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.

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PROJECT OF THE WEEK

Most of us like being in control.

I think the hardest part about COVID was that we all felt like we had no control over anything — our health, careers, finances, or family's well-being.

I know my love/need for control stems from the feeling of not having control growing up, which I felt resulted in bad things happening.

As an adult, this is a double-edged sword.

Creating a life full of structure, routines, and habits makes me feel in control and brings me a lot of peace and success.

The need to feel in control can also make it hard to delegate and accept help.

I know it has for me.

Getting Started

One strategy that has helped me is to decide what really matters.

If it doesn't really matter, I can either let it go or share the responsibility.

While I write the content for this blog, I share the remaining responsibility with the AMAZING Nicole Morelle. The blog is SO much better because of Nicole!

For my website, while I write the content, I share the remaining responsibility with the TALENTED Lindsey Morano. And my website is only possible because of Lindsey! Did you see the 2016 version I did myself.? Yikes.

This strategy is also helpful at home. When I work with families, we work together to decide the purpose of each responsibility, discuss how everyone wants to fulfill the purpose, and then decide who is responsible.

The goal of loading dishes into the dishwasher is to wash them thoroughly without breaking. If your 8-year-old is accomplishing this goal by loading the dishwasher like a crazed raccoon, then this is not a responsibility you should micro-manage. The dishes don’t have to be put into the dishwasher in perfect uniformity to get the job done.

The goal of kids picking up their rooms may be to create a calm space. It's important that you and your child decide together what 'calm' looks like. Calm may mean a clear floor other than a pile of books next to the bed, the comforter laid out flat but not perfectly made, and a drawer for each category of clothes. Giving up control over your kids' rooms and allowing them to learn how to maintain a calm room is a gift and worth the work.

The goal of doing laundry is to have clean clothes. So if your teenagers want to throw everything in the machine together in cold water, why not?

There is value in being in control, and there is also a lot of value in letting go. The magic is in how you balance it!

Ready to Get Started?

If you feel excited about implementing this strategy and want some additional accountability and support to get started, the It’s All in the Planning Starter Pak was designed for you!

get started

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.

Do You Need to Feel in Control?