Feeling like your life is stuck in a rut? Then this is for you. Keep reading to find out 7 sure fire methods to help you get unstuck.

Hello friend, September is upon us, and after the back to school flurry things are starting to settle down in our household. And this weekend, along with hockey tryouts, a piano lesson and grocery shopping, we will be beginning to pack up a few things here at my parents farm, as it looks like our renovations are finally nearing completion! Woot!!  After almost 10 months away from home, I hope to be sleeping in my own bedroom by the end of the week. Yipee!!! The house looks fabulous and I will be sure to post some pics in the next Fullflight missive. But back to what to do if you are stuck in a rut…..

I was working with a client recently and she was describing her mood when she returned home from work. Going to work uplifts her, she enjoys her job and the people she works with, but returning to her house is a different story. She described driving home from work and rounding the corner to see her house with her front yard strewn with junk, and once inside, being greeted by more mess. Certainly not an uplift.

The family dynamics are such that my client ends up being responsible for most everything, walking the dogs, grocery shopping, getting the meals, looking after an ailing relative, and ALL the cleaning. There are other grown ups in the house but for one reason or another they aren’t pitching in. (And that is a whole other discussion).You can see now why coming home weighs so heavily on my clients shoulders.

Rules to getting out of a rut-

1. De-clutter / clean up / throw out the junk:

Heck hire a maid service if you have to! This is the suggestion I gave my client, and I do this myself when the ‘stuff’ of life starts piling up around me and I can no longer see my counter tops. Maybe it’s just a quick tidy that your place needs, but if it is a big job, pay someone to help you out. It’s worth it.

2. Try the fresh flowers cure:

This goes hand in hand with Rule #1 above. Once you have tidied up an area, and the surface is clean place a vase of fresh flowers there. Instant mood boost!

3. Shift your perspective:

Instead of looking at what is wrong in your life, start look at all that is going right. For the client above I suggested that she write down 10 things she is grateful for, every night before bed. Maybe there is junk in her front yard but she has a grassy, big lawn. Her house may need cleaning but it is hers, and she loves the neighbourhood it sits in. I like to greet the morning like this as well, noting all the things I am grateful for just after waking up. This is my way of ensuring that the day starts off on a peaceful and positive note, before I am swept up in the ‘to do’s’ of the day.

4. Start with the easy.

Let’s say you are feeling so overloaded at work or with your life, that you are frozen, you don’t even know where to begin. Start with one small action. If you are at work, at your desk, start with something doable. Maybe it’s calling a customer you know will be friendly as opposed to calling the grumpy one.

Or maybe your being hard on yourself for getting out of shape, or putting on some extra pounds? If that is the case, again start with something easy. Lace up your kicks and go for a walk around the block. If you want to get to a gym class in the morning, pick out your exercise clothes the night before and lay them out, so when the alarm goes off you will be ready and your morning will run smoothly. Just take one small action in the direction of where you want to go.

5. Be your #1 cheerleader:

When I ventured out into the coaching / entrepreneurial world I had the expectations that my friends and family would gather round me and give 110% in supporting this new venture of mine.

Nope.

Did not happen.

There are only a couple of my close friends and family members that helped me out when I was in that fledgling stage, and I so appreciated it, and do till this day!

But I did expect my cheerleading section to be bigger. But you know, people are busy, they are focussing on their needs, and maybe they don’t even know what you want from them.  What I have realized is that you need to be your own biggest cheerleader first. It doesn’t matter what goal you are trying to reach, the number of set backs along the way, or the number of ‘likes’ you get,  what matters is how YOU feel about what you are doing. I have put up blog posts and released work into the world that has been greeted with …crickets. But you know what, I don’t care, because I love what I do, it is my way of ‘serving’ and I would do it even if no one paid me, and to me that is a BIG win.

Be your own biggest cheerleader, ‘nuf said.

6. Try something new:

Hip hop dance class, wake boarding, poetry slam contest, motorcycle lessons, whatever. Find one thing that lights you up and go for it. Go for it even if you feel like a ‘shlumpadinka’ (lazy person in yoga pants on couch), go for it even if your roots are showing and you haven’t shaved your legs in weeks. Go for it even if you feel silly, scared or self conscious. Move through that fear and you will discover the goodies on the other side and suddenly you won’t feel so stuck.

7. Consult a professional:

If you have tried some of these suggestions and you still feel stuck, or you can’t contemplate even attempting any of the above, then it might be time to consult a professional. Depending on your level of need you could hire a coach, see a counsellor or therapist, or book time with a psychologist. If money is an issue check out free counselling resources in your area or inquire about ‘sliding scale’ payments.

This is your one life and you don’t want to be living it from the ‘in the ditch’ position on the side of he road, watching everyone else zooming by enjoying themselves.

You deserve to zoom too!

Getting to ‘zoom’….

That being said, everyone’s ‘stuckness’ is different, so different strategies will be employed for different people, but the above techniques I have shared are guaranteed to give you a quick jump start, they will help you see things differently, and hopefully get you out of the rut you are in and back on the road of life.

And if you have any tools you employ for when you are stuck in a rut, I’d love to hear about them- so put them in the comments, or if that is too public for your liking, contact me at admin@fullflightlifecoaching.com

Until next time my friend,

xo

Eliz

The post Stuck in a rut? Here are 7 ways to get out. appeared first on Elizabeth Ritchie Counselling & Coaching Services.

Oliver at my parents pond.

Hello friend, hope you are having a lovely April. It is a rainy afternoon as I write this but the air feels warmer and the blossoms are out so yay! Feels good doesn’t it? I am also feeling good because I finally picked my ‘word of the year‘. Keep reading to find out what word I eventually landed on is and how I landed on it.

Apologies for the delay between posts!

As you may know life is a bit upside down for us at the moment due to our home renos.  You might recall we moved out of our place before Christmas and here we sit 3+ months later with not a lot of progress. Despite getting the permits last week the City inspector has a backlog so he hasn’t made it our place yet, which means all the trades are backed up – electrical, plumbing and drywall.

So we wait…and I continue to drive 2 hours a day back and forth to the boys school, and then back again for things like baseball practice. Sigh. At this rate we are hoping to be in by the end of June, early July??? ….it is really out of our hands though so I am trying to go with the flow (see my leaf analogy and how it relates to my ‘word of the year’ below).

It hasn’t been all bad though.

We had a Hawaiian vacation in February that warmed our souls. The boys were in heaven, swimming, strolling and eating, and so were we. Then in March Steve and I made a short, surprise trip to the UK for Steve’s uncle’s birthday. We even were able to fit in a few days sightseeing in London, getting to the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Modern Museum (where we saw the Picasso show), Churchill’s War Rooms (fascinating) and Harrods. You really need lifetimes to see all that London has to offer!

Steve and I enjoying the Tate Modern Gallery, London, U.K.

More good things have been popping up as well but I will save that news for another day. Stay tuned….

My Word of the Year! Finally!

I am not sure if it was the hectic blur of my life these last few months or a lack of inspiration, but I could not settle on a ‘word of the year’ for 2018.

You might remember that I pick a ‘word of the year’ every year that represents what I want that particular year to be about and for 2017 it was ‘Lean’. Not in the one dimensional sense of say having a ‘lean’ body but more about paring things down; a leaner coaching practice (streamlining programs and services), leaner financial services (paying no unnecessary fees), a leaner home (lose the clutter and make better use of space), and leaner in terms of my body / weight (overall better health and wellness).

Did ‘Lean’ Work? 

To be honest with you when I started writing this post I couldn’t recall what my 2017 word was! So when I went back and read that it was ‘lean’ I had a chuckle. For one, my house certainly is less cluttered as there is NO stuff in it, and we have less ‘stuff’ in general because we are living with minimal things out of boxes at my folks and have either gotten rid of our other ‘stuff’ or it is packed away in storage!

I also have to say that in terms of my health and wellness, that following our Hawaii trip this past winter I was feeling the best I have been in years. For the last 14 months I have been attending a great gym, the planters fascitis that was dogging me for the last year and a half went away so I was able to go for a run every second day in Maui. So yes, I am feeling stronger and leaner health wise (although I took a few steps back due to lots of eating out in London and too much Easter chocolate but I’m getting back on the horse this week! Public accountability!)

So ‘Lean’ worked for me, just as ‘Clarity’ worked in 2016, ‘Ease’ worked in 2015 and ‘Freedom’ worked in 2014.

There really is a special energy that forms when you chose a word to represent your aspirations for the coming year. Writing that word down, telling others, or sharing it on social media as I do, goes a long way to holding one accountable and keeping momentum up.

How I came across my WOTY….

…Oprah Interviewing Pema Chodron

This morning as I was doing the dishes I was listening to Oprah interview the Buddhist nun Pema Chodron. They were discussing heart advice for difficult times. The Buddhist tradition speaks a lot about ‘sufferring’ and Pema explained that suffering refers to encountering difficult times, disruptive times, anxiety provoking times etc. You know, those times that make you feel fearful and insecure.

Well these past months I,  like many other humans, have had some challenging times.

It isn’t easy to pack up your entire house and along with your dog and your two young sons (one with special needs who thrives with structure and regularity), and all your holiday paraphernalia; like 20 plus Christmas gifts, wrapping paper, gift receipts, snowshoes, bikes, pot and pans, food etc…and move in with your parents a few days before Christmas.

If you haven’t done it, well I can tell you it is quite unsettling. And it was unsettling for my folks too, who were used to a quiet, kid free house.

Living at my parent’s place means I often can’t find things like my son’s baseball glove which he now needs for practice, or there is an important file I need but it is locked away in our storage container so I can’t access it. In the scheme of things this may seem like small potatoes, but hey it’s my life and like you I have good days and not so good days where I find myself getting irritated by these types of little things.

So I am working on it.

Which brings me to my word of the year for 2018.

‘Surrender’

Go With The Flow

Pema Chodron spoke about how in the face of suffering, however big or small that suffering is, that surrendering to what is going on and accepting it is the key.

For 2018 I am surrendering to what is; storing my clothes in boxes, working out of my old bedroom instead of my office, a school run of 2+ hours a day, experiencing yet another delay with our renovation permits, finding out that we need to pony up another $12,000 for a leaky roof, whatever it is I will surrender to it.

I will try to be like the leaf that floats on the surface of the water, sometimes getting whipped around in a whirlpool, sometimes tumbling over the rapids, sometimes getting caught on a branch, and sometimes being carried gently down the stream. No resistance. No suffering. Only surrender.

So did you pick your word for 2018?

How is it going for you? Are you keeping up the momentum? Everyday gives you an opportunity to hit that reset button if you are not.

I’d love to hear what your WOTY is so feel free to put in the comment section below or if you are not reading this on my website, over on the blog .

xo

Eliz

*Update- Alongside my usual coaching packages I now offer a career coaching package as well. If you would like more information about this contact admin@fullflightlifecoaching.com

The post My ‘word of the year’ for 2018, finally! appeared first on Elizabeth Ritchie Counselling & Coaching Services.

TGIF!

Hope you are having a fantastic day!

I’m talking about goals today so keep reading to find out what my pant size has to do with my current goals and my ‘word of the year’!

Well it is the end of the week peeps and we finally seem to have seen the back end of the winterish weather. It is sunny as I write this but more spring rains are a coming apparently, on par with living in a rain forest I guess!

I am in a ‘fabulous Friday’ kinda mood as I am off to see U2 and Mumford and Sons at BC Place tonight with Steve!

Cannot wait!

I think the last concert we went to together was Coldplay about 5 or 6 years ago, we are well overdue.

And yes I did pay WAAAAAYYY too much for these tickets through a ticket resale site (thinking I was purchasing in Canadian $ when it was really $US-gulp!) but I am going to put that aside and enjoy the show, and for the record I am TOTALLY going to lobby for legislation to out- law ticket re-sales, I cannot believe that this is allowed! What hasn’t anybody done anything about it? I will be contacting my MP this week (I don’t know why I didn’t do that at the time I got fleeced, but will do so now!).

I am also feeling particularly pumped this morning as I am on an endorphin high from my workout at Thrive Fitness Studio. The instructors there really know how to push you (so much so that you can barley lift a loaf of bread the next day) but overall I haven’t felt this good in a long time.

I need to give my friend Erin props for suggesting it to me;

‘Thx Erin!’.

I have a bunch of updates to share with you today – related to my ‘Word of The Year’ so be sure to keep reading because there are some points I am hoping you can take away and apply to your own life.

Let’s go! 

Passion Dream School is Underway!

This week I am fine tuning Module 3 of Passion Dream School, my online course that is all about creating a more peaceful and gorgeous life.  I can’t believe it is Week 3 already, we are about half way done! And the feedback about the course so far has been good. Yay!!!

As I review the information contained in the first 3 weeks of the modules – about owning your worth, creating your ideal environment, and goal setting, I find it is helping me recalibrate my daily practices and improve my focus as I continue to work towards my goals.

‘Word of the Year’ Update

If you have been a Full Flight Insider for awhile you will know that every year I like to choose a ‘word of the year’ (WOTY) -a word that represents how you want to feel in the coming months, and for 2017 I choose ‘LEAN’.

I liked ‘LEAN’ as it represented what I aspired to, not just in my body and overall health and wellness, but in my home environment, business and finances too.

So that means for this new year I intended to;

• lose some weight and gain muscle (become ‘lean’ in my body)
• de-clutter my home and create a more uplifting, peaceful environment (make my space ‘lean’)
• weed out unnecessary expenses, fees, charges etc. from our financial investments and ensure that we only hold worthwhile vehicles  (make our finances ‘lean’)
•  in my coaching business, get more specific about what I provide as a coach and who I can best serve, while paring down programs that no longer resonate with me, or my overall business model (make my business ‘lean’)

We are now four months into 2017 and let me tell you, for the first two months I really wondered about the wisdom of choosing ‘lean’ as my WOTY AND announcing this publicly on social media!

February was a dismal month as the kids were sick and then there were snow days so school was cancelled, and it all felt like two steps forward, one step back.

By month three though, I found my stride, and I want to share with you a few things that helped me stay on track with my WOTY, as my experience may help you as you focus on your own ‘WOTY’ and your own goals for the remainder of 2017.

SO ABOUT ‘LEAN’

Why I quit my gym…

Although I liked the gym I was going to (and had been going to for about 15 years) I quit last month, because in January I started a small group training exercise class (as mentioned above) at a studio close to my house. Going to my previous gym and working out on my own wasn’t getting me the desired results, so I knew I needed to change things up.

When I first started the class (1x per week each Wednesday)  I could barely get through the 45 minute circuit (and my ongoing plantar fasciitis didn’t help matters either-still not cured of that BTW), but over the next few months I saw an improvement in my cardio and strength, so a few weeks ago I decided to add a second class.

I am happy to report I feel like a different person!

Here are some changes I have noted;

-I went for a bike ride with my kids and my youngest said “Mom slow down you are going too fast”, where as in September I was huffing and puffing, trying to keep up with them. *That was my first big clue that I was making gains (I have not weighed myself since January and I have NO CLUE what I weigh right now).

-Last weekend I went in for my 3 month assessment at the studio and instead of holding the plank for 40 seconds I held it for a one minute 15. Instead of lifting an 8 pound weight like I was doing back in January, I was now lifting 15 pounds. I could not even do a proper burpee when I started and now I can do 10 in a row.

-I went shopping the other day for new summer pants and bought two pairs that were both a size smaller than what I was wearing last summer.

Improvements!!!

Why I didn’t care that I irritated our financial planner…

So you know how I was focussed on making our family finances ‘leaner’?

Well in February I spent TWO WEEKS, (yes two entire weeks) reviewing every aspect of our financials- mortgage, debt, investments, RRSPs, RESPs and Oliver’s RDSP (registered disability savings program) AND doing research on the best investment vehicles for our family. (Handling the family finances doesn’t really turn my husband’s crank, but I actually enjoy it and I think I am pretty darn good at it too!)

This financial overhaul meant talking at length to our advisor and asking him any question that came up. My advisor is a patient man and he responded to all my emails and spent a couple of hours over those two weeks on the phone with me explaining anything I didn’t quite get.

There would have been a time not so long ago where I would have just accepted the advisors recommendations and not spoken up about anything I was confused about, but I can’t live like that anymore. I am at that point in my life that I don’t care if I ‘make waves’ (and it has taken me a long time to get here!).

I figure it is our money and I need to understand where it is going and what it is doing, and I don’t care if my many questions irritate someone.

Because I spoke up I now have a much better understanding of what is going on with our investments and the market,  and once I had the information I needed I instructed our advisor to move money from funds of their choosing to funds of MY choosing and in the process switched over some $ from mutual funds to index funds (lower fees).

Last month our investments had a great month, so so far so good!

But really, regardless of what happens in the market, I feel it is a big WIN, because spending time and energy to understand what is going on with our money and then making our financial investments ‘lean’, turned out to be a very empowering experience.

The state of my office

Welllllll……, it hasn’t come along as far as I had hoped but my husband is almost done with scraping the ‘popcorn’ off the ceiling, so I am hoping that by next weekend we can start prepping to paint.

Once painted I can move out of the laundry room (where my desk and computer currently are) and set up shop again. When I moved into the laundry room several months ago I did a big purge of old papers, files and books and I will do another before moving back in.  I am slowly getting streamlined and creating a beautiful new space to work in, and I bought a new picture for my office wall which I can’t wait to put up.

So in terms of streamlining my home (making it ‘lean’) it is coming along!

The state of my business

As mentioned the Passion Dream School course is underway and I am having a blast with it !!!

I discovered the I really love creating audio trainings (a big part of PDS), and this is something new for me. This course is all done on-line which is fabulous as the participants can work on it on their own time, and re-listen, review portions as need be.

Due to scheduling conflicts, I decided not to run another round of the ‘live’ Power Posse group this spring, but I am looking forward to catching up with the last PP group next month for a coffee, a hike and coaching ‘brush up’ session (if the gals are interested in a ‘brush up’ that is).

We will also be stopping by Vista D’Oro winery, as Lee, who was part of the last Power Posse group, has just published a cookbook ‘The Preservatory’ all about her delicious preserves and I am looking forward to getting a copy and taking home another jar of her delicious vanilla rhubarb preserve.

As usual I have other ideas percolating in regards to Full Flight Life Coaching so watch this space for info about more about future offerings…

What I learned about this ‘word of the year’ process – in a nutshell

I’m sharing all this with you because I think choosing the right (for me) WOTY helped keep my focus in the above areas of my life.

So that being said I recommend;

-That you have choose a ‘WOTY’ that is right for YOU, and if you have chosen one, now would be a great time to review it and see how you are making out in terms of your progress.

-That you have the necessary supports in place to help you achieve your goals. (I could not have made progress on my health & wellness goal without enrolling in a new exercise group, or trying something new)

-Don’t be afraid to ‘make waves’ and ask the questions that need to be asked. Women have a particularly tough time with making themselves heard but when we stay small and quiet we lose our power. Don’t accept the status quo if you are uncomfortable with it.

-Make changes if you need to. Just as I quit one gym and signed up with another you may need to juggle things a bit too.

-Listen to your gut but do your research as well. I knew that in terms of our finances our fees were too high, so I asked to move our money, but before I did I made sure to do all my homework so I could stand my ground with my advisor and not get ‘talked out of things’.

As we approach the half way point of the year, take a few moments and check in with yourself and see what small adjustments or tweaks you might like to make in order to get closer to making your goals, (your dreams really!) a reality.

Hope this helps my friend!

And now I must dash, get my kids over to my Mom and Dad’s and head downtown for the big show!

Have a wonderful weekend!

xo

Eliz

PS

The below clip is from a social media post the other day (word of the year update on Instagram).

The post U2, my pant size (lol), going after your goals, and more …. appeared first on Elizabeth Ritchie Counselling & Coaching Services.

A relief to finally see the blossoms and sun!

What the Navy SEALs taught me about clutter and regret….

It is the weekend, yipee!

Despite having one of the wettest stretches of weather anyone in the Vancouver, BC area can remember (the most rain since they began keeping records!) it is wonderful to see the blossoms out and the green shoots on the trees. Winter is to our backs now, relief! I am so looking forward to warm, sunny days ahead.

New This Week

Today I am sharing some quick tips all about reducing mental and physical clutter and ushering in new energy and fresh ideas.

Spring cleaning for your mind and soul!

Whether it is a pile of papers on your desk, a jumble of never used items in your garage or a kitchen counter that has turned into a family dumping ground, these spots of clutter may be impacting you more than you think.

Physical clutter can sap your energy, energy that could be better directed towards your family, learning a new skill, play or exercise. Too much stuff can cause anxiety, while hardly worn clothes hanging in your closet can cause feelings of guilt. 

Mental clutter,  like stress, worry, and overwhelm, can deplete you even more AND take a toll on your physical health. New medical studies are showing strong links between stress and depression, anxiety, weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure and strokes.

What Can I Do About Clutter?

Below you will find tips on blowing away the cobwebs (in your mind and your home!) and a three step process that Navy SEALs do to clear out regretful thoughts (and they practice deep breathing too!).

Clearing Physical Clutter 

1. Spend 5 minutes a day tidying only one area of your home.
2. Designate a space for incoming mail / papers.
3. Have a place for everything so your family knows where to put items.
4. File papers immediately.
5. Pick one shelf or drawer at a time to tidy.

Clearing Mental Clutter 

1. Take deep breaths.
2. Take a brain break-exercise, go for a walk, nap.
3. Ask yourself whether you really need to do those items on your ‘to do’ list.
4. Get your focus off the past, instead focus on where you want to go.
5. Leave ‘white space’ on the calendar for reflective time.

Think like a Navy SEAL 

Navy SEALs clear out mind clutter with an ‘after action review‘, a three question process that allows them to learn from the past and do better moving forward.

The next time you find yourself caught up in regret or feelings of remorse ask yourself the following 3 questions;

1. What was suppose to happen?
2. What actually happened?
3. What would I do differently next time?

They ask themselves these questions then they move on. They don’t waste time and energy dwelling on the past, instead they clear that mental clutter quickly and get on with things. 

Passion Dream Challenge starts April 10th!

If you would like more information on systems and tools for clearing mental and physical clutter and creating more spaciousness and ease in your life then be sure to sign up for my FREE de-clutter challenge that starts this Monday, April 10th.

Each morning for 7 days you will receive a short, fun video in your in-box, in which I will share with you your daily de-clutterring ‘mission’. This mission will showcase one system or technique I use to vanquish overwhelm and mess.

You don’t have to do anything interactive with this challenge- you can save the videos, watch them at your leisure and try out these mind and soul cleansing tools  in your own time!

Sign up for the free Passion Dream Challenge HERE

Hope you can get outside this weekend and take in those blossoms! 

xo 

Eliz

7 Day Passion Dream De-Clutterring Challenge

The post What the Navy SEALs taught me about clutter and regret…. appeared first on Elizabeth Ritchie Counselling & Coaching Services.

Getting ready to go ‘live’ on FaceBook with Oliver’s favourite mug (he loves herons)

Getting teary on FaceBook ‘Live’ and a FREE ‘de-clutter’ mini coaching program for YOU! 

So it has been an emotional week for me.

Relief that the kids are back in school, excitement around my new FREE ‘de-clutter’ mini coaching program, feelings of joy and sadness around my son’s upcoming 11th birthday, realizing that some projects I have embarked on are tougher than I predicted, irritation around doing my income tax, pride around feeling fitter and upping my workout game (going from one, to two killer workouts each week!)….ahhhhhh so many feelings.

It never fails to amaze me how life can be both beautiful and a pain in the a@% simultaneously!

What I do realize however is that if I am experiencing some kind of ‘pain’ it is because I am choosing to believe something that does not serve me, and the best thing I could do is choose another thought, (because the truth always feels the best) but some days it is easier to do this than others.

Yesterday I did a FaceBook Live that I was quite apprehensive about because I was talking about personal stuff. I shared it because I hoped people in a similar position would relate to it or find some comfort in what I had to say.  You can check it out here and see what made me get teary eyed as the camera was rolling!

NEW, FREE STUFF FOR YOU!

I created a NEW, FREE mini coaching program for you and it starts on Monday, April 10th!

It is called the Passion Dream Challenge and it is about the de-clutter process -clearing our minds of mental clutter, clearing our spaces of physical clutter and creating a more free and gorgeous life.

Being involved in the counselling, consulting and coaching fields for many years has given me access to some stellar strategies that I use everyday  to manage overwhelm and keep from getting stuck, and as you may or may not know physical clutter is directly correlated to our mental state and vice versa.

For More Clarity -De-Clutter! 

There are certain areas in my house that I have to de-clutter constantly, because if left unchecked the mess will have a negative impact on my mood. As soon as I tackle the stuff that has piled up and see the empty space I feel a sense of calm.

My youngest son attended a Montessori pre-school and they made a point of keeping the classroom clean and un- cluttered, covering shelves with plain white covers, limiting items on the wall and picking soft not harsh lighting. I know with my two sons, particularly for Oliver who has sensory issues, having un-cluttered and tidy bedrooms is calming for them and I believe helps them to settle down faster at night.

Last autumn, after we had our garage sale (so much work for very little money!), both my husband and I felt lighter after getting rid of stuff and we experienced that great rush of energy that comes from seeing a space open up (in this case the garage).

Currently my office is undergoing a renovation of sorts -new paint, flooring, lighting etc, and as we prep for painting (we are moving so slow on this!) I have been clearing out old papers, files and books and have resolved to keep only the stuff that I really love or need, and it feels good!

Up-Level All Areas of Your Life! 

I truly believe that the tidying and updating of the spaces around you cause your to ‘up level’ your life in EVERY way, whether it is your health and wellness, your finances, your relationships, your parenting style, your job or business, or your spirituality. Sometimes it only takes a small shift to get the ball rolling.

Mental clutter-stuff like overwhelm, resistance, fear, anxiety -well those things can be more pesky,  but if you are experiencing this, not to worry, as I have tips in the Passion Dream Challenge on how to stay clear and focussed, so be sure to sign up so I can share them with YOU!

How It Works

Every day for 7 days starting Monday, April 10th I will send you a short, fun video -your Passion Dream Mission and each task will help you create a more streamlined and beautiful life.

Please note**** Even if you are a Full Flight Insider you will need to sign up for this free program as I only want people signing up who are truly interested and I don’t want to spam those who are not.

I talk a bit more about the Passion Dream Challenge in the video below ….and you can see my boys photo bomb me in it!

( Will acted as my ‘personal assistant’ the morning we filmed that, carrying an alternate coat around for me as I could not decide what coat / color I wanted to wear!) Child labour lol!….and if you care to subscribe to my You Tube channel!  Thx!

Sign Up Here

Sign up for the Passion Dream Challenge here and make sure you click on the confirmation link that will be sent to your in-box as well. If you don’t click on the confirmation e-mail then you are not signed up!

I had a lot of fun making the videos and I love the tips and tools I am sharing in them, so I hope you will join me for this free mini coaching program on April 10th!

xo

Eliz

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Ahhh spring has sprung here on the West coast and she is looking good! A ‘not a cloud in the sky’, ‘don’t need a jacket’, ‘cherry tree outside my window starting to bloom’ kinda day. It IS a perfect day for spring cleaning and I have THE question that will help you get the job done.

I don’t know about your home but after a long stuffy winter, mine is in desperate need of a spring clean. It is full of dusty surfaces and out of control piles of work notes and kids school papers so last weekend I was determined to get on top of things and for a little help I turned to a book that I had picked up last year.

I am sure you have come across this book in your travels as it has been everywhere.

I am talking about Marie Kondo’s;

‘The life-changing magic of tidying up- the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing’.

I read most of the book last year and it did inspire me to jump start my spring cleaning but then life happened and I ran out of steam.  As a Japanese cleaning consultant Marie takes tidying up to a whole new level and her lifestyle tips have been a global hit.

The London Times had this to say about her;

“Condo has positioned herself as Japan’s preeminent guru of tidiness, a warrior princess in the war on clutter.”

This past weekend I pulled the book out again for a quick review and then got to it, bagging my son’s too small clothes and passing them on to a younger nephew, gathering books the boys no longer read, recycling old colouring books etc.  I’m not even close to being done but the work I have done so far has left me feeling energized and at peace at the same time.

Marie believes that;

‘a dramatic reorganization of the home causes correspondingly dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective. It is life transforming…when you put your house in order, you put your affairs and your past in order too.’

Spring Cleaning & The Magic Question

The bit from Marie’s book that has garnered the most press and the thing I love best about her de-cluttering process (called the ‘KonMari Method’) is the question she directs us to ask ourselves when presented with any item in our home;

“Does it spark joy?”

If it does it stays, if it doesn’t it goes, because Kondo believes that you should only be surrounding by things you love.

I’m a bit of a hoarder at times (books & memorabilia) but by asking myself;  ‘Does it spark joy?’ I can quickly come to a decision.

That book I last read in 1992? It goes.

A piece of art Oliver made when he was in kindergarten? It goes. (I know ruthless right?) but asking this question has brought me more space and what feels like better energy into our home (improved feng shui?).

And I am just getting started!

I can’t imagine how I will feel when we tackle the garage (nightmare), my kitchen cupboards (tupperware, mismatched jars and lids nightmare) and our storage room filled with dated baby items, broken computers (my husband’s) and ancient university text books (mine).

It is going to feel SPECTACULAR!

I used the ‘KonMari method’ with my kids too.

Both of them are collectors so surfaces in their room get crammed with stuff (that is Will’s bedside table collection below-pre clean up).

“Does this Chinese lantern really spark joy?”  I asked Will.

His answer: “Yes”. So it stayed.

After we had de-cluttered his room, made space on top of his chest of drawers and organized his clothing he said to me that his room ‘felt better’.

I also noticed that after his room was cleared out he started spending more time in it, playing with his Lego, reading or drawing. Clearly his bedroom was more inviting to him.

As I was working on Will’s room my husband heard me repeatedly asking Will, ‘Does this spark joy?” and he muttered;

“Pretty soon you are going to be asking yourself whether I ‘spark joy’ and I’ll be tossed out“

Ha ha.

And while we are on that thought one of the women in our Power Posse shared a story of a gal who asked herself that same question in regards to her husband, determined that he no longer sparked joy and soon after filed for divorce!

There is power in this method to be sure.

Marie also talks about-

• How you must start sorting by category, not by location
• Why tidying is a special event, not a daily chore (this is how I always have viewed tidying up -much to my husband’s dismay lol, so I am on track here)
• What to do with Komono (miscellaneous items)? You know those little objects like erasers, hair pins, elastic bands, etc. that we hold onto to and shove into junk drawers.  Her take on these odds and ends is that you should keep things because you love them-not just ‘because”, so bye-bye komono.
• Respecting money by picking up coins that are lying about and putting them into your wallet/ purse (I do this all the time now because she is right -money should be respected because if it isn’t it will stop flowing to you).
• How she believes that there should only be one spot for items i.e. only one place in your home where you will find those elastic bands, paper clips, clothespins etc.
• The best way to store bags is in another bag (Score! I’m already doing this)
• Never ball up your socks, fold them and store them on end (preferably in a shoe box)

All in all her book might be the gentle nudge you need to get you into that spring cleaning mood.

Now I just need to keep my momentum going and finish the rest of my spring cleaning- wish me luck and happy April to you!

…and if you happen to have a great de-cluttering / spring cleaning tip or just want to comment on this post I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below!

xo

Eliz

PS

I now have a YouTube channel!

So if you missed my last post (my video on Gratitude and why without it you will feel like you never, ever have enough) get it here. and be sure to give me a like while you are there!  One of my clients the uber fabulous Sam (she gave me the okay to use her name fyi) sent me an email after watching the video and said;

‘‘...loved your video on gratitude I always try to replace a negative thought with a positive one or else I end up on a rampage”.  

I thought that was priceless 🙂

…and don’t forget to connect with me on Facebook too as I post there regularly!

Hanging my laundry for the first time this year and it isn’t even April! #awesome

The post Spring cleaning? The one question you need to ask yourself to transform your home (and make you feel energized and at peace too!)… appeared first on Elizabeth Ritchie Counselling & Coaching Services.