April 2010 Newsletter

Time.  It’s a word that confounds most of us.  There never seems to be enough of it.  Check out the article on our current fascination with getting everything done faster and how to break free of this cycle and enjoy life in the slow lane.  And learn how to discover your priorities amidst the clutter.  Read on…

Simply yours,

Amanda

Simon & Garfunkel’s Simple Solution

“Slow down, you move too fast
You’ve got to make the morning last”

I can hear this song in my head right now.  And for those of you over a certain age, I’m sure you can too.  Although the song is old, the message seems more relevant today than ever.  We're in the age of speed  - everything keeps getting faster and faster. Hi-speed Internet, fast-food, 5-minutes to whiter teeth, shakes rather than meals, 8-minute abs, the 4-hour work week....  With all this speed, we're going somewhere fast - but where? 

Working with my clients, I often hear the remark - "I simply do not have time to get organized."

Take a moment (say the 5 minutes while you're whitening your teeth) and really think about all of the ways you speed up your life.  Where is this speed getting you so much quicker? When you're on the racetrack of your day does it merely spit you out at the end, exhausted and catatonic in front of the TV?  If so, is all this speed serving you?  My wish for you is to live life in the SLOW lane.  Really be in the moment when you are doing anything - do not jump ahead in your mind to the next task on your to do list.  As the acclaimed author Eckart Tolle profoundly teaches, practice the Power of Now.  Let Simon & Garfunkel be the chorus to your day….”slow down, you move too fast, you’ve got to make the morning last….”

Shake Your Priorities out of that Clutter

Most of us literally felt the ground shake beneath us last week.  I was sitting at my desk working when I felt the tremors beneath me.  My first instinct was to call my partner and then my parents. Whether the ground is shaking in the literal or metaphorical sense, it always serves as a reminder of the importance of prioritizing. But why does it seem to take such catastrophic events to shake some sense into us?  

The process of getting organized, if done with the right intentions, is about allowing our outer lives to reflect our inner priorities.  There is no need for an earthquake to get started on the process of de-cluttering your life.  Let your home and office reflect the life you want to lead.  When I walk into someone’s home, I want to get a sense of who they are.  If their children are important to them, I love to see pictures of them and their artwork on display.  If you love to travel, display treasures from your adventures.  Often we allow clutter to dilute our space so that it no longer brings us joy.  Don’t get caught up in the paralyzing effect of perfectionism.  Just begin in a very small space and de-clutter it.  Then display items that reflect what’s important to you. My wish for you is to simply begin.