Nothing Is More Exhausting Than the Task That is Never Started. 

Gretchen Rubin 

The time and energy we spend avoiding a project, a difficult conversation, a tedious task or a necessary chore drains us.

How much mental energy do we waste telling ourselves stories, making up excuses, justifying our lack of action and motivation?

Feeling overwhelmed, unsure where to start or the best method, we fail to take any action.   The situation doesn’t change and we feel stuck.

These are the opportunities to practice “little bites”.

Start with one small action.

Commit to spending ten minutes, not an hour, dealing with the situation.

Remind yourself of the pay off of doing the task.

Ask for help.

Decide if the project is something you want to do or feel you ‘should’ do. (Avoid shoulding on yourself)

One small step can often create the tiny bit of momentum needed to move you forward, and keep you rolling toward the results you really want.

Stop thinking, considering, pondering, rethinking, or over planning.

Make a choice and act on it.

Your life, your choices, your results.

Karen

Honor your commitments.

If you said you’ll be there at ten o’clock, be there at ten.

If you said you’d get back to someone, return the call.

If you said you could help, show up and do the work.

If you value a cause, lend your support.

If it’s important to you, make the time.

Honestly, no one is really interested in your excuses.

You are your results.

If you want different outcomes, change your actions.

Commit to the activities, people and causes that reflect your values, dreams and heartfelt connections.

Anything less is unworthy of you.

Your life, your choices.

Karen   

Simple Options

Keep the options simple.

Sometimes having more options and more choices makes us think we will arrive at the perfect solution or we’ll make the ideal choice.

However, the more options, the more time we spend in selecting and the more we second guess our choices.

Too many options can leave us feeling overwhelmed, and make us feel insignificant choices have greater weight and importance than they really do.

We find ourselves in “analysis paralysis”, instead of getting on with the activities and adventures in life that are truly important to us.

When filing papers (most of which you know you’ll never look at again) keep the categories general.

Buy the same colored towels for all the bathrooms.

Find products you like and consistently use them.

Keep like things together so you only have to look in one place to find them.

Don’t let trying to find the perfect solution keep you stuck. 

Trust me, imperfection is okay.  In fact it’s quite comfortable.

Keeping it simple, makes it easier.

It doesn’t always have to be hard to be good.

Choose to make your life easy.

This week's idea. Just admit it.

You’re never going to wear that sweater your mom gave you for your birthday-five years ago.

You’ll never need plates and flatware for 20 people at once.

Your in line skate days are far behind you.

You don’t even still have the laptop/toaster oven/printer that go with the boxes you’ve been saving, just in case.

The three computers in the garage are merely holding down the cement.

You don’t need five different old jeans, baggy tee shirts or holey pull overs for paint clothes.

All those free, sample, give aways might be small, but they’re still cluttering up the drawer.

Be honest with yourself.

Let some of it go.

That was then. This is now.

Open up some room and some space in your home and life.

It’s time.

Your life-your choices.

Karen

No is a complete sentence.

Even though we’re often tempted to follow it with an apology, explanation, justification or a promise of yes in the future.

Mindfully saying no reduces the physical, mental and emotional clutter in our lives.

We only have a limited amount of energy, time and enthusiasm.

Saying no establishes boundaries, creates limits and reminds us that we’re in charge of our choices.

Despites no’s reputation as a negative, it can in fact act as a positive reminder; helping us make conscious decisions about much energy to devote to a project, how much time we’ll spend on a relationship, and where our own best interests should keep our attention.

Choosing to say no, setting limits, and being conscious of how we spend our time and energy simplifies our lives.

Oh, it isn’t necessary to stomp your foot while saying no-but it might be fun to do it in your mind…..

Your life-your choices.

Karen  

Theory meets practical application.

Staying clutter free is an ongoing practice.

The more frequently you practice the easier and more routine the actions become.

After the initial sorting, purging and finding smart and effective homes for things comes the maintaining part.

Practice the Two Minute Rule. (if you can do something in two minutes or less, do it now)

Keep Justin Case from moving his things into your drawers and closets.   (I’ll keep this, Just In Case)

Put things away. (instead of just putting them down)

Sort the daily mail. (Action, Read, File)

Pay attention.

Do a little bit everyday.

Make the systems as simple as possible.

Remind yourself which activities you love to spend time engaged in.

Choose the people you want to make time for in your life.

Let go of the stuff and make connections.

Make choices that support your most heartfelt life.

Karen

Some? A few? None?

Some?  A few?  None?

"Uncluttering isn’t about having the fewest things, it’s about having the right amount of things for your life.

Clutter is any distraction that gets in the way of the life you desire — and sometimes, having too few things can be just as distracting as having too many.

As you are going through the uncluttering process, remember that there isn’t a competition to see who can have the fewest things. The purpose of uncluttering is to right-size your possessions and commitments so that you can focus on what matters to you most."

Erin Doland  Unclutterer

It's all about choices.
Only you know how much is enough for you to live the life you really want.
Choose wisely.
Karen