Comparison

It is the time of year where everyone is figuring out ways they can do better, be better, and look better.   One of the dangers, in this process, is when we begin to compare ourselves to others.  

It is never a good idea for me to compare this 54 year old body to the 20 something year old body on the workout pictures on Pinterest.  Even when I was the 20 something year old, I didn't have that body and didn't have the discipline to ever achieve that body.  It is never a good idea for me to compare my lived in home to the beautiful homes in magazines. My home is beautiful to me but I have raised two boys, 3 cats, and 1 dog in this house, along with my home being open to neighborhood friends and families.  I don't live in a magazine and never will.   It is never a good idea for me to look at all the DIY ideas and get frustrated by what I haven't done or could do.  There are some DIY projects that intrigue me, but there are some that are just not worth my time and effort.....that is just the way it is.  

For 2014, I want to be a better me, not a better version of anyone else, but be a better version of me.  Striving to achieve some of the things others have achieved is only good when it is something I should be striving to achieve.  I am on my own journey, with my own purpose, with my own body, with my own set of obstacles, gifts and talents.  I do want to do things better this year, but I will set my own achievable, manageable goals. 

Comparison is the thief of joy and I choose joy instead of comparison.  

The Real Truth About Organizing

I am a Certified Professional Organizer.  Here are some truths about me. 

1.   My house is lived in.  Real life people live here so real life needs to happen here.
2.   I have a few stacks.....stacks of books, stacks of paper, and a pile of shoes.
3.   I have mismatched, handwritten file folders
4.   I have dust....more than my fair share
5.   I have a lot of filing that needs to be done
6.   I have too many clothes
7.   My car stays a bit of a mess, not out of control messy but messy
8.   You are likely to find a few dirty dishes in my sink and a counter that needs to be cleaned.
9.   I have unorganized photos
10. I struggle with staying focused.

Here are some other truths:

1.  I can find just about anything I need within a few minutes
2.  My stacks are a bit of my decor.  They are neatly stacked and I know what is in each stack. I      will schedule time to go through the paper stacks at least once a week.  
3.  Mismatched, handwritten file folders don't bother me.....they work.
4.  My house is relatively picked up and I do a quick dust about once a week. 
5.  I file two times a year and because I don't keep so much paper, that works for me
6.  I do have too many clothes....a goal for 2014.
7.  I clean the stuff out of my car once a week.
8.  I always put dishes in the dishwasher before bed or immediately upon waking in the morning
9.  I do have unorganized photos....another goal for 2014.
10.I struggle with focus but work very hard at keeping myself focused, which you can do when 
you talk yourself through and remind yourself to stay on task. 

Organizers are not perfect......we just have tools and systems that will help you get organized and stay more organized.  Real life is going to get us all out of whack, every now and then.  The key is being able to right the ship pretty quickly.    

Getting organized is one thing......staying organized is another but with small, manageable steps you can do both.....albeit not perfectly but excellently!  Now, I have to go wash dishes!

2014 - Not Just Another Year

                                            (photo courtesy of stuartmiles/ freedigitalphoto.net)


Here it is ....2014.  Wow.  The last several years have been challenging, to say the least, and I seemed to go through them in a haze and a fog.  Towards the end of last year, I began to pay more attention to doing things more deliberately and spending more time with family and friends.  This year, I hope to do even more of that.  I don't want 2014 to be just another year. This is my dash!  This is the time between my birth and my death and I don't want the minutes to tick by without me being more purposeful, thoughtful and more mindful of other's needs.  I don't necessarily want to do more.......I just want to do what I do better and be open to where God is leading.

A new year brings new possibilities, new vigor, new outlooks and new opportunities to start over and be a better me!  So, bring on 2014........not just another year for this gal!

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.