When Do You Know You Need a Break?

Ever have one of THOSE days?

If we want to be the best we can be in our roles as moms, co-workers, spouses, friends and members of the community, we must take time for ourselves. This is something I really need to remind myself to do on a regular basis.

When my patience is low, I know I need a break. When I don't feel like communicating with my husband, I know I need a break. When I lock myself in the bathroom so my kids can't find me, I know I need a break.

Some of my favorite things to do when I need a break for me-time are:

1. Read a book in a quiet place.
2. Go for a walk by myself or with a friend and listen to why they need a break, too.
3. Go to the local coffee shop and order an iced Chai tea and work on a project.
4. Get a facial or massage or a pedicure.
5. Get together with friends for dinner or dessert.

How about you?

Challenge: What Can You do for Yourself?

Organization gives you back your time.

Today's thought: When is the last time you took some time just for you? Do you make a point to do something special for yourself every once in a while? I enjoyed reading about my friend's day out here.

Many time Moms will say, "I would like to, but I just don't have the time." We have to make time for certain things and that might mean scheduling down time or "me time".

I have to admit that this is an area that I have neglected at times. Because I am a work-at-home-mom, it's so easy to let the boundaries blur. My business coach asks me every week, "It's important to take time for yourself so you can give to your business. What is one fun thing you're going to do for yourself in the upcoming week?" My answer this week is "Schedule and have a date night with my husband."

What would you do with time for yourself?

Your Challenge:

1. Choose an activity that you can do for yourself in the upcoming week.
2. Pick a date and write it on your calendar.
3. Do it!
4. Share it with us! Some of us might need some ideas and encouragement to get going on this. (many of you share on my follow-up post here -thanks!)

The #1 Most Important Tip if You Want Your Children to Learn How to Organize

If you want your children to learn how to organize, you must model those skills to them. If you want them to make their bed everyday, you better be doing that yourself. If you are tired of picking up everyone's shoes, take a look to see if you are putting your shoes away. Of course there is more, but this is a major part of teaching your children the tools of organization.

Case in point: Last week my son, full of smiles and excitement in his voice, came to get me so he could show me what he did in the bathroom. I was a little nervous and thought to myself, "Now what?" He was so excited that I told myself, whatever it was, I wasn't going to get all "mom" on him and squash is little ego because whatever he had done he was obviously very proud of it.

This is what he had to show me.

I have to admit at that point, my heart melted and my head began to swell just a tiny bit. I always thought he took after me.

Now, I know what you are thinking: "Those poor children, she must make them have everything just so in her perfect house." But the truth is, no. I do have expectations like, put away what you take out, or put your dirty clothes in the laundry basket, and put your shoes in your cubby.

You see, the lessons that our children learn, they pick up by watching us.

Then there are the days that you look at your children and just think, "They got that from their father!"

The Freedoms We Enjoy

Thank you to all the men and women who serve and have served so we can enjoy peace and our freedoms in this nation. I give many thanks to God that I might live in such a country.

Organization can bring you freedom.............

.....from material stuff.

.....from searching for things.

.....from unproductive activities.

Have a wonderful 4th of July!

One Step at a Time With Positive Thinking

This morning at my exercise class, I was reminded of the power of positive thinking. When it comes to exercising, I am my own worst enemy. My mindset totally affects my performance.

This is something I have been well aware of since I started sports in Jr. high, particularly Track and Field. Back then and throughout high school, I would make myself physically sick due to nervousness. I believe competition is healthy; it pushes us. But, what was making me so nervous wasn't the performance, it was the fear of failing and the fear of the hurt. I didn't have to win the race, but I did want to improve my times or jumps.

By the time I got to college, I wanted to give up Track and Field. I didn't think I could go through another season of pressure, nervousness, and fear. Luckily, the women's coach didn't forget about me and encouraged me to give it another try.

I learned a great thing -- positive self talk and visualization. I think maturity definitely had something to do with my shift, but I looked at my races in a whole new way. They were just races and not the deciding factor of who I was as a person.

You see, I believe I was putting too much focus on my performance identifying who I was as a person. We can never be perfect, but still can be a good person who strives to do their best, to learn from mistakes, and to grow.

So, this morning at exercise class, I found myself saying, "I can get through this set of push-ups. I can do all these squats (even though my legs were screaming). And, I will try to hold this plank as long as my body will allow me!" Do I always achieve everything? No, but I accomplish a lot more than when I focused on the hurt, the hard work ahead of me, and when I let my fears and negative self-talk rule my mind and spirit.

"What does this have to do with organizing, Paula?"

I'm glad you asked! Organizing, like any other challenges you may face, needs a positive outlook. If you tell yourself negative things like, "If you could just get your act together....why can't you be more like.....you are never going to get organized.....this is going to be too much work" you won't.

But, what if you changed your approach? What if you told yourself positive things throughout the process? It might sound something like this: "I am going to get this office organized....it will be a system that works for me and my family...I can do it one step at a time....I will try again tomorrow."

Just try it and then try it again and again. See if it opens new doors for you. It sure has for me!

Where I went to college: University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Where I take those awesome exercise classes: Rock Lake Activity Center, Lake Mills

5 Ways to Reward Yourself

Whenever you accomplish an organizing task or project that you set out to do, make sure you reward yourself. I can't stress this enough for all you moms out there!

Reward yourself with experiences like,

• a facial, pedicure, massage or a new hair style
• quiet reading time all to yourself
• lunch or dinner with girlfriends
• a trip to your favorite museum (without the kids)
• work on your latest scrapbook or crafting project

Just like we do with our children, we must also give ourselves some positive reinforcement with a special treat once in a while. If you are working on a big project, work in smaller rewards as you accomplish the small steps. Once the project is completed, give yourself a big reward!

When to Say Yes or No

Your decision to get involved in various activities and commitments should not just based on availability, but also if the activity is congruent with your personal priorities and goals.
Possible areas to think about are:

-Family
-Self
-Career
-Spirituality/Faith
-Community
-Friendships
-Finances
-Home

Think about the areas which are important to you and maybe even rank them. What goals do you have in each area of your life? Taking the time think about these items will help you as you decide what you do and don’t want on your schedule.

For example, if it is a goal to have more time for yourself, you should make sure you know how that is going to happen, be mindful of the activities you put into your free slots. As your life and focuses evolve, go back are re-evaluate.

Call For Organizing Questions

"So, is your house perfect? Is everything neatly organized?"

This is the question I get asked quite often. My response?

"My house might be more organized than some but it's far from perfect! It works for me and my family."

Organization is different for each of us. What works for one family might not work for the next. Some of the benefits are getting organized are:

• Gives your more time for the activities you want to be doing
• Reduces your daily stress level
• Saves you money
• Find what you need when you need it

What areas could you use some help with? Go ahead and post an organizing question and I'll try my best to help you out!

Six Questions to Help You Find Your Motivation for Organization

Think of an area in your home or office that you want to get organized. Visualize yourself standing right in that space. Get a piece of paper and write down your thoughts to the following:

1. What do you see?
2. How do you feel?
3. What are the negative results of being unorganized in this specific area?
4. Now visualize this space organized.
5. What would it look like?
6. How would you feel?

There's No Comparing

When it comes to how you organize your home, try not to compare yourself to others.

"I if could just be more like Sally Jo; she makes it look so easy. What's wrong with me?"

This kind of thinking will get you nowhere. I tell my clients that organization is different for each person and each family. What works for one mom or family, might not be the right solution for you.

Do be sure to share ideas and be open to trying new strategies. How do you know if a new organizing tip or strategy is right for you? If it works! If it creates more work and stress for you in the long run, then it probably wasn't a match for you.

Organization is about making your life easier, not harder.

April Showers Bring May......Powers of Planning

I always look forward to May. My birthday is the first week, Mother's Day follows, and then my husband I celebrate our wedding anniversary. This year we will be celebrating ten years! We enjoyed a wonderful trip in the fall with our good friends, but I have been giving my husband very direct hints that I would so enjoy a weekend away (with him, of course).

May is also a big transition time. Yard work is calling again, school will be ending soon, summer activities are starting to be planned, and lots of family, community and church events are just around the corner. I'm gearing up for a great summer!

What planning are you doing to get ready for your summer? I've been busy signing up my kids for their summer activities and working on our new schedules that will help us make the most of our time for the next few months.

Top Three Questions I ask My Clients

An important step of getting organized is to identify YOUR motivational factors. Get a piece of paper (or a computer) and start writing (or typing) your thoughts to these three questions:

1. Why do you want to get organized?
2. What does organization look like to you?
3. How will you feel in your organized space?

Don't worry about writing a master piece. The important point is to explore all your thoughts. Organization is different for everyone and taking the time to find out what that means to you will hopefully provide you with a little bit of motivation.

How Many Times Do I Have to Say......?

I recently offered a good friend to send me questions about organizing and then I would post them. Here is what she wrote:

"I don't know of any specific questions at this time. Unless you can tell me how to keep my house cleaned with 2 children that seem to need numerous reminders that our things have a home (not being the floor)!!!!"

Even though she meant it in good humor, I thought this would be a good thought to share with other moms (and a good reminder for myself).

We can expect that teaching our children about organization will require more work from us up front, but the outcomes are worth it. Organization teaches children responsibility and it also teaches them life skills they will need.

So, yes, we will be repeating ourselves often. (Sorry, I don't have a magic answer.) Most importantly, be sure to notice when they do the tasks without being reminded and make sure to give them lots of praise!

How to Organize Your Husband?

Very rarely do a I teach a class without getting asked, "How do I get my husband to organize his stuff?" Instantly, others in the room giggle a bit because I am sure they wanted to ask the very same question. So what do I tell them? First, I let them know that I am not a marriage counsellor (more giggles and then a pause). I then remind them that organization is different for each person. If you find that you and your spouse clash when it comes to organization, I offer three thoughts.

1. Communication is so very important. Start by discussing with each other why organization or clutter control is important to you. Use "I statements" and avoid "blaming statements".
2. Knowledge is power. Take the time to discover how your thinking styles affect how each of you view organization. Organizing For Your Brain Type is an awesome book!
3. Compromise goes a long way. As with everything, show each other that you are willing to try.

What small steps can each of you make, together?

P.S. Check out this humorous greeting card from Organized Greetings, "Shelia takes the use of storage boxes a little too far"!

Change, Change, Change

Tuesday was Election Day and it was a big day for communities across the country, even for our small Village of Johnson Creek. As emotions ran high leading up to and following the big voting day, I found myself thinking a lot about change and how scary it can be.

When faced with change, we have two choices: to resist or to adjust. Change might be hard work and it can certainly be painful at times. But, the outcome can be growth. Growth makes us stronger.

Making the choice to finally get organized is an adjustment. The unknown can be scary and the work ahead can be intimidating. However, the results and benefits are worth it.

More Time for Yourself?

Have you ever had the goal to make more time for yourself? If we want to be the best we can be in our roles as parents, co-workers, spouses, friends and members of the community, we must first take time for ourselves.

Taking time for yourself means doing something just for you that you enjoy. You may give yourself the time to read a good book, work on a favorite hobby, exercise, or have a cup of coffee with friends. You could make a date with your spouse, join a Bible study group, get a massage, or spend some quiet time alone.

You may find that making “me time” a priority in your busy schedule will actually help you be more productive. It is a time to rejuvenate, to recharge and to release your stress. We can’t fulfill our roles and give to others if we don’t take the time to give back to ourselves.

Getting organized is not about filling your every waking moment with things to do. One of the major benefits of getting organized is being able to spend more of your time doing the things that you enjoy. What would you do with an extra hour everyday?

Don’t focus on what you haven’t done, but what can be done.

Do you find it hard to get started on a big project? Do you get overwhelmed by all that needs to be done? Do you start making mental lists of everything that needs to be done and what you have failed to do? Try this. Focus on what CAN be done. Start small.

Last year I had the opportunity to hear an outstanding speaker, Mark LeBlanc. Mark is the author of a great book called Growing Your Business. One of his methods of focusing on what can be done is choosing 3 activities a day that will bring you closer to your goal. These don’t have to be major projects, but small steps.

Once you start giving yourself opportunities to succeed, you will empower yourself to do more and to continue to grow. What CAN you do today?