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. 

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?   

Finding Clarity in the Clutter

Clarity in Clutter???? How can anyone see or feel anything but overwhelm and a mess when they look at clutter??

Going through the de-clutter process can be very freeing.  It is like a physical weight has been lifted off your body.  While you go through your clutter, piece by piece, bit by bit, you become very clear about what you want to surround yourself with and what you value in your life.  

Clutter clearing is an extremely psychological process and not only will the clutter clear physically but you will see clutter falling away emotionally.  It is amazing the avenues that clutter clogs and the avenues that are opened up, in your physical space and in your mind, when that clutter is no longer around.  

You don't have to be clear about everything right now but the more action you take to clear the clutter from your space and mind, the more clarity you will have.  

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.  

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 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! 

Chapters of Life

The last couple of days my schedule has changed a lot.  I've had clients cancel at the last minute.......I've had some unpleasant details to attack..........I've had to manage my time a little differently than I normally would.  

The last couple of weeks my life has changed a lot.  My last child went to college..........I had to put my precious 13 year old dog down..........I've run into a small medical hiccup.........my first grandchild has been born. 

All this to say, I have had to close  some chapters in my life and begin new chapters.  

So, what is it I am supposed to do when things are changing so much?  I am learning.  I am learning to do some of the things that I have put off.  I am learning to have a plan "B" when life is so fluid.  I am learning to breathe.  

                                        (photo courtesy of pixbox77/freedigitalphotos.net)

The last several years have allowed little to no opportunity for me to stop and take a breath.  I have been on the treadmill of life and so now I feel like I have been given a gift to learn more about who I am and what I am about.  I have been given some white space or margin in my life. I have been given time pay attention to what God is trying to teach me and maybe be still and quiet for a minute so He can get a word in edgewise.  I still have some large hurdles to get over and some steep mountains to climb but taking the time to embrace this new chapter and not fighting it will allow me to climb away! 

So what does this have to do with de-cluttering?  More than you'd first think.  De-cluttering has as much to do with your emotional state and mind as it does the physical items surrounding you.  Physical clutter can be the manifestation of a cluttered mind and life.   So, while I've been given this "white space" I am de-cluttering some of my own stuff and de-cluttering my soul. 

So, take a moment.......look at your life.  Where can you give yourself the gift of some margin or white space?  Where can you say no instead of yes?  Where can you put yourself first instead of depleting all of you for everyone else?  Where can you steal some quite moments to sit still and really listen?  

Believe it or not, when you have a de-cluttered mind, it is easier to de-clutter your whole life. Trust me......I know!