Please join me in celebrating 15 years of helping clients to declutter, simplify, organize, and refresh their homes, offices, schedules, and lives…and helping them discover their roots and tell their family stories, too!
And what’s an anniversary without gratitude, a few selected highlights, and a crossword puzzle?
FOCUS on 20/20, er, I mean 2020.
As I shift my focus from 2019 to 2020, I have chosen a focus word for the new year. It is….wait for it….FOCUS.
Either that, or VISION.
Whatever. They go hand in hand, don’t they?
I can’t be the only one who picks FOCUS or VISION for 2020, but that’s OK. It’s not a competition.
What are “holidays” and why are they so stressful? A holiday is any special occasion, all year round, which involves extra preparations; extra time, money and energy; and extra people, families in particular. Examples include birthdays, weddings, religious holidays, and secular holidays.
Holiday stress comes from having unrealistic expectations of yourself and others. Sometimes it’s the family getting together that contributes to the stress, and sometimes it’s the fact that you’re not getting together, or can’t, whatever the reason may be.
If you can relate to this definition, keep reading for some tips that will help you reduce holiday stress in four major areas of your life.
Calendar bird photo by Ann Strober.
I hate to be a party pooper, but I just don’t believe it takes 21 days to create a habit. Or 30 days. Or however long people are saying. It’s true that you can’t simply do something for only 3 days, or 10, and expect it to “stick”. And the effort required to create a new habit is well worth it! But I think there are too many factors to pin it down to a specific number of days for all habits and all people.
These are stressful times.
And I think we’re all feeling it one way or another.
(I originally wrote this post during a specific national crisis, but really, every day is stressful for someone, isn’t it?)
Are you remembering to take care of yourself?
I forget sometimes, so I’m writing this for myself as much as for you.
Organizing for stressful times means planning what you will do for yourself when, not if, those times occur.
Here are my suggestions: (more…)
Are you frustrated with your life?
Or, maybe your life is pretty good, but you’re annoyed with a few aspects of it?
Maybe you just need to change your settings.
Do you have unfinishe
d household projects lying around? I can tell what my clients’ projects are at a glance – there are light bulbs that need changing; clothing that needs repairing; pictures that need to be framed and hung; and gifts that need to be wrapped. They are sitting out on the counters, tables, and floors, all waiting to be done. But they aren’t getting done. Why not?
Are you the organized one in your family? Does it seem pointless to try to stay organized, with everyone making messes right behind you as you go around the house tidying up? Here are some sneaky ways to get them onboard with your organizing systems.
I originally wrote this post for World Back Up Day (Don’t be an April Fool – Take the Pledge!)
But…really, shouldn’t every day be Back Up Day?
(Click to view video: “What Would You Do if You Lost Everything?“)
Which path will you take?
I think we all worry sometimes, don’t you? We worry about our health, and the health of our loved ones. About our appearance, and how we measure up to others. About money, and how our businesses are doing. About whether or not we’re being good parents. We worry about (fill in the blank).
And what does worrying do to us? It causes stress, sleepless nights, stomach aches, arguments, etc., and sometimes it causes us to not enjoy life’s pleasures…..yes?
So, who am I to tell you to stop worrying?
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