Archive for the ‘Clean It Up’ Category

Back to the Office

Monday, September 22nd, 2008

 

 

It’s my first full day in the office since July, I can see that it has suffered for all my play.  There are piles in several places, non-deadline oriented projects are still waiting for my attention, dust bunnies need cleaning, plants need watering, and energy needs moving.  Let’s face it, I’m a feng shui designer in need of a Natural Balance Workspace Refresh.

 

I’m imagining there are others out there in the same position.  It usually helps me to outline what I’m going to do so I don’t just stand in my overwhelming space and look stupid:

 

 

1)    I’m going to go through my paper piles, one item at a time, and file things away while tracking my Next Actions and Projects through the Getting Things Done method I have set up for myself.  When I’m done, there will be no more piles!!!

 

2)    Next I’m going to clear everything in and off my desk and side tables.  Recycle and throw away old magazines, pens that don’t work, knickknacks without significant meaning, and craigslist the extra printer we no longer use.  It’s time to get rid of the clutter that’s weighing me down.

 

 

3)    I’m going to clear my shelves and bulletin boards and take a second look at what I want and need at an arm’s reach away.  It’s crazy how clients’ floor plans and color palettes have gotten out of control, not to mention the resource library.

 

4)    Dusting and Sweeping.  Yahoo!  Allergies from cat hair, dog hair and dust piles be gone.

 

 

5)    Water plants.  They are my natural energy and oxygen cleaning resource now that I’m back indoors, so I have a stake in keeping them alive.  They are also in my Creative gua, life-theme area, and I’m clear that I really need this spiritual energy in everything I do (including writing this blog).

 

6)    I’m good with the color on my walls and the furniture in my workspace, but if you know you’re in need of a style update, insert this task here.  Picking the right color takes time, as well as choosing furniture you want to live with that supports you ergonomically.  Do your research, or hire a professional, like me, to help you make the right decisions the first time around.

 

 

7)    Next, the finishing touches.  I am going to take a close look at the artwork, 2-D and 3-D, to see what still inspires me and what has become dead-weight. It might be sad to admit that a beautiful statue placed in here a year ago no longer does it for me, but life moves on and so must I.  Keeping that statue out of guilt won’t help me land the new client I’m after, will it?

 

 

    Finally, set new intentions for the last quarter of 2008.  I’m going to sit in my refreshed workspace, quiet and focused, and write down my business goals on a clean piece of stationery, with a brand new pen – no old energy allowed into my new goals.  Then I am going to do the same for my personal life and place them near pieces of art that visually inspire me around my goals.  It always feels so good to be clear with myself, and the Universe, and I’m amazed at how effective it is – I tripled my business last year through working this process (just like in The Secret).

 

 

YES!  A plan for a brand new office!  I know it will take me some time to work through every step thoroughly, so I have marked it in my calendar – if it’s not on my agenda, it won’t get done.  I’m also making a commitment to myself do every step.  Having done this before, I know I’ll be much more effective and energized if I do them all!

 

Good luck with your office.  And let me know how it’s going.  Shared sticking points can be education for the masses.  And on the flip side, the more motivational Workspace Refresh/OfficeShui stories we all hear, the more success we’ll all have – let’s ramp up the Collective Work-Consciousness, so to speak.

 

Toy Storage Tips

Thursday, July 24th, 2008

The Summer Fun Continues:

I’ve been having so much fun with my family this summer, it’s taken me a while to get this post out. So, here are my thoughts about good Toy Storage…

If you have kids, you know the TOY DILEMMA first hand. Summer time can often be a toy fest, outside, and inside!!

The truth is that our kids need more than one toy to engage and teach them all the cool things they want to learn, as well as occupy their time. This often leads to the dilemma: too many toys for one home to handle.

A few over-toyed reactions you may have tried to tame the mess:

1) YELL! “Clean up your toys! This is the last time I’m going to tell you!”

2) THREATEN — Keep the children inside, or at home until they pick up after themselves, leaving you stuck at home inside too.

3) IGNORE the ever-accumulating mass hoping your kids will act on their own — tripping over their stuff and aggravating you for who knows how long.

4) PICK-UP for them, creating a long-term dependency you may not like.

5) CREATE a beautiful system of toy organization that makes it easy and, dare I say, fun to put away.

You can guess which option I favor…

So what’s a family to do? The need for such solutions often inspires new clients to call Natural Balance Home & Office for help. Our method to the madness is below:

A) The first step is to SORT through all the toys you have and pair down the collection. DONATE any toys with playtime still in them, but that are no longer age-appropriate. With what’s left, figure out which toys go in which rooms: Play Room, Bedrooms, Family or Great Room. And, don’t forget to put the outside toys outside.

B) Now comes the fun part: creating a storage system (I always feel like a kid shopping for stickers when I get to this phase). The keys for good toy storage units are simple and should include:

• Separate containers so different types of toys can be grouped together.

• Storage/shelving for the containers — Large stacks of containers shoved in the closet will quickly turn into mayhem. And, if the toys are in a shared living space such as the Family/Living Room or Great Room, doors on the unit are highly recommended.

C) Containers can range in size and weight but the best ones have lids and are easy for your child to handle. They can be any material you want: wood, woven grass or fabric, or plastic. (Look at Storables, The Container Store, Ikea, or Target for various options).

I’ve found that fabric soft-sided containers are the best choice for larger items such as balls, stuffed animals, etc. – but they don’t stack and take up more space, so chose wisely.

D) Remember to REUSE and RECYCLE. You can re-use shoeboxes or Tupperware for smaller, craft-like items. You can even look through antique and thrift stores for a selection of unique boxes and decorate them to fit your and your children’s tastes.

E) Now that you have a system and some tools, you have to implement it. I’ll share some of the things I’ve learned raising my 4-year old so far (but I think they apply to all ages):

• Because you want the kids to learn to clean up after themselves, make sure they know the system. A great way to do this is to have them take part in choosing its components; some of them anyway!

• Remember to set expectations. Depending on how old your child is, give them a limit of how many projects they can have out at once. If they get to four on the floor, something has to be put away.

• Make sure the system is easy. If it takes more than 5-10 minutes to clean up, your kids won’t do it.

Be patient! This project can, in some ways, be more difficult than just clearing out your clutter. It takes time for a natural habit to develop – about 2-3 weeks. You’ll need to “push” the system until it takes hold. As you’re teaching, and re-teaching, just keep you eye on the prize — relaxing in your home without a mass of toys spread at your feet!!

If you want support finding patience, here are a few resources:

Books:
Love and Limits book review: www.parentingpress.com/b_love.html/
Parenting from the Inside Out: www.powells.com/biblio/1-1585422959-0/
Parenting modality Love and Logic: www.loveandlogic.com/

Websites:
Child Development Institute, Stress Management for Parents: http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/parenting/stress.shtml/

A muti-spiritual site, specific article: 7 Quick Ways to Calm Down:
http://www.beliefnet.com/gallery/calmdown.html?source=GOOGLE&campaign=097

&medium=CPC&nopop=1&SW.mc_id=GOOSWC097&WT.srch=1&gclid=CJKz58r

YgZQCFQwxiQodi3NEWQ/

Coaches and Counselors:

Robin Dowdy, M. Ed.
Shine Through Coaching
Seattle, WA
Robin Dowdy, parent, educator, business-owner and coach, has been facilitating the growth and development of individuals for almost 10 years.
When being coached by Robin parents are heard, supported, and empowered to transform their lives. She uses insight, powerful questions, humor and compassion to connect deeply with her clients. As a result of coaching, Robin’s clients achieve power, joy, and fulfillment.

Robin Offers:
∂ Introductory Sessions
∂ 6-Week Workshops
∂ Refresher Courses
For information about upcoming workshops or to have Robin come speak to your group, please contact Robin at: (425) 941-0819, robin.dowdy@gmail.com

Kaji Martinez MA, CMHS, LMHC
Achieving Inner Balance Counseling and Coaching
Seattle, WA

Martinez provides individual, couples and family counseling. She offers various modalities and works with blended, and multicultural families. As a Child Mental Health Specialist she also provides one on one therapeutic service to children. Parent coaching and education is offered to families in her office or the comfort of their home – creating a better understanding of family dynamics in a shorter time frame. Therapeutic plans are catered to each family and individual.

Free phone consultations are available to those who may be interested in seeking services.

Contact Kaji Martinez at (206) 715-0714, www.aibcounseling.com/

Unclog your arteries, a mini lesson

Monday, April 21st, 2008

   

• Clutter. Stuff. Most of us know it on some level. In the kitchen, in the entry, on the dining table, in the office, in the bedroom… ever-growing piles of mail, gadgets, files, clothes, you name it, it can clog the arteries of our homes and offices. (Piles beget piles).

• All this clutter is filling up space that can be used more productively. It also looks bad, distracts us and blocks the natural flow of energy and plain ‘ol air trying to meander though the house. But spring is here and now is the perfect time to start clearing away some of that clutter to make room for fresh air, and new energy you need and want.

• First of all, let’s talk about what clutter is. An item that is no longer useful, but is kept around for months or even years is clutter.If clutter is largely made up of the things we no longer use, why keep it at all? Our reasons could be that we spent good money for it, we don’t want to waste the resources used to make it (or the money we spent), because someone gave it to us, it’s an antique, or we sincerely believe that we may need it someday, even if it’s 20 years from now.  The roots for these reasons can run deep in our psyche which can lead to clutter-clearing anxiety. But sorting through things to let some go doesn’t have to feel this way.

 

• Before starting, remember that the negative consequences of getting rid of any one item won’t be too bad. You may feel disappointment that a long-planned art project didn’t work out, but when you move that Key Chains of the World sculpture hanging outside your closet, you’re more likely to feel a sense of release and relief than anything else. It’s just like getting in shape, start small and build as you go. And, invite a friend, a clutter-clearing buddy to help –you can promise to help them with their stuff next week.

• When you’re ready to start block out at least two hours (three is better) and plan to start on just one small area in one room. Make sure you have a big clean spot in the hall to dump one drawer, shelf, or pile at a time. Sort things into bags or containers pre-labeled as: garbage, recycle, donate, return, sell, keep in this room, goes in another room, and “transition”. This last one has special rules if you’re going to use it, so go to our website and download our organizing tips.

• Guilt will want to get the best of you, so ask your clutter-clearing buddy to help you stick to the guidelines of what to keep. Ask yourself these questions: Has it been used in the last year? If the answer is no, let it go. Is it useful on a regular basis? No means it has to go. (“But what about holiday decorations?” you ask. Well this might be one of those containers you don’t use often, but every year it comes out of the basement or attic, so it can stay.) Another question to ask yourself is: Does it make a unique or personal contribution to my life? This is great to ask of antiques and family heirlooms. Again, if you answer no, let it find a new home. Finally, do you have more than one? After all, who needs five pairs of scissors in one drawer? Our local donation list can help you decide where to give those no-longer-needed quality items.

• When you’ve reached the end of the time you blocked out, or the end of your room, put the things you’re keeping away (methodically and neatly) and congratulate yourself. Turn on your favorite music and dance like no one’s watching. Get that stuff out of your system, shake loose all the anxiety and tension, and boogie – you did it!!

• You’ve given yourself a new lease on life, and your space. You’ve just created room to receive what you really want. Now you can get clear about what that is.

• Imagine how you’re going to feel when the whole house is clutter free.