It's Not About Your Stuff

Don't judge a desk by it's clutter...

I have photo envy! I admit it. Most people who tackle it on Tuesdays have these gorgeous photos of cupboards, cabinets, drawers, notebooks, etc. that they have neatly arranged in fabulous ways that will change their life. (I can hear myself whining, but I can't stop!)

Me, I am stuck here at my desk, working on jockeying information, which is not something that lends itself well to photographing! Last week, I got my mind clearer, the week before, it was a couple of projects I worked out, and this week...I created a new folder for my files!

What? That doesn't sound like very much, did I hear you say? Well, sometimes a small subtle victory can have a powerful effect.

As many of you may have noticed, I have been spending quite a bit of time contributing organizing columns to other blogs, podcasting for business moms, and writing materials for my professional organizing business here in LA (and beyond by phone). So...short of creating a different folder for each separate site, thereby violating one of my cardinal rules of organizing: [not to mention violating my already-overstuffed file cabinet]

Thou shalt not micromanage thy files.

I had a brainstorm! I created a folder called "Contributions" and now, each time I contribute, I can just toss it in there! Voila! (irrelevant coincidence: at least three people in the last week have spelled that word wrong in an email to me).

photo courtesy of paul-yan.com

This makes me happy. If you asked me why, I would have to say it's because there is some sort of satisfaction I get when being able to match a category. That's why people do crossword puzzles and play Sudoku, for just that reason. It feels good to some people's brains to sort and discover patterns. I once had a boss who would play Tetris to calm herself down and to allow her brain to go into creative mode. This is what getting (and staying) organized is all about, creating patterns. In fact, before I moved to L.A. my organizing business was called PatternKeeper Home Office Services!

I once had a delightful sweetheart of a client who could not for the life of him keep his desk clear. I finally realized that he probably had an issue similar to dyslexia, in that his brain misfired when it came to sorting. Once we realized that, he was free from the tyranny of shame and embarrassment that he had carried with him all his life and he was able to seek help from a specialist. In L.A. I would recommend Barbara Schwartz of Equilibrium Healing. She deals with all kinds of neurological issues in adults and children. I have heard about miracles she has witnessed!

So, if you wonder why you just can't ever file, it might be an organic brain issue that can be dealt with, rather than that you are stupid or incompetent. Which is probably what you thought.

ok, it's way past bedtime...

By the way, what do you think of my new header? (Designed by the patient saint Susie over at the incomparable BlueBird Blogs)

Remember, I am on your team!

..· ´¨¨))  -:¦:-
         ¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
       ((¸¸.·´  ..·´   Jessica -:¦:-

     -:¦:-    ((¸¸.·´*

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Tackle It Tuesday- getting to my emotional clutter

Yesterday, I got fed up. REALLY fed up. I simply had enough!

My emotional clutter, I realized, is killing me and getting in the way of the essential things like my peace of mind, my financial abundance, my self-esteem, my creativity, my energy level, my social life and most important of all, my connection to my self and my spirit.

I keep thinking about the 'accident' I caused last week, and the several other recent events that have served as wake-up calls, and so I battled my resistance yesterday and went for a walk near my house (I live in a canyon, so what to most people would be a fairly strenuous hike = 'a walk near my house' to me!) and while on the walk, I allowed my mind to slow down. This may not sound like a big deal to some people, but for a wild, impatient person with ADD, this is a BIG deal.

When I think about the word "tackle", I think of overcoming resistance and that is what I did yesterday on several levels:

1. I tackled my intense resistance to moving my body. I procrastinated till the last possible minute and then I forced myself out the door. This was not the self-abusive kind of forcing, this was the "I know what's good for you, trust me" kind of forcing and I was grateful to whatever part of myself knows better.

2. I tackled my mind chatter. Now, 'tackling' something to make it quiet down is a feat, let me tell you! Over-control is my specialty and slowing down is all about letting go. When you get in that much pain, however, the motivation is great to let go.

Think about it, when was the last time you surrendered? It probably wasn't in the middle of feeling ecstatically happy, right? Surrender usually comes when the pain of overwhelm or frustration reaches some threshold and then...you let go. Because you have to. It's too hard to hold on. Holding on is not what you are supposed to be doing.

Amazingly, the world does not end. You do not die, your responsibilities do not come crashing down on you. Often what happens in the stillness is (if you are lucky) epiphany. That's what happened to me on my walk.

3. I tackled my intense urge to think about my business. If I am going to do this right, I have to focus on what is going on deep inside myself, not on the distractions of the moment. I can ALWAYS think about business, there is no risk to myself there. I have decided that my walks are for surrendering my mental chatter and are for allowing my focus to softly filter down into my heart and soul. I know this may sound like I have gone all 'woo woo', but I think it is very important. It makes all the difference in your day when you are connected to yourself. You live your life on purpose, rather than zombie-like, guided by your distracted, disconnected self.

Tackle It Tuesday!

OK, this Labor Day weekend "make it happen bootcamp" didn't turn out exactly as planned. I didn't get nearly as much of my list accomplished as I had hoped. Partly because it was hot here in LA, and someone (thank you!) had commented that I should take some downtime, and partly due to circumstances beyond my control. (don't get me started!).

I don't want to underestimate the value of setting myself up for a large project, which is actually 'project management'. Sometimes, you can't visually experience the results at first, but the set up can often take the longest time and it makes the job itself go much easier, faster and more efficiently.

Two of my projects were:

1. to put up my already-taped It's Not About Your Stuff internet radio shows on the show website. I ran into snafus when I didn't understand the 'back end' set up process. The man who runs the site was very patient when I called him Labor Day weekend with a few questions!

2. To begin the reworking and migration of my In Perfect Order website to it's new home.

For both processes I made project binders that I can work from. These actually took HOURS of my time (probably about 8 hours altogether) but the binders not only make me feel like I did something, they also inspire me to keep going. I am way more motivated now that I have broken through my months-long battle with my resistance. When I see the binders, it's a tickler that if I have 45 minutes or an hour, I can get to work and keep track of my progress.

Before I made the binders,  there was this brick wall that I couldn't get past. Both projects are a bit complicated with many steps and components. Now I have a tracking system and if I have any questions, I can ask the experts involved and put the answers in the binders where I can refer to them as need be.

Here's what I did in my binder for the website move:

I printed out all the pages from my current site.

I created a spreadsheet in Excel that lists each file on my site and whether I need to move it, edit it or delete it.

I made a page format sheet for each page on my site, so that I have a record of the changes I make.

I printed out the instructions from the website on how to make the changes, so they are readily available.

I have an 'ask Steve' page, so I don't keep bugging my beloved webdesigner, I can send him an email once I have a few questions lined up.

Just even doing this much has taken a giant load off my shoulders.

Project management is a skill that I have developed over the years that has served me well.

Do any of you have any tips and strategies about longer projects you have done?

Remember, I am on your team!

..· ´¨¨))  -:¦:-
         ¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
       ((¸¸.·´  ..·´   Jessica -:¦:- 

     -:¦:-    ((¸¸.·´*

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Today is Tackle it Tuesday

I didn't do it on purpose, I promise! I had (and still have) every intention of cleaning up the mess I made in my bedroom when I dumped everything in there from my office painting project. It just seems that my intention and attention steer toward the emotional aspects of my clutter, even when I am not consciously thinking about it!

Last week, I had to remove everything from the closets in my office so I could paint, and I just left everything on my bedroom floor all week. I kept telling myself that I would take a small pile each time I went from my bedroom to my office, but somehow that never happened. I know why. It wasn't because I was being lazy, it was because I had taken down the shelves in the closet and now there is no place to put all the stuff! (I will be building shelves, but that might not be for a few weeks.)

I have a client this morning, but I will update this post with my new photos this afternoon after I tackle the floor clutter. After all, I am held accountable today and I love that. It helps me get things done.

But the real 'project' I want to tackle this morning is something internal that came up for me during the night. Last week, as I was working with a client on a deep emotional issue, she cried out in despair that she thought she had already dealt with the issue that we were discussing, and that it was in her past. Done. Crossed off the list.

At the time, I gently explained to her that deeply-held emotional traumas are like the layers of an onion. You can only deal with them a layer at a time as they present themselves, and it may be years in between when it's time for the next round. You just never know when it will bubble up again, but if you trust that you are capable of handling what comes up, the process is easier than if you try and push it away.

photo courtesy of Real Simple

So, as happens so often, my own process mirrors that of my clients, and one of my most painful memories surfaced last night in my sleep. When I woke up this morning, I felt battered and exhausted from my thoughts and restless dreams. The good news is that I also feel confident that I am able to face the issue kindly with myself and that is the real project I am going to tackle this first beautiful Tackle ItTuesday.

I am going to give myself the emotional space to see what the message is for me in the disturbance in my field. What new lesson can I learn from the abuse that occured so long ago? What strength can I draw from remembering the pain? What deep and forgotten part of myself can I forgive today? Then the floor will seem so easy to pick up!

Thank you so much, Janice and Susan from 5 minutes for Mom for creating this fabulous support system!

Let me know if you have anything you are struggling with and I will see what I can do to help...

Tackle It Tuesday UPDATE! click below!!

Remember, I am on your team!

..· ´¨¨))  -:¦:-
         ¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
       ((¸¸.·´  ..·´   Jessica -:¦:- 

     -:¦:-    ((¸¸.·´*

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Tackle It Tuesday- what a great idea!

What a great idea! Come join me and a growing number of folks next Tuesday with the ladies at 5minutesformom.com in finally getting things accomplished, one task at a time. I can't wait to start!

These gals have found a great way to finally move forward on a task or project you've been putting off for days, weeks, months years: group effort they are calling Tackle It Tuesday. I don't know about you, but when I know that I have the power of a group of people, it literally gives me energy. Let's harness that juice and knock off those to-dos! The project can be big or small, at home or at work, the point is to get it done and brag about it!

My 'sister' organizer in New Jersey, Ariane Benefit of Neat Living Blog has already started, this week, she accomplished a huge task in her laundry area, here is her posting: Ariane Does Good.

I think I am going to start on my website redesign project, I am going to break it down into manageable tasks and then post every Tuesday on my progress.

Come join us!

Remember, I am on your team!

..· ´¨¨))  -:¦:-
         ¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
       ((¸¸.·´  ..·´   Jessica -:¦:- 

     -:¦:-    ((¸¸.·´*

Did you find this post fabulous? You can easily get my blog posting updates automatically by email! Just click here to subscribe to the feed, and you won't have to keep checking back every day.