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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.
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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.
Follow Me
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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.
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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
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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.
Follow Me
Share this post
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.
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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.
Follow Me
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Can Multi-Tasking Add Value?
Do you ever find it strange how a single action can be simultaneously described as a super-power and a very inefficient use of your time?
Photo by Fivos Avgerinos 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 Multi-Tasking Add Value?
Do you ever find it strange how a single action can be simultaneously described as a super-power and a very inefficient use of your time?
I often feel like this about the term multi-tasking.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines multi-tasking as "the performance of multiple tasks at one time".
When looking closely at the definition, I think some of the confusion comes more into focus.
The brain cannot perform multiple tasks, that involve thought, at the same time.
If you look a little closer at the individuals who actually appear to be great at multitasking, what you will find is that they are skilled at switching between tasks. Some of this may be natural and some of it may be systems they setup so that they can switch between tasks effectively.
An example of this would be someone working at the Front Desk of a hotel. They may have a list of items that they need to take care of, while also caring for the hotel guests that need service. While it may appear that they are multi-tasking, by checking a guest in, taking care of an item on their list, and then helping another guest with a housekeeping request, what is actually happening is that they are slowly working through their list, pausing when a guest needs assistance, and then going back to their list when they have finished caring for the guest.
Getting Started
Depending on the career you chose, it may be important to be able to switch between tasks quickly. In fact, you may love the fast pace environment this type of work provides. However, I would note, that while this can be a valuable and necessary skill, there is always time lost in switching between tasks.
The good news is, I think there is value to be gained from multi-tasking. The pitfalls of multi-tasking revolve around actions that involve thought. However, there are many thoughtless actions we take everyday. Multi-tasking is one way to spice it up.
What boring and thoughtless activities are on your to do list?
A few ideas:
Dishes
Laundry
Cooking
Opening the Mail
Errands
Commuting
Phone Calls
Required Work Trainings
What passive activities bring you joy?
A few ideas:
Listening to music, an audiobook, or podcast
Watching your favorite TV shows
Taking a walk
Is there a passive activity you could combine with your boring tasks to make it more fun?
Below are a few ideas:
If you have required reading that you have been putting off, try listening to the book while taking a walk in nature. This is also great when listening to recorded webinars!
Do you hate doing the dishes? Listen to a fun audiobook at the same time.
Have you stopped using your Peloton? Watch your favorite TV series only while on your bike.
Not a fan of folding laundry? Make a playlist of songs you love and only listen to it when folding clothes.
There are so many combinations. Think about what can add joy to your life and help you accomplish the mundane tasks.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Keep in Mind:
For multi-tasking to work effectively, both activities need to not involve much thinking. For example, cooking may require no concentration for many of you, but this is not true for me. Listening to an audiobook, while making dinner, doesn't work for me. I am too focused on not messing up the meal, that I miss the story.
Just because an activity is boring, does not mean it's thoughtless. Email is a great example of this.
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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Do You Have a System to Manage Your Mail?
Incoming mail is one of the most common sources of overwhelm in the homes of clients I work with.
Photo by Mourad Saadi 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
Do You Have a System to Manage Your Mail?
Incoming mail is one of the most common sources of overwhelm in the homes of clients I work with.
Mail feels as if it never stops, easily piles up (it does!), and most people just don’t want to look at it or deal with it.
Getting Started
Below is the system I setup with clients:
Decide what day(s)you are going to check your mail.
If you live in a house, this may have to be daily.
However, if you live in an apartment building with a mailroom, I would recommend picking one or two days a week to get the mail.
Open all the mail before you "bring it into your home".
This step is critical. Do not get the mail if you do not have enough time to do this step. For many clients, this only takes 5 minutes; however, if you get a lot of mail, it may take 15 minutes.
If you live in an apartment building, with a mailroom, I recommend opening your mail in the mailroom. There should be a recycling bin in the mailroom.
If you live in a home, I recommend having a set place you go to immediately to open the mail.
Places to open the mail:
Mailroom
Front Entrance Table
Kitchen Island
Kitchen Table
Home Office
Dinning Room Table
The place you choose to open your mail, should be conveniently located near your paper recycling bin, your shredder and your "Inbox", where you keep mail that needs "To Be Reviewed".
When opening your mail, you should create three piles.
Recycle
Shred
To Be Reviewed
It is important to have a set of rules for what mail you are going to review and what you are comfortable immediately recycling or shredding. This step is the key to reducing the feeling of overwhelm, when picking up the mail.
For Example:
Shred without opening: All pieces of mail that are clearly junk mail.
Recycle: Specific catalogs, promotional mail from your alma mater, donation requests and all envelopes.
If you have any hesitation about deciding if something should be recycled or shredded, just shred it.
It's fine to shred items, without opening them, if you are 100% confident you don't need to look at them. If you have any hesitation, go ahead and open it first.
All items in your "To Be Reviewed Pile" should be opened and ready to be reviewed.
Recycle all items in your "Recycle" pile.
Shred all items in your "Shred" pile.
I do recommend you buy a shredder. They are not expensive and you can find small ones that don't take up much space.
Place all items from your "To Be Reviewed" pile in your "Inbox".
You may need to buy a box or basket, to create a home for your "Inbox". The box or basket should be at least 9 inches by 12 inches and should be open on the top. Many clients have preferred a box that was a bit larger, such as 10 inches by 14 inches.
Your "Inbox" should live in the space where you will process the tasks that the "To Be Reviewed" pile includes.
Schedule a time on your calendar to process your "Inbox" once a week.
I would start with 20 minutes a week, so that it feels less overwhelming.
After a few months, you may want to adjust this to a time that is more realistic, based on how many items are in your "Inbox".
It's important to review your "Inbox" on a weekly basis. However, It may work best for you to process different items at different times. For example, you may decide to only process your bills on the third week of the month.
Additional Resources
I highly recommend the blog by Dawn George Organizing, “How to Opt-Out of Mail, E-Mail & Phone Calls.”
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
It's common that many of the items that end up in your "Inbox" would not have been added to the your To-Do List, if they hadn't come in the mail. I give you permission to let these go.
For example: Catalogs, Donation Solicitations, Alumni Magazines
Letting these items go physically, doesn't mean they never happen. It does mean it's more intentional.
For example: Catalogs - Create a list of you favorite places to shop. When you need something, reference that list to see where to go online.
For example: Donation Solicitations - Create a list of charities you want to support. Decide how much you want to give each month and make donations a part of your process for managing your monthly bills. Many charities have a recurring giving option on their website and will charge a credit card each month in a specified amount.
For example: Alumni Magazine - I recommend having some rules around how long you are allowed to keep this, without reading it. If a new Alumni Magazine arrives before you have read the last Alumni Magazine, which is living in your "Inbox", you must recycle the old Alumni Magazine, before adding the new one to your "Inbox". If you find that 6 months have gone by and you haven't read the Alumni Magazine, you might want to set a rule to recycle it right away.
I recommend taking some time to reduce your incoming mail.
Are you still receiving statements for bills that are on AutoPay?
In most cases, it would be beneficial to switch these statements to email delivery.
If you need the statement for your taxes, you may want to continue getting it in the mail.
If you rarely look at your email, it may also be beneficial to continue getting the statement in the mail. Once you have reviewed it, you can shred it.
For Reducing Junk Mail -
I recommend PaperKarma. It is a paid service that will eliminate the majority of junk mail you receive. It may take between 90 days and 6 months to go into full effect, depending on how far in advance the materials were printed and addressed.
You can also call each individual company and request to be removed from their mailing list and to not have your info sold. This is very effective, but also very time consuming.
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 Secret to Staying Organized
How many times have you spent all day Sunday cleaning your room, to find the floor covered with stuff a week later?
Photo by mohammad alizade 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 Secret to Staying Organized
As a Certified Professional Organizer, I am often asked what is the secret to staying organized.
The key word being "staying".
How many times have you spent all day Sunday cleaning your room, to find the floor covered with stuff a week later?
The secret is two part: letting go of all the extra stuff and making sure every items has a clearly designated home.
Getting Started
Part One: Why letting go matters?
The more things you own, the more things you need to "organize".
When working with clients, I am often asked, "How long do you spend putting things away?"
The reality is not very long.
In fact, I spend much less time "picking-up" than my clients do.
Pop culture loves to promote minimalism as owning as little as possible. But, they are missing the point. Minimalism is all about being intentional about what you choose to bring into your life.
Letting go of all the stuff that is not adding value to your life will save you time. Kids toys are an easy example to use. Your kids have a play kitchen with play food. They love to dump it all out, play with it (usually for just few minutes) and then forget about it.
It's up to you how much play food is available for them dump out and then subsequently needs to be picked up.
Do your kids play with the food longer if there are 75 food items verse 25 food items?
In my experience, they don't. But it will take longer to pick-up 75 food items!
Letting go, reduces the amount of stuff you need to "pick-up" and "put away". This makes staying organized a lot easier.
Ironically, letting go usually saves people money too!
How many times have you bought something, only to find out you had 3 more of them at home?
Part Two: Every item needs a home.
You need to know exactly where every item you own lives. It's important that the homes you create are easily accessible and clear.
As I mentioned earlier, my clients are often shocked when I let them know that I don't designate any time, on a weekly basis, to "pick-up" the house.
Instead, I take 5 - 10 minutes when I come home to put away everything I brought in. This includes everything from the jacket I am wearing, to my new Target purchases, to the items in my work bag.
I also spend 5-10 minutes every morning putting away the dishes in the kitchen.
I know what you’re thinking: "This idea sounds great, but it can't possibly only take 10 minutes when you get home to put everything away?"
The good news is, If you create clear accessible homes for all your stuff, it can! Simply designate exactly where the item will live. Depending on how often you use that item, will determine how accessible it needs to be.
If the home is in a drawer, I would highly recommend investing in drawer dividers so that it's clear where the keys go, verse the box cutter, verse the head phones.
I hate the term junk drawer. It's fine to have a utility drawer the holds items that you use regularly, but these items need designated homes so that they are easy to find, access, and put away.
If the home is on a shelf, I would recommend investing in boxes or open bins. Labeling can help remind you of what belongs in each box and what doesn't.
What if I don't know where I should designate an item to live?
The good news is, there is no right or wrong answer. It's what works for you. If you pick a home, and it's not working, change it!
It's also common for "homes" to change as you use items differently.
If you have young kids that have toys and need batteries all the time, you might want to store them in your utility drawer. However, once the kids get older, having a box of batteries on a shelf in the closet, may work better.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Clear is king!
I would recommend choosing clear bins and boxes whenever possible. The easier it is to see what you have, the easier it is to maintain your organizational systems.
Add Shelving!
When reviewing client's spaces, who have been struggling with staying organized, one of the most common challenges is that there is not enough accessible storage space. Adding shelving to a closet can make all the difference.
Label!
Taking a few minutes to label the bins and boxes, will go a long way toward maintaining the homes you created.
Invest in products that will create functional simple homes.
Anyone who knows me, knows I am not a product person. However, there is no denying the value that having the right product can add.
When designating homes, think about what you need to make the home function best.
If your goal is to hang up your clothes in your closet right away, but you have a million different types of hangers and it's really tight every time you hang a clothing item, purchasing thin non-slip hangers may make all the difference.
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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Organizing Closets, Shelves, and Drawers!
How you feel about your surrounding space impacts how effective you will be performing in that space. This is true for both workspaces and family spaces.
Photo by Patrick Ryan 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
Organizing Tips for your Closets, Shelving & Drawers
How you feel about your surrounding space impacts how effective you will be performing in that space. This is true for both workspaces and family spaces. By focusing on your closets, shelving and drawers, you will be creating homes for all your things.
Take a moment to think about it!
Do you feel motivated to try out a new recipe in a kitchen where it's hard to access the items you need?
Do you feel relaxed when you sit down to watch your favorite TV Show after dinner when the room is full of unfinished projects?
Do your kids find it hard to wind down before bed, surrounded by a room full of distractions?
The key to designing spaces that feel calm and motivating is creating homes where things are easily accessible, aesthetically pleasing, and often able to be hidden from your line of sight.
Below are some simple suggestions that you may want to implement so that your spaces support you, your needs, and your personality.
Getting Started
When organizing and finding a home for everything, keep in mind that there are three main steps:
Sort & Declutter
Organize and Create New Homes
Purchase Products & Label
These steps are not only listed in the order they should take place, but are also listed in the order of importance. Letting go of the items that are no longer adding value to your life, is key to creating an organized and functional space. While being organized and having the right products does add value to your life, it can NOT make up for having more stuff than can comfortably fit.
I understand that purchasing organizing products can get expensive. I have helped many clients create organized functional spaces, without purchasing a single item. However, I do think there is an added value when incorporating the right products. While the Container Store is an amazing resource, you can find many products that both look and function similarly, from Amazon, Target, or Walmart.
Getting organized is a journey, not a destination. It's not all or nothing. Choose to do what you think will add the most value now and then add the rest to your list for future projects.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Closet & Shelving Tips
Choose matching thin hangers. I personally like thin felt hangers. They add hanging space to your closet, your clothes shouldn't slip off, and they are budget-friendly.
For your coat closet, I would recommend stronger hangers, such as wood or metal hangers.
When deciding what you want to hang and what you want to fold, keep in mind that hanging clothes is faster than folding clothes.
When clothes are hung, as opposed to folded, it's also easier to see all your options.
Don't underestimate the value of adding shelving to your closets. If possible, choose shelving where the shelf heights can be adjusted.
An inexpensive shelving solution is to add metro shelving to your closets. Metro Shelving is strong, you can set the shelf height to fit your needs, and it's easy to both install and remove. If you are renting, this is a great option! It's also perfect for garages and basements.
Remember, everything needs a home. Use bins and boxes to designate those homes.
Happy Spaces' Resources' page has links to my favorite clear boxes. I love that the tops are also clear.
Make sure to label all your bins and boxes.
Sometimes bins' can be hard to label. Here is one option for labeling bins.
Make sure your boxes and bins only contain one or two categories. Below are some common categories:
Tools
Hardware
Batteries
Electronics
Arts & Crafts
Backup Office Supplies
Backup Toiletries
Travel
Travel Toiletries
Shoe Storage can be a challenge. Below are a few ideas:
Pro Tip: Don't be afraid to store items other than shoes, in the above storage solutions. Using clear, over-the-door shoe bags, can be a great solution for kids' stuff.
Storing purses on shelves is a great solution. These dividers can help them stand up.
If you have deep shelving, use deep pantry bins, so that you don't lose access to the items in the back.
Make sure you don't have too much crammed into your space. It should be easy for you to both remove and put back all items.
You should be able to reach all items that you access regularly, without a step stool.
If you are storing items on a high shelf, that you do need to access from time to time, store a stepstool in the closet. If those items are not easily accessible, you won't use them.
Drawer Tips
Drawers don't work for everyone. There is nothing wrong with using bins or boxes, that are open on top, as opposed to drawers.
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
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Create a Laundry Schedule
Laundry is easy to push off, until you don't have the pants you need for your work meeting or your kid's soccer shirt is dirty and the game is in a few hours.
Photo by Florian van Schreven 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 Laundry Schedule
The kids are back to school, fall sports are in full swing, and your work day is filled with calls and emails that start with, “Now that summer’s over, we should start thinking about xyz and get moving on the abc project.” A frustration that I hear often is that there is just not enough time. As a result, the first thing many of us cancel is our "fun" time or "down" time. (But, Making Time for Fun is important in the long-run!)
However, we need time to recharge and if we don't take it, it will catch-up with us. How many times have you finished a big project, only to come down with a cold the next day? Our bodies have a way of telling us, enough is enough, even when we don't want to hear it.
One way to carve out "free" time is by scheduling all the mundane tasks - like laundry! - that have to get done.
Laundry is easy to push off, until you don't have the pants you need for your work meeting or your kid's soccer shirt is dirty and the game is in a few hours.
All of a sudden, laundry moves from "not urgent and not important" to "urgent and important".
There is a simple solution; make laundry part of your weekly schedule.
Getting Started
The key to starting this process is finding the schedule that works best for you and your family.
With that said, I do recommend doing laundry on a weekly basis. Now this does not mean you have to wash every category on a weekly basis. It just supports making laundry part of your weekly routine.
The other benefit to doing laundry on a weekly basis is that it does not become overwhelming. This makes the task of folding laundry and putting it away a lot more manageable.
Below are some simple laundry schedule ideas if you live alone:
Washer & dryer located in your home:
Mondays - Wash clothes.
Tuesdays - Wash sheets & towels.
Multiple washers & dryers located in your building:
Mondays - Wash clothes, sheets & towels.
Below are some simple laundry schedule ideas for a family :
Washer & dryer located in your home:
Mondays - Wash "Parent 1" clothes.
Tuesdays - Wash "Parent 2" clothes.
Wednesdays - Wash "Child 1" clothes & sheets.
Thursdays - Wash "Child 2" clothes & sheets.
Fridays - Wash all towels and Parent sheets.
Multiple washer's & dryer's located in your building:
Mondays - Wash all clothes by person. Note: Pro Tip below on why by person is the way to go!
Tuesdays - Wash all towels and sheets.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
As discussed in last week’s Can Money Buy Happiness post, laundry may be one of those mundane tasks that you want to delegate out.
Even with a schedule, if laundry is one of those household tasks that forever feels overwhelming and worth it to you to have someone else do - then do that! There’s no shame in getting the support that you and your family need.
Below are some general laundry tips that you may find helpful:
Pro Tip: Washing clothing by person, eliminates the step of sorting the laundry, when folding it and putting it away. This is especially true of those pesky baby socks that get stuck inside everything and go “missing”. Most clothing can be washed together, as long as it's washed in cold water.
Most items, even if they recommend dry-cleaning, can be washed in a "laundry bag" on delicate in cold water and hung on a hanger to dry.
Laundry is a life skill that kids need to learn. Starting in elementary school, kids are capable of folding their laundry and putting it away. Starting in middle school, kids are capable of being responsible for their own laundry. Teaching your kids these life skills is a gift.
If possible, I recommend scheduling laundry - literally, put this in your calendar! - as part of your "work" week and not on your day off. This will help support you living a balanced 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.
Follow Me
Share this post
Can Money Buy Happiness
There are many ways we can support ourselves and the people we care about in order to lead happier lives.
Photo by Taylor Simpson 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 Money Buy Happiness?
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "Happiness" as a state of well-being and contentment.
Personally, I have found it helpful to differentiate how I define happiness from joy.
Joy is an emotion that comes and goes,
while happiness is a state of mind.
There are many ways we can support ourselves and the people we care about in order to lead happier lives.
With this definition in mind, I do think investing in ourselves and our loved ones can make a difference.
Getting Started
How do decide what investments of time, money, or things will have the greatest impact on your daily life.
Two questions to ask yourself are:
How can I create more time for myself and to connect with those I care about?
What tasks on my to-do list do I really dislike?
I would focus your brainstorming on two categories:
Tools that can save you time
Tasks that take up valuable time or that you dislike
A Few Tools to Consider:
A laser wireless printer that works well - I promise, they do exist!
While we don't print a lot these days, there are times we need to. Is it really worth going to Staples each time you have to print. or worse, spending 30 minutes figuring out why the printer is not working or that the ink is dried out.
A quality scanner.
There are phone apps that do a great job scanning. I personally love Scannable. However, depending on how often you scan items and how many systems you use, having a quality scanner may save you a lot of time. A quality scanner can easily scan multiple pages at a time, such as your tax forms, as well as scan directly into multiple systems, such as Dropbox and Evernote.
A shredder
I would recommend most households have a shredder. You can purchase a small one that is relatively inexpensive. It's common for clients to think that they don't need a shredder because there are so few items that they feel need to be shredded. I can't even count the number of times I have helped clients create a shredding box, with the plan of dropping off the papers that need shredding, once the box is full. In the end, it takes longer to drop off the box of shredding than it would to shred the papers at home, it ends up costing more than purchasing a small shredder, and the box of shredding takes up as much space as a small shredder would.
A few to-do items you may want to invest in by delegating:
Hire someone to clean your house.
This is a task that many feel overwhelmed by. It's important to remember that it's not all or nothing. Hiring someone to clean your house monthly may be enough to greatly impact your happiness. You can also identify which parts you dislike the most. If you hate changing the sheets, you can have someone wash and change the sheets, while you continue to do the rest of your laundry. I had one client who liked doing laundry, but hated folding it. For just a little more money each week, his cleaning person was happy to fold his clothes and put them away.
Hire a professional organizer
If you feel like you are always looking for things and the job of "picking-up" never ends, this might be a valuable investment. A professional organizer can help you let go of extra items, which will reduce how much you have to "pick-up", as well as create homes for each item, so that it's easy to know where to put each item away and then find it the next time you need it.
Purchase meal kits
You may love to cook, but hate meal planning. Meal kits are an amazing way to keep doing what you love, without the part you don't.
Grocery delivery service
I have worked with a number of clients that enjoy grocery shopping, but the only time they are able to do it, is time that would be better spent on themselves or with the family. If you are grocery shopping on a Monday evening, while your partner watches the kids, and this is the only time you have to yourself all week, how much happiness would be gained if you met up with a friend instead?
Hire someone to run errands
If you feel like you are constantly running errands, this may add a lot of time back in your life. You could hire a high-schooler or college students for a few hours once a week and have them run most of your errands.
Schedule 20 minutes to brainstorm on the questions above.
Write down all the tools you think may add value to your life and all the tasks that you think you might consider delegating. Then choose one tool or task you want to try first.
Block off time on your calendar to implement the tool you chose or to plan out how to delegate the task you chose.
I would recommend also blocking off time on your calendar, about one to three months in the future, to evaluate if the new tool is adding the value that you expected. If it is, amazing! If it's not, take a few minutes to think about why it's not.
Did you hire someone that is not right for the job?
Did you not take the time to learn how to use the new tool?
Or, is it just not saving you enough time to be worth the cost?
Adding new tools and delegating to-do items is only going to contribute to your happiness, if you are intentional about what you use the extra time for.
If you implement this strategy, but just spend the extra time siting alone watching Netflix, it's likely you will not be much happier.
Additional Resources
You may want to checkout the book, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. By reading about Gretchen's journey to find increased happiness, I am sure you will think of ideas that would add value to your life. Happiness does not just happen, you have to create 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.