“Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get.”

I am embarking on a journey and I invite you to come along. This is a personal journey to discover how to live healthy and abundantly. While each of us may be heading in different directions, the process will be the same. We will first determine the destination, map out the route and enjoy the scenery along the way. Are you interested? Want to come along?

Determine the Destination

Before we even begin to travel, we have to know where we are going. So, let’s define healthy and abundant living. For me, it is having what I need and needing what I have. Just being able to recognize that I have enough would be empowering. There are definitely times in my life when I over-commit and over-indulge. The goal of my journey is to recognize that I do not need it all or even want it all. I just want enough.

What does healthy, abundant living mean to you? Let me help you along by asking a few questions. When you reach your destination, what will it look like? What will it feel like? What euphoria are you seeking? What dreams are hidden away because you thought they were impossible to obtain? I ask these questions so that you will focus on the possibilities. If you do not know what it is you want, then you will not know if you have reached your goal. As a colleague once said, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will do.”

Planning the Journey

It is time to put on your thinking cap and make a list of your goals. If you are like most people, your list may include losing weight, exercising more, eating healthier, reading more books, or getting organized. However, you may desire monthly mini-vacations, a cruise, more money in the bank, more time with family and friends, a new car, or a bigger home. Pull out some paper and pen and start making your list. Simply writing it down starts the process of making it happen.  Success will not be far behind.

Many folks make hasty resolutions on New Year’s Day and then chuckle hoping that the changes will last for a week or so. The inability to follow through on resolutions is due to the lack of a passionate conviction and no map or plan. We state a half-hearted remark such as, “I want to get organized,” and then spend a few hours clearing off the desktop. However, when life gets busy again, we are right back to the same old habits with the same old results – clutter and disorganization. Whatever happened to commitments?

Challenge

During the next few days, list all the things that would make your life healthy and abundant. Next to each entry, list how you will feel when you actually achieve that desire. Here is a sample layout:

I want to achieve…       –        When I get it, this is how I will feel…

1.  Abundant health  –  I will feel like I am floating when I walk. Daily activities will be effortless. I will stand tall, head erect and vibrantly observe my surroundings.

2.  Abundant finances  –  When I sit down to pay the bills, I will have more money than I need in my accounts and I will feel thankful to those that have provided a valuable service that makes my life easier.

3.  Abundant energy  –  Sleep will rejuvenate me and each morning I will feel refreshed and eager to experience new opportunities.

4.  Abundant organization  –  When order is a part of every facet of my life, my surroundings nurture me physically, mentally and emotionally. It smells like new rain, feels like a warm cozy blanket.

Now It Is Your Turn

I Want…          –          And, when I get it I will feel…

Feel It Happening

We marvel at the feats of Olympic athletes winning by a mere inch or a fraction of a second. When asked how they accomplished such excellence, often they respond, “I feel the weight of the medal around my neck and the headiness of standing on the center podium listening to my national anthem.”  Feeling the success is powerful stuff!  This is the track that changes wishful thinking into actuality.  Fe-e-e-e-l it!

When you are feeling your best, filled with joy and gratitude, you attract more joy and everything around you vibrates with pleasure. Yet, on those days when you are off balance, filled with fear or worry, you experience discontent everywhere. It is simply the law of attraction at work. Like attracts like. When you think of something that will make you happy, you feel uplifted, joyous and grateful.

Circumstances outside yourself cannot and will not control your life once you recognize that it is your feelings that set the stage for abundance. You are not a puppet. You have freedom of choice, the freedom to achieve abundant living and success.

Key to a Successful Journey

The key to success starts with desire – desire for an abundant bank account, desire for a slimmer body, desire for a new car, desire to organize the garage, desire to learn a foreign language, desire to master the incoming mail, desire to play the guitar, desire to live simply. Whatever your definition of success may be, you can achieve it with a deep down, passionate must-have feeling.

Ask yourself, “What do I want and why do I want it?” Begin to feel the pleasure your response evokes.

Does the idea of simple living bring forth the vision of a monastic cell, a country home or a one-room cabin on Walden Pond? Do you wonder how anyone could possibly think about simple living in the midst of trying to make ends meet? We all share in the hustle and bustle of daily living–earning money, spending money, inside chores, outside chores, time here and time there. So, you ask, “What is simple living?”

Janet Luhrs, author of “The Simple Living Guide,” informs us that simple living is about attitude – attitude towards money, time, energy, possessions, family, friends and a whole lot more.

Simple living is deciding what is important and what adds joy to your life. It is about letting go of non-essentials and those items that are just in the way. The attitude of simple living revitalizes you each day. Is this the year to change your attitude?

Here is a challenge for you. Decide what your core values are and begin to align your lifestyle accordingly. Deliberately choose how to spend your time, money and energy as you filter these needs through your values. Free yourself of debt. Let go of possessions that possess. Learn to say NO to unimportant things in order to have time to say YES to something better. Live mindfully!

The attitude of simple living is a choice. Each day it is your choice to add joy, fulfillment, passion, and love to your very existence while eliminating those things that drain time, money and energy. Ask yourself these questions:

• How complex have I allowed my life to become and is it worth the price I am paying?
• Do family and friends take a back seat while I spend time, money and energy trying to elevate my social status?
• Do I seek instant gratification which has the potential to increase credit card debt?
• Is my schedule a constant hassle, pulling me here and there without satisfaction or accomplishments?
• Am I always apologizing for my forgetfulness or failing to keep my word?
• Am I constantly searching for something to wear while clothes spill out of the closet?
• Are my closets, attic, basement and garage crowded with gadgets that were once important but no longer hold my interest?
• Have I fallen prey to renting a storage unit to handle my overflow of possessions?
• Is “getting organized” a New Year’s resolution year after year?

Stop for a moment and look around. What things have you chosen in the past that are no longer pertinent today? Is it time to eliminate them from your life? Strive to keep life simple by establishing a new protocol. Change your attitude. Focus on core values and choices will be easier.

The attitude of simple living comes from consciously making wise choices. As Henry David Thoreau once said, “Only that day dawns to which we are awake.” Once you wake up and align your attitude with your values, you will find a new sense of control.

Attitude is everything!

Clutter and disorganization can entangle you in chaos and confusion and plunge you into depression. Clutter has a negative effect on all aspects of your life – physical, mental and emotional. It traps you into living in the past, fearful of the future. Take the steps to eliminate clutter and organize your environment. Rejoice in your peaceful surroundings.

Simplicity is more than reading about and yearning for the good old days. Simplicity involves choices. You can choose the trappings of the frenzied rush or seek serenity. You can choose to take on more commitments or learn to say ‘no’ to activities that drain your energy and motivation. You can choose to accumulate more stuff or recognize when enough is enough. As Kinkade believes, you can consciously choose to turn on the beacon of light in your life and experience joy every day.

The principle concept of simple healthy living is to cultivate an attitude of gratitude and find pleasure in the abundance of what is already yours. Why struggle to find happiness? All it takes is making a decision to joyfully experience the light that surrounds you. It is a choice to live simply, yet abundantly.

Remember, it is the little things in life that add the greatest joy. Give yourself permission to take a break and indulge in simple, heart-healthy pleasures. It may be taking fifteen minutes to enjoy an impromptu conversation with a neighbor or popping in your favorite music and singing along. It may be reading a story to a child or lounging in the tub for a half hour. It may be meditating beside a waterfall, knitting a scarf or discovering bugs under a rock. It may be sitting at the dining room table for a candle lit dinner. All you have to do is just open your eyes and notice the beauty and simple wonders and your heart will overflow with joy. Be ready to receive the gift of light and the gift of joy.

Simple living is a choice and it is yours. Decide today if you are truly choosing simple pleasures or living vicariously through someone else’s words or pictures.

Click here to read entire article – A Beacon of Light.

Here are a few simple stretching exercises that help to counteract repetitive stress injuries.

Shoulder Blade Squeeze to alleviate shoulder and back pain.

• Clasp your hands behind your back
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together and raise your arms as high as possible
• Hold for ten seconds
• Repeat three times

Eye Palming relieves eyestrain.

• Rub your hands briskly together to warm your palms
• Place your elbows on the desktop and with your eyes closed, cover your face with your hands
• Hold this position for one minute while breathing deeply from the abdomen

Spanning is frequently used by pianists to keep fingers flexed and nimble.

• Stretch your arms straight out in front of you at shoulder level
• Spread your fingers as far apart as possible
• Repeat five times

Arm Shake increase circulation in the arms and hands.

• Drop your hands to your sides and relax
• Shake your arms and shoulders
• Do this for five seconds
• Repeat three times

>>  Start to eat right, eat light. Simply put, avoid anything that comes wrapped in cellophane.

• Any desired change needs to begin with small changes, the pathway to success. Think about it: if you desire to eat healthy, you need to begin by being aware of what you really eat in a day’s time. Keeping a journal increases awareness of healthy (and unhealthy) choices. Documenting what you eat makes you more accountable for the choices you make.
• When food is out of sight, it is out of mind. A Cornell University study showed that without the temptation within arm’s reach, participants ate 20-30% less than they did when the extra helpings were in front of them.
• Water provides no vitamins or minerals, yet it is probably the most important sustenance for a healthy body. Water carries nutrients to cells and aids in digestion while flushing toxins from our bodies. Stay hydrated with water.

>>  Exercising should be as much a part of your daily routine as brushing your teeth. Be creative.

• Walk to a colleague’s desk rather than picking up the telephone or sending an email.
• Take the stairway instead of the elevator.
• Park your car and walk.
• Do arm curls with canned soup while preparing dinner.
• It doesn’t take much to compound the benefits.

>>  Sleep is paramount to a heart healthy body. Benefits of 7-8 hours sleep:

• Strengthen and supports the immune system.
• Boosts cognitive function.
• Consolidates memories.
• Keeps hormones in check,
• Helps us to look and feel our best.

Have a happy, healthy year!

National Get Organized Month is your opportunity to step back and evaluate how you spend your time, handle possessions and process paperwork. Start now and your days and months ahead will be less stressful. You will start the New Year off with a bang!

Organizational skills are neither a luxury nor a whim. They are a necessity to maintain balance in the chaotic world of instant communication, exploding technology and multiple roles and priorities. Getting organized is a commitment that will pay rich dividends for years to come.

Do you use your valuable time in the best way possible to achieve success and harmony in your life?

Call Judith today for assistance with your organizational journey.  860-747-8962

There have been times in my life when I felt out of control. No matter what decisions I made, nothing seemed right. Daily activities overwhelmed me. I had difficulty focusing on projects and I knew deep down in my heart I was not in the right place. When these moments creep into my daily activities, I stop and look around. More often than not, clutter has taken control.

When your home is cluttered and disorganized, other areas of life are muddled as well. Experts tell us that there is a direct correlation between inner-self and personal environment. Clutter can zap energy and produce sluggishness. Piles of accumulated stuff make it difficult to concentrate and complete simple tasks. Peace and contentment erode as clutter builds.

No matter what forces are dragging you down, you can dramatically improve your life, both personally and professionally, by tackling the accumulated excess—the clutter. When you begin to face the demons of clutter, you will begin to experience abundant living. The choice is yours, so choose wisely.

• Benefits of being clutter-free

Clearing your spaces is more than just uncovering the surface of the dining table, the kitchen counter or desk. It is a process to discover what makes you truly happy. There is freedom when there is breathing space. There is freedom when you know what you have and where it is located. There is truth to the old adage, “a place for everything and everything in its place.” Abundant living means needing what you have and having what you need.

• Roadblocks

As you progress in your clutter-clearing project, you can be sure you will encounter roadblocks in the form of fears, insecurities and habits you have accumulated over the years. If you find yourself intimidated, frozen in place, and unable to proceed to the next level, being aware of these obstacles may help you avoid them.
–  Lack of self-confidence contaminates your ability to make wise choices.

–  The need to feel safe, comfortable and in control hinders exploration in a new direction or challenge.

–  Needing to do everything the right way will immediately throw you into hostile territory. Try something and if it does not work, then switch gears.

–  Take care of yourself first before you care for others. Do not get caught up in the negative connotation of selfishness. Remember this is your journey, not someone else’s.

–  Resistance to a new perspective is natural, but excuses are deadly.

–  Perfectionism is a mighty obstacle. Let it go!

–  Just because a suggestion seems impossible does not mean that it is.  Relax and let it happen. “There is no thrill quite like doing something you didn’t know you could.”  Marjorie Holmes

• The Challenge

The process of clearing clutter is not easy. It requires searching your soul, shifting priorities, and approaching daily tasks in a new way. It involves changing behaviors and choosing wisely. There is always more than one solution for the same problem. There is no right way for everyone. Each situation is unique and every challenge should be approached differently. One person’s solution may be just what you need; another may be suitable for someone else. Take the process one step at a time. If you need help along the way, ask.

“Your house is your home only when you feel you have jurisdiction over the space.”
~Joan Kron, Author of “Home-Psych”

Do you know what “being organized” means to you?

My definition of being organized is being able to find what I want when I want it. What’s your definition?

To get you started thinking about the process, here are a few questions:

1. What is the most daunting organizational challenge you are facing right now?
2. What is motivating you to make changes?
3. With these changes, what do you want to be able to do that you cannot do now?
4. What keeps you from getting or staying organized?
5. What will happen if you choose to not devote time and energy into the organizing project?

Disorganization can be reversed if you pay attention to the small details of your immediate environment.

Overload, Overwhelmed, Over stressed

Do you know what may be hiding in those piles on your desk?  Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to get organized?  If you have been waiting for just the right time to sort through desktop clutter, you don’t have to wait any longer.  National Clean Off Your Desk Day is approaching.

This day was originated by Anne Chase Moeller, the daughter of Mr. Chase of Chase’s Annual Events (the very book where special events are listed).  Anne often helped out in her father’s office, working at his incredibly messy desk.  In order to create a place where she could work, she would spread a cloth over his mess and then do her work.  When she finished, she would put her things away, including the cloth and leave.

Around 1982 she declared that he would clean off his desk at least once each year.  Naturally, being in the business, they entered National Clean Off Your Desk Day into the record book for the second Monday in January.  The rest is history.  The record book has since been sold to a larger publisher, but the event is still celebrated each year.  It is a great time to get a fresh start for the New Year.

Too busy to get your desk cleaned off today, tomorrow, or next week?  Remember that working harder for longer hours is not very smart nor is it the key to success.  Success is built on being able to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.  Success is being able to find what you are looking for when you are looking for it.

Don’t believe the old saying that, “A messy desk is the sign of a genius.”  A messy desk is a deterrent to efficiency.

Start today to get your desktop under control. Click here to learn about TipSheet offers.

Raise the white flag

Almost everyone feels his home or office could be better organized, paperwork effectively managed, and processes more efficient and streamlined. But few are cognizant of the specific costs of disorganization – waste, duplication, fatigue, stress…

Organizing is more than tidiness.  It is the process of change and choices—the willingness to change behaviors and the ability to choose the pathway that will satisfy your deepest desires.

Getting organized involves the positive steps in getting rid of clutter, deciding what is important in your life, establishing systems for effective control and obtaining and maintaining a balance of life management skills.

January is National Get Organized Month (GO), the professional organizing industry’s sponsored event dedicated to raising awareness of the benefits of getting organized and of hiring a professional organizer. There is no better time than the beginning of a new year to let go of the unnecessary  and discover tools and resources to facilitate change.

Do you know that a Professional Organizer can…

• provide the needed support to minimize frustrations.
• offer valuable time-saving techniques.
• systematize the flow of paper for less clutter, less duplication, less stress.
• encourage simplification techniques and life management skills.
• increase your energy level.

Make a commitment to get organized this year. If you need help along the way, send me an email Judith@OrganizingResources.com or call 860-747-8962.