On my "Things I want to do this year" list, for the past few years has been "Go out dancing."

I hadn’t done it. For years.

I didn’t want to go out by myself. My husband is a no-go on any dancing. My close friends, I thought would not be interested in going out dancing. Not that I actually asked them.

So every year I thought how fun it would be. And every year I didn’t go.

When an acquaintance of mine invited a group of us to go dancing at a live band walk in a nearby city you think I would have been saying, "Yes!"

But, then that snotty voice appeared. "You don’t even know these people all that well. It will be so awkward." "You are too overweight and old to be going out dancing." "You can’t really even dance." "Boy that is late. You won’t get home till after midnight."

I almost talked myself out of doing what I had wanted to do for years.

Instead I tucked my ego into my pocket and went out dancing. I had so much fun and got to know a group of ladies better.

Do you have anything in your life that you’d really like to do, but that ego talk is getting in the way?

Do you want to save the rainforest, but don’t want the room Moms to look down on your for not bringing baked goods? Do you want to take a "frivolous" class that would light you up, but then you might have to ask your husband to drive the girls to gymnastics? What would the church ladies say if you started riding on a motorcycle for fun? (For me, absolutely nothing.)

We simplify our lives so we can do what fills our spirit and brings light to others. But, if we are stopped by that voice, we will keep filling our lives with stuff we don’t need and don’t want to do.

So what is one thing you would like to do? Can you move beyond the voice to do a tiny step towards that?

Welcome to this week’s issue of Weekly Simplicity Tips.

We went to see the butterflies at Meijer Gardens this week. Brea got some great pictures:

Declutter Group starts Monday. It is the last one of the year.

1. A teacher of one of readers, Anne Sermons Gillis, says to ask yourself, "How would I do this if it was Easy?"
2. Decide on a Mother’s Day present early.
3. Do something that sounds fun, but makes you a little uncomfortable.
4. Schedule self-pamper time for this coming week. I know you don’t have time. Schedule it anyway. You may surprise yourself.
5. Call or do something nice for a friend. Connection is vital to our well-being.
6. What can you do to make your home more tranquil?
7. Leave space between tasks or appointments so you have a cushion and transition time.

Declutter Group starts Monday April 28th

I asked the last class what they wanted you to know about the Declutter Group and here are some of the comments:

– I got more decluttering done during this class than any time in the past 10 years!

– I am still slowly decluttering, although I haven’t done any decluttering yet today. But I’ve never stayed with it this well before.

– The 5 minute commitment works. It’s reassuring to see others are struggling with it too as there’s some shame/embarrassment when you’ve always got clutter. I think it’s a good supportive environment too that encourages you to continue.

– I thought the manual was excellent.

I’ve found people that have spent years trying to declutter only to quit, make wonderful progress in this group setting.

Join us at the end of the month for my most popular class:

Get a Handle of Your Declutter Group

We drove by the house as I watched as long as I could at the beautiful landscaping. Flowing beds of flowers. Colorful bushes in perfect proportion. A path with flat, earthy stones. Most of the front yard was tastefully tailored with nature.

I grew envious of that gorgeous yard. I have a few beds of flowers around my house, but nothing like that.

As that envious feeling grew in my heart, someone else’s yard came to mind. An acquaintance who also has a lovely yard. She has recently retired and spends 4 hours a day playing with her yard and flowers. She loves it.

I don’t have the time or desire to spend 4 hours a day on my landscaping.

That’s how it is a lot. We see and want that body that takes 2 hours of exercise a day to keep up. We want to cook like the friend that could make Julia Child proud. We want to be the mom who always makes fabulous homemade costumes.

We compare our average to the best of someone else. A creative crafter may have a messy house. Someone that is great with saving money, may not be so great at remembering others’ special events. 

When we are comparing ourselves to someone else’s best, we don’t see what we do well. We spend too much time trying to be the best at everything and we don’t concentrate on what we can do.

Where are you striving or stuck in envy? Have you been comparing your average to someone’s best?

I am not an organized person. I married someone with an engineer’s mind. About 5 years into the marriage, I knew I needed to develop systems if I was not going to drive my husband crazy. I slowly developed, tweaked and came up with new systems to make life simpler and smoother.

Here are a couple articles I wrote to see where and if you might need systems:

Systems Check

Where might you need a system?

Below are some systems I use or have used in my home. The object isn’t to copy mine but use them for ideas to create your own systems. See what is working and what is not working in your life. Systems free up a lot of the "what should I do next" decision making process. Giving you more time for what you really want to do.

Action File

Paper System

Follow Up System

Book System

Information System

Magazine System

Recipes System

Friends and Family System

Chore System

You can also find systems in my courses:

Money System

Declutter System (starts Monday)

Time System

Self Care System

Welcome to this week’s issue of Weekly Simplicity Tips.

It was a gorgeous spring Easter weekend. We stayed outside as much as possible. The choir sang twice this week so there was also much music.

Just a note: April’s Declutter Group starts next Monday. It is the last one of the year.

1. May is typically when I do a spending fast, only buying what I need. Is this something you want to do?
2. Use that changing of the seasons energy to declutter what you don’t want.
3. Challenge yourself to eat without a box or a can for a day, week or month.
4. Simplify your schedule and see what you are doing only because you want to keep up with the Jones’.
5. What problem are you struggling with? Use your creativity to come up with multiple solutions you can try out.
6. If it’s not working, do something else. Don’t just try harder.
7. Plan to do something that makes your heart happy.

Declutter Group starts Monday April 28th

I asked the last class what they wanted you to know about the Declutter Group and here are some of the comments:

– I got more decluttering done during this class than any time in the past 10 years!

– I am still slowly decluttering, although I haven’t done any decluttering yet today. But I’ve never stayed with it this well before.

– The 5 minute commitment works. It’s reassuring to see others are struggling with it too as there’s some shame/embarrassment when you’ve always got clutter. I think it’s a good supportive environment too that encourages you to continue.

– I thought the manual was excellent.

I’ve found people that have spent years trying to declutter only to quit, make wonderful progress in this group setting.

Join us at the end of the month for my most popular class:

Get a Handle of Your Declutter Group

Have you ever found yourself wanting to clean the house like never before? Sometimes, the reason behind this feeling is related to something you are keeping in your closet or in a drawer, a book or a dress… an emotional burden that makes you feel uncomfortable in the most intimate of all spaces, your home. Some other times it is the old furniture or the way in which a room has been used. Be organized, choose what makes you feel comfortable and change whatever feels out of place. Letting go of what hurts will make your life easier, and it can be enjoyable and liberating.

Start with the Closet

Turn on the music, something you like, and start focusing on your closet. Remember that what you wear should feel like a second skin, it should be the mirror of your personality and character. In other words, it should make you feel good. If you can, ask a friend to help you out, it has to be someone who can remind you that you don’t wear that particular dress anymore because you’ve changed. Get rid of whatever makes you feel blue, all the dresses and shirts that drag you back to someone you are not or to a moment you are trying to forget. Clean up your closet, keep the clothes you love and move on. This will be helpful, because it will be way easier to choose your clothes in the morning, and it will allow you to feel like you own yourself once again. Plus, having a well-organized closet will certainly make you feel good, no matter what.

Focus on Books, Music and Furniture

You can start by giving away the books you know you’ll never read again: they just occupy precious space. Then, buy a few book organizers, something nice where you can also put folders and block notes. You should also take care of CDs and albums, making sure that what you have is what you really, emotionally own.

Now, you are ready to move the furniture around. This will change the energy of the house, turning it upside down. Get rid of those old pictures you’ve always despised and all those little objects that populate all your shelves. Keep only the things that make you smile. Remember, your house is the place where you should feel safe and relaxed: never underestimate the importance of feeling at home.

If you hate an old sofa and you can’t get rid of it, buy a cover that mirrors your personality. Remember that who you were is not who you are: it is perfectly normal to feel like you need to turn your house upside down sometimes, because your new “you” needs his/her own space. And if you need a drastic cut with the past, you should also think about repainting the walls. Colors mean so much.

And after your house feels new, don’t forget to clean it. It has to be and feel perfect! Take care of water leaks, pests (here is a good contact), and everything else.

You deserve a fresh start!

A reader asks, "Curious if you have found any good solutions to tackling the pile of recipe cards, clippings and index cards that everyone used to use. I have several family and old recipes that I want to save but I haven’t found the time to sort through them and type them into the computer."

That’s the difficulty of recipes. You find them in magazines, on the internet, handed down on index cards, hastily written down on paper from a friend at a potluck. They are all different sizes so how do you store them?

1) Digital

There are quite a few recipe apps that people use. If you are willing to type everything in, these are considered the best options:

BigOven

Paprika

Basil App is for the iPad

2. Paper

Most people don’t want to type everything up though. If you want to stay with paper, using a binder can keep the the recipes organized. There are plastic inserts that you can store cards.

Plastic sleeves can hold magazine clippings and printed digital recipes.

3. Evernote

The main problem with the binder system is finding a recipe. You can only organize in one way.

I like using Evernote. It’s a digital notebook that allows you to take things from the web, emails, and photos. It allows you to integrate all your different methods of gathering recipes.

So if you don’t want to type your recipe cards in, you can take a picture of the recipe card. As a bonus, you get to have the special handwriting of whomever gave you the card. You can also scan the cards if you prefer.

Then you can tag your note. The best part is you can add more than one tag. Some possible tags: beverages, sweet, vegetable, potluck, fast, and winter. When we look for recipes it’s not always by meat, side, and salad.

You can also add to your note with the photo recipe card. "use just under 2 cups flour" Or, "daughter likes, husband doesn’t."

Clipping recipes from the internet is simple if you use Evernote’s Web Clipper. It’s a browser plugin that lets you grab parts of a webpage and put it directly into Evernote.

Evernote also has a food app, that I haven’t used. Evernote Food

I am ultra sensitive to overwhelm, which allows me to catch it before I drown in it. And I’ve had to create a life of as much space and quiet time as I can.

So when a few weeks happen like they have recently where I am working later and have quick turn around times as I help someone launch a product I know I can handle it.

One reason is because I know there is an end in sight. My life is usually not crazy busy by design.

I take more breaks if I am working 12 hours – watch a dance on Dancing with the Stars, or read a chapter in a novel or eat lunch on the porch.

I make sure I get some exercise even if it’s 15 minutes of yoga or an evening walk around the block. The more stress and tension, the more we need to release it through exercise. I still got in my weekly walk with a friend.

Asking for more help from the family during this time means less dishes for me to wash. I did do daily things like keep my desk clear so it’s easier to work. I think clearer that way. But, some things like vacuuming and dusting didn’t get done at all one week. Meals were super quick and simple like soup and sandwiches.

The computer went off at least an hour before bed so I could sleep.

If your life is always crazy busy and you don’t like it that way, it’s time to make some deliberate choices.

Even in the most serene life, weeks of overwhelm pop up. But, you can handle it with some strategies like above.

What are you favorite tips for busy weeks?

I had a lovely reader ask how to prepare for retiring as far as the house and time goes. I have not retired and most likely will be working a long while yet. So I needed to do some research for this one.

Whether you downsize or not, most people don’t want to be surrounded by clutter if they are going to be home more:

16 Best Decluttering Tips for Retirement

Not sure if you are going to downsize? Here is a guide to reassessing your needs.

21 Day Early Retirement Makeover has some great tips for retiring and simplifying

Mentally decluttering your retirement before you retire

AARP tells how to declutter your finances

TIME has questions to ask before you retire

10 Tips for Adjusting to Retirement

Based on a study, Forbes Magazine says Time Management is Crucial for Retirees

A Whole Blog: Retirement – Only the Beginning

And as I have some retired readers, I’d love to hear about retiring from you.

***

Photo by Northern Ireland Railfan

Menu planning is one of the biggest time savers and money savers. When you plan ahead you can defrost, chop or put in a crockpot before dinner time. It saves the looking around the house for what to eat when it seems like there is "nothing to eat".

If you have no time to plan menus, then try my simplest menu planning method.

And here is my weekly menu planning binder. Sometimes I use that. Other times I just jot it on the back of an envelope and put it on the fridge.

And here is another idea.

That’s the great thing about menu planning. It can be simple and messy. Or it can be a big production if you love doing it. Or it can be in between.