends and all those whose lives she touched.  I wept, today, writing the other email to my other friend who will also soon go to be with Our Lord.  I weep for his family, his friends and for the hole that will be left on this earth with him gone.  Recently there have been families that have had to say goodbye to their children, a journey I cannot imagine taking. 

When I work with people, in life coaching and organizing, I realize, we struggle with all kinds of goodbyes. We all struggle to let go of items that represent the past that is no longer.  We struggle with saying goodbye to a relationship. We struggle to say goodbye to bad habits, unhealthy lifestyles, and unhealthy thoughts. We struggle to say goodbye to our comfort zone.  We struggle with parting with memories.  We weep for what was, what might have been and what we sometimes fail to see can be.  '

Goodbye is just hard.  Goodbye is the pain of change.  Goodbye is not just words, it is an unbelievable cry of the heart.  

Goodbye is hard and a period of grieving is an absolute must. But after that period of grieving is over you can choose to continue to grieve what's gone or you can begin to build on what was and continue to try and live your best life now......living with purpose, living with things that bring you joy now.....in other words, living in the present.  

I may never get good at the act of goodbye, but I pray I get better at knowing when to say goodbye, when I need to move on after the goodbye,  and to live the life I have been given.  
  

So for now, I won't say goodbye, I'll say TTFN (ta ta for now).  

The Day That Keeps On Giving

Have you ever had one of those days that is never-ending?  You end up with something to do every single minute of the day; things pop up that you hadn't planned and you don't have time to breathe!  Today was that day!  I have 10 minutes before I am to meet someone for a quick bite of dinner, then I have to go home and finish some work.

SO, when do I have time to blog........well of course, right now. Sitting in a parking space, typing with my thumb on my IPHONE. Is this what I had planned? No! Did I get everything done today I wanted to get done?  No!  But, in reality, that is how life is......fluid, changing and unpredictable.  So, how does one respond to those kind of days? Take the next step, do what you can, the best you can and adjust your sails.  

Today, this is what I could do. Type a blog post on a phone with my thumb. It's not what I planned but it is kind of fun!!

Standing Tall

Yesterday, while shopping at the local Wal-mart, I was walking out with my full cart and saw, from a distance, lights twinkling.  As I moved closer and the lights moved closer to me, I realized the lights were coming from a little girl's shoes as she was skipping through the parking lot, towards Wal-mart, with her mom (assumption on my part).   As I passed her, I said, "my your shoes are lighting up so pretty!".  She looked down, smiled and immediately stood taller, so proud of her shoes and so proud someone had noticed.  

As I walked away, I started thinking about how positive words can make us stand taller.  As Proverbs 18:21 says, "death and life are in the power of the tongue."  We have the power, with our words, to build up or tear down.  That is a power that many people choose to abuse or a power they don't realize they have. 

Pay attention to the reactions of people when you smile at them while looking at their eyes, when you speak words of affirmation, when you offer praise  for a job well done, when you find what was done right instead of what was done wrong, when you offer grace instead of scorn, when you offer forgiveness instead of hate.  

Think about how you feel when you are given positive and encouraging words. You may not be standing tall on the outside but on the inside you are.  May we all spend more time finding ways to make others stand tall by freely speaking positive words. 

A Father

                          (photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net/nuttakit)

A friend of mine is saying her final good byes to her father today.  My father is 95 and still going strong and I can say I have been blessed to have had my dad for all these years.  

Many of you have never been given the gift of knowing your father, having a loving father or experiencing a father's love. Tyler Perry, American actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, producer, author, and songwriter, wrote the letter below, to a friend of his, regarding his feelings about his absentee father. I hope these words speak to someone out there and will help you re-frame your feelings and your definition of your father whether he is alive or not. 

Hey bud,

Your dad is getting older and facing his mortality. He's going to become a different man soon. In life, we all become different people. At 20, you're not the same person you are at 50, and if you are, something is wrong. We are built to evolve. Life is an oven that will incubate us into change. Most times it's for the better, although there are some people that are so resistant to it that sometimes they won't change. But if he remains the same that's ok too.

My challenge to you my friend is to start looking at your father like a person. Not the man you see but the boy he was, how he grew up, what he went through. Realize that just like you have had, he has had his own life, pain, heartbreak, struggles, secrets, disappointments and sadness. In other words, he had a life and a story long before you were born and in that life he wasn't given the tools to be what you needed him to be.

As a parent your job is to help your child pack a suitcase for this journey called life. Just like when you go on a trip you pack everything you need. This is the same thing. You must help that child pack love, faith, confidence, patience, joy, hope, how to give love, how to accept it, faith and God. All these things and so much more should be in that suitcase and if they aren't, that child is going to have a tough life. Find out what's in your father's suitcase. It will help you understand. What's in his suitcase is not an excuse for the way he treats you, but it is a part of your understanding of him.

I know he's a closed door and I know you don't know much about him, but if he won't tell you then maybe there is a family member on his side of the family that can tell you his story. His past is important in understanding your present. Do you understand? At any rate, I don't care who or what he is. I'm just glad he was used to bring such a great and awesome soul to this world, whether he will ever know it or not. I thank him for that. I thank him for you. I love you my friend.

Reframing bad experiences is essential and important in moving forward in life.  Also, this letter from Perry helped me to open my eyes about the things I am packing in other people's suitcases. 

                              "We are built to evolve"

Set Apart

(photo courtesy of stuartmiles/freedigitalphotos.net)

As I have taken on this blog challenge, I have discovered so many new blogs and people.  I have seen posts about food, healthy living, family life, great deal discoveries, social media, emotional health, mommy life, essential oils, items made from the earth, spiritual growth, decorating tips, Bible crafts, Bible lessons, organizing tips and many more.  

As we near the end of this blog challenge, this is my question......how do we set ourselves apart?  What makes one person stand out more than another?   What makes you want to follow one person's blog over another?  What draws you in?  What keeps you in?  

If this person is writing about healthy living and eating and so is another, how do you choose? 

I know I only have so many hours in a day and cannot follow and read all the blogs, posts, tweets and Facebook posts as I would like.  How do I choose?  How do I decide who has earned my trust and my respect?  

I want to grow my following.  I want to write more, share more and be more.  I am passionate about wanting to help people de-clutter physically, emotionally and spiritually so that they can live life with more purpose so how do I find those people and those people find me?

I would love to hear some thoughts and comments about this because I love to learn! 

Old School

Yesterday I went into a bookstore.  As I walked around and looked at all the different types of books and all the knowledge one could buy, I became nostalgic. 

When I was a little girl, my mother would take me to the library and I would sit and look through the children's book section.  I would carefully look at the books and decide which ones I wanted to take home and read.  I never had much imagination so I never got transported into another world, as I have heard many people do.  I simply loved to read as I love to read now.  I love learning and I love reading stories people weave together, fascinated that they can keep the twists and plots running together to come to a final conclusion.   

One of the parts of reading I love most is holding the book in my hand.  I love being able to put it down, face down and pick it up right where I left off.  I love dog earring a book page to keep my place.  I love a pretty bookmark.  I love picking a book up, looking through the pages, reading the front cover, deciding if it is worth my time. I love marking in a book.......underlining, highlighting, double underlining, writing my thoughts.   I don't get to do any of these things with a Kindle.  I know technically you can do all these things with a Kindle but it just doesn't feel the same.    I only have a Kindle because it came with my IPAD so of course I had to give it a try.  I did download a couple of books and read them even highlighted some stuff but I felt the yearning to turn a real page, to hold the book in both hands, to draw a star next to something that I really wanted to remember. 

Yes, I am old school.  I am all about progress but I am not all about real books, bookstores and libraries disappearing. I know change is inevitable and can be awesome but in this case I just don't have to like it.   

In this case, I am a proud old school kind of girl. 

I Planned My Own Funeral

                           (photo courtesy of  gualberto107/freedigitalphotos.net)

I guess I really am a total organizer or control freak, not sure which one, but I planned my own funeral. I actually planned my funeral at age 40 -I am now 54.  At age 40, I had 3 friends die of cancer and I was feeling very vulnerable.  At age 40 I had 2 young children, a daughter in college,  3 cats, 2 fish tanks and a husband.  At age 40, I started to think, what if I am next. 

You have to understand, I have some good genes that have been passed down.  My father is 95 and my mother is 89.  They still live independently, still go volunteer at a facility that helps clothe the homeless, still walk a couple of miles at 5:30 in the morning, still work outside in the yard, still go play golf, still play bridge with friends and still love to read.  I have 6 brothers and sisters and so far we are all very healthy with the normal scares and hiccups but all doing well.  So, if gene pool accounts for anything, I am in the right swimming pool!  So, why the need to plan my funeral? 

At age 40 I had been married 15 years to the same man I am married to now 14 years later.  I knew then what I know now; he would become totally overwhelmed at making decisions about my funeral should something happen to me.  The whole process would devastate him and leave him spent.  He would second guess and worry that he was not doing the right thing by me and he would certainly make it a bigger deal than I would want, so I did him a favor and took all the questions out of the equation.  I put my funeral wishes all in black in white.......leaving nothing for him to have to ponder or worry over. 

Many people do not like to talk about the end of life but the fact of the matter is.......it is one of life's inevitables - death and taxes.  I personally think it is a gift you can give to those you leave behind;  have your affairs in order and make your wishes known leaving no room for guilt, questions and unknowns.  

Let me end this by saying, I plan on living many more happy, healthy, fun-filled, fantastic years, but in the event of my untimely demise, my funeral plans are in the important papers box in my office.  Now, I am off to go do some serious living!

Change

I woke up this morning thinking about change.  When I sat down to read my devotional the subject was about change. Wow, no coincidence there!   

Change for many people can be paralyzing and devastating.  Change does not do that for me but I can understand why it does for so many people.  I can find change exhilarating and exciting.  Change can give you a boost in a new direction.  Change can give you a new perspective. 

Change is usually not easy.  It requires re-calibration mentally and sometimes physically.  However, as Tony Robbins says, sometimes it is harder to stay where we are, doing what we are already doing. 

As I wrote in my blog, Crossroads, I know I have some changes coming in my life and I have to make some difficult decisions.  

Right now change is necessary in my life. 

What changes do you need to make in your life today?

Are you willing to embrace the change? 

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."

- Helen Keller-

I pray God opens those doors for me and I am willing to do what it takes to walk through them.  I will pray that for you today, too. 

The Illusion of Control

                                         (Photo from Pinterest)

I love this photo because it is a great reminder of so many things!

I have had an unbelievable 3 days with so much out of my control, including my hair!  I have had a bad hair day when I needed a really good hair day. 

So, what is in my control.  Very, very little.  I can do what I can do, when I can do it and I can do it with a good or bad attitude. 

Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don't.

Steve Maraboli

So, now, I am going to do what I can, with a good attitude, and try to do something with my out of control hair!!

Being Deliberate

A word I use, a lot in my business, is "deliberate" or "intentional".  To me, this is one of the most important words we can use in our day to day life......let me explain.

Thesaurus.com has several synonyms listed for "deliberate"

intentional

purposed

aforethought

planned

calculated 

thoughtful

willful

conscious

When working with an organizing client, I want their attention focused on the new systems we put into place that will allow them to be more organized.  I want them focused on what they are bringing into their home.  I want them focused on a task until completion.  

When working with a life coach client, I want them focused on their part in a relationship. I want them focused on the thoughts and beliefs that are running through their head.  I want them focused on their dreams, goals and values. 

When we go through life willy nilly, we get to the end of it and wonder where the time has gone.  When we are deliberate about our days and have given our days, weeks, months, years and life some thought, we have greater success at reaching our goals. 

"A goal without a plan is just a wish".  

~Anthony Robbins~

"The best way to predict our future is to create it."

~Abraham Lincoln~

Being intentional and deliberate about life does not mean that it can't be spontaneous and fun.  It doesn't mean that there won't be huge twists and turns.  
Being deliberate does mean that you will be aware.  Being intentional means that you will take some action steps towards your goals.  

We all know life is fluid and can change on a dime, but paying attention to the days we have been given, will create a more beautiful ride through life. 

I Can't Be Old Enough to Be a Grandmother - But Thank God I Am One

I am a new grandmother.  I cannot believe I am old enough to be a  grandmother.  I love being a grandmother.  I am in awe of this precious little one they call Barnes.

I was talking with some friends of mine and we all came to the conclusion that the first half of our life is spent just trying to figure out the first half of our life.  We seem to go through the days, weeks, months and years in a fog.  

When I look back on sleepless nights, PTO meetings, carpools, endless grocery shopping, vacations, sick nights with children, neighborhood kids in and out of the house, arguments, ball games, track meets, countless loads of laundry, caring for cats, fish and dogs, Halloween, Christmas, birthday parties, Valentines, July 4th, church going, hair cuts, scraped knees, hurt feelings, and the many other things that are involved in parenting, it feels like I have lived someone else's life.  I have moments that are forever emblazoned on my heart and mind, I have moments that I would rather forget and I have moments that are gone forever. 

I would not have traded motherhood for anything......now.  There were times I was sure that God had chosen the wrong women to be a mother.  Surely He meant for these children to have a mother that was not quite so high strung, quick tempered, fed her children healthier food, was more fun, spontaneous, more patient and more creative. There were times that I was ready to run away from motherhood.  This did not look at all like the pictures in the magazines and catalogs: that precious sleeping baby, that perfectly groomed and clothed toddler, that perfectly coiffed mother with three children in tow.  No, there were moments I wanted to not be a mother.  I was tired, frustrated, anxious, overwhelmed and did I mention TIRED.  Those moments were real but I knew they were not my true feelings but temporary emotions.  

The fact of the matter is that God blessed me with these children.  He blessed me with a life with them and I do mean blessed.  I would not have learned all I learned, I would not have drawn so much closer to Him, I would not have the smile lines on my face from the laughter in my home. I would not have the excitement in my heart watching my boys grow into men and my daughter grow into a beautiful woman and mother.  I would not have the friends I have because my path would not have crossed with these other wonderful people.  No, my life is definitely fuller, for me, having been a mother.  

Now, I am a grandmother. Now I am in the second half of my life and life is a little quieter, and  there is not quite so much noise in the home.   Now I get to take all I learned as a mother and prayerfully pass on the good and leave my mistakes and misshapen thoughts in the past.  Now I get to love in a new way - a way I have never known; the love of a grandmother for a grandchild.  I wasn't sure at first how it was going to feel - now I know and wow, this G-mama thing is going to be another wonderful blessing in my life.  I can't be old enough to be a grandmother, but thank God I am one. 

Crossroads

                              (photocourtesy of tiverylucky/freedigitalphotos.net)

To decide is to walk facing forward with nary a crick in your neck from 

looking back at the crossroads.

 ~Betsy Cañas Garmon~

I am at a crossroads.  There are decisions that have to be made.  Crossroads are scary and exciting at the same time.  You feel like you are jumping off a cliff into the great unknown and not sure if you are going to have a parachute or not.

As a Christian, I place my hope in God who will provide the direction I need and will, if I am willing to listen, direct my steps. Sometimes, even though I believe God has my best interest at heart, I'm not sure I want to go through the essential tough parts of life to become the person I am designed to be.  I just want the path to be easy and obstacle free.  

I am at a crossroads.  I have to decide.
Indecision is not an option.

Thankfully I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt,
all will be well - no matter what.  

The Smartphone To Do List

(Apple.com)

I have an IPHONE 4 so I do not have the latest and greatest of all things techie.  I do like my IPHONE 4 because it does what I need it to do but I am sure it will do more.

I have used several things on the IPHONE that I love but today I will focus on To Do Lists that are available for most Smartphones since I promised a follow up blog to my To Do List post (declutterbugnc.blogspot.com).
 I am going to admit I am still and paper list girl.  In a survey of all To Do List people, it was found that about 1/2 of the population is still paper To Do List people.  Really, I am a combo, since my calendar is housed on my IPHONE, but essentially, my daily tasks and grocery lists are on paper. 

Having confessed that, I do have good information about Apps for To Do Lists on Smartphones. As a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO for short and yes, there is such an organization and it is really big and worldwide), I have access to a lot of different organizers and information that keeps me up to date on many of the APPS on smartphones that are working well.  So, below, I am listing 7 Techie To Do Lists recommended by smart, sharp organizers around the world.  

Some of these Apps are free, some are free but have premium services for an extra fee and others have a monthly or annual fee.  Some are a bit more complicated and detailed than others so look carefully at what your real needs are in a To Do List and stay away from bells and whistles that you don't need or won't use. I have linked each of these to their website; just click on the APP name. 


1.  Todoist.com

2.  Things

3.  Rememberthemilk.com

4.  Priorities

5.  Nozbe.com

6.  Toodledo.com

7.  MiniMaList

Take a few minutes, find out which one might work for you and try it out.  I just might, too! 

Time Sucker Neutralizers

Yesterday's blog covered the subject of time suckers.....those sneaky little critters that stealthily come in and suck time out of our day and leave confusion and devastation in their wake!

Today we are going to "re-cover" the time suckers and I'll give you some ideas of how to keep them from attacking and destroying your day.

1.  Computer - As I sit here writing this blog, I have seen 3 e-mails come in and 4 notifications pop up on Facebook, in separate tabs I have open.  A smart time sucker neutralizing tactic is to turn all the other tabs off or open your work in another browser.  It is easy to get distracted by all those pings, dings and notification numbers popping up so turn them off!  When you get ready to do anything on the computer, set a timer, have a plan and pay attention to meanderings into unplanned territory.

2.  Phone - Voicemail is a beautiful thing. To manage time suckers, I regularly let my voicemail take messages so I can control when I return calls.  I can  manage my time by calling at a convenient time for me.  If you do happen to end up on the phone, with a chatty friend, make sure you are periodically paying attention to just how much time you are on the phone.
Phones are now just mini computers so turning email, voicemail, text messaging, and other notification noises off, while you are working, is another  important time management strategy. 

3.  TV - The best thing you can do about TV is plan what you are going to watch, when you are going to watch it and how long you are going to watch it. Turning on a TV, without a specific reason and time limit is dangerous time sucker territory.  Infrequently, there are those days that you need to just "veg" in front of mindless entertainment.  That is a great mental health strategy as long as those days are few and far between and you are ready to get up and get moving when the time comes.

4.  Twirling - I explained, in my blog post yesterday, that twirling is moving from one area of your home or office to another area and continuing to find things to do in each area without purpose.  The best neutralizer of twirling is focus.  You have to pay attention when you have lost your focus and head back to your original goal or project.  Sometimes this means talking to yourself or setting some kind of timer to beep so it will be a reminder of where your focus should be.  

5.  People -  This seems cruel to call people time suckers but they can be some of the worst offenders.  Co-workers will consistently interrupt your workflow with little to no regard.  Children, spouses, family and friends will call upon you and demand your time, whether it is convenient for you or not.  Boundaries is the key word here.  Set boundaries.  Your time is just as important as everyone else's time.  Put a sign on your door at work that states whether or not you are available.  Let your spouse, friends and family know that you may not always be available right when they think they need you but will help them, if possible, as soon as possible.  Even young children can be taught to respect your time.  Set a timer and tell them you will give them your attention when the timer dings.  Sometimes this works for spouses, too!!

6.  Perfectionism - I have seen this trait stop people in their tracks.  Projects don't ever get started or completed because someone wants it done perfectly. Excellence should always be our goal.  Giving it our best is the best we can do.  Don't let the unattainable goal of perfectionism get in the way of the attainable goal of excellent completion. 

There it is; the list of antidotes to time sucking.  The best offense is a good defense. Over the next week, pay attention to where your time is going and plan a defensive strategy to help you gain back your control! 

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.

 ~Carl Sandburg~

Time Suckers

                               (photo courtesy of stuartmiles/freedigitalphotos.net)

Fact......We all have 24 hours or 1440 minutes or 86400 seconds in day. 

There is no one anywhere that had, has, or will have anymore or any less. 

So what are you doing with your 86400 seconds?

Many times we are in circumstances beyond our control, but more often, than not, we can control much of how we approach our day. 

Here are some things I that I find are time suckers and result in unproductive time during our day. 

1.  Computer - Let's face it.  Many of us read a lot of blogs, look at a lot of Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram and Pinterest.  We sit down to do one quick thing and the next thing we know, 30 minutes or even 2 hours have gone come and gone. 

2.  Phone - Phone conversations with friends are great but sometimes not timely.  Phones can even be mini computers that we spend time playing games or getting involved in social media. 

3.  TV - Oh my.  This can be a total time sucker!  How many hours of TV can you watch in a day or night without really realizing how much time has passed.  With at least a gazillion TV stations at our fingertips, it is easy to channel surf our way into oblivion.  

4.  Twirling - This is a common practice when dealing with my clients.......they twirl.  They start cleaning out a desk drawer, see something that needs to go somewhere else in the house, they go to that spot, they see something in that area that needs attention, they take that somewhere, they see something in that other area of the house that needs attention and this goes on and on and on.  Then at the end of the day, the desk drawer remains cluttered, unorganized and relatively untouched.   Twirling and not being focused will suck time out of productivity.

5.  People - I know that sounds a little harsh and it does not encompass all people all the time.  I am specifically talking about those people that stop by your office for a chat, regardless of what you are doing.  I am talking about those people who use you as their personal water cooler to catch up on the latest and greatest news, sports and office related banter. 

If you work at home, it can be a roommate, spouse or child.  

6.  Perfectionism - Trying to do things perfectly will absolutely suck time out of your day and your life.  No one is saying you should not give any project or task your best but many people will not begin or  move to another task unless perfection can or has been achieved. 

What are your personal time suckers?  Where are you wasting valuable time that would be better spent somewhere else?  
My next blog post will be on how to solve these time sucker problems. 

 "Money, I can only gain or lose. But time I can only lose. So, I must spend it carefully."     - Author Unknown

Follow Through

Following through seems like one of the most natural things in the world to do.  You start something and you finish it but that is not the case with a lot of, if not most people.     Lack of follow through creates enormous problems:    Don't follow through on pursuing healthy lifestyle -  weight gain and sickness Don't follow through on schoolwork -  poor grades Don't follow through at work -  poor results at work and poor work image projected Don't follow through at home -  clutter piles up, frustrations mount and bills go unpaid Don't follow through when disciplining children- disrespectful and unruly children Don't follow through on getting car serviced on time -  greater damage and higher repair costs Don't follow through on backing up digital photos -  computer crashes and photos lost Don't follow through with saving money - crisis hits and you are not prepared Don't follow through on opportunities - opportunity lost

So if all these terrible things are going to happen to us because we don't follow through, then why don't we follow through?   I have found 6 main reasons people fail to finish what they start. 1.  Not paying attention.  Have you ever walked in the house or office, mindlessly set something down and then never went back to do anything with it?  Things begin to pile on top on one another and the next thing you know, you have a mess.   Have you gotten to the end of a day and wondered where your time has gone?   We mindlessly go through a day instead of being deliberate about using our time and energies wisely.  2.  Tired.  I find this to be a huge reason for people not finishing the things they start.  You come home from work or have had a long day with kids and it seems easier to leave the dishes in the sink, the laundry unfolded or not put away, the mail untouched, the magazines unread, the pile of papers left unattended, the groceries not put away, etc. etc. etc.  You get the point.  We are all running and going and doing but the fact of the matter is -if you take those few moments, even when you are tired, to follow through on some of these tasks, you will actually, in the long run, feel less tired and overwhelmed.   3.  Not scheduling time.  Many people have good intentions but never set aside the time to do or complete something they have set out do.   4.  Wrong reason for setting a goal or agreeing to do something.  Many times we say yes to something without thinking it through.  We feel bad for saying no, we feel pressured to say yes, we are doing something because someone else we know is doing it or we are convinced we are the only person that can get it done. 5.  Following through is going to be hard.  There are many things in life that we have to persevere through and many of us just don't want to be bothered.  We want things to be simple, uncomplicated and quick.  We don't want to have to make that unpleasant phone call.  We don't want to take the time to finish something because we have gotten bored.  We don't want to feel some of the uncomfortable emotions or feelings we will feel when we press through.   6.  Forgetting.  Many times we just forget to do something we said we would do; call someone, write a note, make a meal, etc.; we just forgot.  Here are 6 easy steps towards becoming better at follow through.   1. Pay attention to what you are committing yourself to and why. Don't commit to something you don't have passion, time, or energy for. 2. Press On. Pressing on and pressing through are two lessons I have learned the hard way. It is my choice to stop or press on and when I choose to press on, in spite of how I feel, I win every time! It is easier to give up when things are hard but when you press through the hard stuff of life, eventually you will come to breakthrough; you will get to the other side. 3. Be deliberate. When you walk in the door or office, make sure you take those few extra moments to put things where they belong or take 15 minutes to do it at the end of the evening. When you are going through the day, take regular "timeouts" to self-check if you are being deliberate about your day or see if you are mindlessly going through another day. 4. Self-talk. This is one of my strategies to make myself follow through. For some reason I have a problem with unloading the dishwasher. I will start, get bored and leave it with the door open and dishes sitting on the counter. Not sure what that is all about but it just is what it is. I have to talk to myself and tell myself to go back finish it, that it won't take long and it will be worth it. Ridiculous? Maybe but it gets it done and it can work for you. Your brain is telling you something all the time anyway, so why not control some of what it is telling you! 5. Make a note or schedule the time. Put things you need to do on a list of things to do or put it on your calendar. If it doesn't get done, keep moving it to your current to do list until it gets done or your realize it shouldn't be there in the first place. 6. Delegate or get help. Many times we need help completing a task. This can mean you involve family, friends, co-workers or of course your friendly professional organizer! Whoever it is, when it is time to ask for help, by all means, enlist help. Follow through is a habit. When you have the mindset that you don't have to follow through, then most of the time you won't but if you believe that following through is the only option, then most of the time you will.  It is possible to begin to do better at following through......beginning today!

Working Backwards - Time Management

                                         (photo courtesy of danilin/freedigitalphotos.net)

I wanted to give you a few tips on how to get out the door on time, each and every morning.  It involves working backwards.  Work backwards with me, through each step, and you will see how beneficial this can be.  This process requires you being completely honest with yourself about how long it takes you to complete certain tasks.  If you can be honest, you will see marked improvements on getting out the door in a timely and  less frazzled manner.  

If you have children, you need to factor in their getting ready personality into this equation.  I had one child that moved at a snail's pace and the other that moved quickly and efficiently.  Know your kids and know that they are not going to make an about face in their getting ready personality anytime soon! 

The below scenario involves only me getting out the door. 

7.  I have to be a my client's house at 9:00 a.m.

What time do you need to be somewhere?

6.  It takes me 15 minutes of "perfect" driving time to get to her house.  I live in a small town and rarely do we have traffic back ups but if you live in an area of the world that you know has traffic back up potential, I would certainly factor that into my calculations or be checking the traffic report on a regular basis. That means I need to be in my car between 8:40 and 8:43.  

What time do you need to be in the car? 

5.  It takes me 10 minutes to gather everything I need and get them to the car.  This usually involves getting water, coffee, diet coke, snack and any work related items I may need. Therefore, I need to be completely ready to gather these items at 8:28 - 8:30.  

How much time do you need to get everything ready to walk out the door? 

4.  It takes me 20 minutes to shower, dry my hair, do all my morning rituals like applying moisturizer, deodorant, brushing teeth, etc.  I move fast when it comes to this part of the morning because I have short hair and quite frankly don't enjoy standing in front of a mirror that long.  So, that means I need to be in the shower by 8:08 - 8:10. 

How long does your morning getting ready routine take?

3.  It takes me 5 minutes to pick out the clothes I am going to wear and iron them if necessary.  

I need to start picking out and ironing my clothes by a little after 8:00. 

How long does it take you to have your clothes ready and is that something you could do the night before?

2.  It takes me 50 minutes to prepare and eat my breakfast, walk and have my quiet time, therefore this routine needs to begin around 7:10.  

How long do you need to eat, exercise and take a few moments of quiet? 

1.  It takes me about 15 minutes to really wake up.  If the alarm goes off, I am not one to jump immediately out of the bed.  Therefore, I have to factor in waking up time which means the alarm needs to be set for somewhere around 6:45 -6:55.   

What time should your alarm be set?  Do you like to jump up or hit snooze a couple of times?  

So working backwards, I have figured out, in order to walk out the door, in plenty of time, to arrive to my client's house on time, I need to set my alarm for around 6:50.  All of the things I do for me are important for me to do in the morning.  You may not need to do all of these thing but be realistic about what you do have to get done before you walk out the door.  

Working backwards can help you in many time related activities.  Try it out, see if this exercise works for you so you can begin to arrive on time and enjoy less harried days. 

  

Techie Things I Could Not Live Without (Well, Probably I Would Live Without Them But It Would Just Be Hard)

     I am a baby boomer that knows just enough about electronics and technology to be dangerous.  However there are a few "apps" and techie things that I really have grown to rely on to help me be  more efficient in many areas of my life.  I wish I could say I had grown smart enough to know how to get Affiliate payments and get kickbacks on my recommendations, but I just have not had the time to teach myself and have not had the time to learn......but one day!

Here are a few of them and probably the top 4 on my list. 

Google seems a little silly to post here because most everyone is familiar with Google.  The reason I chose Google is simple, it makes me feel smart.  If I want to know if the St. Louis Cardinals won their game the night before, I Google it.  If I want to remember how many ounces are in a pint (yes, sometimes I get that really mixed up), I Google it.  If I want to know the name of the actress in a movie I am watching and I cannot remember her name, what do I do?  Google it.  Google provides me with quick easy answers to help me solve computer problems, find products for my clients, and find out answers to frivolous questions. 

Evernote is really one of my favorite things.  I am sure there are other apps that will do what Evernote does but I just have not found it and do not feel the need to go anywhere else and look.   Evernote is quite simply a place where I can keep up with notes, quotes, websites, ideas, and anything else that, in the past, I would have written on a piece of paper and would have then wondered where I had written that information and on which piece of paper!

Evernote allows me to create different notebooks and sort information into each of those notebooks.  For example, for this Ultimate Blog Challenge, I went to my notebook, Blog Ideas, and saved ideas in that notebook to refer to later.  I have also been saving all of the Ultimate Blog Challenge Blogging Tips to use at a later date, when I run out of my own blogging ideas. 

Evernote makes it incredibly easy to save websites, selections and emails from your computer. Check them out at evernote.com

Carbonite literally saved me many tears, headaches and gnashing of teeth.  I downloaded Carbonite onto an old computer that was beginning to act very whonky. Carbonite saved everything, except videos, of which I had none.  It saved all my documents and my photos and would have saved my music if I had any of that saved but I didn't.  When that old computer took it's last breath I had nothing to fear.  I got my new laptop, signed on to Carbonite and it uploaded everything from the old computer to my new. It did take a couple of days to complete the upload but I could still work on my computer as it was uploading.  Now, each day, Carbonite makes a pass and saves anything on my computer that is new and hasn't been saved to Carbonite.  The best thing is I can see all my documents on my IPHONE, too!  All of this for $60 per year - $5 per month.  So worth the peace of mind, for me. Check them out at carbonite.com

Last of all but not least is Pinterest.  Pinterest is many things to me but basically Pinterest is a big virtual bulletin board.  On my account, I have several bulletin boards broken into categories:  Organizing Ideas, Organizing Products, Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Cleaning, Decorating Ideas, and so forth.  You can check out all my Boards at http://www.pinterest.com/declutterbug/

Pinterest  is a great  reference point for recipes when I have forgotten to write down the ingredients and am sitting in the grocery store stumped.  Pinterest is the place where I get some magnificent organizing ideas.  Pinterest is a place where I see some fashion ideas that I might be able to pull off and lastly Pinterest makes me feel smart, too.  I see some DIY ideas that I would have never thought to attempt but when I see the people on Pinterest taking it on, I feel empowered and inspired.  Check them out at pinterest.com. 

So there you have it.  I hope you find some things you can use and will help you be more efficient, too.  If this baby boomer can figure this stuff out, so can you....so dive in.....the water's fine!