Be daring......

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood,

who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again,

because there is no effort without error or shortcoming,

but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement,

and who, at the worst,

if he fails ,at least he fails while daring greatly...“

                                                                 Theodore Roosevelt

Where in your life are you saying ‘yes!’ and daring greatly?

Karen  

A bow of acknowledgement and thanks to Brene Brown and her new book.

Lose ten pounds (or more) in one hour.

January is the perfect time to start.

I can promise  immediate results!

Open your file drawer.

Start at the front.

Purge.

Set aside all the papers you’ll need for your 2012 taxes.

Toss the receipts you were keeping ‘just in case’.

Weed out the out dated policies and accounts.

Get rid of evidence of paid off monthly bills.

Ditch the manuals for products you no longer own.

Shred or recycle all the paperwork that is no longer relevant or necessary.

(If the shred pile seems daunting for your home machine, Staple and Office Max will shred it for you for less than $1 a pound.  How much is your time worth?)

Rethink your filing needs.

Consider on line bill paying to reduce the paper that comes into your home.

Scan important documents and eliminate whole categories of filing.

Decide if a file drawer is the best place to be storing paperwork for you.

Should some things be in a safe or safe deposit box?

Could some items go in a Sentimental or Memorabilia Box and be stored in less prime real estate?

Could you find the information on line?  Users manuals, recipes, travel information, benefit explanations, etc.

Make filing as fast and easy as possible by filing in broad categories.

Chances are you’re never going to go back for the paper anyway. 

But if you do, you can spend your time then looking through the papers.

Oragnize your files in a way that makes sense to you.

Some people prefer alphabetical.

Others prefer frequency of needed access.

Perhaps you’re a color coded kind of person.

No matter your preference, simple is best.

Every step you add makes it that much less likely you’ll follow through with the process.

By eliminating the unnecessary, out dated, redundant, and really should or could live else where, you will be able to reduce your four drawer file cabinet to a two, your two to a one, and maybe your one to a small case.

Talk about weight loss you can see immediately!

If you have questions or concerns about which papers you need to keep and for how long, I have list I can email you. 

Or talk to your accountant to find out what your specific needs might be.

There will always be paper coming into your life and house.

By developing some simple strategies for dealing with it, you can keep it managed.

Here’s to having less weigh on us in 2013.

Karen 

Theme Word for 2013

Borrowing an idea from Gretchen Rubin’s latest book, ‘Happier at Home’ I, and some friends, decided to choose a Theme Word for the New Year.

I invite you to do the same.

Without making it too big of a deal, or worrying that you’re choosing the exactly perfect word, or putting every desire/resolution/change into this,  just let one word float to the top of your imagination and go with that.

Perhaps it’s a feeling you’d like to experience more in the coming year, or an activity, or a concept that inspires you, or perhaps a word to help remind you of what’s possible or important.

Write the word down.  Or don’t. 

Maybe you want to hang it where it will remind you on a daily basis.  Maybe you want to slip it into a drawer so you can come across it unexpectedly, maybe you’ll want to make it the open screen on your phone.

This isn’t a declaration or a mission statement or another way to beat your self up.

This is one word to carry in your thoughts and heart, to gently remind  you to pause and consider another way of being.

Here’s to a New Year that supports and delights us, challenges and nurtures us, and has Less Stuff and More Possibilities!

Karen 

My theme word is BIG!

Simple Math.

This week presents the perfect opportunity to practice the ‘One in. One out’ suggestion.  (Suggestion sounds so much nicer than rule!)

With the gifts unwrapped and in need of homes in your house, now is the time to decide what stays and what goes.

Remember that five of one thing isn’t five times better, it’s usually just a case of repetition and duplication.

When trying to decide which gifts stay, remember that your only obligation as the receiver is a sincere thank you, for the giver’s thoughtfulness in remembering you. 

You don't have to wear it, display it, eat it, add it to your collection, or make space for it in your house and life.

Cluttering your home with items you are keeping out of obligation or guilt prevents you from having space for the things you really use, love and value.

The longer an item stays in your home, the more challenging it is to let it go.  For some reason the longer it stays the more obligated to it you feel.  Even if you’ve never liked it!  So let it go now.

You may have received some wonderful things you can't wait to add you to your home and life.  In that case, remember you still need to let go items those gifts are replacing.

Consider  One in, One out with regard to decorations, ornaments, wrapping supplies and other items associated with the Holiday.  Gently ask yourself, “How many is enough?”  “Which of these still has sentimental value?”  “Will I ever hang,  display or use this again?”  “Has my collection become a burden, not a joy?”

And actually, you might even find yourself letting go of two or three things for everyone you keep!  Give yourself a head start on the gift of a simpler, less cluttered and more meaningful Holiday Season next year.

Letting go opens up space in your home, your life and your heart.

Karen   

Present

No, not the kind in a box or gift bag.

The be here now kind.

The being present with the person right in front of you.

The being present with all the memories, feelings and emotions that the Holidays bring to mind for you.

The being present with what you’re engaged in now:  The wrapping, the cookie tasting, the decorating, the planning, the music, the smells, the lights, this very minute.

The Honor of your Presence is requested in the present.

Slow down.

Breathe.

Pay attention.

Give yourself the gift of connecting.

To your experience, your relationships, your own sense of who you most truly, deeply are.

Your presence is a light in the world.

Karen  

The Perfect Holiday

“Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”  Voltaire

The tree,

the house decorations,

the gift for your mother-in-law,

your contribution to the pot luck,

the hostess gift,

your child’s behavior,

the Christmas letter,

______________fill in the blank.

Often we wait to do something until we can do or be it perfectly, and we never take action.

We have expectations of ourselves or others that can rarely be met, are unreasonable and unnecessary.

This time of year it is especially important to not get caught in the trap of trying to create the perfect Holiday.

Having to find the perfect gift, wanting each gift to be wrapped perfectly, hoping your contribution to the pot luck will be fabulous, baking each cookie to perfection, hanging every ornament in your collection, or expecting family and friends to accommodate your schedule and expectations.

This Season be happy with Good.

Let go of your expectations and feel your contentment and joy rise.

See the Good-ness in others.

Feel the Good-ness in yourself.

"Beauty is the shadow of imperfection.”  Simon Van Booy

Be Beautiful.

Karen  

Ditch the box.

Forget the gift in the box this year. Give them an experience instead. Why? People will remember them. They build stronger relationships. They are fun and often funny. They get you out of the house, off the device and into the world around you. They can support the Arts, artists, local businesses, good and worthy causes. They extend the Season into the New Year. They don't contribute 'stuff' to other people's houses. (When was the last time you did something for the first time?) Need some ideas? Follow an umbrella Stomp or glide Nibble Nibs Go skin deep Be a kid again Change your perspective Pay attention to who's who Give a gift that creates time to be together. Give presence this year..... Be Merry and Bright! Karen www.LifeUnstuffed.com