Barbara's blog

I recently did some decluttering and was quickly reminded of how difficult it is to declutter things that you have an emotional connection to.

One of the techniques you can use when you are trying to let go of something you have that no longer serves you is to find a way to honor it and then let it go. I like to call this the “Love Method.”

I’ve noticed a common trend with the people who participate in my trainings—their email inboxes are out of control! It made me think about ways to clear out your inbox that might be helpful.

If your inbox has gotten a little chaotic, here are some ideas to help you regain control as you clear it out:

Recently, I was talking with my friend and mentor, Chris Crouch, about how I was having sudden, onset anxiety when preparing for trainings to the point where I was starting to consider doing something a little easier on my nervous system.

Chris told me that when he teaches, he has two objectives:

1.      Provoke thought.

2.      Have fun. 

I’m getting ready to do a couple of trainings for the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, and they have asked me to put together a training on email and time management.

Since email is the number one time waster, I thought I would remind people of some simple things you can do to take control of how and when you look at your email.  If you are using Microsoft Outlook, or Mail for Mac, you can do the following things to reduce distractions caused by your email:

1. Disable the Bell – you can turn off the audio alert that lets you know when an email has come in.

Does your paper get a little out of control like mine does? I know . . . you would expect that because I’m a professional organizer that everything around me is neat and organized all of the time.

The fact of the matter is that I’m actually pretty messy, and rely on my great systems to help keep me focused and organized – even with the messes I have around me. My paper got away from me (again) the last couple of months, so I had a paper cleaning day last week.

Office Paper Clutter

I’ve been so busy with trainings and consulting this spring that I was ready for a vacation! We got to go with our friends to the amazing Point Cabrillo Light House & Inn over Memorial Day Weekend for fun, relaxation and amazing views of the Pacific Ocean.

“How come you always look so happy?” That was a question my Dad asked me recently, and I’ve given it a lot of thought.  I haven’t always been as happy as I am now, and realized that it is by design that I’ve created a life that allows me to be happy much of the time.

Fun with Ron.

I’m having a great time with my trainings lately, and I have the good fortune of having a training a week scheduled with local businesses for the next 8 weeks. I just got to do my mind mapping training for a group of managers at our local Employment Training Department.

The yard before the makeover.

I am all about makeovers right now, and our backyard is up this month! What started as a simple project to put in a new patio has turned into a complete yard makeover. I’m excited with the process and the results so far. I am eager and ready for the day when I can sit in the yard and enjoy the beauty we’ve created while I drink my morning latte.

If you read my newsletter (Cracking the Fashion Code) last time, you know that I have embarked on a project to clean out my closet and update my wardrobe. The project started with me taking an honest look at what was in my closet and cleaning out what no longer fit or worked to make room for a new wardrobe.

Once I had my closet cleaned out I took an inventory of what I had. Then I made a mind map of the categories of clothes that I needed and the number of items I would like to have in each category.