Heather K Powers

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?

Mend It Monday

March 4, 2013 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Organizing Projects, Systems & Techniques

Last Monday I spent some time working through a stack of mending that I had been holding off on. It was finally time. I had my sewing machine out and a great book from the library to assist me; Mend it Better. I must have lived a previous life in more frugal times because I can not part with things that just need a little TLC to make them as good as new again.

In my stack of mending I had several tank tops that were too long (I am vertically challenged so this is often the case), a couple of sweaters that had been visited by a moth or two in storage) and a pair of my husband’s jeans that had several tears.

I had patched his jeans once before but there were additional tears so I both patched and added some decorative top stitching.

After years of owning and never using a walking foot for my sewing machine I finally gave it a try too and fell in LOVE with it! I hear some people say they don’t really think it makes much difference but with my machine and fine/knit fabrics it made for a fantastic modification! I breezed through he knits without any stretching or shifting of fabrics.

Finally I tried my hand at darning on the fine moth holes on the 2 sweaters and found the process quite easy and a handy skill to know. I wouldn’t want to do a lot of this but the process involves a type of needle weaving through the knit structure and having a good working knowledge of both types of textiles I found pretty easy to understand how to stabilize the fabric around/over the holes. It doesn’t necessarily make the holes invisible, just keeps them from spreading further.

There are certainly times that tossing or donating is more appropriate but I’m working on improving my mending habits by adding a few new skills as I go. Do you mend things regularly, pay someone else to do it or just get rid of things that need a bit of TLC?

Technology Free Friday!

March 1, 2013 by Heather Filed Under: Inspiration & Education

Our lives and worlds have become so technology driven that it’s great to take time to unplug and ground yourself from time to time. Today begins the National Day of Unplugging… The challenge is from Sundown to Sundown this Friday-Saturday (March 1-2). This is the 4th annual NDU and I’ve participated 1 or 2 times before. I appreciate the effort that others will be making on a national scale to live in the moment, practice mindfulness, make conscious choices, spend time with people we love and doing what we love.

I’ll be up to my elbows in plants all day Saturday so I don’t anticipate I’ll be missing my technology much. Here’s what some others have pledged to do while they are unplugged.

Unplug

There are so many great things you can do with your time in just one day if you set aside the distraction of technology and allow yourself the luxury of some undivided attention. Here are a few suggestions:

Start some seeds for your garden
Read a book
Organize your kitchen, clean out your pantry and fridge
Fix something that’s broken! Mend it, glue it, tape it, DO IT!
Enjoy a hobby like sewing, knitting etc…while listening to some music (I don’t think that the radio or CD’s count-maybe to you music is out though)
Take a drive in the country with a picnic and a camera
De-clutter-anywhere/everywhere!
Sort/purge the papers you NEVER use in your file cabinet
Take a long walk, hike or bike ride
Relax and spoil yourself with spa treatments (at home or elsewhere)
Cook/bake for and entertain someone you love
Play board games or cards
Fly a kite, hang glide or catch some air somewhere
Meditate, do yoga…just BE!

Here’s what you should “NOT” be doing if you have taken the pledge: hanging out on Twitter, Instagram, Yelp, 4 Square, email, computer, cell phone, text messaging, TV…basically anything digital! You will probably want to “prepare” to unplug by keeping track of missed calls etc and setting aside some time to return the important one’s on Sunday or Monday.

I hope you will join me (if not today…just try it any day!). It feels great to take a break and be free from technology from time to time, don’t you agree?