Did you know that your home or office environment can sabotage your success in every area of your life? Really, it can!

Your environment can have a profound impact on your relationships, ability to be productive, level of abundance, sense of overwhelm and even your weight!

For example, let’s say you are interested in writing a book, building a business or creating more abundance in your life. Your home or office space can sabotage your best efforts if it is not set up for success.

Your external environment impacts your internal world, let me give you simple solutions to begin creating an environment that nurtures and supports all areas of your life!

Your external environment, that is your home or office space, literally sends messages to your brain on a conscious and unconscious level.  It can send positive, productive and nurturing messages that will help you create the life of your dreams. Or, it can send negative, sabotaging and depleting messages that will leave you overwhelmed, frustrated and unproductive. This can influence your relationships, creativity, health, ability to lose weight, productivity and level of prosperity. Let’s look at a few simple solutions to help you create an environment that will set you up for success.

First, take a look around and assess how much clutter you have. Even if at first glance it doesn’t seem like you have piles of paper in the corner, I would suggest taking a closer look. Do you have a “junk drawer” or a storage space that you haven’t gone through in awhile? When our space is disorganized or filled with clutter, even when it is a hidden drawer, it can create a sense of overwhelm and anxiety. Clutter confuses the mind and can make you procrastinate, fill you with frustration or make you agitated. This can affect your relationships, your ability to make healthy choices and your level of stress. Begin to look at the places and spaces that are hidden away that could be unconsciously draining you. Take action and clear the clutter and organize the disorder in that area. Notice what you feel like before and after you clear and organize the space.

Second, take a minute to walk around your home or office and notice what brings a smile to your face. Now, begin to notice any items that don’t bring a smile to your face or joy to your heart. Is there something that felt dis-empowering or uninspiring? Perhaps it is something that actually reminds you have a negative person or situation. This type of item will deplete you on an unconscious level making you tired, angry and frustrated. Make a conscious effort to ditch the drain. When you have items in your environment that weigh you down they sabotage your success. Everywhere and everything in your space should make you smile. For the next week can you commit to remove 1 item each day that doesn’t bring a smile mind, body and spirit?

You’ve heard me say it again and again, your environment either supports and nurtures you or it depletes you. It can leave you overwhelmed, frustrated and unproductive, which influences your relationships, creativity, health, ability to lose weight, productivity and level of prosperity. Set your self up for success by clearing any clutter or depleting items from your home or office.  Use your environment to create your ideal life and business!

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

 

 

PS…..DOORS WILL BE OPENING SOON for the Home in Harmony Business Building Blueprint! The Home in Harmony Business Building Blueprint Program guarantees to give you the blueprint for building a business by following your bliss.

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It is hard to believe that we are at the end of August! I can feel the shift in the air with the nighttime breezes cooler than just a few weeks ago. This past weekend we entertained friends and enjoyed a beautiful bonfire on the beach but needed to huddle close to the flickering of dancing flames to stay warm. School supplies and schedules are at the forefront of the kid’s minds while calendars are already filling up with activities for the coming months. Can you feel the changes as we slide into Fall? In this weeks article let’s look at some Simple Solutions to help you make the transition from one season to the next.

I love everything about summer! Dancing waves, turquoise water, runs on the beach, watching surfers gracefully ride, lobster rolls, sleeping in, paddle boarding, yoga on the beach, bonfires, s’mores, relaxed time, romantic getaway adventures, cuddles with the kids, cards and games, entertaining friends.. my list could go on and on. I love the pace of summer with its relaxed and meandering cadence. As the end begins, I know that I need to have Simple Solutions in place to help gracefully navigate the accelerated pace that naturally comes with the season ahead.

If I allow it, my mind begins to swirl and twirl thinking about the to-do list that is beginning to grow. The sensation is magnified from thoughts of back to school clothes, shoes, classroom supplies, dorm necessities, senior portraits, college essays and applications, move-in days, soccer, field hockey, dentist appointments, client schedules, book tours and speaking engagements. Yikes! I understand the need to find calm in the midst of chaos of modern day living!

1. Stop the Swirl

You have heard me say this before but it is important to repeat! Stop the swirl and twirl by taking out a pencil and write down what needs to be done. Get it out of your head and on to a piece of paper. This is super effective! You will feel so much better from this little strategy!

2. Big Yucky Things

Now that you have your list, go through it and decide which ones you do NOT want to do. Which items seem too big or yucky to do?  Which ones are holding you back? Becoming consciously aware of what items are challenging you and why, will help you to move through the obstacle they create.

3. Take Action

Take action and complete the worst ones first! If you are dreading something specific… do this 1^st!  This tactic will help to alleviate the weighty feeling that a list can create! Once you tackle one dreaded item, notice how you feel. This will help to make the other items on your list so much easier to complete!

Finding calm in the midst of chaos during the shift from summer to fall is important for your overall sense of well-being. Using these Simple Solutions will help you gracefully navigate the tumultuous tides of transition.

If you need additional help navigating the tumultuous tides of transition, click here to schedule you Free Success Strategy Session.

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

 

 

 

Photo Credit: fineartamerica dot com

How do you face challenges that come up in your home, health and happiness? Are you left feeling depleted and defeated or are you able to pull yourself up by the proverbial bootstraps and begin anew? How you face these obstacles impacts the level of satisfaction you have with your overall life.  In this weeks article we will look at the concept of Wabi-Sabi and how it can be used as a Home in Harmony Simple Solution to help you leap over the hurdles that come up on the course of life.

Have you heard the term Wabi-Sabi? It comes from the Japanese teaching that explains that one should accept and appreciate the beauty within the impermanence, transience and imperfection of life and all things. Living from this vantage point, that nothing is perfect or permanent, can give one relief in a world that projects perfect images of lives and homes on social media, TV or the Big Screen.

Knowing that life wasn’t meant to be perfect can help you release the valve from the pressure cooker.

We moved to Boston a few years ago and I had the opportunity to “play” and create the house of my dreams. The structure we chose was ideal for my grand vision; it just needed magic tweaks to make it our home. I began and gave the kitchen window treatments that incorporated fabrics, colors and trimmings that I had been swooning over, the bathroom shimmered & glistened with a metallic faux paint and in the master bedroom I designed a fireplace with moldings and tile work that captured the serenity and glamour that I adore.  And then, the winter of 2015 hit… hard…

For the past month and a half the contractors have been demolishing the inside of the structure because of ice dams, water leaks and snow load that began in January. Now, roughly 8 walls remain intact.  All the other walls are gone including all of the ceilings and floors.

How would you cope if you watched your dream home being demolished nail-by-nail and board-by-board?  When challenges occur in your life, how do you react?

In my business and life I have noticed one thing to be true—how you do one thing is how you do all things. This isn’t a new idea; Aristotle alluded to it in his lifetime (384-322 B.C.) This idea has stood the test of time and you can use it to improve your life. So, begin to notice how you react to challenges that come up in your life.

Leaning on the concept of Wabi-Sabi has helped me wrap my head around the unfortunate situation with our home. Yes, it is exceptionally disappointing to watch something you love erode before your very eyes. But, holding on to the notion that nothing is meant to be permanent or perfect helps one to gain perspective in challenging situations.

A Wabi-Sabi perspective coupled with 3 things allows me to jump the hurdles in life with strength and inspiration: (1) A strong conviction that everything happens for a reason, (2) The Universe gives us Life Lessons exactly when we need them and (3) Acknowledging that when we are open to the next stage something beautiful is on the other side of the darkness.

How do you react to the challenges that come up in your life? Take a minute to think about your initial reaction to the last obstacle in your life. Typically how you reacted in that situation is how you respond in all areas of your life. Can you move into a positive outlook? Or, do you end up getting stuck?

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

 

Have you ever felt unbalanced, overwhelmed and out-of-sync with your ideal state of living? Things feel topsy-turvy instead of secure and grounded? Sometimes this can happen with new beginnings or the culmination of something in your life- things like graduations, anticipated new careers or moving out or into a new home. All of these transitions can bring about a sense of instability and chaos instead of a calm equilibrium.

I can relate to all of these feelings! We are in the midst of a massive transition in the O’Leary house.  Our home was damaged in the winter and we are in the midst of packing up and headed into a temporary spot. Boxes head to the donation pile, long-term storage, short-term storage, our new transitory residence and the garbage pile.

Simultaneously we are working on a large project in which we are renovating an 1880’s home and bringing it back to life. (Exciting but an enormous endeavor!) Add in the fact that two of our girls head out of their small schools to new schools in the Fall. Feelings vacillate between eagerness to trepidation… such big changes!

Our world is spinning like the Tea Cup Ride in a summer carnival! How does one stay grounded in calm in the midst of the whirlwind? In this week’s article I will share some Simple Solutions to help you navigate times of change and overwhelm so that you can ride the waves like a graceful surfer.

In the midst of transition and/or chaos it is important to give yourself a strong foundation that nurtures, soothes and supports your entire being. Let’s look at a few Simple Solutions that will help you navigate stormy waters and bring you the sense of serenity of a calm harbor.

Deep Breathing

It is sometimes hard to believe that something so simple can have such a huge impact! Take a few moments at least 3 times a day to focus solely on your breathing. That means put away your cell phone and notice yourself breathing in and breathing out. If you are out of practice or have never participated in Mindful Breathing, start by breathing in for a count of 5 and out for a count of 5.  Practice for a few minutes a few times a day and begin to notice how you feel.

Soothing Spot

When stress and overwhelm take over it is important to have a go-to spot that will sooth your mind, body and spirit. You can create this space virtually anywhere. I often recommend to my Elite & Private Clients that they first focus on their bedroom. Creating a bedroom that is clutter free, filled with items that have fond memories and colors that make you smile are a great start! This will help you start and end your day on a positive note.

Connect to a Positive

It can be mentally and physically exhausting to experience a move (even when you have help!) This is true of any situation that brings instability or a disturbance in your life. It is amazing how finding one silver lining thought, even if it is only a thread, can bring you peace. My Silver Lining Thought was “Amidst the chaos, it feels so good to go through the entire house and truly “Clean House”! How often do we actually get to do this?” This will help you rise out of the distress or overwhelm and connect you to a higher level of energy.

Graceful Gratitude

Beginning or ending your day reflecting on optimistic experiences that fill you with a sense of thankfulness will help you move out of the overwhelm and into a state of grace.  You can connect to this blissful state throughout your day (especially when you begin to notice that unsettled feeling begin to churn in your mind and body).

These Simple Solutions can help you navigate the tumultuous tides of change where waves knock you off your feet, sending you tumbling and gasping for air.  If you need your own individualized plan that supports you and your current situation schedule your Success Strategy Call here.  In the meantime, take a moment right now to firmly plant your feet on the ground, close your eyes and take a deep breath.

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

 

 

Wow, it is amazing what a whirlwind it feels like at the end of the school year! Graduations, graduation parties, the overflow of paper work that comes home from school, class projects, teachers gifts, sport tournaments, dance recitals… need I say more? In this week’s article we will look at a few simple solutions to help your transition from Spring to Summer flow with ease and grace! It will have you sipping lemonade with your feet up and a smile on your face in no time! You do know that the Universe hopes your Spirit will soar each and every day?

I was honored to be a guest speaker at the esteemed Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) this past weekend. Myself and four other speakers were asked to speak about Mastering Mindfulness. I explained how you can use your environment to help master mindfulness. You might ask “Why?” or “What is mindfulness?”

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines mindfulness as “the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.”

The best way for me to describe the state of mindfulness is to connect you with the awareness of a gap between your thought and action. When you begin to find the gap between your thought and action it distances you from your reaction to the trigger or stimuli. For example, if you have a desire to loose weight but you keep binging on cookies it is because you are reacting to a want (which is a thought). But, when you can put a “pause” between the “I want that cookie” and the act of eating it, your chance of successfully abstaining grows substantially.  Often times the best way to begin connecting to the gap is to make it a habit to take five deep breaths before reacting to your want or need. This will bring you into a state of full awareness, which will empower you to make conscious decisions.

I encourage you to play a little game this week. Begin to become mindful of the amount of stuff you have in your home. In today’s culture, we have 2x more things in our homes than 50 years ago! Each week and sometimes each day you are tempted by the consumer marketing machine to bring more and more items into your home. Studies show that the average women will spend more than eight years of their lives shopping. (The Daily Mail). Create a gap so that your brain doesn’t resort to autopilot and just buy something out of habit or lack of mindfulness. This game will help you become more mindful of the items that are in your home or the ones that you are thinking of bringing home.

Place a piece of paper on the wall near your entrance with the names of each person staying in your home. Every time someone brings a new item in the house put a point next to his or her name. At the end of the week tally each person and choose the winner by determining who had the least points for that week. This will help to create a gap between the “I need to have it” and the actual act of purchasing the items and bringing them home. It will also help you to know how many things you are bringing into your home each week.

Mastering mindfulness can be as simple as playing a game that helps you develop a new-found awareness around specific things. If you need help finding your gap, click here to schedule your discovery session.

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

 

 

 

photo credit: coe-onlinetrainingcourses dot com