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WOTY 2018 Fearless

by Filed Under: Productivity, Wellness & Mindset 2 Comments

You might be reading this title and thinking what the heck does WOTY 2018 Fearless even mean? I’ll back up a minute and share more about the idea of the Word of the Year (or WOTY)…I began this practice years ago and over the last year I have embraced Acceptance.

This past year has taught me a lot about what it means to find self acceptance. I’ve come to terms with some of my deepest wounds, released some of my self judgement and worked to become more accepting of myself and others. Each year as I select a word (or a word selects me) I choose to embark on a process of discovery about how that word affects me, my relationships, my business, my mindset and more. This year I selected my word on my birthday (November 1) and was resoundingly reassured of this choice through the repeated symbol of the Shark. I found a very large Shark’s tooth on the beach while taking a walk on my birthday and shark has continued to show up in mysterious ways since then…including in an Animal Oracle reading I did with spirit animal cards (also on my birthday:).

Here are some of the my past WOTY’s over the years…you can read more about each year’s word here. I’ve been asked how I come up with the words I select, it’s a process of discovery and it’s become more intuitive over the years. Some people also use different terms, like One Little Word or Core Desired Feelings. As each word becomes a part of my life for a year, I don’t just leave them behind at the end of the year. I continue to deepen my relationship with each feeling and word over time even after the year with that word has ended. Each word I select becomes like a member of my family!

I’ve found more Clarity (2011)-the year I redirected my career and became an organizer.
I’ve learned to Soar (2012), as we embarked on moving to a new city and leaving the past (‘Sore’ness) behind.
I’ve chosen to see myself as Radiant (2013), as I began to show up and be more visible in my community and my business.
I’ve become more Playful (2014), despite challenges and obstacles we can always find fun:)
I’ve discovered I always have a Choice (2015), especially in how I respond and react to life’s circumstances.
I’ve found Harmony (2016) in the true sense of knowing that sometimes it comes with dissonance.
I’m more Accepting (2017) of myself, my mistakes, my vast gifts-which I am learning to embrace and I am learning to be more accepting of others!

In 2018, the word I am embracing and hoping to embody in a more dynamic way is Fearless! To help me embrace a better understanding of fearlessness I used the Thinkmap tool (Visual Thesaurus)…so in becoming fearless I will be Audacious, Brave, Dauntless, Hardy, Intrepid, Unfearing and Unafraid (at times)! I would add that there must be a healthy sense of Adventure, a deep sense of Trust or Faith that all will turn out as it should and an ability to embrace Change.

Each Year when I select a word, or the word selects me! I discover a deeper understanding of that word in my life in ways I could not have imagined! For example, when I choose the word Soar, little did I know I would also be finding a deeper understanding of the same word, spelled quite differently with a totally different meaning. I learned to Soar about the Soreness of loosing beloved pets! I have had to find acceptance of more this year than I could ever have anticipated, with our current political environment there are so many people with ideas other than our own that we MUST learn to accept (or become further divided).

So each year as I carefully ponder what my word will be, there is a sense of excitement and a bit of trepedation…but this year I’m taking a big LEAP of faith and choosing to be (come) more Fearless than ever! Will I jump out of planes, walk on hot coals, learn to surf, speak in front of vast crowds, get a tatoo or eat strange foods? Who knows, you’ll just have to follow along to discover along with me how to become more fearless! No doubt I will still have many fears at then end of 2018 but it’s about the journey of discovery and what I learn about myself along the way…

Do you choose a word for the year? If not, do you have another practice that is part of your New Year ritual?

PS…I don’t do resolutions, do you?

Word-Of-The-Year or WOTY is Play

by Filed Under: Inspiration & Education, Photography

Happy New Year! Welcome, 2014…it’s going to be a FUN year ahead! It’s been my tradition for the past few years now to selected a ‘word of the year’ or WOTY (aka) one little Word -OLW) that I feel embodies qualities, habits, and goals I choose to set as an intention for the upcoming year. This year, my WOTY is PLAY and I can’t wait for all the fun in store that will come along with it.

Play is something we forget how to do as we become adults. It’s no longer considered important or valuable. Play gets replaced by chores, discipline, work, habits, practice and responsibilities. Those things are inevitable for most adults but my intention is to invoke and infuse everything I do with a sense of playfulness.

WOTY is Play

PLAY

verb

engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.

OLW2014LPlay

I’m being choosy about how I will PLAY in 2014…I will not be “playing along” with some of the more negative associations of play. My kind of play will be fun, joyful, stimulating, creative, experimental, adventurous, loose and light. These represent some of my Core Desired Feelings for the upcoming year.

When you set an intention, there is no possibility of failure, only reflection and expansion.

Are you planning to choose a Word of the Year (or One Little Word) for 2013? If so below are a few links that might be useful for you as you contemplate your 2013 Woty.

Danielle LaPorte

Christine Kane (writing exercise)

Kim Klassen (an exercise in discovering)

Thinkmap (a visual thesaurus to help you visualize your word)

Huffington Post (a broader exploration of this idea within media)

Ali Edwards (word ideas) & OLW yearlong workshop-Which I’ll be playing along with this year!

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Being Fearless means asking for help

by Filed Under: Planning & Goals, Productivity, Wellness & Mindset 1 Comment

You might be wondering how being fearless means asking for help. Since selecting my WOTY, Fearless I have begun to understand that being fearless is about surrendering. It’s about taking the leap, allowing the free fall and trusting the outcome.

In examining what my deepest fears are, I understand that many of us are striving to control the outcome of almost everything in my life. After all, I’m a professional organizer, which means perhaps I am predisposed to trying to control the outcome of not just my circumstances but my clients! Well, that’s kind of true on the surface but if we began to talk more about why people need to be more organized, there are many reasons.

Being more organized can lead us to feeling more free, not more controlled. Click To Tweet

But we often think that in asking for help we are showing weakness, we think we should be able to EVERYTHING ourselves…or some of us are taught to think this way.

Say it ain’t so! I promise, it isn’t. That is old programed mindset that we can all choose to free ourselves from.

When I began to investigate what I can do to be more fearless, I realized it meant I need to be more willing to ask for help. I began to see that if I really wanted to do all the things I dream of it would require taking some big leaps of faith!

Being fearless means asking for help. Deep rooted in the old lack-mindset programing is the idea that I will not be supported, that I will fail, that asking for help is weak.

That’s a big burden to place upon ourselves! That is part what fires me up to help others find systems and solutions for their support! As incredible as it is to be strong, independent women (or men), it’s also totally necessary to ask for help in order to grow personally and professionally. Living in fear means we are limiting our growth, freedom, creativity, health and future.

So absolutely YES, being fearless means asking for help! My clients model that for me on a daily basis.

Since I have spent time investigating my mindset of fearlessness, I have discovered where I feel panicked and afraid to asking for help. Since much of that is related to $$ Mindset, I have limited the kind of help I’ve been willing to ask for. I’ve been afraid to make a commitment to hiring help because I’ve been afraid that the abundance will stop and at some point I may not be able to afford to have the help. In my mind, I LOST the game before it began! That is not my truth, that is no way to live and I am way too curious and adventurous to let that old mindset (ego) hold me back!

Since December I’ve been searching for, interviewing and hiring several helpful people who can make my life and my business run more smoothly. I am 45 years old and have never hired a housekeeper…that was the second person on my list and I was practically walking on CLOUDS when I found the right person and agreed to have them come help in my home two times a month.

I CANNOT WAIT to hand over $$ to them for this kind of help! That is how Fearless should feel!

Do you struggle to ask for help? What holds you back and what makes you feel fearless? I’d love if you share in the comments below or on Facebook here.

Embracing Harmonious Beginnings

by Filed Under: Inspiration & Education, Wellness & Mindset Leave a Comment

This will be my 6th year choosing a word as a beacon for the year. The word I choose will shine a light on where I’m headed, supporting my intentions, goals, desires and giving me a sense of purpose without feeling the pressure of success or failure (such as in the practice of resolutions). Over the past 5 years I’ve selected Clarity (2011), Soar (2012), Radiant (2013), Play (2014) and Choice (2015).

Since I’ve been practicing this for awhile I find that a little stillness and guidance is really all I need to let my word discover me. I begin with a list, start thinking about how I want to feel and become anchored in those feelings. Those feelings are usually tethered to a word that somehow sum’s it all up. This has become a bit of a ritual and practice. It gives me an reason to take some time out, reflect upon the year and how the word I choose has guided and taught me. I always discover a deeper richer understanding of the word I select at the end of the year than what I may have anticipated at the beginning of the journey. This year these are the the words that began floating around in my head as I plant the seeds for my 2016 intentions. Together they led me to discover the word Harmony for 2016.

harmony: a pleasing combination or arrangement of different things

pleasing or congruent arrangement of parts
internal calm :tranquility
an interweaving of different accounts into a single narrative

The word goes so much deeper for me than the simple definition above. Being in harmony begins with observing yourself in relationship to the world around you and then radiates out to others. Finding a harmonious relationship (connections) requires insight, stability, balance, surrender (to the flow) and nurturing. To be in harmony is to be a part of the great collaboration of the universe. One melody may be sweet but many notes together create a harmony that can not be created by oneself. Sometimes being in harmony means being grounded, other times it means being in flow, sometimes there is harmony in collaboration and yet others may find harmony through alignment and or stillness. It is this combination and knowing awareness of what is needed to create a harmony that I seek to better facilitate and deeply understand for myself over the coming year.

Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.

–Mohandas Gandhi

Are you planning to choose a Word of the Year (or One Little Word)? If so below some of my favorite helpful tools. I’ve used a combination of these over the years!

Danielle LaPorte-Core Desired Feelings, need more than one word? Pick how you want to feel!
Susannah Conway-Find your word and Unraveling the Year Ahead
Christine Kane-writing exercise
Kim Klassen-an exercise in discovering
Thinkmap-a visual thesaurus to help you visualize your word
Huffington Post-a broader exploration of this idea within media
Ali Edwards-word ideas) & a yearlong workshop

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Sanity Saving Holiday Tips

by Filed Under: Inspiration & Education, Organize, Wellness & Mindset Leave a Comment

I hope these quick holiday organizing tips will help get you through the season with a bit more sanity & JOY!

After receiving new holiday gifts, donate used items you no longer need to charity (One in One out Rule).
Ditch the photo holiday cards…hate to say it but they end up in the trash (recycled hopeful) and people can see you more frequently via social media. How about a digital holiday card?
As you pull holiday items out, donate old ornaments and out of date holiday decorations.
Begin memento boxes for your kids holiday traditions, keep these separate so they can be given to your older kids when they leave home.
Clean out your attic, garage or basement space before you return your holiday decoration bins (vacuum, wipe down shelves if needed etc).
Have a Grab-A-Gift bag or bin with an assortment of “anyone” appropriate gifts (for last min hostess or holiday gift exchange items).
Clean out your spices, as your cooking and baking toss the old and make note of anything needed (put date of purchase on bottom in ink).
Spruce up your kitchen: spend 10-30 min’s a day tackling an appliance or area (fridge, stove, toaster, sink etc). You’ll feel healthier & I bet you’ll eat healthier!
Get your gift & wrap organized:use a gift tracking list & invest or DIY a great wrapping station—see Pinterest for ideas.

Don’t over book your holiday calendar. If you’ve been invited to a million parties and events, say no to a few and leave yourself some evening’s at home, either alone or with your family and just relax!
Schedule a date with your honey or yourself for a little holiday pampering. Dinner and a movie, a bubble bath and champagne, your pick but keep it easy and fun.
Plan for the next year-get a planner or use what you have to start mapping out large events such as vacation and business travel, important family occasions and setting personal and professional goals for at least the first 1-2 quarters of the year.
Create a vision board to really see what it is you want to create…it’s a beautiful thing!
Pick a Word of the Year-AKA-#WOTY
Take a thorough home inventory this year-don’t wait for a disaster! Join me for a virtual workshop in early February: “Home Inventory without Heartache”, more information coming soon. Subscribe to my mailing list or “like” my Facebook page to stay in the loop!
Keep your body moving, do a little dance, hit the gym, take a walk…whatever your thing is this is a great way to get out of your head and feel your way through the season.
Finally and most importantly, take time to Celebrate what is truly Sacred to you this season. Is that a tradition, time with family, a treat that you honor yourself with? Whatever it is this is the best season to celebrate the sacred!