You know what I love about the holidays? I love the fact that lots of things get put on the back burner. Yes…even eating right and exercising.

Now, that might sound surprising coming from a success coach and fitness trainer. You might even wonder why I would suggest that giving into this natural shift in focus that seems to happen on a global level this time of year could possibly be a better choice than sticking to your guns.

“Isn’t the back burner a bad thing?” you might ask.

“Isn’t it your job, Dianne, to make sure people don’t let their diet and exercise plan fall in the toilet?”

Well, sure, on one level that may be true. But as I see it, my job is also to help people maximize their energy, focus, and time…and banging your head against the fitness wall through the holidays isn’t always the best choice.

So, unless you are like the finite 2% of my clientele who wouldn’t miss a workout or a clean meal if you gave them a new Mercedes…I’d like to introduce you to 3 December goals that, for many of my clients, have proven to be absolutely golden when it comes to carving out a healthier, happier, and more productive December:

DECEMBER GOAL #1 – Focus on the Future: In my 6-Week Jump Start course, I teach that before you can speed down the road to transformation, you must first pave the way with proper preparation. For most people, this consists of waking up on January 1st and vowing to “get serious” about fitness. From there, they expect to remain on the super highway to health, which, without the up-front work, is a bit like trying to drive 90 miles an hour down a dirt path. Sooner or later you are going to blow a tire or careen off the road.

The typical downtime in December presents THE perfect opportunity to pre-pave your future road to success. Here are 3 ways to take full advantage of this downtime:

De-clutter: Start clearing away the mental and visual clutter that is sapping your energy and focus. List the de-clutter projects you need to start before January 1st rolls around, and get started on them now. Not only will you feel more clarity and motivation when you finish, you will also burn some extra calories in the process.

Detoxify: Think about the phrases, stories, words, thoughts and surroundings you find toxic. Jot down TV shows, conversations with friends, places, people and events that leave you feeling uneasy. Use December to come up with creative ways to minimize these activities and begin practicing them now.

Delegate: Make a list of all the things you do throughout the week that you would rather have others do. Pick one and work out a plan that will allow you to hand this task over to someone else - a family member, co-worker, or contractor. Once you start working through this list, you might be surprised at how many things you can assign to others – even some that at first appeared impossible to hand off!

DECEMBER GOAL #2 – Forgive: Make the decision now to move into the New Year feeling that you are on the best terms with as many people in your life as possible. This could be as simple as writing a letter to someone with whom you wish to heal that points out only those things about them and your relationship with them that you truly appreciate. Then send it without being tied too tightly to the outcome.

DECEMBER GOAL #3 – Find 1 Healthy Habit to Follow: Rather than trying to avoid the gravy and the pie and the candy and the cookies, why not work on the drinking part of the holidays instead. Focusing on drinking less calories rather than eating less can actually save you more calories in the long haul. This doesn’t mean, however, that you have to give up caloric beverages all together. Try playing the every-other game by alternating between calorie dense drinks like eggnog and Champagne, with a glass of sparkling water or crystal light. If anything, you’ll feel better in the morning, guaranteed!

About the Author:

Dianne Orwig is a success coach, motivational speaker, fitness trainer, and founder of LivingFit Online^(TM), a fitness program that has helped thousands of men and women completely transform their bodies and live healthier, happier lives though her less-is-better approach.

For more information on how you can get better results in less time and with less effort than you ever thought possible, visit http://www.lovelivingfit.com.

Alleviate Overwhelm With A Dumping Session

If you are feeling overwhelmed and that is what is keeping you from moving forward, it often helps to have a dumping session. This is where you make a list of everything you need to get done. Get every little thing out that is currently floating around in your head causing you to not act on any of it.

I often find it useful to make my lists in sections such as: Personal Tasks (getting a hair cut, sending my brother a birthday card, etc.), Household Tasks (cleaning, getting the dishwasher fixed, etc), Marketing Tasks, Business Tasks, etc.

The idea is to remove it all from your head and let the paper remember everything for you. Seeing everything in one place is also helpful because it allows you to make sense of it. After your list is complete, use different colored highlighters to separate what you plan on accomplishing today, this week, next week, etc.

By doing this exercise, you might find yourself feeling lighter because you have just dumped tons of clutter from your mind. In addition, since you have also come up with an organized plan of when you will accomplish each task, you should feel less overwhelm and more able to move forward.

10 Minutes To Motivation

If your lack of motivation is due to feeling tired, worn out or just not in the mood to do what you need to do, there is an easy solution. Get yourself to commit to doing the task for just 10 minutes. Anyone can live through 10 minutes of something they don't want to do, and what usually ends up happening is that you will find it easier to continue with the task for much longer. This is because typically when you get involved in a task, you realize it isn’t as bad as you had imagined. Plus, you will probably notice that if you push through the fatigue, you will get what is called a second wind, whereas if you sit around lethargically, you will usually feel even more tired.

Recharge To Motivate

There will probably be times when the above two tips don’t work for you, and it might be because you just need a break! We all need to allow ourselves some self-care time. If some time off is what you need, then take it!

Agree to give yourself a time limit depending on how overworked you are and how much of a break you deserve or need at the moment. If you decide two hours is what you need, then take that time and do something you enjoy without regret. Make sure you are doing it “without regret,” otherwise the time off is pointless. If you assess the situation and decide you need the time to recharge, then decide to give yourself that time joyfully. Then, once the set amount of time is up, commit to getting back to work. By then, you will most likely feel recharged and ready to move forward.

Make The Choice To Be Motivated

Most people play the victim to their feelings and think that motivation has to hit them in order for them to move forward, so they end up waiting around. In actuality, though, motivation is a choice (as is every other feeling you have). Have you ever wondered why sometimes you are more motivated to exercise than others? The reason is because you found a way to be more passionate about exercising and that kept you motivated.

Motivation comes when you feel inspired and passionate, and by finding ways to keep yourself inspired, you are choosing to stay motivated. Life will happen to you for our whole life. It’s what you do with your life that matters. Don’t just sit back and wait for something to happen or not happen to you – create the moments you want in life by taking the steps each day that help you feel motivated to move forward. You are the only one who can take those steps for yourself.

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!

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Faith M. Davis is an internationally recognized author, an artist, and a copywriter and marketing professional with a background in life coaching. She uses words and art to transform lives through 1) Freelance Writing, Copywriting & Marketing for the Holistic Industry: www.faithmdavis.com, and 2) Enchant ~ Designs for the Soul: www.enchantgifts.com.

That’s exactly what happened several weeks ago when my husband and I received word from my Father-in-law, John, that it was time to make the inevitable move to assisted living. Severe emphysema and a few falls had finally taken their toll, and he was ready to go.

Now, I have to tell you that John is one of those guys who does not waste time – once a decision is made, there’s one speed, and that’s pedal to the floor (it’s one of the things I love most about him.) So, in one fell swoop, our lives (and my ultra important “To Do” list) turned from writing, marketing and seeing clients, to getting the house in order, coordinating, cleaning out, divvying up, sorting through, and making some often tricky decisions.

For both my husband and me, it meant hours of commuting, labor, sweat, walks down memory lane, and lots and lots of black leaf bags. The process of compassionately sorting through 90 years of life, laughter and accumulation is not a fast one, but it was oddly liberating, even though it wasn’t my stuff. And this brings me to my point and, also, to the epiphany I experienced as we made our way through the last leg of the move.

With my Father-in-law settled in his new place, everything sorted, stashed and situated, my husband and I drove home, silent with exhaustion.  In the quiet of that trip, I realized, very clearly, that something profound had shifted for me – in ways that were both surprising and, admittedly, a little frightening.

Having always embraced the idea of abundance - of being surrounded by beautiful things – all of life’s finest accoutrements, I realized, to my astonishment (and my husband’s,) that this was no longer what I wanted.  For years, my mantra and mindset has been “The more the better – bigger, better, fancier, nicer.” Up to this point, that attitude has served me well… but maybe not so much anymore.

So, here I am, pondering a few questions:

#1 – How much do I like or even want all my “stuff?”
#2 – If I could only have a few sentimental items, which ones would make the cut?
#2 – Of all the beautiful things in my house that have a dollar value, what value do they hold for me?  Do they make me truly happy and, if not, why am I keeping them around?
#3 – Do I really need such a big place? What… to accumulate and store even more stuff?
#4 – If, right now, someone had to sort through all of my worldly possessions, junk and all, what experience would I like them to have?

My plan is to give these questions a few weeks to sink in before I do anything really drastic, but my gut tells me it’s time to downsize, not just my house, but my "To Do" list as well. Oddly, it’s an idea that feels really, really good and really, really right.

About the Author:

Dianne Orwig is a success coach, motivational speaker, fitness trainer, and founder of LivingFit Online™, a fitness program that has helped thousands of men and women completely transform their bodies and live healthier, happier lives though her less-is-better approach.

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!

START EVERY MORNING RIGHT! Get a quick, personalized fitness tip from Dianne, delivered Monday through Friday! Sign up today - absolutely FREE! http://bit.ly/STVdailytips

(c) Copyright - Dianne Orwig. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

If you exchange gifts with a lot of people, see if you can shorten your list.  Ask if some of them would prefer to go to lunch as a group or draw names so you all buy fewer gifts. Most people don’t need more stuff and would probably be relieved to buy fewer things, too.

If you have found it difficult to reduce the number of gifts you give, challenge yourself this year to buy fewer gifts and make them more meaningful.  Can you offer gifts of time with the people you love instead of buying them something they don't really need?   How about treating someone to a play, concert or meal?  If you live far apart and can't go together, what about buying tickets for an event?  In return, ask people for gifts of time, instead of things you need to store.

Before you buy anything, check for gifts you may have already bought and put away.  If you are someone who buys things when you see them, put them all in one place so you choose appropriate gifts for people on your list. 

Whether you use the Internet or prefer to go to stores to shop for holiday gifts,  think about how much you want to spend on each person and keep to that limit.  It can be tempting to buy "just one more thing" until the credit card bills start to roll in.

Keep holiday decor from overwhelming you.  As you take decorations out of storage, dispose of any that are broken.  If you have decorations that you don't like any more, you can offer them to friends or family members who might enjoy them or donate them to a thrift shop.

Talk to your kids about how much they already have and what is reasonable for you to buy.  Have them make a list of things they want and share with relatives and friends; they will be glad to know that the gifts they give your child are things he or she really wanted.  Ask children to donate toys that they don't play with anymore, since they are likely to get more gifts.

Do something meaningful.  Find a way to do something for someone else during the holiday season.  Spend an afternoon volunteering at a homeless shelter, food bank or soup kitchen.

On your calendar mark all of the events that you have committed to.  Are there any activities that you don’t enjoy and can stop doing?  Maybe it's time to start a new tradition.  Don't forget to schedule time to do things that give you pleasure.

In 2008, the American Psychological Association noted that 8 out of 10 people “anticipated a stressful holiday season.”  Think about the things that you can change to make this year's holiday less overwhelming and more pleasant for everyone.

Marcie Lovett, Professional Organizer
Organized by Marcie
Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!
301/219-3789
info@organizedbymarcie.com
http://www.organizedbymarcie.com
Visit my blog http://www.organizedbymarcie.blogspot.com
Follow me on twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie

Being organized doesn’t mean you have to get rid of everything you own; it means being able to access what you have and enjoy it. If you have so much stuff whether it be brand new paperwork or antique furniture, you won't be able to enjoy it if you can't find it! 

In order to be a true antique, an object must be at least 100 years old.  Anything that is less than 100 years old but isn’t new is referred to as “vintage.”  Toys from your childhood, for example, are vintage unless they were handed down from previous generations.  Although many people refer to “antique” pieces from the 1950s and ‘60s, these pieces are not true antiques.

How do you know what to keep to make it to the 100-year mark?  Most of what is produced today is made in such great numbers that it would have little value, even if it were quite old.  What makes antiques valuable is not simply age, but their scarcity.  Pieces were made in smaller quantities then and often were used until they were unusable, so there are fewer of them to go around. 

Some people have collections that they hope will become valuable.  I just want to remind everyone about Beanie Babies.  Remember when they were trading on eBay for hundreds of dollars?  Now you can’t give them away.  The reason to keep things is because they bring you joy, not because they might pay off one day.  In the meantime, you are paying with your time to maintain them and, if you have to rent storage, real dollars to stash them away for “someday.”

The best way to keep the things you love is to use them and display them every day.  If you have more things than space, rotate your collections, storing the others safely.  Garages, basements and attics are not appropriate for long-term storage for most things because they are too damp and the temperature fluctuates too much.  Closets and the space under the bed are ideal places to keep books, photos, textiles, paintings and paper collectibles.  If you must rent a storage area, make sure that it is temperature controlled.  For more information, contact Heritage Preservation at 202/233-0800 or online at http://www.heritagepreservation.org/Index.html.

Marcie Lovett, Professional Organizer

Organized by Marcie
Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!
301/219-3789
info@organizedbymarcie.com
http://www.organizedbymarcie.com
Visit my blog

Follow me on twitter

People who are living in chaos often think they’ll never be able to dig themselves out.  I have one piece of advice for anyone who has too much going on:  Finish what you start. 

It may seem simple, but if you are someone who leaves tasks half-finished all over the house or workplace, this idea is life changing.

Examples of taking tasks to their logical conclusions include:

• Throwing away the empty package when you finish using something
• Putting the dirty dishes in the dishwasher or sink
• Putting things where they belong when you are finished using them

Today, challenge yourself to come to conclusion about each task you start.  You may not be able to finish every project, but you can take it a logical stopping point instead of leaving it hanging around.

Marcie Lovett, Professional Organizer

Organized by Marcie
Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!
301/219-3789
info@organizedbymarcie.com
http://www.organizedbymarcie.com
Visit my blog

Follow me on twitter

The days are getting longer, the temperatures are getting warmer, and yes, March Madness has begun.

One ritual that many of us have is to do our "Spring Cleaning", and get rid of all the things that have accumulated over the long winter months.

For me it's a great reminder to "clean up' how we feed our minds and bodies everyday.  Here are a few of my favorite spring cleaning tips:

1) Donate any clothes that you have that don't make you feel great when you wear them.

2) Clean the fridge, and cupboards, and throw out any food that you absolutely do not love.

3) Cancel any publications that you either don't read, or that don't feed your mind in a positive way.

4) Throw out, let go, of all the things you complain about (including old grudges, bosses etc....)

5) Commit to having a positive expereince every night before you go to sleep (you can choose), but it likely will not include watching the late news.

Enjoy the Spring!