Peggy W Barnes

Strategically Simplifying Lives

Change

Intentional Living – What Does It Mean and Are You Doing It?

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Living intentionally has a different meaning to everyone you talk to.  To many it means:

  • Being organized
  • Having your life in order
  • Exercising regularly
  • Being perfect

I’m not saying those things aren’t incorporated into living intentionally, but I am saying there is much more to intentional living.  Things like knowing why you are making the choices you are making each day.  Knowing what direction your life is going and where you want it to go.  Knowing your values so you can align your life up with those values.  Getting inside your head to know what thoughts you are really thinking that are driving many of your decisions.

Intentional living is living your best life now…….no matter the circumstances, obstacles or challenges.

Want to learn more about living life more intentionally?

Download this list of my 10 Great Quotes About Living the Intentional Life.

Also, join me February 25th for The Intentional Life Seminar.  A day carved out for you to learn how to live more on purpose.   I would love to see you there!  Details below.

The Intentional Life

 

It’s Your Choice

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I came to a huge revelation several years ago…….I have choices I never thought I had.
These choices have always been there but were buried under fear of the unknown, fear of making the wrong decision, fear of making someone mad, fear of looking stupid, fear of something being hard, fear of hurting someone’s feelings or my own lack of self-confidence. 

 Choices are all around us each and every day.  Many of our options don’t feel like choices because they look hard or painful.  Have you ever experienced a choice in your life you knew was right, but you knew it would hurt?  Most of us have, but most of us choose the path of least resistance.  We don’t want to make that choice because it is going to be a bumpy road and is going to come with heartache and pain, therefore we don’t even consider it to be a viable choice.  

Right now, do you have choices you need to make?  Be honest.  Be true.  What are your choices…..all of them?  Not just the choices that appear to be less painful.  Not just the choices that are fraught with familiarity.  What are the hard choices?  What are the choices that will lead down a new unfamiliar path?  Those choices need to be given consideration for they could be the right ones.  

Your life is the result of the choices you make……..make them good ones, even if they are hard, it will be worth it.  

The Cure for Pain

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The cure for pain is in the pain – Rumi

I heard the above quote a few weeks ago and it quickly resonated with me.

I spend my days working with people who are in pain because of their physical and emotional clutter. People genuinely want to live a more fulfilling life but can’t because their minds and their homes are so cluttered with “stuff”.

If you have lived any life at all, you know that in this life you will suffer.  In fact, I have come to understand that the suffering is what causes us to grow, stretches our faith, and can create a better version of ourselves…….if we let it.  If we fight the suffering, grow bitter, become angry, or stay in suffering mode, even when we could have moved on, we will not benefit from the suffering at all.

So all this to say what?  If you can learn to feel pain, feel emotion, and walk through the pain, you will find the cure for the pain.  Sounds odd, doesn’t it, but it is true.  We can try to numb, ignore and run away from pain, but you will only find it is still there, waiting.

None of this sounds fun, at all!  I agree.  It is not fun.  It is hard.  There will be crying, cussing and spitting.  There will be frustration, loneliness, and sadness.  I get all that…..I’ve been there on more than one occasion.  No one can take the pain away.  But……you can get through it.  You can survive.  You can cry out to God and let Him walk through it with you.  You can get to the other side, but you have to be brave and persistent enough to keep walking.

There is only one way out of pain and that is through the pain.  Remember, there is peace on the other side.

Why I Do What I Do?

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I am a Certified Professional Organizer and Life Coach.  My job is to help you organize and simplify your life and mind.  Why do I do what I do?

1.  I have a heart for people who hurt and I have found most people hurt.

2.  I see how clutter of space and mind sucks the life out of people.

3.  I can see around corners…..I can see what can happen when you let go of the mental and physical stuff holding you back.

4.  I know how hard it is to break bad habits, but I also know the benefits of breaking those habits.

5.  I know how people do not like to move out of their comfort zones, but I know how necessary it is to move out of those zones to create the change needed.

6.  I know people are afraid to let go of stuff, whether it be physical stuff or emotional stuff.

7.  I know people have certain ways of thinking, but I also know paradigm shifts are essential for real change to happen.

8.  I can hear and see the disconnect in what people say and what they do.

9. I know when the process of de-cluttering has become too much.  I know how to break it down into little bite-size pieces allowing for small incremental change.

10. I see the overwhelm and the weight clutter places on people.

11. I know clutter in the home is usually a physical manifestation of clutter in the mind.

12. I know things can be better, but it requires hard work and tenacity to get there.

13.  I love to see the freedom that results in letting go.

14.  I have to pay bills, eat and put gas in my car.

I do what I do because I truly desire for people to live life more purposefully and freely.  I know it can happen – I’ve seen it and it is magical!

Why You Are Never On Time

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“Either you run the day or the day runs you” ~Jim Rohn~

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Are you one of those people that can never seem to make it anywhere on time?

Here are some of the reasons why:

1.  You don’t really care if you are late.  I know that sounds harsh, but if you cared  you are always late, you would do everything possible not to be late.  Possibly you know people expect  you to be late, so you know, in your mind, you have that option.

2.  You think you have more time than you do.  You try to squeeze one more thing in before you go.

3.  You are unrealistic about how much time it takes for you to get out the door or how long it takes to get to where you are going.

4.  You are not paying attention.  You get distracted without realizing you are distracted.

So, here is how to be more consistent about being on time.

1. Care.  Again, sounds a little harsh and silly, but start caring whether you are on time or not.

2. Get totally ready first, then see if you have time to do other things once you are completely ready to walk out the door, including getting everything in the car (with the exception of children or pets)

3.  Time how long it takes you to get out the door.  Most of us have a typical routine that can be easily timed.  Know how much time that is and work backwards.  What time do you need to get out the door to get to where you want to be?  What has to be done between now and the time you leave?  How long is that going to take?

Be honest with yourself about the time it takes.  If it takes you an hour to get out the door, then don’t pretend otherwise.  If your routine includes letting the dog out before you go, making the beds, getting a load of wash in the washer, then include that in getting out the door time.

Also, plan some wiggle room.  Plan for those unexpected, but inevitable interruptions.  Plan a few minutes into your time schedule so you will be much less stressed when those unavoidable situations arise.

4.  Pay attention;  when you see you are getting distracted, write down what you are distracted by so you can come back and do it later, then go about your business of getting out the door.   When you know you have to be somewhere, set a timer for 10 minutes before you need to leave the house.

Let me know other reasons you are always late.  Maybe we can put our heads together on a strategy to help you be more on time.

When You Know What’s Coming

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A few mornings ago I went out for my walk.  I had nearly completed 2 of my 4 laps when I heard it, then I felt it…….thunder and rain drops.  I kept walking and pretending that the thunder was not coming my way, that it was too far in the distance, that I could keep walking and none of it would affect me.  If I ignored it, it would go away.  Well, I kept walking and the thunder got louder and the rain harder.  I finally went back to the house and conceded.

Do you do the same thing with life?  Do you know what’s coming and choose to ignore it rather than face it?  Do you continue to do the same things over and over, knowing you shouldn’t, and expect it not to have any effect on your life?

I see it all the time and have been guilty of it many times.  People choose to ignore red flags.  People choose to ignore the facts.  People doing exactly what they want to do thinking their choices will not impact their lives or the lives of others.   People unwilling to face their past, their current situation or their future and unwilling to do the hard work necessary for change.

I heard the thunder, I felt the raindrops and yet I kept thinking, it will go away.  It doesn’t and it didn’t. Within minutes, the sky opened up and the thunder was right on top of us.  The storm was coming, whether I was willing to admit it or not.  What storm is coming that you are refusing to acknowledge? Take the hard steps today to do what you can, before you get really wet.