By special request - I was asked to write today about rain, since it is, in fact, raining outside. After several hours of thinking, inspiration eludes me and I find myself at a loss for words (that's a first!).
Fortunately, I recently received a Tweet from Mark Hensen (@sparkspace) about rain, the economic downturn, and running a business.
Click here http://www.sparknewthinking.com/2009/07/rain-doesnt-kill-you.html to read Mark's musings. Also check out SparkSpace in the Arena District for your next meeting or event. A very cool place to spark creativity! And don't miss Free Coffee Fridays in August! http://www.sparkspace.com/comingevents/freecoffeefriday.html
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Gardening and Time Management
I finally made some time today to address the growing population of weeds in my vegetable garden. While I sat pulling blades of grass and miniature maple trees from amid the squash, tomato, and snow pea plants, I thought back to earlier in the year when I'd first planted my garden.
I'm new at this gardening thing and as little green seedlings began to emerge from the carefully cultivated soil, I was overtaken by a sense of pride and fear all at once. Proud that I'd been able to create life (so to speak) and fearful that I had no idea if the emerging seedlings were the ones I'd planted or if they were weeds! They were so small - how could I tell? So I just watered them all and they all grew. "What a fine gardener I am!" I told myself. As the days went by, however, it became clear that either I'd planted way too much (a story for another day - think summer squash plants!) or half of what I was carefully cultivating was, in fact, weeds. Now what?
So what does my garden have to do with time management? Our schedules and To Do lists can quickly become overrun with "weeds" if we don't take time each day to review what's there and weed out the unnecessary tasks and obligations. Just as with my garden (where it was hard to tell the weeds from the veggie plants) it can be challenging to determine which of our daily tasks are important and deserving of our time and attention, and which are weeds and need to be plucked out before they take over the whole day.
My suggestion: Take a look at your schedule/calendar/day planner. Is your day overrun with "weeds"? If so, begin to weed them out, making more space for the delicate plants in your life to grow and flourish. At the same time, be mindful of new "seeds" that try to plant themselves in your schedule. If they're not really important, don't let them in your garden. You'll end up devoting time to nurturing weeds, time better spent on the plants in your life.
I'm new at this gardening thing and as little green seedlings began to emerge from the carefully cultivated soil, I was overtaken by a sense of pride and fear all at once. Proud that I'd been able to create life (so to speak) and fearful that I had no idea if the emerging seedlings were the ones I'd planted or if they were weeds! They were so small - how could I tell? So I just watered them all and they all grew. "What a fine gardener I am!" I told myself. As the days went by, however, it became clear that either I'd planted way too much (a story for another day - think summer squash plants!) or half of what I was carefully cultivating was, in fact, weeds. Now what?
So what does my garden have to do with time management? Our schedules and To Do lists can quickly become overrun with "weeds" if we don't take time each day to review what's there and weed out the unnecessary tasks and obligations. Just as with my garden (where it was hard to tell the weeds from the veggie plants) it can be challenging to determine which of our daily tasks are important and deserving of our time and attention, and which are weeds and need to be plucked out before they take over the whole day.
My suggestion: Take a look at your schedule/calendar/day planner. Is your day overrun with "weeds"? If so, begin to weed them out, making more space for the delicate plants in your life to grow and flourish. At the same time, be mindful of new "seeds" that try to plant themselves in your schedule. If they're not really important, don't let them in your garden. You'll end up devoting time to nurturing weeds, time better spent on the plants in your life.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Who am I?
I’m a person, just like you, who wants to feel great every day. I want to have the time and energy to do what I enjoy. I want to go to sleep at night with no worries on my mind and wake up each morning excited about the day ahead. I want to surround myself with people who are energized and excited by their lives, both professional and personal. If you want to be this way too, then follow my blog and together we’ll try to figure it out!
To earn a living, I am a Professional Organizer and a yoga teacher. The longer I work in these two areas the more similarities I find between them. As an organizer I help people find space in their environment and in their schedules. As a yoga teacher, my students find space in their bodies and in their minds, clearing away the clutter of persistent thoughts and worries. Space seems to be a recurring theme in my work.
When I'm not organizing or teaching yoga, I love to play with my two dogs, Gryphon and Bogie. I'm a long suffering Cleveland Indians fan (Go Tribe!) but I'd rather play sports than watch them. I'm most at home in the mountains (so what am I doing in Columbus Ohio?) where I can hike all day and sleep in peace. I love to watch romantic comedies and listen to John Mayer and James Taylor, among others.
To earn a living, I am a Professional Organizer and a yoga teacher. The longer I work in these two areas the more similarities I find between them. As an organizer I help people find space in their environment and in their schedules. As a yoga teacher, my students find space in their bodies and in their minds, clearing away the clutter of persistent thoughts and worries. Space seems to be a recurring theme in my work.
When I'm not organizing or teaching yoga, I love to play with my two dogs, Gryphon and Bogie. I'm a long suffering Cleveland Indians fan (Go Tribe!) but I'd rather play sports than watch them. I'm most at home in the mountains (so what am I doing in Columbus Ohio?) where I can hike all day and sleep in peace. I love to watch romantic comedies and listen to John Mayer and James Taylor, among others.
Welcome!
If you’re like most people, you’re feeling overwhelmed by the fast pace of today’s lifestyle. Longer work hours, economic instability, 24/7 communication, family obligations, and day-to-day commitments can cause stress. Left unmanaged, high levels of stress lead to dis-ease: restless sleep, irritability, reduced productivity at word and at home, and even illness.
This blog is dedicated to simple living, to offering thoughts, suggestions and ideas to help everyone live a more simple, peaceful and happy life. There is no right or wrong way to accomplish this great feat. Watch this site for helpful hints and ideas to help guide you in the right direction. Peace!
This blog is dedicated to simple living, to offering thoughts, suggestions and ideas to help everyone live a more simple, peaceful and happy life. There is no right or wrong way to accomplish this great feat. Watch this site for helpful hints and ideas to help guide you in the right direction. Peace!
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