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!

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!)

Blitz At My House This Week

The past few weeks have been seriously low on the production scale as my kids have had the flu, and then I got it and have spent days this past week asleep.

So, now that I have awakened :0) I am seeing things with a new eye and really am motivated to spend this week with a focus on getting rid of the things that I have been hanging on to.

Since I've spent so much time in my bedroom, I must be getting sick of it (pardon the pun) as I had an irrestistable urge to change the furniture around.

In doing so I am also cleaning out a corner that has collected a lot of stuff, a corner that's been "on the list" for quite awhile.

While our pomeranian pup isn't going to be happy, it's her place that she goes when she needs privacy, I will be happy to get rid of it.

ACTION TIP

Make this week your blitz week. It's going to be spring soon, so why not celebrate by spending some time preparing your house for the days when you don't want to be in it.

Do your usual cleaning routine with an eye to the piles that you have been ignoring or putting off.

Also look at the things that you have been hanging on to for no reason.

Now is the time to get rid of them.

Have you got an odd sock basket? Sort it and get rid of it. That's a good start!

Magazines? Books? The library would love them.

Cupboards? What could you do with some extra space if you get rid of the old stuff you don't use?

Could you save on your groceries this week if you use up some of the items that have been sitting there for awhile.

I hope you join me this week with your own "Blitz".

Flash forward to next weekend. You'll be glad you did.

Happiness Really Is In the Small Things

I spend a considerable amount of time planning and waiting for this to be done and that to be finished etc etc, thinking at that time things will be so much better - various items in our house are yet to be complete, there is always a project that would make things nicer - that kind of thing.

I was soaking in the tub the other day and looking at a candle holder that holds about 8 candles that is beside our tub. I don't think that there is anything that I enjoy more than a nice soak in the tub. Back in "the day" I used to do it for an hour or more with a magazine and a glass of wine, I can't seem to sit still that long now, and I need the relax time these days.

Anyway, the only thing better is a bath with candles. Guess who hasn't had candles set up in the bathroom for who knows how long?

We have been sick with the flu that past few weeks, I am due for a nice candle lit soak. So today if I do nothing else, I am going to get the candles set up in the bathroom!

It is so small, yet such a big thing in the all around enjoyment of my life.

ACTION TIP

What do you have already that you don't use or haven't set up that can make your life more enjoyable. Or what little thing can you do right now that you have been putting off until something bigger is finished.

Think about it and do at least one small thing to improve your home and/or your life today. It really doesn't take much - it could be candles, flowers on your table or desk, a new bedspread or sheets (my other favourite thing, fresh bedding and a good book) It can be a nice table lamp for your dresser in your bedroom, or a nice floor lamp in your livingroom. It can be as easy as taking 15 minutes to spruce up a small corner of a room in your house - declutter something that has been bothering you and then add something nice to the empty space. Wash some windows or add a bit of paint to something.

The ideas are endless. Just do one for today and keep it done. It will make a difference.

Speaking of Lack

Starting the morning off with my new checklist designed to help me speed up by slowing down - laying out exactly what I need to do and giving myself time limits - a place to stop - so that there is an automatic boundary and place to be "enough", I found myself pondering once again the subject of lack.

Why?

Because I was repeating it to myself as I went along after an especially trying evening with my youngest daughter - "it will never BE enough".

It struck me right away that I was in a place of lack again, not lack in the manner of time, but in manner of me. The knowing that I doing my best, and that it is good enough and then some, but acknowledging the nagging fear that I am not providing "enough" - even though consciously I know that I am.

This is a treadmill that can make you downright miserable and is almost unbeatable unless you take it by the horns as soon as you finding yourself "going there". The best thing that can happen to you is that you become aware that this is what is nagging you. Then you can beat it.

Since it is mostly psychological, it will usually be proceeded by triggers. It will creep upon you when you are tired, when you are over scheduled and especially when people complain at you or treat you in a disrespectful manner - even if they are not justified in their claims.

What to do?

Remember this quote.

"I am what I am, Dat's all what I am".

It's from Popeye, the original self development guru!

Don't let this insidious sense of lack interfere with your productivity and happiness.

And don't forget to examine your boundaries.

This is huge. Are you allowing people in your life to treat you in such a way that you feel "less than"? If so, your productivity, your creativity, and your joy is going to fly out the window. And it will show in your environment - your house and the feeling of peace that you are trying to achieve.

ACTION TIP

When you find yourself wondering if "you" are enough, in what ever area of life it may be, remember Popeye.

And set your boundaries. The best way to do this is gently. A soft resolve. Draw the line and don't allow it to be crossed without consequences. Make it clear and stand firm.

Crazy Buzy?

Today I was pondering what the reasons may be for my continual sense of hurry and rush.

I haven't always been this way, at one time, many years ago it seems, I just lived. I rushed when I had to go somewhere as I almost always lost my keys or spent too long on my hair (like I said, a loong time ago!)

But I didn't have the mindset that I do now, the constant need to fit 110% into a 100% time slot.

I first noticed it when my first child was born. An herein lies the key.

That was when I first started getting interupted on a regular basis.

So I started rushing to get everything and everything finished before the next interuption. (and it never seems to stop, actually it only gets bigger - he's 16 now and called me at 9 am from school yesterday to bring his backpack that he forgot - my first much anticipated "office day" in some time. The school is 45 min away!)

Anyway, I just interupted myself :0)

After that, I had a daughter, the another daughter, then a home business, then another home business.

They snowball onto themselves until life is almost one big interuption with me scurrying in between to "do something".

The one thing that all of this has in common is that I now have an ingrained fear of lack.

I am constantly feeling a lack of time. Like "my time" has been taken away from me. It's a common Mom thing. We're doing something bigger, we need to keep site of that, but the fact is, our time... our life... is no longer our own.

The good news is that there are ways to make it better.

The first one is to step back and breath, on a regular basis :0)

Hurrying and scurrying becomes so much a part of us that we don't even realise that this has become our mindset.

Slow down. Life is not going to get away on you. Ironically, the more you chase it, the farther away it gets.

Tomorrow I will post a very easy and practical tool that you can use to change your mindset instantly. It works for me!

ACTION TIP FOR TODAY

Look at your mind set. What condition is it in?

Are you rushing constantly, even when you really don't have to. Are you always trying to fit one more thing in just because you can (or even when you can't) You need to step back.

Take a deep breath. It will relax you and energize you. And give you a moment to pause.

Do this as often as possible through out the day.

Remember - no matter how fast you go, there are only 24 hours in a day, you can't change that!
And they are a limited comodity. Better enjoy them NOW.