January 4th – YourLifeinOrder.com

Imagine. . .Your Life in Order – The Online Newsletter

Welcome New Subscribers and Old Friends! Please feel free to forward this to a friend or colleague! Visit me at www.yourlifeinorder.com

In this issue:

• What’s Personal is Most General
• Feature Article
• Organizing Tools
• Robin Recommends

Dear _______

Happy 2008! I hope your holidays were truly restful and relaxing and that you don’t plan on leaving the decorations up until February. ;) I returned New Year’s Eve from my annual Christmas visit to my family in Boston. This year, Kevin, (my love and significant other for several years) accompanied Andrew and me. California born and living in Seattle for the past 20+ years - he’s never visited the Northeast. I got a real kick out of his reaction to the paved “cow paths” (literally in some cases!) we call streets – complete with potholes the size of a small pond – and the quaint bluntness of New Englanders (more like a stab with a dull knife!).

We had a great time touring the city and I even learned a couple of trivia tidbits I didn’t know: that Ho Chi Minh had been a pastry chef at the famous Parker Hotel (ever heard of Parker House rolls?) before he became a legend, and that Paul Revere was never forced to quarter British soldiers in his home (during passage of the Quartering Act in 1765) because he had 16 children at the time and the soldiers didn’t want to stay there! Hopefully they were really organized.

And speaking of organized, I’m almost done with my new blog website which will feature more tips and strategies to help you get organized in every area of your life. I’m exchanging what one of my clients called “The Addams Family look” for something brighter and more playful!

Kevin saluting the Minuteman!

Thoreau’s beloved Walden Pond

In February I will be changing my broadcasts from biweekly to weekly publication. I realize that may be too much life in order for some of you, and that’s ok. I confess, I have to jettison some of the newsletters I subscribe to from time to time without reading them – but the main thing is that I trust them to bring me valuable content, and even if I don’t get a chance to read every week - they are there with good stuff when I need it. I hope you’ll feel the same about mine. On that note – let’s move to the content of this week’s article on why you should NOT make New Year’s Resolutions!

To your confidence & success,

Set Intentions, Not Resolutions

Approximately 44% of Americans set New Year's Resolutions. Only 15% or less of all resolutions get accomplished. Why? It’s the difference between intention and resolution.

Webster’s defines them thus:

• Resolution: The decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner.
  
  
• Intention: An anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions.

I don’t know about you, but just reading the words “a decision to behave in a certain way” makes me cringe. It’s constricting, dull, and boring. “An outcome that guides your planned actions” – that’s quite different. It’s energizing, motivating and inspiring. It puts me in creative control.

By their very nature, resolutions are decisions we feel we SHOULD or MUST make – like lose weight, organize our closets, get our taxes done on time. Shoulds don’t inspire. They stand there wagging their fingers at us like a frustrated parent. So it’s not surprising that after a few weeks or a month of working on resolutions, you find yourself on the couch scarfing a box of Weight Watcher cakes with your feet resting on the piles of mail you haven’t opened.

If you want to realize some real change in your life this year – try setting an intention instead making of a resolution. Something that tugs at your heart and lifts your spirits. Ask yourself what the intention will DO for you? There has to be a payoff to make it work. As a personal trainer, the first thing I would do with a new client is help them set intentions for their workout program. “Losing weight” or “getting in shape” was the usual starting place – but then I’d encourage them to be more specific. What would losing weight DO for them? How would getting in shape change their lives? What’s the BENEFIT? Intentions are about benefits, resolutions are about features.

What is your dream – your vision – the one that's been hidden away? The one thing you’d do if this was your last day on earth? Once you’ve visualized your intention (which will take longer than just writing down a bunch of resolutions – so give it a chance to grow) – chunk it down into smaller pieces. Swiss cheese it. (poke little holes into the big wedge). Don't concern yourself right now with getting every step just right. The most important thing is to get some momentum going. Write it down and keep it handy.

Visualize one action you can take today that will move you towards your intention. No matter how small – that’s perfectly ok. Just do it. Then take another little bite tomorrow. Small consistent actions are far better than large, but infrequent bursts. Remember – even 20-30 minutes consistently over time will get you where you want to go. Can you spare 30 minutes a day for your passion?

I realize that for a lot of us, the hardest part is just getting started. I can help you with that. I’ve written a simple, straightforward mini ebook (read: short and to the point!) - Do It On Purpose (below) – to help you jumpstart your intentions for 2008, set meaningful priorities – and get it done! It’s the same method I use – with great results - for myself and my clients (except you don’t have to learn by trial and error as I did!).

Resolve not to resolve in 2008!

You're welcome to share this article. When you do, please include this complete blurb with it:

Professional Organizer & Life Fitness Coach Robin Stephens is YOUR Chaos to Confidence expert. A former personal trainer and fitness instructor, Robin combines a highly motivational, “workout” style of coaching with simple, results oriented organizing techniques to help motivated women move away quickly from disorganization and chaos to confident, POWERful living! Discover how life fitness can transform you! To learn more about how organized living creates a POWERful life - visit her website at http://www.yourlifeinorder.com

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:

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