It's Time to Clear The Clutter!!!!

It's Time to Clear The Clutter


“If you want to feel better, clean your desk.”
– David Allen

I've always said that if I ever get into another business after the personal development industry, in will be the self-storage business in America.

Why? Because people are obsessed with buying stuff!

And when there's too much stuff in the house, do they get rid of it? No, they get another storage unit. You can't even get the car in the garage – your poor car has to sit outside because you've got so much stuff.

But WHY is clutter a problem in the first place?

Why Clutter Is a Costly Problem

If you have physical or emotional clutter – meaning clutter in your Inner or Outer Environments – then it's very difficult for something BETTER to come in to your life.

Have you ever noticed that when you clear stuff out, you feel better? I know you've experienced this.

For example, someone cleared the clutter from her office, her business doubled in 40 days!
Someone couldn't even see the rug in her office because she had so much clutter. When she cleaned out the clutter, she took out 17 garbage bags of clutter from her little office.

Guess what? In 30 days, she made enough extra money in her business to replace the carpet she couldn't even see before.

In this article, I'll show you how to clear the clutter from your Outer Environment. In the next article, I show you how to clear the clutter from your Inner Environment.

Exercise: Installing Your Outer Environment System

1. What are the biggest blocks in my HOME Environment?

2. What are the biggest blocks in my WORK Environment?

3. What ACTIONS can I take this week to clear the clutter from my Outer Environment?

4. WHO can help me clear the clutter – and WHEN will I ask for their support?

OUTER ENVIRONMENT QUESTIONS 1 & 2 — What are the biggest blocks in my Home and Work Environment?

Write 10, 20 or more blocks. Be honest about what your biggest blocks are in your Outer Environment.

At Home, it may be that out-of-control closet, your desk that hasn't been cleaned since the Carter administration, the garage you can't get in.

Whatever your blocks are — and you know what they are — write them down.

What about your Work Environment? "I can't find my papers. I don't have the right software. I don't know where my computer is. I have an old computer that doesn’t work properly."

And clutter doesn't always mean a bunch of junk. It might mean that you need tools you don't currently have.

Would you expect to build a nice house with just a hammer, a screwdriver and two nails? You need all the correct tools and systems to do the job.

If you want to grow your business, yet don't have the tools you need to grow, it's going to cost you.

So write what's MISSING as well as what's IN YOUR WAY.

Your head trash is going to say, "But I don't have the money, I can't afford it!" What else is new? Write it anyway.

Question 3: What ACTIONS can I take to clear the clutter from my Outer Environment this week?

"when I'm starting to clear the clutter from my life, which should I start with - the Inner or the Outer?"

I always tell them: Start with the Outer.

I know that sounds counter intuitive, because you say, "But I want to feel good on the inside!"

Don't worry, you will.

Your Outer Environment includes the things you can see and touch. In case you haven't noticed, your Outer Environment greatly affects your emotional and spiritual well-being.

You can't find your papers. You're tripping over too much stuff. You have clutter. Isn't that frustrating?

Well, to be frustrated is a feeling, and feelings are caused by something. Therefore, when you remove the outer cause of the inner feeling, you will feel better.

So go through that closet, go through your files, clear off your desk and unload your inbox. Throw stuff away. (We'll get to the emotional stuff in the next article.)

4. WHO can help me clear the clutter - and WHEN will I ask for their support?

You know that friend you can't stand - the one whose house is always neat and whose desk is always perfect? Yeah, that one.

That's exactly the person you need to ask for support.

If this just feels overwhelming to you, ask a neat friend to help you.

We all know someone like this. Call them and ask for their help!

You are not alone.

Ask your Loving Mirrors at home and your Safe Havens at work.

Because life gets much easier when you let yourself have the support you need to succeed.

Spend time this weekend clearing your mind and physical environment

Doreen Virtue

Recently I have come across the writer...light bearer Doreen Virtue. She has a lot of insights and useful information that is well worth reading and exploring.

This is an article that I enjoyed.


Ten Lessons I Learned From the Angels

The more I talk to my angels, the more I learn. Here are ten lessons they have taught me that have changed my life.

1. Live in integrity.
The angels said to me, "Spend your time doing activities that match your highest intentions. Let go of things that your intuition prompts you to surrender. Those things may then either become healed so that you enjoy them, or else the activity will easily drop away."

The angels urged me to trust my heart. They assured me that I would be safe to turn down work that didn't match my true interests. I quickly found that the angels were right!

2. There is only now.
"You are complete and whole now. Don't cast your eyes on what tomorrow may bring — this implies you are imperfect or lacking now, and that you will be whole when something external comes into your life in the future."

When the angels said this, I realized that I had been living for the future. My focus was on what tomorrow would bring me, instead of my present blessings. I now make a mental "gratitude list" each night.

3. All conflict is inside your mind.
"Any conflict you see or experience in the outside world is a projection of your ego. In truth, the world is completely at peace and you project your fear of peace onto the world. You don't want to resolve your inner conflict, but you do want to get it away from yourself. So, you project it onto other people and think that 'they' are the ones who are causing you discomfort. Other people are neutral, blank slates and you color them with your own meaning and definitions. Then, you react to them as if these colorations and definitions were real. Other people, in turn, treat you in the way that you expect, in a self-fulfilling prophecy."

As the angels explained this, I realized how often I had allowed fear to create miserable times for me. But always, I had the power to choose the thoughts and feelings I ascribed to all situations.

4. Purify your diet.
"All food has vibration, and you want to vibrate as high and fine as you feel attuned to. Eat a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and whole grains, which have the highest vibrational frequencies. Avoid meats, dairy, alcohol, sugar, chocolate, and caffeine, which have the lowest vibrations. And remember that the essence of all foods you eat affects you long after the food is digested and gone."

At the time that the angels told me Lesson #4, my diet was already quite healthful. I had given up meats, fowl, and alcohol. Still, there was room for improvement so I followed my guardian angel's dietary advice and adopted a Vegan approach to eating. The improvement in my energy and outlook was drastic and immediate! Instead of feeling deprived, choosing healthful foods felt easy and natural.

5. Don't give in order to get.
"Let go of outlining the results that you expect from giving. You will get results from giving; that is the universal law. But it is not up to you how the cause and effect will be circulated. Plus, if you expect something in return, you haven't truly given away anything. Instead, you're holding it in consciousness, expecting to get something first before you fully release it."

Once again, I felt embarrassed as the angels saw into the depths of my soul. They knew that I was a giving person. Yet, I had to admit that I'd sometimes given with expectations of receiving something in return. With full trust in my guardian angels, I decided to let go of all strings attached to my gifts to others. Almost immediately, I began receiving surprising rewards, such as new business opportunities and wonderful experiences with friends.

6. Spend time alone in nature.
"Sounds and smells of nature are invisible, so they take your mind to the invisible realm of spirit, where things vibrate higher and faster than matter. There are healing properties in nature. Also, there are very real nature angels. You can ask these nature angels to heal you. Being in nature helps you to adapt to the natural rhythm of the earth, and since timing and cycles are a part of everything, you become more in sync with the rhythm of life."

At the angels' urging, I ventured away from my desk more and began spending my lunch hour outdoors. The fresh air, sunshine, and fragrance of flowers all help me to meditate on deeper levels. I sit outside and ask the nature angels to surround me.

7. Detach from matter.
"When you are attached to matter in thought, you stay attached to the products of the ego mind, and thus stay attached to the ego. There is no way of escaping this law. Mind upon matter is the ego mind."

My guardian angels made it clear that there is nothing wrong with material items. Matter is neutral, according to the angels. They also realize that we humans have material needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter. However, when we overly contemplate material items — such as continuously thinking about money or possessions — we are focused on our lower-self nature, instead of our higher self.

8. Judge not.
"You judge others as a way of protecting yourself, to keep them away from you so you won't get close to them and get hurt. But we have told you that you don't need to think about your safety. You are safe, and an overwhelming thought pattern of concern about your safety can bring the very thing you fear into your life."

The angels explained that we draw to us whatever we think about. If I obsessively think about physical or emotional danger, I create a climate in which my worst fears come true. With practice, I began noticing the moment when I'd judge other people. I began releasing my fears to the angels, and felt my judgmental habits gradually disappear.

9. You live where your consciousness is focused.
"If you think an unloving thought or a thought devoid of love — competition, envy, or worry, you feel pain. You ARE your consciousness and you feel the effects of where your consciousness is focused. You do not want pain. Therefore, choose to give your unloving thoughts to the light."

At first, this lesson was painful for me to face. I'd always thought that my outer circumstances influenced my happiness. Yet, the angels insisted that this was backwards, and that my thoughts colored my world. They told me that my happiness didn't hinge upon what I had, but instead upon, what I thought.

10. In all things, give glory to God.
"Seek not glory for yourself. In essence, though, when you give glory to God, you are giving glory to that part of yourself that is one with God. By giving glory to God, you stay out of your ego state, and stay centered in your higher self consciousness."

Initially, my lesson humbled me. But before I could slip into feelings of shame, my angels boosted me with the reminder that — since my true self is one with God — I was praising the real me every time I gave glory to God. The ten lessons are now ingrained and permanent parts of my daily living. When my clients compliment me about the crisp clarity of the Divine guidance I receive during our sessions, I say, "Thank you, but all credit goes to God and the angels. They taught me how to receive the Divine guidance. I deserve credit merely for following that guidance,because — thanks to them — I'm now a very good listener."

Doing the best we can!!!!

It is very easy to slip into same old same old. Something I do to help avoid this, is to ask myself if I am doing the best I can? Am I performing excellence in all I do?
So today I wanted to share some ideas on excellence:

“With regard to excellence, it’s not enough to know, but we must try to have and use it.” Aristotle

Developing excellence doesn’t happen overnight. There are no quick and easy ways to develop excellence in our families, lives or careers. We can’t attend a seminar and as a result magically become excellent. We can’t read a book and have it all figured out in a day. And we can’t just tell ourselves we have excellence and then automatically possess it. Developing excellence takes time; it’s hard work and can take a lifetime to develop.

The word excellence is defined as the quality of excelling, possessing good qualities in high degree. It also means to excel in something. The word excellent means something is very good of its kind, eminently good or first class. In other words, something that is excellent is superior.

Excellence is not perfection. It’s not performing flawlessly or without mistakes. Excellence is a process and developing excellence is a mind-set, a mind-set that says, “I’m working toward excelling at something and I desire to possess good qualities in high degree.” It can also mean that I am striving to be excellent, a mind-set that says, “I want to be very good at what I do. I want my life and work to be superior.”

Developing excellence is a process in which we strive to excel and live a life full of good qualities. Excellence is not a one-time event – it’s a way of life. And to possess anything in high degree or to be first class, we need to practice.

Practice

In my own life I haven’t always liked to practice. This is probably the reason I was never good in sports. I always wanted to be good without the practice it took to get good. I wanted results without the work. Unfortunately, that’s not possible. To achieve anything in life we must work at it. We must practice it. And then we become excellent.
Practise doesn't make perfect....perfect pratise makes perfect.

I’ve spent many years trying to do things quickly and wanting results fast. When I published my first book, I wrote it quickly, got it published and went out into the marketplace to begin selling it. I didn’t do any research, ask for any feedback or make a plan as to how I would sell it. I just did it.

And while I’m glad I did it, I would do it differently if I had it to do over again. I would have taken more time, asked for feedback and done research on books similar to mine. I would have asked more questions, taken more time to brainstorm and been willing to be critiqued.

Live Without Regret

Being excellent also means living without regret.I believe developing excellence means we learn from the past and use it to excel in our future endeavors. It’s not about bashing ourselves for past mistakes – that only keeps us from developing excellence. Developing excellence means learning from the past, deciding what worked and what could have worked better, and then applying our learnings to future projects.

Some of the things I learned from my first publishing experience can apply to all areas of my life.

I learned to slow down and think through any project before forging ahead.

I learned to let go of my need for immediate results.

I learned to look at the big picture before moving ahead.

I learned to ask for help and to get feedback from people I trust.

I learned to research my ideas and the resources available.

Another Chance

One of the neatest things about developing excellence is that we always have another chance – we’re never done. Developing excellence is a work in progress.

I now have an opportunity to apply what I learned from my first book and use the knowledge as I begin writing my second book. I did my homework this time. I asked for feedback, held a focus group and researched my market. I’ve also taken the time to let my ideas come to life and to really think about the focus of my book, its audience and the results I desire through this publishing effort.

It feels good to be able to put into practice some new ways of developing excellence. I know my business will never be perfect but I’m committed to continually developing excellence in business and in my personal life.

And as you take steps to further create excellence in you life, remember to practice, live without regret and take full advantage of second chances.

7 Keys to Developing Excellence

Take the time. Excellence takes time. Be patient with yourself, as results do not always come overnight.

Think through the process. No matter what type of project you are undertaking, be sure to think through the entire process. Look at the big picture or end results before diving in.

Be persistent. Keep moving forward despite setbacks. Things will get in the way – that’s life. Just keep moving ahead and you’ll develop more excellence in your life.

Ask for feedback. Receiving feedback is a great way to make sure your project will get the results you desire and it may keep you from going down the wrong path. Though receiving feedback is not always fun, just remember it will help you develop excellence.

Study excellence. Research your ideas as well as any experts in your field. There are people out there who have accomplished what you want to accomplish – study them. Learn how they accomplished their goals and look for the ways they were excellent.

Practice new techniques. Practice makes excellence. You will never be perfect at anything but you can be excellent at many things.

Celebrate small successes. It’s essential to recognize your achievements, no matter how small. If you have taken steps toward excellence development and have results – applaud yourself!

Make it a habit!!!

Making the Day...making the week better

It is so easy to get tied up and get buried under all the have to for the day and week. Today I thought I would share some ideas to make the most of today and the week and to make it even better.

What are you doing right now to further your highest-priority goals?

1. Write it down. You’ve heard it before, but the truth is writing down your goals forces you to get clear about what you want. Use a pen and paper (you can transfer it to your computer later). That simple physical act helps cement the desire in your brain. The more time you spend on this the better...make it clear. Remember to use present tense.

2. Find a replacement. In The Compound Effect, Darren Hardy explains one way to break a bad habit is to replace it with a good one. What can you choose to add to your life that will fill the void left by eliminating a bad habit? For example, replace TV time with family time, candy with fresh fruit, talk radio with inspiring audios. Jack Canfield also uses this concept in the success principles.

3. Tell someone. Talking about your goal—or sharing with others to encourage and help you by providing resources and information you may need. Napoleon Hill calls this the mastermind team. Get a group pf 4 people and hold each other accountable.

4. Take baby steps every day. Just like Bill Murray in What About Bob, even small steps taken toward your goal consistently will move you in the right direction. Once you experience a few small wins, taking bigger steps becomes easier.

5. Take BIG steps, too. Don’t take all year to do what you can accomplish in a day. Once you’ve written down your list of goals for the year, figure out which goals could be accomplished this month—or even today.

Make sure you take steps daily...momentum.

Are you living your dreams?

Are You Living Your Dreams?

If the answer is no, then ask yourself “why not”? Life is short, and you never know when it will come to an end. Do you really want to say that you lived a life of unfulfilled dreams?

But “hold it!” you say. “I’m waiting for the perfect time” or “I’m waiting for the perfect situation”. All this waiting is an excuse not to go out and try. Or, maybe it’s not that you are “waiting” per se, but rather that you are afraid.

So, what are you afraid of? Are you afraid of making a mistake? Afraid of making the wrong choice? Are you afraid that you may not be good enough, or that the people around you might laugh at your dreams, or won’t support you? Are your fears enough to stop you?

And what happens if you do end up living your dreams? Are you afraid that once you get there then you’ll have to live them? Meaning that what you’ve been talking about for so long will now come to fruition and you might not actually succeed?

As a coach, I find that fear is the number one reason that people do not live their dreams. Fear holds us back, sometimes paralyzing us, and prevents us from moving forward. But, when you look back at your life, what do you want it to be about? Do you want to say, “I could have” or “I did”? The choice is yours. What legacy do you want to leave behind?

How do you move past your fears and live your dreams? Follow these easy steps:

1. Acknowledge That You Have Dreams:

I meet so many people who say that they don’t have dreams or they can’t remember what they are. You know what your dreams are, you really do. You’ve just pushed them down so deep that it might take some time to bring them to the surface again. Let them out, you deserve to live them.

2. Write Down Your Dreams:

How can you live your dreams if you can’t see what they are? Write them down. Don’t judge your dreams or wonder “how?” Just do it!

3. Realize That Dreams Come True In Steps:

Your dreams cannot come true until you take a small step. It doesn’t have to be a large one. It just has to get you moving. Small steps are the steps that will get you to your dreams. Until, one day, you realize that you are there.

4. Face The Barriers That Are Keeping You From Living Your Dreams:

What’s keeping you from living your dreams? Not enough money or time? Too many responsibilities? Look for ways to overcome this. There will always be a reason not to do something. It’s up to you if you want to give into these reasons or not.

5. Find People Who Will Support You:

Select people who will love you and cheer you on as you move toward your dreams. Tell them how much you love and appreciate them. You do not want to live your dreams by yourself.

6. Pat Yourself On The Back For Your Successes:

You deserve it! The fun part of living your dreams is the journey. It is the road to success that builds character and the part that you will remember the most.

7. Be Comfortable With Fear:

There are times when you will wonder if you have what it takes to fulfill your dreams or if you deserve to live them. Fear is a normal part of the process. If you can accept that sooner or later you will be afraid, then you don’t have to spend time worrying about what you will do when fear sets in. The only way past fear is through it and not around it. There is no other way.

So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

Remain focused!!!

You Must Live In The Moment

Living in the moment means focusing entirely on what you're doing and nothing else. By living in the moment and putting your whole focus on the present moment situation you are in, you allow your mind to increase in focus on the tasks you are performing and achieving the best from it. Your creative energy will increase and allow you to exhibit greater control over the creative process. Your enjoyment from the tasks you are performing will also increase immeasurably, as you feel good about what you're doing and experience mental ecstasy from living in "the zone" of peak performance.

You Must Follow A Plan Of Action

By following a plan of action, you allow your focus to increase. This is because you are following a set plan with a clear structure which allows your focus to increase on that. You can contrast this with a situation in which there is no structure and no plan - the focus will obviously then be all over the place, leading to little discipline of the mind. So by following a set plan of action, you allow for your focus to increase and the magnetism of your thoughts to increase as a result. Next to this, is the requirement to follow a diligence plan. This is a plan which follows the laws of diligent action, which are incredibly specific. The actions must lead to a pure return on investment, by performed with full concentration and focus, and follow the laws of thought magnetism. When doing that, the return on investment will always increase and grow larger as time goes on.

You Must Follow The Laws Of Thought Magnetism

These are essentially, the Laws of Your Mind. The mind operates on certain laws, and complementing these laws will allow you to achieve exceptional levels of success extremely quickly. When you complement the laws correctly, you will have a high level of thought magnetism: your thoughts will seem to flow easily and enlarge quickly to allow you to achieve your goals.

The mind will become a lot more quieter and success will seem to come from all corners out of nowhere. All of this will happen when thought magnetism is maintained. It also dramatically increases the effectiveness of living in the moment and following a set plan of action. Everything will lead to a positive result for you, and it will seem miraculous to put it mildly.


Fraser

Same old same old?

The new year seems an age ago and I guess many of you you are thinking already same old same old.
Unless we do something different we will end up with the same result...therefore we must change and be and do what we want.

"We generate our own environment. We get exactly what we deserve. How can we resent a life we've created ourselves? Who's to blame, who's to credit but us? Who can change it, anytime we wish, but us?"
— Richard Bach

Every one of us lives in two Environments— our Outer Environment and our Inner Environment. Your Outer Environment consists of your Home and Work lives; your Inner Environment consists of your Emotional and Spiritual lives.
Your Quality of Life

Your Outer Environment is the physical environment you can see and touch. You can’t see your Inner Environment directly; you can only see the effects of it.

The only two things that determine your quality of life are: the quality of your communication with the world outside of you, and the quality of your communication with the world inside of you.

We live in two worlds. We experience our Outer Environment, but who’s the experiencer? You. You experience the Outer through the Inner: with your emotions, spirit, soul and mind.
Break Out of Your Familiar Zone

During my live seminars, I ask people: "How many people feel that CLUTTER is a problem in your life?" About 75% of the hands go up.

Why do we have such a problem with clutter? While I could give you a lot of surface answers, it always comes down to fear.

Fear keeps us in our Familiar Zone. You've heard a million times that you need to "get out of your comfort zone". But consider this:

Let’s say you're driving down the road of life with one foot on the brake. You're aware that you're holding yourself back, and you don't like it. You wouldn't be reading this right now if that weren't true.

So here's my question to you: Is the feeling of going down the road of life with your foot on the brake comfortable?

You and I both know that it isn't comfortable at all. In fact, it's decidedly UNcomfortable. It is, however, familiar.

When you look at that word "familiar", what does that word look like to you?

Right—family.

Family is the root of the word familiar. Some people in my seminars say "family-liar!" The point is:

You don't need to break out of your "comfort zone" – because your "comfort zone" doesn’t exist.

What you need is to break out of your FAMILIAR Zone.

You may be familiar with clutter.

You may be familiar with holding yourself back from the success you're capable of.

You may be familiar with stopping yourself from success.

Most people are.

But you're probably not comfortable with it, let alone happy about it.

Exercise: Break Out of Your Familiar Zone

Answer these questions:

1. What parts of my life am I familiar with, that I am tired of?

2. What would I like to change about my life?

3. What would I like to change about my business?

4. Who can help me make these changes?

5. How will I benefit from making these changes?

6. What will I have to GIVE UP to make these changes?

7. Am I willing to give up something in order to have what I really want?