My inspiration piece.

We've all heard the term "inspiration piece."  Some use a painting or a pillow as their inspiration when designing a room, and the girl in the Haverty's commercial uses her chair as the inspiration for her wedding cake. In my case, my inspiration piece was the fact that something went wrong. 

I had 2 sons playing in a baseball tournament this weekend on 2 different teams. I checked my email last night and this morning to verify jerseys for today's games. The problem was, I looked at the wrong email when telling my 12 year old what to wear. He insisted I was wrong because I had told him something different last night, and I insisted I was right. He went with what I said, and sure enough he showed up in the wrong jersey.  

Chaos followed, as we were 45 minutes from the house and he was the starting pitcher. Luckily my husband hadn't left the house yet and was able to bring the right jersey and arrive before the game started. Understandably, everyone was in panic mode and frustrated with me. 

This situation will be my inspiration for creating a system that outlines the when, where and why of the week so that I am not the keeper of all that information. Thanks to my Franklin Covey days I am opposed to keeping multiple calendars, but I need a way to communicate what is on my calendar so that everyone is informed, and ultimately responsible for their own schedules, uniforms, etc.  I will create something that doesn't require  me to duplicate efforts, and can serve as the home base for all necessary information. I am sure it will hang on the refrigerator and/or end up on everyone's phones.  There are plenty of tools available, the trick is finding one that works for my whole family. 

What system can you create today to avoid a disaster, instead of waiting for an  "inspiration?"  Unfortunately, I didn't anticipate this situation because I thought I had it under control. What about you?

If you need help creating systems and developing processes to make your life easier, let me know. Life is too short to feel like you are hanging on by the skin of your teeth. Step out of your whirlwind and look around. What can you do today to make tomorrow run smoothly?

Take Control. Simplify. Make It Happen. 

Are you a hoarder?

According to Wikipedia hoarding is a pattern of behavior that is characterized by the excessive acquisition of and inability or unwillingness to discard large quantities of objects that cover the living areas of the home and cause significant distress or impairment.

Thankfully, that clinical definition does not apply to most of us.  However, many of us do have too much stuff that we have either inherited from someone else or acquired ourselves. We end up in an overwhelming/cluttered place not because we have hoarding tendencies, but because of our inability to find a use, purpose, or place for the item. Then, either because we feel guilty or because it is too much work, we walk away from the "stuff" and it piles up. 

How do you process your stuff?  Here are a few questions you can ask yourself when trying to de-clutter your life.  

Can I use or display this item?

-If yes...

---How? Will I actually use/display it?

---Where should I put it so I do use it?

---How can I display it so I can enjoy the item without taking up valuable space?

-If no...

---Do I need to keep it? 

---Why?  Are you sure? 

---Where can I store it so that it doesn't take up valuable space? 

---Why am I holding to something that you cannot use? 

---Can I capture the memory through pictures, writings, or a small piece of the item and not keep the whole thing?

Overwhelmed or not sure where to start?  Pick one small space-just ONE. Process 5 items in that space. If you don't have a use for it, make a decision about what to do with it, and putting it back does not count!

Need help? Contact me today to eliminate some of the clutter in your life. Life is too short to be weighted down by your own STUFF. 

Take Control. Simplify. Make it Happen!