Clutter and its effects.

For the past few weeks I have been surrounded by clutter in my room and around on my desk in my home office.
It's been bothering me and I keep telling myself that I need to straighten up and organize so my desk area and room can be clutter free. Unfortnately, I have a tendenacy to procrastinate and say I will do it later. It's gotten better but there is still room for improvment.  Today I finally decided to get my room in shape and declutter it. As I was finishing cleaning straightening up my dresser, I thought about clutter itself and how it effects us and our lives. In addition it can be a mirror or reflecion of how our lives are.  Meaning if a person living a very fast pace and busy life where they are always always on the go, that person may not only have a cluttered mind and thoughts but their personal space may be cluttered as well. When you live a cluttered lifestyle it cost you the important things in life such as time with family, friends, taking out time just be quiet and at peace, time to learn and grow as person and to learn important lessons the easy way instead of the hard way.  Also when a person has a personal space that's cluttered they spend ten thousand hours looking for stuff, which can be quite frustrating and aggravating. Trust I know, been there, at times still do and end up with quite a few t-shirts and hats.  Being organized is very important, because it can save you time, energy, frustration and aggravation. Also being uncluttered in our lives and putting things into perspectives can save us a lot of heartache, frustration and aggravation. Instead we gain priceless memories, a new perspective and outlook on life that can be very benefical to the people around us and ultimately ourselves.  People who live uncluttered lives are happier, fun to be around, they're encouraging, they enjoy life. Whereas people who have cluttered environments, they are temperamental, depressed, they can't think straight, they aren't happy with themselves, they don't accomplish much because they're in an enviornment that won't let them.

Ask yourself and be honest what type of environment am I surrounding myself with? Is my personal space free of clutter and full of life? Or is it junky full of dust and stagnate air?  If you personal space is organized and cluttered free then this should be encouragment to you and help you continue to be a clutter free person as much as possible. However, if you're not don't be discouraged. Let this be an encouragement to you to be uncluttered. Take it one day, one room, one section at a time.

Here are some tips:
1. pick a room
2. write down what needs to do be done.
3. make 3 separate piles
   - keep
   - throw away
   - donate
 Sidenote: you can either donate to a family member or friend, to an organization such as The Salvation Army or Goodwill.  When you donate to Goodwill or The Salvation Army  you can get a tax deduction.

4. Do a little bit each day and believe it will add up.
5. Put on some music and open up your windows and let some fresh air in this can also be a motivating factor. :-)
6. Ask a friend to help, or if you have a family make a fun family project where everyone can get involved.
7. Once you have your space completed, come up with a plan on how to keep the space organized and cluttered free.  You may have to revamp the plan a few times, which is normal no plan is perfect, leave some wiggle room because your needs will change over time. :-)
8. Repeat steps 1-7 until the job is done.

The point of living in a clutter free environment is to be able think clearly, be able to accomplish what you want to accomplish and be all that you can be and have an environment that supports that.

Family Reunion

This past Friday-Sunday was my family reunion.  This reunion, even though all reunions are unique and special, this particular one was even more special because of what of the feeling of togetherness and support that we have for another.We're going through a rather tough transition that we're slowly maneuvering our way through, there are still some unanswered questions that a few will get answered and others may never get answered, which is apart of life.  I have learned that my family is strong and that we have a determination and strength that will help us come out of this better than ever.   Also what made this reunion nice was being able to have fun, spending with each other, laughing, talking to the wee hours of the night, sharing personal experiences, teasing each other, reminiscing about old times, in addition to making new memories and finding out what everyone has been up to lately.  Family reunions are special time where people can come together and be together and have fun and enjoy one another.

Getting back on track

For the past few weeks I have been off track. Once you get off track it's difficult to get back on track.  For a few weeks I was keeping my bedroom neat, clean and organized. Now it looks like mini whirlwind. My bed is completely unmade, dresser is a bit cluttered and my room good use a good vacuum.  In addition I was walking pretty regularly and I haven't walked in a while due to me having pain in my shoulder and getting distracted by the house projects that are currently going on.  I am determined to get back on track and to make sure that I do the things I need to do so I can be healthy and feel good about myself. 

It's amazing how easy it can be to get off track. A lot times it doesn't take a whole lot but it sure takes a lot of effort to get back on track. Funny how that is. But I know once a person gets on track can creates new habits it can be pretty easy to maintain so long as the habits are realistic. 

It's important to realize that you have gotten off track, in order to get back on. Sometimes we aren't aware that we have gotten off track and it's important to be aware of when we do and even more important to have people around us to help us see when we're getting off track. Having a support system is key to not only getting on back on track, or even getting on track but also staying on track.  An support system can be a friend, a family member, people at your church, a co-worker or any combination.  You gotta set yourself up for success otherwise you won't succeed. Also you gotta be your own support system and be your own cheering section. Sometimes you can't always rely on others to cheer you on. Sometimes you have to cheer yourself on. These are just some of the lessons that I'm learning and I'm working on applying into my life.
I am by no means perfect or have it all together.  Believe me I don't!  It's called maintaining and doing daily maintenance.  However the big key and major player in my life is having God in my life and allowing Him to lead me and guide me, because without Him I'm a person on a merry go round going round and round in circles.  He has brought me a long way and has blessed me as well as helped me to see when I need to grow up and be mature and when I need to step out the way and let Him handle things.  

Getting back on track can be hard and difficult thing but it can also be a very rewarding thing especially when all the hard work, determination  as paid off.