Spring has Sprung!

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Winter gives the earth a deep cleansing and kills the germs in the air… BUT Spring is a season of rebirth, rejuvenation, resurrection and regrowth.  The month of March has already passed and April is here. We are “Moving Forward by Faith” as we prepare for our period of renewal and attempt to restore a bit of Order to our lives. So now we need a 60-day plan… and then it will be Summer! Get the family to participate.  Review the plan with them and get their support & buy-in (even though it may under duress :-D)…. and absolutely, have a BIG party when it’s done! 

Ready, Set, Begin!

Days 1 thru 30 – Spring Cleaning **

Assess your physical space and determine three (3) major areas that require spring cleaning first and allot ample time to complete.  

Assign small tasks to be completed over time.  

Write down the plan, a realistic timeline and post it.  

Yes, there is a difference between cleaning and organizing…

Days 30 thru 60 – Organizing **

Identify two (2) small areas that need to be decluttered and organized. For those areas that have some much stuff that we were unable to clean thoroughly.

We will need to sort & purge until the area is uncluttered. Then we can put everything into their proper place.

Have fun with it!

 Photos: Google images/123rf.com

Are You too Tired?

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Are you just too tired to take another step? Tired of being isolated? Tired of being with/without family? Tired of being alone? Just Tired! I truly understand, however, we must take the next step. Why, you say? Because first, we can not stay in this spot and better yet, when we take the next step, the Lord will show us the next one.

Now we need to get some preliminary things out of the way…

  • You may not know the Lord. Well, for now, that’s ok, He knows you! You will just have to trust me on that. We will talk more about that later.
  • You may know the Lord, but you are not very happy with Him right now. Well, that’s ok too, because He knows that already.
  • Either way, we need to have a conversation with the Lord and let Him know that we’re going to take the next step and we need Him to show us just a little light, so that we can see the next one. Now, take the step, one foot in front of the other. Fairly simple!

No, not really… We will wake up tomorrow to a new day! … but we feel the same.

So here’s some advice:

  1. Get up tomorrow when you wake up, try not to snooze and put your feet on the floor.
  2. Turn off the phone or at least silence it for ONE hour. Please do not scroll! Everyone else in the world seem so happy????
  3. Find a quiet spot and open the curtains to your new day. Rain or shine, it’s gonna be a Good day!
  4. Open the window if possible, we can definitely use some fresh air.
  5. Fix you a cup of coffee or tea, take a deep breath and now you are ready for your next step.

We’re Moving Forward by Faith… but it’s definitely not easy. Life may seem dark right and we can’t see what’s in front of us, but with each step we take, the Lord will light up the next one.

Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path.

Psalm 119:105

Moving Forward by Faith

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Last week, we talked about REIMAGINE, REFINE AND REENERGIZE, as we nagivate through this thing called Life and to Move Forward by Faith … taking One Step at a Time!

Last week, during my morning devotions, I asked the Lord; “What does it really mean to move forward by faith?” In Hebrews 11:1, it says that Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, but I needed the Lord to speak to my specific situation. While waiting for His response, I decided to read the March Devotions written by Ms. Angie Hyche, Education Director of the Faithful Organizers and owner of ShipShape Solutions. The title was “A Godly Perspective on Your To-Do List” and her scripture was from Galatians 5:25, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit”. I was absolutely amazed by God’s quick response. As a fellow professional organizer, Ms. Hyche spoke about how task-oriented we are and as such, we can not allow our to-do list to direct our day. We must listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and [in all things] glorify God.

“A successful day is one in which you have stayed in touch with Me, even if many things remain undone at the end of the day. Do not let your to-do list (written or mental) become an idol directing your life.”

Sarah Young, Author of Jesus Calling

Moving Forward by Faith means to seek the Lord’s Guidance and Direction with our Every step… One step at a time. Stay Tuned, there’s more to come…

What’s Next?

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It’s hard to believe that it’s March already. The 1st quarter of 2021 will be drawing to a close sooner than we think. I pray that you are well on your way into the 2nd year of a new decade! This is a year of “Moving Forward in Faith”. We may have had to… 1) REIMAGINE our vision; 2) REFINE our goals and 3) REENERGIZE our plans, but now we must keep Moving Forward in Faith. We may not be able to see the entire path, but with each step, the next step will become clearer.

Virtual versus On-Site Organizing

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As we discussed briefly last week, “Clutter does Matter”… Prior to the pandemic, I understood virtual organizing in principal, but not so much in practice. I’d always promoted my “hands on” approach to organizing, therefore, virtual organizing was an offering in my portfolio, if it was needed. As we all realized, in the midst of a pandemic, “virtual” has become a way of life. However, for my clients, who have worked with me in the comfort of their homes, just were not sure if organizing via FaceTime, ZOOM or any other virtual platform would work.

In February of 2020, I started working with Detra. Detra and I not only had great organizing sessions and had accomplished a lot, but, we also had some amazing conversations, as with all my clients. However, by the end of March, we were in the throws of a worldwide pandemic and the governor had enacted a stay at home order. Virtual organizing was no longer simply an offering, but the way I had to do business. Detra was very, very skeptical about virtual organizing until she decided to give it a try. So I’d like to invite you to sit back, get some coffee or a soft drink, relax and listen to her experience.

Although I realize that you may not have 30 minutes to spare, I believe that it will be time well spent .. and there may be a message or two, just for you.

We would love to know what you think!

Clutter Does Matter…

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Last week, we asked the question; “Does clutter in our physical environment of any kind, have an impact on the changes we attempt to make in our lives?”

 … and the Answer is Yes!

Physical Clutter in our surroundings competes for our attention, resulting in decreased performance & productivity.*

Many people don’t realize that there is a physiology effect of clutter, which may result in: 

  • Feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, or anxious.
  • Affects our relationships, our health, and our ability to enjoy life.
  • Creates a sense of hopelessness, and can even contribute to depression and other mood disorders.
Google Image

In light of our continued climate of COVID, which requires extensive health and safety precautions, we would love to share with you our virtual organizing offerings. Next week, we will take a look at virtual versus on-site organizing…. Stay Tuned!

*How Clutter affects your Brain

Stay With Me…

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“Stay With Me… We are going somewhere”! As we reflect on our past, we must anticipate revelations for our future.  I believe that the turning point for us to find Order in the continuous chaos, is realizing that the one and only thing that we can change are ourselves. One day, I heard a missionary say, “it is not how the situation looks, it is how we look at the situation”. Now is the time for us to take a real serious look at what we want and need in life. Now life is not perfect, nor should we expect it to be, but there should be some semblance of Peace and Order.

  • Take a few moments to invest in our future.  Jot down some notes about our life as we know it today…. we might be amazed at how our life looks on paper!
  • Take a look at those things that we would like to see changed, Big and small.
  • Does clutter in your physical environment of any kind, have an impact on those changes?  We will talk a little more about this next week…

Remember, it is very difficult to change something, without understanding our current state and our desired outcome. We must keep moving forward!

Reimagine Your Vision

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What a difference a day makes!

I had to be reminded that my mantra throughout 2020 was “God’s plan for us has not changed”. I just needed a little push beyond my feelings of uncertainty and now I’m looking forward to rest of February and all the months to come and I pray that you are too. I’ve reimagined by vision and my 2021 top three (3) goals are a lot clearer now. So here they are:

  • Planning my 2021 Order Your Steps Virtual Event, entitled “Moving Forward in Faith”! My speakers and the topics are lined up and the train has left the station.
  • Collaborating on a program for executive women, developed by Dr. Johnette Ruffner-Ceaser, owner of Liberated Expressions, which is way outside my comfort level.
  • Complete a personal development course, because even at my age, there’s always more to learn.

Keep Moving Forward!

  • Identify three (3) goals that you can realistically accomplish over the first few months of the year, i.e. write your vision, make it plain and specific, or simply read a great book that will inspire you.
  • Identify those obstacles that may hinder you from accomplishing your goals and plan accordingly. Establish your priorities and set a reasonable timeline & realistic deadlines.
  • Identify measurable results and possibly, engage a mentor, advisor or friend that will hold your accountable to achieve.

Stay Tuned… There’s more to come!

I Know What I Saw

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January has been a very interesting month for me. In the spirit of being transparent, much of my time has been spent with jigsaw puzzles and Words with Friends, with a virtual organizing session every now and again. Then I made the ultimate mistake of looking at social media to see what every one else was doing (and I knew better!) and I found myself questioning my vision, what did I see?

Although 2020 was a extremely challenging year, it was also a year of many blessings. We lived by God’s Words in Psalm 91 (paraphased), No evil will befall us, No plague will come neigh that dwelling, for God has given his Angels charge over us to keep us in all your ways. The Lord had allowed my family and I to be in a position to encourage others, so I really didn’t understand what changed in 2021. The Holy Spirit never stops talking and I thought that I was still listening, but I was feeling really lost. I wasn’t sure if I was still heading on the path that God had set for me.

God will always give you an answer if you ask Him…I was strolling through my YouTube and came across a 2020 New Year’s Eve message by Dr. Dharius Daniels, Pastor of Change Church, entitled “I Still See It”! It was AMAZING! The key thing that he said to me was “Reimagine what you saw”.

I KNOW WHAT I SAW!

How about you?

To Be Continued…

Reflections and Revelations

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We must continue to plan and God will direct our steps (Proverbs 16:9) So, as we prepare for what 2021 may hold for us, let’s begin by…

• Identify three (3) goals that you can realistically accomplish over the first few months of the year, i.e. write your vision, make it plain and be specific, and or simply read a great book that will inspire you.