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Why You Need a Packing Checklist
The real question is: how can we have the travel experience we yearn for and not feel stressed by the preparation needed to get out of town.
Photo by Marissa Grootes on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Why You Need a Packing Checklist
I know. Checklists are SO boring, lame, and routine and travel is supposed to be about getting away from it all, being spontaneous, and leaving behind your endless to-do list.
I think the real question is: how can we have the travel experience we yearn for and not feel stressed by the preparation needed to get out of town?
The answer is a Packing List. This one tool can make a big difference.
For years, I didn't use a Packing List. I consider myself a "good" packer; I rarely forget anything essential and it just never seemed worth the effort.
Wow, was I wrong!
It's true, Packing Lists are a great tool in order to not forget anything important. But that's just one of the many benefits of "using" a Packing List.
The Benefits of Using a Packing List
Remember all essential items
No wasted brain power on figuring out what you need to bring
Packing goes quicker
Simplifies having other family members pack for themselves
Allows you to easily "check" if your kids packed what they need. This way you can give them the opportunity to learn to pack for themself, while not having to suffer the consequences of them forgetting essential items, like socks or underwear.
Provide a guide to what items you are repeatedly packing. This will apply more to "regular travel." Are there certain items that it makes sense to have a second set of and just keep packed? (Hint: we’ll be talking about duplicate items in an upcoming blog)
Getting Started
How to Create a Packing List
The most important factor is to remember your Packing List is a living document and should continue to change, as your life and your needs change.
I recommend categorizing your Packing List.
While there is no right or wrong way to do this, I would think about:
Where the items are physically located in your house?
If they live in different rooms, I would list them separately.
When are you packing the items?
There may be items you pack the weekend before, the night before, and the morning of your trip.
Who is packing the items?
If you have kids, depending on their age, what items are you comfortable with them packing?
Learning to pack is a life skill and the more practice they get before leaving the nest the better!
I strongly recommend including everything on your Packing List that you need for every type of trip you take. This includes work trips, weekends traveling for kids’ sports, and even hospital bags. True story: my friend had her 11-year-old daughter pack her hospital bag as she told her what to include between contractions.
It only takes a second to cross-off items that you don't need, where as it will take valuable minutes or longer to think of everything you need to add or to maintain multiple packing lists.
Sample Packing List Ideas
Comfort Items
Laptop
Laptop Charger
Apple Watch
Apple Watch Charger
Headphones
Headphone Charger
Glasses
Eye Mask
Book
Retainer / Sleep Guard
Jewelry
Vitamins
Water Bottle
Neck Pillow
Packing Basics
Underwear
Bras
Everyday Socks
Tights
Masks
Toiletries
Make-Up
Tampons
Shirts
Pants
Dresses
Sweaters
Shoes
Pajamas
Workout Gear
Workout Shirts
Workout Shorts
Workout Pants
Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Sweatshirt
Workout Bra
Workout Socks
Sneakers
Swim
Bathing Suit
Bathing Suit Cover
Flip Flops
Sun Glasses
Beach Bag
How to Use a Packing List
The first step is to PRINT it out. I don't recommend printing them ahead of time. I would print your Packing List when you are ready to start packing. This way you are certain to have the most up-to-date list.
Grab a highlighter and a pen.
Take a moment to cross off anything you don't need for this particular trip.
Highlight everything that you can't pack until the morning of. This may include prescription medication, glasses that you only wear at night before bed, or your child's noise machine.
You can decide what sections you want to do in whatever order works best for you, but it's faster to work through the section from top to bottom. Keep in mind, this is your Packing List. You can create whatever order you want for the items within each section. The time savings is from not taking the time to decide what to pack next, but rather just packing it.
As you work through your Packing List, there may be items that you realize are not on there. Take a moment to write it down on your Packing List and check it off.
Anything that you write down on your Packing List, needs to be added to your Packing List Template. If there is time, I would recommend doing this before you leave for your trip. It is a task that will probably take less than 60 seconds. However, if there is no time, or if it just feels like too much, add the Packing List to your Physical Inbox, so you can make the update when you return.
Happy Packing!
Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks
Over time, you may decide to have duplicates of the items that you are packing the morning of so that you have one less thing to think about when you are racing out the door.
In my experience, it's more time efficient to go through your Packing List in order, verse skipping around.
Think about packing full outfits together, complete with accessories. This is particularly efficient for kids so they can get themselves dressed easier. I recommend investing in ebags Packing Cubes. Everything fits into one cube and can be tossed into a diaper or beach bag as needed.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Create a Manual for Your Life
Have you ever asked yourself, what would happen if I wasn't here to manage this?
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Create a User Manual for Your Life
Have you ever asked yourself, what would happen if I wasn't here to manage this?
Usually, this question comes from a place of frustration, when we feel we are not getting the support that we need.
For the most part, there are two main causes that lead us to feel unsupported.
The first is that we may be surrounding ourselves with people that don't value us and our relationship in the way that we need.
The second is that we may not be communicating that we need support and how those around us can help.
Creating a "User Manual" for yourself or your family will provide a guide to your life and your responsibilities and ultimately help you to feel less overwhelmed day-to-day.
Getting Started
Finding yourself overwhelmed is not anything new or groundbreaking. It happens to even the most organized and disciplined people. However, when we feel less overwhelmed, we are more likely to have the time and energy to give and receive emotional support.
Maybe your partner is not great at providing emotional support, but is happy to pick up one of your administrative tasks, such as renewing the car insurance. By detailing all your family’s important information, your partner is able to step in and you can spend time with a friend who is able to give you the emotional support you need.
Alternatively, what if you become ill and aren't able to manage all the administrative items that you typically are responsible for? Now there is a guide so that your family and friends have all the information they need to support you.
The Benefits of Creating a Family Manual:
Creates an organized and detailed list of all your family’s important information.
Supports you in deciding what tasks or actions can be delegated.
Allows others to step in and support you in times of need.
What to include in your Family Manual:
A notification list.
A personal information page for each family member.
Important health information, such as health insurance, primary doctors, allergies, and important medical history.
Information on any professionals you work with, such as an accountant or financial advisor.
Information on how your taxes are processed yearly.
A copy of one statement from all your checking, savings, retirement, investment, HSA & 529 accounts.
A copy of one statement from each credit card.
One copy of each reoccurring bill, such as utilities, Netflix and AAA.
A copy of one statement from each insurance policy.
Passwords to your phone, computer, and password manager.
Your estate documents.
Important documents, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, and social security cards.
A list of instructions for any safety deposit boxes.
In conjunction with keeping your Estate Documents up to date, I believe that maintaining a Family Manual is the best gift you can give your family. In difficult times, it's one less thing your family has to worry about.
Additional Resources
I highly recommend the book, "Get It Together" by Melanie Cullen. This is not a book you need to read cover to cover, but it's a great reference to have in order to organize your family's information.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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How Keeping a "Distraction List" Can Help
What should you do when your brain wanders off with an amazing idea or an important to-do item?
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
How Keeping a "Distraction List" Can Help
At Happy Spaces, we talk a lot about the value of setting up systems and structures to support your focus.
But what should you do when your brain wanders off with an amazing idea or an important to-do item?
As I see it, there are 3 options:
You can try to ignore it. -- Don't be surprised if your brain keeps coming back to your "brilliant" idea and you struggle to regain your focus.
You can let yourself engage in some "research" for a limited amount of time. -- Don't be surprised if you struggle to stop your "research" at the time you set and refocus on your less interesting, but more important task.
You can write down your brilliant idea on your Distraction List.
Getting Started
What is a Distraction List & how does it work?
A "Distraction List" is a pad of paper that you keep next to you and use to write down items that pop into your head as you are focusing on a separate task.
It really is as simple as designating one pad of paper to be your Distraction List. Keep this notepad out and visible on your desk or workspace.
When you are working on a task and an idea or action related to another task pops into your head, write it down on your Distraction List.
This action allows your brain to trust that you will not forget about it and refocus on your current task.
In my experience, there are two types of common distractions. One type is the long list of to-do's that pop into your head, such as needing to call in a request for a refill on your prescription or making time to get your flu shot. These items should simply be added to the corresponding list in your List App.
The other common distractions are ideas that seem both brilliant and more fun than the task at hand. It could be an idea to start a local women's mastermind group or to install window seats as radiator covers. (These are just two of the ideas that popped into my head while writing this.) While these ideas may have a lot of value, I often find that they are a creative procrastination tool that your brain uses to attempt to convince you to stop your current task and switch to something more fun and enticing. While it is still important to incorporate these ideas into your List App, so that your brain feels it can let it go, you may also want to allow yourself to do some research on these ideas as a break during the day. For most of us, It's a lot easier to end a break researching how to build window seats than to end a break on TikTok or YouTube.
How does keeping a "Distraction List" help?
We have discussed the value of focused time blocks, which can range from 25 to 90 minutes, as a great strategy for focusing and accomplishing what's important.
Using a Distraction List should support you in minimizing internal distractions. I don't know anyone whose brain does not wander; the key is finding tools to help you regain your focus.
Is this a tool that you are already using? I would love to hear how it has helped!
Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks
Pick a notepad that is fun to use or has a special meaning to you. A few years ago, I received a notepad as a gift that says "Probably Not Today" at the top. It is the perfect pad for this.
Your Distraction List should not be an ongoing list. Either at the end of your "Time Block" or at the end of your "Workday", add everything from this list to your main List App.
One additional use for your Distraction List.
It is not uncommon that you may be working on some tasks while waiting for a phone call or an important email. Another great use for the "Distraction List" is to write down what you are working on, right before switching tasks, such as answering the phone or clicking on an email. This will allow you to remember what you were doing, prior to switching tasks, and will help you refocus quicker.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Is Overthinking Your Super Power?
Believe it or not, there are advantages to overthinking.
Photo by Canva.
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Can Overthinking Be Your Superpower?
In my experience, one trait that many successful individuals have in common is the characteristic to overthink situations.
Overthinking is often associated with being disadvantageous, resulting in fear, self-doubt, anxiety, depression, and poor sleep.
With so many disadvantages to overthinking, I bet you’re wondering how can it be a superpower.
Believe it or not, there are advantages to overthinking. There is a lot of power in reframing our thoughts. This includes rethinking the habit of overthinking (see what we did there?!) and harnessing the profound impact that reframing our thoughts can have on our mental health.
Overthinking situations can lead to:
Researching solutions
Taking time to reflect
Asking trusted individuals what they would do or have done in the same situation
Not making impulsive or short-sighted decisions
If you can see the value in overthinking, then you are more likely to not try to fight it.
It's often our negative self-talk that exasperates the ruminations and leads to increased anxiety, depression, and sleep issues.
Getting Started
How can I reframe my habit of overthinking?
The best place to start is by taking a few moments to reflect on a situation where you remember feeling completely overwhelmed and overcome with stress. Think about what happened. What was your original reaction? What were your immediate thoughts on what you should do or say?
If you are an overthinker, you likely didn't react in the moment. Instead, you likely spent the next day or week ruminating about the situation and the best solution.
When you finally decided how you were going to respond to the situation, what did you decide?
Was the solution different than the solution you thought of at the time the situation occurred?
If the solution was different, was your final choice a better solution than your original?
In my experience, allowing our minds to run through situations over a few days, or a week, leads to better decision-making.
Making better decisions is how overthinking can be your Superpower.
The next time you are blind-sided by a difficult situation, tell yourself and the person involved in the conflict, that you are going to take a few days to think about the situation before responding.
This has two benefits:
This will give you the time you need to make a thoughtful decision, based on facts and experience, not emotions.
This will give your brain permission to take the time it needs to process the situation.
By reframing the habit of overthinking, you will likely experience fewer of the disadvantages, while continuing to benefit from the advantages.
Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks
What if reframing my habit of overthinking isn't enough?
While reframing "the story you are telling yourself" is valuable, it is likely only a part of the solution.
What further steps can I take to minimize the disadvantages of overthinking?
I recommend taking the time to write down the thoughts that are swirling in your head. It's amazing how a thought can re-run in your head 50 times, but once you write it down, the re-runs stop. (This is also true when feeling overwhelmed due to uncompleted tasks. Write down the tasks you need to complete - or utilize your new app - and plan accordingly.)
Schedule a time each day to just "think". If the thoughts pop into your head, at a time that's inconvenient, tell your brain that you will think about it later. This is especially powerful if you are having trouble sleeping.
It may sound corny, but thank your brain for taking the time to think through this challenging situation. By doing this, you will minimize your feelings of depression and anxiety over your thoughts.
Consider starting a meditation practice. A valuable lesson of meditation is learning how to see your thoughts, notice them, and then let them go. You are not your thoughts!
When negative self talk starts, talk back. Respond with a story that supports your highest self.
Create a "List of Advisors". Call the advisor that you feel would be best to talk through the situation. If you don't get what you need from them, call someone else. You might be surprised by who gives the best feedback and support.
Give your brain a deadline. Usually it's best to wait between 48 hours and a week to respond, depending on how complicated the situation is. After a week, the benefits of thinking through the situation are diminishing and the disadvantages are likely starting to take over.
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Is Perfectionism Holding You Back?
As a high achiever, you benefit from taking pride in your accomplishments and often choose to surround yourself with other high achievers.
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Is Perfectionism Holding You Back?
High achievers benefit from taking pride in their accomplishments and often choose to surround themselves with other high achievers.
There are many benefits to being a high achiever, including:
Always giving 100%
Being highly motivated
Being passionate about your responsibilities
Thriving on healthy competition
However, there is a thin line between being a high achiever and being a perfectionist. Many of us shift between these mental frameworks, depending on what we are working on, how experienced we feel about our work, and how important the project is to us.
As with everything, there is a downside to perfectionism.
Self-worth becomes dependent on achievements
Fear of failure
Unrealistic expectations
Anxiety and depression
Obsessive thoughts
Leads to procrastination
Difficulty sleeping
It is important to note that you do NOT need to be a perfectionist in order to be a high achiever. Not only is it possible to let go of your perfectionism, while continuing to be a high achiever, but by moving away from perfectionism, you will likely increase your success.
Getting Started
Please note: depending on how engrained your thought processes are around perfectionism, this may be an area where you would benefit from outside support, such as speaking to a therapist or a life coach.
Where should you start? How’s this, just start.
Develop a motto that speaks to you. I like two mottos in particular: "Good enough is good enough" and "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good".
When you are feeling stuck, having trouble getting started, or finishing up, say your chosen motto out loud.
While there are some projects that need to be great, there are many projects that we undertake where done is far better than perfect. Take a moment before starting a project to picture what done looks like and do a brief cost-benefit analysis between time spent on the project and the importance of making every little thing perfect.
You may want to make a list of projects that you have started, but not finished. Then, make a list of projects that you have not started because you feel like you don't have all the details figured out yet.
Next to each project, write down what is the nightmare scenario if the project is not completed perfectly. Then write down what is the nightmare scenario if the project is not started - or completed! - at all. Which scenario do you want to avoid more?
I will use this blog as an example. My worst fear revolves around hitting send on a blog with a glaring spelling or grammar error and everyone thinking that I am an idiot. Guess what? There have been grammar errors, I have received feedback regarding those errors, and I am still here to write about it. (Special shoutout to Grammarly for helping to lessen my fears!)
Now, what if I allowed my perfectionism to prevent this blog from ever existing? I have a love of learning and developing new systems, strategies, and ideas that I know others can benefit from. By not sharing that information, others, like you, won’t have the same opportunity to grow and improve.
It was clear to me, that the downside to not writing and sharing this blog was far worse than the downside of sending out a blog entry with an error.
After writing down your worst care scenarios, take a few moments to write down how you would fix them. The good news is most mistakes are fixable - and frankly don’t matter in the long run.
Taking the time to write down your fears, and how you would respond if they happened, may actually be what your brain needs to stop procrastinating and get started.
We also need to recognize that we can really only implement one new project at a time. So pick which project on the list is your highest priority and start there.
Additional Resources
I highly recommend the book, "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brene Brown.
Brene also recorded a talk, which is available on Audible, called "The Power of Vulnerability", which I found moving, motivating, and empowering. The book and the talk on Audible are very similar, so you may not find it a valuable use of your time to read/listen to both. If you have Audible, I would start with "The Power of Vulnerability".
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
Follow Me
Share this post
Eat Real Food
Without taking a stance on which diet is best, the science is clear about the benefits of eating Real Food.
Photo by Matthew Brodeur on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Eat Real Food
I am a fan of science, yet find it incredibly frustrating how confusing the studies are about nutrition and how best to fuel our bodies. What all research seems to agree on, however, is that what we eat has a profound effect on our health and well-being.
The Science seems to be clear about the health benefits of eating Real Food, Prioritizing Real Food, getting quality sleep and weight training has a positive impact on our overall health.
Real Foods are essentially any foods that are found in their most natural state. Including:
Fruits and Vegetables
Meat, Poultry & Seafood
Eggs
Nuts and Seeds
Olive Oil & Coconut Oil
What is not Real Food?
Foods with added sugar
Foods with flour
Packaged food
When you are grocery shopping, you will find most Real Food along the perimeter of the store.
Getting Started
How can I incorporate more Real Food into my everyday life?
It may be worthwhile to take an inventory of the food you and your family are eating throughout the week and figure out what percentage is Real Food and what percentage is not. Knowledge is power and this step alone may be all you need to start adjusting your grocery list.
If you are not sure what ingredients are in the food you are eating, take a few minutes to read the nutritional label. Do you recognize all the ingredients? Is sugar or flour listed in the first five ingredients? Let’s be honest - can you even pronounce all the ingredients?
I recommend creating an intentional strategy regarding which foods are visible and easily accessible to you and your family. You will want your Real Food to be clean, cut, and ready to grab, while other foods are stored away, out of sight.
What might this look like?
Storing a fruit bowl on the counter.
Having cut veggies in the fridge and immediately visible when you open the door.
Having single-serving size snacks available for you and your kids to grab:
Nuts
Apple slices with peanut butter
Cut up peppers with hummus
Carrot "chips" with a Real Foods based dip
Beef Sticks with minimal additives
As you and your family transition to more Real Foods, you may find it helpful to have fewer processed foods in the house. There is a lot of truth to the saying, “out of sight, out of mind”.
Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks
One strategy for transitioning kids to more Real Foods, without taking away any processed foods, is to let things take their natural course. Add in more and more Real Foods and over time, kids and parents alike are more apt to choose those foods over other options. You can also use real foods to create what we typically recognize as processed foods, including cookies and other baked goods.
Additional Thoughts:
There is growing evidence that a high-protein, low-sugar, no-additive diet is best for minimizing the negative symptoms of ADHD.
When working with students, we talk a lot about the importance of making sure all meals and snacks include protein. If you are hungry, you aren't going to be able to focus well. Having healthy snacks available is a smart work strategy.
If you are struggling with your mental health or have an autoimmune condition, you may also want to look into the Carnivore Diet. The science around this is worth noting.
Additional Resources
I love a 30-Day Challenge. I feel like it's a relatively short period of time, but does seem to be long enough to determine if something is having a positive impact.
If you want to jump-start your journey into eating Real Food, you may want to look into the Whole 30 Challenge! If you try it, I would love to hear how you think it's impacted your health, concentration, and your life.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Why Weight Training Matters
At the core, Happy Spaces is about supporting clients and initiatives with meaningful projects that add value to the world. Without our health, this work isn't possible.
Photo by Colton Sturgeon on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Why Weight Training Matters
At the core, Happy Spaces is about supporting clients and organizations with meaningful projects that add value to the world. Without our health, this work isn't possible.
The research continues to show the value weight training adds to our health, especially as we get older.
Just a few of the health benefits of weight training, include:
Maintains muscle mass
Improves heart and brain health
Helps manage blood sugar
Makes your bones stronger
Promotes greater mobility and flexibility
Reduces fall risk*
Boosts mood
Promotes a better quality of life
*Pro tip: Did you know that falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among adults 65 and older, according to the CDC?
"Time and health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.”
- Denis Waitley
Getting Started
As I am sure you know by now, I am always looking for the most efficient and effective method for everything I do.
Based on my research, the weight training program Body by Science, by Doug McGuff, provides the greatest health benefits with the least amount of time invested.
The time factor is extremely important for habits, such as weight training, where the value is only present as long as you continue the habit.
What is the Body By Science Workout Program?
You will complete a full-body workout, lasting about 12 minutes, using specific weight machines in the gym.
The exercises should include:
The Seated Row
The Chest Press
The Pulldown
The Overhead Press
The Leg Press
You will perform each repetition as slowly as you can while continuing to move smoothly through the exercise. It should take you between 10 and 30 seconds to do a complete rep.
You will only perform one set of each exercise, but you will perform it to complete muscle failure. That means you need to do it until you literally can't do it anymore. It is recommended that you use weight machines, as opposed to free weights, so that you remain safe while pushing your muscles to failure.
You will measure how long you are able to perform each exercise, not how many reps you are able to complete. You should be able to perform each exercise for between 40 seconds and 2 1/2 minutes. You want to write down how long you perform each exercise, so you can track your progress and know when it's time to raise the weight.
You should aim to have as little rest as possible between each exercise.
It's important to get enough rest between workouts. It is recommended that you rest for between 5 and 14 days between workouts. Interestingly, the more fit you are, the more rest you likely need.
What I love most about this workout is that I only need to do it once a week and I am literally in and out of the gym in 20 minutes. The potential downside is that it is hard. For it to work, it's going to hurt a little. No pain, no gain (or something like that).
Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks
I would highly recommend the book. It's very informative and gives you plenty of information to start on your own.
For the workout to be most effective, it is important to reach "total muscle failure". This is hard to do on your own. If you can find a partner, that would make the workout more effective.
Another option is to hire a trainer. Since this is a workout you only need to do once a week, a trainer may fit into your budget a little easier. Here is a directory of trainers that supports this workout program.
If you try this, I would love to hear what you think! It's definitely changed my life for the better.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Why Sleep Should Be Your #1
We live in a culture that glorifies burning the midnight oil, pushing through no matter what and the mentality, "I'll sleep when I'm dead." But, why?
Photo by Sidhra Ibrahim on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Why Sleep Should Be Your #1
When I meet with clients, both individuals, and students, our work is focused on them achieving their project and academic goals, as well as creating more time for what matters.
We always start off our session by reviewing the last week, how it went, and why it was successful or challenging. There are more reasons than I could list here for why clients feel like they were successful; however, when we are reviewing a week where they felt they did not reach their goals, the most common reason stated revolves around poor sleep.
We live in a culture that glorifies burning the midnight oil, pushing through no matter what, and the mentality, "I'll sleep when I'm dead."
How ironic that not getting the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, will likely lead to an earlier death.
“If you can't measure it, you can't improve it.”
- Peter Drucker
Getting Started
Matthew Walker, author of Why We Sleep, teaches readers about the importance of sleep, the consequences of not getting enough sleep, and how one can improve their sleep.
Below are some valuable takeaways:
The shorter your sleep, the shorter your life span.
Asking your teenager to go to bed and fall asleep at 10 PM is the circadian equivalent of asking you, their parent, to go to sleep at 7 or 8 PM.
Quality sleep becomes more difficult as we age, but it’s still as important.
The brain can never recover all the sleep it has been deprived of. We cannot accumulate sleep debt throughout the week and catch up on the weekends.
Caffeine blocks the sleepiness signal normally communicated to the brain by adenosine.
Alcohol fragments sleep, therefore sleep is not continuous and not restorative.
Learning Impact:
Sleep is beneficial to learning. It frees up space for new memories and helps us remember new information.
Sleep is like clicking the “save” button. It protects newly acquired information against forgetting.
Sleep salvages memories that appeared to have been lost soon after learning.
Students who stay up late cramming for tests experience a 40% deficit in their ability to make new memories relative to those that get a full nights sleep.
Increasing sleep by way of delayed school start times increases class attendance, reduces behavioral and psychological problems, and decreases substance and alcohol use.
It’s estimated that more than 50% of all children with an ADHD diagnosis actually have a sleep disorder.
Health Impact:
Getting enough quality sleep is even more important to our physical and mental health than diet and exercise.
The less you sleep, the more you are likely to eat.
Insufficient sleep is linked to obesity.
Chronic sleep deprivation is one of the major contributors to Type 2 Diabetes.
Short sleep causes the body to deplete muscle mass and retain fat.
Adults 45+ who sleep <6 hours per night are 200% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared to those who sleep 7-8 hours.
Your immune response suffers after a single night of reduced sleep.
Safety Impact:
Vehicle accidents caused by drowsy driving exceed those caused by alcohol and drugs combined.
After being awake for nineteen hours, people who were sleep-deprived were as cognitively impaired as those who were legally drunk.
If sleep is so important, why don't we prioritize it more as a society?
I think the culture around sleep is starting to change, but there is still a long way to go.
Below are just a few of the successful individuals who prioritize sleep and are not afraid to talk about it.
Arianna Huffington
Jeff Bezos
Howard Stern
Roger Federer
Tom Brady
Prioritizing sleep is hard and can feel like a losing battle, but I would argue it's worth the effort. You got this!
Understanding your sleep cycles.
I have been using the Oura ring for about three years and have found a lot of value in being able to accurately track my sleep.
It has helped me understand the impact eating within 4-6 hours of sleep has on my quality of sleep, understand better why I may feel tired even though I got the minimum 7 hours of sleep (I usually didn't get enough deep sleep), and motivates me to continuously focus on prioritizing sleep.
Magnesium is also shown to support better sleep. I have personally found the supplement Magnesi-Om helpful. Note: always talk to your doctor before starting a new supplement.
Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks
What if you have trouble sleeping?
Prioritize a healthy morning routine, evening routine, and exercise.
Establish a regular bedtime and wake-up time, even on weekends.
Shortly after waking, go outside and get 2-10 minutes of early-morning sun exposure.
Have caffeine about an hour and a half after waking and then cut it off for the remainder of the day.
Keep in mind that decaffeinated beverages still have caffeine.
Avoid daytime napping.
Try to exercise for 30 minutes a day, but not within 2-3 hours of bedtime.
Evening blue LED light has twice the harmful impact on nighttime melatonin suppression than warm, yellow light from old incandescent bulbs.
Don't look at any screens an hour before bed.
Go to bed only when sleepy and avoid sleeping on the couch in the early/mid-evenings.
Maintain complete darkness throughout the night.
Never lie awake in bed for a significant period of time. If you wake up and can't fall back to sleep, get out of bed and read until you start to feel sleepy.
Don't let your anxiety go unchecked.
Reduce anxiety-provoking thoughts and worries.
Meditate each morning.
Take 10 minutes before bed to write down all your swirling thoughts.
Don't start any stressful task or have any stressful conversations within two hours of bed.
Turn off your work at least an hour before bed.
Remove visible clock faces from view in the bedroom.
The quality of sleeping pill induced sleep is poor. You may want to try Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia first.
Additional Resources
I highly recommend the book "Why We Sleep" by Matthew Walker. If you are a "Questioner" like me, this book will answer your why.
Not familiar with Gretchen Rubin's 4 Tendencies, click here to take the quiz and learn more.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Commit to a List App That’s Right for You
Commit to a list app that supports your needs.
Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Commit to a List App that Supports your Needs
I love lists!
There are many benefits to making lists. Below are just a few:
Reduce stress and anxiety
Support relaxation
Improve memory
Provide motivation
Helps one to prioritize
Foster a sense of accomplishment
While I do not believe in a one size fits all solution, there are many downsides to having your master lists on paper.
A few common disadvantages to keeping a paper list system are:
There are often many lists on many loose pieces of paper.
You may not be able to find the list at the moment you need it.
You may waste time looking for the list you need.
Items on the list often get duplicated because the lists are hard to locate at the moment you need them.
There may be a lot of wasted time.
It's common to have 50 items on your "To Do" list. After you cross off a number of items, one usually likes to start a fresh list with only the pending items and space to add new items. This process takes time.
It's common for clients who keep a paper list system, to also use a paper planner. Often, when a new "To-Do" item pops into one's head, one will simply add it to their paper planner. At the end of the week, everything listed in the paper planner either needs to be transferred to the next week or to their paper list system. NOTE: Many clients find value in using a paper planner. What we do try to minimize is the time spent transferring uncompleted items to the next week.
Most list systems need many categories to function well. If you use a notebook for your list system, you would need to use a separate page for each list. For example: To Do at Work. To Do at Home. To Do for the Kids. There can be a lot of time lost flipping to the page with the corresponding list. Or, if you can't find the corresponding list fast enough, you may add the item to a list that doesn't really fit, causing your system to not be as effective.
You may not have your list available to add to when you need it.
My favorite benefit to using a list system is getting the idea or thought out of one's head and into a system that your brain can trust. However, we all know our brains think of ideas at the strangest times. If you use a paper list system, you may not have access to the list at the time the thought appears.
You cannot share lists in real-time.
It's common for couples to both want to add items to a shopping list, but then only one of them will go to the store. If you use a paper list system, both individuals cannot add items to the same list at the same time.
If you are working on a group project, you won't have real-time access to what items are completed and what items are still pending.
Getting Started
I highly recommend choosing a list app that fits your needs and committing to it.
There are many list apps available. My recommendation is to not get bogged down with picking the perfect app, but rather choose one and commit to using it.
There are two features I highly recommend your list app include:
The app should be available on all devices you use, including your phone, tablet, and computer.
The list app should have the option to share lists. Even if you don't need this feature now, you may need it in the future and you don't want to have to spend time transferring all your lists to a new system if you don't have to.
Below are a few common list apps:
Trello - This is what I use.
Microsoft To Do
Google Tasks
Todoist
Things
OmniFocus
TickTick
Habitica
Additional Resources
I highly recommend the book, "Getting Things Done" by David Allen. This book will support your thinking, in how to categorize your lists, so that they function best for your needs.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
The key to successfully transitioning to a new list system is creating new habits around how you use it.
Below are some tips to support you in implementing a list app:
Be patient with yourself.
If you make an impromptu list on paper, no worries! Just transfer it to your list app at the end of the day.
Understand that your system will evolve over time. Create list categories based on what you think will work and then update it as you know what works better.
Schedule time on your calendar to review and update your lists weekly.
This may be the hardest part, but this step is critical. It is key to trusting your system and making a plan that prioritizes what's important and not just what's urgent.
If you are struggling with this, do it with a friend on Zoom or schedule a FocusMate.
When getting started, I recommend scheduling a shorter time for this review, such as 20 minutes. It should feel less overwhelming. Remember, done is better than perfect.
For perspective, I spend two hours each week "Planning", which includes reviewing my lists. Over time, you will see how long you need to "Plan" and if it's better for you to do it in one sitting or multiple.
If you love making paper lists and then crossing items off, you can still do that!
The list app should be your master list. It should be available to you anytime, anywhere. I fully support you writing down your 3 to 5 "Daily Wins" and then crossing them off as you complete them.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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The Value of Letting Go
As someone who loves to feel in control, this one is hard for me.
Photo by Pedro Lastra on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
The Value of Letting Go
As someone who loves to feel in control, this one is hard for me.
In 2016, I left my secure corporate job with health insurance to launch Happy Spaces. It was the largest risk I had ever taken and I was committed to making it work.
For the first few years, I did EVERYTHING myself. This gave me the opportunity to understand how every part of my business works and shape each piece exactly how I wanted it.
However, this also delayed a lot of new ideas from being implemented quickly and caused me to spend a lot of time on tasks that someone else could do both faster and better.
The light bulb moment for me was in 2018. I decided I wanted to redo my website, but was dreading how long and painful the process would be. In 2016, I built the Happy Spaces website myself on Squarespace. Overall, Squarespace does a great job of providing templates, which is the only reason I was able to figure it out. But every variation I made to the template would take me hours to implement.
As luck would have it, I was having lunch with some fellow Professional Organizers, and the conversation turned to websites and if anyone had a website designer they would recommend. A shout out to Paizhe, who said she highly recommends Lindsey, with LM Design, and would be happy to make an introduction.
This was the first time I decided to delegate as the owner of Happy Spaces and it was life-changing. Lindsey was able to implement my ideas quickly and better than I ever could have. And when I think of a change that I want to make, it is completed almost as fast as I can send the email. I also learned that delegation isn't all or nothing. I still write and choose all the content. I still log in to Squarespace and make small changes. But, I always know Lindsey is available to help, no matter how big or small the request.
Then came 2020. Covid put many of our lives on hold, but it also helped many of us think outside the box. I have never been that interested in Social Media and this showed in Happy Spaces’ social presence.
In May 2020, Margaret Canty had just graduated from college with a Marketing Degree and a love for Social Media. Why not see if Margaret wants to join the Happy Spaces team and manage our social presence? Today, Margaret and I decide on the content together as a team, but she executes all the posts. Another big win!
You may be wondering about this Weekly Blog? I started thinking about putting out a weekly blog in 2019. I even created an email template and wrote the first post. But I soon became overwhelmed with how much time I would need to invest. Then I met Nicole, who has a passion for email marketing and enjoys a new productivity hack as much as I do. While I continue to write these weekly blogs, Nicole makes the rest of the process happen. Without Nicole, these blogs would still be a great idea that never saw the light of day.
What is the value of delegating?
It allows you to focus on your strengths
Feel more motivated and energized
More efficient
Improve overall performance
Allows others to grow and develop
Getting Started
Delegation does take time to implement, but it's worth it.
I am a believer that everyone should have some understanding of all core processes that they are ultimately responsible for. This can be as simple as having the person you delegate the task to walk you through their process and write out the processes and procedures for their responsibilities.
You also want to make sure you have access to all the systems they are using. For example, if you hire someone to build and manage your website, make sure you can also log in and access everything.
Anything can happen and you want to make sure you can transition the responsibility as smoothly as possible, if necessary.
For your business, some common responsibilities that can be delegated are:
Marketing
Social Media
Website Management
Bookkeeping
Finances
For life, some common responsibilities that can be delegated are:
Cleaning
Laundry
Grocery Delivery
Meal Kits
Transportation for your children
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Take the time to find the right person and work with them to meet your expectations. Make sure to schedule the time to make this happen.
If you delegate responsibility and it's just not working, you may need to find a new person. Don't give up!
Make sure all processes and procedures are documented. Roles and responsibilities change all the time - if someone you delegate to decides to move on, it’s better to have their process documented than reinvent the wheel. Plus, if you have to, you can handle the responsibility for awhile with proper documentation.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
Follow Me
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Create Your Personal Mission Statement
A personal mission statement is a tool to discover your purpose in life, as well as a roadmap in your search for meaning.
Photo by Mark Tegethoff on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Create Your Personal Mission Statement
The New Year is right around the corner! What better way to welcome in 2023 than by creating your personal mission statement? A personal mission statement is a tool to discover your purpose in life, as well as a roadmap in your search for meaning.
“Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.”
- Victor Frankl
Getting Started
A Personal Mission Statement includes three parts; the Mission Statement, the Vision Statement, and your List of Values.
What is a Personal Mission Statement?
A Personal Mission Statement describes who you are and what you value.
Below are some questions that will help guide you in writing your Personal Mission Statement:
Who am I?
What am I all about?
How would I describe my best self?
What matters most to me?
What strengths do I have?
Who has served as a positive role model in my life and why did they have a significant impact on me?
What qualities do other people admire in me?
What unique gifts do I have?
What is a Vision Statement?
A Vision Statement describes who you are working to become and what are your hopes and dreams.
Below are some questions to help guide you in writing your Vision Statement:
What does success look like?
What does success feel like?
If I had unlimited resources, time, and money, what would I choose to do?
When I allow myself to dream, what do I see myself doing or accomplishing?
How do I want to grow?
What am I passionate about?
What do I want to experience in life?
Who do I enjoy spending time with?
What brings me joy?
What am I good at?
Of the current activities that I participate in, which provides the greatest value?
What things do I want to have in my life that I feel are important?
What legacy do I want to leave behind?
How do I want to be remembered?
What are your Values?
Below are some questions to help you discover the Values you want to guide your life.
What qualities and values are important to me?
What characteristics in others do I want to emulate?
What kind of person do I want to become?
Who has served as a positive role model in my life and what qualities would I like to emulate in them?
What qualities in others frustrate or disappoint me?
I would recommend scheduling 45 minutes on your calendar to create your Personal Mission Statement, Vision Statement, & List of Values.
This list does not need to be perfect. This is a living document that should be reviewed and updated as you grow.
A great day to review and update your Personal Mission Statement is New Year's Day. It's much more meaningful and lasting than New Year's Resolutions, yet has the same purpose for growth.
After creating your Personal Mission Statement, Vision Statement & List of Values, be sure to post them somewhere visible. These principles should guide your daily decisions and actions.
If you live with other family members, I would recommend also creating a Family Mission Statement, Family Vision Statement, and a List of Family Values.
Additional Resources
I highly recommend the book, "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl.
This book will inspire you, as well as help you find significance in your own life.
I am also a big fan of the CliftonStrengths Assessment. You may want to take this assessment, prior to doing this exercise.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Choose Experiences, Not Things.
We live in a world where we are inundated with the message that we need the newest gadgets, the latest clothing trends, and the chicest home décor.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Prioritize Spending Money On Experiences Over Things
We live in a world where we are inundated with the message that we need the newest gadgets, the latest clothing trends, and the chicest home decor.
When we research an item online, we kick-start future advertisements for those items, potentially 100s of times, over the next few weeks. It's amazing how something you didn't care much about becomes so much more appealing after you have seen repeated advertisements for it. Marketers are good at their jobs!
Sometimes I have to laugh at the algorithm and how wrong the ads go.
Last month I googled the word "crochet", so I could spell it correctly on a label in a client's apartment. The next day, I started getting advertisements for classes on learning how to crochet. Good effort, though!
It turns out people don't actually care about the car you drive, how fancy your house is, or the brand of clothing you wear. I read a great example (I can't remember where I read it) about the thought process that is actually taking place when we notice something that someone else has and we want. When you see someone driving a car you aspire to own, your thought process is to imagine how cool you would be if you were driving that car, not how cool they are for owning that car. Keeping this in mind has helped me better value my purchase decisions.
With so much focus and attention on our stuff, what we have, and what we want, it's easy to forget that the research continues to show that we find more value in our experiences, not our things.
“Research from San Francisco State University found that people who spent money on experiences rather than material items were happier and felt that the money was better spent." - Forbes
Getting Started
How can we make this shift?
Step 1:
Think about what experiences add value to your life and your children's lives. Make a list of at least 10 experiences, big and small, that matter to you.
Below are some ideas:
Going to the movies
Going to museums
Taking a writing class
Painting / Pottery / Art
Playing an instrument
Trying new restaurants
Eating at your favorite restaurant
Hosting dinner with friends
Weekend Getaway
Visiting an out-of-town friend
Going abroad
Step 2:
Create a wish list of things (i.e. presents) you want. At the bottom of this list, have your list of experiences that matter to you.
Create an additional list for each of your kids.
You may also want to do this for anyone you routinely buy presents for. You will need to ask them what experiences they value. Bonus: this is a great opportunity to connect and learn more about them.
Step 3:
Before buying anything new for yourself that is a "want", I recommend adding it to your "presents" list for at least 24 hours. If it's a large ticket item, you may want to wait a week before making the purchase. This is valuable because it allows you to compare the "thing" you want to purchase to the other "things" and "experiences" on your list.
For example, you may want to purchase the newest iPhone. After adding the iPhone to your "presents" list, your thought process might be that your current iPhone works well, has the features you need, and you would rather take that $1,000 and plan a weekend trip with your best friend.
Step 4:
For the times of the year when we receive presents, such as birthdays and holidays, I would recommend listing a gift associated with each experience. This will help your friends and family know what gifts are the most meaningful.
Below are some ideas:
Going to the movies - Purchase a gift certificate to the local movie theatre or buy an annual subscription for a "Move Pass".
Going to museums - Purchase an annual museum membership.
Taking a writing class - Pay for your registration to a class you want to attend.
Painting / Pottery / Art - Pay for your registration to a class you want to attend.
Playing an instrument - Purchase lessons with an instructor you like.
Trying new restaurants - Plan a monthly dinner at a new restaurant and pay for your dinner or split it.
Eating at your favorite restaurant - Purchase a gift certificate.
Hosting dinner with friends - Order in and pay for dinner or coordinate a potluck.
Weekend Getaway - Plan a weekend getaway for you to enjoy together and split the costs.
Visiting an out-of-town friend - Pay for your airfare to visit or split the cost.
Going abroad - Pay for the hotel, your airfare, or an excursion while you are away.
It's important to note that there is value in planning the experiences. These don't have to be expensive. Having a friend plan a weekend trip, so that all you have to do is show up and split the cost, may be one of the best presents you get all year.
An added bonus to purchasing experiences over things is that it adds less clutter to your life. This is especially true with kids. So, if your parents keep purchasing toys for your kids that drive you nuts, cost you hours a week to clean up, and take up more space than you like, give the grandparents a list of experiences they can purchase for the grandkids and be sure to share pics and videos of all the joy they are experiencing thanks to their gift. Or, send your kids WITH the grandparents and take an afternoon to yourself!
What experiences do you value the most?
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Keep a Google Doc. I once had a friend tell me we are thankful to those who create registries for their upcoming wedding or new baby, but we don’t encourage a “registry” for birthdays or other gift-giving events - like buying a house! This has always stuck with me. So, create one. Then, when a friend asks what you’d like for your upcoming birthday, you can refer to your list and/or send a link.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Can One Sentence Make You Happy?
I am one of those people who loves the idea of keeping a journal, but has never really committed to making it a habit.
Photo by Caleb George on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Can a One-Sentence Journal Make You Happier?
As we enter the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and feel rather bah humbug. The last few years have been hard. It’s important to acknowledge that and find peace in where we are today.
I am one of those people who love the idea of keeping a journal, but have never really committed to making it a habit.
Then I learned about a tool called the One-Sentence Journal. What a perfect compromise to be able to record your memories without having to make a large time commitment.
Getting Started
How would one use a One-Sentence Journal?
The more I researched, the more ways I learned people were using a One-Sentence Journal.
Record a special memory from that day.
Use as a gratitude journal.
Record your dreams for the future.
Record your dreams from the night before.
Record your weight loss journey.
Record your journey starting a new business.
Record your travels.
Record your child's special moments or a funny thing they said, for them to have one day.
As someone who is very "all or nothing" I jumped in with both feet.
I purchased Gretchen Rubin's "The Happiness Project One-Sentence Journal: A Five-Year Record".
I really liked the idea of writing down a memory from each day and seeing your memories from that day for five years in a row. It turns out that a "Five-Year Journal" is another name for the "One-Sentence Journal".
In practice, I love being able to look back at the memories from random days. One challenge I found, was that many of my best memories happened while I was away, and depending on how I was traveling, it wasn't always worth it for me to pack the journal and have to carry it.
I also wanted to keep a Gratitude Journal in a One-Sentence Journal format. I decided to repurpose My Favorite Paper Planner, which I no longer had a use for since I went digital, as my Gratitude Journal.
Just pulling out this planner at night makes me happy. For me, this has worked great.
A great way to turn this tool into an activity for the whole family is for everyone to write down, on a strip of paper, their memory of the day, and place that paper in a jar. Keep it on the mantel, or somewhere everyone in your home can see it. Then, on New Year’s Eve, or another special day once a year, read the pieces of paper out loud together. It will be interesting to see which memories were important to your kids - or even your partner!
I also wanted to try keeping a Dream Journal (refer back to my earlier statement that I’m an “all or nothing” person!). Each day for that year I would write down 10 dreams or goals I had. It didn't matter how crazy they sounded.
While I have not been as consistent with the Dreams Journal, I have gained a lot from the experience. There were a number of ideas I listed out as far-fetched "dreams" that have now happened. I am certain that if I hadn't written them down, they would still be ideas floating around in my head. This exercise only takes a few minutes each day, but it has pushed me to take note of my dreams, write them down, and actually think about what it would mean if I could make that dream happen.
So, what I am doing today:
As we all know, life has many different speeds. There are busy seasons and slow seasons.
Today, on most days, I use My Favorite Paper Planner. I write about gratitude, at least 3 days a week. On other days, I write about a special memory I want to preserve.
When life slows down a little, as I am sure it will in the dead of winter, I will likely pull out the Dream Journal and maybe answer a few more of the Journal Questions each night.
Do you think a One-Sentence Journal could add value to your life?
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
As I wrote about in The Science of Gratitude, a gratitude practice needs to be grounded in recalling a story about an experience you are grateful for, a time you received genuine gratitude from someone else, or a time you observed someone else receiving genuine thanks. As I was researching further how journaling and gratitude can support happiness, I took a year and answered a few additional questions each night to help ground myself in the practice.
Below are the questions I found helpful, in case you want to use any of them.
Journal Questions
Think about an experience where you received genuine thanks or you observed someone else receiving genuine thanks. Describe the experience, your state of mind prior, and your state of mind after.
What did I learn or how did I grow today?
Who did I help today?
Three outcomes that I am committed to are:
Three things that I did well today are:
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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How to Keep Your Car Organized
Is your car a source of clutter for you? It's important that the car environment we create and maintain supports the life and goals we are working towards.
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
How to keep your car organized and clear of clutter.
Let me guess. You took a road trip to visit family for Thanksgiving. You’re back home and when you open that mini-van door a plethora of toys, books, coloring utensils, and french fries come pouring out (along with your children, of course). Please, don’t be embarrassed - this happens A LOT.
For many of us, we spend quite a bit of time in our car, whether there’s a holiday road trip involved or not. Therefore, it's important that the car environment we create and maintain supports the life and goals we are working towards.
I have found that focusing on the value of maintaining the car environment you want is the best place to focus.
It only takes a few minutes a day to maintain a clean car, but it can take hours to create a clean car, if you let it go for a few weeks, especially if you have kids.
Getting Started
Research says it can take up to 30 days to start a new habit. That’s all cleaning your car daily is - a new habit. It's common to want to start something new, but then repeatedly forget to make it a part of your day.
I would recommend setting an alarm on your phone, that repeats daily, to remind you to "Clear Out Car". Think about when you get home most days and set your alarm for that time.
For example, even if you work from home, you leave to take a Pilates class during your lunch hour each day and return home around 1 p.m. Set your alarm for 1 p.m. Don't worry if there are multiple days a week where the timing is different and you still forget. As long as you are going through the motions a few days a week, your brain will slowly start to create the habit of checking the car for what you need to bring in before going directly into the house.
This habit is a great life skill to teach your kids as well. Plus, the more hands the better, right?
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Keep a trash bag in the car at all times. Depending on how much trash you accumulate, you can decide what size trash bag is best.
Keep a box of trash bags in the trunk, so it is simple to grab a new bag when your current trash bag is full and you need to throw it away.
The easiest way to build a new habit, is to stack it onto a habit that is already in place. Most gas stations have a trash can right next to the pump. One option would be to throw out your trash bag every time you get gas and then start a new trash bag.
If you drink a lot of beverages that come in cans or bottles while in the car, keep a clear recycling bag in the car as well. Keep a box of those in the trunk too, so it's simple to start a new one when the bag is full.
Just like in your house, everything in your car needs a home. It's ok to keep some items in the car, but make sure they have a designated spot. I would recommend any box or bin that is open on the top. If you find it simple to remember what you are "storing" in your car, you may want a bin like this. However, if you routinely forget what you have, I would recommend getting clear bins.
Some items that may make sense to "store" in the car are reusable shopping bags, umbrellas, an extra blanket, and sports equipment you use regularly. Plus, it’s always a good idea to have an emergency kit.
You may want to have a Utility Tote Bag that is specifically for carrying items between your car and your house. It's not uncommon for items to accumulate in your car throughout the day. At the end of the day, you should bring in all items that do not "live" in your car and disperse them to their proper homes. Having a Tote Bag, that lives in your car, can help you do this in one trip.
Like any new habit, clearing out your car at the end of each day may feel overwhelming at the start. However, the more you do it, the more you will appreciate that it only takes a few minutes and it means you will never have to "clean out" your car again.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
Follow Me
Share this post
The Science of Gratitude
If you are new to mediation, the first step may be understanding what meditation is and what it is not.
Photo by Mark Tegethoff on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
The Science of Gratitude
Why does practicing gratitude matter?
There is growing scientific evidence that the practice of gratitude is what builds a "happier life". While most achievements and accomplishments may bring short-term improvements to one's mood, these improvements don't last. We quickly return to our "status quo".
Gratitude is one way to build a measurably happier life.
Below are some of the benefits of building a gratitude practice:
Benefits of Gratitude
More satisfaction with life
Builds resilience
Lowers stress
Less likely to experience burnout
Strengthens relationships
Better sleep
Better physical health
What does an effective gratitude practice look like?
Unfortunately, making a list of things you are grateful for does not seem to be that effective.
Your gratitude practice needs to be grounded in recalling a story about an experience you are grateful for, a time you received genuine gratitude from someone else, or a time you observed someone else receiving genuine thanks.
“Enjoy the little things. For one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
- Robert Brault
Getting Started
Where do I start?
Your gratitude practice needs to be grounded in a narrative that is meaningful to you.
"My gratitude practice is founded on me receiving genuine thanks."
"My gratitude practice is founded on me observing someone else receiving genuine thanks."
Think about an experience where you received genuine thanks or you observed someone else receiving genuine thanks.
Write down a few bullet points reminding you of your narrative about why gratitude is meaningful to you and how this experience impacted you.
What state of mind were you in before you received the gratitude?
What state of mind were you in after you received the gratitude?
Read what you wrote and spend one to three minutes thinking about it.
It is recommended that you complete this gratitude exercise at least three times a week.
How to make gratitude a habit:
Pick what time of day and days of the week you think will work best for you.
While the science shows that you only need to practice gratitude three days a week, you may have a much easier time being consistent if you do this habit daily or on weekdays.
Is there another current habit that you already perform at the time you picked, that you can stack your gratitude practice on top of?
It could be with your morning coffee, after you brush your teeth in the evening, or right when you get into bed at night.
Think about how you are going to remember to practice gratitude as you start to implement this new habit.
Maybe you want to leave your gratitude journal next to the coffee pot or on your bed?
You may also want to set an alarm as a reminder.
The good news is, if your goal is to practice gratitude daily, and you are successful daily-ish (3 days a week) you should experience the benefits.
Additional Resources
I highly recommend the Podcast episode, “The Science of Gratitude & How to Build a Gratitude Practice” by the Huberman Lab Podcast (Episode 47).
Here is a link if you would prefer to watch it.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
Follow Me
Share this post
Are Your Estate Documents Up To Date?
If you are new to mediation, the first step may be understanding what meditation is and what it is not.
Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Are Your Estate Documents Finalized & Up To Date?
When I was launched Happy Spaces in 2016, I imagined a career filled with organizing beautiful clothing closets, color-coded bookcases, and gourmet kitchens. What I quickly came to realize was that paper was where my clients struggled the most.
By setting up individualized paperwork systems that were easy to maintain, they were able to take care of their priorities and spend more time on what mattered most.
In setting up these systems, I was amazed at how many clients had not completed their Estate Documents. As someone who likes to plan ahead, having an Estate Plan has always been important to me. My feeling is that the more you plan for the unexpected, the less likely it is to happen, but if it does, at least you have a path to follow.
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." Benjamin Franklin
I also know that while we all plan to live long healthy lives, tragedy happens; my mother died when I was four, which was completely unexpected.
Working as a Professional Organizer, I have had the privilege of supporting families through the difficult time following the loss of a loved one. I have learned that this process is never easy, but can be so much more challenging if their estate was not in order and their wishes were not clear.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, and many of us planning to spend time with family, now might be a good time to (re)visit our estate plans.
NOTE: I am NOT a lawyer and this is not legal advice. From my experience, below are some thoughts that you may find helpful.
Getting Started
Isn’t an estate lawyer expensive?
While it is true that hiring an estate lawyer costs money, I would challenge you to think of it as a long-term investment. Think back to all the times you have invested in your health and your future - that Peloton you purchased in 2020 or the meal kits you have shipped to your house weekly. It's likely those investments are similar in cost to hiring an estate lawyer.
However, if you don't have the funds to hire an estate lawyer, there are other options. It's not all or nothing.
There are online tools that can help, such as Legal Zoom and Suze Orman's Will & Trust Kit.
Lastly, you might want to look into the benefits that your company offers. Many companies offer employee wellness programs and many of them include connecting you with an Estate Lawyer, often discounted or free as a benefit to employment, to complete your basic Estate Documents.
What estate documents do I need?
There are two types of documents and they both are equally important.
The first set of documents will support you and your family if something were to happen while you are alive and you needed help making medical and financial decisions.
Health Care Proxy / Health Care Power of Attorney - this document allows you to designate who you want to make health care decisions for you and to provide guidance for those decisions.
Living Will - this document outlines your wishes for end-of-life medical care.
Financial Power of Attorney - this document allows you to designate who you want to make financial decisions for you.
The second set of documents will support you and your family if you were to pass away.
Will - this document defines who you want to be in charge of your estate, as well as your wishes for how your assets will be dispersed.
Guardianship for Minors - it is critical that you designate who you wish to be the guardian for your children, should something happen.
Trust - there are many types of trusts. One you may want to consider is a Living Revocable Trust. By creating this trust, your family can avoid probate, both simplifying the process and avoiding extra legal fees.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
How will my family know what to do if something happens to me?
I recommend creating a "Family Manual" as a guide to your life and what's important to you. Go to happyspacesbysarah.com/services for my recommendations on what to include in your manual.
In my opinion, having an estate plan is the best present you can give those you love. Let them know what's important to you; don't make them have to guess.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Projects vs. Next Actions
You are not alone if you find yourself consistently underestimating how long tasks will take.
Photo by Thay Pellerin on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
The Value of Differentiating Projects from Next Actions
David Allen is a productivity expert who created the time management method called "Getting Things Done”.
What I love most about "Getting Things Done" and how David details it out in his books, is that you can gain value from the individual steps, even if you feel like the process, as a whole, is too much.
One step that I would recommend implementing into your day-to-day planning is differentiating between Projects and Next Actions.
What is a Project?
According to David Allen, "Projects are defined as outcomes that will require more than one action step to complete and that you can mark off as finished in the next 12 months."
What is a Next Action?
"A Next Action is the next specific, concrete thing you can do now to move a project forward," writes David Allen.
Getting Started
How do I implement a Project vs. a Next Action?
Start by creating your Project List. This list is a living document, so don't stress about forgetting to include a project.
Set a timer for 15 minutes and write down every outcome you are working to achieve in the next year.
Pro tip: Reference your calendar, to-do list, email inbox, piles of paper on your desk, and/or piles of "to-do" items lying around your office and house.
After you have created your Project List, it's time to create your Next Action List.
For each project on your Project List, list out one next action on your Next Action List. Each action should be a single step task that will move the project forward. There may be multiple single step tasks that you could do next. I recommend just picking one next action and adding it to the list.
Sample Project List
Complete Estate Documents
Plan Birthday Party for Kate
2021 Taxes
Launch Side Hustle
Return Amazon Order
Sample Next Action List
Text Jen, Dan, and Laura for recommendations on an estate lawyer.
Ask Kate what kind of party she wants.
Print out the email from my accountant listing out all the documents that are needed, gather all the documents that I have and check them off the list, and highlight all the documents that I still need to get or am still waiting on.
Schedule time on my calendar to go to the bank and open a business checking and savings account.
Go on Amazon and submit return online. Check my calendar and schedule what day I want to go to the UPS store and drop off the item.
What are the benefits to creating two separate lists, a Project List and a Next Action List?
This exercise breaks tasks down into bite size pieces that can be achieved in smaller time increments.
If you have only 5 minutes, it's easy to find a 5 minute Next Action.
Projects that are boring, but important, are easier to get started on. Just take one small baby step at a time.
You don't have to decide what Next Action to take. You already made that decision. You can save your brain power for the actual work!
Additional Resources
Below are the David Allen books that I recommend:
I listen to these books about once a year. I always find a new idea that adds value to where I am today.
These books include a lot of information. I would recommend reading or listening to the whole book first and then deciding how you want to use the strategies to improve your life.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
On a weekly basis, review both your Project List and Next Acton List. There should always be one Next Action for each Project. If you checked off the Next Action you had listed, then add a new Next Action.
While some of your Next Actions may be time sensitive, many won't be. Let your energy level guide you. If you are feeling low energy, you may want to process the Amazon return. However, if you are feeling motivated, it might be the perfect time to schedule opening your business bank accounts and then gather those boring tax documents.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Color Code Your Calendar
The key to being successful with managing your time is being able to see your time.
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Calendar hack: Color Code your Appointments by Category
I know what you’re thinking; we spend a lot of time talking about calendar hacks. But let’s be realistic, our calendars make or break our time management.
The key to being successful with managing your time is being able to see your time. Your calendar is like a puzzle. You should be able to see where each piece fits, so it's clear when and where you are going to take each action. If an action takes longer than anticipated, as they often do, you can easily see where space is open. This allows you to move tasks and actions as needed. Remember, there are only 24 hours in a day and the vast majority of us need 7 to 9 hours of sleep.
Getting Started
I highly recommend an electronic calendar. One advantage is the ability to color code all of your appointments by category. This will allow your brain to see what type of action is listed, before you even read what the appointment says.
Additional benefits to using an electronic calendar.
You can create recurring appointments.
You can see how well your time is balanced.
It's easy to move appointments around as your time shifts.
You can keep all related info in the appointment, such as location of meeting, Zoom link and whose attending.
You can accept others’ calendar invites.
You can easily create appointments, by clicking a link, after registering for an event or making a reservation.
For this to be successful, you need to make a color key that designates the color for each category.
I would recommend having this key handy when updating your calendar for the first few weeks. One option would be to list the color and category on a post-in note and keep it on your computer. It will take a little time for your brain to learn the meaning behind each color.
How does color-coding work in real life?
The first step is to spend a few minutes looking at your calendar and determining what types of categories your appointments fall into. Note: for this blog post, appointments are simply the time slot on your calendar. Appointments include meetings, tasks, doctors appointments, birthday reminders, etc.
Below are some examples:
Client / Revenue Generating Appointments
Marketing / Networking Appointments
Administrative Tasks
Growth / Business Development Appointments
Personal / Family / Fun Appointments
Birthday Reminders
The next step is to designate a color for each category.
The final step is to create a physical key, that is within your line of vision while updating your calendar, for you to reference while you implement this strategy.
Our goal here is good enough, not perfect. As you and your life grow and change, you can always update your categories and the corresponding colors. This is an easy and relatively simple strategy to implement, that can have a profound impact on managing your time.
Additional Resources
I highly recommend the book, "Time Management from the Inside Out," by Julie Morgenstern
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
I recommend using both “All Day Appointments” and “Time-Based Appointments”.
How to use "All Day Appointments"
“All Day appointments” do not block off your calendar. They sit at the top of your day.
Below are examples of how to use "All Day Appointments".
Birthday Reminders
Tasks that have to happen on a certain day, but are not time specific and should take fifteen minutes or less.
For example: Make a doctor's appointment, schedule a call with your accountant, or buy a birthday present.
If you implement this strategy, it is important that you have time designated (open) on your calendar to do these daily tasks each day.
Actions that you need to take on a repeated basis, but are not time specific and will take longer than fifteen minutes.
For example, if you pay your bills once a month between the 15th and the 25th, you may want to have a reoccurring "All Day Appointment" each month on the 15th.
When you check your calendar on the week of the 15th, I would recommend creating a “Time-Based Appointment” to set a specific time within your week.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Have You Tried Time Blocking?
Time Blocking is a common tool for improving Time Management.
Photo by Courtney Corlew on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Have You Tried Time Blocking?
Time Blocking is a common tool for improving Time Management.
There are two main advantages to using this tool:
You can clearly see when you are planning to work on your tasks and for how long.
By setting Time Blocks for the tasks that you are prioritizing, it is easier to see where to reschedule the Time Block, if your planned time did not happen or was not long enough.
What tasks should you Time Block?
I would recommend scheduling Time Blocks for all deep work that you plan to prioritize for the week.
I would also recommend scheduling Time Blocks for Project work. This may or may not be deep work. It's important to schedule time to work on long-term projects, so that they feel less overwhelming and are not left to the last minute.
You may also want to schedule Time Blocks for:
Prep - Prior to scheduled meetings, it can be helpful to review your notes and determine what you want to gain from the meeting.
Post Meeting Download - Following your meetings or client calls, it is beneficial to take 5 - 15 minutes to update your notes and add each follow-up task to your Action lists.
Small Task Time Block - Set time aside for small tasks that are greater than 2 minutes, but less than 20 minute.
Email - Setting aside 2 or 3 Time Blocks each day for email will help you focus throughout the rest of your day.
All tasks that NEED to be completed within the week.
Getting Started
The Pre-Work
For many people, it is helpful to start planning on paper.
The first step is to choose a paper planner that works for you.
Your Planner should include:
A weekly view that lists out the day in at least half-hour increments.
A space to list out your priorities for that week.
The planner is a tool to help you learn:
How to Time Block
How to see what time is actually available.
How to make adjustments when "Life Happens".
For most of us, there is not a clear line between our work day and our personal time.
Understanding this, I recommend writing in all your personal and work commitments at the start.
Time Blocking is a bit of a puzzle and it's helpful to see where your open time is and where you have commitments.
Below are examples of personal responsibilities/commitments that I would recommend writing in for the first few months:
Wake Up
Shower & Get Ready
Meditate
Work Out
Drop kids at daycare
Breakfast
Pack Lunch
Lunch
Pickup kids at daycare
Cook Dinner
Dinner
Clean Kitchen
Watch TV
Go on Social Media
Grocery Shop
Laundry
Pick up Prescriptions
Check Personal Email
You may think it's strange that I included time for TV and Social Media. What I have found is that we all tend to make time for certain activities that we feel help us unwind. Whether it's going to bed later or skipping another task that you had planned to do, these activities tend to always happen, so it's important to account for them.
Let's Get Started:
You are going to need to set aside 30-60 minutes on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday to plan out the following week.
The first step is to write-in the daily tasks that you routinely do. This is critical in order to see what time is available.
Next you want to look at your electronic calendar and write in all your meetings and commitments for the next week.
At this point, it should be clear how much time you have available for your "work".
Take a look at your Action lists and Project lists and write down everything that NEEDS to be done in the next week.
Take a look at your Action lists and Project lists and write down everything that you would LIKE to work on in the next week.
Now take a look at your Action lists and Project lists and write down 1-3 items that are IMPORTANT, but that do NOT NEED to be done.
Pick 1 item that you listed as IMPORTANT and write it in your planner for the time you are going to work on it. Pick a time that you think you will be at your peak performance. For most people, this is towards the beginning of their day.
Next, write in all the tasks that NEED to be done.
Depending on how much time you still have available, you can add Time Blocks for the remaining item - tasks that you would like to work on and additional IMPORTANT tasks.
However, make sure you have at least 2 hours of open time each day. Otherwise, you are just overbooking yourself and setting yourself up for failure.
We know meetings run late and tasks often take longer than expected. It's important to plan for this.
It is important to review your planner towards the end of each day.
Are there any tasks that you did not get to?
If so, what open time slot does it make the most sense to move it to?
Are there any tasks that you worked on, but didn't finish?
Does the task need to be finished this week or can you finish it next week?
For the personal responsibilities / commitments that you blocked off time for, are these times accurate?
Were there any new tasks that were added to your plate that you need to work on this week?
Do you have time to add the new task to your week?
Do you have to take another task off your schedule, in order to make time for the new task?
When to transition to an electronic calendar:
After two to three months, many clients feel comfortable moving to an electronic calendar.
However, some clients find that it's best for them to continue to Time Block their day on paper.
The time we spend planning is well worth the investment. It allows us to be certain that we are working on our priorities, we are spacing out our effort so that the quality of our work improves, and that we are not forgetting about important tasks.
The benefits to using an electronic calendar are:
It saves time.
By using repeat calendar appointments, you don't have to start from scratch each week.
It's much quicker to move appointments around on the calendar, as your schedule changes throughout the week.
It is always available and accessible.
How to Setup your Electronic Calendar:
Review your last few weeks from your planner.
Create reoccurring appointments for the tasks that you work on daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually.
Color Code the Tasks by Category.
Schedule 30-60 minutes on Friday, Saturday or Sunday to plan out the following week.
At the end of your day, review your electronic calendar and see if any time blocks need to be moved or duplicated.
I would recommend duplicating an appointment, if you did work on it for the allotted time, but didn't finish the task.
Additional Resources
The planner I have used the most with clients, as a tool for learning how to see their time and use Time Blocking as a way to prioritize, is the Passion Planner.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Many clients have found it valuable to Time Block a 1-2 hour window each week for "Deep Work". This allows you to hold a time where you feel you will be most productive and then label it with the specific task when you are doing your weekly plan.
Many clients have also found it valuable to Time Block 1-hour once or twice a week for Action items that correspond to their Project lists. I call this my "Getting Things Done" hour. You may find it helpful for one hour to be work related and one hour to be personal. This assures that your projects are moving forward and not consistently being pushed to the back burner. Any task that you think will be 20 minutes or less, fits this category well. Since these smaller tasks don’t feel like they take that long, we tend to not schedule them, thinking we will "squeeze" them in. But how often do you have an extra 20 minutes (that you aren’t randomly scrolling social media)?
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
Follow Me
Share this post
Where Does Your Time Go?
Time is our most valuable resource.
Photo by Isaiah Bekkers on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Can You See Where Your Time is Going?
Time is our most valuable resource.
As a kid, I used to imagine that I could stop time, learn something new, and then restart the clock and magically impress everyone with my new trick. How very Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter Series of me!
How amazing would this be?
Until someone, much smarter than me, figures out how to make this dream a reality, we only have so much time.
Many of you will agree that there are seasons in life; we can have it all, but not all at once.
The challenge is not knowing how many seasons we have and deciding what can wait and what we should prioritize now.
Today we are going to focus on being able to see our time!
What is a Time Map?
For the purpose of today's exercise, a Time Map is a visual representation of all of your available time and all the specific tasks you worked on during each time slot.
The Benefits of Completing a Time Map
You can see how you're spending your time.
It will help you stay accountable.
It will guide you in deciding what changes you want to make.
It can act as a tool when meeting with your boss to discuss your performance and upcoming projects.
Getting Started
Step 1: Decide what template you want to use.
I would highly recommend doing this exercise by hand.
You are welcome to use this template or to create your own. If you would prefer to have this template in Excel, so that you can adjust the start and end times, please email me at Sarah@HappySpacesBySarah.com.
The template should include all hours you are awake and should list out those times for an entire week.
Please make sure to include your days off.
For example, if you wake up at 5:30AM on weekdays and go to bed at 10:00PM, but on weekends go to bed at 1:00AM and wakeup whenever the kids come in, then your template needs to start at 5:30AM and end at 1:00AM.
Step 2: Decide what week you want to do this exercise.
I would recommend choosing a week that is pretty typical. Don't choose a week where you know you are going to be feeling overwhelmed, but also don't choose a week where it's quieter than normal.
You can start on whatever day will be easiest for you. If you always feel overwhelmed on Mondays, maybe you want to start on a Tuesday, or even a Thursday.
Put it on your calendar!
Step 3: Print out your template and put it somewhere visible, where it is easy to update throughout the day.
Make sure you have a pen or pencil with your template.
Step 4: Fill out your template for one week.
You want to write-in each task you are doing during the corresponding time slot.
It's helpful to have smaller time slots, so you can be more specific. I would recommend starting with 30-minute time slots. For some, it can be helpful to use a template with 15-minute time slots.
Step 5: Analyzing your Time Map
Take a few minutes to review your Time Map and the tasks that you listed throughout the week.
Make a list of the categories each task falls under.
Below are some common categories:
Connecting with Family & Friends
Community / Spirituality / Giving Back
Health
Home
Administrative Tasks
Financial Tasks
Maintenance Tasks
Restorative Time
Work
Emails
Administrative Tasks
Marketing Tasks
Growth Tasks
Meetings
Project Work / Deep Work
Quality Time with Kids
Quality Time with Partner
Assign a color to each category.
You can either use highlighters to color code each task with it's corresponding category color or you can type your Time Map into Excel and highlight it electronically.
After color coding your Time Map, ask yourself the below questions:
Which category am I spending the most time on?
Which category am I spending the least time on?
Are there any categories that are important to me, but didn't even make the Time Map?
What is one category that I want to spend more time on?
What is one category that I want to spend less time on?
What’s next?
For the category you want to spend more time on:
Decide what corresponding project, task, or activity you want to do next week to meet your goal.
Plan it out.
If you want to spend more quality time with your partner, your plan may include:
Asking your partner what they want to do?
Asking your partner when they are available?
Hiring a babysitter
Making a reservation
Purchasing tickets
If you want to spend more time working on an important work project:
Block off your calendar for the least amount of time you need to meet your goal.
Treat this time like it's your most important meeting because that is exactly what you are determining it is!
Do NOT cancel or move this Time Block, other than for a TRUE emergency.
Put it on the calendar and invite all participants. Yes, including friends and family.
For the category that you want to spend less time on:
List out the specific tasks that need to get done.
Review the list of tasks that need to get done.
Are there any tasks that you can delegate?
Delegate Options
Can your partner or another associate do it?
Can your babysitter or your assistant do it?
Can you hire someone to do it?
Can you automate it, so that it takes a lot less time going forward?
If there is one task that can be delegated or automated, make implementing that your priority for next week.
List out the tasks that you sometimes do under this category, but do not NEED to do.
Make a DO NOT DO list for all the tasks that do not need to get done next week.
Choose an accountability partner and let them know what's on your DO NOT DO List.
Set a date and time that you are going to call them at the end of the week to check-in and let them know how you did. This can be a 5 minute phone call, but it's important that you personalize this so that you feel more accountable.
Remember, work can be a means of procrastination. It's not about getting more done, it's about getting the important stuff done.
Additional Resources
I highly recommend the book, "Time Management from the Inside Out" by Julie Morgenstern.
I originally recommended Julie’s book in the post Are You Making Time for What Matters Most? and cannot say enough great things about it.
This book breaks down Time Management into bite-size ideas and provides specific actions you can take to see improvements in your life.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Set your alarm! Set three to five alarms throughout the day to remind yourself to stop and fill in your Time Map.
Remember, it's not all or nothing. The goal is not to write down EVERY single task you do. That's not realistic. The goal is to write down enough tasks so that you have enough information to see where your time is going and how you can make adjustments to live your best life.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.