So many of life's hiccups start in one simple place or with one simple thing, depending on what your tool of choice looks like. The calendar.
So, I want to be that person to tell you exactly what calendar to use and what will save your life and why that calendar is the best. I won't. I find that what calendar works for each person is immensely personal. I will tell you what I use and what works for me and direct you for where to purchase said calendar. But, only you can decide what works best. Full disclosure: I use an immensely complex calendar system. Each of the components are easy to use, but I have three calendaring systems which combined might short-circuit some folks. First, I don't think I will ever give up my paper planner. Ever. I have used small simple calendars, calendars from Staples, Day Runners, Erin Condrens, and many others. What I always come back to and will purchase until she stops making them is Leonie' Dawson's Shining Life Planner. I could wax poetic about why this works, but instead, I'll post a link and you can see for yourself. Second, our family runs on the Google calendar. I control a master calendar. It has both of my children's schools as well as my son's Boy Scout troop calendars integrated as well. That calendar is shared with both my husband and my son. We use it to block off time for ourselves as well, such as family camping weekends. Finally, I have resorted to a final calendar method that is utilized only part of the time. On particularly busy months, specifically May, October and December, I list every item that we are committed to in a column with the date on the kitchen chalkboard. It is located next to the kitchen table where we share meals and we mark off each event as they happen. I am a firm believer in the calendar for modern times. Whether you are an individual or part of a big family, your calendar is the foundation of your daily success. If you sat down with me and asked me specific reasons for this, I can give you multiple examples of how our family has crashed and burned due to an outdated calendar, I have overscheduled myself for this reason, and several organization mishaps I have seen with businesses I work with as well as with the children's schools. If there is one thing you do between now and the end of the year to set yourself up for success, this is it. Now for the promised link (affliliate link) to the Leonie Dawson website which includes all of her Shining Life products. Plan, Create and Grow with Leonie. Let me know if you order the planner, as I love discussing how this works!
11 weeks to an organized home. That was my first post. But, it's not enough. It's just not. There was a time when are lives were so compartmentalized but that's not how most of us live now. We are working from home. We are working on the road. We have flex time. On any given day, you'll find my husband or I working from the kitchen table. I bet life is similar in your world. So, my course changed. My objective changed. 11 weeks to an organized life.
We officially begin this exciting journey on January 1, but I want to share with you that you can begin today. In fact, I implore you to begin today. But, how? What is the direction? How do you begin to take back your life and release your stuff? Just for the record, by stuff, I don't just mean your high school yearbooks (okay, I still have mine), I mean your STUFF. We all have it. It manifests in so many ways, but most often shows up in our homes, under our beds, in our closets, around our waistlines.... You get the idea. What will we be tackling over the next 11 weeks? Here's my list:
What will we be doing and discussing?
If you are up to the CHALLENGE, and I know you are, between now and January 1, I have a couple of tasks for you. You can do it. Ready? The first is head over to my Clearing the Way for Your Best Life Group on Facebook and request to join. I'll be cross-posting content and uploading more there each day. The second is to Get Control of Your Calendar. That's it. That's all you need to do before we start rocking 2017. I'll be talking about this more Saturday. But for now, file it away, think about your calendar. Download one on your phone, purchase one, draw one out on paper, whatever you do, this is your first task and I'll be talking more about it tomorrow. In the meantime, below is a guided meditation by Jason Stephenson to help you relax in these final days before you hit the reset button. November was absolutely nuts. In every possible way. December can be hectic but it no longer has the air of political uncertainty about it. We may be uncertain but at least we know what our uncertainty is. So, I'm taking the advice of the astrologers, as well as Feng Shui guru Katie Weber and putting my head into my business, standing tall and finishing big. Here's how:
1. Self-care. This is not a season that I can focus on massages or healers, but what I can do is drink my water and exercise, even if just going for a walk, each day. Self-care matters. 2. Meditate. This is SO hard. Not because I find it difficult to meditate. I don't. What I find difficult is finding the time. 3. Teach. So many entrepreneurs get caught up in putting all of their eggs into an online basket. Get out and teach! I am and it's one of my favorite roles to be in. 4. Find hidden sources of income. For me, that's affiliate work. That means that I have partnered with a handful (less than really) of great people out there serving the world and they offer something I believe in and want to share with you. 5. Purge. Yes. Keep purging. I have purged so much this year that I cannot believe we even have a place to sit. Not kidding. And, I have another load ready to go to Goodwill. I am working on purging every item I can from mine and my family's life so we can focus on the things we love instead of always having to clean the house or reorganize or find homes for new things. In fact, I have practically begged family member to purchase very little for us and our children for Christmas. Just don't. We don't need it and I really am getting tired of going to Goodwill. 6. Oils and candles. Yep. Essential oils. Everyday. In the house and on me as well as candles. My faves are Angel Radiance poured with the blessings of the Angels. These help me to focus and center even when things are spiraling. 7. Do's and Don'ts of Social Media. Post relevant material to your social media accounts, then get off. 8. CONTROL YOUR CALENDAR. Okay. If you do not do anything else, control your calendar. Use a calendar. Check your calendar daily. Write down your goals. Let me say it again in case you missed the message. Control your calendar! I am. I have. I will. In fact, I just sent an email to an organization that is part of our life letting them know that we are taking a little step back next year as we are going to focus on my business, our health, school and things like family camping. That's it. It's not hard. But, it takes diligence. You can do it. So can I! |
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Meet DanaI’m Dana Croy and I am a modern day mama. Balancing family and work is not always easy (not to mention a little self-care). Though being Mama to two fantastic kiddos is a huge part of my life, that was not always the case. I wear many other hats and invite to sit down and find harmony with me. Archives
August 2021
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