 Yesterday I was at a client's house sorting through layers of documents and receipts. While it was great that she had everything in one place, it was a mishmash of everything. Sorting was a challenge, but with a few organizing techniques, it went pretty quickly.
And we found an important document she was hunting for that needed to be filed with the state! Woo-hoo! If you are a hunter (papers all over the place and you have to go searching) or gather-er (one huge pile of everything) some of the tricks to getting your paperwork organized is the same.
To Your Most Peaceful Self!  Have you ever been in a situation where you felt insecure? It's not a nice feeling. Not only do you feel out of place at the time, but then you worry about it afterwards.
Filing your taxes can give you that same feeling. Not only do you have to file your taxes, but you may worry that you have all of your ducks I a row. Did you get everything together? Is it complete. Most importantly, is it secure? Your information is a commodity. There are lots of people who would like to get ahold of it. Cyber criminals are always scanning to find information to steal. The good news is that there are easy steps you can take to keep your information safe.
By establishing best practices it's easy to feel confident that you are protecting yourself. It puts your mind at peace. To Your Most Peaceful Self  Remember when you couldn't wait to grow up and do anything you wanted? How did that turn out? I'm guessing it's not quite as much freedom as you expected. I recently was talking with my cousin who needed to sign up for health insurance. She was putting it off because she didn't want to deal with it. I told her that I wanted her to email me by the end of the week to make sure she did it. Guess what? She did. Being accountable helps to motivate you when you least want to be. Like this time of the year when you start getting your tax information. You know you have to be accountable for that! What one thing have you been putting off that you are accountable for? Find an accountability partner and get it done! To your Most Peaceful Self
 Do you feel guilty just reading that word? Ours are all good, but the follow through is, well, not so much.Why? Because we are attending to so many other things.
For a few months now I have been intending to spend more time meditating. Or at least have some quiet time in my head. Unfortunately, my attention gets caught up in a million other things. It's only when I pay intentional attention to the meditation that I benefit from the time. (This is my favorite: Meditation Oasis) There will always be things to attend to. But you can be intentional in the task at hand. Pick one task today and do it intentionally. With purpose and emotion. Focus on what is happening immediately around you. To Your Most Peaceful and Intentional Self.  How many pix did you take over the holidays? How many have been sent to you? What are you doing with them besides keeping them in your smartphone?
PRINT THEM and share the joy! Pictures are a way to remind you of special times. While online photos are great, it simply isn't the same as having them in hand. Think of it as the difference between an email Christmas card and actually getting a card in the mail. How to share: (always use photo safe materials)
To your most peaceful, and picture perfect self  It snowed here in Minneapolis and there was a lot of clearing going on. The snow plows were in full force and snowblowers were working hard in the southern parts of the Twin Cities. And just like clearing out the driveway, now is a perfect time to clear your mind. It's time to make a clear path towards the future. Time to clear out all the stuff from 2015. Clearing your conscious and emotional mind allows you to be your best advocate. The new year is upon you. What are you looking forward to? What are you dreaming about that you wish would happen? Where do you want to go? What is your nagging thing that you just can't deal with any more? What change do you want? Write these thoughts down! Write at least ONE THING that is completely all about YOU. It's ok that it's not perfectly clear on how you are going to accomplish it. Hang out with your thoughts from time to time and the clarity of your dreams and goals will come to you. To Your Most Peaceful Self   There is something decadent about having oranges in the winter. Not the supermarket kind. The kind you order from Florida. So delicious and they are great for staying healthy.
While the best stay healthy tip every day is drink more (purified) water, here are 5 simple things you can do during the holidays. To your Most Peaceful, and Healthy, Self  If I don't have a to do list, nothing gets done. First off, I have to write everything down when I think of it or I'll forget it. Secondly, a list helps me mentally keep track of what I want to accomplish or get done.
Yet sometimes we make our lists so long there is no possible way to get everything done. So here is my top ten list of knowing what NOT to put on your gotta get done list.
There is a difference in having a productive to do list. And there is a list that will simply make you crazy. Make your list. Then take only the pieces that are really necessary. Be brutal and honest about it. Ask yourself "what's the worst thing that would happen if I don't do this?" To Your Most Peaceful Self (and if you need help, contact me!)  .Where are you putting your energy right now? Work? Thinking about the holidays? Trying to figure out how everything is going to get done? Are you spending emotional energy on upcoming "family dynamics". There are a lot of things that are pulling your energy right now and I would venture to say that while the holidays are exciting and wonderful, you might just be thinking you can't wait until things settle down.
And this is exactly why you should not even think about starting something new January first In a job interview I was asked the age old question "where do you want to be in one year?". At the time, I had just been through a really crazy time in my life. To that date it was the hardest time ever and I responded that although I wasn't really sure, I did know that I didn't want my life to be so crazy. I was done and done-er with that. (It struck a chord and I got the job). My fellow organizer Jane Scheidnes, (The Art of Organizing) shared some good advice. Sometimes you have to let things thaw. You don't just pull a steak out of the freezer and cook it. If you did, you would have something that tasted very different than if you waited and allowed the process to happen. Right now, put all these ideas on ice. You have plenty of craziness going on. For now, write ideas and your "next year I'm going to list" in a notebook or journal. Keep them together and as you have ideas or goals, write them down. Write what inspired you about that goal or idea. Just don't put any more energy or action into your list. When the time is right you will have the energy to focus on what is important to you. To your Most Peaceful Self  Martha was right! I don’t think I will ever get over my struggle with having to “go horizontal” and rest I the afternoon. I am stubborn that way. Some days it makes me crazy. But over time I have come to realize that “it’s a good thing”. Self-care can be difficult. If you are like me, you feel guilty for taking time for yourself. Or you might feel as if you need to explain yourself. Or maybe you just don’t say anything for fear you will be seen as lazy or somehow less than “perfect”. Get over it! You have heard it before: you need to take care of yourself before you can take care of anyone else. Your top tip today is this: Be stubborn and schedule time for yourself every week. When you do you will feel even more capable of clearing out the negative and creating an emotional and spiritual environment. And that my friends, is a very good thing! To your most peaceful self.  |
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