Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - February 28th

Experience is one thing you can't get for nothing. - Oscar Wilde

The only source of knowledge is experience. - Albert Einstein

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. - Soren Kierkegaard

A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions. - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Knowledge comes from learning. Wisdom comes from living. - Anthony Douglas Williams

Recently, I learned that “experiences” are a great teacher in life.  Last week, I discussed how my morning routine was disrupted when my sister came to visit; however, I would never change the “experience” I had spending time with her and creating awesome memories!    

Another “experience” started when I was in a cab headed home from a long day on Capitol Hill and was texted about hanging out with someone.  I was tired and could have said “no” and sat on my couch watching television or reading a book to help me progress in my reading goal, but I chose not to.  I took a chance, savored that present moment and had the best time!  It was a relaxing, fun evening that got me outside my comfort zone and included Ben and Jerry’s chocolate ice cream, which made it perfect! 

Over the long President’s Day weekend, I traveled along the East Coast.  I enjoyed seeing various State Line signs, observing the waves along the Delaware coast, outlet mall shopping, viewing Legislative Hall and eating barbeque at Where Pigs Fly in Dover and driving over the gorgeous Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.  It was a fast trip, but reminded me that even though I live near the Beltway of Washington, DC, there is life outside this crazy, awesome political mayhem!      

We can strive toward our goals of reading books, writing articles, decluttering our homes, etc. to move forward in achieving our dreams; however, Julius Caesar said it best:

Experience is the teacher of all things.  

In Happy Women Live Better, Valorie Burton sums it up well:

In the midst of a hectic pace and professional successes, the stuff that holds the most meaning to you is usually connected to people you love and the joyful experiences you’ve had.

CHALLENGE: I recently heard this quote in a Hallmark movie, “I don’t want to live my life comfortable.  I want something…unexpected”.  What new “experiences” are you going to try to see what unexpected things arise in your life and what you learn from those experiences?  I am not suggesting doing anything illegal or immoral though….Just sayin’!    

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - February 21st

I’ve found that the first thirty minutes of my day have the biggest impact on how I feel for the rest of my waking hours. – Molli Surowiec  

Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most. – Buddha

Having a set routine where I do the same things at the same time every day is crucial to saving time and mental energy. – Jessica Dang

These morning practices are what fuel me; keeping my routine is not about willpower. – Jenny Blake, author of Pivot: The Only Move That Matters is Your Next One

When do you take time to develop yourself and work on your goals?  I target my mornings to accomplish as much as possible.  My morning routine is to wake up, go to the gym for my workout, return to my apartment where I complete my devotional, accomplish as many tasks on my to-do list as possible and then review my schedule to determine meetings or events that I have for the rest of the day.  By completing this routine, I am working toward accomplishing many of my goals for 2017.  

This routine rarely changes.  However, I recently had great chaos that threw me off my morning routine.  My sister visited and my morning routine was completely screwed up.  It had nothing to do with her.  As a very organized and processed-oriented individual, I had to adjust to not waking up at my normal time, having another individual in my apartment and had to be flexible in accomplishing my tasks, etc. 

Through this experience, I narrowed my focus and incorporated the “1% Rule” into my life.  James Altucher believes that habits do not change in a day, but doing something for 1% of your day makes every habit work.  His reasoning is that if you relax and give yourself the opportunity to improve a little each day then you are developing a good habit. 

Think about this...

• Author Kurt Vonnegut took time every day to write for twenty-five (25) years before he had his first major bestseller. 
• Picasso painted two (2) works of art a day creating over fifty thousand (50,000) artworks in his lifetime.
• Mozart wrote musical pieces for ten (10) years developing his skills to become a true master. 

We all have times when our schedules are little more crazy and hectic.  During these times, we still have to take time to do things daily that will help us develop and grow.  By spending 1% of your day improving yourself, it will compound and in a year you will have improved by 3800%.  If spending only 1% of your day can change your life, why would you not do it?!?!?!?!    

CHALLENGE: This week, take time to determine what are the tasks/activities that you want to accomplish each day no matter where you are that will help you accomplish your goals and dreams.  This list should not be too time consuming, but should incorporate the “1% Rule”.  

A schedule defends from chaos and whim. – Annie Dillard

The repetition becomes the important thing; it’s a form of mesmerism. I mesmerize myself to reach a deeper state of mind. – Haruki Murakami

Resource:

http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2015/08/habits-one-percent/

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Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - February 14th

Action is the foundational key to all success. – Pable Picasso

Get rid of clutter and you may just find it was blocking the door you’ve been looking for. – Katrina Mayer

You're the boss of clutter, not the other way around. ― Monika Kristofferson

Clutter smothers. Simplicity breathes.  - Terri Guillemets, "More room, more thought," 2005

November 2016, December 2016, January 2017…At the end of January, I realized I had three (3) Toastmaster magazines that I had not read.  For three months, I had been moving a pile of clutter around my apartment thinking, “Oh, I’ll get to reading those magazines tomorrow.”  These magazines are probably no more than sixteen (16) pages long that include short articles, quotes, etc.  Instead of reading them, I always found something else to-do that I thought was “more fun”.  

The weekend of January 28^th I got frustrated and was determined to read them.  In the coming week, I had something important to me so I focused on clearing the clutter including those Toastmaster magazines!  Determination paid off…I spent two hours going through the pile including 90 minutes reading through the three (3) Toastmaster magazines.  When I went to my event, I had a wonderful time and did not have to worry about any clutter or to-dos at home.  

This is a crazy, ridiculous example, but how many times have you picked up something, thought “Oh, I’ll get to that tomorrow” and put it down again.  And how many times have you picked up the item again, looked at it and then put it down again?             

I continue to work on incorporating the One-Touch Rule into my life, which is simply processing a task the first time I touch it.  For example, when I return to my apartment after retrieving my mail, I go through it immediately.  I throw away the ads and marketing pieces I am not interested in.  I review and file any important information and create a task to read any magazines or newsletters I receive. 

By incorporating the One Touch Rule into my life, I am becoming more efficient and creating more time to work towards my dreams and goals and having fun in life!

CHALLENGE:  Any clutter can cause procrastination and will distract you from “preparing your field” to accomplish your dreams.  Think about how you can incorporate the One-Touch Rule into your life to become more effective.  

To learn more about the One-Touch Rule, read the following articles:

http://www.asianefficiency.com/mindsets/touch-it-once-productivity-principle/

http://www.simpleproductivityblog.com/increase-your-productivity-by-touching-it-once/

http://lifeyourway.net/simplify-your-life-with-the-touch-it-once-rule/

https://takecontroladhd.com/podcast/3#.WKDaQPJRK8E=

http://ageinplace.com/simplify/one-touch-rule-simplify-life-home/

Clear your stuff. Clear your mind. ― Eric M. Riddle, STUFFology 101: Get Your Mind Out of the Clutter 

Clutter is found in so many shapes and sizes. We can find it on our kitchen tables, under our beds, in our cars, and in our heads. - Katrina Mayer, KatrinaMayer.com