More Stuff, Less Stuff

You see the shows on TV where a totally cluttered room gets a "makeover"; it magically transforms from a mess to amazing, with the help of a friendly professional organizer, and maybe some organizing supplies and, once in a while, a handy carpenter.

Most people I know have this problem of clutter, to one degree or another. It might be a closet, or basement, or the "junk" drawer in the kitchen, or a box of photographs stuffed under the bed, or an overflowing dining room table, or maybe "it" has taken a life of it's own and has consumed the whole house! It's rare to find someone who lives in a minimalistic, streamlined home, at least in this area of the Northeast. As I've said before in a previous post on my other blog, we simply have TOO MUCH STUFF!

Why? What do you thing causes this TOO MUCH STUFF syndrome? Is it the big discount chains and the dollar store bargins too good to pass up? The constant bombardment of TV ads, newspaper flyers, junk mail, etc.? Or endless shopping opportunities on late night television, on the Internet, through our school and church fundraisers, even our family/friends/neighbors who are trying to earn some extra cash by inviting us to parties to buy candles, plastic food storage containers or kitchen gadgets (hey, I can comment about the party plan business because I've "been there, done that"). I'm as guilty as the next person because I've signed up with not one, but THREE types of direct sales businesses already! I have all the paperwork, training materials, and "free" products to prove it too!

At this time of year, it's the start of Garage Sale/Craft Show/Flea Market season, which is ironic, because someone else is trying to get rid of their own abundance of STUFF and we end up buying it because of the great deals!

What about well-meaning friends, acquaintances and relatives who give us "thoughtful" presents year after year, that we just don't know what to do with (let alone, can't figure out what it is or what it does)? It's Graduation, Communion/Confirmation, and Wedding season now, plus Mother's Day and Father's Day... more opportunities for presents! Ya-hoo! More stuff!

What's my point? Maybe, just maybe, we can start to think about making slight changes in the way we go about living our daily lives in the next few weeks, to start streamlining the "stuff" that may be coming into our lives. Sort of like putting ourselves on a low maintanence diet to cut back on the excess "stuff" that's filling our homes.

Let's start with idea of giving presents: are you invited to any special event coming up? Can you think of creative gifts to give that would be more service-oriented or consumable, rather than taking up more space? If you happen to be the lucky one who will be receiving gifts this month for a special ocassion, could you leak out the fact that you would prefer something that's less "stuff-y" and, instead, think of ideas for gifts that you might like, which would not be adding to your clutterness factor.

Assignment:
Email me with your ideas and suggestions for no-clutter gift ideas at info@sort-things-out.com. We'll take on your "stuff", one step at a time.

The Sweet Smell of Success

So far, for this month, we've been doing 2 simple things to help bring us closer to our ONE goal:
1. Focus on your ONE goal (not a whole list of New Year's Resolution; just ONE goal).
2. Develop the daily habit of focusing on your ONE goal.

[If you're just joining us, scroll down to previous posts to read through the "how to" part. Just jump in where you are now, don't worry about missing time between then and now. The important thing is to just get started!]

Just focusing on ONE goal, twice a day, for a few minutes. Up to this point, no other commitment or thought needed. Maybe you're wondering, "How am I going to get to my ONE goal by just thinking about it and not doing anything?". Even though it may not feel like progress right now, we're working on building the foundation, one step at time, just like building a new house, one brick at a time, so that it lasts a lifetime.

I've learned three important key elements to making any kind of change become a permanent change:
1. Make the change into a habit, by doing it EVERY day.
2. Let your sub-conscious mind take over and work on the ONE goal for you... so you won't have to.
3. Involve as many of your senses as possible when visualizing your ONE goal (seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, smelling).

We'll talk more about these key elements on another posting.

For now, on with today's assignment.

ASSIGNMENT: Adding the Sense of Smell to Your ONE Goal (5 minutes)

Sound a little hokey? Humor me and try it anyway, then tell me what you think...

1. Take 2 minutes right now, to think about any smells associated with your ONE goal. For example, a new car would have that "new car smell", a vacation on an island would have the scents of the salt water and suntan lotion, going to the gym would have the smell of...well, a sweaty gym, a new job would have that "new job smell" (whatever that would be!). You get the idea.

Can't think of a smell? Go and find something else in the house that you can substitute (like a lemon or orange, or something from your spice cabinet, a candle, a perfume or cologne, etc.) I like using essential oils when I'm visualizing.

2. Every day, from now on, visualize your goal by closing your eyes, relaxing, and as you breathe deeply, imagine with each breath that you're smelling the "sweet smell of success" associated with your goal. Try to actually use the scent if possible (although I don't think anyone has bottled the smell of "New Car" yet!). Take a minute to really experience the scent, let it fill you up as you're thinking about your ONE goal.

That's it for now. Let me know about your experience by posting a comment or dropping me an email.

See you tomorrow.

Banish the Negative!

How are you doing since our last posting? Are you making it a daily habit to focus on your ONE goal? Or, are you having trouble getting rid of the negative chatter that your brain is constantly feeding itself?

For some extra help on how to banish the negative chatter that goes on in your head, click on the link to the right (Article: "Stop Your Destructive Inner Voice"). The "take home" message is down at the bottom of that article, which is something we can practice every day, to make it a habit and Banish the Negative! I would add one more line to it, though (see today's Assignment for my suggestion).

ASSIGNMENT: Work on Banishing the Negative Self-Talk (5 minutes)

1. Read the Article: Stop Your Destrictive Inner Voice (click on Link).

2. Add the following phrase to the author's "take home" message (which appears at the end of the article):

"...so I choose to go UP, to reach up and focus on my ONE goal."

3. Write down the complete message in your day planner, calendar, journal, sticky note, in your "Goal" Word document, or create a new document; anywhere that you'll see it and can refer to it.

4. Keep focusing and visualizing on your ONE goal, every day, twice a day (if you're new to our site, see previous posts on how to visualize your goal).

5. Add today's new phrase to your daily focus (if you need help to Banish the Negative!)

Let me know how you're doing. Leave a comment or drop me an email.

See you tomorrow.

All Obstacles Are Gone!

From our last posting (Jan. 5th), we've been working on getting you in the habit of living your goal, in your mind, every day, at least twice a day. For some of you, it's too hard to picture yourself living the goal. You're brain is talking you out of it! Every time you try to picture yourself in that ONE goal, your mind fills with questions like, How am I going to get to this point? It's impossible, what's the use? Forget it, I don't know how I'm going to do this, and the ONE goal gets shut down.

I have one word for you: STOP. Stop it. Stop that little voice that's feeding you those lines. It stops right here, right now.

For now, don't worry about HOW you'll get to your ONE goal, don't worry about how much it will cost, how long it will take, how no one will like you anymore, how impossible it is... STOP.

I am hereby waving a magic wand across the Internet and completely erasing all obstacles that will get in the way of you reaching your ONE goal. All lights are green from here on, the race course is completely cleared for you. There is nothing to get in your way. Here's today's assignment:

ASSIGNMENT: Focus On Your ONE Goal, With No Obstacles (1 minute)

1. Once in the morning and once at night, close your eyes, breath deeply, relax and starting living your ONE goal in your mind. Do it, feel it, live it, see it, for the next minute. No obstacles, push out the little voice that wants to talk you out of it. You've reached your goal in your mind and there's nothing in the way to stop it. Live the ONE goal for the next 60 seconds, then STOP.

2. Now, get on with the rest of your day.

See you tomorrow.

(Don't forget to post a Comment about what your ONE goal is)

One Minute Focus (every day)

By now, your ONE goal should be plastered all over the house, in your car, at work. The idea is to surround yourself with the ONE goal, that you see it all the time.

(Too messy to have all those sticky notes around? Then type it up on the computer multiple times, cut them out, and print it and tape/tack/stick them up and around. If you want a Word template to use to print out your goal, email me: getreadyfor@optonline.net ).

Assignment: One Minute Focus Everyday (1 minute)

1. For the next minute, Focus only on your ONE goal: Close your eyes, breath deeply, relax. Immerse yourself completely into your ONE goal as if you already have it, are living it already, breathing it, doing it, seeing it, feeling it, smelling it, driving it, tasting it, touching it, using it, whatever. Use all of your senses: imagine what are your wearing, what's the temperature or weather, what colors do you see, what are you feeling now that you have that ONE goal?

2. Do this one minute focus EVERY morning this month, pick the time and place.

3. Do this one minute focus at least one more time each day (pick the time and place: lunch time, break time, driving (don't close your eyes though!), before bed, before dinner, etc.

We want to get you in the habit of immersing yourself in living your ONE goal, right now.

Share your goal! Click on Comments and tell us what it is or send me an email.

See you tomorrow.

One Goal: Write it Down - EVERYWHERE!

OK, yesterday we focused on ONE goal, just one (not a whole list of New Year's Resolutions!)

Yesterday, we just thought about it and talked about it. (If you're just tuning in to us now, go back to Jan. 2nd and do that one assignment first.)

Today's assignment....

ASSIGNMENT: Write down your ONE goal EVERYWHERE (5 minutes)

In the next 5 minutes try to do as many of these things as possible:

1. Open and save a new Word document called "GOAL 2006". On the top of the page, title it with your ONE goal. Close document.

2. Open and save a new Excel document called "GOAL 2006 - Spreadsheet". On the top of the page, title it with your ONE goal. Close document.

3. Find a sticky note pad. Write your ONE goal on 10 different sticky notes.

4. Take 2 sheets of blank paper from your printer. Get a pair of scissors. Cut papers in half. Write your ONE goal on top of each sheet.

5. Start distributing your sticky notes and half-sheets. Stick the notes everywhere: Refridgerator, bathroom mirror, bedroom dresser, inside your day planner, on the wall calendar, any room in the house. Save one stick note for each car, or write more.

Stop. That's it for today.

Let me know how you did on today's assignment (click on Comments for this post, or send me an email - see Profile, or call me if you know my number).

See you tomorrow.

Focus on One Goal, One Step

Welcome to the new year and a new month!

Is this you: You sat down yesterday and started making this hugh list of New Year's Resolutions with grand goals and major life-sweeping changes that you want to make this year? Or, maybe you started thinking and planning out what things SHOULD be on your list... and that you SHOULD be writing it down right now instead of just thinking about it... and that you haven't done anything about it yet... and have this GUILT hanging over you because you haven't done anything about it?

Well, we ain't gonna do that here! No guilt, no pressure, no long lists.

Do you want to make a change? Yes? OK, we're just going to work on ONE goal and ONE step only, for the next 29 days. No more than 5 minutes a day, just the ONE thing only. Nothing more than one 5 minute step, each day. Can't commit to 5 minutes? Ok, then we'll do 1 minute a day. That's it! Deal?

It's ok if you skip a day here and there; it's ok if you end up not finishing the ONE step this month, you can continue the same step into next month too.

It's ok, you're in control here. No guilt, no pressure.

ASSIGNMENT: What's your Goal? (5 minutes)

Now, the hard part: What's the ONE Goal you'd really like to reach for this year? What would rock your boat, what would get you really excited, what is it that would make you say "Yeah... I really want that?"

Spend 1 minute, and 1 minute only, on coming up with that ONE Goal (otherwise, if you put too much thought into it, you might talk yourself out of it!).

Now, take the next 4 minutes and let me know what your goal is by posting in Comments, or email me, or call me with the ONE goal.

That's it! Stop for today. We'll continue on the ONE step tomorrow. For now, forget about it for the rest of the day.

See you tomorrow.