Peggy W Barnes

I have to admit to all of you, I detest yard work and my husband detests it even more than I do.  I am not good at it and I don’t enjoy it, but when I set my mind to something, well, it usually gets done.   Today, I decided it was time to attack an area of our landscaping and attack I did.

This bush you are looking at is a beautiful Forsythia bush (not sure why I even know the name of it).  In the spring it is beautiful with yellow blooms.  When it was first planted, many, many years ago, it was the perfect size bush for this particular area of my yard.   However, over the last several years, this part of my landscaping has been ignored and unattended.  Several bushes morphed into other bushes and vines were woven in and out of all of them.  This pretty bush had turned into several small bushes and began taking over a very large area, squashing out and growing over several other bushes.

I had a mess.  It was hard to tell where one bush began and the other one ended.  But, as I said, I was determined to take care of this mess so I headed in the backyard with my less than adequate tools and began to prune and cut.

The tools I used were an ax,  a pruner (borrowed from the neighbor), a machete, and my hands.  I would take whatever tool I thought I needed and use it until I realized it was the perfect tool or I would need to switch to something else.  Once I cut a stem or root, I would pull on the bush until that particular part of the bush let go and I pulled it free.  I became covered in dirt, got blisters on my hands, and scratches on my hand and arms.

As I am working, I made such a distinct connection to the thoughts that are in our mind.  Our thoughts become intertwined with lies and we can no longer discern where the truth begins and ends and the lie begins and ends.   Other people’s thoughts begin to cover our thoughts like vines.  Those thoughts begin to cover up our own thoughts and begin to diminish our confidence in our thoughts and in ourselves.

The process of unwinding and untangling our thoughts requires the same thing it took for me to untangle the bushes.  You have to do it methodically, deliberately, and with the right tools.  You have to be persistent in your pursuit even when you feel like giving up, get dirty and it hurts.  You have to be willing to keep chopping, pruning and digging until you get to the root/truth.

We all live with a lot of lies we believe.  To live an authentic and happier life, we need to dig into the thoughts that are driving our behavior and be willing to examine what we find there.

I sit here tonight with pruned bushes, blistered hands, and scratched arms and hands, but having accomplished my goal.   That area of my yard can now flourish because I have given the bushes room to grow.  My desire for you is for you to go through the pain of getting to the truth knowing there will be room to grow and flourish on the other side of all your hard work and determination.

How many of you know it is CLEAN OFF YOUR DESK DAY?  Well, it is.  Hallmark just hasn’t jumped on board with a lot of hype, but us organizers love this day!

Here are a few quick tips about how to clean off your desk effectively:

1.  Take it off….take it all off.  I like to take everything off my desk and sort it into piles based on category.  Bills to pay, respond, take action, trash; whatever makes sense based on what is on your desk.
2. Only put back on your desk what needs to be there.
3. Find a home for everything that is running around your desk homeless.  If it’s there it needs a place to live, not just on top of your desk.  You can have piles on your desk (yes, I said that – you really can have piles), your piles just need to be purposeful, orderly and be in a system where the piles are addressed on a regular basis.
4. Evaluate what is on your desk.  Would it be better off living somewhere else?  Does it really need to be sitting on top of your desk?  Would it work better in a drawer or on a shelf?
5. Take 15 minutes, at the end of the day, to organize your desk in order for the next day.  When you walk in the next day, you will be glad you took those few moments.

So, even though I don’t have a Hallmark card I can send to celebrate this day, go celebrate by taking the time to CLEAN OFF YOUR DESK.  Let me know how it goes or if you have any questions. I’ll answer your questions right after I get through cleaning off my desk!

It is January 1st and I can bet at least 75% of the people reading this post have a resolution to de-clutter and organize.  As an organizer and life coach, I say go for it!  However, I will let you know there are some truths that you need to know before you begin.

1. As the quote says, you need to start with your vision.  Your “why”. If you can identify that, decision making will be easier and your motivation will not fade.  Visualize the life you’d rather be living, then move towards that vision.
2. De-cluttering is one thing.  Organizing is another.  De-clutter first.  Organize second.
3. De-cluttering and organizing is not a one and done deal.  You will have to continue to manage “stuff”, just hopefully not as much and it should take much less time!
4. Don’t buy organizing products until you know what needs organizing AND just because something is in a box doesn’t mean it’s organized.  It means you have put a lot of stuff in a box and basically delayed making decisions on any of it.
5. Don’t expect it to be an easy process.  It takes time, patience, and follow-through. It is easy to get started with a lot of motivation and excitement.  When you get deep into the process is when you need to dig in your heels, grit your teeth and keep going.

2017 could definitely be your year to be more organized and de-cluttered.  Go into the experience with a clear vision, realistic expectations, and tenacity.  Clear the path for the life you want to live, not a life of managing stuff.

I have seen it more times than I can count…….the pain of clutter.

I have seen it in the eyes of my clients when they realize how much “stuff” they have accumulated and the time and hard work it will take to clear it out.  I have seen it when they realize how much money has been spent and how much of their time and life has been wasted “organizing” and managing all of their purchases.

I have seen it in the eyes of my clients’ children when they talk about the “stuff” they will have to deal with once their parents are gone.

I have seen it in the eyes of the young children when they are so overwhelmed with clutter/toys,  they go watch TV instead of playing with all the toys surrounding them.

I have seen it in the eyes of parents who watch their children and grandchildren try to live in the middle of too much “stuff”.

I have seen it in the eyes of people whose thoughts and past lives are cluttering up their minds, their today and their future.

It is hard to own and think about too much “stuff” and it is hard letting go of too much “stuff”, but I know, without a doubt,  you are able to live a much fuller life with less “stuff” to manage.

The pain of clutter is real, but there is a way out of the pain.  You have to take action.  You have to take the first step, then the next and keep on walking until you are living the life you desire.   Start taking the steps today……for you, for your family, and for your future.  You won’t regret it, but you will regret not doing it.  The pain of clutter is real, but there is freedom from the pain.

There are 5 things I do, in the morning, to start my day off on the right foot:

1.  Make the bed.  It takes less than 5 minutes.  The great feeling of walking into an orderly room, at the end of the day, is well worth those 5 minutes.

2.  Eat breakfast.  Those that know me know I do not skip meals.  I am hungry when I wake up and I know my body needs fuel for the day, so I eat!  I eat anything easy and fairly nutritional and in moderation – oatmeal, cereal, salad, chicken, eggs or pizza.  Obviously, I do not discriminate against eating foods at particular times of the day.

3.  Plan my day.  I sit down, look at my day and plan it out.  What time do I need to be where and what time will I need to leave to get to each place.  Knowing what I need to do allows me to be realistic about what I can get done each day and keeps me on track throughout the day.

4. Take a moment of quiet.  This is an important part of any day…..just being still.  I take a moment to read a devotional, pray and to be grateful.  This moment can really set the tone for your day.

5.  Walk.  I try to walk for at least 30 minutes most mornings.  I have not conquered doing 7 days a week, but I do walk at least 5 days a week.  If it doesn’t get done in the morning, I make sure I get the walk in at some point of the day.

Yes, all this requires waking up at 5:15 am, but these morning habits have served me well, so it is well worth the early wake-up call!  What habits do you need to incorporate into your day?