I found this article... and thought you might enjoy it as much as I did!
It is from Prevention Magazine.

Posted on Saturday, 10.20.12

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MENTAL HEALTH

4 moves to feel happier

 

PREVENTION MAGAZINE

Just as you strengthen muscles by using them, you can tone your positive personality traits, such as optimism. Adults who spent time exercising character strengths improved them — and their overall sense of well-being — better than a control group, according to a new study from the University of Zurich.

Try these moves, based on the activities study participants completed. No sneakers required:

The Reach-Out (improves gratitude): Write a letter or an email to someone who has supported you or gone out of her way for you recently, and let her know that it mattered. Expressing gratitude can elicit positive emotions, which play a key role in boosting your mood, researchers say.

The Joint Effort (improves enthusiasm): Lacking motivation to do the things you really want to do? Surround yourself with an energetic crowd — at a sporting event, an uplifting seminar, or even an aerobics class. Enthusiasm can be contagious and habit forming.

The Door Opener (improves optimism): Think about a situation in which you lost out on something, whether the cause was bad luck or bad timing. Write it down, then identify a door that opened because of that closed one. This move helps you look on the bright side.

The Deeper Dig (improves curiosity): Rather than simply wondering about a topic of interest, probe further. Read an article or go to an exhibit. Journal about your experience or recap it on Facebook. Learning — and sharing — knowledge fosters curiosity.

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How to use these exercises to improve your organizing:

The Reach-Out  -  Positive emotions are contagious.  if you feel positive in one area, that can spill out to another area... and another.  Use this "exercise" when you can't make decisions, or when you feel sad about the state of your organizing.

The Joint Effort  -  Use this exercise when you can't make yourself get started.  Get someone around you who can help you organize, or at least help to lift your mood.  Go help someone else organize, and use the joint effort to bring more enthusiasm into your life.  Caution.  Keep away from negative people!  This only works with the joint effort brings you up... not down!

The Door Opener  -  Remember to always get the most "visual bang" in your organizing.  Okay, you tried something that didn't work.  Look at the bright side.  So, you gave something away that you wish you still had.  Look at the bright side.  Now identify a positive thing that occurred because of a a mistake you may have made.

The Deeper Dig  -  Help someone else get organized, and you will be strengthening organizing muscles that you can use to help yourself get organized.  Learn organizing techniques.  Go to youtube and search for "how to organize a ________."  The more you know, the more you can use to help others as well as yourself.

Happy Organizing!

Marsha Sims

Sort-It-Out, Inc.

Learn how to get organized for (only) $27.00!

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/10/20/3057422_4-moves-to-feel-happier.html#storylink=cpy

Emotional Clarity

I heard this phrase today, and it struck a chord with me. This is what we need; emotional clarity.

Why do we not clean up when we know we should?  Is it the papers or the "stuff?"  No!  It's our emotions. We know what we want to do, but our emotions won't let us do it.

Why do we not tackle the project that we know will enhance our lives?  Is it the actual work?  No.  It's our emotions.

Why do we sit and sulk and not do what we are supposed to do?  Is it the task?  No.  It's our emotions. We do not have emotional clarity.

Confucius
said, "the key to ALL unhappiness is comparison."  Are we comparing ourselves to others? Or even to our other selves in past times?  ("When I was young I was never disorganized," etc.)

Maybe we are afraid.  Afraid we will fail at the task, or afraid that once we succeed, we will fail at the next level.  ("What will I do if everything is already done?  Will I be bored? Who will my friends be if my house is more normal?  What will we talk about, if not my chaos?") And we know all along that the only thing that conquers fear is action.

No matter how emotional you are... whether you are happy or sad, whether you are thinking about all of the work you are not doing, or thinking about how things will be when you are done... emotions alone will not clear up our clutter.  We need our emotions in check so that we can take the first step.  Emotional clarity will help us to start moving forward, and will keep us on the path to organization.

Marsha Sims

Subscribe to Clutter-Free Forever by Email

www.sortitout.net

Organizing is boring... drudgery... hateful... miserable...  And we don't do it because it's not fun!

So, let's turn that around!

What can we do to make the unbearable, bearable?

Depending on what you like, you can find out for yourself what Mary Poppins said... "In every job that must be done there is an element of fun."

How do we do that?  How do we find the fun in something we clearly don't want to do?

Here are 10 ideas to make organizing a little more, well.... bearable.

• Listen to music or a book on tape
• Sing songs (even songs you make up) while you are organizing
• Talk on  the phone while you are organizing
• Keep your favorite television show on while you are organizing
• Invite a friend over to help, then you help her
• Make a checklist to keep yourself motivated
• Take before and after pictures
• Commit to taking an action; report when you have completed it
• Hire a young person to work with you and work alongside them
• Help someone else with their organizing.  It's surprisingly motivational for you

What do you do to keep yourself motivated?  I'd love to hear your response!

Happy Organizing!

Marsha Sims

Subscribe to Clutter-Free Forever by Email

www.sortitout.net

Wall of Inadequacy - a poem by Marsha Sims

Do I need another cup of coffee?

Or, do I just continue to stare at my wall

  of inadequacy?

I am unable to move.

Physically I suppose I could move.

Emotionally, I am trapped.

To the right are piles of clothes

   the children did not pick up.

I watch them step out of clothes

   and leave them.  Step out of shoes

   and leave them.

I have not the energy or the strength to say,

   “pick them up.”

Thinking about it causes the despair to

   creep back in.  So I refuse to think.

   I blindly pick them up and put them

   in another pile.

To the left are piles of papers

   I did not have the energy to read.

I watch it pile up and up and I

   leave it.  “Someday” I will handle it.

   “Someday” never comes.

I have not the energy or the strength to

Handle the daily barrage of papers

   in my world.

Thinking about it causes the despair

   to creep back in.  So I refuse to think.

   I blindly pick up the days mail

   and put it in another pile.

In front of me is a kitchen

   piled with dirty dishes.  Everyone ate.

   no one moved a thing.

I watch it pile up for days at a time.

   Sometimes three days or four days

   before I can drag in there and wash them.

   Sometimes the food molds on the plates

   and the stench makes me want to vomit.

I have not the energy or the strength to

   clean my house.  I am unable to move.

Thinking about it causes the despair

   to creep back in.  So I refuse to think.

   I blindly stumble into the kitchen

    and get another cup of coffee.

I don’t feel depressed ever day.

Some days I laugh … or I sing

Some days I create beautiful things.

   and I notice a flower… or a child…

   or a breeze

But those days are too few.  Because

   my world is too painful.

Thinking about it causes the despair

   to creep back in.  So I refuse to think.

   I blindly shut out my thoughts.  I

   close off my feelings.

And I stare at my wall of inadequacy.

© 2001 Marsha Sims

Keep organizing supplies available.

The most annoying thing that can happen to you is to (finally) begin the process of working on a project... especially one that you've been putting off, and discover that you don’t have all the tools you need to work on it.

The most common problem I find among people who claim they are “disorganized,” is that “everything is everywhere.”  There is no pattern, or logic to where things are placed.  Thus, there is no pattern or logic to the process of attempting to find things that are mis-placed.  Anything could literally be anywhere.

How does this happen?  It happens daily, by just putting things here “just for now.”  It happens because no thought was put into deciding where things should go, they just go anywhere.  It happens because the original plan gets buried by the moment.  How else could papers end up in the linen closet?  How else could airline tickets end up lost in the pages of a book?  (This really happened!)

The way to make sure supplies are always available when you need them is to think first about where you will be when you need them.  For example, do you need a pencil or pen, and paper by each telephone?  Do you need a stapler and paper clips by your desk? 

Think about where you are when you need something... and think about what you need where you are.  Then, make a plan to allow room for what you need where you need it. 

I once worked with a woman who had eleven staplers.  Why?  Because every time she needed a stapler she couldn't find one, so she would go out and buy another one.  When we really analyzed where she used a stapler, she ended up needing four of them (but not eleven).   Once we placed a stapler in each of these places,  there was always one available when she needed it.

Happy and successful organizing!

Marsha Sims

Get Organized for (only) $27 - Click Here to find out how!

  

"There are 2 types of people in this world: Those who produce results, and those who have reasons." Author Unknown

When I first read that quote, my first reaction was:

"OUCH!"

Of course, then I went into denial, and gave myself all of the "reasons" this doesn't apply to me.  Then I remembered what I used to tell my sons when they were young.  "A "reason" is a fancy word for an excuse."  Ouch again.  It still comes back to stare at me... right in my face.

Am I making excuses?
Are you making excuses?

Why is your organizing not done?  What is your "reason?"  Is it really a reason?  Or is it an excuse?

Why do you say you want to be organized, yet you dedicate NO time to it?  Or, you make false starts and stops?  Or you tell yourself you are overwhelmed, when the truth (in our heart-of-hearts) is that we really just don't want to do it.  We REALLY don't want to do it!  We'd rather do ANYTHING ELSE in the world than tackle that pile, or move those clothes off of the sofa!

I understand.  I've been there.

Here's what I've learned.  Once I developed my "organizing muscles," it no longer hurt to go through piles and make decisions.  Of course, I didn't enjoy doing it, but it was no longer painful.  But, the only way to develop those muscles is to exercise them.

Then as I continued, exercising my organizing muscles, I discovered it had an element of fun to it.  Sometimes I'd even find myself humming along as I folded clothes or shredded papers.  It wasn't fun, but it had that small element.

Did organizing ever become actual fun for me?  No.  But it is fun to be able to invite company over, or  be able to open the door when the UPS guy knocks.  It is fun for my sons to be able to bring their friends home.   And it is fun to be able to go into my file cabinet and find something I need.

Maybe we should look at what we want (an organized life), and not focus on what we don't want (to do the organizing).  It's not easy or fun today, but it's not impossible.  Hold onto the fact that others have done it... and get strength from their struggle.

So today...

Give your organizing 15 minutes.  And do the same tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.

You know I'm in your corner!

Marsha Sims
marshasims1@gmail.com
Get Organized for (only) $27 - click here to find out how.

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” -Helen Keller

I'm back!
It was a well-needed respite.
In the meantime, I've done a lot of things that needed to be done.

For one thing, I've made a few decisions.

1) The decision to do a blog post every morning was overly ambitious.  I see that now.  So, I've decided to be more realistic.  I want to send the blog out every Monday, and possibly one or two in between.  But I think I can commit to Mondays.  (We'll see!)

2) When I first decided to send out the blog, I wanted to send something short and inspirational every day.  Kind of like the TUT (Thoughts are Things) daily post.  It turned into a long, outpouring from my heart.  I loved writing to you, and from the feedback I received, you were loving receiving it.  For that I'm thankful.  I don't know how I'm going to structure the posts.  I'll keep trying things... something will fit.

3) I don't know how to work this program so that I can receive comments.  I'm going to try and fix that, or find a service that's more interactive.  The feedback helps.  But here's the amazing surprise.  2,153 people have read the blog!  Isn't that amazing?!!!  When I found out, I was so humbled that I made a commitment to start again.  For those of you who have read it / are reading it... Thank you!!!

4) I've decided to start each blog post with a quote.  So, if you have a favorite (preferably inspirational) quote that you'd  like for me to use, I'd love to receive it!  Please send it to me at: marshasims@sortitout.net.

5) You may know that I've created a program that's $27 per month. If you are struggling financially but still need to get organized, you may want to know about it.  Please feel free to check it out on my website: www.sortitout.net.

Now for the post:

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” -Helen Keller

When we look around in our homes and feel a sense of despair and hopelessness, from that standpoint it's virtually impossible to organize.

We can't see possibilities.  We can't visualize.  We can't muster up the enthusiasm and ideas we need to get started.  We can barely put things in the correct areas.

In order to organize, we need to feel a sense of optimism.  But how do we achieve a sense of optimism, when we are looking into a sea of clutter and disorganization?

Two ways:

1) We have to organize from a "clean" perspective.  That's why I recommend using boxes temporarily to create a sense of order.  We're not organizing, we're simply creating the environment that will allow us to feel better enough that we can organize.  When your home looks neat, you'll feel inspired.  When it looks "junky," you'll feel demoralized.

But... what if you already have boxes from the last time you tried to organize, and the time before?  Well... that doesn't mean that boxing up things was the wrong thing to do.  It just means that you didn't follow through and empty the boxes once you had a neat environment.  You didn't do the next step.

I'll tell you the next step in a future post, but for now, boxes will allow you to create the environment that will allow you to think better and feel better, so that you can begin organizing.

2) "Act as if..."  Act as if your home were neat and organized.  If your table was completely cleared off, would you lay something on it?  No, you wouldn't, because you wouldn't want to mess it up.  If your clothes were all hung up neatly in the closet, would you take off your outfit and crumple it on the floor in a pile?  No, you wouldn't, because you wouldn't want to mess it up.  If your kitchen counters were clean and tidy, would you bring in the mail and pile it on the counter?  Again, you wouldn't.

If you "act as if," meaning to put yourself in the mindset of already having an organized home, you will start to change your behavior.  Acting as if will give you a sense of hope, and will give you the confidence to start thinking about how you want to live, and what you want for yourself.

The first step in organizing is to visualize.  What better way to visualize than by feeling optimistic, hopeful, and confident!

Try these ideas, and let me know how they work for you!

Happy organizing!

Marsha
marshasims@sortitout.net