Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 28, 2023

 The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. - Hans Hofmann

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a dreaded list of chores. It can be a rewarding experience that helps provide some structure and organization in your life. - Peter Walsh

Spring cleaning is in full gear. As the author said last week, her goal was to complete two tasks on her to-do list in the evenings she was at home, and she accomplished a lot. Also, the item she ordered last weekend arrived and she assembled it. In addition, the author created a list of items she needs to purchase and has started shopping and budgeting to purchase them.

Now to tattling on the author. A number of months ago, the author wrote about FOMO (the Fear Of Missing Out).  Since the author purchased her house, she is always looking for the most recent decorating tips, decluttering ideas and latest paint colors to keep her home up-to-date.  While it is great to stay knowledgeable about these topics, it is not good for the author to continually open new web pages and then never read the articles.  She has FOMO of missing something important.

How does the author plan to resolve this problem? In an article she read, the idea was to have a “catch-all day” allowing for completion of outstanding tasks (homesandgardens.com). This is a great idea as long as at the end of the day everything has been completed and all the webpages have been closed. 😊

A couple more ideas for spring cleaning:

1. Minimalism is all the craze. What does it mean to the reader and how can it be implemented into the reader’s life? 

2. Declutter the paper.

3. Our country is blessed, and we have so much stuff. But what is most important to the reader? Take time to pare down to what is memorable and remember that we cannot take it with us when we pass from this earth.

4. All of the articles the author wants to read are great, but what is most important is that the author enjoys living in her home and the same for the reader. 

ACTION:  Analyze all the belongs in your home and get rid of those that do not matter.  Live in a space that is clean, clutter-free, and enjoyable.

Resource

·        https://www.homesandgardens.com/life-design/what-is-a-catch-all-day?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=homesandgardens&fbclid=IwAR03Q3D_uzsDasor7qWOhKNYAG1hRwYRinGZFn7cddJ8qMv6dugnO0vDd-U

 

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 21, 2023

The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t. - Joshua Becker

Out of calmness comes clarity. - Trevor Carss

Happy first day of Spring! We are moving closer to beautiful warm days of summer with sand under our toes (depending on vacation plans!).

Last week, the author talked about not falling into the trap of Parkinson’s Law and paying now so that the reader can play later.  The author spent this past weekend paying now so she can play later when vacation comes in less than 90 days! 

Knowing she had a lot of spring cleaning to do, the author created a basic list of things to do.  The plan was to accomplish car maintenance Saturday at 7:30am so she would be able to spend the majority of the day accomplishing her to-do list.  Great plan, but it fell apart when it took longer than she planned for car maintenance.  Furthermore, the author found something she wanted to purchase so she decided to make a “quick” pit stop on the way home.  Four stops later the author finally arrived home around noon.  Three less hours in the day did not help the plan. 

The author regrouped and decided to order online the item she was not able to find in stores.   Additionally, she accomplished fixing a doorknob problem (which she is very proud of herself for), rearranged some furniture, completed some spring cleaning in her bedroom and came up with a plan to accomplish two tasks on her to-do list each night this week when she does not have an activity.  Some of the best planning goes haywire and we have to be flexible, regroup and push forward in life.

Also, the author learned that she had broad tasks on her to-do list and needed to be more specific.  The to-do list will appear longer, but it will be easier to have tasks for each room and estimate time to accomplish the tasks.       

In today’s minimalism and technology environments, there are many articles to give ideas to the reader about decorating and how to create a plan to declutter and spring clean.  The best plan is the one that the reader will stick with and complete.

ACTION:  Review your to-do list and determine what areas you will work on this week to pay now so that you can play later.

Resource

·        https://www.homesandgardens.com/life-design/what-is-a-catch-all-day?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=homesandgardens&fbclid=IwAR03Q3D_uzsDasor7qWOhKNYAG1hRwYRinGZFn7cddJ8qMv6dugnO0vDd-U

  

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 14, 2023

People who use time wisely spend it on activities that advance their overall purpose in life. – John Maxwell

Working smarter is learning to prioritize, plan and focus our energies with meaningful intent. - Michael Thomas Sunnarborg

Yesterday, marked 100 days until summer, which means we are in a double-digit countdown!  Texans know this means we are getting closer to hot summer days.  For others, it represents the number of days until vacation.  The author’s much needed vacation starts 94 days from today. 

When summer hits, most people do not want to stay home.  They want to be out having fun enjoying exciting activities. Is the reader ready for summer and the long, cold days of winter to disappear?  Has the reader completed all of the outstanding tasks that need to be completed around the house? 

As we start to prepare for summer days, it is good to understand Parkinson’s Law and how not to fall prey to it.  Parkinson’s Law states that work expands to occupy the time given to complete the work (www.economist.com, www.verywellmind.com). How does this affect the reader? Knowing that there are 99 days until summer, procrastination will set in and the reader is more likely to wait until closer to summer to accomplish tasks instead of focusing on completing the tasks now.   

Does the reader fall into this trap? The author hates to admit it, but she does. For the author, she needs a purpose to focus on to complete a task before the due date such as her pending vacation.  How can one outsmart Parkin’s Law?

Here are some tips:

1.      Create a to-do list.

2.      Estimate amount of time to complete each task.

3.      Set a deadline for each task that is reasonable and attainable. 

4.      When completing tasks, set an alarm and do not allow any distractions to take the reader away from the goal.   

5.      If the task is not fully completed after the allotted time, create a revised task allowing for a checkmark of completion on the original task.  This will provide motivation to continue working on tasks. 

The author is choosing to PAY NOW, PLAY LATER.

ACTION: Create your to-do list to accomplish before summer arrives so you can pay now and play later.

Resource

·        https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-parkinsons-law-6674423#citation-1

·        https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1158604/

·        https://www.economist.com/news/1955/11/19/parkinsons-law

·        https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20191107-the-law-that-explains-why-you-cant-get-anything-done

 

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - March 7, 2023

 The most difficult thing is the decision to act; the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process, is its own reward. – Amelia Earhart

Adventure is worthwhile in itself. – Amelia Earhart

Recently, the author read a book that talked about ten different women and the impact they had in the world.  All of the stories were wonderful, but the one that surprised the author was that of Amelia Earhart.  Most people have heard the stories of Amelia being the first women to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and she disappeared during an around the world flight.  However, did the reader know that Earhart’s first flight across the Atlantic in 1928 was as a passenger and not as the pilot?  Wilmer Stultz and Louis Gordon piloted the Fokker tri-motor aircraft and Earhart was the passenger (nasa.gov).

When the author first read this, she was surprised because she had never heard that she was a passenger and did not pilot the plane herself.  However, that shows the strength of Amelia Earhart.  She was sought out in 1928 to make this flight as a passenger and not as the pilot.  Because of this flight, she became an international powerhouse and many new doors opened for her.  Before she was lost in flight, she was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932 and was on around the world flight in 1937 when she disappeared. 

As March is Women’s History Month and March 8^th is International Women’s Day, take time to research some of the amazing women that have overcome amazing obstacles to accomplish their dreams.  In less than 5 years, Earhart went from being a passenger to flying solo.  Hard work and determination helped her accomplish her dreams. 

ACTION: What can you accomplish in 2023 with hard work and determination?

Resource

·        https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1112.html

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - February 28, 2023

 A man’s true wealth is the good he does in this world. - Muhammad

We rise by lifting others. – Robert Ingersoll

The author is a goal-oriented individual focused towards accomplishing her dreams.  Even though the author is driven, she also knows that there is more to life than just accomplishing her dreams.  As we finish out the month of “love”, it is a great reminder to remember to not just focus on ourselves this year, but also take time to show love by volunteering and donating to nonprofits that are of importance to the reader.

Based on various sources, there are around 1.5 million nonprofits in the United States ranging from helping children learn to read, supporting the military, churches, building homes, etc.  If the reader has a passion for something, there is most likely a nonprofit to get involved in. 

For the author, she has taken on more responsibilities at work for a couple months and still wants to volunteer to help others, have fun in life and have adventures.  The author decided that she will find the organizations that she is passionate about and support monetarily and with her time.  It will not be a weekly thing, but she can take time out of her busy schedule to spend a Saturday helping others.

No one has ever become poor by giving. – Anne Frank

ACTION: How will you volunteer to helps others in 2023? 

Resource

·        https://www.statista.com/topics/1390/nonprofit-organizations-in-the-us/#topicOverview     

·        https://financesonline.com/nonprofit-statistics/#:~:text=Number%20of%20Nonprofits%20by%20Geography%20and%20Cause%201,all%20nonprofits%20in%20the%20US.%20...%20More%20items

·        https://www.maxwellleadership.com/minute-with-maxwell/add-value-2023/?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=244898717&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_hu26Z4OQ_TccyDBkS-rGpKRIiBTlSPPjSumZe1zJMtOj0IBk9PYTrJzwe217-x5FuFOve_242ydu9-BQKksCn47tUew&utm_content=244898717&utm_source=hs_email

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