Posts Tagged ‘transitions’

the blue giraffe! And a book giveaway.

Wednesday, May 16th, 2012

This week, my blog post has gone visiting – over at the blue giraffe. The blog starts this way just so you’ll know what it’s about. Then click the giraffe or the beautiful hammock picture below to read the rest.

“External clutter is often a symptom of internal clutter. The mail that’s piled up is because your child was just diagnosed with a learning disability and you’ve got a lot on your plate now.
Or your mom now needs caregiving and you’re trying to figure out how to make her a priority, and still give your all to your family and your business.
Or a room no longer has a purpose. Or it has too many purposes going on at once.
Major changes and life transitions often bring on distraction, intense emotions and some overwhelming feelings.
And when that happens, whether the change has been of your choice or foisted on you, our stuff and our time can get a bit out of control.

The good news is that reorganizing is cathartic, not just for your physical stuff, but also for your internal, emotional or psychological ‘stuff.’ “

 

You can also click on this relaxing picture Wendy chose to accompany my article.

Wendy blogs about Interior Design, Redesign, Home Staging and Lifestyle and we first connected through mutual  colleagues – and over the topic of life transitions more recently, when she wrote a beautiful article on the topic.

The Life Change Network

Sunday, April 22nd, 2012

I’ve been writing for a few months now for The Life Change Network, with my Organizer Coach hat on. Each month, contributing writers provide articles on a variety of topics related to changes in life – the positive changes and the sorrowful ones. Change is always difficult, even if you decided to make the change.  As John and Deana Ryan, the founders, say:

“We understand that life changes can be difficult. It is our goal to provide you with a community to help you better handle these life changes through education, as well as community that offers mental and emotional support that is practical and helpful.”

They founded the community after experiencing some difficult losses in their lives; they come to this from a place of experience, passion, a desire to pay it forward.

My latest article, Newly Single (Again): Who Deserves A Place in Your Life? offers advice on how to decide who deserves a place in your life, and I use the word “deserves” quite on purpose. Post divorce or after being widowed, there’s a long transition period. At some point in that period, you may find that certain people are not a positive energy for you to be around or they react in difficult ways.

In “6 Steps for Dealing with Difficult People.”  Debbie LaChusa says that their actions are often driven by an emotion such as fear.

” I’ve found that most times when we step back, we find it’s not the person, but the situation that’s difficult.”

Change is difficult. People can appear to be difficult. Look beneath what they’re showing you. Use some of the questions in my article to decide whether they belong in your life, as you move forward.

If you enjoyed these two articles, next month’s theme is “major life changes.” I’m discussing  “Regroup, Remember and Reorganize – The New Three R’s. ” Other upcoming themes are:

June Work-Life Balance
July Choosing Your Path
August Change in Lifestyle / Back-to-School
September Life Lessons
October Overcoming Fears
November Family Dynamics / Holidays
December Holidays / Gratitude

 

So if you’re in need of advice and ideas for dealing with a life change, check out The Life Change Network on Twitter  or Facebook or stop by on the website.

If you haven’t been by my website in awhile, signing up for the newsletter sent every 6 weeks gives you a free copy of  my advice on “Organizing & Life Changes: 10 Suggestions for Organizing through Change.”

 

The Rhythms of Our Days

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

The rhythms of our days: Some days are rushed, even more than others. Some days it feels like you have a bit more time to do what needs doing. Still other days, it feels as if you can barely breathe, only finding slivers of time.

This is about noticing the patterns or rhythms to our days. With that knowledge, we can figure out how to smooth out the rhythm a bit AND to let go of a too-high standard we set for ourselves sometimes.

Think about:

>Your typical Saturday: the activities, who is involved, the amount of time you have on your own, the time you work, the time you spend out of the house, your own energy level, how tie passing felt, what filled the time as planned, and what filled time unexpectedly.

>Now consider a typical Sunday.

What’s the Rhythm of YOUR Days?

>Or focus on the weekdays, each one of last week. Quite a different pace to it all, when you sit back and notice.

 

The days are really not alike when you look at them closely are they?

Some days, it’s about running and keeping up. For now, it has to be. So don’t even try to add in something you want to do. Just do what has to get done.

Other days, you have a slightly slower pace (it’s relative, right?). There’s more time to “fit in” something – whether it’s picking up the kitchen, several clients or prospective clients needing time, or starting on reorganizing your office or your quilting space.

It all fits in nicely, with some breathing space, and you’re less harried. It fits that particular day.

The point is this:

When you look at your day, if you know it’s a “running around and keeping up” day, let go of doing anything extra, proactive, big, or that needs a good chunk of time (> 15 minutes these days).

Let it go. Today’s not that day. But write down your thoughts and ideas so they’re not lost.

On another day, when you have that slightly slower pace, you can get these things done.

And please – not all of them – add in one and see how that goes. What many of us do is pile high the tasks and expectations and end up frustrated. One thing at a time.

Notice the rhythm first. Play with it. And soon enough, you may see ways you can change the rhythms of your days, creating that masterpiece of balance. If not, please reach out and let’s talk about time management together.

 

Fire Up Your Biz: Enrich Your Life!

Monday, January 9th, 2012

I’m on board as a featured expert!

*This program was in January-February 2012 as a live interview program, with more than 20 experts.

The program is now available as a set of recordings. Click the “Fire Up” link below for more info.

Package price $97 for all of the speakers.


When Life Interferes:

Making it through Life’s Transitions as a Business Owner.

Stephanie Calahan, coordinator of the telesummit and founder of Calahan Solutions, Inc. in Bloomington IL. has gathered 20+ internationally renowned business coaches and productivity experts, including me!

“We are passionate about sharing our decades of wisdom to guide you in increasing your business success so that you can reclaim your health, wealth and happiness.” Stephanie LH Calahan

So why is this so important for you? We’re living through a truly amazing time, and never before have so many people been called to own their own business and blaze a path to their dreams.

With this shift, we need powerful mentors – inspired communicators who model this new way of BEING.

 

Just the facts

FREE Fire Up Your Biz – Enrich Your Life Telesummit starting on January 18th through February 28th, 2012.

Three experts a week for six weeks.

My topic is  “When Life Interferes: Making it through Life’s Transitions as a Business Owner.”

In a hurry?  Go here for all the details:  http://www.fireupyourbizenrichyourlife.com

Sneak peak at the topics

  • Time Strategies for the Busy Entrepreneur
  • The 3 Surprising Keys that Open the Door to Small Business Abundance
  • From Procrastination to DONE!
  • We’ve Got To Stop Meeting Like This: How to Run Meetings that Actually Get Things Done
  • Mindset Matters: Secrets to a Powerful Mindset
  • Solopreneur Motivation Secrets: Create the Work Environment and Results You Want
  • A Busy Family’s Guide to Getting Organized So You Can Live Your Best Life and Still Enjoy Your Family
  • How to Overcome your Mental Money Barriers, and Break Free to Success
  • Networking for Success
  • Top Tech Tools for Busy Business Owners
  • 5 Keys to Social Media Success: Do it Right, Stop Wasting Time and Get Results!
  • Passion Management: How to Juggle/Prioritize all of the Passions We Have
  • Get the Right Support for Your Business, Inside and Out
  • Get Time and Tasks Managed Quickly
  • Five Secrets to Streamline Your Work Flow
  • Unlock the Secret to Achieving Your Profit Goals
  • Depressing Desks and Psychic Debris: Cleaning up the Work Space by De-cluttering the Head Trash
  • Conquering Your Fear with a Knockout Punch
  • Conquer Email Overload
  • When Life Interferes: Making it through Life’s Transitions as a Business Owner

 

Reserve your place at NO COST with 24 hour Replay access by clicking HERE.

Can’t make the calls?

Or, you want to access the information whenever YOU want? Then we have something else for you…

THE FIRE UP YOUR BIZ TOOL KIT – Only $97 per person
This includes 20+ hours of content-rich and inspired conversations with the expert guides from FIRE UP YOUR BIZ – ENRICH YOUR LIFE (MP3 Downloads & Action Guides)
PLUS  Over $900 in Valuable Bonus Gifts

Register now and order THE FIRE UP YOUR BIZ TOOL KIT Package! 

PS from Stephanie directly: The sessions are ALL ANSWERS and no fluff, meaning, we will give you solid actionable, innovative strategies, processes and tools that can take your company to the next level –not a big sales pitch.

Turning A Corner – Reorganize to Process Life Changes

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011

Life changes and major events interrupt our lives in ways that we cannot imagine.

Whether the changes are joyous (welcoming a family member), unexpected (a job loss, major surgery) or tragic ( loss of a loved one), these changes leave us with homes, belongings, and schedules that no longer meet our needs or help us live our lives. Reorganizing is an important part of processing any life change.

Reorganizing is useful, because you’re changing your schedule, office or home to meet your new ways of living. Systems cannot be static, because life isn’t, and systems are what give you the time to deal with the life change.

Organizing, I often say, is a means to an end. The end is the results you want – to have more time,energy or a modified space to handle the life event.

How  do you know when you’re ready to shift, to change your systems, reorganize your space or declutter your past?

When you feel as if you’re turning a corner.

Turning the Corner – Michigan Forest Land

When you’re more often than contemplating creating physical and mental space for your next chapter – whether you know what it looks like or not. Decluttering your  home, your schedule, and creating the new.

Only you can judge that timing.

Take your time. Live with what you have until it feels like you’re “turning a corner.”  When the “old” truly feels like the past. When you want something new.

You’ll know it or you’ll feel it. You’ll see it clearly if you’re visual.  Listen to your voice and only yours. Because if you don’t, you’ll make decisions you may regret later on.

So wait until you know it’s time. Until you can see that last corner … just before you begin your next chapter in life. And then it’s time to reorganize and create something comfortable but new.

 

Stay tuned for details: On January 6th, I’ll be the guest on my publisher’s webinar “Help Me Organize after a Life Change.”