Looking ahead and back for inspiration

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Can you feel the wonder? It’s a season of miracles, light returning, birth, and celebration. It’s also a time of dying, of letting go, of finding the quiet within.

As I’ve been contemplating the end of the year, I feel deeply touched by how much there is to celebrate.

Finding the celebration

In this second year of Inspired Home Office, over 500 people have joined the conversation through my newsletter and an additional 1,500 hearts through Facebook and Twitter. These connections have allowed people struggling with order to find some peace from knowing that disorganization is simply a symptom of creativity. You’re not broken. There is a way through that honors all of who you are.

This year, participation in Inspired Home Office classes has blossomed. Monthly Office Spa Days had over 75 in attendance for the year – many of whom were confessed repeat addicts fans. A record number of people completed the Inspired Organizing program this year. I feel humbled and honored to walk with these courageous, passionate souls – and delighted to hear of the successes they’ve found as a result of our work.

On a personal note of celebration, the successes of Inspired Home Office this year have allowed me to eradicate almost $6000 of credit card debt. This accomplishment brings me a whole 20% closer to my goal of being debt free. Eeeyoop!

Travelers on the journey

If you’re self-employed, you know well that these accomplishments don’t happen without a team of supporters. So many people helped on my path this year, I’m just overflowing with gratitude and want to thank them publicly:

• Mastermind buds: Jenn Givler and Lisa Hunter
• Extraordinary helper friends: Marissa Bracke, Sharon Roemmel, Theresa Cornwell, Havi Brooks, Kitchen Tablers, Joanne Scharer, Kathy Hofmann (a.k.a. Mom)
• Joint venture divas: Jen Louden, Charlie Gilkey, Molly Gordon, Ariane Goodwin
• Teachers that made all the difference: Mark Silver, Lori Cegon, Marcia Bagnall, Scott Sadler, Ann Anderson
• Soulful tech queens: Allie Towers Rice, Wendy Cholbi
• Inspired Spouse: My one and only.
• You. Thank you for showing up, commenting, sharing ideas, and being 100% true to yourself. This wouldn’t be a business without you.

The next mountaintop

In January, Inspired Home Office turns 3 and exciting developments are on the horizon. The business is growing up. She tells me regularly that she wants to tie her OWN shoes and walk to the bus by herself. I’m learning to step out of the way of her growth so that miracles and healing can continue.

However, to push ahead today would deny an essential piece. The business still needs me to show up alive and engaged. As I send this, I’ll be entering the longest vacation I’ve taken in the last 10 years. 17 whole days. Some of which I’ll be on retreat.

While I’m away, I’ll be filling up any empty corners in my heart, surrounding myself with quiet, and coming back to the world renewed. I’ll be thinking of you and holding you in my prayers.

I’m wishing you peace, connection, presence and love this season. I look forward to connecting with you in January. Thank you for an amazing year.

Warm thoughts,
Jennifer

4 comments

Okay, literalists, it is technically still November. But December’s tomorrow.

I’m curious. How are doing?

Are you:

• a. What? December’s here?
• b. I’m still recovering from Thanksgiving last week, thankyouvurrymuch.
• c. Hanging on to my hat and praying that Christmas break gets here soon.
• d. No time to reflect on this. Too busy. I should be doing something else right now.
• e. Pretty good – not too stressed – thanks for asking.
• f. Other (fill in blank): _______________________________

I’ll start.

Personally, my Thanksgiving holiday was pretty restful (plus I got to hang out with Sharon, Theresa, and Tim.) and I’m feeling more grounded than I have in a while.

I’ve also made that age-old mistake of booking myself solid the first few days “back”. (Note to self: Um, could you please not do that?) Like today. But I’m managing. And breathing.

So, December’s tomorrow. How are you?

10 comments

It might seem ironic that “the most wonderful time of the year” strikes fear and dread in so many hearts.

Shall we explore why? Let’s start with a fun little pie graph.

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Let’s say that this is an image of what an ideal day looks like for the average creative person. You might not agree with everything there, but it’s a stand-in for the kind of life you’d like to have. Balanced, fulfilling, sane.

With me so far?

Okay, good. Let’s say that you have this balanced schedule in mind most of the time as your ideal in life.

Lots of perfectly intelligent people believe they can keep the same schedule while also entertaining, traveling, shopping for gifts, etc. It’ll all work out somehow. “Oh, I’m planning to work on my So-And-So and finish it over the holiday break.” (Sound familiar?) And then January 1 rolls around and they’re internally thrashing themselves for not having completed anything.

Forgetting reality

Time is kind of like the Pauli exclusion principle: two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. You can’t be working 100% on your business when you’re trying to relax and visit.

The chart above is a circle to represent the fact that there are a finite number of hours in the day. 24 to be exact. In that first wheel, the “work” slice of time has 8 hours. Now, in the big holiday celebration scenario, watch what happens:
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There’s still balance, it’s just different balance. Work goes down to a measly 3 hours. Instead of solid productivity, those work hours might be an hour here, 30 minutes there checking email.

The trade-off? All the other fun things like more time with family and friends! More yummy food and hanging out snacking on hors d’ouvres! Yay for holidays!

Then why does it feel so not-fun?

Holiday stress comes from not knowing how you’ll fit it all in. From rushing in blindly with a can-do-attitude. You can’t have all those activities and a normal work life. Or you’ll spend half of January recovering.

You can’t. You can’t fit it all in. There isn’t enough time.

So, let’s suppose that you want to enjoy your break and work less (or not at all). If that’s true, then lower your standards. Cut in half (or more) whatever it is you’re planning to do work-wise over the holiday break.

This way, you actually get a chance to be where you are. You can actually enjoy the people you’re with. You might be truly present (what a gift!) and even relax for a change.

Holiday “breaks” don’t happen by themselves.

You have to treat your holiday break like a pie. (Mmmm. Pie…)

Imagine your ideal work day as a yummy pie – and then imagine using a lovely silver serving utensil to cut out a slice. Decide how big a portion of spaciousness you want. Go ahead.

Decide now what work and to-dos are optional before it starts getting crazy. Then set that slice of work aside. It’ll keep. When the holidays are over you can munch on it all you like.

Persuaded?

What will you cut out over the holidays so you enjoy them more? And for bonus points, do share what kind of pie you’d like to have!

One comment

Originally, I went on retreat because I wanted to get away.

Away from what? Good question. I made the mistaken assumption that my sources of anxiety were outside of me. I believed if I left them behind for a few days that all would be well. I can hear you chuckling. The only thing that all my problems have in common is me.

I’m going on a picnic and I’ll bring…

Remember that game? I’ll bring an apple, banana, carrot, etc.? Well, I started with the b’s. I brought my brain.

What I realized after my first day on retreat is that although I was physically removed from my life, my head came along with me. You know that thing that offers a running narrative on your moment-to-moment actions and thoughts? That. And considering that my brain also runs all my bodily functions, I just couldn’t leave it at home.

Removing myself from my life gave me the opportunity to pay attention to and listen to what was going on in my mind. Let me tell you, there’s a reason why we delay taking time off or time alone – it’s hard to sit with those voices.

During our daily lives we do a lot of things that push down or pacify those voices. For me, it’s Twitter, email and Facebook… but it can be a lot of things. Television, web surfing, gossiping, arguing, sudoku, eating, and busywork can all help us push away our thoughts – at least temporarily.

When you get quiet or get away, there they remain, waiting for your attention.

I’m also bringing my heart.

In addition to my brain, I also brought my soft, squishy lub-dubber with me.

The distracting activities I mentioned above are also effective at preventing feelings from coming up. Especially emotions that are uncomfortable, sad, or painful. It’s a way of caring for yourself, these activities, if you don’t have room for them in your life or support to deal with them.

While I was on retreat, I felt anxious at times, sad, reverent, peaceful, irritated… just like in my normal life. Being “away” didn’t change that.

What was different, though, is that on retreat I had the spaciousness to sit with all the feelings that arose and treat them as honored guests. Or at least as tolerable visitors. I don’t always have room in my life for this. My heart wasn’t confined or busy. As the days went by, I felt lighter and lighter.

I got quiet enough to listen to to my heart’s wants and needs without skepticism and really honor them. By listening well, I discovered that this fall, my heart wants to focus on clearing out, saying “no”, pruning what isn’t life-giving, and allowing some things to pass away in my life. Considering that I often focus on growth and expansion, this was a refreshing surprise. And a relief.

Well… and you, too.

Here was the most surprising thing: when my brain had had its say and my heart felt open and expansive… well, I started feeling really rested and happy. I stopped thinking about me and started thinking about and sending loving thoughts toward my loved ones, my friends, and eventually all the people in my community including you. This came naturally and I couldn’t help it.

When I got filled up, it easily overflowed to everything and everyone else. That’s how it’s supposed to work.

The moral of the story

You may have read the first and second part to this mini-series on retreats as self-care. If you have, wow… thanks for hanging in there with me. Now that we’ve reached part three, I’ll tell you the moral of the story: you are nature.

Woah, what?

That’s right: You are nature. And nature rests. Look at any garden in the northern hemisphere right now. You’ll see they’re all settling in for a nice 3-5 month nap without guilt or excuses or even a solid timeline for recommencing.

I waited two-and-a-half years before I took a much-needed rest. I’m committing here and now to retreating for 4 days every 3 months – even though I’m not yet sure how I’ll make it happen. I’m worth it – and so are you.

This post is one of a 4-part series on retreats. To read the rest, visit the links below:

Part 1: Laughs, Tears, and Rodents with Fancy Tails
Part 2: Get More Done by Not Doing Anything
Part 3: How the Retreat Really Went
Part 4: Is Your Spirit Tank on Empty? 10 steps to your retreat

What are you needing rest-wise?

5 comments

Many of my clients, readers, and friends tell me that they feel like they’re running out of steam.

Whatever it is that’s got them down – jobhunting, starting a business, trying to take their business to the next level, or simply trying to stay positive and focused – it seems as if a lot of people are just worn out. The long recession, whether you’ve been personally affected or not, has taken its toll on everyone’s energy. As one friend put it, it’s like being a cat in a roomful of rocking chairs: a little difficult to navigate without getting pinched.

It’s been a tough few years, to be sure. If you’ve not been directly affected, you’re one of the fortunate few – and it’s certain that you know people who have suffered in one way or another. However, without meaning to sound unrealistically chirpy, I’d like to point out that a happy cat has his tail straight up in the air, and thus isn’t at risk from those rockers. I’m not advocating a false sense of optimism, but at the same time, doom-and-gloom isn’t any more accurate.

Whether you believe in the signs of a recovery or not, you still need to keep putting one foot in front of the other. And if you can find a way to put a spring in your step as you do so, so much the better. Here are a few suggestions to try.

Accept that you don’t know

Dealing with the unpredictability of these last few years has been a struggle for most people. It’s human nature to want to know what’s going to happen. And when things are calm, the illusion that you *do* know is easy to maintain.

Unfortunately, as the instability of recent times has proven, that secure feeling of “knowing” what’s coming is indeed an illusion. The fact is that none of us really knows what’s going to happen next, no matter how much we like to believe that our plans will unfold as expected.

As an experiment, imagine that it’s okay (instead of stressful) to not know what’s going to happen. How would you feel and act? What would you do differently? Can you actually rest in that place of not knowing and allow yourself to be curious?

Experience moves

All experience has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

This time, like any other, is an experience.

Here in the middle of it you may feel as if it will *never* change. But as the old saying goes, this too shall pass.

And although, as I said above, you don’t *know* what will happen next, you *can* know that something will happen, and that it will eventually be different from what’s happening now.

Do your feelings and your perspective change when you see that what’s happening is neither endless nor stuck? What seems different from this point of view?

What nourishes you?

It’s easy to get trapped in feeling that you *have* to keep working hard, nonstop, with no break allowed. Especially if you have financial concerns (and who doesn’t!), keeping your nose to the grindstone may feel like your only option.

But grinding yourself down to an exhausted shadow doesn’t do you, or anyone else, any good. It’s not necessary, and ultimately it’s counter-productive. Yes, hanging in there with your job-hunt, or with the activities necessary to build your business, or with what’s needed to stay visible and productive in the office – it’s all important. And yes, you may have financial constraints that prevent you from taking the vacation you really want.

Yet there are *always* options for taking a break, indulging in a little luxury, and treating yourself to some time and space.

Go to the library and check out a trashy novel or a good movie; explore a park you’ve never visited before; take advantage of free classes at your local garden center, museum, library, or small business administration.

Drive to an area of town you’ve never explored, and then park and take a walk and see what you can discover – or just keep on driving and have fun getting lost. Spend an afternoon doing absolutely nothing at all. Find a way to cook something completely different with ingredients you have on hand.

In short, consider what nourishes you and make a commitment to give it to yourself on a regular basis. If finances are a concern, engage your curiosity and sense of play to find fun things to do that don’t cost much – or anything at all. Everything on the list above is completely without cost, except for the gas you might use driving to the library, a class, or getting lost!

What does “help” mean?

One client was feeling overwhelmed by jobhunting advice from well-meaning friends and family. When she stopped discussing her job search with them and focused instead on shared interests and activities, spending time with them became fun and rewarding again instead of draining.

As I suggested to her, when you’re clear about how you want help (or even *if* you want help), you’re more likely to get what you need. Take a few moments to define for yourself what support you’d appreciate. Then when a friend offers unwanted advice or assistance, you can gently explain what they could do that would *really* be helpful.

If you’ve ever hiked mountain trails, you know that an uphill climb can sometimes seem endless. The effort of putting one foot in front of the other, over and over again, starts feeling overwhelming.

But then – sometimes quite suddenly – you’re there: at the top, enjoying the view. And even the people who were groaning the loudest during the climb are glad they stuck it out.

Keep on keeping on. You *will* get there – and things *will* change!

Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down.”

Charles F. Kettering, 1876-1958, American inventor, holder of 140 patents, founder of Delco, and head of research for General Motors from 1920-1947.

Does this topic resonate for you? Where are you moving forward, even though you’re uncertain of the outcome?

Care to comment?

A story of overwhelm and redemption

Even before I got out of bed, I knew I’d waited too long to nourish my spirit. Last Monday, Day 3 of the long weekend, I woke up with an almost-desperate need to be in the woods, under the trees, breathing in the scent of earth and fir needles and mountain air.

My need to be free from my desk and work and conversation was so urgent and real, I felt like I could grab it with my hands. I had to get to the woods. Immediately.

Obstacles. The furry kind.

My first clue that things were not going well should have been the squirrel that ran away after I started our infrequently-used truck. But, as I already mentioned, I was a desperate woman on a mission.

Clue Number 2 should have been that when I started the truck, the engine seemed to run a bit raggedly. The closer I got to the gas station, the more roughly it ran. Then I started to notice a vaguely sweet, burning-paper smell.

By the time the truck was fueling up, I already knew I wasn’t going to make it to the woods. Not in this vehicle. And with mild curiosity, I opened the hood (knowing squat about engines) to see what the trouble might be.

Imagine my astonishment when Obstacle 3 presented itself. Technically, they were Obstacles Number 3, 4, and 5 – namely a grassy nest and two very pissed off, very frightened baby squirrels. Inside the engine compartment.

(Note: no animals were harmed in the making of this story.)

The signs and symptoms of overwhelm

As I mentioned, I was already emotionally stretched. I had been working 72 hour weeks, putting a lot of pressure on myself to produce, and was profoundly aware of a widening spiritual gap where my heart ought to be.

My first response? Hysterical laughter. Tears sprang to my eyes. I laughed so oddly, I think the fueling station guy was afraid. Incredulous, I called him over to look at the squirrels’ nest and he kept a safe distance. From me.

After I’d called Inspired Spouse for backup and two nature-loving friends for ideas, I sat in the cab of the truck at the gas station and burst into tears. Yup. While the poor squirrels cowered in the engine compartment, Inspired Spouse sat with me as I sobbed, “I just needed… a day… off.”

Folks, this is what we call overwhelm.

And you know it’s arrived when an event and the resulting response are significantly out of proportion. Shock and laughter, okay, that’s pretty normal. But sobbing about squirrels? Yeah. That’s overwhelm.

The rest of the story

While the following section has nothing to do with an inspired workspace, it would be unkind not to tell you how it all turned out.

After the crying, we attempted to make use of the enormous red ski gloves and cat carrier that Inspired Spouse had ingeniously brought. I will also confess my not-so-rational fear of wild animals. The 5-ounce baby squirrel proved no exception.

If you’ve never heard a baby squirrel scream and grunt and make as if it’s going to take your face off, let me tell you, it makes one’s blood run cold. At least it did mine. But Inspired Spouse, bless her, attempted the same maneuver and they skittered away among the hoses, out of reach.

Now out of options to rescue them, I decided to drive the 2 miles home. With the squirrels still under the hood. Shrieking with fear.

The lesson of the baby squirrels

We all arrived home safely and about an hour later, Mama Squirrel had relocated the nest (after telling us off). Whew.

Fortunately, I did get to the woods that day. It wasn’t the day I’d hoped for, but I ended up getting what I needed. No more sobbing for a while.

The lesson at the heart of drama is how important it is to pay attention to the subtle signs of overwhelm, before the big sobbing thing happens. In the weeks previous, I noticed but ignored, my short temper, the need for solitude, annoyance at loved ones, erratic driving, holding my breath, and eating weird food at weird hours.

I kept telling myself and others that I was “fine”, but the baby squirrels helped me see what was true. I needed a break. So do you.

Get out in the woods, your way

If you’re self-employed, or are caring for elderly relatives, or raising children, or managing an illness, or other things that consume physical and emotional energy, there’s an urge to keep pushing through. To deal.

However, refusing to take a break and get out in the proverbial woods leaves you empty and unable to respond when action is called for. It’s ironic that I needed my tank filled, just like the truck did. Except it’s so easy to forget.

So I invite you to inquire how close you are to overwhelm today… and notice if there’s something you need to stop for, so that you can fill up too. Before you get squirrely.

This post is one of a 4-part series on retreats. To read the rest, visit the links below:

Part 1: Laughs, Tears, and Rodents with Fancy Tails
Part 2: Get More Done by Not Doing Anything
Part 3: How the Retreat Really Went
Part 4: Is Your Spirit Tank on Empty? 10 steps to your retreat

Care to comment?

As you walk and eat and travel, be where you are, otherwise you will miss most of your life.”
- Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)

If you started your business to contribute something good to the world, how ironic it is that the practical day-to-day work seems so unrelenting sometimes?

“In Praise of Slowness” by Carl Honore is a fantastic book that addresses this problem of speed at the expense of happiness. He contends that the pace of life has so accelerated that it takes the joy and meaning out of everything we do – even the stuff we love.

Are you speeding?

I have a tendency to rush through things – sometimes at the expense of my own happiness. Like that wonderful Buddha quote, I’m in such a hurry that I miss out on the small joys of everyday tasks. I miss out on the sense of accomplishment. I rush past tender moments of connection with others.

Speed creeps up, too.

In the Oregon forests is a holistic business that I love, dedicated to spiritual retreat and self-nourishment . Even there, the pace has accelerated noticeably over the 10 years.

Artfully hand-drawn signage has been replaced by laminated computer printouts. A warm, live person on the phone has been replaced with a complicated phone tree. Instead of a valued guest, I’ve begun to feel like an unremarkable part of the crowd.

The drive to be quick is killing originality and beauty. Personally, I mourn its loss.

Fear is the fuel for speed

In the current economic climate, many of my clients and peers are catching the panic bug that rides on the coattails of uncertainty. We have a whole lot of uncertainty right now.

What a lot of people do with this fear is work harder – almost frenetically. You might be pushing to think up new ways to market your business. You might create new products and services.

A lot of the work I see happening right now is good – but it’s stemming from panic. Which is hard on your spirit.

What’s your little business to do?

If you want to make your business stand out and you want to enjoy your work more, monotask.

Do one task at a time with your whole heart.

Sound impossible?

Consider the alternative: According to helpguide.org, stress-related complaints include headaches, diarrhea or constipation, nausea, dizziness, insomnia, chest pain, weight gain, loss of sex drive, frequent colds (due to compromised immune system). 60-90% of all illnesses reported to physicians are related to our sped-up culture.

Holy cow. If that’s not a call to slow down, I don’t know what is.

Stepping off the speedy superhighway

Like Honore says in the book, “slowness” doesn’t mean you have to stop working entirely or be snail-paced and poky. Monotasking just means you bring mindfulness to every thing you do.

Therein lies freedom from worry and the source of contentment.

Things to try…

1. Breathe, trust, practice

Step out of the fray to stop as often as you can. Breathe mindfully and do something that nourishes your spirit like listening to soothing music, yoga, or taking a walk in nature.

If you can do 20 minutes or more per day, great, but fit in what you are able. Reconnecting with Something Larger Than You can help you remember what the real priorities in life are about.

2. Help yourself create focus

Are you uncertain about where to start because you have too many options? (hug) You’re not alone. Ask yourself this question to gain clarity and focus: “What would bring me the greatest peace if I completed it?” Trust the answer that comes up.

3. Work mindfully

Work as if this is the only thing you have to do right now. Bring your full attention to it by eliminating distractions where possible. Work on one task at a time, bringing each to completion before moving on to another.

Care to comment?

Your best buddy has a perfect office, neat as a pin.

You notice the display at Office Big Box has furniture that look so organized and tidy.

You drool over the latest office feature in Martha’s magazine that looks so adorably perky.

The green-eyed monster has moved into your office and has taken over whatever semblance of  confidence you may have had.

How’d that happen?

It’s natural to look around you for solutions – especially if you’re stuck or dissatisfied with something in your life. And while searching for ideas and inspiration is great, it’s downright depressing to look at how others do it and compare theirs to yours.

“That’s so expensive, I don’t have that kind of money to spend.”
“That looks impossibly neat, I could never keep my office as clean as she does.”
“My office isn’t that big, I don’t have anywhere to put anything!”
“I’ve got so much paper and stuff, I could never get my office to look like that.”

Do these comments sound depressingly familiar?

Or, worst of all, there’s:

Thank God no one sees my office.

Comparison, unveiled.

When you compare, you see differences. And they keep you stuck. Comparison can make you feel badly about how your office looks, your self worth, and even doubt whether you’re an effective business owner. Comparison can become a downward spiral of self-doubt and self-loathing.

If you feel some of those terrible feelings about yourself or your office, you’re not alone.

The answers aren’t out there. They’re in here.

If you’re struggling to put order and beauty in your workspace, I want to let you in on a secret: the key is inside you.

You can look at a million websites for ideas and read dozens of books about organizing, but all that information will not change how your office looks or feels. I’ll bet you already know that.

If you’re looking outside of yourself for answers, you’re missing out on a valuable resource: your own wisdom.

Self-defining vs. comparison

All those people you were comparing yourself to? They all had something in common:

• Your best buddy knew what she wanted.
• The Office Big Box furniture designers knew what they wanted.
• That Martha Stewart – she knew what she wanted (doesn’t she always?).

It’s not like they all had some magic formula that you can’t access. Each of them had a vision – and then they created it in real life.

Find your vision

To banish the green-eyed monster and gain back your workspace mojo, here are 3 practical steps to take:

1. Ask yourself what you want.

What is it you need to work peacefully in your office? No matter how far from it you may feel, write it down or draw a picture of it – and describe it in as much detail as possible.

The purpose of doing this is to forge a clear idea of what your perfect office is like. When you see ideas in magazines, they become tools rather than deterrents to your progress.

2. Figure out what your parameters are.

What’s your budget, space needs, storage needs, etc. This puts your vision into real-life perspective.

3. Start taking small steps toward your vision.

Once you’re clear, the best thing to do is take action. Sitting on your hands will just make you frustrated. What’s one small thing you can accomplish toward your vision? What’s a tiny thing you can do today?

The important thing is to focus on small steps, because they add up. And they’re so much more compassionate.

Care to comment?

It started with a little blog entry I wrote a few weeks ago. A reader asked me how to keep her organizing momentum going – and stay organized once and for all.

“Ahhh, grasshoppah,” I replied. Organizing is like the seasons – there are messy phases and neat phases. Fruitful creative times and replenishment phases. Unrelenting productivity is unrealistic.

I started realizing that it’s really hard to get excited about organizing your office if you’re dog tired, burned out, and snarky. And I took this to heart and made the following three discoveries:

Replenishment must come first.

The belief that soul-sustaining activities are optional is a blind spot for many people – and a painful one. Take a moment and ask yourself – what have I been putting off that I deeply need?

A participant in my Inspired Organizing class had a huge epiphany last week when she realized that painting isn’t optional for her. Painting is the breath of her life – and nothing is more fulfilling than creating beauty with her canvas and paints.

And yet, she put it on hold. For long stretches of time.

Does this sound familiar? You, me – we all think that we can only do the thing that deeply nourishes us once (and only after) we get our “have-tos” done.

Soul-sustaining activity gives you the courage and energy to do what you think you cannot.

If you start with an empty watering can, what do you have to offer the garden? If you wake each morning with a dreaded to-do list, how will you find the way internal resources to complete it all? And if you force your way through day after day, how do you feel?

Doing activities that nourish you – on a regular basis – isn’t self indulgent. It’s a critical component of a healthy life. And no one can grant permission for this but you.

Putting your soul first means you can to take on your latest project renewed and recharged. It means that you can conquer things that plague you with energy and courage. Your Interactions with people you care about are warmer and more real. This self-knowledge can change your life.

Listen for what you already know.

Listening to – and trusting – what your heart needs is the best way to replenish your soul on a day to day, moment to moment basis. The answers you need are already inside you, waiting.

When my buddy Linda said she could meet me for lunch, but I’d have to wait an additional hour before we could meet up, I could feel my chest tighten with stress.

But then I asked myself what the most nourishing choice would be. I listened to my heart instead of my fear… and chose to meet her for a delightful late lunch. Not surprisingly, it was exactly what I needed. I left feeling seen, loved, and replenished.

In other words…

Organizing is a process that takes time. Caring for yourself along the way means that you will be able to sustain your resolve until it’s really working for you.

Now. What have you been waiting to do that will fill you up?

Care to comment?

A good friend from Ireland visited last week, so I decided in advance to take time off from work to fully enjoy her stay. It seemed like a really good idea.

The week before her arrival, I worked my tail off. It seemed like a stunningly good idea to put in 14 hour days to complete everything I’d normally do during the time she was here.

In the words of my Irish friend, “It was mad.”

Been there, too?

Maybe you’ve noticed this: you’re under a time crunch and expecting yourself to be ultra productive. But what actually happens is you fritter away time doing busywork and don’t complete the important tasks.

Personally, I got so frantic about everything I just had to do, I barely got it all done before my friend arrived.

Everything is an opportunity for transformation

The good news is that I practice what I preach: having an inspired home office is an evolution, not a revolution. When something doesn’t work or negative feelings pile up, it’s an incredible opportunity to learn.

Here’s what I realized.

You can’t manufacture yourself

Ever since industrialization, work has been defined as a linear process. Raw materials in, marketable product out. In our culture, we tend to work linearly, too.

But what happens when you are the product and your brain generates the raw material? You can’t hire three shifts, pay minimum wage, and keep the shop open 24/7.

When you’re the product, this linear thinking can do damage to your one-person show. Effort yourself into too much “productivity” and you’ll get exhausted sooner or later – even doing work you love.

The alternative: Working sustainably

It’s more sustainable and more enjoyable to think and work in terms of seasons. A particular project can show you the bountiful harvest of autumn and a contemplative winter. You plant the seeds of spring and burst into blooms of ideas in summer.

Chances are good that you’re in many places and seasons at once… and they’re all good. You might even check in right now and ask: what season are you in with your marketing? Or product development? Or your network and strategic alliances?

But what about your goals?

Does this seasonal, energetic flux mean you can’t have goals to work toward? Of course not. Goals keep you on track – but they don’t have to be shackles.

If you want to encourage sustainable productivity in your business, try these three guidelines for goals:

Things to try

1. Cultivate focus.

Ask yourself two questions to hone your focus:

What do I want?
When do I want it by?

These questions can be about anything: profit, marketing, projects, etc. You can write your answers longhand or make a bullet pointed list – whatever you need to take a good look at them.

2. Establish priorities.

Once your list is written and you’ve identified what you want – by when, ask one more question:

What is most important right now?

If you have several projects running at once, one might bring you the greatest profit, another is something you promised to a client, and a third could include regular maintenance of files. All of these are important; you decide which outranks the other.

When you’re clear about what trumps what, decisions become easier. Look at your list again and determine what you’ll do first and next and next after that.

3. Set boundaries.

Last, and arguably most important, is deciding when it’s time to not produce work. The last 2 questions:

When will I stop?
What do I need to care for my body, mind, and spirit?

A list of goals or to-dos won’t become your master if you’re clear about what kind of rest you need. Once you’ve established boundaries for yourself, honor them. Stopping allows you to rest and recharge, so you can work again renewed.

Summing up

You can use these three steps when work is calm, but especially when your workload is overwhelming or “mad.” You’ll be able to see through the busy-ness and work more effectively on your business.

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