"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud
was greater than the risk it took to bloom." Anais Nin
Start Kindly. Say nice things to yourself. You are wiser, stronger, more creative, capable and wonderful than you will ever know. Start well. Wash your face. Open windows. Put on your work shoes. Drink a glass of water. Stand up - Look up - Smile. Practice talking to yourself as you would a dear friend or a puppy. Put a little play into your work. Wear bright colors. Experiment with music while you work. (Tip: Our brains function better when we lighten up.)
Start Small and Easy. Choose a tiny project: a project so easy and simple you can complete it in less than 10 minutes. Give yourself a win early in the day. Give yourself lots of wins– however small. Seeing progress gives you energy and confidence. Finishing a project gives you a feeling of accomplishment. Visible progress motivates! Progress reduces stress and inspires you to keep going.
(Tip: Don’t wait to be inspired...let your work ignite your inspiration.)
Practice Being Present. Clutter is distracting. Life is distracting. Set a timer and practice staying focused on one project at a time. Start with10 minutes. You can do anything for 10 minutes! Pick a tiny project and see if you can complete it in 10 minutes. Turn off distractions when you work. TV’s, Cell phones and Computers. They are very distracting! (Tip: projects tend to take as much time and energy as we give them.)
Enlist Help! Did you know you are 95% more likely to accomplish your goals with support? Yup. We are wired to work together. Invite company over. Nothing inspires cleaning more than company’s coming! It’s super helpful to hire help and enlist support. Many hands make for easier, faster and more enjoyable work. Get a clutter clearing buddy. Inspire friends, send pictures of completed projects to each other. (Tip: include others. it helps...a lot!!)
Make Your Work Obvious. Have only one place for bills/mail. Before you turn on the tv, tidy up for 10 minutes. Fridays are great for finishing up things. Schedule pockets of “work” in your calendar. We need obvious reminders to keep us going. Keep track of what you have done. A visual clue makes our progress obvious and is delightfully motivating (Tip: put a gold star on your calendar for every pocket completed- no matter how small)
Above all things...Be Kind.
Denise
