Welcome to Day 2 of the Desk Cleanup!

How is your desk looking today? A little better? I want you to acknowledge any improvement to motivate you for today. You are in charge of your space, so let’s get to it.

Today we are going to declutter and organize those desk supplies, go through CDS and computer programs and get all your papers into an in-box to sort.

Below is the step-by step worksheet if you haven’t downloaded it yet.

======> Download the 5-Day Desk-Cleanup Worksheet <===========

When you are all done post in the comments here for accountability.

Together we can do this!

I’m excited to see you back here tomorrow.

Welcome to Day 1 of the 5-Day Desk Clean Up…are you ready?

I know desks are a big pain to keep clean. Yes, that is a before picture of my desk a couple years ago. But, it still gets that way sometimes.

First, I want to say that you don’t have to have a clean and organized desk. If you work best in mess, than that is fine. Or you can clean up during this challenge, but not push yourself to perfectionism. I will never have a minimalist desk because I find them boring. I like inspirational cork boards, salt lamps and a bunch of different colored pens.

The only reason to declutter and organize your desk, is if it is hindering your work. If you can’t find things, the space is making you feel heavy and claustrophobic, or papers are getting lost it may be time to take care of it.

Here’s a fun playlist for while you work.
www.youtube.com/watch…

======> Download the 5-Day Office-Cleanup Worksheet <===========

Today we will be working on trash and books.

When you are all done post here for accountability!

I can’t wait to see your decluttered desks in 5 days! You are fantastic!

One way to simplify your life, is to not assume life needs to cater to your preferences.

We don’t like to think we do this, but how many times have you complained that the food isn’t to your liking, the temperature is too hot or too cold, you don’t like the music, that video is stupid, a TV show is awful, the app doesn’t work how you want it to, the phone isn’t completely intuitive to your needs, or the weather is terrible.

The thing is, your preferences are not everyone’s preferences. Some people like that food, temperature, music, video, TV show, app, phone or the weather. Not everything is made for everybody.

So instead of complaining, writing a bad review or sending on a really stupid video so everyone else can see how stupid it is, acknowledge that this isn’t for you. Delete the comment, find a different video or restaurant, put on headphones to listen to music you like or open your mind about what you might be able to like about that music.

Don’t waste your time being negative about stuff that isn’t your preference.  The world doesn’t need more negativity right now and it leeches your energy and the energy of those around you.

Instead of another gripefest, share stuff you love, compliment, look for reasons to like something rather than dislike something. Ask, “How is this great?” See potential.

Move on when you don’t like it.  How freeing would that be?

I see this a lot with clients. They are doing new habits, working on projects or doing the organizing. Then one day, boom, they are too tired to do anything. They complain about some sort of drama in their life or problem that is bringing them down. All their energy has been torpedoed into that difficulty. They are thinking about it non-stop.

But, it’s usually not the problem that is destroying the energy. It’s the ruminating about the issue but not sitting down to feel it. All that angst in the mind protects them from actually feeling the feelings.

The emotions are just under the surface draining away energy. Tightness stops the flow of breath. Whole days can be wasted in this “almost feeling” state.

If you allow yourself to feel those feelings though, you’ll find it doesn’t take that long to process. You can meditate on the feelings, draw, dance, journal, or talk with someone you allow them to move through the body. This frees up your energy again. (Read this post on stopping an emotional spiral.)

The feelings themselves flow pretty quickly, but it’s the story about what happened that keeps you stuck. Stay in the body and heart and out of the head when you are feeling the feelings. Your mind will keep you in, “Woe is me.”

Once you feel the feelings you will be better able to manage the problem. Then you will have more energy to make the changes you want to make.

I am a voracious reader and have been reading magazines since I was a child with my Nat Geo for kids.

So when I found out I could get free magazines on my Kindle because I am an Amazon Prime member, I was giddy. No paper! No clutter! Tons of information (see my Information Reduction Plan).

I started reading magazines on cooking, health, women’s interest, fashion crafts and anything else that was out. I had canceled most of my paper magazines as I didn’t want the clutter. Currently I just have Reader’s Digest that my Grandma gets me and my husband & I enjoy.

I would read magazines at night before bed or in downtime. Then I started noticing how they were making me feel. I was feeling not good enough about my weight, my home, my cooking.

Each magazine included tons of projects that I didn’t have time to complete and that made me feel badly as well. I wasn’t going to make that recipe, do that 30-day fitness challenge or make that paper craft. But, I felt I should. It’s interesting. I may even want to do it. But, I have lots of other things I want to do that weren’t dictated to me by a magazine.

There was the time I was using the pick out a magazine to read and all the reading time for things I don’t intend to do.

Plus, with all the advertisements I was enticed to buy things I didn’t need like expensive face cream or the latest home gadget.

I decided no more magazines besides Reader’s Digest.

I want to read things that are helpful and deep. I don’t need someone living on one of the coasts telling me what should be important to me.

I feel freer already.

We spend most of our time in the mundane, taking care of home, work, self and relationships. It can be easy to fall into thinking your life is boring or unfulfilling if you only see the dailyness. “Ugh, another morning – can’t I just sleep in?” “Do I have to cook another meal?” “I want to hit my head against my desk instead of doing another report.”

But, we are in charge of putting meaning and fulfillment into our lives and our daily tasks. When we do that our lives feel fresher, we see things from other perspectives, and we are more full of joy and love. Here are some ways to add meaning to the mundane:

• In the morning you can take spiritual time to connect with what is important and intend how you want to feel, give, thank and do. No time? Do it in the shower or while brushing your teeth. Be deliberate with what you put into your day. Remember it’s your day. Say no more often to obligations and shoulds that create resentment. Curate the media you allow in. You are the gatekeeper. You may have current things you already said yes to so see how you can do those with acceptance.
• Pray or send love before answering the phone, entering a meeting or talking to someone.
• Create a beautiful space to do mundane tasks. Put birdfeeders outside your window where you wash dishes. Light a candle and play music as you do bills. Use colored pens. Clear your desk every evening. Have flowers. Use lovely notebooks. Find tissue boxes that make you feel good.  Have fun file folders.
• Actually enjoy nature –  the feel of the dirt and the vibrancy of the plants as you garden. Feel thankful for the beauty and abundance.
• Put down the electronics and focus on someone deeply as you talk to one another. Ask deeper questions. Connect more with the people in your life.
• Add love energy to your food as you are cooking. Thank the workers that made that food possible. Give gratitude for the food you have.
• Write words like love, peace or patience on your water glass for the day in wipe off marker. Then notice that intention every time you drink.
• Pause 1-5 breaths between tasks. Before moving onto the next one connect with why you are doing the action, set the intention for the feeling you want to have as you do it and/or the character trait you want to embody. (See Your To Be List.)
• Change your thoughts about your tasks to ones that give you more energy and meaning.
• Create a downtime ritual for every day. Maybe tea time with a gorgeous tea set. Yoga before bed after clearing the space with sage. A prayer walk after dinner. A deep breathing session which includes aromatherapy after work. Meditating in the same corner each evening.

It doesn’t take much time to create more fulfillment and meaning in our daily lives, but it requires presence, intention and imagination.

What is one thing you can do to add meaning to the mundane today?

If you are feeling dry and stale or thinking that your life is nothing but drudgery, a great question to ask is,

“Where is my heart?”

When you disconnect what you do with purpose, your senses or joy, you dry out.

Does your work feel like nothing but to dos that you don’t want to do? If you are working, you must be serving someone or no one would pay you. Who are you serving? Whose life are you making better?

If you don’t like working where you are right now, how can you bring more fun or beauty into your work? Perhaps you can you organize your space, put something beautiful in the space or wear ear plugs to drown out annoying noise. Maybe you need an aromatherapy pillow. Can you notice how your character is improving in this situation or notice where you are growing?

If you are parenting, Remember you are trying to bring up kids of character and responsibility instead of remembering that they are being a real pain right now. Seeing how you want them to turn out pulls you from the dailyness of taking care of kids. You can also try taking part of the parenting time to relax and play with them. So it’s not all work for you or them.

When you do housework are you focused only on, “I have to do dishes AGAIN?” or do you see the outcome of the clean kitchen. Think of how you are nurturing you and your family. Or enjoying creating beauty. You can allow yourself to gaze for a second or two in appreciation of the newly polished kitchen table. Using natural cleansers with pleasant scents makes cleaning more enjoyable. As does music.

As you go throughout your day, keep asking, “Where is my heart?” Bring joy, beauty or purpose to whatever you do.

Then see if your life is juicier.

If you need help finding the time or losing the guilt for self-care, get my Simple Self-Care eBook.

***

Photo by Mauro Cateb

Work tends to be a place where we forget self-care and self-compassion. We get into doing mode. We strive. We try hard. Our focus tends to be outside ourselves. Whether it’s a job, working from home or tackling kids and the house.

So I think we all need a self-care box where we work.  I keep mine in one of my desk cubbies. I’ll put what is in my self-care box, but you put in what nurtures you.

Now the box doesn’t normally have all those things sticking out of it, but I thought you could see some things better that way.

• A head massager I got at one of those home parties years ago
• Sticks that make noise from when my kids were little (great for getting aggressive energy out)
• A heat massager for my neck
• Cough drops
• Hand lotion of different varities
• Thank you cards
• Pomegranate lip balm and a few others
• Glasses cleaning cloth
• Bubbles
• A glitter lotion – ’cause it’s fun
• Hand sanitizer
• Cuticle oil pen (hey, I forgot that was in there!)
• Mini-flahslight
• Essential oils
• A squishy stress ball (well actually it’s a unicorn)
• A worry stone

Mine also has a clip on the outside to clip positive quotes, affirmations or new habits I am working on.

What would feel like self-care to you? Just 30 seconds with one of the above items can change how your energy.

Need a refresher on taking care of yourself? Enjoy my Simple Self-Care eBook.

I was on a renewing retreat this weekend. I came in feeling tight and heavy. I told the retreat group that my intention was to loosen up and let go of tightness.

Through meditation, journaling, prayer and conversation I came to realize I had been taking on other people’s responsibilities energetically.

I wasn’t just trying to do good work with my clients. I was feeling their emotions, managing their visions and bringing on their energy.

With family and friends I was trying to control outcomes and emotions.

By the time I got to retreat, I was holding onto so much of other people’s energy, I felt burdened and heavy.

At one point in the weekend, on a quiet morning by the pond, I walked in the labyrinth. I took a snowflake obsidian stone with me thinking it would be a good reminder of my time there when I saw it at home. I had purchased it about two weeks before.

I walked the path saying, “I release” “I surrender” “I trust” to keep my mind from wandering. When I entered the middle of the labyrinth I saw a pile of stones and pinecones others had left. “I should put my stone their as well,” I thought.

Immediately after I began thinking, “I don’t want to.” “But, I just bought this.” “I like this stone.” “I paid for this.”

But, I had a clear intuition that I needed to put the stone down on the pile. Reluctantly I did.

A whoosh of lightness and freedom came over me. Let go, let go, let go I kept hearing. The picture of me releasing the stone would be a far better picture for me to remember than keeping the stone.

I knew it felt safer trying to manage other people’s emotions and energy. I had taken on the responsibility that wasn’t mine. I did need to surrender, trust and release.

So throughout the weekend I let go of feeling responsible for others in that way. And realized I WAS responsible for my care and my radiance. I am in charge of my well-being, emotions and energy just as they are to theirs.

When I got home I could feel my radiance returning and will be mindful about taking other’s responsibilities. I added some more self-care time to my calendar.  I am doing evening yoga and releasing what isn’t mine at the end of each day.

How about you? Are you feeling burdened by other people’s energies or by trying to control? What are you holding onto that isn’t yours?

Photo by House of Sims

Don’t wait until the last minute to get prepared for back to school. Use this checklist to start school organized and confident. Start about 14 days before school starts.
 Day 1 Start having everyone go to bed earlier (including you)

Day 2 Make hair, doctor, immunization appointments

Day 3 Go through kid’s closets with them and get rid of clothes that are too small, take them directly to goodwill

Day 4 Make a list of supplies and clothes that you will need this year (the school will usually supply you with a list of school supplies)

Day 5 Shopping day with the kids

Day 6 Shopping day without the kids for stuff you don’t need them along for

Day 7 Goal Planning Day for self and kids, ask kids questions about their goals for the school year and write them down, plan your own 3 month goals

Day 8 Plan your morning routine and practice it

Day 9 Plan your evening routine and practice it

Day 10 List different lunch ideas and healthy snacks and tape into a cabinet

Day 11 Make and post a daily schedule for the kids to follow and make your own daily schedule

Day 12 Decide on a paperwork system and schedule daily and weekly times to go through paperwork

Day 13 Figure out where your launch pad will be for the backpacks, boots etc. will be

Day 14 Rest, catch up, have some summer fun

Day 15 Send the kids off to school with a special breakfast

Day 16 Get your extracurricular activity bag ready

Day 17 See how your routines are doing and redo if necessary

Day 18 List kid’s strengths and your own

Day 19 Do a fun activity as a family

Day 20 Start a 21 day or 30 day self-improvement challenge