Spring cleaning...

Now that we have officially ushered in spring, it's time to set aside some time to do some spring cleaning. If you're cringing at the thought, let me encourage you to take it all in stride. Take a moment to sit down & write down a few projects you would like to do and create a plan to accomplish each. For example, I usually take down all my curtains throughout the house and wash them in the spring. So my action plan would go like this:

-- Take down curtains
-- Wash curtains
-- Hang curtains while they are slightly damp, so that they can air dry (or, if they are a bit too wrinkly, you can iron them accordingly to the manufacturers directions on the label)
-- Enjoy the spring breezes coming through your window. You could even spray some Febreeze on them for an even nicer spring scent!

I hope this quick action plan encouraged you. Happy Spring!

Holding on to heirlooms...

I recently overheard a conversation of a woman having difficulty parting with some boxes/heirlooms in her basement. As she described her predictament of letting go of these prized possessions, I was thinking of asking her the following questions:

Do you know what is in the boxes you're holding on to?
and
Are you ready to sort through the boxes and make some decisions on the contents?

If either answer was "yes", I was going to offer my services to her so that she could get the ball rolling on de-cluttering her home of the boxes she has looked at over the last few months.

If you're experiencing difficulty in tackling a "sort through" project, I would encourage you to break this task down into smaller steps. Make a goal for yourself to go through 1 box at a time. Perhaps it would be helpful to make a list of the items you want to keep and then set another box aside to collect those items you want to get rid out, recycle, sell, etc...

Remember to reward yourself after you complete your goal so that you can stay motivated and energized to complete your project.

You can do it!

Feeling those winter blues...

...if you're like many people, the close of winter can bring on the winter doldrums. In order to move through to more positive thoughts and reduce the "emotional clutter" that has built up, try these calming ideas...

- Book a Spa Day
- Take a trip (day-trips can be fun and good way to change the scenery!)
- Read a good book
- Call up an old friend & reconnect
- Cook up a new recipe
- Take a jog or long walk
- Journal your thoughts

However you decide to "declutter your mind and soul", enjoy yourself. Afterall, we are constantly bombarded with negativity and toxicity wherever we go, be good to yourself and remember...spring is on the way!

Hard pressed for space...

Today, while at work, the task was to make space for our new coffee maker. Well, we have very limited space! So...in order to accommodate our new machine, I had to move some other stuff around. If you're hard pressed for space, keep these things in mind:
(1) Purge/throw away
(2) Consolidate
(3) Rearrange
(4) Reorganize

It takes a bit of creative vision, but you can do it!

Make small, attainable goals...

When tackling a new project, my recommendation for you is to set, small & attainable goals for yourself. For instance, don't say "I want my desk to be clean and organized", say "I will go thru this pile of papers and recycle or file them away." By setting small goals, you will see small accomplishments and hopefully feel encouraged to continue on with other projects. Don't forget to reward yourself for reaching your goals...it's important to stay motivated! :)

Calendaring got your crazed?

In today's day and age (I sound so ancient!)...you can have a PDA, iPhone, wall calendar, home calendar, event alerts on your phone and countless other methods & ways to keep your calendar. Today's tip is to use just ONE calendar for all of your appointments. If you want to get creative, you can color code the entries, for example:
Red - urgent TO DO's
Blue - business related
Orange - family related
Purple - social activities/events
By keeping all of your appointments on ONE calendar, you will avoid double-bookings and missed opportunities...and cut down on the chaos of everyday life! Happy Calendaring!

New Year's Resolutions...

Sorry for my delay in posting to the blog...guess I should add this to my list of "New Year's Resolutions." Since we're on the topic of "resolutions", I would like to encourage you to make 1 goal per week to help yourself toward greater organization. Whether it be your household, car, office space or bedroom...set aside just 15-20 minutes per week to tackle this goal (e.g. write a note, reorganize the silverware drawer, go through the stack of papers on the kitchen table). You will find that if you make small goals for yourself, that you won't feel overwhelmed and you will get to experience the joy of accomplishing your goal(s). I'm here to cheer you on!! You can do it!!