Heather K Powers

Wednesday Wellness::Your Decision Destiny

May 8, 2013 by Heather Filed Under: Inspiration & Education, Organize, Systems & Techniques

Do you have difficulty making decisions? We all do at times, promise! But for some of us it’s more difficult. There are several factors that hang us up in the process of decision making.

At worst decision making can feel overwhelming, anxious, impulsive and emotional. This can happen when we feel criticized and fall into default behavior such as perfectionism, compulsion, avoidance and procrastination which are ultimately forms of passive behavior.

“Our culture is a culture of getting. Perfectionism is taken as a sign of how good we are as getters. This preoccupation with rightness is a fanaticism…and it provides one of the quintessential post modern diseases: Stress.” -Dr. Fred Newman (Book:Let’s Develop)

At best we can feel empowered, passionate and energized by taking action! Now which would you prefer? No brainer.

So how can you take the difficulty out of decision making? It helps really understand what drives your passion and purpose. One of my favorite Authors, Danielle LaPorte shares her process of inviting her “Dominatrix of Decisions” to “Ride the Hedgehog“…Huh you say? Well, to simplify (if you don’t want to go read her in person) she employs her inner diva to guide her to what she really wants and she uses the “Three Circles of Hedgehog” to help her through the process.

Source: daniellelaporte.com via HKpowerStudio on Pinterest

If all that sounds a bit too weird for you I’ll break it down point by point in a way that will hopefully guide you to your Decisions from a place of true desire and destiny.

Eliminate unreasonable time and budget constraints that make you feel all panicky.
Limit the amount of input you are willing to consider (keep it simple, don’t ask for 20 estimates and 10 friends for their opinions!).
Prioritize between large and small decisions and rank their importance.
Try not to be overly emotional or dramatic; most situations are shades of grey not black & white as we can sometimes make them out to be.
Gather all the info and materials you need to help you make your decision in one place (a folder, box, basket or bag).
Use your personal values, instinct, gut and spirit guide to inform your decision.
Ask for help from someone encouraging who you trust (not 10 people!).

Source: Uploaded by user via Tiffany on Pinterest

Quick and Easy Living room Re-design

April 22, 2013 by Heather Filed Under: Art & Design, Home, Organize, Organizing Projects

Last week I had a fun and quick re-design job for an open living room dining room area. My client had recently inherited quite a few new pieces of furniture from a relative and had purchased a new sectional sofa. She was left with a mix of furniture in her open space that wasn’t functional and didn’t flow. I quickly assessed her needs as follows:

more living room seating for guests
a more functional and useable dining room area-for entertaining and daily use
integrate new furnishings with existing eclectic style
more seating for outdoor patio
too cluttered/crowded feeling

BeforeKW BeforeKW-1

Before the dining table was under the windows and when being used it obstructed the flow of the room. The chair next to the china hutch rarely got used and two additional chairs in the living room were pushed up against the wall across from the sofa and therefore felt quite separate from the living room space.

We relocated those chairs to the screened porch to make more room and give the outdoor space additional seating. The two large pieces of furniture on both ends of the rooms created a heavy feeling and on one end partially blocked light from a window. First, we moved the TV cabinet over to fill the large wall across from the sectional. This allowed more light in through the previously blocked window and made room for two additional seating areas on both sides of the tv cabinet using a couple of chairs and occasional tables already in the space. We also moved the sofa a bit to create space for the china cabinet on the wall behind it. By moving both the chair and the china cabinet we opened up the entire back wall (closest to the kitchen) for a clearly defined dining space that has ample room for entertaining.

The newly arranged living space has more seating but also feels intimate and cozy.

After-1 After

The room now feels more open and less cluttered and there are still two distinct spaces for living and dining.

Whenever I do a space re-design I advise clients to live with it for at least a week before deciding if there are things they really don’t like. As creatures of habit we get use to our things in a certain arrangement and it might feel awkward at first having things moved around within the space. Luckily in this case the client worked with me to move things and she seemed really happy with the results immediately. The following day she responded to an email I sent with this response; “I love it so much! The room feels bigger and I like my “things” more now too in the new arrangement.” This was a two hour project and the only expense for the client was my consulting/space planning fee. We did not buy one single thing!

Use what you have in new ways, move things around and create a totally new space!

Wednesday Wellness::How do you spell NO?

April 17, 2013 by Heather Filed Under: Productivity, Systems & Techniques, Wellness & Mindset

Confession time~I’m very guilty of not being good at saying no, just ask ANYONE who knows me (and some that don’t even know me well)…Guilty as charged! How do you spell NO? Especially when Yes can seems so much more fun!

Some people have a hard time saying no because they feel obligated or guilty. It’s helpful to pause when someone asks you to help with something and pay attention to what your gut/intuition is telling you. When I feel my shoulders start to slump or my gut start to rumble I know it’s time to back off. Are others being pushy, do people come to you because they have had past success suckering you into saying yes? If so then you may need to be on guard from the beginning! How do you spell NO?

Honestly though, my problem is that I just want to be involved in sooo many things…especially being new to my city.

Saying NO is a critical part of setting boundaries and creating priorities. Even when you feel like you are pretty good at doing this, you can always get better or take the time to check in with yourself before you say yes. Some people wait a few hours, sleep on it etc. Saying yes may be a set up for an all out attack against your most valued asset, your time!

Ultimately it comes down to making choices that are in alignment with your goals and dreams!

Learn to say NO so you can spend more time on the things you want to say YES to!

Resist temptations-Unsubscribe from emails or just delete them and if you are going through a particularly busy period let your friends and family know you can’t take anything else on right now.
Delegate, assign and let go of control in a kind but firm manner. Be appreciative that someone thinks enough of you to ask for your help but you might not be the right person.
Understand your boundaries-Don’t get caught on the spot and feel you have have an answer right away. It’s okay to say ‘Maybe I need to think about it’-defer decision making until you it feel right about it.
STOP and Focus on the big picture-is what you are about to agree to really in alignment with your big goals and will it make you happy?
Empathize and try to help find the right person or solution for the job when it’s not you (this goes back to delegating and deferring).
Practice, practice, practice saying no.

I believe in the power of SAYING YES, to the opportunities that are out there, to the universe, to new friends, to learning, trying new things, even things that make us uncomfortable and to helping others. This is why I say yes-because I’m a passionate, caring and helpful person-not out of obligation, guilt or shame. We will talk about the power and wellness behind saying yes another time.

Wednesday Wellness::Lean, Settle…Center

March 27, 2013 by Heather Filed Under: Inspiration & Education, Wellness & Mindset

As I ended my Wednesday today on my Yoga mat practicing warm flow our instructor began and ended the class by asking us to notice our posture. She suggested that we bring awareness to our tendency to lean forward or settle back in our daily lives.

Source: 24.media.tumblr.com viaChristie on Pinterest

In this awareness then she asked us to think about our own tendency in our posture and to bring awareness to how that parallels our thoughts and actions in our daily lives.

Just this small shift in my personal awareness had me thinking about how I’ve struggled with my posture; slumping forward especially when sitting and YES this does parallel my thoughts. I’m always thinking about the next thing I want to be doing, my mind is constantly racing ahead of my actions. I feel I have a new perspective on my posture and am grateful that it can be a reminder in each moment to stay centered by not leaning to far forward into the future or settling too far back into my own personal history.

Do you lean, settle or are you centered? Does your posture reflect your thoughts and actions in your life? If so will bringing awareness to this help you find a more centered perspective?

Sunday Savings::7 Ways Organizing Saves

March 10, 2013 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Organizing Projects, Paper management, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources

I’m shifting gears this week to share 7 Ways Organizing Saves you big $$!

I’ve often had clients comment to me that they are ashamed of spending so much money to hire an organizer and they wonder if something is wrong with them. No way! Anyone who cares enough to invest their time and money will potentially be saving hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Really…I’ll share some statistics and examples.

Source: moneysmartfamily.com via HKpowerStudio on Pinterest

7 Ways you can Save by getting more organized:

Money-both cash and checks. I have found either cash or checks with almost all of my clients when we dig in and start sorting. Sometimes it’s just a few dollars and sometimes I’ve found hundreds! I know other organizers who have found thousands if not HUNDREDS of thousands with clients!
Space-by clearing out old clutter and not PAYING to store it in storage bins or rooms in your house! EX…do you store your junk in your garage and your second most valuable asset-your car-out in the elements? If you have storage bin or room in your house you are throwing hundreds out the window every month. According to the storage industry 10% of Americana households have storage!! Why would you pay to store stuff you don’t need or use? Short term storage can have a purpose if you are moving but otherwise it’s probably a waste.
Calories! Yes by saving time and being more productive you can prepare healthier meals for yourself and family. Not to mention the act of organizing can be quite physical and you will burn calories while your at it.
Relationships…many relationships are put under tremendous stress when one partner is utterly unorganized. The conflicts that can arise from one partners responsibilities not being met again and again can lead to devastating consequences!
Taxes-found receipts, deductibles and preventing expensive audits or late fees.
Time-when you know where to find what you need you will save time on a daily basis. [time=productivity=money]
Fees-you can eliminate late fees on bills and credit cards if you have an organized system for bill paying in place.

Rather than asking yourself if you can afford to hire an organizer or spend the time working through it on your own shouldn’t you ask yourself how you can afford NOT to be organized?

What value do you think being organized has in your life?

Where can you find ways to save?