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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Tuesday's Tip - From Thought to Action!

source:  lindyi (flickr.com)
I didn't realize how much I relied on lists until I did my 30 Day Life Improvement Plan on this blog---and on cinchcast.com.  There I was doing lists galore, from listing people that supported you to listing what you're grateful for.  I've found lists to be a helpful way of getting your ideas out of you head and onto paper in a quick, orderly fashion.  After all, it's much easier to read items on a list than to read them in a paragraph.

So today's bite-sized type is to create a list when you're unsure of your priorities or when you'd simply like to relieve your mind from its concerns.  You can check out my Weekly Coaching Challenges  at Optimal Habits to learn more about clearing the mind of its concerns.

In honor of this post, I'll list how to turn a "concern" list of into an action list.  ; )

1.  List your concerns

2.  Cross out the thoughts which repeat

3. Underline the conerns which are important to you.

4.  Highlight the concerns, you want to work on this week.

5.  Schedule the concerns into your calendar...or when making your daily to-do list, refer to your list of concerns for actions to incorporate into your day.

From thought to action!  Hope everyone benefits from doing this exercise. 

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Tuesday's Tip - Decluttering

If you read last week's post on aligning your environment and got bogged down in the decluttering process, then hopefully, today's post can help you to remove the clutter and align your environment with your goals.

STARTING
1.  Figure out how much time you wish to spend on decluttering

2.  Decide what you want your place to look like once it's clutter-free

3.  Figure out what the source of the clutter is.  Is it from items that you're buying and collecting?  Unused gifts that people are giving you?  An overdose of retail therapy?

4.  Decide how much is manageable for you or your space right now.  Perhaps you're OK with reducing your dishware, excess electronics and old clothes but you hedge at giving away your CDs.  Instead of depleting your CD collection, decide on a "reduction" number that is manageable for you and that truly feels as if you're making progress on decluttering.  On the other hand, you can accept that right now you're not ready to part with your CDs while you are willing to remove other items from your life.

DOING
1.  Select a room, area or theme to your decluttering process.  (By theme, I mean, you may have an excess of T-shirts or decorated soaps that you want to remove from your space)

2.  If you choose a room, focus on one task at a time.  If you skitter from one part of the room to the next, it's going to be hard to see the progress that you're making; however,  if you focus on one area/theme then it's easier to stay inspired and to see  your progress.

3.  If while decluttering you feel overwhelmed and berate yourself or others for the clutter, then pause, take a deep breath and congratulate yourself for taking action on the clutter.  Better to applaud your current action then to criticize yourself for your past behavior.

4.  This tip contradicts #2 but if you're getting discouraged with the progress you're making on one area, then shift  your focus to an area that's easier to declutter.  Once you're inspired by your accomplishment in that area then use that inspiration to energize you for the harder to declutter spots.

5.  Have patience.  As with gaining weight, it probably didn't take 3 days for the clutter to build up so it may take a month or more for the clutter to be removed.  The important thing is to be consistent with your decluttering process.

6.  Take a pic.  Some time ago, I read this tip in a book on organizing your space.  Essentially, if you're having difficulty removing an item because of sentimental reasons, you can take a photo of it as a keepsake.  This tip may sound a bit strange but it gives you a way to release the item while you still have something to remember it by.  For myself, the idea of taking a photo of a cherished item is enough to cause  me to relinquish it. 

7.  The holding zone.  For items that you find it hard to make a decision on, you can box them away to see if you should later need the item..  You should put a date on your calendar when you'll donate the box if that's what you decide to do.  Ideally, you're supposed to give away the unopened box once its expiration date is up.  I've had so-so success with this in that items which I've kept in the holding zone suddenly gain some  value for me and ease their way back into my wardrobe/onto my bookshelf. 

8.  Removing.  The choice is yours as to how you want to remove your clutter.  Selling, donating, recycling and re-using are all possibilities.

MAINTAINING
1.  Decide on a monthly, quarterly or yearly schedule of decluttering.

2.  Figure out what new habits, you'll establish to curtail the clutter.  Will you use the something-in, something-out approach?  Will you limit your monthly purchases of a certain item?  What daily or weekly habit will you adopt to keep the your space reasonably free of clutter?

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Tuesday's Tip - Environmental Alignment

File:Collyer 03.jpg
Langley Collyer
source:  wikipedia.org (New York Public Library)
Yesterday, I did a show on environmental alignment called "Creating A Success Environment" you can listen to here to learn of how you can align your physical environment to support your goals.  Below are 6 tips on creating a success environment.

1. Awareness - For a few days, become aware of your home/work environment and see how it’s affecting your goals. Are you always looking for an ink pen that works or searching for a needed form? Is it easier for you to grab a bag of potato chips than a piece of fruit?  Develop awareness of what is and is not working in your environment.

2. Declutter - Donate, recycle, reuse, or throw away whatever you aren’t using. Declutter one room or area at a time. If you only have time to declutter your pocket, purse or briefcase, then do that. Be patient and focus on one area when decluttering.  The aim is to make the decluttering process manageable with the other demands on your time.

3. Simplify - Challenge yourself and see how you can place items in a more accessible or logical area for your activities. Can you put items in a more convenient place?  Where needed, decrease multiples. You may need only a dozen bath towels in your house instead of 30.

4. To Buy - Determine what you need to buy, if anything, to support your goals. Make sure that it’s truly an item that you need. Also, if you’re buying something to replace a broken item, then be sure to discard the old object.

5. Fix it - Fix what needs to be fixed.  If something is halfway working or if a jacket is missing a button, create a list of items that need to be repaired or replaced and plan on getting those items updated.

6. Maintenance - If you’re really in the environmental alignment mood, you can schedule time on a monthly or quarterly basis to assess and improve your environment.

January is National Get Organized Month so I hope that you all have a chance to practice environmental alignment and create an environment which supports your goals.  Please remember that we're all human so some days your place may be less aligned than others but overall strive to create a home/work environment that helps you to make progress and reach your goals whether it's to be healthier, have more calm or earn more money.

Monday, January 10, 2011

After Watching Hoarders

This latest show "Creating A Success Environment" was inspired by my watching of the show Hoarders and January being National Get Organized Month. You can listen at the player below...Happy Monday to all!


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Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Tuesday's Tip - Planting Positive Thoughts

Today's post is a follow up to last week's article "Pulling Out the Weeds."  You can view last Tuesday's Tip by clicking here.

So assuming that everyone has had a chance to  respond to the questions from last week's article and managed to track any negative comments made about them.  Here are the action steps to work on uncovering and dislodging your limiting beliefs.

1.  Review the list of limiting beliefs which you made last week.

2.  Review or create a list of the negative comments which you caught yourself saying over the past week.

3.  See if these negative comments supported your current limiting beliefs or did they reveal additional limiting beliefs? 

4.  If you did make negative comments about yourself, are you surprised by that comments which you expressed?

5.  How are your limiting beliefs keeping you from living the life that you would like to live?
6.  Do you surround yourself with people who support and share your limiting beliefs?

7.  Imagine yourself without your most powerful limiting belief and describe how you would behave.  What actions would you take?  How would you move your body?  Relate to others?  What would your overall behavior be like? 
 
8.  For 3/more of the negative comments which you made about yourself, create a positive statement.  (For instance, if you said that you always spend any money that you have, you could create a statement such as "I appreciate the money that I have and I manage it responsibly.")

9.  From your list of positive statements, pick the one which feels the most empowering and create 3 supporting statements/experiences for it.  For instance, if your statement is "I appreciate the money that I have and I manage it responsibly," your supporting statements could be that you pay your bills on time, you once saved for a major purchase and that in the past, a friend complimented you on your math skills.  You could also use examples of others who are doing what you want to do or of your commitment to improving your thoughts as your supporting statement.

10.  Decide to read, write or recite your affirmation and its supporting statement once a day  .

11.  Schedule time 2 weeks from now to review your responses and to assess your progress.  Has the belief lessened?  Have you noticed any change in your thinking or behavior?  How do you now relate to others?

Bonus:  How do your limiting beliefs affect your ability to tolerate change or to take risks?


Monday, January 3, 2011

Goal, Interrupted

15 strategies for maintaining focus on your goals and dealing with setbacks.  Hope that it helps everyone with staying on track with their goals.

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Saturday, January 1, 2011

The Blogging Begins....just not here ;-)

source:  andrew morrell (flickr.com)

I've joined a 30 Day Ultimate Blog Challenge hosted by Michele Scism and Michelle Shaeffer.  Will be participating in the challenge on my Optimal Habits site.  There I'll post a question a day.  You can check out the blog by clicking here.

Ah, I also wish everyone excellent health and prosperity for the NEW YEAR!  Hope you all enjoyed the day.