Killing Time?

In my conversations around town a troubling phrase keeps coming up. More than five people in the last week have mentioned that they did one thing or another to "kill" time while they were waiting for something to happen. Killing time? I know that I have said this on a few rare occasions but it seemed odd and a bit alarming that so many people are not using their time to the best of their abilities.

We all have those short stretches of time where we are waiting to move from one mode to another. The question is - How can we use even those teeny, tiny times to our advantage?

Waiting for appointments? Have a folder of things you really want to read, not just what is supplied in the waiting rooms. It is also a time to read/sort mail.

Sitting in traffic? Consider a good book on CD/TAPE/MP3. Check your local library for titles to borrow. Also, check iTunes for their free selections.

Watching TV? What hobby or activity could you pick up to make that time more fruitful? Maybe even a time for exercise(?!)

Whenever your bits of wasted time occur, it is possible to take back your time and use it well. If you don't use your time, it WILL be wasted... and we all know just how valuable time really is!

Wishing... then doing!

I wish that I could say that my house is perfect, that my children are angels and that my life is bliss. Yes, my life is great but it is a REAL life with ups and downs. At this very second I can hear my three year old crying downstairs because she doesn't want to help my husband pick up the messes she has made today. Yes, messes do happen... even in an organizer's home.

My family is about to take a huge step out into the unknown. My husband's job is ending in June and we don't know where we are going yet. My business is growing but it doesn't feed us and house us quite yet. I find myself wishing a lot these days. Wishing for stability, wishing for someone else to pack my moving boxes for me, wishing for it to be a year from now instead of right now. Today it occurred to me. I have to stop wishing and just start doing. "Inch by inch, life is a cinch. right?"

So what am I doing? I am being faithful to the processes that I know and always try to use. Maybe they will be helpful to you too.

Sort and open my mail each day
Do my best to answer and delete email each day
Keep up with the laundry
Make the beds - even when I don't feel like it
Start everyday by looking at the calendar and making sure I have a "flight plan"
Buy only the things that I really need
Avoid food that is neon-colored or clearly not "real" food
Pray or be still at least once each day
Shower, no matter what!
Be thankful about something and/or someone... then let him/her know about it
End the day with a clean(ish) desk
Always have extra batteries... and a secret stash of cookies
Get enough protein (hard since I am a veggie)
Try not to be "grouchy mommy"
Clean out the refrigerator once a week
Still have a date night with my husband
Ask for help (that one is really hard for me)
Love myself more
Listen to others more
Cut out the things that don't really matter to me (or the ones I love)
Drive slower
Listen to music as much as possible
Read something everyday (even if it is only a few moments in the bathroom)
Give my things away to those who really need them
Smile... even when I am by myself
Trust what is to come....
.... Julian of Norwich was right -
"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well"

New Year's... and a new year.

I think that resolutions should be made on some random Tuesday in May. It seems like they are more viable than those that are made in the midst of holiday overeating, charged up credit cards and snowed-out exercise plans. Thinking about retooling my life each year stirs up feelings of failure, not dreams of relief.

So what do I do?

I make a promise to be gentle to myself. My natural tendency is the work myself to death. I guess that comes from my Pennsylvania Dutch (German) background. It is actually a true exercise of all my skills to do nothing.

So what does it mean to be gentle to myself?
Finding a pace that keeps me happy, engaged, and moving forward in my life.

Most of what we resolve has to do with "problems" in our pace of living . So why not do what all good doctors do - treat the root issue and NOT simply mask the symptoms.

How will you change your pace this year? What would it mean to be gentle to yourself?
Why not try it today.

Making Good Choices

The new PC ways we talk to kids really get under my skin sometimes. I am guilty of it - I know but some are way more out of control that I am.

I am known to call after McKenzie to "be a good friend" as she is heading onto the crowded bus in the morning. ... the the one that really gets me is "make good choices". When parents and teachers say that I want to scccreeeaaaaaammmm.

The truth remains. We all need to be reminded to make good choices. Most of our clutter desks, dirty dishes, unpaid bills and lapsed commitments are a direct result of NOT making good choices. The very nature of choice-making means that something is a "yes" and another thing is a "no". This is not easy for most of us. What you say "yes" or "no" to this week that will make a difference is your living? Start now - make that good choice today.

Putting it where it is used the most

I should really follow my own advice. If I had a penny for each of the times I have said "put this where you are really going to use it", I would be typing this from a remote location off the coast of somewhere lovely, sunny and tropical.

This morning was my day to follow my own advice. Normally I keep the vitamins in the hall closet to store them out of view. ...But guess what happens?! I never take them because I forget. This is also true of my prayer life. All my "tools" are out of sight it in my home office. Guess what also happens?! My prayer life has been almost nonexistent. (UGH!)

This was the day for change.
I have placed a basket on top of the upstairs toilet with all my vitamins and a few morning devotional books placed inside. Now it will be in view and used.

It is good to follow the advice you offer to others. It keeps you honest.

Good advice for us all...

I am sitting at my computer... well, I am actually sitting at the computer in my local library since my wireless is "less-than-wireless" at the current moment. The task at hand is to finish an action plan for a client needing to recapture her living spaces. As I outline the steps of what she should do, I remember the tears shed during the in-home consultation.

The opening advice I offered before the actual steps were listed is this:

Honor the fact that this is hard work to let go of things.
Be generous with yourself.
*Remember that it is possible to honor feelings and memories without keeping the stuff.*

I hope this is a helpful starting place for you too.
What is stored away in your space that can really be let go of today?

My favorite things...

Have you ever heard anything that made you laugh out loud without being able to catch yourself? The backseat of my minivan is either filled with kids or filled with client donation drop offs. The other day a neighborhood child was sitting in the back talking about her favorite things.

Raindrops on roses?
and whiskers on kittens?
Those might be Maria's favorite things from the Sound of Music
but for this little girl, her favorite things were -

Unicorns
Cocker Spaniels
...and pickles.

Something about that grouping made me laugh and laugh. Then it started me thinking... what random collection of things do I love? How about you... what do you love?

Consult the Magic Eight Ball

I have been working a lot these past few weeks. It is apparent in the way my calendar is a sea of scribbles. It is apparent in the fact that I am going to do seven loads of laundry today... but it is most apparent in the face of my eight-year old daughter McKenzie.

Last night I worked into the evening with a woman who was expecting a short notice visit from her mother. I didn't get into the achieveorder mobile until after 7pm and then I headed home to my family. I wasn't out of the car before I heard the voices of my girls shouting "Mama, mama, MAMA!" It is a very good thing that I have a great husband who can do the "Mr.Mom" thing quite well. (Without him I would be much less than I am.)

This morning McKenzie consulted the advice of her friend Eva's Magic Eight Ball. I overheard them talking at the front door waiting for the bus .... " Will my mom stop working soon and just stay home with me?" (UGH! My heart.) Much to McKenzie's delight, the ball advised "most certainly true". There is truth in wisdom of Eva's Eight Ball. The challenge for me is to do what I enjoy (organizing) without it taking over and bumping out what I REALLY love (my family).

I am sure some of you have been there.

Circle of Ladies

I had the delightful opportunity to be in a circle of ladies the other night for a discussion group. I was asked to be there to talk about Spring organizing but I wanted to try something new. They were invited to bring their junk drawers along as an interactive story sharing experience. The talking point - what is in your junk drawer... and tell a story about it.

You never know that will happen when you open the time to free-flow sharing. The chemistry of some groups allow of deep sharing while others... don't...

What an honor it was to be with a group who could share... on many levels. Stories of people, places and events peppered the conversation. The junk made us laugh and even made us sit silently in the presence of tears.

What is in your junk drawer... who/what/when comes to mind...?

Shoes

I have been working in a home where the father recently passed away. His adult daughter and I have been working on a few organizing projects around the house. Yesterday I was loading my van with a number of things to go to Goodwill. Normally I place the items in the van without thinking too much about it.

Laying out on the lawn were three pairs of his shoes. I stood there for a few moments - unable to gather them into a bag. I looked at them and thought about all the steps they had taken - with both joy and regret. Even though I never met the father, there was something deeply personal about the shoes. It seemed like an unkind act to throw them in the pile with the rest of the donations.

Isn't it odd what strikes us about a person once they are gone.

Roots

I am thrilled to see green things poking through the ground in my flowerbeds. It signals Spring to me more than the warming temperatures.

I have to tell the truth. I am a VERY impatient gardener. My husband teases that I like to perform "professional installations" instead of enjoying the gradual art of tending to a garden. He has been right in other years - but not this one. This girl is turning over a new leaf.

Have you ever had the sense in your life that things are not completely under your own control? As an organizer I don't really like that feeling. It seems that my family is in a place of great opportunity right now. There are several choices ahead of us that create "unknown" and "wonder" (and even worry, if you ask me!).

What is a girl to do?

Today I purchased an unbelieveable number of seed packets. I intend to plant every single one of those seeds on Friday. Cosmos, sweet peas, lettuce, etc... And I am going to be patient...

I look at it as a spiritual discipline and an act of self-control. If you know me, you know this is a stretch. What better than to put down literal roots when you are working on putting down figurative roots too?

Join me. Turn off your computer and plant something!

McKenzie has turned on me! :-)

McKenzie (my older daughter) has turned on me. She is only 8 but it has already happened... :-) Yesterday we were driving in the car together while she was sharing her newest adventures with her online webkinz pets. (Children are put in charge of caring for their pets by playing with them, feeding them and even buying the things they need.) McKenzie remarked that she had just bought a second room for her horse. I asked why a virtual horse would need more than one room.... and her response was " Where else would I store all her stuff?" The answer went through me like a rush of wind. My clients say the same thing about all the real "stuff" they have collected yet don't have places for! I guess it starts at an early age. Ugh!

How are the resolutions?

More than a month has passed since the ball dropped in NYC to signal the new year. How are those resolutions going? For us Christians, we have a second chance. Lent started last week so we have another fresh start to make good on our promises. Did you make the same resolution again? Retool the old one... or completely throw it out the window? The truth is... Each day is a chance to have a fresh start. Don't get discouraged!

Bottom of the basket

I actually LIKE doing laundry... and that is a good thing since my family seems to produce plenty of it! I have a system of sorting on the floor in the upstairs hallway - darks by the playroom door, towels by the stairs, colors next to the bathroom door, etc... ...but here is where I get stuck. For the last six months there have been three pieces of laundry repeated left in the bottom of the laundry basket. 1.) Pink sheer top that needs to be handwashed. 2.) Tan shirt that needs to be dry cleaned. 3.) An orange flowing shirt that always bleeds all over the place when washed. I am avoiding them... I cannot denigh it... They have been passed over every week since the middle of August. Why? I just don't want to take the time to do what needs to be done. Do you know what I mean? What is your "thing" you are avoiding? Let's both turn off our computers now and go do our "thing". Let's not let it suck anymore energy out of us.... Let me know how it goes!

Schedules...

While strolling down the aisle at the grocery store on Saturday, I met up with someone whom I haven't seen in a long time. Standing in front of the baked goods we exchanged "hellos". When asked how I was doing, my automatic response was "crazy, busy, good". I didn't even think about it. Somehow that is just the normal answer that comes out to anyone who asks. As I rolled away, I thought how untrue my statement was. I am good and busy but not really crazy and out of control. I guess that if we don't seem or sound like we are doing, doing, doing all that we can then we are not doing enough. I guess that it would sound silly to have replied " Good to see you John. How am I? Actually I am doing quite well at managing my life in ways that make me feel balanced...My beds are made and the laundry is finished. I have allowed just enough time to bake something for the potluck tonight. I have checked my schedule twice today and I am right on track. Thank you very much. How about you?" Think about the things you are communicating. You don't have to be doing everything, you just have to be doing the right things. Next time my response will not be "crazy, busy, good".... it will be "doing well...I am really blessed How about you"?

Clutter Kills!

Whoever said crack kills was wrong... what really kills is clutter! In all the movement of the holiday season, I let a few things pile up in my office/workroom. (Yes, it happens to me too!) While working on a school sewing project with my daughter, I made the mistake of plugging in my sewing machine with the cord running across the floor. Last minute gifts were also there waiting to be wrapped. McKenzie tripped over the bag and along came the sewing machine cord. Down, down, down crashed the machine into pieces all over the floor. The look on her face was sheer horror...but it was my fault. The good news is that McKenzie is fine but the less than good news is that the machine is a total loss. I wish they offered sewing machine medical insurance!

Saving a few minutes here and there is really going to cost me.
Take the extra time today to pick up all those things in your way.... it will really save you in the long run.

Lists... and more lists!

I am a list-maker. I write them on notepads, in my calendar, on the back of old notices from school... and even emails to myself. I get great satisfaction writing them and then crossing off things as I go along. (I have even been known to write something on there I have already done just so I can cross something off the list right away. Ahhhh, the pride of accomplishment!... and the power of a pen stroke....

Tonight at my computer I was consolidating the half completed lists so I was ready to start my week fresh with a one, new "to do" list when I simply had to laugh out loud. There still waiting to be crossed out was this -

WASH CHOPIN AND ABERLIN

Why is this so funny?

Chopin is the dog my older daughter is currently dog sitting and Aberlin in my younger daughter. The fact that I would group them together in one thought made me laugh and laugh!

The good news is that they only share a line on my "to do" list... and not the same bath water!

Curious....then grossed out

Have you ever been appalled yet wickedly intrigued at the same time? Last night when I was picking over the discount bins at a store I saw just the thing that made me appalled and intrigued both at once. (By the way - you do look in those bins, right!? There are major organizational treasures hiding in there!)

There on the shelf was a brightly colored box of sour candy coated raisins. And here is the best part - the makers of these disgusting treats were proud to claim that the product contained no refined sugar ...and were being marketed as a "smart choice" for healthy kids!

It seems like an idea gone totally wrong to me. I picked up the box and even laughed out loud to someone passing with their cart. It should have been a clue when they had been marked down from 99 cents, to 69 cents and then finally to 24 cents.

Of course I bought a pack. How could I pass up such a bizarre deal??

Sitting in the parking lot I tried one. Only one... and that was enough. I normally don't make it a practice to spit things out preschooler-style but I did! I guess my "intrigued" voice spoke louder than my "appalled" sensibilities. Never again! :-}

Holiday Madness

This year really takes the cake!

I know that stores like to make us feel like we need, need, need things but this really is going too far. While strolling down the holiday aisle of a major big box store I saw Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's AND Valentines Day items all at the same time!

As your friendly professional organizer, I beg you not to shop until you drop this season. Consider how you can celebrate these holidays other than buying something. Your closets, drawers and storage areas will thank you!

Hand-me-downs!?!?!?!

I am a major thrift shop junkie. There should really be a support group from people like me. The thought of finding a treasure in what looks like a pile of junk is better than going to Tiffany and Co. Truly!

What is EVEN BETTER than a thrift shop? Hand-me-downs.
Those big plastic bags from friends and family holding unknown gems are even more thrilling to me.

...BUT BEWARE! Those same bags of hand-me-downs can be a curse too! Accepting these "gifts" from others can get complicated. You don't need to be the central dumping station for anyone simply because you have children of a certain size.

If you chose to accept them - here is what to do. Sort the clothes immediately into three piles - keep, donate and trash. Once you do that place the keepers directly into the laundry, trash the throwaways, and bag up the donation items. Place them on the front passenger seat of the car. If they go in the trunk, they will stay there too long!

Keep in mind that it IS okay to decline hand-me-down offers. You shouldn't feel obligated to add to the (possible) piles of clutter already spilling out in unwanted places. Gently say that you have all that you need this season, thank you!