Your Life. Organized.

The Four C's of Simplicity: Part Four

Today begins the final post in a series of four called The Four C's of Simplicity. We started the series the first week of June and so far we've covered:

• The First C: Clarify your priorities
• The Second C: Create space to focus on those priorities
• The Third C: Change your relationship with time 

The final C wraps them all together nicely and is the most powerful of them all.

The Fourth C: COMMIT To Action

The things you do each day create the results you experience in your life. The only way to change your results is by changing your behavior -- your habits. All the clarity, space and time in the world won't do a lick of good unless it's accompanied by action. It's been said that knowledge is power, but it's not.

If knowledge were power, every person in America would be at his or her ideal weight because we all KNOW what needs to be done to lose weight. Expend more calories than you consume. Eat healthier and exercise more. We all KNOW what it takes, yet still so many struggle with it. So truly, isn't knowing really only half the battle? Power is knowledge, combined with appropriate ACTION.

Here are five ways to help you create new and lasting habits:

1. Start Small. Because making change is difficult, beginning with small changes is a great way to set yourself up to succeed. Don't try to replace several habits at the same time. Get one or two started and when they're established, move on to another.

2. Do It Daily. Have you ever picked your way through the woods without the aid of an established trail? At first, it's difficult. But if you continue taking the same route, the grass and weeds become trampled, you move branches out of the way and pretty soon, there appears a clearly defined trail where there used to be none. Your brain is the same way. Habits create neuropathways or "trails" in your brain which become familiar and comfortable, which is why it's so easy to fall back into old behaviors. Practicing your new desired habit daily as opposed to a few times a week, builds your new neuropathways faster, solidifying your new behavior so it's more likely to stick.

3. Be Accountable. For some nutty reason it's easier to be accountable to someone else than it is to yourself. Who knows why? Surely not I. Share your goal with someone supportive who agrees to be your accountability buddy. Schedule a regular check in with each other and report your progress or lack thereof. Just knowing you have to check in with someone else and 'fess up to your results is a powerful motivator!

4. Visualize The Outcome. See yourself doing your new habits and receiving the benefits. Visualization goes a long way toward keeping you focused on choosing your new behavior consistently until it really is a new habit. Along with visualizing, conjure up the feeling of what it will be like when your new habit is a solid part of your life. Attaching a positive emotion to a new or desired action is one of the best ways to create lasting change.

I hope this four-part series on creating simplicity in your life has been helpful to you! Please share it on your social favorite social media platform and share your comments on how you've simplified to create a life you really love!

 

 

 

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Quote: Stand Up

"Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven't half the strength you think they have."

Norman Vincent Peale
1898-1993, Author of The Power of Positive Thinking

 

 

 

 

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The Four C's of Simplicity: Part Three

We're in the midst of a four-part series called The Four C's of Simplicity. If you're a new reader, welcome! I encourage you to read Part One and Part Two as well!

Part one covered clarifying your priorities. Part two covered creating the space to focus on those priorities.

The Third C: CHANGE Your Relationship With Time

Time is the framework of our lives. All the things we choose to do happen within the context of time as we perceive it. One of the main differences between someone who is wildly productive, effective and living the life they want and someone who isn't, is their perception and alloction of time. 

Here are three ways to change your relationship with time so you can use it more wisely and create the life you want:

1. Get Real. Part of the challenge of time is that our perception of it changes depending on the situation. Doesn't time fly when you're having fun? Conversely, in an unpleasant situation time seems to drag on. Time itself is constant, but how we spend it affects how we perceive it. When you're in reality about how long things ACTUALLY take, you'll simplify your life because you will be dealing in facts, not myths. Get real by consciously "tuning in" to the passage of time during your day. Pay attention to how long things really take as opposed to how long you think they should. When you plan your days based in time reality instead of time fantasy, you simplify your life. You'll be more punctual, you'll avoid over-scheduling yourself and you'll be less stressed.

2. Add Structure. "If you want something done, give it to a busy person." That adage holds true because busy people don't have a lot of spare time and they perceive time as scarce, which lights the fire of motivation under them. If you struggle with meeting deadlines and accompishing your goals it may be because you don't feel a sense of urgency so you procrastinate because you feel there's "plenty of time." Parkinson's Law states that work expands to fill the time available. Oh isn't that the truth? To counteract Parkinson's Law, begin using your calendar as your personal assistant. Proactively block time for important tasks, resist interruptions, and set deadlines for yourself to create a sense of urgency and accountability.

3. Respect It. Time is your most valuable resource. It's more valuable than money because money is renewable; it continuously flows in and flows out again. Time ONLY goes out. Once it's gone, it's gone. When you perceive your time to be as valuable as your money, you'll use it more wisely. It's funny how we do our best to respect the time of others but we're perfectly willing to fritter away our own. Three great ways to respect your time are outsourcing, delegating and eliminating tasks all together. Anything that someone else can do better or faster than you can, or trivial things that don't even matter.

Stay tuned for The Four C's of Simplicity: Part Four which will release next Thursday and in the meantime, brush up on parts one and two and let me know how you're doing!  :o)

 

 

 

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Quote: Your Thoughts

"It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about."

Dale Carnegie
1888-1955
Author, Business Leader

 

 

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The Four C's of Simplicity: Part Two

On the heels of last week’s post, The Four C’s of Simplicity: Part One, is this weeks’s installment, The Four C’s of Simplicity: Part Two! Last week we touched on the first C, which is CLARIFY your priorities.

The Second C: CREATE Space For Your Priorities

Once you’ve figured out your most important functions and role, you can clarify the actions that support those roles. That’s all well and good, but unless you deliberately create SPACE in your life to act on those priorities, having clarity is meaningless.

The only way to create space for your priorities is by establishing boundaries. Boundaries on your time, your space, your energy, and your willingness to commit. Some people attach a negative connotation to the word boundaries because it sounds like an admonishment.

Do you feel personally offended by a DO NOT ENTER sign? How about a NO FISHING FROM BRIDGE sign or a rope blocking the entrance to an amusement ride? These are all just boundaries and they aren’t punitive – they’re INFORMATIVE. That’s what boundaries are. They’re information that others use to adapt their behavior. But nobody will know where you boundaries are if you keep them a secret.

Here are five simple ways to begin establishing boundaries at home and at work so you’ll have time and space to focus on your highest priorities:

1. Create Policies. Businesses have policies and you should too! A policy is just a decision you make ahead of time so you don’t have to make it over and over again. Personal policies are a must when you’re a super-cool busy person because they make decision-making easy. There are tons of areas in your life, where you can create policies to help simplify decision-making. Pick a few areas and start making some! Here are some of my own policies:

• No crewneck t-shirts. It doesn’t matter how cute the shirt is, if it’s a crew neck, I don’t buy it.
• No eating at chain restaurants when I’m out of town on business. This forces me to try local establishments.
• I don’t answer my business phone after 7:00 p.m. or for numbers that come through as “unknown” on caller ID.
• I don’t book a speaking engagement if I’d have to speak during a banquet. Even the best speaker can’t compete with clinking silverware and table conversation.
• I don’t pay for print advertising.

2. Use Voicemail. We all know about letting incoming calls go to voicemail, and it’s a tried and true strategy to establish a boundary on the fly. But you can also use voicemail as a boundary for outgoing calls too. When calling long-winded people you typically get caught on the phone with, just wait to call until after business hours so you’ll be sure to get their voicemail. Leave your message and you’re done super quick.

3. Communicate Clearly. You’re given opportunities to set boundaries daily. Whether you’re sending your entree back because you don’t like it, or you’re on the phone complaining to the cable company, these are opportunities to set boundaries in the moment. If a situation is unacceptable to you, set a boundary by clearly (and unemotionally) what you want. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.


4. Auto-respond. If you follow the rule of not checking email first thing in the morning, or checking it as specific times during the day, that’s a fantastic boundary. To make it even better, use an auto-responder to communicate that boundary to others so they know when to expect a response from you.


5. Use A Barrier Method. If you have an office, close the door and hang a Please Do Not Disturb or a “Will Be Back At…” sign on it for all to see. If you work in a cubicle, consider a physical barrier such as a Cube Guard to let people know you’re in a period of focused work time.

When you establish and communicate your boundaries, you’ll be less stressed, more productive and others won’t be able to steal your most valuable resource – your time.

Stay tuned to my blog for the Third C of Simplicity which will release next Thursday. In the meantime, I’d love your comments -- how have you established boundaries and policies that make your life simpler?

 

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The Big O: Making Money With A Yard Sale

Listen to the newest episode of The Big O with me, and your hosts Vicky and Jen as we discuss how to host a successful yard or garage sale, and how to BE a successful garage sale buyer.

Be warned when listening though... you will have fun and you may learn something too!

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Quote: Your Legacy

"If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then you are an excellent leader."

Dolly Parton
Singer/Songwriter

 

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The Four C’s of Simplicity: Part One

Creating simplicity in your life must be deliberate. It doesn’t just happen. You don’t just look around one day and think, “Where’d all this dang peace and simplicity come from?”

It takes some conscious change and that means effort, but it’s a quest worthy of your time and energy. I believe simplicity means removing the obstacles that prevent you from being your very best self and making your unique contribution to the world.

Whatever simplicity means to you, when you achieve it, you know it. Trouble is, so few people have lives they consider “simple “ because although they may have an idea of what a simpler life looks like, they don’t know specifically how to achieve it.

Over the next four weeks, I’ll share with you my Four C’s of Simplicity. I hope you’ll share them with your friends and family, and that you’ll begin doing things a little differently in your own life.

The First C: CLARIFY Your Priorities

According to the American Medical Association, stress is a factor in more than 75% of illness. Wow. It’s no secret that many Americans are stressed and it’s partly due to overwhelm. We have SO much to on our plates! Home and family obligations, work commitments, volunteering, church, sports, hobbies, kids’ extracurricular activities and caring for aging parents, not to mention taking care of your own health. It’s amazing the amount of STUFF we have to do and some folks handle that pressure better than others.

Which is precisely why taking time to clarify what’s most important in your life is a worthwhile exercise. When everything seems equally important, it can cause overwhelm paralysis. Because nothing stands out as more important, you don’t know what to do first, you don’t know how to manage it all and often you shut down and do nothing or you focus on trivial tasks that keep you busy but really accomplish nothing major.

When you spend your time doing things – either for  yourself or for other people -- that don’t further your personal goals, or support your primary roles and values, you feel stressed and conflicted. Plus, your goals get neglected, adding more anxiety.

If you were a horse trainer, wouldn’t you be stressed if you spent most of your time reviewing barn blueprints, cleaning saddles and shoveling manure? The horses don’t know jack but gosh the saddles and stalls are clean and you know the layout of the property like the back of your hand, don’t you? Of course you’d be stressed and conflicted because you’re ignoring the very area you should be focusing on, in favor of things that someone else could be doing. This is why clarity of purpose is so important.

Until you figure out what your most important roles and purposes are, you can’t possibly know what tasks are most important. Once you know what your main purposes and roles are, it’s much easier to discern and focus on the activities that support them. When you spend your time and energy on things that support your goals, you feel satisfaction, and you feel you’re spending time in a productive, effective way.

Begin paying attention to where you spend your time and energy, and ask yourself the following questions:

• Is this task/activity related to one of my key roles, purposes or goals?

• If this were the only thing I got done today would I be happy?

• Am I being productive or just active?

• Am I doing something that someone else can do better/faster than I can?

• If I didn’t do this right now, what would be the best use of my time?

Keeping these questions in front of you is a helpful way to stay on track and keep your purpose and priorities in mind as you move through your day. Stay tuned to my blog for the Second C of Simplicity, which will release next Thursday. In the meantime, I’d love your comments -- how you plan to clarify your priorities to maximize your effectiveness?

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Quote: Fear

"I quit being afraid when my first venture failed and the sky didn't fall down."

Allen H. Neuharth
Founder of USA Today

 

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How To Choose The Best Shredder

Paper has a life cycle and the end of the cycle is just as important as how you manage it during the other stages of its life. These days, with identity theft a reality for most people, a shredder is as essential a tool as a telephone or a reliable computer. Today you’ll learn how to choose the right shredder for your needs. 

1. Choose only a cross-cut, diamond-cut or micro-cut model. Ribbon or strip-cut shredders are less secure because determined people can easily reassemble the paper to its original form. Diamond-cut or cross-cut shredders reduce your paper to tiny pieces of confetti, virtually impossible to reassmble.

2. Make sure the shredder will accept several sheets of paper at once. You’re more likely to shred regularly if the process is quick, and shredding several sheets at once is much quicker than feeding single sheets. Personally, I wouldn’t opt for anything fewer than 5 sheets at a time.

3. Make sure your shredder will accept staples and paper clips. Removing staples before shredding paper is a giant waste of time. In my opinion, this feature is a bare minimum requirement for any shredder.

4. Be sure it comes with an ample size bucket to hold the shred. Dumping your shred bucket every few days is annoying, so choose a shredder with a bucket large enough to hold as much shred as you’ll produce in a month. 

Bonus features to look for:

• Auto-feeder.  An autofeeder allows you to place a stack of paper to be shredded and walk away, leaving it to feed each piece into the machine automatically. This is a fantastic time-saver, especially if you tend to collect a lot of paper before shredding it. Typically you’ll only find this feature on higher end machines.

• Heavy media capability. It’s handy to have a shredder that will shred credit cards, CDs and DVDs without jamming or breaking. Don’t assume your shredder will unless it specifies.

• Paper capacity gauge. This handy indicator on some machines which helps you pre-emptively avoid paper jams.

• Overheat Indicator. If you shred a lot of paper you can burn out a motor if you're not careful. A shredder with an overheat indicator light helps you avoid damaging your machine.

When you do decide on a shredder that's right for your needs and budget, be sure to pick up a few packages of lubricant sheets to keep it running smoothly. As I always tell my clients, having the right tools is half the job and when productivity and information security are the job, a good shredder is key.

 

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