A Year to an Organized Life

A Year to an Organized Life by Regina Leeds is going to be my new bible for the next 12 months.

As I approach my 50th birthday this is going to be my present to myself. I deserve an organized house and life. I spent the weekend reading the introduction and getting my mind in the right place to start. I have my planner and journal ready to go! I think my decision making skills - or lack there of- will really be put to the test. Hopefully that is one area that I will see a marked improvement in.
     "How quickly can I make a decision? That's your key"
So maybe it might take me a little longer than a year! So let us begin...

March - Organizing the Business of Life

Paper clutter is one of my biggest issues and one I have the hardest time making decisions on. I also do not have a very good system in place to keep the papers organized. I think this might be one of the hardest months for me but also hopefully one of the most rewarding. If I can tackle the paper and get a handle on it then I can do just about anything!

Week 1 - Home Office questions:
     My goals for this week is to begin to understand my relationship with the paper and why I can't just throw it out.... Why do I find it so daunting?
     Look for and seek out fellow bloggers who are using and incorporating the book and see some of the solutions or strategies that they are using.
     Go on twitter and follow Regina Leeds and the Zen Organizer.
     Gather as many team members to help me stay on track and finally claim victory!

Are you using One Year to an Organized Life? Do you have struggles or success' you would like to share?? Please feel free...

Have an amazing day
Bridget

Goals for February

I can't believe it is already February! January was a blur but I did accomplish some of the things that I set out to do and I want to continue with this momentum! My kitchen was stuck in a time warp and was trapped under 20 years of wall paper. So... I began to take the proper steps to make this house feel like mine and not somebody else's.

Yes that is a border!!

And down came the paper! It took a little elbow grease and some sisterly help but the wall paper is no longer!

I painted it "Cornsilk" yellow.... and if I must say so myself.... I did a pretty good job painting. It also helps that I live in New England and we have been snowed in with over 4 feet of snow in the past week- so I could take my time, not rush and just concentrate on the kitchen.

I want to keep the momentum going and thanks to Melyssa at The Nectar Collective for a place to put my wishes out into the universe and hold myself accountable! The accountability piece being the most important...

My Weekly Wishes:
1. Finish cleaning the upper cabinets in the kitchen and cleaning the handles. I am not sure the last time the handles have been removed and "dejunked" Elbow grease is an under statement, but boy they really do shine up nice!

2. Finish painting the small accent table for the kitchen. I have a few coats on already but it still is not "quite right." Hopefully 1 or 2 more coats will do the trick.

3. Our main kitchen table top needs to be sanded and sealed properly so we do not have to have plastic tablecloths on it anymore. Now don't get me wrong I love tablecloths but I am ready for a change!

4. To walk at least 10,000 steps everyday and now that I have a Fit Bit I can easily track my steps and get myself up and moving if need be!

5. I am a teacher and there is a fantastic web site called Teachers Pay Teachers . This site gives teachers an opportunity to create and sell products for other teachers to use and make some money in the process. I need to finish and upload my recent math games... they are not making me any added cash sitting on my computer! 

Weekly Wishes   Head over and check out what others are wishing and dreaming!

Thanks again and have a fabulous week

Bridget.

4 Steps to Declutter Your Life

Day 2 of the 40 bags in 40 Days Challenge... I spent some quality time in my office today and got a full bag of trash out!  I also got rid of a full bag of trash from my basement!
Day 1- 1 full bag of trash
Day 2 full bag of trash

As I start to declutter my life and think of how I want to make changes I found this article on Elephant Journal by Swapna Thomas. Head on over there and check it out!

Bridget

Day 1

Today was the first day of 40 Bags in 40 days ! I am all in! I need to purge and decrapyify my house. There is not enough square footage in my house for the amount of things that are here. Where did all this stuff come from? Why is it so hard to get rid of it? I don't use it. I don't want it. Not even sure what some of it is... Yet it is keeping me from living the life I want and deserve. I suffer from CHAOS... Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome. The Fly Lady has an incredible web site with tons of ideas and helpful strategies to keep me on track. 

Day 1: A large trash bag from my back basement.

 I decided to extend this challenge to my office as well, so today I got 3 large piles of paper out and a section of my file cabinet thinned out. I feel lighter already!

Happy Wednesday and keep decluttering!

Bridget

40 Bags in 40 Days

Got junk? I do! and a lot of it! So I am so excited about this challenge... 40 Bags in 40 Days... Ann Marie over at White House Black Shutters posted this challenge and I am all in. 

Are you up for the challenge?? One area a day for 40 days. Sounds simple enough, not overwhelming. I have so much clutter that my family is drowning in it, this is an opportunity for us to take back our house and as Ann Marie says "decrapify" our life!

Are you in? Why not see where this could lead you? Join me on this adventure and together we can fill 40 pounds in 40 days.

Bridget 

Weekly Wishes

Although we know this to be true..... Every now and again we need a reminder.... If it is to be it is up to me!

Ok, let's get ready for a fantastic week..... No excuses.....

Thanks to fellow blogger Kailagh over at Love Always, Freckles  for blogging about Weekly Wishes

1. Plan my work...work my plan....
     Actually use my planner. A paper planner..... I use a medium spiral bound one by PlanAhead -I know there are fabulous apps out there and I have tried and use many of them but there is something about putting pen to paper that forces me to focus. I like this one because it is large enough to write in and small enough to throw in my purse.

2. 15 minutes of picking up at the end of each day.
       Setting the timer and putting things back where they belong.  I need to make this a priority and a habit. Simple changes that make the biggest impact. I look at this as part of my grit test, my opportunity to DO something toward my goal of an organized house.

3. Six things to do...
      Let's be honest..... I am not SuperWoman! My cape can only handle so much. By writing a list of the six things I need to do every night for the next day, I can focus in on what I need to get done and have the satisfaction of success! Anything not crossed off my list moves to the top of the list and are my first priority for the next day.

4. Lead by example....
     Actions speak louder than words....  Quiet confidence.

What are you going to do to make this a great week? Month? Year? Head over to Weekly Wishes and let the world know!

Have a wonderful week!

Bridget

One Little Word...

One little word.... (OLW) One word to guide you... to ground you... to inspire you... to focus you... What word would you chose? The dictionary is full of words (some I can't believe are in there) yet if you were to pick one to be your guide for this year what would it be?

All of my adult life the word Believe has been my beacon. I am an optimistic person. I see the glass as half full. I wear rose colored glasses and I like the view. Don't get me wrong, just like everyone else I have had my share of hardships and heartbreak, but I have always believed that the life I have dreamed about is going to happen. I believe that there will be a happily ever after for me. Whenever life throws me a curve ball, I do my best to deal with it and believe it will get better.

But, there is a problem with my strategy. I can close my eyes and recite the incantation, "I Believe!" till the cows come home but if I don't actually do something than my belief can only get me so far. So Believe is my overarching word and the word I have chosen to be my OWL is Grit!

Now you may asking yourself what kind of word is grit? The dictionary defines it as: courage and resolve, strength of character and fortitude. Perseverance has never been my strongest quality, I can't tell you how many projects I have started and never finished. I have dreams and I do believe they will happen, but this year I am going to concentrate on Grit. The fortitude to put some muscle behind my dreams.

I am not expecting miracles, nor am I expecting my life to instantly change. I have obstacles in my way, one being I have ADHD. I am not using it as an excuse, I am using it to help guide me. Keeping with something is a life-skill that I am not wired with. If I lose interest in a project, I can look at it and believe it will get done, but if I don't do something it won't happen. Enter Grit! I get overwhelmed easily and sometimes am unsure of what my next step is, so I don't make any.

My focus will be on grit. Keep with something a little bit longer than I have in the past. The resolve to do one more thing to get the job done. Not necessarily finish the project but be one step closer. One step closer to my dreams and the life I have imagined.

Maybe I still have my rose colored glasses on, but like I said.... I like the view!

Have a fabulous day !

Bridget