I like doing hard things

I like doing things that are hard.  Things that stretch me.  Make me uncomfortable. And shake up my snow globe so to speak.  I like meeting new people.  And sometimes even feeling vulnerable.  I’ve always loved the quote, “Do one thing that scares you every day”.

I’ve worked on fishing boats in Alaska, jumped out of an airplane, swam across the Santa Barbara Channel and started flight school but nothing has been as hard as being a mom and running a business.  These two things have stretched me in ways nothing else has.  And I wouldn't trade them in for anything.

As a mom I’m trying to pass this mentality down to my 14 year old son and I think it’s working out pretty well so far. He loves doing things that are challenging and  goes to an outdoor centered middle school that prides itself on helping to foster grit and perseverance.  In fact, he's on a trip this week where he'll do a 40 mile mountain bike ride in one day.

What hard things are you doing these days?  What are you doing to stretch yourself?

My 21 Day Challenge

I just finished a 21 day cold plunge challenge where I vowed to jump in the ocean each and every day for 21 days straight.  And I did it!!  I love the ocean and am so grateful that I live so close to it but it wasn’t always easy.  The water temperature in Santa Barbara right now is 58 degrees which is downright chilly.  It also wasn’t easy to fit the cold plunge into my day.  I had to be extra organized with my beach bag ready in the car.

My friend Linda and I decided to do the challenge together on an unseasonably warm day for April.  It felt like summer and we thought why not?  It helped so much having an accountability partner.  We cheered each other on with encouragement and held each other accountable for doing what we said we would do.  And I learned a few things about myself along the way.

3 things I learned from my cold plunge challenge

• That I can do anything I set my mind to
  

• That I can fit movement into my day each and every day
  

• That I will never take for granted that I live near the ocean
  

What challenge would you like to take on?  

What Organizational Questions do You Have for Me?

I'd love to know what organizational strategies or hints you'd love to hear from me.  Simply let me know if you have a burning question about organization in your space or in your life.  It could be about work/ life balance, time management or physical space.  Don't hesitate to ask me!

Thanks for letting me know and I'll answer your questions.

 If you or someone you know would like to feel more organized in your space and your life simply click here.

For extra inspiration follow me on Instagram: @thoughtfulorganizing

I Like Shortcuts

I like to make things easier in my life.  Make tasks go faster so I can relax and do what I want to do with my time like rest and be creative.

An accountability coach I had a few years ago told me that she noticed I always wanted to take the shortest path to get to my destination.  Inside I thought, wow, she thinks I’m really lazy.  No, she told me without judgment , that I just like to take shortcuts.  She was right, I do like to take the shortest path to my destination.

For example, I live near the beach and the city beach lots cost $2 an hour to park at.  You must get out of your car and walk to the kiosk to pay.  Sometimes they aren’t working and you have to walk to a farther kiosk.  Often it won’t read your card (mental note, I do need a new card because my strip is starting to demagnetize).  You get the point.  

A harbor pass, which allows you to park at all the city beach lots including the pier, is about $125 a year.  I go to the beach a lot.  I like to run on the beach path.  Swim the buoys at two different downtown beach buoy courses and often go to a West African dance class at another beach.

I’ve rationalized that my harbor pass is worth every penny, not just because it financially makes sense, it saves me A LOT of time.  And time is money. 

What shortcuts do you like to take?

What are your intentions for the year?

Hoping you are off to a great start to the year.  Instead of making resolutions for the new year I’ve realized that I’d rather make intentions for the year ahead.  I used to set my resolutions and would break them by February.  Now I’m setting intentions on ways I’d like to show up in the world. 

For example,  I’d love to bring more adventure into my life this year. In the past, I’ve always defined adventure by international travel.  It was my happy place.  Now, I’ve had to pivot and realize that there’s just as much, if not more adventure waiting around the corner in my own backyard.  I’m planning a backpacking trip this summer in the Sierras with my family.  I’m excited to get out into nature and unplug.  No email or phone, just the thought of it makes my heart rate slow down.

On the flip side, I’d also love to eliminate and let go of some things.  Those of you who know me know that the “purge” is my favorite part of the organizing process. What are some of the things you’d like to eliminate and let go of this year?  I’d love to let go of resisting things I can’t control.  This is a big one for me.

If 2021 taught me to be flexible and resilient, I’d like 2022 to teach me to be more grounded.  I want to live my truth and be my authentic self.  If one of your intentions you’d like to see come to fruition is being more organized:

A few simple things you can do right now to set your intentions for the year are:

• Put all your vacations on the calendar

• Give a bag of clothes and toys away to the thrift store if you brought in new things from the holidays

• Put reminders in your phone to intentionally take time for you. It could be as simple as a deep breath break for 5 minutes in the middle of your day

I’d love to hear about the intentions you are setting for yourself this year.  And if you or someone you know would like to work with me on setting goals and working toward them give me a call!

7 Ways to Help You + Your Business Finish the Year Strong

As we wind down the year (where has the time gone?!),  I decided to put together a list of things you can do now to feel more organized as we go into the home stretch of 2021.

For Businesses:

If you want to finish this last quarter of the year on a strong note, here are a few things you can do now:

• Take some time to do a desk purge. Even 20 minutes can make a huge difference in your work space. Get rid of things that don't belong on your desk like empty coffee mugs. While you’re at it, make a list of the office supplies that have gone low. I’m always more excited to work when I have a fresh pad of sticky notes in a cool color.

• If you use paper calendars or planners, do you need to re-order the inserts for next year? If so, do it now so you’re not scrambling those first few weeks of January.

• How do you thank your clients? Do you send out holiday cards? If so, make sure you have a current list of clients to send to and order the cards before the rush.

• Make tax season less stressful by organizing your expenses now. Whether you have loose paper receipts or use an app for your mileage, even 20 minutes of filing like with like and making sure you’ve input the latest information will save you time in the long run.

For Home Organization:

The holidays will be here before you know it!  Here are a few things to do to help you prep and be more prepared for this time of year:

• Make sure you and other family members have your calendars synced. You don’t want to miss an event or holiday party because everyone is not on the same page. Better yet, have a weekly 15 minute meeting every Sunday to prep for the week. When everyone is aware and onboard with the schedule, things will run so much more smoothly.

• If your family brings gifts into the house during the holidays, why not do a mini-purge now? I like to think of it as less consumption when I can donate clothes, books and toys now to a good cause before more items are brought into the house.

• It’s not too early to at least make lists for holiday shopping. If your family decides not to do gifts, there are so many great causes to give to, especially local non-profits like See International and Direct Relief. Or maybe your family has decided to forgo gifts for a cool family trip together. Decide now where you’ll go and at least map out the rough itinerary.

I help my clients see the big picture, take the next steps and create systems for a clearer and more organized life and business.  Here is my calendly link if you’d like to schedule a call with me to find out more.  I'd love to hear from you.