Travel Lesson from Mom

I must admit, after traveling this weekend, I feel somewhat out of control. I am not sure if it was my brain over stimulated or just the shear fact of not doing anything for two days. The weekend consisted of a lot of sitting (which I don't normally do) and included a fantastic time with my husband's family.


When I was growing up and staying in hotels, I used to laugh when my mom wanted me to unpack my suitcase and pick up my stuff. We were in hotel, and isn't being somewhat messy and lazy what you are supposed to do when on vacation? I guess that is a kid's version. I found myself putting the extra toys, diapers, and books in a drawer. I even designated one draw for dirty clothes! In the bathroom, I immediately put shampoo and body wash in the shower and used a cup to hold the toothbrushes. Oh how my mom would be proud! Organized chaos in a small room is what helps us relax to create a tranquil environment for our belongings.

Driving home with the sun shining on my face felt wonderful! But my mind was on high speed thinking of everything I wanted to get done in the next few weeks. I guess I should have had Tom write things down so I could get rid of some mind clutter, but he was snoozing away.

Once we arrived home, it was off to work for a short while and then home for dinner while relaxing as a whole family again (My oldest stayed home).

Yesterday wasn't too productive. I managed to complete the unpacking process and visit with a sick child. I have great hopes of accomplishing many items on my never ending "to do" list, but can feel there isn't much energy to do so. Could it be the sun calling me to come play? Yes and no. With the sun one starts to think yard work, gardening and vacations.

Why is it that on a short week I feel uninspired and lack motivation? Do you feel the same? My solution? Just make a written list of what HAS to be done and enjoy a time of relaxation. There will always be next week and after all it is a full week!

Feel free to share your motivation (or lack of) this week. What projects are you working on?
Don't forget to stop and let the sun shine on your face.

10 minute Challenge- Mind Clutter

Now that we have read about mind clutter.  I challenge you to get all your appointments on your calendar, update your address book, or create a housework/chore schedule.  This will help clear your mind and relieve some stress.  Oh yeah, don't forget to keep a glass of water nearby to stay hydrated!
Here is my weekly cleaning schedule: 
 Monday- Laundry
 Tuesday - Vaccuum
 Wednesday- Bathrooms
 Thursday- Sweep/Mop and Vaccuum
  Friday/Saturday/Sunday- keep the chaos under control

I try to run errands on Thursday.  I get items ready throughout the week to be in the car and ready for Thursday. 

An area I need to focus on is updating the calendar on my fridge.  I tend to keep all appointments in my head.  The can lead me to feel overwhelmed and stressed.

Let me know what area you are going to work on to help with your mental chaos.   Good luck!

Mental Chaos

Have you ever walked into a room only to forget what you went there for? In the middle of a conversation, do you forget what you were talking about? I can answer YES to both of those on several instances.


I consider these symptoms of mental chaos. We, especially women, are bombarded with hundreds, even thousands of things competing with our attention.

Mental Chaos can lead to clutter and chaos in other areas of life. Here is an excerpt from The Rat Race Trap blog. http://www.ratracetrap.com/ These are great tips to help clear out your mental chaos.
1. Meditate – There is probably no better way to clear the clutter from your mind than meditating. Try more extended meditation once a day, but you can meditate for short periods of time in a quite place at work if you need to. Try five minutes in a small conference room.

2. Breathe – So very simple and effective. You can do it almost anywhere or anytime. Focus on just a few deep breaths and let your nagging and busy thoughts float away.

3. Single-task – Aside from the productivity benefits, focusing on one thing at a time by definition clears your mind of everything else.

4. Write it down – Almost every productivity system ever invented recommends writing down the things in your head so you they don’t keep popping into your mind.

5. Be Present – Experience the now and let go of all the endless mind chatter and negative thoughts.

6. Worrying – All worry is unnecessary clutter.

7. Filter Your Inputs – Your brain is processing the inputs whether you realize it or not. Put on headphones with soothing music or white noise (I like rain sounds). Go to a quiet room. Stop checking email, Twitter, Facebook, feeds, etc.

8. Say No – Every time you add another task or commitment you add another piece of clutter to your mind. Just say no.

9. Take a media break – Turn off the TV, don’t surf the net for stories or news, and ignore newspapers and magazines. Once you get past the withdrawal symptoms, the resulting peace of mind is incredible.

10. Declutter your space – Decluttering your surroundings will help remove visual clutter from your mind. Less clutter just makes you feel more peaceful.

One last piece of advice from me is that if you are feeling confused or overwhelmed, try drinking a glass of water. I find that sometimes, if I am confused or can't think clearly a glass of water will help.

If you find that you need help letting go with some of the mental chaos and don't know where to start, drop me an email and we can see how I can help.

10 Minute Challenge

Every week in February I am offering a 10 minute challenge. The activity will take 10 minutes or less (hence the name) but will make a world of difference in your mental lookout and the chaos in your life.

This week, I challenge you to pick a room and fill a box with things to donate. You pick the room and the size of the box, anything from a shoe box to a refrigerator box. This will help give you the boost you need to start with the spring cleaning.

For those who live in the Wenatchee area, Foundation Ministries is having an indoor yard sale on Feb 27th to raise money for a mission trip to Nicaragua. Part of the mission that is dear to my heart of House of Hope, a card making business, helps women leave prostitution and earn money to support them. This is where I will be donating my boxes of items. If you need more information check out: http://www.foundationsministries.net/index.php or http://www.houseofhopenicaragua.com/.

Who is ready to accept the challenge? Feel free to post pictures.

If you need one on one attention, do not hesitate to contact me.

One size does NOT fit all.

When I was fresh out of college I had a job as an account executive for a local radio station in Montana.  My desk was a complete mess.  Although this isn't a actual picture of my desk.  It is a great representation.   My coworker had the same type of situation.  The funny part is.. when my sales manager asked me for something, I could just walk over to my desk and pick it up out of the piles.  My coworker on the other hand would spent atleast 1/2 hour searching for the requested item. 

My point, to be organized doesn't mean everything has to be placed neatly and perfectly.  I had a system.  I knew which pile contained what information and I could find it immediately.  Organization is simply just finding a system that works for you and your lifestyle.  It certainly isn't a one size fits all concept.  I believe too many people get caught up on the idea of how organized people look in magazines, or on television.  When we can't uphold that type of perfection we feel like we have failed and will never be organized. So we give up.

If you want to find the system that works for you, contact me today and schedule an introductory appointment.  We will get your life simplified on your terms with a system that will work for you and your lifestyle.