DrDeClutterBlog.com

When your TO DO list just doesn’t change, and keeps getting longer, it creates stress, right?

“Procrastination is the foundation of all disasters.”
~ Pandora Poikilos

TO DO LIST

• What’s still on your “love my life, love my house” TO DO list this month?
• How long has it been on your list?
• Do your projects feel overwhelming?

Feeling overwhelmed can make us stall out and stop moving ahead on projects. Does that happen to you? If so, these strategies will get your focused and moving into the doing, getting your checklists checked off for good, sooner than later.

1. TIME

If we focus only on the BIG JOB we can feel exhausted before even starting. It’s just too much! So, see the job instead as a series of small, incremental pieces or “projects”. Then figure out how much TIME it will take to get started and to complete each smaller task or project. TIME BLOCK each one separately making them doable.

2. SCHEDULE

Schedule these TIME BLOCKS into your daily calendar/schedule, making each as important as a doctor’s appointment – no cancelling or missing it. They are that important too! Getting your TO DOs TO DONE can actually help keep you out of the doctor’s office by keeping your stress level down.

How? Because, when you move ahead on projects that make you feel good, your body and brain respond with floods of endorphins and other good chemical reactions that lower your stress, support good health and boost your self-esteem too. When you don’t do the TO DOs – and usually feel guilty, mad at and bad about yourself – your body reacts in a negative flood of stress chemicals that are bad for you, your health and your self-esteem.

“The essence of self-discipline is to do the important thing rather than the urgent thing.”
~ Barry Werner

3. PLAN

Make a long term PLAN to TIME BLOCK and SCHEDULE in your TO DOs and PROJECTS every day for the big picture and to get your checklist checked off for good!

Because, as it’s been said for decades, “We don’t plan to fail, we fail to plan.”

Without a PLAN or vision for the outcomes and results we truly want, we bog down and get stuck, which can swirl into stress, anxiety and depression; a very bad spiral in which to live and waste our precious lives. Wouldn’t you agree?

But, a long term PLAN without short term doable tasks and projects that can be completed and realized quickly just will not hold our attention for long.

PLAN IN FUN, TOO!

Don’t wait until you get all of your TO DOs TO DONE in order to have fun! PLAN your fun into the schedule and enjoy both!

HOW I CAN HELP YOU

Whether I, “Dr. DeClutter”, make a “house call” and help you dig in, or we have a Priority Coaching call to figure out how to get you started and move forward on your plan, I’m here for you.

• Hire me. I travel to help you too, see here.
• Get your 20-minute free tele-consult by emailing kim@drdeclutter.com to schedule.
• Visit my bookstore and find lots of great ebooks with hundreds of great ideas to help you step into action immediately.

Do you ever feel like you and your life are… a mess? Well, I love turning any negative perception around. I want to tell you right now that… you’re right! You ARE a mess!

But, let’s turn the negative concept of feeling like a mess into a positive one. I love acronyms too!… “M.E.S.S.”

You are a 
    M Manifested
    E Energies’
    S Sacred
    S Signature

That’s right! You are a one and only, unique “manifestation” of the “All of Eternity’s” force of “energy” as a one-of-a-kind “sacred” (whole and holy) “signature.” There is only one of you in all of eternity!

THAT IS A MIRACLE!!!

YOU ARE A MIRACLE!

Go look in the mirror right now and every time you look into a miracle and see and acknowledge your manifested, physical self as a M.E.S.S.! A MIRACLE M.E.S.S.!!!

Any thought or belief about yourself less than a M.E.S.S. is incorrect. It was written incorrectly on your clean slate when you came into the world.

Becoming conscious, “remembering you” means to CONSCIOUSLY CHOOSE to CHANGE these beliefs and ideas about yourself. Change the feelings of low, negative vibrations to higher, joyful, happy, loving and peaceful feelings and so, vibrations… which will MIRACULOUSLY bring back more of the same! YEA!!!

  Louise Hay always has great ways to remind us that we are miracles!

  101 Power Thoughts is one of them.

It’s that time! Spring break!

Where  are you going? What are you doing? What’s the plan?

Whether you’re going somewhere or sleeping, have a plan so that you enjoy every minute.

There are many ways to plan and experience your spring break this year. The overall best way is to have fun, be safe and create stories and memories that you won’t regret or are embarrassed about later! They’ll be all over TV and the Internet soon enough.

Here are some tips and links that will help you help yourself to a great fun time!

1:  Plan ahead.

Don’t “assume” you’ll get a ticket, a room, or whatever you dream of having when you “get there” and if you get there.

2: Tell a friend, family members where you are going.

Being a free spirit is lovely, and can get you into trouble too. Make sure someone has your travel plan. Take travel warnings seriously. “Stay on the trail”, and take a friend with you.

3:  Take care of your body.

-  Drink lots of water if you’re going to be in the sun or racing down ski slopes all day.

-  Wear sunscreen and sunglasses.

-  Limit alcohol.  Your future employers may skip right by you if they see social media pictures of you drunk and crazy. It’s not worth it. I don’t need to go into all of the other reasons not to drink, get drunk and set yourself up for problems, right?

4.  Sex? Protect yourself.

You know the lecture, right? Condoms, etc. etc. etc. Your life and future and dreams are the core of who you are. One moment of “passion” can kill it all. Be smart. There’s always more passion!

5.  Credit cards, money, license, passport, tickets, maps  - protect yourself.

Make a copy of these items so if lost you have proof and the numbers. Copy both sides when numbers may be different on each side.  Plan ahead to keep them somewhere safe.

6. Don’t overspend.

Plan your budget and stick to it. If you need an extra reminder and stop-gap help click here to get my free Money Pocket Sanity Tool.

7. Call/text home.

Don’t get into the “I’m freeee! I can do anything I want!” Call or text home, to friends, etc. Not so much that it stifles your fun, but enough to let others who love and care for you know that you’re okay and they don’t have to worry one more night about you.

8. Be 100% responsible.

Don’t set yourself up to have problems and then blame others for it. Be 100% responsible for yourself and your experience. Make the choices you need to make to stay with or leave your “friends” or groups of people if they are headed down a dark road and everything in you says to get out now. Get out now!

9. HAVE FUN!

Enjoy every minute! Try new foods and experiences. Don’t be shy, say hi and meet new people.

Are you ready right now for a disaster? The kind of disaster that turns out your lights, off your water and inability to get more food or supplies?

These kinds of disasters happen every day around the world and very few people are prepared.

Brad Barker from The HALO Corporation (founded by former Special Operations, National Security, and Intelligence personnel. HALO exists to provide safety and security for those in need and to improve: force protection, all aspects of security, humanitarian aid, and disaster response) says there are three things that break down, but are the most needed, in times of disaster:

1. Communication
2. Coordination
3. Collaboration

These three necessities for dealing with any crisis, from devastating tornadoes and earthquakes to a tsunami or snow storm with a longer than usual power outage are best run smoothly with each of us being prepared in our own homes first in order to stay warm, dry and fed first.

HOW MANY DAYS OF SURVIVAL SUPPLIES SHOULD I HAVE?

Some people are stocked up on canned, bottled and dried foods, water and such for 3-6 months, most could only last a few days if the electricity goes out, which means no refrigerator or freezer food will last and the water can or will run out.

Humans can go for days without food, not well, but we can. But only 24-48 hours without clean drinking water before fear steps in creating emotional upheaval and irrational violence (irrational in our daily lives, but rational in crisis scenario) trying to get others’ supplies, then losing cognition and consciousness. Over a few more days and weeks it spirals into dementia and death.

RESOURCES FOR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND SURVIVAL IN ANY DISASTER

Here are resources for you to obtain for free and some for fee to help you get ready today for even a few days “in the dark” and possibly no running water.

THE BASICS:

Dare To Prepare by Holly Drennan Deyo.

Red Cross Preparedness Check List: Red Cross EmergencyPreparednessChecklist.PDF

The following are heavy hitter resources.

Do you make lists? I do. I LOVE lists! Okay, and you can tell me… do you ever do something that’s not on your list and then write it down just so you can cross it off? I do! I LOVE lists! Doesn’t crossing an item off as “complete” feel great! High five! YEA, LISTS! (Okay, now you know, it doesn’t take much to make me happy!!)

So, the depressing thing about lists is to look at items that are large projects, which extend over weeks and months. It can feel overwhelming. “Where do I start?!”

THE KEY to successfully dealing with large or long projects is to “chunk” them down. That’s right; divide them into doable “chunks.”

Breaking these projects down into smaller manageable steps of 30 minutes, 1 or 2 hours each, like your other smaller projects, will get you done in “chunks” at a time. Then, get your pen out!! – YES, you’ll get to scratch off one “chunk” at a time and get that same great feeling of completion and satisfaction as with small projects. High five!! Ahhhh, I LOVE lists! Have I said that?!

Now, you can look at your TO-DO LIST and just see doable, objective projects that can be “seen as finished” more easily. And, when you can “see” a project finished, it is much easier to start on and stay with “to” the finish.

TIP: Use a timer.  If you set your timer for 15-30 increments, it helps to not feel like your in a room or area “for-ev-er!”

Now, start chunking!

Timers come in all kinds of colors and shapes.

/

Benjamin Franklin, a prolific wordsmith, said that “A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body.” That’s for sure, but it sure also helps to really love your space. And, I’ll add a “Dr. DeClutter-ism”, that your space must love you back.

Right now, look around you, what do you see? What do you love about it? What is not so loveable!?

If you’re not at home, visualize your home. Do you love it? Does it love you back?

When I’m working with people on organizing jobs, or teaching an organizing workshop, I always remind my listeners that “your home is your castle, your sacred space. You should love it. And, it should love you back.”

Now, have I said that enough times to have it sink in?

“Where we love is home -
home that our feet may leave,
but not our hearts.”
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

LOVE YOUR SPACE

Whatever you choose to have around you – plus the decor, colors, chotchkies (knick-knacks), books and more – it should all be things that you love, that bring your heart happiness and your mind peace. Is that true for you?

Choose a corner. What is not happy-making in that space right now? What can you do to change it in a few minutes for a few hours? Do it!

You will be amazed at how much better you feel when your surroundings reflect your personality and are an uncluttered joy to be in.

YOUR SPACE SHOULD LOVE YOU BACK

What does this mean? Everything around you should make you feel peaceful and happy reflecting your personality . . . loving you back. It should make you want it in your space, use and enjoy and appreciate it. Clutter, piles and heaps, old pictures that are meaningless, worn out items, dust and cobwebs that always make you feel kind of bad or depressed are not loving you back.

Either fix and shine up the items you have, or let them go (donate) and leave the space open or replace it with something awesomely you.

And, this doesn’t have to be about money, as in “I don’t have lots of money to put into changes, so I won’t do anything”. Just start moving items and energy and you’ll be amazed at how much you might like more open space or that you already have replacements in other areas of the house.

THIS IS THE MONTH OF LOVE

In the US, especially – thank you, or curse you, Hallmark – we get wrapped up in Valentine’s Day. Even if you don’t care about it, or scorn its very existence, take this month before spring settles in and shine up your living space. Fall in love again, or for the first time, with your home, one area at a time and enjoy spring, summer, fall and winter of this new year anew.

“There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.”
~ Jane Austen

Being stuck and feeling hopeless creates inertia, inactivity, depression, overwhelm and apathy. Been there? Are there? I have been too, plenty of times.

Action is called for. Any action really. Just start movement.

Clean the toilet! Take the recyclables to the recycle place. Do the dishes or laundry. Just get your body and energy moving.

The bottom-line is — change the energy and whirl of stuck thoughts in your mind. Move into tangible, objective action.

How has getting into action helped you?

 How will being stuck one more month, year or decade feel?

  I can help you move past stuckness.

PRIORITY COACHING - Email me to schedule your FREE 20-MINUTE CONSULTATION to kim@drdeclutter.com and start movement immediately.

Resisting “what is” is exhausting. Wouldn’t you agree?

We can’t change a lot of things that happen every second. Like the weather, other people, the government, other countries, our squirrely thoughts and emotions and so much more. But boy, do we ever try!

And, to what end?

What are the real results of all of our resisting life? No good, but a lot of stress, frustration, anger, depression, angst, blame and other negative emotions and activity.

“To offer no resistance to life is to be in a state of grace, ease, and lightness.”

~ Eckhart Tolle

STOP RESISTING

Changing a few things in our thinking can make a world of difference and make life much easier to enjoy.

For some people it will mean telling their ego that they don’t have to be right, and no one need be wrong.

For others, it will be letting go of the past.

And, for others, it will be about grieving what was or will never be.

LETTING GO & ACCEPTANCE

It can take everything you’ve got to let go of things that you judge are wrong or bad and want them to change. But, 99.999% won’t.

“Of course there is no formula for success except, perhaps,

an unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings.”

~ Arthur Rubinstein

Our best bet is to learn to flow with and not fight life. Flow with what is right in this moment; your life, health, finances, relationships, job, neighbors, plans, goals, etc., etc.

Flow.

Otherwise, you are at war with things that most likely will not be different, no matter how much resistance to the change or outcomes you give it. And, no matter how “right” you are.

So, unless you are Gandhi, who’s “passive” resistance changed a country and affected the world, here are a few more suggestions for change, to stop resisting and flow.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

    1.  Change only your thoughts and thinking about what is.

    2.  Change only your choices and decisions about what you are doing today and each day to come.

    3.  Question everything, but don’t resist it.

    4.  Vote with your feet! Get out of situations that are truly harmful to you or others.

    5.  Revision your life as easy, flowing, in harmony and enjoyable.

    6.  Choose to be around people who are happy and flow in life.

“You don’t get to vote on what is. Have you noticed?”

~ Byron Katie

Suggested Reading: Click on cover to find out more.

   DO YOU NEED SOME EXTRA HELP LETTING GO?

   PRIORITY COACHING

I can work with you by telephone to help you shift and change your blocks and areas of resistance that are interfering with your joy, or even ruining your life. Contact me at kim@drdeclutter.com for a FREE 20-MINUTE CONSULTATION

It’s February 1st. If you made New Year’s Resolutions (NYRs) this year, how did you do last month? How are you doing with them?

If you’ve “fallen off the proverbial wagon” already, here are some tips to lighten up, get back on it, or not.

1. Preplan.
Are/were you ready to take on this resolution to change in the first place? Some people set and start NYR just because it’s tradition, that doesn’t make it rational! If you’re really not committed and not ready, look at your calendar and redecide for later, even if later is next week or next year.

2. Be Realistic. Reset them, keep it simple and aim low.
Too many NYRs are to lofty, irrational and out of reach.  Back off your goals from “I’m going to exercise 30 minutes, five days a week,” to “I’m going to exercise 15 minutes three times a week.” Don’t sabotage yourself. Just start and keep going.

3. Don’t have more than two NYRs.
More than two goals — which mean a change in life patterns, thinking, routine and habits — will register as TILT in your brain. Resistance is sure, followed by failure and guilt. Who needs that?! If two is too many, choose just one. Concentrate on it and do it well.

4. Share it with another.
There are different schools of thought on the sharing of goals. One says that NYRs are best kept to oneself, the other is to tell lots of people so that you are making a big commitment. It’s a personal choice. But, do tell at least only one other who you trust not to say anything about it, because after all, we do change our minds.

5. Commit it to paper.
When we can see it on paper — and better yet, cut out pictures of the “end goal” to keep the mind focused on the outcome, not where you are now — it becomes more real and more of a commitment. Write it down, plan it out, read it to yourself daily several times to instill the new thought pattern while keeping it fresh.

6. Reward yourself.
Maybe against my better judgement I’m including this one. I don’t respond to the “reward yourself” theory. Some people do. Giving yourself just a little of whatever it is on the way to your outcome goal sometimes makes the trip easier and better, and less like deprivation and detox. Like GOAL: No more shoe shopping. REWARD: One pair of shoes a month instead of three. GOAL: No chocolate until I lose 15 lbs. REWARD: One small piece of chocolate each week in place of daily snack. Clearly this doesn’t work with major addictions, but if it works, use it.

7. Move your NYR until spring.
Who says you have to do this NYR thing in January? Take charge of what works best for you. April and May are good months to begin change as the season changes and things feel and smell and are just so fresh and wonderful, especially if you live in cold, dark winter regions.

8. Get help.
Invite a NYR buddy into your life. Do your exercise, weight loss, stop smoking, etc. with a friend. Hire a life- or physical coach. Go to a group on your issue, or a professional in mental health if your issue to “resolve” is just too hard for you to do yourself.

There’s no shame in NYR setting, doing or not doing. Set yourself up to make it work. You don’t owe anyone an explanation.

My core question to my readers and audiences is always, “What do you want?” Answer that and your goals and dreams will begin to fall into place!

NEED HELP STAYING MOTIVATED AND TAKING ACTION ON YOUR GOALS?

Email me to schedule a FREE 20-minute consultation at kim@drdeclutter.com    

PRIORITY COACHING:

I can work with you by telephone as your personal Priority Coach to help you stick with your vision, make a plan and stay accountable to it.