Managing Your Schedule During the Holidays Managing time during the holidays can be a challenge, however, I encourage you to reframe your thinking about your schedule by realizing you can’t manage time, you can only manage you. We all have the same amount of time and hours in a day. The difference in each person’s day is how they self-manage those hours. Here are a few ideas to help in managing your schedule and self-managing: Grab a paper calendar or a digital calendar. Block out the hours and times that are not flexible and are already set (work, appointments, practices, etc.) Write out a list of tasks. Prioritize each task and block […]
How Clutter Affects Your Stress Level Clutter causes stress……period. When you are surrounded by so much stuff, your stress levels are affected because: You can’t find what you need when you need it. There is just too much to take in visually and your brain is on overload looking at it all You are always thinking negative thoughts about the clutter – “I should be more organized”, “I am so embarrassed”, “I will never be able to get through all of this.” Creativity and productivity are inhibited by all the clutter. Truly relaxing is difficult when surrounded by clutter. This month is National Stress Awareness Month. Why not work on decreasing […]
The TO DO List I’ve seen the to-do lists. The scraps of paper scattered about the house. The long never-ending lists that just grow and grow and feel overwhelming. The lists that are so haphazard you have no idea where to begin so you just don’t. Here is my solution for a better TO DO list: 1. Start with a brain dump. Write down everything you know you need to do…..don’t edit, just keep writing in no order. 2.Divide that brain dump into categories. Some examples would be: Kids Work Errands Phone Calls Emails Medical Use categories that make sense for you. 3.Prioritize and schedule. You’ve heard it before, but I’ll say […]
Relationships, with the people we love and live with, are wonderful, but rarely a consistent walk in the park. Relationships with clutter surrounding us are even harder. Clutter not only affects the person doing the cluttering, but it affects those living in the home with us. Stress – clutter puts a lot of stress on a home because it is harder to find things, you are stepping over stuff, and you can’t have friends and family over. Not to mention it is hard to find a place to chill out and relax. Expansion– typically there is one person who is the “clutterer”. As time goes on, if there are children in […]
So, I woke up this morning, later than usual, and have had a slow start to my day. I decided to quickly take a quick look at FB to make sure my post published correctly on my business page and then it happened; I took a left turn, went down the rabbit hole and started strolling down my FB feed. Here’s what I saw: Open the economy back up. It is going to be ok. Open the economy up too soon, we will undo all we’ve done by staying home. The President, Governor, all elected officials suck. The President, Governor, all elected officials are awesome. The virus is dangerous. The virus is […]
I don’t have time. I’m just too tired. These are two excuses I hear on a regular basis for not organizing or de-cluttering. Well, some of you now have the time and are possibly more well rested than you have been in a long, long time. So, what are some things you can do while you are at home?? Gather up important papers, scan them and/or file them away in a designated spot. Do you need a list of the kind of important papers I am talking about? https://peggywbarnes.com/organizing/resources/ Talk with your lawyer about updating your will. Execute your advance directives. There are state specific forms online, you can download and execute. […]
So, I realized it has been over a year since I have written a blog post. In the back of my mind, I knew it. In my heart, I knew it. I had things to say, things I wanted to write about, but I just couldn’t do it. The words wouldn’t come. The sentences wouldn’t form. Getting “pen to paper” seemed like an impossible task. So what happened? For a girl who definitely knows how to talk and write, why did writing a simple blog post seem insurmountable? These are the questions I have recently been contemplating and trying to figure out. Here are the three things I uncovered in my quest: […]
Today is the second time I stood crying in a Starbucks. I just spent a wonderful weekend visiting my mother and it was time to leave. It was very early in the morning and I tiptoed in her room to kiss her goodbye as she slept. I hated to leave. I wanted the time together to never end. I ached for her aching heart. I knew she would wake up and have to get through another day, the best she can, without her mate of 74 years by her side. As we were driving away, I had already shed my inevitable tears and thought I was done, however, 40 minutes later, as […]
I stared at this beautiful photo of a couple I know. Perfect setting. Gorgeous couple. Smiles. Flawless. I found out the story behind the photo. Hateful conversations. Bruises. Tears. Anger. I stared at the family photo, all dressed in shades of blue on the beach. Laughter. Hugs. Perfection. I found out the story behind the photo. Pain. Broken trusts. Lies. There are so many of us who look at photos on social media and make an instant assessment of someone’s life. Look at how happy they are. Look at how sweet they are. Look at that beautiful family. Look at how gorgeous she is. Look at how handsome he […]
Many people, who know me, would find it hard to believe that I would love to curl up in my bed with a good book or piddle around in my home all day. I have a reputation for moving, going, doing, working, and getting things done. From the outside, that is all very admirable, but take a look at the inside of my brain and my thoughts and how I reframe and keep going, in spite of how I feel. Me: I am exhausted. New thought: If you get up and get moving, you will have more energy. Me: I have so much to do. New thought: What is […]