Do It Anyway and Be Happy

Over the holidays I was lucky, my husband was home and not only painted my daughter's room, but enlisted the kids (he is a natural born delegator) to help get the house back in order - it was still limping from when I was sick for a few weeks and then busy with catch up and a busy business month.

So now I am more determined than ever to keep up my circuit, it is my saving grace amongst KAOS! (I will have more details on my circuit so that you can do it too... coming soon on my website, just waiting for a few more details on the graphics for my logo and we will be on our way)

I had been doing well but was having a complete block as to wanting to do one of the modules in my circuit - my hall - it is a gathering point, both at the bottom and top of our stairs.

So I decided to do a fun one first - I did 5 minute magic - choosing a corner that had been nagging me for a week. It was finished in about 3 minutes - why didn't I do it sooner? - so I continued on to the hall.

When the time was up, I set it for another 5 minutes, pushing myself to just do that.

In 5 minutes, it was pretty much finished both of hallways, so I worked another minute and got it done.

Now I am enjoying a coffee, feeling very good about my clean space and the fact that I didn't cave and go for the easy now, hard in the long run solution - which would have been to leave it and pretend that I was going to do it later - later never comes!

ACTION TIP

Push yourself to do what you know you need to do to function happily and peacefully. You will probably be amazed at how easy it ease. Reward yourself when you are finished.

If you are having a problem getting started, set your timer for 5 or 10 minutes, what ever you can manage. At the end of the time, you will likely want to finish it. If you don't, promise yourself that you will set aside another 5 or 10 minutes tomorrow, next hour or this evening, and do it again.

Keep it up until your task is finished. And feel great all the way knowing that you are heading in the right direction.

Feels good, doesn't it!

Is Your Schedule "Wishy Washy"?

I was thinking back to the days before kids - the days where generally anything I wanted to do - I merely had to wait until I was off work for the day or for the weekend, and I could do it. And I thought I was busy then!

After I started having children, it became a challenge. I remember chatting with a girlfriend and we where commenting on how after spending a whole day at home, we where lucky to get one "thing" done.

Somewhere along the line, I gave up trying to schedule things, as interuptions and change of plans was an occurance measured by minutes, not hours, days or weeks.

I started winging it.

I realized the other day that although my kids have outgrown the juice, bath, snacks and feeding schedules (except for my 9 year old daughter who just came in and interupted me for a drink of juice I have sitting on my desk :0), I still operate by the mindset that I will do a task "if" I can.

Do you do that?

Are you at the point that with a bit of planning, will power, self discipline and (I forget what it was, she just interupted me again :0) - that you CAN make a plan, no matter how small, and do it? On a regular basis?

This can mean huge accomplishments and astounding peace around the house as you create your own oasis of calm and order, by "having it your way" again.

I am off right now for a family meeting with my husband and kids because they are old enough now (9 - 14 - 16 and 40) to be doing their share - we need to chat :0)

While they take some of the load off with their own chores, I will be brainstorming and implementing a few new "non negotiables" for myself, things that I had assumed that I could only wish for these days.

ACTION TIP

Ask yourself if there is any area of your life where you have been "stuck" by old limitations.

You might be surprised.

It may take a new approach. I a bit of planning. A bit of co operation.

Try one new thing if you find that in fact, you are still back in the dark ages, operating from your limitations of a decade ago.

Declutter that Sock Basket, Once and for All!

This week I have been cleaning with an eye to eliminating rather than managing.

My sock basket has been an eye sore in my bedroom and a general all around pain in the butt for as long as I can remember.

I finally figured out the secret to decluttering the sock basket once and for all.

I sorted through the basket piling socks by owner, matching any obvious pairs as I went. After doing that, the piles are then placed in a smaller basket or box for "the owner" to sort and manage. The box or basket now belongs in their bedroom instead of mine!

It's so simple and effective.

One thing you may want to do is to check periodically that "the owner" is sorting and putting away so that they don't end up with a sock fest all over their bedroom.

I am going to get my younger daughter to do her sorting before she takes hers to her room so I am sure that it gets done.

I now have a new 2x2 square feet of clear space in my bedroom, and one less thing to nag me daily.

ACTION TIP - Manage Your Socks!

Sort all of your socks that have accumulated into your sock basket or pile into piles by owner.

You may want to do a grand sorting first, we did one a few weeks ago.

Be ruthless is getting rid of old and holey socks.

You can use "some" of them for rags, kids have fun putting them on and using them to dust. (that's on their hands, although I'm sure they would have more fun dusting with their feet :0)

If you have really nice socks, you can cut the feet off and use the squares to make a little blanket. But don't allow this to become another pile (been there, done that :0)

Let your kids know that their socks are now their own responsibility.

If you don't have a nice, little basket or box for them, make it a point to get one.

Younger kids would probably enjoy decorating a box for their room, maybe with some sock people.

Take one grand step towards peace and tranquility. Get the sock basket out of your bedroom!

(another great advantage to this is that you will no longer have people wandering through your bedroom looking for socks - and even better - they won't expect you to know where their socks are!)

Help Me

This morning the kids are home because the roads are icy. Usually I feed my daughter's puppy in the morning. Since she was home we where looking throught the Regal catalogue for Christmas ideas and I said, when we are finished looking at this, you can help me feed the puppy.

Then it occured to me that it is as easy as that.

Including the kids as a natural step while you are doing something is very powerful. It not only increases your manpower, although while they are young it isn't necessarily faster, it teaches them how so that they will be conditioned and able to do it themselves. And enjoy it, it is a time to spend true quality time. The trick is to do the task with them, they love to have the time and attention from you as well, that in itself will pay dividends in their future, and yours.

This concept is huge. What ever their age, if you are not doing it now, make it a point to "do it with them instead of for them".

Action Tip: Focus and try it this week and see what happens. Write it down on a sticky note and put it where you will see it often to remind yourself.