 My 10th grade science teacher had a sign on his desk that I can still see so clearly in my mind’s eye... his desk that was covered in piles and piles of papers (I mean I think there was a desk under there)... anyway, the sign said “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?”
From my seat in the middle of the classroom I remember looking at that sign every day with curiosity, and admittedly a bit of irritation. Even by that age my bent for organization had set in deep. It made me wonder how he could get anything done or even focus long enough to teach with so much visual distraction. Now, absolutely no offense to anyone who has a messy desk! (I know my creative friends may be cringing at the thought of an empty desk!) But, what I’ve learned over the years is...
0 Comments
 My kitchen table serves many purposes and this year it’s added homeschool workspace to its list of uses. I imagine that with so many mamas choosing to homeschool kiddos, we’re also in need of a special dedicated space for supplies.
I’ve created that space in a kitchen nook so everything is close by. If you can spare a cupboard & a little counter space, or a few shelves in your office, or even a rolling tiered cart then you can simplify your homeschool space too. Whenever you organize it’s fun to get creative, let this task be no different. Use these tips to create YOUR homeschool space:  A conversation, all about organizing, with friend & realtor Laura Ferrara Mapes has prompted this week’s content! We chatted about the challenges to people as they sell their home, as well as the unique situations families are facing with many homeschooling, AND we touched on how a cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind. To make life easier I’m expanding on each of those topics over the next few days! Let's dive in...
 As I walked down the long quiet road away from our little red cabin I began to see the first signs of fall, beautiful golden leaves littering the path ahead. That’s all I needed to start the mental and physical transition from Summer to Autumn.
This is my absolute favorite time of year, and honestly I start itching for it by August! So, it doesn’t take much for me to be swayed. A few changed leaves or some pumpkins for sale at a roadside stand... and it’s officially fall in my book! Perhaps the reason I love this time so much is that it allows for some incredible hygge! If this is a new term for you, let me take a crack at explaining it (as you can find many definitions) and then I’ll share with you how I create it in my home:  Autumn... crisp air, fiery leaves, and don’t even get me started on all those pumpkins. It is my *favorite* time of year (hands down). Whether the leaves have started to turn in your neck of the woods or you’re not quite there yet, you may be feeling ready for a fresh Fall start. I know I am!
Although many people think of Spring as a time of renewal, I also find that feeling as we transition out of Summer and into the cooler days of Fall. It’s a time to turn back toward your home. With hot days coming to an end you may be ready to place a big pot of simmering soup on the stove, a loaf of bread in the oven, and cozy up with a cup of hot spiced cider while you wait. (Mmm, that sounds like a good home-body time to me!) In this “nesting” time it may become apparent that your home has come out of sorts as those long summer days were filled to the brim with outside play, afternoons at the pool, or full days of play and make believe turning your home into a toy-filled-whirlwind (I speak from experience). If so, it’s time to reel it back in and refresh your space! Here Are My 3 Steps To A Fall Refresh:  Habit change tips - comin’ at ya!
Trying to create change in your life? Working towards something better? Habits can be hard to change, but it’s certainly possible to do. Try focusing on just one small piece at a time. Over and over you need to choose this new habit (over whatever old habit it’s replacing), until you no longer have to think about it... it just becomes what you do. {Keep reading to find out how you can apply this to living with less!}  🦋 Have you ever watched a butterfly dance from flower to flower? Haphazardly stopping by whatever seems appealing in that moment, then off it goes, to find the next brightly colored object of affection and continue its mysterious movement.
Have you ever felt like that? Fluttering from here to there when you’re working, cleaning, or even just trying to focus. A little of this... a little of that... oh look, another flower... I’d better stop and check that out. 🌸🌺🌸🌺 Although the butterfly’s path is lovely to watch, when *we* mimmic it our path tends to be, well... messy and inefficient. Leaving us to have been busy all day, but not having much to show for all our efforts. 😳  ☀️Sunshine sparkled through my office window casting a beautiful glow on a glass of lemon water. Sitting next to it a snake plant in it’s crisp white pot, just reaching for that light. As I stared at those two things I thought, our needs are pretty simple aren’t they... so why does life too often seem so darn complicated?
🤔I wonder if we’re making it harder on ourselves than what it needs to be. Creating work just so we can stay *busy* because we think it dictates our value {which has become an American badge of honor, but I’ll visit that another time}. Or we amass more (& more) to content ourselves, then become overwhelmed by the visual stimulation and time & energy needed for maintenance. Needing to feel contentment again, we reach out for more stuff... or we busy ourselves as a distraction... and so the cycle continues. 😓The entire situation is exhausting, isn’t it?  Want to know one of my best productivity secrets? It’s the way I can accomplish all the things as a MOMpreneur. Mom-ing, working, life, meals, chores, projects, blah blah blah... all. the. things.
Here ya go:  Annie’s busy with her kids, home-based business & trying to keep up with the house. She’s goes and goes, but just can’t seem to get ahead. There’s clutter in every room, creeping onto surfaces and spilling onto the floor. She picks up, cleans around it, and stuffs what she can behind closed doors... feeling beyond frustrated, she is just over it. She has better things to do, but here she is *again* shuffling around stuff and getting nowhere.
It’s time for a change. It’s time to move seamlessly through her day, popping things easily back into their homes once they’re no longer being used, and saving her precious time (& frustration) every dang day. It’s time for her house to feel like a home... where she can play with her kids, entertain her friends on weekends, and just unwind with her hubby at night. But how? |
AuthorBobbie Dull is The Simplifying Specialist! Using her background as a Professional Organizer, Time & Home Management Consultant, and Certified Life & Health Coach she works with women who feel stuck, stressed and depleted by the daily monotony of life {especially mom-life}. Don't Miss It
September 2020
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed