Please remember this Clutter Free Challenge was posted by Glynnis earlier in the year. Any reference to the January dates of the challenge, and her book or gift card giveaways, etc. no longer apply.
Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog.
You can find her at www.glynniswhitwer.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clutter-Free Day 9: Miscellaneous Paper
Posted: 19 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST
Welcome to Day 9 in our Clutter-Free Challenge.
Before jumping in to the last day of dealing with paper clutter, I want to share a thought.
I’ve spent a lot of time this past week reading your comments and emails, and have loved your words of encouragement to each other. For some who shared a tough situation, those kind words mean more than all my tips put together. Thank you for being vulnerable, for reaching out and showing Christ’s love. Ministry is happening right here on this blog.
Today was we wrap up paper clutter, I’m going to share some tips for some of the papers that sit in a pretty basket somewhere in your home until they overflow. Then you go find another basket and fill that up too. Or perhaps you’ve got little slips of paper taped on the fridge and sticky notes spread around and you have no idea where to put that information. And if you have children … well … enough said.
Special cards, papers and letters
If you’re like me, you love to hold on to birthday cards you’ve received, a love note from your spouse or a drawing from a child. Those items hold precious memories for me, such as the self-portrait my eldest son did in kindergarten – it was a rainbow.
For notes and small drawings, I have another three-ring binder with acid-free plastic page protectors. I write the date on the back, slip it into a page protector and it’s done. (Yes, I like 3-ring binders)
For special cards and other mementos, I have a lovely memory box in my closet. For example, I date birthday cards and store them in gallon zip lock plastic bags. I do the same for my children, however, I add information about their birthday party, such as what we did, who attended and what gifts they received. These bags are stored in memory boxes in each child’s room.
Memory boxes
As your child grows, you’ll want to save mementos, figurines or special outfits. Purchase plastic storage boxes specifically for these items. As you remove items from your child’s room to place in the memory box, be sure to identify the significance (if it isn’t obvious) and wrap them securely in bubble wrap or clean wrapping paper. Photographs should be placed in acid-free envelopes. Store these boxes in a dry, cool place. If you have more than one child, clearly mark each box and each item to remove confusion in years to come.
Children’s school papers
With our first child we saved everything! Every handprint made into a turkey and coloring page is priceless. Unless you have lots of storage, this may get difficult as the years go on, and as you have more children. To keep your kids and you clutter-free, here are some tips that work for us.
1) Purchase a colored pocket folder for each child.
Every year we get welcome letters from the teacher, classroom rules, student lists and a school handbook. To keep that information handy, yet organized, I purchase an inexpensive colored pocket folder for each child. These folders lie flat in a kitchen drawer, ready for easy access.
2) Create another file for school items you want to save.
In our permanent file drawers each child also has their own hanging file. Because it’s not feasible to save everything, I have some criteria for what gets saved:
* Something that shows my child’s development at that age
* Papers with teacher notes of praise
* Papers that show an area of struggle (but not “failure”)
* Something that shows my child’s uniqueness, such as drawings, stories and poems.
3) At the end of the school year, purchase 9”x12” see-through expandable plastic envelopes from the office products store. Most school papers fit inside this envelope. Put your child’s school picture in the front, along with a piece of paper stating the school year. Store this envelope in a plastic storage box specifically for school papers.
4) To help out-of-state grandparents or other family members keep in touch with your child’s development, consider sending some of the school papers and drawings to them. To ease the process, keep a 9”x12” addressed envelope addressed at the ready, and mail once a month. Another tip is to write a letter on the back of the drawings, making it into a home-made card.
Phone numbers, addresses and passwords
Because I do most of my work on the computer, I use Outlook to store all kinds of information. I use the calendar for appointments and reminders of things like friend’s birthdays, due dates for bills, and when to call for an annual appointment. I schedule many things as recurring monthly or annually so I only enter them once, and I color code special dates like birthdays and speaking events. I’m thankful to have a smart phone and sync those calendars.
In addition to Outlook, I also have a Rolodex address box. That’s the kind with the removable cards. I use this for business cards and contacts that just don’t work well in Outlook. For example, I have one card for our kid’s college accounts and I have each child’s account number and password listed on the same card. I also keep low risk passwords in this file.
I feel like I’ve just dipped my toes in the pool of paper clutter. I’m sure there are many things I haven’t addressed, like homeschooling, scrapbooking supplies and photos. But I want to move on to other areas of the home since we only have six days left on this challenge to enjoy less clutter in our minds, schedules and homes. Thank you for joining me on this journey.
Grace & Peace,
Glynnis
Heavenly Father, I praise You for your unchanging nature, for Your goodness and for Your faithfulness. Thank You for loving me in spite of my many weak areas, and for seeing my potential when I don’t see it myself. Help me to see that my clutter and disorganization don’t define me. My value is found in my position in Christ and what He did on my behalf. Thank You! In Jesus name, Amen.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Clutter Free - Day 8 - What to Keep!
Congratulations to "Ben"- with your comment on July 10th @ 2:37 pm. for being our 1st Clutter Free Challenge giveaway winner!
Clutter-Free Day 8 – What to keep - by Glynnis Whitwer
Posted: 18 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST
Welcome to Day 8 in our Clutter-Free Challenge. Today we are going to continue to deal with paper clutter. If you have paper under control, I hope you’ll consider sharing some of your tips in the comments on my blog. You can do that by clicking on the title of this email.
Yesterday, I shared my practice of sorting papers into similar stacks. This helps me break down an overwhelming project into smaller pieces. My overloaded brain needs that! Now, I want to share some tips for managing paper that we need to keep, and identifying paper we don’t need to keep. I know some people are striving for a paperless file system, but that’s just not realistic for everything. And so I’ll be presenting ideas for what to do with a hard copy of paper and an electronic copy.
A filing system is critical for keeping your home and office free of paper clutter. Filing cabinets don’t have to be clunky gray metal. They can be lovely pieces of furniture. Purchase one larger than you think you need, and solid enough to not break when full.
Then, invest in a combination of hanging files for categories, and individual files for specific items. The key is to buy enough so you don’t feel stingy with them. Then, create file folders for papers you need to keep. If you are just starting to file, I suggest you label your files in pencil in case you want to make changes as you go along.
How you create categories and individual files is completely up to you. It just needs to make sense … to you. Where will you go looking for your auto insurance documents? In the “Auto” category or “Insurance” category? Where will you look for health records for your puppy? In the “Pets” category or “Health” category? Don’t try to work against the way you think … work with it.
Regarding saving documents electronically. This is a practice I started last year for certain documents. One of them being bank statements. My bank only makes monthly statements available in my account for 18 months. However, I need to keep them for seven years for tax purposes. So, I download a PDF of my statement each month and save it on my computer. Some people scan documents and save them. This works for papers that don’t need to be originals.
If you want to eliminate paper statements, create a folder in your documents for “Statements.” Then, create subfolders for each account you maintain (bank, investments, credit cards). Then create another subfolder for each year, and store statements by month within the appropriate year.
But what if my computer crashes? you ask. Good question. For years, my husband and I backed up our computers to an external hard drive once a month … when we remembered. That was until we learned about Carbonite.com. Now we pay an annual fee (well worth it) for a remote back up that works constantly. So in case my computer dies, I’ve got all my work, photos and more (within a few hours of when saved) backed up safely. And I can access it remotely.
If you want to reduce the paper you need to file, this is an awesome way to safeguard electronic files. To learn more about the options for online backup, here’s an article on PCMag.com reviewing different options.
For the rest of this post, I’m going to address some common items of paper and how long they should be saved – whether paper copies, scanned copies or PDF statements. Please note, these recommendations do NOT apply to a business. And they may not apply to unique situations. I used IRS.gov for some information and my accountant for the rest. If in doubt, please check with your own accountant.
Tax Returns (and supporting documents, including bank statements): Keep for seven years.
Initial investment records: Keep until you withdraw the money entirely, as these will be needed for tax reporting.
Receipts for purchases If you purchased the item with a credit card, save the receipt until it has shown up correctly on the statement. Once you have been correctly billed, shred the receipt, unless:
1. you need it for the warranty or service agreement.
2. it’s an item of value. Then either keep the receipt or record the purchase price in a ledger book in case you need it for an insurance claim.
3. it was for a gift, or item that might be returned. Save it until you are certain the item won’t be returned.
Investments/Banking/Retirement Statements: Keep the quarterly statements until you receive the year-end statement. Keep year-end statements with tax documents.
Paycheck Stubs: Keep for a year until you get your year-end W-2. If everything is correct, shred the paycheck stubs
Medical Records: Save for seven years with tax documents. However, it seems I’m occasionally wanting to remember when something happened and have had to go back through past year’s documents. But what I should have done years ago is keep track of illnesses, surgeries and procedures in a record-keeping book of some kind. If this idea appeals to you, look for record-keeping journals, or just buy a few smaller spiral notebooks.
Home Records: Keep all purchase and sale documents. Keep all home improvement expenses and those related to selling your house. When you sell your house, you’ll want these documents for tax purposes.
Automobile Expenses: Keep all purchase documents and major repair receipts in case you sell the car. You’ll want to pass these along to the new owner.
Permanent Storage: There are always documents you want to store in a secure fire-proof location. This list can change based on your individual situation. But experts generally agree on the following:
* Birth certificates
* Will
* Marriage certificate
* Adoption certificate
* Passports
* Social security card
If you can believe it, we are halfway through our Clutter-Free Challenge. I know this is a lot of work. But I can promise you that once you make the effort to create a good filing system, maintaining it is a fraction of the work.
Please join me tomorrow when I wrap up the section on paper clutter with some tips on miscellaneous items.
Grace & Peace,
Glynnis
Heavenly Father, I’m starting to feel overwhelmed again. You know how many times I’ve tried to get control over the paper in my life and have given up. Help me to break this problem down into manageable pieces and show me what to do first. With Your help, I can bring de-clutter and bring order to the paper in my office and home. In Jesus name, Amen.
Please remember this Clutter Free Challenge was posted by Glynnis earlier in the year. Any reference to the January dates of the challenge, and her book or gift card giveaways, etc. no longer apply.
Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog.
You can find her at www.glynniswhitwer.com
Clutter-Free Day 8 – What to keep - by Glynnis Whitwer
Posted: 18 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST
Welcome to Day 8 in our Clutter-Free Challenge. Today we are going to continue to deal with paper clutter. If you have paper under control, I hope you’ll consider sharing some of your tips in the comments on my blog. You can do that by clicking on the title of this email.
Yesterday, I shared my practice of sorting papers into similar stacks. This helps me break down an overwhelming project into smaller pieces. My overloaded brain needs that! Now, I want to share some tips for managing paper that we need to keep, and identifying paper we don’t need to keep. I know some people are striving for a paperless file system, but that’s just not realistic for everything. And so I’ll be presenting ideas for what to do with a hard copy of paper and an electronic copy.
A filing system is critical for keeping your home and office free of paper clutter. Filing cabinets don’t have to be clunky gray metal. They can be lovely pieces of furniture. Purchase one larger than you think you need, and solid enough to not break when full.
Then, invest in a combination of hanging files for categories, and individual files for specific items. The key is to buy enough so you don’t feel stingy with them. Then, create file folders for papers you need to keep. If you are just starting to file, I suggest you label your files in pencil in case you want to make changes as you go along.
How you create categories and individual files is completely up to you. It just needs to make sense … to you. Where will you go looking for your auto insurance documents? In the “Auto” category or “Insurance” category? Where will you look for health records for your puppy? In the “Pets” category or “Health” category? Don’t try to work against the way you think … work with it.
Regarding saving documents electronically. This is a practice I started last year for certain documents. One of them being bank statements. My bank only makes monthly statements available in my account for 18 months. However, I need to keep them for seven years for tax purposes. So, I download a PDF of my statement each month and save it on my computer. Some people scan documents and save them. This works for papers that don’t need to be originals.
If you want to eliminate paper statements, create a folder in your documents for “Statements.” Then, create subfolders for each account you maintain (bank, investments, credit cards). Then create another subfolder for each year, and store statements by month within the appropriate year.
But what if my computer crashes? you ask. Good question. For years, my husband and I backed up our computers to an external hard drive once a month … when we remembered. That was until we learned about Carbonite.com. Now we pay an annual fee (well worth it) for a remote back up that works constantly. So in case my computer dies, I’ve got all my work, photos and more (within a few hours of when saved) backed up safely. And I can access it remotely.
If you want to reduce the paper you need to file, this is an awesome way to safeguard electronic files. To learn more about the options for online backup, here’s an article on PCMag.com reviewing different options.
For the rest of this post, I’m going to address some common items of paper and how long they should be saved – whether paper copies, scanned copies or PDF statements. Please note, these recommendations do NOT apply to a business. And they may not apply to unique situations. I used IRS.gov for some information and my accountant for the rest. If in doubt, please check with your own accountant.
Tax Returns (and supporting documents, including bank statements): Keep for seven years.
Initial investment records: Keep until you withdraw the money entirely, as these will be needed for tax reporting.
Receipts for purchases If you purchased the item with a credit card, save the receipt until it has shown up correctly on the statement. Once you have been correctly billed, shred the receipt, unless:
1. you need it for the warranty or service agreement.
2. it’s an item of value. Then either keep the receipt or record the purchase price in a ledger book in case you need it for an insurance claim.
3. it was for a gift, or item that might be returned. Save it until you are certain the item won’t be returned.
Investments/Banking/Retirement Statements: Keep the quarterly statements until you receive the year-end statement. Keep year-end statements with tax documents.
Paycheck Stubs: Keep for a year until you get your year-end W-2. If everything is correct, shred the paycheck stubs
Medical Records: Save for seven years with tax documents. However, it seems I’m occasionally wanting to remember when something happened and have had to go back through past year’s documents. But what I should have done years ago is keep track of illnesses, surgeries and procedures in a record-keeping book of some kind. If this idea appeals to you, look for record-keeping journals, or just buy a few smaller spiral notebooks.
Home Records: Keep all purchase and sale documents. Keep all home improvement expenses and those related to selling your house. When you sell your house, you’ll want these documents for tax purposes.
Automobile Expenses: Keep all purchase documents and major repair receipts in case you sell the car. You’ll want to pass these along to the new owner.
Permanent Storage: There are always documents you want to store in a secure fire-proof location. This list can change based on your individual situation. But experts generally agree on the following:
* Birth certificates
* Will
* Marriage certificate
* Adoption certificate
* Passports
* Social security card
If you can believe it, we are halfway through our Clutter-Free Challenge. I know this is a lot of work. But I can promise you that once you make the effort to create a good filing system, maintaining it is a fraction of the work.
Please join me tomorrow when I wrap up the section on paper clutter with some tips on miscellaneous items.
Grace & Peace,
Glynnis
Heavenly Father, I’m starting to feel overwhelmed again. You know how many times I’ve tried to get control over the paper in my life and have given up. Help me to break this problem down into manageable pieces and show me what to do first. With Your help, I can bring de-clutter and bring order to the paper in my office and home. In Jesus name, Amen.
Please remember this Clutter Free Challenge was posted by Glynnis earlier in the year. Any reference to the January dates of the challenge, and her book or gift card giveaways, etc. no longer apply.
Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog.
You can find her at www.glynniswhitwer.com
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Day 7 - Clutter Free - Devotional and project management planner example
Hi Ladies!
Yesterday you read a great post from Glynnis sharing how to organize your ideas and thoughts in one place. So today I wanted to share about my project management planner and how it has literally changed my life! I have tried many different calendars and planners throughout the years but this one definitely beats them all.
Here is a picture of the various components of my planner. Since I run a company along with a household I decided to keep several different calendars to keep my sanity. Lol!
So I have:
* one calendar designated for plans, activities, and school lessons, etc. all linked to my daughter Symphony
* one calendar linked to our overall family plans, household bills, important events and dates, etc.
* one calendar related to my company - upcoming orders, events, shows, etc.
* a page showing our meals for a week at a time (I have a 3 week rotation.)
* and finally a neat little journal I bought that keeps track of upcoming birthdays, anniversaries, etc. It even has a pocket for each month to hold all of the cards I buy up in advance 4 times a year for these special celebrations. I love...love...love how it's all in one place!
In my project management binder I have a pocket in the front for inspiring pictures and quotes I love - that I tear out of magazines and read from various books. At the end of the month I file these away in my "Creative Idea" folders. This is something I started in January and I'm excited how I can easliy go back now and find exactly what I am looking for - within a minute or two.
I have the main "TO DO" list at the front of my binder and usually organize it a week at a time. I simply take all of my info from my various calendars and get it onto my "TO DO" list. I am one of those people who LOVES to cross things off of her list after completion. Are you? I guess I just love to celebrate the feeling of accomplishment.
I have the MASTER list at the front of my binder that Glynnis speaks of and then my tabs are:
Projects
Prayer Requests and Answers!!
Meals
Ideas - for brainstorming
Gifts - (I normally try to buy up all of the b-day gifts, we need 4 times throughout the year. I also plan ahead in buying for Christmas too, but I will talk in detail about that in a few weeks. My mom, Irene, is simply amazing when it comes to gift buying, AND being frugal. She is going to guest post on my blog in August with all sorts of helpful ideas for you!!)
A Year From Now... a place for goals and things I want to accomplish, a timeline, and how I need to break them down into smaller chunks to make them a reality!
I also use Pinterest as a source of inspiration and my pin boards really help to organize things I am planning to create. I have run across many women lately who have never been on Pinterest before. If you haven't ...I want to encourage you to check it out. Having your own bulliten boards and the ability to pin and store your ideas is very liberating for the mind. Go to pinterest.com to see what all the fuss is about!
I definitely agree having my thoughts and committments all written down in one central location has really freed my mind and allows me more time for creative thinking. I used to feel like I was in a constant state of overload and panic trying to juggle all of my responsibilites and hardly slept at all. Now things are very different for me and I owe it to my sweet friend Glynnis and her genius organizing abilities!
Today's GIVEAWAY!!!!
I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas regarding your own project management planner. Leave a comment about what you are already doing or plan to do and a winner will be randomly selected on Wed (7/11).
Here's the prize:
A gray plastic coupon organizer, a Mary Engelbreit journal, clear push pins, Mead pagemarker paper clips, Scotch page sticky organizers, Mary Engelbreit sticky notes and sticky tabs
Thanks!
Brandy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please remember this Clutter Free Challenge was posted by Glynnis earlier in the year. Any reference to the January dates of the challenge, and her book or gift card giveaways, etc. no longer apply.
Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog.
You can find her at www.glynniswhitwer.com
Two-for-one: Clutter Day 7 & She Stands Alone Devotion
Posted: 17 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST
Today I have the pleasure of welcoming two groups to my blog. The first is my faithful group of new friends who are de-cluttering their lives through my 15-Day Clutter-Free Challenge. We are on day 7 and we are going to take a look at paper clutter. I’m also welcoming Encouragement for Today devotions readers who read “She Stands Alone” today. Finally, I’m also announcing the winner of Karen Ehman’s book “The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized” and Target gift card. It’s a busy day, but I’m going to do my best for you. If you are just here for my comments on “She Stands Alone,” feel free to jump to the end of the post.
First a winner of Karen’s giveaway package. Based on a random selection method, Michelle posting a comment January 13, 2012 at 2:38 p.m. is our winner. Michelle, send me an email at editor@proverbs31.org with your mailing address.
CLUTTER-FREE DAY 7
Next, I’ll address our paper clutter. One would think given the digital age we live in, managing paper wouldn’t be a problem. But it is! Organizing stacks and piles, papers and files is an ongoing challenge for women. Especially those of us who grew up pre-computers.
Years ago I saved anything I thought might be handy in the future. Especially information on paper. I saved every bill, receipt and magazine. For years! My approach was filled with “just in case” and “what if” thoughts. Because maybe, just maybe, I might someday need to know how many times we changed the oil in our vehicle. Ahem. (probably not)
It took years before I realized the paper I was trying to manage, was really managing me. I was over-cautious, overly sentimental, and much too optimistic. Plus, sometimes I just didn’t know what to do with all that paper, so I postponed making a decision. And the piles grew.
Maybe your reasons for amassing paper are different. But whatever the reasons, too much paper affects our productivity, creativity and causes underlying anxiety from the visual clutter. So today we’ll start addressing the paper-based items in our homes. Remember, we aren’t going to focus too much on organizing, just de-cluttering. Although I’ll throw in a few of my favorite tips here and there – I can’t help myself.
I’m dividing this topic into three days due to the amount of different types of paper we all have. Today I’ll talk about what to do with informational content like books, magazines, brochures, and the like. Tomorrow I’ll address the types of paper we tend to file, like bills, receipts and reports. Finally we’ll talk about miscellaneous things like children’s schoolwork, artwork and phone numbers on little pieces of paper.
Before we get started, I want to remind you of something. As I go through the next steps, please know I don’t expect you to do all this in one day. This could take weeks. My hope is that by breaking down the tasks, you can work on de-cluttering your paper as you have time.
Okay – enough introduction. Whenever I start trying to de-clutter paper items, it helps to have some supplies handy. With paper, a recycling bin is critical. So get something big enough or you’ll be frustrated fast. You might also want to get some plastic tubs or boxes to carry things out of the house.
Once I’ve got my supplies handy, the second step is to sort items into similar groups. Pick one area of your space to tackle. This might be a kitchen counter, your desk or the table by your bed. I don’t recommend trying to address your entire house at once. But if you are up for the challenge, pick a room.
Then, sort all the paper into like stacks. For instance, books in one stack, bills in another and bank statements in another. You could have five, 10 or 20 stacks depending on the variety of papers you have. As you do this, put paper you know you don’t need (old newspapers, envelopes, etc) in the recycling bin. Do not recycle anything with your name, address or account number. Tear off that section of paper, and shred it. Then recycle the rest.
If you are overwhelmed with paper, this approach may not work for you. You may want to just pick one item to sort at a time. This will keep this process simple and focused. Maybe you are only going to gather bills right now and that’s okay. Do what works for YOU!
Once you have like items together, you can start de-cluttering. That might start with putting things where they belong or throwing damaged items away. I think you’ll have great ideas now that you’ve broken down the problem. But in case you need some help, here are some tips for what to do with a few common items:
Books – Books were made to be read. If you have extras, please share them with someone else.
* Donate to local library
* Sell used books on Amazon to make some money
* Sell at a used-book store
* Host a used-book sale at church to raise money for a mission project
* Donate children’s books to a homeless shelter or school
Magazines – Do I really need years of Victoria Magazine? Really?
* Donate to local elementary school for art projects
* Clip things you want to save like recipes, decorating tips or craft projects and put in an “idea notebook. I use a three-ring binder with plastic page protectors. Then donate the rest to a school.
* My library accepts donated magazines and sells them. Check with yours.
* Take them to your next family or friends get-together and give them away.
Brochures/Menus/Ideas
I created a “Family Fun Book” to keep track of papers I wanted to keep, but didn’t want to file. Using a three-ring binder with page protectors and tabbed inserts, I keep things like takeout menus, brochures, ideas for family activities, movies to see and more all in one handy place.
I know this is just a small portion of what causes paper clutter, but I hope the idea of sorting first makes this more manageable. When I take the time to sort, it’s so much easier to make decisions. Plus, I see how much I really have. Tomorrow I’ll address more types of paper, including what you really need to keep and how long.
Heavenly Father, some days it feels like I’m drowning in paper. I have so much anxiety of how to manage it and what I need to keep. Help me to take this one step at a time. I want to be a good steward of my time, energy and space and I know that means addressing the paper in my life. Help me release my grip on things that others could use. In Jesus name, Amen.
Finally …
SHE STANDS ALONE
In my devotion today, I shared about a bold woman I saw standing firm for what she believe God called her to do. I can still see her little figure standing there holding a Bible, her head lowered.
Her devotion to her beliefs challenged me to look at myself and my commitment to stand for what God has called me to do. No matter how hard it gets. No matter how much I question myself. In my devotion, I promised to share a personal challenge. I hope that by doing so, you’ll be encouraged in your own hard place.
Six and a half years ago, my husband and I heard God clearly call us to adopt. We already had three biological children, but we knew God wanted us to care for orphans. And it shocked us when God told us our daughters were waiting for us in Liberia, Africa. This hadn’t even been on our radar screen.
But we obeyed and brought two little sisters in our hearts and homes. It didn’t take long to realize our daughters had suffered greatly from their upbringing in a war zone. We knew they would need tender care, but the depth of their cognitive and emotional damage was challenging – especially since they each have unique issues.
There have been many times in the past six and a half years when I have felt like I was drowning in their complex needs. I have felt unqualified to help them overcome the hurt and scars of their past. And my husband and I underestimated the cost we would pay to care for these precious children. Let’s just say that no one is lining up to make a movie about our great success story … at least not yet.
In spite of the daily, often painful, challenges we face, nothing else in my life has driven me to my Heavenly Father like this calling. My utter helplessness to heal their brokenness has made me dependent on God like never before. And we are learning the power of the name of Jesus to still the storms like we never did in the calm.
Years ago a friend shared this quote with me: Don’t doubt in the dark what you know to be true in the light.
This is what I know in the light:
* We were hand-picked to parent our daughters.
* God knew their brokenness.
* God knew our limitations.
* He never planned for us to do this alone.
Are you facing a mountain that seems too big to climb? You were never meant to climb it alone. But you are meant to climb it. Will you join me in putting one foot of obedience in front of the other? Will you join me in asking for God’s help when we feel too weak to take another step? He is faithful. And I can testify that you will experience the reality of God like you never have before when you turn to Him for help.
Thank you for joining me today. And if you want to join me on this clutter-free challenge, please sign up to receive my blog updates by email or RSS feed. You can read last week’s posts by clicking on “Clutter Free” in the categories.
Grace & Peace,
Glynnis
Yesterday you read a great post from Glynnis sharing how to organize your ideas and thoughts in one place. So today I wanted to share about my project management planner and how it has literally changed my life! I have tried many different calendars and planners throughout the years but this one definitely beats them all.
So I have:
* one calendar designated for plans, activities, and school lessons, etc. all linked to my daughter Symphony
* one calendar linked to our overall family plans, household bills, important events and dates, etc.
* one calendar related to my company - upcoming orders, events, shows, etc.
* a page showing our meals for a week at a time (I have a 3 week rotation.)
* and finally a neat little journal I bought that keeps track of upcoming birthdays, anniversaries, etc. It even has a pocket for each month to hold all of the cards I buy up in advance 4 times a year for these special celebrations. I love...love...love how it's all in one place!
In my project management binder I have a pocket in the front for inspiring pictures and quotes I love - that I tear out of magazines and read from various books. At the end of the month I file these away in my "Creative Idea" folders. This is something I started in January and I'm excited how I can easliy go back now and find exactly what I am looking for - within a minute or two.
I have the main "TO DO" list at the front of my binder and usually organize it a week at a time. I simply take all of my info from my various calendars and get it onto my "TO DO" list. I am one of those people who LOVES to cross things off of her list after completion. Are you? I guess I just love to celebrate the feeling of accomplishment.
I have the MASTER list at the front of my binder that Glynnis speaks of and then my tabs are:
Projects
Prayer Requests and Answers!!
Meals
Ideas - for brainstorming
Gifts - (I normally try to buy up all of the b-day gifts, we need 4 times throughout the year. I also plan ahead in buying for Christmas too, but I will talk in detail about that in a few weeks. My mom, Irene, is simply amazing when it comes to gift buying, AND being frugal. She is going to guest post on my blog in August with all sorts of helpful ideas for you!!)
A Year From Now... a place for goals and things I want to accomplish, a timeline, and how I need to break them down into smaller chunks to make them a reality!
I also use Pinterest as a source of inspiration and my pin boards really help to organize things I am planning to create. I have run across many women lately who have never been on Pinterest before. If you haven't ...I want to encourage you to check it out. Having your own bulliten boards and the ability to pin and store your ideas is very liberating for the mind. Go to pinterest.com to see what all the fuss is about!
I definitely agree having my thoughts and committments all written down in one central location has really freed my mind and allows me more time for creative thinking. I used to feel like I was in a constant state of overload and panic trying to juggle all of my responsibilites and hardly slept at all. Now things are very different for me and I owe it to my sweet friend Glynnis and her genius organizing abilities!
Today's GIVEAWAY!!!!
I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas regarding your own project management planner. Leave a comment about what you are already doing or plan to do and a winner will be randomly selected on Wed (7/11).
Here's the prize:
A gray plastic coupon organizer, a Mary Engelbreit journal, clear push pins, Mead pagemarker paper clips, Scotch page sticky organizers, Mary Engelbreit sticky notes and sticky tabs
Thanks!
Brandy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please remember this Clutter Free Challenge was posted by Glynnis earlier in the year. Any reference to the January dates of the challenge, and her book or gift card giveaways, etc. no longer apply.
Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog.
You can find her at www.glynniswhitwer.com
Two-for-one: Clutter Day 7 & She Stands Alone Devotion
Posted: 17 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST
Today I have the pleasure of welcoming two groups to my blog. The first is my faithful group of new friends who are de-cluttering their lives through my 15-Day Clutter-Free Challenge. We are on day 7 and we are going to take a look at paper clutter. I’m also welcoming Encouragement for Today devotions readers who read “She Stands Alone” today. Finally, I’m also announcing the winner of Karen Ehman’s book “The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized” and Target gift card. It’s a busy day, but I’m going to do my best for you. If you are just here for my comments on “She Stands Alone,” feel free to jump to the end of the post.
First a winner of Karen’s giveaway package. Based on a random selection method, Michelle posting a comment January 13, 2012 at 2:38 p.m. is our winner. Michelle, send me an email at editor@proverbs31.org with your mailing address.
CLUTTER-FREE DAY 7
Next, I’ll address our paper clutter. One would think given the digital age we live in, managing paper wouldn’t be a problem. But it is! Organizing stacks and piles, papers and files is an ongoing challenge for women. Especially those of us who grew up pre-computers.
Years ago I saved anything I thought might be handy in the future. Especially information on paper. I saved every bill, receipt and magazine. For years! My approach was filled with “just in case” and “what if” thoughts. Because maybe, just maybe, I might someday need to know how many times we changed the oil in our vehicle. Ahem. (probably not)
It took years before I realized the paper I was trying to manage, was really managing me. I was over-cautious, overly sentimental, and much too optimistic. Plus, sometimes I just didn’t know what to do with all that paper, so I postponed making a decision. And the piles grew.
Maybe your reasons for amassing paper are different. But whatever the reasons, too much paper affects our productivity, creativity and causes underlying anxiety from the visual clutter. So today we’ll start addressing the paper-based items in our homes. Remember, we aren’t going to focus too much on organizing, just de-cluttering. Although I’ll throw in a few of my favorite tips here and there – I can’t help myself.
I’m dividing this topic into three days due to the amount of different types of paper we all have. Today I’ll talk about what to do with informational content like books, magazines, brochures, and the like. Tomorrow I’ll address the types of paper we tend to file, like bills, receipts and reports. Finally we’ll talk about miscellaneous things like children’s schoolwork, artwork and phone numbers on little pieces of paper.
Before we get started, I want to remind you of something. As I go through the next steps, please know I don’t expect you to do all this in one day. This could take weeks. My hope is that by breaking down the tasks, you can work on de-cluttering your paper as you have time.
Okay – enough introduction. Whenever I start trying to de-clutter paper items, it helps to have some supplies handy. With paper, a recycling bin is critical. So get something big enough or you’ll be frustrated fast. You might also want to get some plastic tubs or boxes to carry things out of the house.
Once I’ve got my supplies handy, the second step is to sort items into similar groups. Pick one area of your space to tackle. This might be a kitchen counter, your desk or the table by your bed. I don’t recommend trying to address your entire house at once. But if you are up for the challenge, pick a room.
Then, sort all the paper into like stacks. For instance, books in one stack, bills in another and bank statements in another. You could have five, 10 or 20 stacks depending on the variety of papers you have. As you do this, put paper you know you don’t need (old newspapers, envelopes, etc) in the recycling bin. Do not recycle anything with your name, address or account number. Tear off that section of paper, and shred it. Then recycle the rest.
If you are overwhelmed with paper, this approach may not work for you. You may want to just pick one item to sort at a time. This will keep this process simple and focused. Maybe you are only going to gather bills right now and that’s okay. Do what works for YOU!
Once you have like items together, you can start de-cluttering. That might start with putting things where they belong or throwing damaged items away. I think you’ll have great ideas now that you’ve broken down the problem. But in case you need some help, here are some tips for what to do with a few common items:
Books – Books were made to be read. If you have extras, please share them with someone else.
* Donate to local library
* Sell used books on Amazon to make some money
* Sell at a used-book store
* Host a used-book sale at church to raise money for a mission project
* Donate children’s books to a homeless shelter or school
Magazines – Do I really need years of Victoria Magazine? Really?
* Donate to local elementary school for art projects
* Clip things you want to save like recipes, decorating tips or craft projects and put in an “idea notebook. I use a three-ring binder with plastic page protectors. Then donate the rest to a school.
* My library accepts donated magazines and sells them. Check with yours.
* Take them to your next family or friends get-together and give them away.
Brochures/Menus/Ideas
I created a “Family Fun Book” to keep track of papers I wanted to keep, but didn’t want to file. Using a three-ring binder with page protectors and tabbed inserts, I keep things like takeout menus, brochures, ideas for family activities, movies to see and more all in one handy place.
I know this is just a small portion of what causes paper clutter, but I hope the idea of sorting first makes this more manageable. When I take the time to sort, it’s so much easier to make decisions. Plus, I see how much I really have. Tomorrow I’ll address more types of paper, including what you really need to keep and how long.
Heavenly Father, some days it feels like I’m drowning in paper. I have so much anxiety of how to manage it and what I need to keep. Help me to take this one step at a time. I want to be a good steward of my time, energy and space and I know that means addressing the paper in my life. Help me release my grip on things that others could use. In Jesus name, Amen.
Finally …
SHE STANDS ALONE
In my devotion today, I shared about a bold woman I saw standing firm for what she believe God called her to do. I can still see her little figure standing there holding a Bible, her head lowered.
Her devotion to her beliefs challenged me to look at myself and my commitment to stand for what God has called me to do. No matter how hard it gets. No matter how much I question myself. In my devotion, I promised to share a personal challenge. I hope that by doing so, you’ll be encouraged in your own hard place.
Six and a half years ago, my husband and I heard God clearly call us to adopt. We already had three biological children, but we knew God wanted us to care for orphans. And it shocked us when God told us our daughters were waiting for us in Liberia, Africa. This hadn’t even been on our radar screen.
But we obeyed and brought two little sisters in our hearts and homes. It didn’t take long to realize our daughters had suffered greatly from their upbringing in a war zone. We knew they would need tender care, but the depth of their cognitive and emotional damage was challenging – especially since they each have unique issues.
There have been many times in the past six and a half years when I have felt like I was drowning in their complex needs. I have felt unqualified to help them overcome the hurt and scars of their past. And my husband and I underestimated the cost we would pay to care for these precious children. Let’s just say that no one is lining up to make a movie about our great success story … at least not yet.
In spite of the daily, often painful, challenges we face, nothing else in my life has driven me to my Heavenly Father like this calling. My utter helplessness to heal their brokenness has made me dependent on God like never before. And we are learning the power of the name of Jesus to still the storms like we never did in the calm.
Years ago a friend shared this quote with me: Don’t doubt in the dark what you know to be true in the light.
This is what I know in the light:
* We were hand-picked to parent our daughters.
* God knew their brokenness.
* God knew our limitations.
* He never planned for us to do this alone.
Are you facing a mountain that seems too big to climb? You were never meant to climb it alone. But you are meant to climb it. Will you join me in putting one foot of obedience in front of the other? Will you join me in asking for God’s help when we feel too weak to take another step? He is faithful. And I can testify that you will experience the reality of God like you never have before when you turn to Him for help.
Thank you for joining me today. And if you want to join me on this clutter-free challenge, please sign up to receive my blog updates by email or RSS feed. You can read last week’s posts by clicking on “Clutter Free” in the categories.
Grace & Peace,
Glynnis
Monday, July 9, 2012
Clutter Free - Day 6 - building your own project management planner
Welcome Ladies,
There are so many helpful and practical ideas coming your way this week, I can hardly wait to get started. Week 2 of Glynnis' Clutter Free Challenge is amazing. This is where we get into the "nuts and bolts" of what it means to be Clutter Free! I would love to hear about how you plan to use these time saving strategies to help you in your day to day life. Leave a comment this week sharing your thoughts and ideas of how to make these strategies work best for you.
Beginning tomorrow, I will share ways I have incorporated Glynnis' ideas/helpful hints myself with my #1 all time favorite being my Project Management Planner!!!
I can't wait to share about it. I finally found something that works perfectly for ME!
Blessings to you!
Brandy
Clutter-Free Day 6 – Creating a project management planner - by Glynnis Whitwer
Posted: 16 Jan 2012 01:00 AM PST
Welcome to Day 6 of the Clutter-Free Challenge.
I hope you had a wonderful weekend. It’s my hope and prayer that you feel lighter now that we’ve tapped into the wisdom of God, aligned our hearts with His through prayer, done a personal assessment of everything we have to do and started the editing process to trim down an overwhelming schedule.
Last week I promised we would do something with that list of tasks and responsibilities you’ve been creating, and that’s our focus today. I’m going to share an approach that has truly revolutionized how I organize my tasks and responsibilities.
For years I tried to manage all I had to do on one list. I tried to prioritize that to-do list using various methods, all without success. I had huge projects next to phone calls. It was just too much to put on one sheet of paper. It was like trying to squeeze my size 9 feet into cute little size 6 shoes. It wasn’t happening.
With one to-do list, I never had an accurate view of all my responsibilities because I instinctively knew certain things didn’t belong there And so I kept piling more on to an already overloaded schedule.
I bought planner after planner, hoping another professional system would help me organize my life. But I couldn’t customize them to my needs, and I ended up investing in a stack of expensive pretty binders. Project management seemed like the answer at one point, and I checked into specialized software – but that wasn’t what I needed.
Finally, inspired again by David’s Allen’s Getting Things Done philosophy, I created something to meet my needs. I made a project management notebook using a 3-ring binder. This book contains everything I need to do – now and in the future – my project list. And then I invested in an inexpensive spiral notebook for my to-do list. I’ve been using this system for about a year and it is perfect for me. Let me explain how it works.
In the front of my 3-ring binder I have a master list of projects. A project is anything that requires more than one step to complete. For me, that includes things like organizing the writer’s track at She Speaks, putting together the next issue of the P31 Woman or planning a fundraising night for my youngest son’s wrestling team. Those are just a few of the things on my radar right now.
Behind that, I have full sheets to keep notes for individual projects (included on the master project list) depending on their complexity. This notebook has evolved into a place to keep prayer requests, ideas for future devotions and blog posts, and lists of things I want to do in the future. Basically it keeps lists of things I don’t want to forget. All this is my Project Management Planner.
My to-do list, which is in a cute spiral notebook,
only includes the next task needed to move a project forward. And only what I can manage that day or week. These are one-step tasks I choose from the project list based on deadlines. For example, right now I need to email a publisher, follow up on an article by Lysa and Renee for April’s issue and email the wrestling coach to confirm the date for the fundraising night. These are on my to-do list for next week.
By only pulling tasks that I have to get done, my to-do list stays manageable. But I never forget what has to be done because it’s on the project list.
Then, once a month (or as needed) I update my master list of projects – crossing some off and adding others. Once a week (or as needed), I pull out my current project list notebook and create a to-do list.
Does this sound like it might help you? It’s affordable and it becomes a place to store all those little pieces of paper with scribbled on notes you’ve got cluttering up your fridge, desk and kitchen counter.
You might not need a binder. Maybe you just need that spiral notebook and can dedicate one page to your projects and the following pages to-do lists. Really it all depends on how much you have to do. The concept can be applied in many ways.
So in summary, here’s a step by step approach for you:
1) Get some fresh paper (or blank page on the computer if you insist) and start listing the major projects you’ve already identified and put on your master list. For you this might be put away Christmas decorations. Or organize 2011 taxes. These are your project titles.
2) Then list tasks relating to that project below the heading. You may not have all the tasks identified and that’s ok. But if you do, put them with this project. Then go to the next project.
Some things might not seem like a project, but they are similar enough to qualify for one. Let’s say you have lots of mending, and you listed 10 things that need to be mended. Make “Mending” your project heading and list your items under that. Or you might have lots of phone calls. Make “Phone Calls” your project and list who you need to call under that. You also might have one list for random one-step tasks that don’t have anything in common. All this comprises your Project List.
3) Once that’s done, pull 5-10 tasks to put on your to-do list for that day or week depending on the task and how much you can get done.
Using this system, you can add pages for anything you want to remember … books you want to read (or write) someday, places you want to visit, projects you want to tackle someday. This notebook becomes your “safe place” for all those notes you don’t want to forget. And it’s so personalized! If you are really creative (which I’m not) you can even decorate the cover.
I hope this idea is helpful. My friend Julie tried it for herself and here’s what she told me: “I’ve implemented your project notebook idea. … I absolutely love, love love it! It’s helping me stay focused and organized and keeps all my ideas in one place. It’s literally changed my life.”
Tomorrow we are going to tackle paper. So warn your stacks and piles … they won’t be there much longer. Until then …
Grace & Peace,
Glynnis
Heavenly Father, I start this new week in the Clutter-Free Challenge and offer it to You. Help this week to be about Your will and not mine. Help me to love like you love and to keep all this de-cluttering in perspective. I want to bring more order into my life, but for the right reasons. Help free me from clutter in order to be free to serve You. In Jesus name, Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please remember this Clutter Free Challenge was posted by Glynnis earlier in the year. Any reference to the January dates of the challenge, and her book or gift card giveaways, etc. no longer apply.
I will have some fun giveaways this week of my own...so be watching!
Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog.
You can find her at www.glynniswhitwer.com
There are so many helpful and practical ideas coming your way this week, I can hardly wait to get started. Week 2 of Glynnis' Clutter Free Challenge is amazing. This is where we get into the "nuts and bolts" of what it means to be Clutter Free! I would love to hear about how you plan to use these time saving strategies to help you in your day to day life. Leave a comment this week sharing your thoughts and ideas of how to make these strategies work best for you.
Beginning tomorrow, I will share ways I have incorporated Glynnis' ideas/helpful hints myself with my #1 all time favorite being my Project Management Planner!!!
I can't wait to share about it. I finally found something that works perfectly for ME!
Blessings to you!
Brandy
Clutter-Free Day 6 – Creating a project management planner - by Glynnis Whitwer
Posted: 16 Jan 2012 01:00 AM PST
Welcome to Day 6 of the Clutter-Free Challenge.
I hope you had a wonderful weekend. It’s my hope and prayer that you feel lighter now that we’ve tapped into the wisdom of God, aligned our hearts with His through prayer, done a personal assessment of everything we have to do and started the editing process to trim down an overwhelming schedule.
Last week I promised we would do something with that list of tasks and responsibilities you’ve been creating, and that’s our focus today. I’m going to share an approach that has truly revolutionized how I organize my tasks and responsibilities.
For years I tried to manage all I had to do on one list. I tried to prioritize that to-do list using various methods, all without success. I had huge projects next to phone calls. It was just too much to put on one sheet of paper. It was like trying to squeeze my size 9 feet into cute little size 6 shoes. It wasn’t happening.
With one to-do list, I never had an accurate view of all my responsibilities because I instinctively knew certain things didn’t belong there And so I kept piling more on to an already overloaded schedule.
I bought planner after planner, hoping another professional system would help me organize my life. But I couldn’t customize them to my needs, and I ended up investing in a stack of expensive pretty binders. Project management seemed like the answer at one point, and I checked into specialized software – but that wasn’t what I needed.
Finally, inspired again by David’s Allen’s Getting Things Done philosophy, I created something to meet my needs. I made a project management notebook using a 3-ring binder. This book contains everything I need to do – now and in the future – my project list. And then I invested in an inexpensive spiral notebook for my to-do list. I’ve been using this system for about a year and it is perfect for me. Let me explain how it works.In the front of my 3-ring binder I have a master list of projects. A project is anything that requires more than one step to complete. For me, that includes things like organizing the writer’s track at She Speaks, putting together the next issue of the P31 Woman or planning a fundraising night for my youngest son’s wrestling team. Those are just a few of the things on my radar right now.
Behind that, I have full sheets to keep notes for individual projects (included on the master project list) depending on their complexity. This notebook has evolved into a place to keep prayer requests, ideas for future devotions and blog posts, and lists of things I want to do in the future. Basically it keeps lists of things I don’t want to forget. All this is my Project Management Planner.
My to-do list, which is in a cute spiral notebook,
only includes the next task needed to move a project forward. And only what I can manage that day or week. These are one-step tasks I choose from the project list based on deadlines. For example, right now I need to email a publisher, follow up on an article by Lysa and Renee for April’s issue and email the wrestling coach to confirm the date for the fundraising night. These are on my to-do list for next week.By only pulling tasks that I have to get done, my to-do list stays manageable. But I never forget what has to be done because it’s on the project list.
Then, once a month (or as needed) I update my master list of projects – crossing some off and adding others. Once a week (or as needed), I pull out my current project list notebook and create a to-do list.
Does this sound like it might help you? It’s affordable and it becomes a place to store all those little pieces of paper with scribbled on notes you’ve got cluttering up your fridge, desk and kitchen counter.
You might not need a binder. Maybe you just need that spiral notebook and can dedicate one page to your projects and the following pages to-do lists. Really it all depends on how much you have to do. The concept can be applied in many ways.
So in summary, here’s a step by step approach for you:
1) Get some fresh paper (or blank page on the computer if you insist) and start listing the major projects you’ve already identified and put on your master list. For you this might be put away Christmas decorations. Or organize 2011 taxes. These are your project titles.
2) Then list tasks relating to that project below the heading. You may not have all the tasks identified and that’s ok. But if you do, put them with this project. Then go to the next project.
Some things might not seem like a project, but they are similar enough to qualify for one. Let’s say you have lots of mending, and you listed 10 things that need to be mended. Make “Mending” your project heading and list your items under that. Or you might have lots of phone calls. Make “Phone Calls” your project and list who you need to call under that. You also might have one list for random one-step tasks that don’t have anything in common. All this comprises your Project List.
3) Once that’s done, pull 5-10 tasks to put on your to-do list for that day or week depending on the task and how much you can get done.
Using this system, you can add pages for anything you want to remember … books you want to read (or write) someday, places you want to visit, projects you want to tackle someday. This notebook becomes your “safe place” for all those notes you don’t want to forget. And it’s so personalized! If you are really creative (which I’m not) you can even decorate the cover.
I hope this idea is helpful. My friend Julie tried it for herself and here’s what she told me: “I’ve implemented your project notebook idea. … I absolutely love, love love it! It’s helping me stay focused and organized and keeps all my ideas in one place. It’s literally changed my life.”
Tomorrow we are going to tackle paper. So warn your stacks and piles … they won’t be there much longer. Until then …
Grace & Peace,
Glynnis
Heavenly Father, I start this new week in the Clutter-Free Challenge and offer it to You. Help this week to be about Your will and not mine. Help me to love like you love and to keep all this de-cluttering in perspective. I want to bring more order into my life, but for the right reasons. Help free me from clutter in order to be free to serve You. In Jesus name, Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please remember this Clutter Free Challenge was posted by Glynnis earlier in the year. Any reference to the January dates of the challenge, and her book or gift card giveaways, etc. no longer apply.
I will have some fun giveaways this week of my own...so be watching!
Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog.
You can find her at www.glynniswhitwer.com
Friday, July 6, 2012
Clutter-Free Day 5 - Editing your responsibilities according to priorities
Please remember this Clutter Free Challenge was posted by Glynnis earlier in the year. Any reference to the January dates of the challenge, and her book or gift card giveaways, etc. no longer apply.
Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog.
www.glynniswhitwer.com
Thanks for joining our study! Today is the end of week #1 and that means we are 1/3 of the way through our Clutter Free Challenge!!
Woo-hoo! You are doing great ladies. I'm so proud of you!!
PS: Next week I will have an exciting give away of my own, so make sure to be watching for more details!
Blessings!
Brandy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clutter-Free Day 5 – Editing your responsibilities according to priorities
Posted: 13 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST
Welcome to Day 5 in our Clutter-Free Challenge.
I’m so proud of all of you for signing up and making it through the first week. To celebrate, my friend Karen Ehman has offered to do a giveaway! She’s giving away a signed copy of her book, “The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized,” plus a $10 gift card to Target so you can treat yourself to some organizing products. We’ll tell you how to enter at the end of this post. Karen will also be helping me moderate comments while I’m out of town.
Today, we are going to start looking at removing some of the clutter in our schedules. So let’s get started.
There’s nothing like a new year to bring hope and optimism into our hearts. This year, we promise ourselves, is the year we get our act together. This year we will get and stay organized, start exercising and lose weight! This year we will read the Bible completely through, make more time for family get-togethers, pray nightly with our children and have a date-night with our husbands. Certainly we are intelligent, competent women … we can do this … right?
But then January 15th rolls around, or February 15th, or if you are truly motivated you’ll make it to March, and then life overwhelms yet again. Sigh … it gets so tiresome to feel defeated.
I thought the problem was always me. I wasn’t self-disciplined enough, or I didn’t work smart enough. I’d tell myself I lacked perseverance, and didn’t have what it takes to stick with something. Basically, I’d beat myself up mentally and just give up feeling like a failure once again.
But then I learned this simple principle that changed the way I think: For every “yes” there has to be a “no.” Let me explain.
I can’t add something new to my schedule (like reading the Bible through in a year) without saying no to something else (like the morning news). You see, if I’m already feeling maxed out, how can I possibly add something to an overcrowded schedule? I only have so much time and energy. I can’t pretend that I can do everything, and just keep piling more on. That simply sets me up to fail. Some things have to go to make room for the new.
I imagine you’ve done the same thing. Most of us underestimate the amount of time things take. And we overestimate our uninterrupted time to accomplish them. I’m the queen of this. Here’s just one small example. I can never just run in and out of a store quickly, unlike my husband. If my husband says he’s going to the store for milk – he’s home in 15 minutes. That same trip will take me at least 30 minutes, and honestly, usually an hour. I have no explanation for this. My husband just rolls his eyes when I say I’m making a “quick” trip to the store. Everything just takes me longer.
That’s my reality. So, armed with the truths that for every yes we have to say no, and everything takes longer than we think, we are going to take a look at that master list of responsibilities you started a few days ago. I still don’t want you to worry about organizing it. Instead, can you identify which of those items are God’s priorities for you right now?
If that’s a hard question to answer, I understand. Sometimes we get so busy with “good” things, that we get confused with what God might really be asking us to do. You see, we can have schedules full of good things, but still be missing out on the best things. And by “best things” I mean God’s best for you at this time in your life.
When I get confused on my priorities, I ask myself some questions. Maybe these will help you too:
1. What can only I do? (only I can take care of my health, be my children’s mother and my husband’s wife – among other things)
2. What responsibilities has God already given me? (stewarding my faith, home, finances, talents, etc.)
3. How well am I doing in those areas? (ouch … this one usually hurts)
4. What has God asked me to do that I haven’t done yet? (ouch again …)
5. What passion has God put in my heart? (for me that’s writing and ministering to women)
Once you are clear on your priorities … God’s priorities for you … then start to edit that list. I’m pretty sure there’s lots on that list you shouldn’t be doing. What can you remove?
Is there anything …
1. You don’t want to do any more,
2. You don’t need to do anymore but it’s habit,
3. God has clearly called you away from it but you haven’t made the break.
I’m not saying you should start indiscriminately slashing responsibilities from that list. Do NOT call your boss and say “Glynnis told me to quit!” Or email your women’s ministry director to resign from overseeing this year’s retreat. No, please don’t do that.
Instead, prayerfully consider if there might be responsibilities you need to resign from after fulfilling your commitment. Are there expectations you’ve put on yourself you can release? Are there tasks you can delegate to someone else?
Today is an editing day. Before we can find any freedom in our schedules, we have to de-clutter them. This is definitely a process – it can’t happen overnight. We have to trim our responsibilities down to a manageable level wisely. Then make sure we are only doing what God wants us to do.
I know this is a big task, which is why I’ve planned it for Friday. Take the weekend to pray about this, and really seek God’s will. Remember the lesson from Day 2? Ask God for wisdom and then trust that He will answer. Don’t doubt. On Monday we are going to deal with the rest of that master list. I’m going to share a new way to organize your to-do list that will increase your efficiency ten-fold.
Now – I promised you a giveaway from Karen. To be entered in the giveaway, please leave a comment. Please do not reply to this email or it will get stuck in my inbox since I am out of town. To leave a comment, click on the word “comments” at the bottom. There might be a number in front of it. You can make a personal declaration of something you are going to remove from your responsibilities, or just say “I’m in!” Karen will pick a winner and we’ll announce that winner on Tuesday.
Grace & Peace,
Glynnis
Heavenly Father, I pray for my friends today who are looking at an overwhelming list of tasks and responsibilities. Please show them Your will for them at this time in their lives. Give them your discernment about what to edit from that list and when to do so. And I ask that You protect them from guilt over saying no, and fill them with Your confidence. Flood my friends hearts with your supernatural peace throughout this process. In Jesus name, Amen
If you’d like to read more of my thoughts on de-cluttering and getting organized, I hope you’ll consider getting my book, “I Used to Be So Organized.” Available through Proverbs 31 Ministries, Amazon, ChristianBooks.com or wherever books are sold. Please note that as of today, there is a short wait to receive my book. However, I know shipments went out last week from my publisher and shipping time should change soon.
Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog.
www.glynniswhitwer.com
Thanks for joining our study! Today is the end of week #1 and that means we are 1/3 of the way through our Clutter Free Challenge!!
Woo-hoo! You are doing great ladies. I'm so proud of you!!
PS: Next week I will have an exciting give away of my own, so make sure to be watching for more details!
Blessings!
Brandy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clutter-Free Day 5 – Editing your responsibilities according to priorities
Posted: 13 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST
Welcome to Day 5 in our Clutter-Free Challenge.
I’m so proud of all of you for signing up and making it through the first week. To celebrate, my friend Karen Ehman has offered to do a giveaway! She’s giving away a signed copy of her book, “The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized,” plus a $10 gift card to Target so you can treat yourself to some organizing products. We’ll tell you how to enter at the end of this post. Karen will also be helping me moderate comments while I’m out of town.
Today, we are going to start looking at removing some of the clutter in our schedules. So let’s get started.
There’s nothing like a new year to bring hope and optimism into our hearts. This year, we promise ourselves, is the year we get our act together. This year we will get and stay organized, start exercising and lose weight! This year we will read the Bible completely through, make more time for family get-togethers, pray nightly with our children and have a date-night with our husbands. Certainly we are intelligent, competent women … we can do this … right?
But then January 15th rolls around, or February 15th, or if you are truly motivated you’ll make it to March, and then life overwhelms yet again. Sigh … it gets so tiresome to feel defeated.
I thought the problem was always me. I wasn’t self-disciplined enough, or I didn’t work smart enough. I’d tell myself I lacked perseverance, and didn’t have what it takes to stick with something. Basically, I’d beat myself up mentally and just give up feeling like a failure once again.
But then I learned this simple principle that changed the way I think: For every “yes” there has to be a “no.” Let me explain.
I can’t add something new to my schedule (like reading the Bible through in a year) without saying no to something else (like the morning news). You see, if I’m already feeling maxed out, how can I possibly add something to an overcrowded schedule? I only have so much time and energy. I can’t pretend that I can do everything, and just keep piling more on. That simply sets me up to fail. Some things have to go to make room for the new.
I imagine you’ve done the same thing. Most of us underestimate the amount of time things take. And we overestimate our uninterrupted time to accomplish them. I’m the queen of this. Here’s just one small example. I can never just run in and out of a store quickly, unlike my husband. If my husband says he’s going to the store for milk – he’s home in 15 minutes. That same trip will take me at least 30 minutes, and honestly, usually an hour. I have no explanation for this. My husband just rolls his eyes when I say I’m making a “quick” trip to the store. Everything just takes me longer.
That’s my reality. So, armed with the truths that for every yes we have to say no, and everything takes longer than we think, we are going to take a look at that master list of responsibilities you started a few days ago. I still don’t want you to worry about organizing it. Instead, can you identify which of those items are God’s priorities for you right now?
If that’s a hard question to answer, I understand. Sometimes we get so busy with “good” things, that we get confused with what God might really be asking us to do. You see, we can have schedules full of good things, but still be missing out on the best things. And by “best things” I mean God’s best for you at this time in your life.
When I get confused on my priorities, I ask myself some questions. Maybe these will help you too:
1. What can only I do? (only I can take care of my health, be my children’s mother and my husband’s wife – among other things)
2. What responsibilities has God already given me? (stewarding my faith, home, finances, talents, etc.)
3. How well am I doing in those areas? (ouch … this one usually hurts)
4. What has God asked me to do that I haven’t done yet? (ouch again …)
5. What passion has God put in my heart? (for me that’s writing and ministering to women)
Once you are clear on your priorities … God’s priorities for you … then start to edit that list. I’m pretty sure there’s lots on that list you shouldn’t be doing. What can you remove?
Is there anything …
1. You don’t want to do any more,
2. You don’t need to do anymore but it’s habit,
3. God has clearly called you away from it but you haven’t made the break.
I’m not saying you should start indiscriminately slashing responsibilities from that list. Do NOT call your boss and say “Glynnis told me to quit!” Or email your women’s ministry director to resign from overseeing this year’s retreat. No, please don’t do that.
Instead, prayerfully consider if there might be responsibilities you need to resign from after fulfilling your commitment. Are there expectations you’ve put on yourself you can release? Are there tasks you can delegate to someone else?
Today is an editing day. Before we can find any freedom in our schedules, we have to de-clutter them. This is definitely a process – it can’t happen overnight. We have to trim our responsibilities down to a manageable level wisely. Then make sure we are only doing what God wants us to do.
I know this is a big task, which is why I’ve planned it for Friday. Take the weekend to pray about this, and really seek God’s will. Remember the lesson from Day 2? Ask God for wisdom and then trust that He will answer. Don’t doubt. On Monday we are going to deal with the rest of that master list. I’m going to share a new way to organize your to-do list that will increase your efficiency ten-fold.
Now – I promised you a giveaway from Karen. To be entered in the giveaway, please leave a comment. Please do not reply to this email or it will get stuck in my inbox since I am out of town. To leave a comment, click on the word “comments” at the bottom. There might be a number in front of it. You can make a personal declaration of something you are going to remove from your responsibilities, or just say “I’m in!” Karen will pick a winner and we’ll announce that winner on Tuesday.
Grace & Peace,
Glynnis
Heavenly Father, I pray for my friends today who are looking at an overwhelming list of tasks and responsibilities. Please show them Your will for them at this time in their lives. Give them your discernment about what to edit from that list and when to do so. And I ask that You protect them from guilt over saying no, and fill them with Your confidence. Flood my friends hearts with your supernatural peace throughout this process. In Jesus name, Amen
If you’d like to read more of my thoughts on de-cluttering and getting organized, I hope you’ll consider getting my book, “I Used to Be So Organized.” Available through Proverbs 31 Ministries, Amazon, ChristianBooks.com or wherever books are sold. Please note that as of today, there is a short wait to receive my book. However, I know shipments went out last week from my publisher and shipping time should change soon.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Clutter-Free Day 4- The multi-tasking myth!
Please remember this Clutter Free Challenge was posted by Glynnis earlier in the year. Any reference to the January dates of the challenge, and the book or gift card giveaways, etc. no longer apply.
Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog.
www.glynniswhitwer.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today my lovely guest designers are from
Charlotte, North Carolina!
Please meet ...Jacy and Kendra from "lucylucybangbang"
Here's a little info about their sweet creations!
We are a two person team here. Jacy created these towels after a little person named Lucy kept walking off with her dish towels.
Kendra came on board shortly thereafter to whip this ship into shape. As busy mom’s, we know what a chaotic kitchen looks like and we strive to produce products that make life easier while keeping it fun.
Our towels are not just for mom’s though…they’ve quickly found a place in every kitchen and even bathrooms too. Fun prints, soft flour sack fabric, right where you left it.
We love bringing a bright spot to your kitchen, but what we love even more is when you come back for seconds. That always puts a smile on our faces, knowing our customer loved them enough to come back.
What better way to bring some organization to your kitchen? I'd love to hear what you think of these sweet towels. I am loving the fact that they snap in place!!
Please take a minute to browse their shop!
You'll find them here at http://www.etsy.com/people/lucylucybangbang?ref=pr_profile
or www.lucylucybangbang.com
They are blessing my blog readers with a 20% discount on their towels by using the code CLUTTERFREE at checkout! Thanks ladies!
I'm excited that you are joining us for DAY 4 of the Clutter Free Challenge!
Blessings!
Brandy
Clutter-Free Day 4 – The myth of multi-tasking
Posted: 12 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST
Welcome to Day 4 of the Clutter-Free Challenge.
Thank you for posting your wonderful comments yesterday. I LOVED reading them. Although I couldn’t respond individually, I want you to know that I read them. Some of you shared really hard things, and I took time last night to pray for you. Some of you shared exciting things, and I celebrated with you. And for everyone else, you touched my heart by sharing a piece of your life with me. Thank you. I wish I had 1,000 books to giveaway, but I only have one today (but I promise to have another giveaway later). The winner of yesterday’s giveaway is: Rachael who commented at 10:40 on 1/11/12. I’ll send you an email in the morning.
Yesterday I made you work pretty hard, so today you don’t have a heavy assignment. Just some interesting facts that I think will make you feel a whole lot better about not being able to get your thoughts together.
Today and tomorrow I’ve asked my friend Karen Ehman to step in and help me moderate comments. I am speaking this weekend and will have no Internet access. So please forgive me if I don’t respond to your emails until Monday or later. I’ll actually be practicing what I’m teaching today.
Karen is a great friend, an amazing speaker, a wonderful writer – plus she’s really organized. She’s written a book on organization called “The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized” and her next book is on being a control freak … well actually on learning how NOT to be a control freak. It will be out later this year. I know you’ll enjoy her replies to your comments. And stop by her blog sometime too.
Make sure you check back tomorrow for Day 5 because Karen is hosting a giveaway of her book and a gift card then. Ok, moving on …
Yesterday I presented the idea of a brain dump. Well, I didn’t call it that, but that’s what it was. If you are reading this today, I trust that means you have forgiven me for making you do something painful. But it was so important! Our brains are overloaded with information and often shut down because of it. So that step in our Clutter-Free journey was necessary. We are going to get back to that list tomorrow, but I want to give you more time to work on it.
Today, I want to share another, easier, tip to help de-clutter your minds. And that is to deal with multi-tasking. If you’ve always thought multi-tasking was an efficient way to get more work done in less time, I’ve got news for you.
First, I should probably clarify. I’m not talking about simple multi-tasking like folding clothes while watching Food Network (my favorite Saturday afternoon activity). Neither of those tasks are complicated, and are wise ways to use time. The multi-tasking I’m talking about is talking on the phone while driving. Or seemingly less dangerous, checking emails frequently while trying to work on a project. When we multi-task in areas that really do require focus, we are actually diminishing our ability to concentrate in all areas. Studies are proving multi-tasking actually changes the way we think – and NOT in a good way.
Researchers are discovering that a constant mix of technology and redirecting our focus changes the wiring in the brain, making it more difficult to concentrate when we need to. Apparently, texting while surfing the Internet, while updating your status on Facebook in between tweeting your peeps is making it harder and harder to focus. Really? (insert sarcastic tone) Ask any teacher if she’s noticed a change in focus over the years.
The New York Times featured an article titled, “Growing up Digital, Wired for Distraction” by Matt Richtel. Richtel reports, “The lure of these technologies, while it affects adults too, is particularly powerful for young people. The risk, they say, is that developing brains can become more easily habituated than adult brains to constantly switching tasks — and less able to sustain attention.”
However, as all ages increase use of technology, the same thing happens to us. If you’ve worried you have an attention disorder, it might be your brain isn’t designed for multi-tasking. Actually, no one’s brain is!
There are two main problems created by multi-tasking. The first is that we really can only concentrate on ONE thing at a time. It may seem as if we are working on two things at once, but we are really shifting our focus from one thing on to another and back again. But we never fully focus with all that shifting. We bring bits and pieces of what we were working on into the new project. Talk about mental clutter! And slowly we lose the ability to deeply concentrate.
The other problem is that increased exposure to electronic stimuli keeps the brain active even when not in front of a screen, thereby decreasing the brain’s ability to rest. The constant state of stimulation isn’t healthy for anyone. Our brains need rest like our bodies need sleep.
Do you have trouble deciding what to do next? Could an inability to sustain focus be hindering your ability to bring order and balance into your life? If so, then it’s time to address this issue.
Here’s the takeaway for us today: Even though it seems like you are saving time by multi-tasking, you’re not as efficient or effective as you might think. We need a return to mono-tasking. You can retrain your mind. Turn off the TV, shut down your emails for a time, close Facebook, turn your phone on silent. Work on one thing at a time with as little distraction as possible. Over time, you will deepen your ability to focus and concentrate.
And make room for mental rest in your day. Stare out a window, or make a cup of tea and sit at your kitchen table. Imagine Jesus is sitting across from you and breathe in His rest. Sit and watch your kids play. Take a walk. Disconnect for some time each day and allow your mind to be at ease. Use this time to pray simple prayers of thanks to our gracious Heavenly Father, and allow His love to wash over you.
I hope today was an aha moment for some of you. There really are changes in our society that may seem good and helpful, but have negative side effects. Let’s go old-school for some time each day by mono-tasking and resting our brains.
Now that we can think more clearly, tomorrow we are going to take a look at our priorities and look at reducing the clutter in our schedules. Keep adding to your personal assessment to-do list but keep it handy for tomorrow. And the big tip for reining in that bad boy will be on Monday.
Grace & Peace,
Glynnis
Heavenly Father, thank You for creating me with such complexity. You knit me together before I was born, and designed me with such loving care. Help me to understand and accept that You made me with the need to rest. You also designed my brain to concentrate and focus. I want to honor that gift by taking care of myself. Please reveal ways I need to slow down and be more fully present in every area of my life. In Jesus name, Amen.
Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog.
www.glynniswhitwer.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today my lovely guest designers are from
Charlotte, North Carolina!
Please meet ...Jacy and Kendra from "lucylucybangbang"
Here's a little info about their sweet creations!
We are a two person team here. Jacy created these towels after a little person named Lucy kept walking off with her dish towels. Kendra came on board shortly thereafter to whip this ship into shape. As busy mom’s, we know what a chaotic kitchen looks like and we strive to produce products that make life easier while keeping it fun.
Our towels are not just for mom’s though…they’ve quickly found a place in every kitchen and even bathrooms too. Fun prints, soft flour sack fabric, right where you left it. We love bringing a bright spot to your kitchen, but what we love even more is when you come back for seconds. That always puts a smile on our faces, knowing our customer loved them enough to come back.
What better way to bring some organization to your kitchen? I'd love to hear what you think of these sweet towels. I am loving the fact that they snap in place!!
Please take a minute to browse their shop!
You'll find them here at http://www.etsy.com/people/lucylucybangbang?ref=pr_profile
or www.lucylucybangbang.com
They are blessing my blog readers with a 20% discount on their towels by using the code CLUTTERFREE at checkout! Thanks ladies!
I'm excited that you are joining us for DAY 4 of the Clutter Free Challenge!
Blessings!
Brandy
Clutter-Free Day 4 – The myth of multi-tasking
Posted: 12 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST
Welcome to Day 4 of the Clutter-Free Challenge.
Thank you for posting your wonderful comments yesterday. I LOVED reading them. Although I couldn’t respond individually, I want you to know that I read them. Some of you shared really hard things, and I took time last night to pray for you. Some of you shared exciting things, and I celebrated with you. And for everyone else, you touched my heart by sharing a piece of your life with me. Thank you. I wish I had 1,000 books to giveaway, but I only have one today (but I promise to have another giveaway later). The winner of yesterday’s giveaway is: Rachael who commented at 10:40 on 1/11/12. I’ll send you an email in the morning.
Yesterday I made you work pretty hard, so today you don’t have a heavy assignment. Just some interesting facts that I think will make you feel a whole lot better about not being able to get your thoughts together.
Today and tomorrow I’ve asked my friend Karen Ehman to step in and help me moderate comments. I am speaking this weekend and will have no Internet access. So please forgive me if I don’t respond to your emails until Monday or later. I’ll actually be practicing what I’m teaching today.
Karen is a great friend, an amazing speaker, a wonderful writer – plus she’s really organized. She’s written a book on organization called “The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized” and her next book is on being a control freak … well actually on learning how NOT to be a control freak. It will be out later this year. I know you’ll enjoy her replies to your comments. And stop by her blog sometime too.
Make sure you check back tomorrow for Day 5 because Karen is hosting a giveaway of her book and a gift card then. Ok, moving on …
Yesterday I presented the idea of a brain dump. Well, I didn’t call it that, but that’s what it was. If you are reading this today, I trust that means you have forgiven me for making you do something painful. But it was so important! Our brains are overloaded with information and often shut down because of it. So that step in our Clutter-Free journey was necessary. We are going to get back to that list tomorrow, but I want to give you more time to work on it.
Today, I want to share another, easier, tip to help de-clutter your minds. And that is to deal with multi-tasking. If you’ve always thought multi-tasking was an efficient way to get more work done in less time, I’ve got news for you.
First, I should probably clarify. I’m not talking about simple multi-tasking like folding clothes while watching Food Network (my favorite Saturday afternoon activity). Neither of those tasks are complicated, and are wise ways to use time. The multi-tasking I’m talking about is talking on the phone while driving. Or seemingly less dangerous, checking emails frequently while trying to work on a project. When we multi-task in areas that really do require focus, we are actually diminishing our ability to concentrate in all areas. Studies are proving multi-tasking actually changes the way we think – and NOT in a good way.Researchers are discovering that a constant mix of technology and redirecting our focus changes the wiring in the brain, making it more difficult to concentrate when we need to. Apparently, texting while surfing the Internet, while updating your status on Facebook in between tweeting your peeps is making it harder and harder to focus. Really? (insert sarcastic tone) Ask any teacher if she’s noticed a change in focus over the years.
The New York Times featured an article titled, “Growing up Digital, Wired for Distraction” by Matt Richtel. Richtel reports, “The lure of these technologies, while it affects adults too, is particularly powerful for young people. The risk, they say, is that developing brains can become more easily habituated than adult brains to constantly switching tasks — and less able to sustain attention.”
However, as all ages increase use of technology, the same thing happens to us. If you’ve worried you have an attention disorder, it might be your brain isn’t designed for multi-tasking. Actually, no one’s brain is!
There are two main problems created by multi-tasking. The first is that we really can only concentrate on ONE thing at a time. It may seem as if we are working on two things at once, but we are really shifting our focus from one thing on to another and back again. But we never fully focus with all that shifting. We bring bits and pieces of what we were working on into the new project. Talk about mental clutter! And slowly we lose the ability to deeply concentrate.
The other problem is that increased exposure to electronic stimuli keeps the brain active even when not in front of a screen, thereby decreasing the brain’s ability to rest. The constant state of stimulation isn’t healthy for anyone. Our brains need rest like our bodies need sleep.
Do you have trouble deciding what to do next? Could an inability to sustain focus be hindering your ability to bring order and balance into your life? If so, then it’s time to address this issue.
Here’s the takeaway for us today: Even though it seems like you are saving time by multi-tasking, you’re not as efficient or effective as you might think. We need a return to mono-tasking. You can retrain your mind. Turn off the TV, shut down your emails for a time, close Facebook, turn your phone on silent. Work on one thing at a time with as little distraction as possible. Over time, you will deepen your ability to focus and concentrate.
And make room for mental rest in your day. Stare out a window, or make a cup of tea and sit at your kitchen table. Imagine Jesus is sitting across from you and breathe in His rest. Sit and watch your kids play. Take a walk. Disconnect for some time each day and allow your mind to be at ease. Use this time to pray simple prayers of thanks to our gracious Heavenly Father, and allow His love to wash over you.
I hope today was an aha moment for some of you. There really are changes in our society that may seem good and helpful, but have negative side effects. Let’s go old-school for some time each day by mono-tasking and resting our brains.
Now that we can think more clearly, tomorrow we are going to take a look at our priorities and look at reducing the clutter in our schedules. Keep adding to your personal assessment to-do list but keep it handy for tomorrow. And the big tip for reining in that bad boy will be on Monday.
Grace & Peace,
Glynnis
Heavenly Father, thank You for creating me with such complexity. You knit me together before I was born, and designed me with such loving care. Help me to understand and accept that You made me with the need to rest. You also designed my brain to concentrate and focus. I want to honor that gift by taking care of myself. Please reveal ways I need to slow down and be more fully present in every area of my life. In Jesus name, Amen.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Clutter-Free - Day 3 - Dealing with mental overload!
Please remember this Clutter Free Challenge was posted by Glynnis earlier in the year. Any reference to the January dates of the challenge, and the book or gift card giveaways, etc. no longer apply.
Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog.
www.glynniswhitwer.com
Thanks for joining us today!
Brandy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clutter-Free Day 3 –
Dealing with mental overload
Posted: 11 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST
Welcome to Day 3 in our Clutter-Free Challenge.
After seeking God’s help with this de-cluttering process, the next step on our Clutter-Free journey deals with minds. I’ll venture to say 75% or more of our clutter problems aren’t because we don’t work hard enough, or that our homes are too small or our children are messy. Most of our problems start because we can’t think through what needs to be done. We can’t get our minds under control. We can’t make decisions. We are on mental overload.
Do you know that feeling?
For years, I lived with an ongoing sense that I should be doing something all the time. It ate at me. Even when I was focused on something important, there was a latent unease about what else I should be doing. It was an underlying anxiety that hung around, even when there was no pressing deadline or responsibility. It caused stress and lack of sleep.
It wasn’t until I read David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done, that I discovered a reason for this tension. It seems our brains aren’t designed to store and manage all of the information, deadlines and demands that swirl around us at all times.
Allen writes, “The big problem is that your mind keeps reminding you of things when you can’t do anything about them. It has no sense of past or future. That means that as soon as you tell yourself that you need to do something, and store it in your RAM (your mind), there’s a part of you that thinks you should be doing that something all the time.”
It was a head-slapping moment when I read those words. That was it! Allen goes on to explain that the first step to finding a solution is to get everything out of your mind and store it somewhere safe. Not the “safe” place you stored an important document at home, and now can’t find. But somewhere close at hand.
I realized my mind was trying to manage more stuff than it could hold, and one to-do list wasn’t the answer because it wasn’t keeping things in safe places.
With that in mind, I’m going to ask you to do something painful. Not as painful as stepping on a scale, but close. I want you to take a personal assessment of all your responsibilities, projects, priorities and tasks. Everything. Get it out of your mind and onto one notepad or spiral notebook – this will likely take more than one page, and that’s okay. If you have multiple to-do lists somewhere, combine them into this one list. Leave this list where you can see it morning, noon and night for a few days.
On this list write down everything you need to get done. You might start with your home and add repairs, cleaning projects or laundry. Write down things you need to do for your family, such as make a dentist appointment, write a letter to a teacher or take clothes to the dry cleaning. Then move on to other areas of your life: church, community involvement, sports teams, etc. Include big projects and little things, like errands and emails that need to be sent. Nothing is too small to include.
You might want to dedicate one page for future projects, such as planning this summer’s vacation or researching colleges with your daughter. Another page might contain things you want to do years from now, but you don’t want to forget.
If you are employed, you might want to keep those responsibilities separate.
This process will take you days. If it helps, you can organize this list however you see fit now, or just write things down as they come to mind. It’s okay if there is no order to it. Actually trying to organize it now might hinder you if you are a perfectionist. You might not leave yourself enough room in a certain category and then you’ll be frustrated.
For now, capture it all on paper. Don’t be surprised if you feel a bit panicky at how much you have to do. Just take a deep breath and ask for God’s peace. You will feel a sense of relief soon. Even if you go no further in this Clutter-Free journey, I promise you will feel better after this step is done. You’ll feel lighter.
Hold on to that list. Add to it. We’ll get back to it in a few days when I tell you how to use this list to create a project management planner. I think that’s enough for one day, don’t you?
Tomorrow I’ve got a tip for helping to de-clutter your mind even more. I think you’ll be surprised at what I’ve discovered multi-tasking can do to your brain.
One more thing. I’d love to give away a copy of my book, I Used to Be So Organized. To enter, just leave me a comment today. For fun, include in your comment one thing you are putting on your list. Make it something random, odd or unusual if possible. Or just an everyday thing which needs to get done. I’ll pick someone at random and post the winner on Thursday morning.
Until then …
Grace & Peace,
Glynnis
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me so much responsibility. It shows Your trust in me. Help me to be a good steward of the assignments You have given me. Help clear the clutter in my mind as I work through this exercise. Bring things to mind that You want me to remember. It feels overwhelming to me right now, but I know with Your help, I can manage this. In Jesus name, Amen.
Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog.
www.glynniswhitwer.com
Thanks for joining us today!
Brandy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dealing with mental overload
Posted: 11 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST
Welcome to Day 3 in our Clutter-Free Challenge.
After seeking God’s help with this de-cluttering process, the next step on our Clutter-Free journey deals with minds. I’ll venture to say 75% or more of our clutter problems aren’t because we don’t work hard enough, or that our homes are too small or our children are messy. Most of our problems start because we can’t think through what needs to be done. We can’t get our minds under control. We can’t make decisions. We are on mental overload.
Do you know that feeling?
For years, I lived with an ongoing sense that I should be doing something all the time. It ate at me. Even when I was focused on something important, there was a latent unease about what else I should be doing. It was an underlying anxiety that hung around, even when there was no pressing deadline or responsibility. It caused stress and lack of sleep.
It wasn’t until I read David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done, that I discovered a reason for this tension. It seems our brains aren’t designed to store and manage all of the information, deadlines and demands that swirl around us at all times.
Allen writes, “The big problem is that your mind keeps reminding you of things when you can’t do anything about them. It has no sense of past or future. That means that as soon as you tell yourself that you need to do something, and store it in your RAM (your mind), there’s a part of you that thinks you should be doing that something all the time.”
It was a head-slapping moment when I read those words. That was it! Allen goes on to explain that the first step to finding a solution is to get everything out of your mind and store it somewhere safe. Not the “safe” place you stored an important document at home, and now can’t find. But somewhere close at hand.
I realized my mind was trying to manage more stuff than it could hold, and one to-do list wasn’t the answer because it wasn’t keeping things in safe places.
With that in mind, I’m going to ask you to do something painful. Not as painful as stepping on a scale, but close. I want you to take a personal assessment of all your responsibilities, projects, priorities and tasks. Everything. Get it out of your mind and onto one notepad or spiral notebook – this will likely take more than one page, and that’s okay. If you have multiple to-do lists somewhere, combine them into this one list. Leave this list where you can see it morning, noon and night for a few days.
On this list write down everything you need to get done. You might start with your home and add repairs, cleaning projects or laundry. Write down things you need to do for your family, such as make a dentist appointment, write a letter to a teacher or take clothes to the dry cleaning. Then move on to other areas of your life: church, community involvement, sports teams, etc. Include big projects and little things, like errands and emails that need to be sent. Nothing is too small to include.
You might want to dedicate one page for future projects, such as planning this summer’s vacation or researching colleges with your daughter. Another page might contain things you want to do years from now, but you don’t want to forget.
If you are employed, you might want to keep those responsibilities separate.
This process will take you days. If it helps, you can organize this list however you see fit now, or just write things down as they come to mind. It’s okay if there is no order to it. Actually trying to organize it now might hinder you if you are a perfectionist. You might not leave yourself enough room in a certain category and then you’ll be frustrated.
For now, capture it all on paper. Don’t be surprised if you feel a bit panicky at how much you have to do. Just take a deep breath and ask for God’s peace. You will feel a sense of relief soon. Even if you go no further in this Clutter-Free journey, I promise you will feel better after this step is done. You’ll feel lighter.
Hold on to that list. Add to it. We’ll get back to it in a few days when I tell you how to use this list to create a project management planner. I think that’s enough for one day, don’t you?
Tomorrow I’ve got a tip for helping to de-clutter your mind even more. I think you’ll be surprised at what I’ve discovered multi-tasking can do to your brain.
One more thing. I’d love to give away a copy of my book, I Used to Be So Organized. To enter, just leave me a comment today. For fun, include in your comment one thing you are putting on your list. Make it something random, odd or unusual if possible. Or just an everyday thing which needs to get done. I’ll pick someone at random and post the winner on Thursday morning.
Until then …
Grace & Peace,
Glynnis
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me so much responsibility. It shows Your trust in me. Help me to be a good steward of the assignments You have given me. Help clear the clutter in my mind as I work through this exercise. Bring things to mind that You want me to remember. It feels overwhelming to me right now, but I know with Your help, I can manage this. In Jesus name, Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)