December 4th – YourLifeinOrder.com

Welcome to Your Life in Order Newsletter!

In this issue, we will cover:

• What's Personal is Most General
• Chaos to Confidence Feature Article
• Organizing Tools
• Managing Your Subscription

Well, we ran the Seattle Half Marathon on Sunday – and I am thrilled to report that things couldn’t have gone more perfectly!  If you were out there either running or spectating, you know what a gorgeous day it turned out to be.  I confess I got a little teary eyed coming down the hill into the Memorial Stadium at the Seattle Center.  We are so lucky to live in this gorgeous city!

For those of you who haven’t seen the Emerald City – it is truly spectacular on a crisp cold autumn day.  The mountains looked like they were painted on the sky.  The adrenaline kept me on cloud 9 through the rest of the day and into the evening as I celebrated my friend Elaine’s 50th birthday (my race buddy).  She was my inspiration for getting out there  (and getting up every Sunday for the past 3 months at 6:00 a.m. to run the long hills together) for the first time in over 20 years.  We sprinted to the finish line about 20 minutes ahead of our projected time - a coupla 50 year old youngsters!

Two days later I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Tacoma Festival of Trees.  Last year the event raised over 2.3 million dollars for Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital.  The trees are absolutely amazing.  This is almost an entirely locally funded event, and it made me think about how inspiring it is to give back to the community.

I’m planning to give lots of great tips in my f-ree teleseminar series beginning in January – Coffee Talk with the Experts.  (I won’t be doing all the talking for a change!) The calls will focus on “life fitness” – my euphemism for getting every area of your life in shape so you can live powerfully!  The teleclass thing is new to me, so I’ll be learning right along with you. Please join me.

TODAY’S NEW ARTICLE:    My 5 favorite Holiday Stress Busters

Expect great things!

My 5 favorite Holiday Stress Busters

December is here and instead of bells, I hear nerves jangling!  While there’s probably no way you can alleviate holiday stress altogether (unless you decide not to celebrate anything), I have a few ideas I’ve used in the past that will help you smooth the rough edges on your holiday season.

1.  Send New Year's greetings
I didn’t do this last year, but I’m definitely going to this year.  I was planning to send out cards in December, until my schedule overfilled with work, my business development plans went sideways and the rest of life took over.  So I’m sending my greetings for the New Year instead.  You can too.  Think of it this way – your cards won't get lost in the shuffle of other greetings and you’ll have one less task to worry about in December.  You can take the time to write more meaningful messages come January.  You can even buy the cards after the holidays and get them on sale. 

2.  Lower your standards
When I think of the horrors of my Christmas past, two words come to mind:  Martha Stewart.  Have you seen this year’s holiday issue?  The birds and the glitter?  I remember times past when I faithfully tried to reproduce at least half of everything in her magazine, buying into the promises of perfect holiday treats, the perfect tree, and the perfectly wrapped gifts – all color coordinated of course.  Now I’ll just buy the magazine and put it on the coffee table.  I’d rather ENJOY the holidays!  (Notice how she never promised you that.)

Keep your decorating simple and your preparation low(er) key. Remember, nobody demands perfection except you.  My guess is your family and friends would rather see you in a good mood, enjoying yourself, yes?   

3. Slack off a little
You probably wouldn’t think you’d hear me saying this BUT – there are some things you don’t need to worry about organizing during the holidays.  Yes, there are tasks that you should stick with even during holiday chaos:  like handling incoming mail and paper, and keeping your space picked up and clutter free so the added holiday stuff doesn’t overwhelm you.

Other things you can let go until after the holidays.  For example, revamping your filing systems, overhauling the garage and decluttering the master bedroom closet can probably safely wait until January (and then you can call me).  You’ll have more time and be more motivated.

4. Keep a running record – and choose wisely.
Keep a Master List going – and keep it with you so you can jot things down as you think of them.  There is ALWAYS going to be something else you have to do or get.  Don’t depend on your memory – it will get overloaded and fail you.  You’ll concentrate better if you release these running thoughts to paper.

Once you have a Master List, use it to write up a Daily Action List.  Carefully choose 3 or 4 (or whatever you can realistically achieve) items from your Master List, and put those items on your Action List.  Work on those and don’t add any more until the first items are completed. 

5.   Create a relaxed environment.
This is one of the easiest ways to create a warm, relaxed atmosphere for yourself, family and friends.   There’s nothing more distracting than everyday clutter overladen with holiday decorations.  Clear your living space – even if you have to put some things aside until after the holidays.  Box them up, label clearly and store.  Don’t overwhelm your space with too many decorations & cards.  Add some personal touches that relax and rejuvenate you – candles, some soft lighting, music (or my personal favorite, video winter wonderland – snow without the mess!)

The bottom line is, the more pleasant your environment is the more relaxed you are going to feel which translates into enjoying the holidays instead of stressing over them.

From Chaos to Confidence:  Harnessing the POWER of Organization in Your Office

The World of Work is a bottom line world – and productivity is king.  Most of the time our workload far exceeds our ability to produce! 

What I have discovered is that in order to successfully navigate the new world of work, you need an organizational toolbox to keep you on top of your workload without losing your mind.  With my toolbox of office organization tips, you will be able to accomplish the seemingly impossible, boost your worth and value to your company or business (and yourself) and even have time for a personal life!

Learn More Here

Do It On Purpose!  What do you really want from your life?  Connect to Your Passion and Purpose and Create Prosperity in Every Area of Your Life!

One of the top 10 reasons people report feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled is a lack of purpose.  The pressures of daily living make us slaves, not masters of our time. This short but information packed ebook will show you how to:

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Professional Organizer & Life Organization Coach Robin Stephens is the Chaos to Confidence expert.  Robin delivers simple ways entrepreneurs and individuals can transform and transition their lives from chaos and confusion to confidence and clarity – so they can experience the joys of life in order.  To learn more about how you can use organized living to create a POWERful life – visit her website at http://www.yourlifeinorder.com

Chaos to Confidence – Organized Living = POWERful Life!™ is published by Robin Stephens. If you have any questions or comments, please send them to robin@yourlifeinorder.com