What is your ‘big yes’?

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And what are you going to say “No” too?

Today’s society is so “go, go, go” “do, do, do” and “spend, spend, spend” that every day we have numerous invitations to say yes. Within all of this craziness, most of us are moving through this life like zombies; constantly maxed out just from the overwhelm of all that stands before us. We are simply just saying yes to too many things.

The brilliant Stephen Covey said, “You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage – pleasantly, smilingly, unapologetically – to say ‘no’ to other things. And the way to do that is by having a bigger ‘yes’ burning inside.” Yes, yes, yes!

In my book saying “no” applies to any of, but not limited to, the following…

  • Birthday Parties
  • Shopping
  • Vacations
  • Projects
  • Possessions
  • Email Subscriptions
  • Magazine Subscriptions
  • Food
  • Baby Showers
  • Bridal Showers
  • Clothes
  • Shoes
  • Electronics
  • Social Media Profiles

…you get the idea

Today, I invite you to schedule some time for yourself to reflect on what the “bigger yes” is stirring deep down in your soul. Once you have an idea of what that is, breathe deeply and feel into what allowing that into your reality would be like. Then think about what it would be like to say no (“pleasantly, smilingly, unapologetically”) to everything else.

You REALLY do get to decide what you engage with. It may take some time to get clear about what you really do want and then more time to transition into a new way of living, being and interacting with the world, but it IS possible.

Here’s to consciously choosing our realities!

Marla on TV showcasing cool containers!

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Transform your paper piles with these pretty & practical tools!  See our New Year Favorites

We have put a lot of thought into helping you this year with the chronic clutter areas!  Our tip here is to choose a cool and practical container for the incoming information and paper. If you have piles of paper and written notes covering your kitchen counter or desktop, check out the two containers below.  We hope you will love them and use them as much as we do.

Tip & Tool – Choose ONE NOTEBOOK for all the incoming information, notes, ideas and actions.  Check out our favorite – the ARC Notebook by Staples 

Cool Tool – Make it Pretty, Practical & Portable!  To transform your paper piles check out  The Acrylic Desktop File from the Container Store.

Earlier this month, Marla was invited to Good Things Utah to share all about it, plus some other great paper containers we love! Click on the picture below to watch it.

 

Clear & SIMPLE, Marla Dee on Good Things Utah

Clutter is BIG – so start SMALL

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Tip #1: Choose only 1 small, 1 medium and 1 large organizing project for each season!

 

Clutter clearing can feel overwhelming.  Getting organized often feels impossible. My real life tip is to choose ONE small, ONE medium, and ONE large project for each season. Then schedule only one project for each month. The beginning of the year holds this big push for change.  However, the best way to really make a change is to keep it small and realistic. Then let go of the stress and pressure to do it all or to keep doing more.  Let this be enough.

There is also ease and power by aligning our projects with the cycles of the earth and our bodies. Our bodies naturally feel and align with the seasons of our earth.  In the cold months we want to slow down and hibernate. In the warn months we want to play.  

Some ideas for a small winter project: (1-3 hours)
  • your purse, work bag or tool bag
  • your bedside tables or dresser
  • top of your dining room table or desk top
  • your junk drawer or office supply drawer  – my favorite container above www.containerstore.com 
A medium project (4-6 hours) might be:
  • Your dresser drawers
  • Your desktop and drawers
  • Your paper piles or email inbox
  • Your kitchen counter
A large project (1-3 days) could be:
  • Your pantry or cupboards
  • Your clothes closet or bedroom
  • Your files for this year (get www.freedomfiler.com)
  • Your computer files and folders

I have joyfully chosen my projects for this winter season.  My small one is office supply drawers, my medium is my smart phone picture clean-out and my large one is my updating my Vital Documents and helping my kids with theirs!

Please take 10 minutes now, choose yours, write them down and share them with me.  I will give you a reward.  And contact us if you want or need help to get them done – info@clearsimple.com

Your Guide – Marla Dee

12 Thanksgiving JOY TIPS!

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12 Thanksgiving Tips for More Joy and Less Stress

TIPS from the Fabulous Dorothy, the Organizer!

1. Clean house one day before Thanksgiving and set your table.

2. Select soft music and comfy clothes to set the tune for the day; rise early to prepare your bird or whatever you intend to serve.

3. Prepare dressing, casseroles, gravy, vegetables, cakes and pies one week before Thanksgiving, and then put in freezer.

4. Pull everything out of the freezer Thanksgiving morning to defrost; microwave or bake everything before dinner; please time yourself

5. For decorating, try simple things: a glass bowl of lemons will look attractive; so will a cluster of grapes in a lovely bowl; small bunches of rosemary interspersed with peppercorns which grow on many trees in this part of the country. This will make a lovely table décor including candles.

6. Invite family members and friends to help. They will enjoy it and make your day a memorable one.

Click here for more!

Family Comes FIRST

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When was the last time you sat down with your family and really talked? You know those precious times when you find out what is going on behind the scenes.I just did this with my daughter Jessica last night.  We went out to dinner at one of our family favorites, an old diner called Coachman’s.  I asked her what she wanted to do most for the upcoming Holidays. We let our minds wander with ideas and ended up talking about many things. By the time we left I felt so close to her again.  And I knew I needed to write about this.

One of the most precious things we can do at the Holiday Season is spend meaningful time together. To keep this simple, just sit down as a family and ask each person to share what is the one thing they want most to do? Then put these important choices first on your calendar and feel the relief of letting go of all the other stuff we tell ourselves we should be doing. You have chosen what matters most.

You can make this time together fun by –

  1. playing music
  2. making treats
  3. coming up with a theme
  4. going somewhere special (more…)