Absorb Your Success and Watch It Grow

We spent some time over the March break getting things in order around here. Decluttering - a seemingly never ending job - putting things away etc.

When we where finished, I found myself with a sense of peace over the following days, the mere act of walking in a room was calming and just made me feel good.

It occured to me that I needed to take notice of this feeling, absorb it and be sure to notice it, and my surroundings if I wanted to stay motivated to keep it that way.

All too often things get really nice, only to fall back after a busy spell, a time of illness or any number of road blocks.

But if we can fully ingrain the good stuff, feel it so fully that it feels off every time we waver away from it, we will find ourselves doing what it takes, taking that extra step, even when we don't feel like it, to keep things at the "new normal".

It becomes far too precious to us to loose.

ACTION TIP

What is your normal? What have you gotten used to, either good or bad?

If it's something good, you have found a way to keep it that way, how can you apply your strategy to a problem area in your life, or house?

Is your normal KAOS? Pick one area, work on it consistantly, if only for 5 minutes a day until it's a place where you feel good being. Notice it. Breath it in. Make it your new normal.

Use this strength to keep it this way, even when you don't feel like it.

Me? Even though I rather feel like vegging for awhile, I'm going to go and do my circuit for 1/2 hour because I really want to keep it this way!

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.

Just Say Yes!

Have you ever put something off so long that the energy taken to stress about not doing it was more than actually doing it?

I've been "meaning" to bath our pomeranian for a few weeks, she was getting shtinky!

But I kept putting it off, waiting for my daughter - who's dog it "really" is, to be home to help, to have a night without other stuff to do etc etc.

Yesterday, on Sunday, she said, can we wash the Deva Dog (website coming soon :0) now?

Normally, I would have on autopilot just said no, I was in the middle of "other things".

But I somehow short circuited and just said Yes.

So up we went and gave the poor dog a bath.

It probably took about 20 minutes and it was finished.

I should have done it weeks ago!

ACTION TIP

What are you putting off that has passed beyond the point of waiting for a good time, into the point of feeling like a 100 lb weight on your shoulders.

Just go and do it. Then dance a little jig because it's out of your hair. Take a deep breath and feel the freedom!

I have been making some changes in the KAOS blog world.

To make it a little easier to focus on your area of interest, this blog will be geared towards making home, family and your self happier and healthier through time management and organization skills and ideas.

My newest blog - Time Management For Work At Home Mom's - Everyday KAOS, is geared towards home business success.

Both contain the basic priniciples - practical application and advice in the areas of time management skills, organization, tools and resources that I like to use to make it all easier and more efficient and most importantly, more fun. We only live once. Really.

You'll be able to have a peek at my day to day experiences, my highs, my lows and everything in between and how I cope and even triumph some days. And how you can too.

You can check out Time Management for Work At Home Mom's - Everyday KAOS - as it happens!

Be sure to sign up to get an email subscription so that you don't miss anything.

You can do that on the sidebar for this blog as well (you need to sign up for both if you would like to recieve both blog posts to your email)

I will probably try to get on a schedule of posting to each blog on alternate days so as not to flood your inbox sporadically.

Both will contain the Action Tips feature, this is a section at the end of each entry that will give you a specific action to focus on until the next entry comes along.

Why? Because knowledge is nothing without action, period. And action is often the missing element. So I try to make it easy.

ACTION TIP

Subscribe to the blog of your interest or both if you work at home.

Access the subscribe box for this blog in the top right hand corner.

Access the Work at Home blog by clicking this link. Sign up box is in the top right corner as well.

Time Management for Work At Home Mom's - Everyday KAOS

It's Sad, but Sometimes We Bring It On Ourselves - I Know I Do!

I was contemplating how I dug in and stuck to my guns today, doing my BOOST Circuit as I was supposed to, to keep the house nice this weekend, instead of working on my far overdue bookkeeping. Have you ever been tempted by work when you had other obligations?

I had a shower and walked up the stairs to my bedroom, so totally relaxed in the feeling of peace and freedom that the clear and clean spaces gave me.

And it occurred to me how easily I could have spared myself a lifetime of guilt and feelings of failure but simply sticking to my guns, sticking to my plans, the ones that I made for myself!

It all boils down to self discipline, trying to get away with something, and trying to do too much.

I have always found it ironic when I would have people drop in and would be horrified at the mess, and know that these people are thinking that I’m a lazy sloth.

Nothing can be farther from the truth.

I have unbelievable drive. I jump out of bed at the earliest time I can wedge my eyeballs open every morning and work until I can’t keep my eyes open at night.

I seldom watch TV or do much of anything that isn’t “doing” something.

But sometime I still fall behind.

And I know exactly why. It’s because I don’t always discipline myself to do what I know I know I should be doing. This leaves me scattered. And that does not accomplish what needs to be done in the order that it needs to be done in.

I think that by plowing through that I WILL get it all done, and I probably will, but at what cost?

My kids get muddled and stressed with the mess, what kind of an example I am setting I shudder to think.

The feeling that I just can’t get it right on those days, and those days are the ones that stand out like a sore thumb.

All it takes is the pledge to yourself, to do what you say you will.

Do you ever notice that the people who have it “together” have an iron will of self discipline? The are in control and don’t let what they need to do be messed with.

Take an example from them. (The ebook by Carole Pagan called “Confessions of a Clean Freak” is an inside look on one of “those people”. Ever wanted to be a fly on a wall. Now you can!)

So…

Set clear priorities first. Every day.

Home and family are a must. And the basics are a neat and functional home. And proper meals.

That comes first – a little bit every day is all that it takes.

If you can relate, believe me, it isn’t hard, it just takes conviction to stick to your plan.

Make one today. Make it doable and stick to it. And be sure to make it consistant.

The feeling of accomplishment – that you have ARRIVED – is so energizing that you will blast off from there to get the rest done.

Your family will win, your business will win, and you will win, big time.

Start today.

Support Work At Home Mom's and Home Biz when Xmas Shopping this year!

Hi

It occurs to me every year that if the work at home market could get a fraction of the department store business, just how much it would mean to them, personally and financially.

But we don't seem to be out there as we could or should be.

So I'd like to provide this opportunity for any of you to list your site under the comments section if you have a work at home business that provides Christmas gift giving solutions.

I need to specify that any links posted here are not personally tested by me, but that is no reason not to check them out for yourself.

Merry Christmas!

Note: If you would like to read my full article on Beating the Christmas Crunch for a lot of Christmas ideas, you can see it in the WHAM Time Tips Archives

Don't forget to use the comments link to add your url and sign up to get other urls sent to your email using the email link or RSS feed.

Honey - Slow as Mollasses!

As a miraculous result of having a clean fridge, I accidently put our jug of honey in there yesterday (it never would have fit before!).

It pours and as a result was very slow coming out of the bottle. I almost gave up when it was about 3/4 of the way out.

Then I thought, if I did that, all of the time I've stood here waiting would have been a waste of time.

Then I had a guilty moment, thinking of all of the projects I have half started, never finished.

The times that I had my house looking great and was at the point that I was going to start painting/decorating etc, but went off my schedule and had to start from 0 again.

Do you do that?

Take a moment to make a list of everything that may fall into this catagory for you.

If you will see big results from finishing it, put it on your project list (more on what to do with your project list later)

If it is something that you have started but will never finish, get rid of it. It is taking up space in your house, on your computer or in your brain and preventing you from having a "blank canvas" to work from.

If it is your daily circuit in keeping your house clean, if you've gotten behind, get back in there pronto! Every day that you fall behind makes the load that much heavier.

Don't rush or over do, just get back to your routine and the rest will take care of itself in short order.

Have a Great Day!
Janice

More on Getting It Done

If you received my newsletter , I had meant to add that I also did a quick clean up of my silverware drawer this morning as it was beyond being functional.

I admit, I was sidetracked while doing it as I had originally been getting something to make breakfast, but it's one of those things!

I found using the small organizing baskets that you can get 3/$1 at the store to be very helpful. I am using them to both divide and store like objects (measuring spoons and mini whisks for instance) and also as a holding spot for a bunch of lids that I need to check to see if I have bottoms for, we often save bottles that we buy to use for water bottles later, especially if they have the fancy lids that you can twist open.

Just wanted to throw that in there, hope it helps!

Clean Out Your Purse in No Time!

My purse had been out of hand for quite some time, it somehow seems to slip by the regular sessions around the house. I had to start digging for my debit card in plenty of time before I checked through the grocery line! Not cool!

Meantime I have regularly been driving to town with my son , he recently got his G1 driver's license which is a whole other story :0)

Anyway, I was sitting in our van waiting for him and it occured to me to just go ahead and do my purse right there and then.

When I was finished I had an unbelievable pile of garbage to take to the house , but my purse is manageable and it took NO TIME out of my day to do it.

The moral of the story? Just Do It Now!

My inspiration? Carole's "Whole Life Make Over" ecourse. She advocates "wearing it away" - getting it done a little at a time. The funny thing is that often I seem to get it done a lot at a time in less time than I think.

A lot of this stuff really is a game we play in our heads. I am becoming convinced that much of the overwhelm in my life is due to me turning molehills into mountains, therefore avoiding them until they are mountains. One reason why the ecourse works so well, she gives it to us in bite sized, doable pieces so that it's easy to get to the top.

A Dream Come True

I dream of getting up extremely early to get an amazing head start on my day.

I dream of waking up to a clean kitchen so that I can start my day with a smile.

I dream of waking up to a clean bathroom so that I can start my day with a sparkle.

I dream of waking up to the washing machine on with a full load of clothes in it.

Guess what?

Today my dream came true.

I was lucky enough to stumble on an ebook called "Secret Confessions of a Neat Freak" and ecourse - "Whole Life Overhaul" by Carole Pagan last week.

To be honest, I haven't even been following the course or read the entire ebook yet. But through skimming I have already found a few gold nuggets that have made a huge change in the way I've been doing things.

It even works beautifully with my BOOST Circuit, making it even easier.

The first nugget is to make having the dishes done/counters wipe a non negotiable every night by bedtime.

That seems to be the general concensus of every "clean freak" I have ever known, and it really does change things. The first few nights I found myself propping my eyelids open to finish up before I went to bed. Guess What? Now I make sure they are done after supper, or at least early evening. It's already becomong a habit.

She also spoke of wiping down the bathroom as well. I thought - no way - dishes at bedtime is enough for me. But Guess What? After I started getting the dishes finished earlier, I had time to give the bathroom a quick wipe. It takes less than 5 minutes. The bathroom looks great. And it gives me another BOOST so that when I am in there during my cleaning time, I can do other things like pick up clutter that seems to collect there.

And, for the first time I tried out the timer feature on my washing machine. If you are lucky enough to have one, I highly recommend it! What a great feeling to get up in the morning to the washer washing and I didn't have to groggily touch a thing!

And it's done in plenty of time to dry if the kids are out of something too.

It kind of makes you WANT to get up in the morning!

If you are tired of buying books that you don't use, check out either one, I recommend both of them.

They are full of practical information, written by a real, live, Clean Freak.

Now we can find out the real, inside secrets to how they do it, which I have personally always wondered about!

And Guess What. It really is as easy as they make it look.

Use The Time Change to Your BIG Advantage

Do you want to know an easy way to get a whole extra hour of quality work time every morning?

Tonight when it is time to set the clock back, leave your alarm clock as it is.

Prepare by finishing your evening chores a little early, maybe allow for a nap tomorrow.

Use that time for your most pressing and results oriented project and watch the results pour in after using this bonus hour for a week.

Try it! You'll like it!

You can read more about in my WAHM Time Tips Ezine

Don't forget to subscribe for even more WAHM Time Tips.

It's Saturday, Another Homey Day

I like to breathe on Saturdays and dedicate the day to puttering around the house. It's the day that I focus on catching up on anything that's gotten out of hand or jobs that I just can't get to through the week.

Not to say that every Saturday is a blank slate, there are still lots of distractions and many times obligations that take much of the day. But in the time that I do have, I don't try to spend time on the computer, pack orders or think about work.

I like to set myself for the week ahead by organizing and spending the day concentrating on the "Home Base" (that seems to be a missing equation in the term "Home Based Business", or home truly is our work base and it needs attention to!)

Do you have a day that you can set aside just to be "homey"? It does wonders for stress relief as well, it's a day that I truly feel "at home". Be in the moment, one moment at a time.

Try it! You'll like the fresh feeling you'll have on Monday!

Strange Euphoria

I ask myself some mornings what is the best way to get motivated to do my daily BOOST Circuit instead of hopping right to the fun stuff at work.

What it comes down to is connecting with the deep feeling of gratitude for everything that I have, and the knowing that if I take care of it, it is even better, by a long shot. Remembering just what I am doing everything else for.

So when the kids go out the door for school, a feeling of deep peace comes over me. Not just because of the obvious!

I look around me and really see everything that I have to be grateful for. I have a home to clean. I have kids to look after. I have lots of things that I enjoy and admire, like a dishwasher (the best investment I have ever made)

I reflect on the fact that this won't always be so. So I want to enjoy it to the fullest today.

And that starts by taking the time to keep it nice.

So I'm off to do my BOOST Circuit - along with an MP3 audio, a timer and a smile. It really does give me a boost for the whole day!