Take a breath

February 9, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Changing habits, Meditation, Organizational Exercises, Staying focused, Working with your guides Changing habits, forming a new habit, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, State of "flow", tips to be more productive, tips to stay healthy, Working with your guides

I’m loving listening to Sharon Salzberg’s free daily meditations this month. I met Sharon in 2007 when she was speaking at an Omega Institute Conference in NYC. Of all the classes I took that weekend, Sharon’s is the one that has stayed with me the longest. Sharon lives a Zen life, and her advice and teaching are always about finding the middle path – not too relaxed and not too tense!

In her meditation prompts this week, Sharon focused on breathing, something we barely notice and yet… try not taking a breath! I start each of my talks on Organizational Zen with quiet breathing. This is a great way to help you feel focused. And I like how even five minutes of quiet breathing helps transition you from one space, or project, or idea, to another.

Here are a few of Sharon’s exercises to get you breathing. Start each of these sitting quietly in a comfortable chair or on the floor. Make sure your back is straight. There’s something magical about having a straight back when you breathe. Your backbone is like an antennae to the Universe! However you sit, you don’t want to feel either too tense or too relaxed. You want to feel attentive and alert. Continue reading →

The power of “Yes”

February 7, 2017 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Productivity tips for work, Staying focused, Tips on using a planner Changing habits, Decision making, getting things done, Getting work done, How to stay focused, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips to stay healthy, Using a planner

I was walking Grace this week and decided to take one of her favorite paths up behind Crescent Beach. The path alternated between open dry grass in the sunny areas, and a mix of snow and ice in the tree-shaded areas. I was carefully choosing my steps with Grace off-leash when I heard voices up ahead. I could see a couple of moms with little kids so I clipped on Grace’s leash.

Just as the leash clicked, Grace spotted their dog and with a “woof” of greeting, took off at full tilt with me riding behind her, on my butt, across what turned out to be a particularly icy stretch of path. Continue reading →

About those meds…

January 30, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Planning impacts on your health Changing habits, forming a new habit, Organizational Exercises, tips to stay healthy

My #1 suggestion for anyone thinking about getting organized is to start by getting healthy. If you aren’t feeling healthy, the last thing you want to tackle is a major decluttering/reorg of your life.

An important part of getting healthy is being really picky about everything you put in your body – including medications. Personally, meds don’t work well for me. I know for many, they seem to work well but are they good for you in the long run?

Consider this from an article published last Friday in the Washington Post. Continue reading →