ADHD and Organizing.....It Can Happen!!

I hear it all the time from clients or prospective clients:  I have ADHD or my kids have ADHD or my husband has ADHD.

I, myself, am convinced I have ADHD and I am a professional organizer! Granted, I am one of 7 children, growing up in the 60's when those acronyms meant nothing.  I am sure I had traits even way back when but had to somehow learn to cope and teach myself a new way to do things.  

Here are five strategies I have learned that have helped this distracted, procrastinating gal.

1.  I talk to myself, not crazy talking to myself, but talking my way through.  I remind myself to stay on task, to stay focused on my goal and to keep pressing on to completion. Sometimes, a task is best completed in small increments, rather than doing it all at once, and if that is the case, then that is certainly how I attack that task.  

2.  I keep a list of what I want to get done that day. I take some time, the night before to write a list, that goes in the car, of errands I need to run.  I write a list of things, that stays in the house, of the things that need to get done at home.  I scratch off what gets done and move forward to the next day's list of what doesn't get done. 

3.  I make sure my environment is not too cluttered.  Clutter, in and of itself, is a total distraction and takes up brain space you need to use to stay focused.

4.  I put everything away by category.  If it is related to laundry, it is in the laundry room.  If it is something that has to be done, it goes in my to do pile. I hang my clothes up by style and color, i.e. black shirts, white shirts, gray shirts, then black pants, gray pants, white pants, etc.  Putting things in categories helps you put things away more consistently and find things more easily. 

5.  I have figured out how much time it takes for me to complete certain tasks and I am realistic about allotting the correct amount of time to get them totally completed.  I don't pretend it is going to take me less time than it normally does and I keep myself focused on the clock so I am not late leaving the house.  

Yes, this ADD/ADHD girl has conquered the beast.....most of the time.  There are times I get bored, distracted and off track but with these strategies in place, it is easy to get back to where I need to be and get things done.  

Math....It Really Is Important

 

The other day it hit me.....a lot of the things I do are based on basic math principles. 

Here are several examples:

• If you want to weigh less you have to eat less junk food and exercise/move more.  

• If you want to have less clutter, you have to bring in less and get rid of more.

•  If you have only so much square footage, you can't fit more than that amount of stuff  into it.

•  If you want to have a successful marriage, you have to spend more time working on it  and less time fussing about it.   

•  If you want to increase the odds of raising responsible kids into responsible adults,  you have to take more time to nurture, teach, discipline and love them and less time  yelling at them, berating them, buying them stuff and expecting someone else to raise  them for you.

• If you want to have financial peace, you have to spend less and save more.

• If you want to be happier, you have to spend less time worrying, fretting and complaining and more time figuring out what you can do to change your situation, changing what you can and developing an attitude of gratitude. 

•  If you want to feel better, you have to spend less time indulging what you know you shouldn't be indulging in and more time on things that are good for you.

• If you want to make a difference, you spend less time on yourself and more time on helping others.

• If you want to live purposefully, spend more time doing the things you are created to do and less time comparing yourself to others.  

More and Less......basic math principles that equal some great results. See, you should have paid attention to that math class in school!  It really is important. 

How good is your math? 

Confessions of an Organizer

I am a Certified Professional Organizer....sounds impressive right???  Well, here is the truth about me:

1.  I can still be a messy Millie.  Check out this photo of my current work area.  Yes, it all makes sense to me, therefore, I am organized but it is still, nonetheless, messy. 

2.  I do not have my underwear folded or my t-shirts folded and stacked like a Banana Republic Store.   

3.  I do not have matching file folders with matching printed labels.  I have file folders (whatever was available in my home or on sale) some have printed labels and some have written labels....whatever was going to get the job done the fastest. 

4.  I do not have my sheets and towels folded in ways that make them stack beautifully and neatly on the shelf.  They are folded but not precisely.

5.  I do not have all my photos in albums with beautiful trim, borders, and extra accouterments to make the photo explode off the page.....nope, many of my photos are still in boxes (by year!) but in boxes.

6.  I do not have my filing done.....much of it is stacked on top of the filing cabinet. 

7.  My laundry room looks like a laundry room.....with dirty clothes and clean clothes commingled, staying enough apart for me to know what's what! 

8.  Sometimes at night, I leave dirty dishes in the sink.

9.  I haven't been able to let go of my kid's rock collection. 

10. I have a basket of shoes, overflowing, by my back door.  I hate wearing shoes and taking them off, the minute I walk in the door immediately relieves some of my stress.  

So, what makes me organized? 

1.  I can find what I need when I need it because I do not have too much stuff and I know where everything is. 

2.   My underwear does not need to be folded because no one else is going to see whether it is wrinkled or not and my t-shirts are folded well enough.

3.  I can find my paperwork when I need it.....again because I don't keep too much and because it is labeled in a way that makes sense to me for retrieval.  Matching folders are not magic....you still have to have a system that makes sense. 

4.  My sheets and towels have worked just fine not being folded perfectly. 

5.  My photos are in boxes, sorted by year and many of my kids' pictures are in an album for them but I still have a long way to go.  I will never be a scrapbooker, the tediousness of that makes me sweat thinking about it!

6.  My filing is not done...one small stack, on top of a filing cabinet is not killing anyone.  Remember it is small because I don't keep much paper!

7.  My laundry room is a place of function, not beauty.  I can get done what I need done very well, which is evident by everyone in my home having something clean to wear. 

8.  Yes, I am just plum tired some days and I leave the dishes in the sink.  The FlyLady would not approve, however, I do take care of it as soon as I wake up.  

9.  I love my kid's rock collection....I have it in the bottom of a vase with beautiful flora coming out the top.  A beautiful decoration for me.....a great way to keep memorabilia merging it with  with my decorating style.  There is nothing wrong with keeping sentimental stuff, there is only something wrong with keeping too much of it. 

10.  My shoe basket is overflowing but at least I have a basket, right?? 

All this to say, I am not perfect, I am not what many would call "organized" because I think they have the wrong idea about being organized.  As Julie Morgenstern (the organizer guru) says:  "Being organized has less to do with how something looks as how something functions".  My house functions great but does not look like I live in a magazine.  Life is busy and life is sometimes very overwhelming.  I work....all the time, I get tired, I get frustrated, I don't have time to focus on my house looking like a magazine.  I do have time to get systems in place, that work for me and my family and I have time to tweak those systems until organizing is just a side note in my life.  

None of this means that I can't organize to make a house look like a magazine because I can. It's just I know what works for me and I know how I think and my house is organized accordingly. 

So there you have it, the truth about this organizer........I guess Martha Stewart will not be calling to hire me any time soon :) 

10 Ways to Use Evernote

Evernote is one of my favorite paper buster tools.  When I use Evernote, I don't have a bunch of sticky notes sitting around.  I don't have notes written on little pieces of paper and best of all, I don't have to remember where I put those pieces of paper!

The information I have stored in Evernote can be seen on my phone, IPAD or computer.  If I am away from home and need the information, it is right at my finger tips!

Here are 10 ways I use Evernote to cut down on my paper clutter:

1.  Evernote Clipper allows me to save information I find on the web and organize it in folders.  I name the folders (just like you do in a paper filing system) based on how I want to retrieve the information.   For example, if I find an article about de-cluttering, I Evernote clip it and "file" it in my folder - De-Clutter Information. 

2.  I love a good quote.  I file quotes in Evernote.

3.  Air Filter sizes, printer cartridges, water filter types....all of those pesky household items that are size specific are filed in Evernote so I have access to them when I am in the store ready to buy them.  

4.  Birthday lists......need to remember when someone's birthday is and you are not at home with your master birthday list....store it in Evernote.

5.  Christmas lists!  Each year I write down who I am giving a gift to and what I gave.  I can easily refer back to the previous years and make sure I am not duplicating gifts!

6.  Writing down your goals is an important step to achieving them.  I keep my personal and business goals housed in Evernote.  

7.  Paint color lists....can't remember the name of that wonderful color you used in the bedroom....keep it in Evernote.  

8.  Evernote is a place I keep ideas.....writing ideas, newsletter ideas, gift ideas....things that come to mind that I don't have a need for right now but will want to refer to later.  

9.  Phone numbers - people I don't need very often....like a carpenter/handyman or closet designer.   If I store that person in my contacts, on my phone, I may not remember his/her name but if I store it in Evernote....I can quickly retrieve the name and number.  

10.  Medication lists.  This is a great thing to have in Evernote when you go to the doctor.  I personally and thankfully don't have any medications I take but for those that do, this is a great way to have that information with you each and every time you have a doctor visit. 

Hope this helps you think outside the box and find new ways to cut down on paper clutter with Evernote!

Click the link below to sign up free for Evernote today!

https://www.evernote.com/referral/Registration.action?uid=3419289&sig=6e5801be47bbde149f93d1a898bfaef2

Are You Going The Wrong Way?

I was recently traveling on I-95 going South.  I had to exit off I-95 and merge onto I-20.  I saw the signs for I-20, felt like I was paying attention but all of a sudden, something didn't feel right and my gut instinct was telling me I had missed I-20.  I don't have a GPS in my car but I do have a MAP thingy on my phone.  I quickly got on my MAP APP and I was 100% right....I had passed
I-20.  

How do you know when you are going the wrong way....in life, in work, in relationships, in anything? 

I would simply say that most of us know when we are headed the wrong way, we just choose not to listen to our gut instinct or the still small voice in our heads.  Many of know something is wrong but we would rather bury our heads in the sand so we don't have to deal with whatever issues are before us. Many of us know changes need to be made but we are fearful of what those changes will cost us.  Many of us have been given signs and in your face clues things are not as they should be but we refuse to take the steps towards making things better.....we just play pretend...UNTIL, we can't play pretend anymore! 

Eventually, the things that are wrong in our life, our work, our relationships, our anything, are going to catch up with us.  The things that are wrong are just not going to disappear, they will continue to reappear and reappear and reappear and then move into something worse. 

How do you know if you are going the wrong way?  You pay attention.  You look for the signs.  You listen to your gut instinct and the still small voice. When you know you are headed the wrong way, start changing what you can, when you can and do what you can with what you have.  It is always better to face things head on.....face the fear, in the end you will be better for it and stronger.  

10 Ways to Simplify Your Life

My job, as an organizer and a life coach, is to help people simplify and de-clutter physically, mentally and spiritually.  Here are some of the consistent messages I give to my clients.

1.  Buy purposefully.

2.  Shop at home first.

3.  Be willing to let go.

4.  Do what you already know to do.

5.  Just say no.

6.  Be happy with enough

7.  Collect moments not things. 

8.  Surround yourself with what you love and value.

9.  Do the next step

10. Do a little at a time and after a while little by little a little becomes a lot. 

Utter Confusion

The other day I happened to glimpse up and see this news flash on TV: Taking an aspirin a day may not be good for your health.  

Ok, really???  It seems like it was not so long ago all the doctors were telling people to take a baby aspirin every day to prevent heart attack and stroke. Now they are saying only if you have a family history and if you do take an aspirin a day you can develop bleeding in your stomach.  

These are just a few other things I am confused about:

1.  Carbs or no carbs
2.  Yolk or no yolk
3.  Real butter or margarine
4.  6 meals a day or 3 meals a day
5.  Hormone replacement or no hormone replacement
6.  Running or no running 
7.  Real sugar, stevia, honey or nothing 
8.  Organic or not
9.  Dairy or no dairy
10.Red wine or white wine  - cause it is going to be one or the other. 

So, what am I going to do? Live life in moderation.  So far my parents have lived to the ripe ages of 95 and 89 and are still kicking it!  They have tried to take very little medication, have eaten when they felt like it but at least 3 times a day, have exercised on a regular but not rigid basis and have laughed and loved a lot.  

For now, that's my plan.......no matter what the news throws at me.  

Where Can I Recycle/Donate My Old Cell Phones?

                        (photo courtesy of zirconicusso/freedigitalphotos.net)


Cell phones are one of the easiest things in our lives to recycle/donate or trade. Check out all the ways you recycle/donate or trade responsibly along with possibly even helping others at the same time.


1. Staples will take all old electronics (computers, monitors, cell phones, calculators, etc) at no extra charge. Check out their website to see the list of approved items they will take-Staples.com. Several other companies will do the same, such as Best Buy, Office Max, Radio Shack and Office Depot.

2. Donate your gently used cell phone to Cell Phones for Soldiers. This organization is dedicated to providing cost-free communication services to active-duty military members and veterans.

3. Most cell phone providers offer a drop box at their locations for cell phone recycle.

4. Many local Domestic Abuse Centers will accept donations of gently used cell phones to be given to victims of domestic abuse. Check with your local women's shelters.

5. American Cell Phone Drive is an organization devoted to the socially responsible reuse of retired cellular telephones and cell phone components, AmericanCellPhoneDrive.org raises funds for charitable organizations which provide scholarships for American children who have lost a parent to enemy or terrorist acts, feed malnourished children in Asia, build low- income housing, donate prepaid calling cards to military personnel, sponsor missionaries in China and support a host of other good works. Simply enter your zip code into their search box and find a drop box close to you.

6. Sell your phone on Craigslist or Ebay.

7. Greendisk.com takes all types of technotrash and recycles or refurbishes it.

So, look around your house today and clean out all those unused cell phones, donate them or recycle them.  You will be less cluttered and you will keep more out of the landfills. 

It's Constant

The word "constant" has been creeping up in my vocabulary a lot lately.  

Talking to mothers about motherhood....it's constant.  
Talking to wives about marriage......it's constant.  
Talking to people about work.......it's constant.  
Talking to people about relationships.......it's constant.  
Talking to people about bill paying.....it's constant.  
Talking to people about staying organized.......it's constant.  
Talking to people about cleaning......it's constant.

So, what does this mean?  Life is constant.  There is stuff in your life that constantly needs attention. 

So, what do you do?  
Take breaks when you can.  
Appreciate the small breaks you get.  
Realize this is what you signed on for when you became a wife, a mother, a friend, a member of a group, a homeowner, an employee.  

Life ends up not really being about you but you in the context of life with all of the other people in it.  It's just how life is so you can fight it, fuss about it, talk about how bad it is, whine about it, cry about it or nag about it.  But a better alternative might be to embrace it, change what you can about it and find things to be thankful in it.  Your approach and your attitude makes all the difference in the world in having a miserable life or a wonderful life......either way, it's going to be constant.  

The Reinvention of Me

Webster's definition of reinvention is:

to make major changes or improvements to (something)
to present (something) in a different or new way

I realize that all of life is about reinventing myself....defining and redefining who I am based on life experiences, inner revelations and maturity.  

I have reinvented myself many times......a child moving into Junior High (that is what we called it back in the day!).  A teen moving into a new high school. A graduate going into college and then into the working world.  A woman becoming a wife and a mother.  A stay at home mom becoming a working woman once again.  A mother moving into empty nest years.  A wife with a marriage that goes through crises and the day in and day out of daily life. Living on my own, living with my husband, living in a community, living with dogs, cats, fish and kids.  

Reinvention is exciting, uncomfortable and necessary as a part of life's journey.  Today, I will see where this reinvention takes me and look forward to working towards a better version of me!

How to Donate/Recycle Old VHS Tapes

                        (photo courtesy of anankkml/freedigitalphotos.net)

VHS tapes, like all electronics are going the way of the dinosaur. What is the best way to donate/recycle these dinosaurs? Here are several ideas that might help you.

1. Some Thrift stores are still taking VHS tapes.....most libraries are not.

2. Use an e-recycler, like GREEN DISK, who does recycling of all kinds of techno trash.

3. Ask a teacher or daycare provider if they would like them.

4. Post the tapes on FREECYCLE.ORG and see if there is someone else that wants them.

5. Send your tapes to ACTSERVICES.ORG. This program provides services to individuals with disabilities.

6. Check out my Pinterest page for creative ways to recycle VHS tapes. Here are just two examples.....these people are way more creative than I am!

So, declutter and be creative in getting rid of the VHS tapes you no longer use. 

You Always Have Time.....

When we look at our daily life. the quote, in the photo above, says a lot and can strike a chord in many of us, 

Can you list the things that you say you don't have time to do?  

Exercising
Eating Right
Spending time with our friends, family or spouse
Getting organized

I am not judging or condemning anyone because I am just as guilty.  To find time, for the most important "things" in our life, we have to look honestly at our schedule and see what things we are saying YES to that is causing us to say NO to something else.  The things we are saying YES to may be very noble things, may be good causes, and you may feel like the whole thing will fall apart if you are not a part of it.  However, just because you can do something doesn't mean you should be.  

What I do know about this concept is:  if your health fails - from lack of exercising or not eating right - all of a sudden you find time to deal with it.    If your relationships fail - from lack of attention - all of a sudden you find time for the people in your life.  If crisis mode hits - from lack of organization - all of a sudden you find time to try and get organized.  

What don't you have time for that you know is important?  Are you able to take some hard looks at your schedule and make some hard choices?  If not, eventually, life will do it for you.  

Do You Need A Life Coach?

Webster defines a life coach as an advisor who helps people make decisions, set and reach goals, or deal with problems. 

The reason I decided to become a Life Coach is I saw so many people trapped in their lives, feeling like they had no where to go, no choices, no dreams and no goals. 

A Life Coach is designed to ask the right questions to help you  think about your life differently, re-framing current circumstances and taking a full assessment of where your life is and where it is you want to be. 

Life Coaches are not counselors, psychiatrists, or mentors. We are good listeners that pay attention to details. We help you discover new ways of thinking and we help you get around some of those obstacles that seem to be blocking the way you want to go. 

Sometimes, we all just need a little boost to get to where we want to be....a Life Coach can be that boost.  Begin to live your purpose today! 

Out of Balance

                                    (photo courtesy of stuartmiles/freedigitalphotos.net)

Life was meant to live in balance.  Is your life balanced?  

If you assess your life in these areas, how satisfied are you in each area of your life:

1.  Work
2.  Health - Physical and Emotional
3.  Personal Environment
4.  Social Life
5.  Spiritual Life
6.  Family Life
7.  Finances
8.  Relationships
9.  Personal Time

"The key to keeping your balance is knowing when you've lost it".  Anonymous

Have you lost your balance and you haven't taken the time to find out?  If you take the time to assess these areas of your life and see what is out of balance, you can take the steps necessary to get it back in balance. The changes maybe not happen overnight and the steps may not be easy but they are necessary steps to live a more purposeful, enjoyable and balanced life. 

Where are you out of balance?   

10 Common Reasons You Can't Get Organized

I hear it all the time...HELP!  I work and I work and I work and I just cannot get organized. 

I can give you 10 of the most common reasons why you can't get organized. 

1.  You are trying to organize like someone else thinks....not how you think.
2.  You are trying to organize too much at one time.
3.  You are not willing to let go.
4.  You are not staying focused for any length of time.
5.  You are not taking the next step....are you hanging up your robe, are you putting the trash in the trash can, the dirty dish in the dishwasher, are you taking the designated donate items to a donation location, etc.
6.  You do not have a home for everything
7.  You have not scheduled time to organize
8.  You have unreal expectations about how long it will take to undo what has taken years to do.
9.  You want to talk about getting organized more than you really want to exert the effort to change habits and ways of thinking.
10. You have life reasons such as sickness - physical or mental or you have way too many things on your life plate.  

All of the above are legitimate reasons but all can be overcome.  You just have to be honest enough, with yourself, to know the reasons why and see what you can do to combat those obstacles, because you truly can combat them.    I'll tell you a little secret........if you look at the top 9 reasons, just do the opposite of what the sentence says and you can overcome that obstacle.  
For example, #1 - You are trying to organize like someone else thinks....not how you think.
What you say to yourself is - how do I think and what will work for me?

#2 -  You are trying to organize too much at one time
What you say to yourself is - I am going to organize one shelf.....not the whole kitchen. 

See how that works.  The only one that will not work with is reason #10.  There are things in life that are really out of your control but even in those times, you do have more control than you think......sometimes you just have to do things you don't really feel like doing.  

Take a look at the list above, do any of them ring true to you?  
There are other reasons, too, what are some of yours? 

Are You Discontent?

The word discontent has been rattling around in my brain recently.  I am not sure why but I try very hard to pay attention when anything is rattling around in my brain!  

Dictionary.com defines discontent as not content; dissatisfied; a restless desire or craving for something one does not have.  At first glance, the word discontent would appear to have a negative connotation but upon further reflection and review, I might say it can have a positive connotation as well.

I can become very discontent if I receive a catalog, sit down to look at the catalog, turn down the pages of what I love and then realize I can't order any of it due to budget constraints.  
I can become very discontent if I walk into a friend's house and see everything in pristine condition and order
I can become very discontent if I exercise and eat "right", for a couple of days and the scales do not seem to reflect all my "hard" work!
I can become very discontent if I watch the news, day in and day out and see the sad stories of corruption, death and economic despair. 

However, I do believe that discontentment can be a positive force in our lives, if we so choose.

I can become discontent about my business, which can lead me to look for ways to see how I can improve.
I can become discontent about my spiritual life not growing, which causes me to seek ways to go deeper.
I can become discontent about my marriage, which motivates me to examine what part I play in trying to make it better.
I can become discontent about just about anything, but I can choose to do what I can to adjust my circumstances but more importantly my attitude. 

Discontentment can breed more discontentment, however, you can choose for it to breed contentment and gratitude.  Guess whose choice it is? 

The Faith of Scott Hamilton

I am in a business where I see a lot of pain. As a professional organizer and life coach, I see people caught up in their clutter, their problems, their past, their expectations, their unhappiness, their sickness, their comparison, their lies and their grief.  This video speaks to so much of that and more. 

"The only true disability in life is a bad attitude"

Snow, Snow, Snow

It is snowing here, in Eastern NC.  For many of you reading this snow is no big deal, however, here in Eastern NC, it is a very big deal.  When we get snow, it shuts us down.  Schools close, roads and bridges close, businesses close and we come to a screeching halt!  

This kind of weather makes me think about so many things:

1.  How thankful I am to have a warm home

2.  How much I miss having my children home to play outside and come in to warm by the fire and drink hot chocolate when they were ready for a break.

3.  How magical a world can look dressed in white.

4.  How each snowflake is only one but as a group it can create quite the scene (hmmm, a lesson in there somewhere)

5.  How sometimes I just need to stop.....stop and be thankful for what I have.  Stop and be in the moment and not thinking about all I have to do. Stop and appreciate the beauty of this world...whatever the season, whatever the weather.

So, I am signing off now.....to just watch the snow and drink in these moments. 

KeepItSimpleGirl

Quotable Quotes

These are some of my favorite quotable quotes.  

"Little by little a little becomes a lot" 

 ~Tanzanian Proverb~

"Put your big girl panties on and deal with it." 

 ~Roz Van Meter~

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending"

~Maria Robinson~

It is what it is.  

~Anonymous~

Don't believe everything you think.  

~Anonymous~

“Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.” 

~Tony Robbins~

Don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle. 

~Anonymous~

"The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does." 

~Psalm 145:13~

"Say what you mean and mean what you say." 

~Dr. Seuss~ 

"Do what you know.  You have the knowledge to make the changes you need to live life better by doing what you know." 

 ~Peggy W. Barnes (yep, me)~

Negative Nellies

Today, as I sit in my warm home, looking at the winter weather accumulate outside my windows, I am looking at Facebook posts.  Many of the posts are centered around the weather.  Alabama friends are dealing with an unexpected snow and there are children that cannot get home to their parents, teachers that are stuck all night in the schools with said children and motorists stranded on the road, leaving cars and walking to get home. Here, in Eastern North Carolina, we were told, about this time yesterday, that we could possibly see 12 inches of snow by this afternoon, however, the winter weather, I see, looks very much like ice and sleet with no sign of snow.  

The Facebook posts from Alabama are ones of desperation and frustration since the weather forecasters apparently missed the forecast by calling for a dusting and they received much more than that.  The Alabama people are mad at the weather forecasters for missing the forecast and mad at the school systems for not dismissing earlier. 

The Facebook posts from North Carolina are ones of frustration and irritation since the weather forecasters apparently missed the forecast by calling for 12 inches and no precipitation falling until around 2:00 p.m.  People are therefore frustrated with the school system for calling school off yesterday, for today, based on the forecast and irritated with the weather forecasters for getting it all wrong.  The other Facebook posts are making fun of all of those that have gone to the grocery store and gotten bread, milk and eggs in preparation of being stranded inside, for several days, possibly without power.  

I have only seen one post about the homeless dealing with this incredibly cold weather and that person seemed to be apologizing for spoiling everyone's excitement about the snow.  

All of this to say, I don't understand the negative comments about any of it. 

1.  Weather is unpredictable.
2.  Forecasters are human.
3.  School officials can only go on the best information they are given.
4.  People that aren't used to this weather just want to be prepared....I, for one, do not want to be stuck in my house, for days without food and no I am not used to driving on ice or in snow. 
5.  Negative comments and thoughts just don't change a thing
6.  I would rather people err on the side of caution and safety than not (right Alabama??)
7.  Life just takes unexpected turns and no amount of griping, complaining or wishing it were different is going to change that.  
8.  A little perspective makes a big difference - have you ever had to find a warm place to sleep or food to eat?

So, maybe, I am being a Negative Nellie being frustrated by the Negative Nellies.  I don't mean to be so I am going to sit by my fire, thank God I have food on the table, a roof over my head, and a warm place to be and let the Negative Nellies complain and gripe on! 

P.S. No disrespect to those named Nellie, it just rolled off my tongue with the word negative!

Love/Hate

                                                          Love / Hate designed by Valéry


I have a love/hate relationship with so many things.

1.   I love to eat.....not always really healthy stuff.  I hate the pounds and inches it adds to my       body!
2.   I love to visit family.  I hate the travel it requires for me to get there.
3.   I love to play internet games - yes I am guilty of indulging in Candy Crush and Scrabble!  I hate when I allow them to be time suckers
4.   I love to read.  I hate I cannot stay awake long enough to finish reading.
5.   I love my "smart phone".  I hate the way it can keep me too connected.
6.   I love looking at the deer in my backyard.  I hate they use my bushes and plants as their     personal food buffet.
7.   I love my persistence.  I hate my persistence when it won't quit persisting. 
8.   I love my house.  I hate the upkeep.
9.   I love saying hello.  I hate the fact I have to say goodbye. 
10. I love writing.  I hate when the only thing I can think to write is what I love and hate.   

One Size Fits All?

I know you have seen them.  The shirts, the underwear, and the gloves that state......one size fits all.  This statement is so ludicrous to me.  When I look around the world, I see a lot of shapes, sizes, heights and looks and I cannot imagine the same underwear fitting my bottom as they do other bottoms!  Now, let's just say for a moment that technically they fit.  That is a totally different story about whether I should be wearing them or not!  

Sadly, many of us have bought into the same mentality about a lot of things.  We think others should act like us, think like us, like the same foods, have the same desires, the same interests, and the same attitudes.  I see this all too often in my organizing and life coach business.  Someone says, "but so and so got herself so organized, what is wrong with me?" or " so and so moved on so quickly, why can't I?"  I ran into this the other day when someone looked at me and said "you don't like pancakes?  Who doesn't like pancakes?"  Believe me, I love a lot of foods I shouldn't, but pancakes are not on the list. 

We all have different life experiences, different backgrounds, different lenses from which we look at things, different tastes, different approaches, different personalities,  different values and of course, let's not forget, different shapes.  Life is not a one size fits all and we are not either!  Let's don't forget to look at our life like we do our shape when picking out clothes.  One size does not really fit all and even if it did, it doesn't mean we should put it on.  

Freedom is found in being the best version of you......not the you trying to fit into someone else's life.....it is just not attractive or true when we are trying to be someone or something we are not!

One size does not fit all and God bless those that think it does......not a good look :)

Buying Peace

                                                    (photo from knowing-jesus.com)


I was thinking about many of my de-clutter and life coach clients and taking a hard look at my own life. Many of us, me included, have tried to buy our peace through different things, either through a purchase or alcohol or a drug or a person or a lifestyle.  We have mistakenly thought, when I get this, do this, have this or am at this stage of my life, I will have peace.  

Unfortunately, we end up accumulating too much, being with the wrong person, missing out on the gift of today or dealing with addictions because of that wrong kind of thinking.  

Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.” – unknown - 

Life will constantly give us opportunities that require us to choose peace in the midst of pain, turmoil or the everydayness of life.  The bottom line, you can't buy peace.  You have to tap into the only true peace through God, the One that gives peace "that passes all understanding".  

Do You Have A Baseline?

I was in a meeting about Social Media the other day and the speaker was talking about having a baseline, starting that day, I needed to write down and know how many Twitter followers do I have, how many people like my Facebook pages and how many Blog followers do I have. Knowing these numbers today and comparing them to the same time next year allows me to know how much my business and social media presence has grown.  When I was 40, I had to have a mammogram so the radiologist would be able to see if there were changes from one year to the next.  When you are in 3rd grade, you take a test at the beginning of the year and the same test at the end of the year to see what you have learned.  How do you know if you've achieved anything if you don't have a baseline?   

I am constantly reminding my organizing and life coach clients to remember where they came from instead of always looking at how much work, organizing, and changing they need to do.  
Many of them have forgotten the reality of their life circumstances or the reality of what their life used to look like.  When you forget, you end of up not giving yourself any credit for your accomplishments, only grief at not reaching your goals.  

Take a baseline today of where you are in your life.  If need be, write it down, take pictures, whatever you have to do to remind yourself of your starting point.  Then write down where you want to go and you can eventually look back and see how far you've come while at the same time continuing to "have faith in how far you can go!"