Declutter Your Space = Declutter Your Mind

Decluttering all of the areas of your life seems to be what all the talk is about these days.  People are writing entire books on the subject!  For good reason, too.  As time in our society marches forward and we become more and more self-aware, we are learning that unlike generations past, more is not always better.  Sometimes "more" is heavy.  Or crowded.  Or stifling.  Or just plain ugly.

There is definitely something to be said for lightening our load - in all of the areas of our lives.  When we declutter our lives, we are actually creating space so that what we truly love and desire can come into our worlds.  When we live in a cluttered mess, we close ourselves in.  We build barriers by allowing "things" to be in our way and slow us down.

Just think about how easy it would be to get ready for work, or any event if your closet was cleaned out and organized!  Just think about how easy it would be to find your freshest food if your refrigerator was cleaned out.  And how easy would it be to sit and pay your bills if your desk and miscellaneous papers were organized!?

Each area of your life that you can declutter and get organized will provide a small piece of freedom in your life.  As you gain control over more and more areas, your freedom, space and clarity will become bigger and bigger.

If your life and your mind are so cluttered and over crowded with all of the miscellaneous messiness that has evolved in response to your daily living, you won't have the freedom and clarity of thought to design, build and create your life into the artful masterpiece that you deserve it to become.  Once you've begun to work on this, you'll find that you will breathe easier and feel physically lighter on a daily basis.  Are you ready to feel that way?

Here are some areas of your life that I recommend decluttering:  Closet, kitchen pantry, kitchen junk drawer, your cosmetics, your shoes, your jewelry box, the drawer beside your bed, your book shelves, the trunk of your car, your desk, your music collection, all of the tables in your house!

Please don't allow yourself to become overwhelmed.  As you tackle each area, do everything you can do to make it an enjoyable experience.  Choose one area at a time - maybe one area each weekend! Play music!  Take breaks!  Dance!  Sing!  And above all CELEBRATE as you progress!  I'll be writing more on this subject, but in the meantime, Target, The Container Store, and your local Dollar Store are great resources for containers to hold some of your clutter.  You'll find some great ideas on Pinterest as well!

As you go through each area, ask yourself if each item brings you happiness and joy.  If the answer is no, it must go!  Of course, donate anything that you no longer need, but is still of value.  Remember:  One woman's old poodle skirt is another woman's TUTU!

I wish you freedom, clarity of thought, and lightness as you clean up your life and your surroundings!  Leave me a comment letting me know what you plan to tackle first!!

Love,
Donna

For more information on designing your life, please visit...
www.brilliancefactor.com  where you'll find more resources including how to work with MOI!

On NEW YEAR'S Resolutions!

Let's talk about your New Year's resolutions for a few moments.  Humor me.  This is a good one!

For how many years have we set New Year's resolutions for ourselves?   And how many of those resolutions have we kept for longer than three months?  All of them?  Congratulations!  I'm SO jealous!!!  You are among the 8% of people who actually keep their New Year's Resolutions!  You are among an elite group of Rock Stars!!!

As for the rest of us mere mortals, I have an idea for you - and for me.  I have taken this approach to setting New Year's resolutions for several years now, and it works so well for me, that I wanted to share it with you.  Here it is:

Rather than deciding what you want to do or to change in your life this year, consider giving some thought to who you want to BE instead!  Wow!  What a concept!  

Rather than a list of resolutions, or a to do list.  Make a "TO-BE" list instead!  What??? Seriously???  Yes.  Seriously.   And it is much easier than it sounds.  Take a few minutes - like 30 or 60.  Get your mind into a state of feeling as though anything is possible.  Absolutely anything!  

Here is a list of questions to get you started in this direction:

Who do you want to become this year?
Do you want to be a glamorous person?
Do you want to be a thin person?
Do you want to be an elegant person?
Do you want to be a world traveler?
Do you want to be an educated person?
Do you want to be more gentle to those around you?
Do you want to be more loving to those around you?
Compassionate?
More friendly?
More financially secure?

Do you want to be more effective at your job?
How do you want to show up every day? 

Whatever it is that you want to be, you have to live your life AS THAT PERSON.  And do it RIGHT NOW.  

Ask yourself this:  How does a "_________" person live their life?  How does a KIND person live?  How does a GLAMOROUS person live?  How does a GENEROUS person live?  Then - and know that you are COMPLETELY capable of doing this - live your life the way that person would live their life!  How does a thin person, an educated person, a world traveler live their life?  Figure it out and GO BE HER!!!

You will find, I promise you, that it is much easier to live a life that represents the person you want to become than it is to set and live by a set of goals, tasks and resolutions!  Rather than living in a datebook that is full of tasks and to do lists, this year try a Journal that is full of ideas, thoughts and a creative outlet that will help mold you into the individual you desire to become.  

Living your life as the person you wish to be will enable you to create the life you are truly longing for.

I wish you the happiest and most magical New Year you've ever lived!!!

Donna

PS.  For more information on this and many other topics, please visit www.brilliancefactor.com

Adding COMFORT & JOY to a Crazy Time of Year!!!

Shopping!  The Mall!  Cooking!  Decorating!  Running around!  Unexpected guests!  Traffic!  Parties!  WHEW!!!  It is amazing that we are able to fit all of it in during this crazy few weeks that are the Holidays!

It truly is enough to completely wear us out.  But do we have to let the excess fun and activity wear us down?  We certainly don't want to give up all of the fun, right?  So how can we eliminate the stress that we feel while we continue accomplishing everything that needs to get done?  I want to share with you a few ideas that I believe will help to lower your pulse rate during this most wonderful time of the year!  I believe you'll find some value in these lessons!

1.  BREATHE.  Pay attention to your stress level.  Go easy on yourself.  If you feel a bit of crazy coming on, stop and take a few deep breaths.  You CAN pull it all together, and you WILL.

2.  SCHEDULE SOME DOWN TIME.  That's right.  Schedule it.  Make sure with all of the tasks and to do lists you are working from that you have written in some time just for you.  You deserve to enjoy the holidays as much as all of the people you are creating the experience for!  Even if it's an hour here or a few minutes there, it is vital that you give yourself some time to relax and enjoy.

3.  SET TIME LIMITS ON YOUR TASKS.  Get that datebook out and write things down.  2 hours for wrapping presents.  1 hour for addressing cards.  2 hours for that next shopping trip.  30 minutes inside the next store.  You get the picture.  If you don't manage your tasks, they will manage YOU.

4.  TAKE A BREAK FOR COFFEE OR TEA.   Depending upon the time of day, take a little break.  Get your beverage of choice and maybe a snack and sit down for a while and enjoy it!  You will find that you can accomplish a great deal more if you hustle, then break, then hustle, then break.  And you'll feel more energized moving on to the next item on your list after a little rest!

5.  POUR YOURSELF A GLASS OF WINE.  Remember that these are YOUR holidays, too!  Celebrate a little.  Allow yourself a glass of wine at the appropriate time of day!  It's a small luxury, and if you choose to indulge, you should not put it off until you are completely exhausted at night!  Take a minute for yourself now!

6.  STOP FOR A FEW MINUTES AS YOU COMPLETE EACH TASK.  Spend a few minutes appreciating what you've done and celebrating your success!  Stop to admire your work.  Stop to be grateful for what you have.  Stop to be grateful that the task is done!  CELEBRATE what you accomplish, task by task.  Got those gifts wrapped?  Celebrate!  Got the kids fed and put to bed?  Celebrate!  Got the cat out of the tree - again?  Celebrate!  Got every name checked off your list?  CELEBRATE!  Remember:  When you celebrate life, life celebrates you!

7.  SCHEDULE AN HOUR OR SO EACH EVENING TO QUIETLY SIT.   Sit yourself down in the middle of the beautiful holiday that you've created.  Be grateful, and appreciate what you've created!  Each evening, whether you're alone or with friends, find an hour of quiet time when you can just relax and enjoy your surroundings.  This will recharge your emotional batteries.

8.  GET YOUR MOST SNUGGLY PAJAMAS AND COMFY SLIPPERS and indulge in some self-pampering time.  Do this as often as possible during the holidays.  Think of it as comfort food for your body.  Maybe apply a facial mask, or some special decadent scented lotion or foot cream.  But pamper yourself like the Queen you are.  You deserve a warm and fuzzy Christmas!

9.  INVITE A FEW CLOSE FRIENDS OVER for a quiet candle-lit evening of beverage, light snacks and quiet talk.  Every holiday gathering doesn't require dancing, noise and fireworks.  Let your friends know when you invite them that it will be a very quiet evening.  They will look forward to it as much as you will!

10.  MAKE WRAPPING GIFTS A PLEASURE!  You can make it a wonderful experience!  How?  By organizing your supplies.  Get all of the boxes you need together.  All of the wrapping paper.  Be sure you won't run out of tape or tissue paper!  Get the ribbon and the good scissors out.  Have everything right there where you are working!  THEN - get your beverage of choice.  Put on some music that you love, or maybe a great TV show that makes you happy.  Then get to work.  You'll be surprised at how quickly you can get it all done when you have everything you need right in front of you.

So there are my Top 10 ways to make the holidays merry and bright!  I hope you can adopt some of these ideas into your holiday season.  I promise you they will force you to slow down and enjoy every minute of the season.  Then you'll be able to look back at the season and actually remember it, rather than blinking and having it all over!

From the bottom of my heart, I wish you the most beautiful and magical holiday season of your life!  Cheers to celebrating every little thing!!!

Love,
Donna