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How Can You Simplify?
What does wealth mean to you?
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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.
If you are finding value in our PROJECT OF THE WEEK Newsletter, we would greatly appreciate it if you would spread the word. Your friends and family can click HERE to sign-up.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
How Can You Simplify?
If there is a common theme in each week’s blog, it’s to simplify. There is always a way to make our day-to-day lives easier.
We all have a lot going on.
Life is busy, work is busy, and as a culture, we like to be busy.
BUT, and this is a huge but, I challenge you to spend a few moments evaluating if all the busyness is adding value to your life.
In some ways, I am sure it is.
Your kids may be involved in many sports and you likely value the opportunities sports offer them and genuinely enjoy cheering for them at as many games as possible. BUT, is getting their gear and uniforms ready each week causing you additional stress? Perhaps simplifying your life with a laundry schedule and duplicate items will make everything easier.
Your career, which you love, may require you to be on call on certain nights and weeks. And, you also love volunteering and making a valuable difference in the lives of others. Try color-coding and blocking your calendar to have a better understanding of what time is available to you.
Busyness, on its own, is not a bad thing.
What is important is to take the time to evaluate where your time is going, if it's adding value to your life, and ensure that you are devoting enough time to take care of yourself, your health, and your well-being.
Getting Started
Below are a few questions to help guide you in making more intentional decisions about your time:
Where are you spending your time on a daily, weekly and monthly basis?
What activities add meaning and value to your life?
What activities do you hate doing?
What activities do you not enjoy, but value the end result?
What do you want to do more of?
What can you eliminate?
What can you delegate?
The main objective is to figure out where you can get more time back and then use that time in a way that is meaningful for you.
It's not all or nothing.
Below are some examples that clients have implemented and found valuable:
A client loved the feeling of having her bed made every morning, but hated the process of making it. We eliminated all the "pretty throw pillows" and simplified her bedding.
A client hated having his clothes left out or on the floor, but also hated folding his clothes and putting them away. We designated open bins on shelves in the closet and the client now throws the clothes, by category, into the open bins.
A client, who valued their kids having a peaceful and calm sleep environment, but was exhausted by the constant battle to keep the kids’ rooms "picked up", removed everything from the kids’ bedrooms, except clothes, stuffed animals, and books.
A client loved watching their children's sports games, but by leaving the office early, always ended up having to finish up their work late at night after the kids were in bed. The client started going to the second half of their kids’ games so that they could get more work done, support their children, and not sacrifice as much sleep.
A client, who was having weekly check-in meetings with their social media person, switched over to monthly meetings and weekly check-ins via email.
A client, who valued the connection from weekly team meetings, but felt the time wasn't being used effectively, implemented the use of an agenda for each meeting and asked the team to add their agenda items by the end of the prior business day.
A client, who felt the need to respond to emails on nights and weekends, implemented a set time once a night (8:00PM: Monday - Thursday) and once a day on the weekends (7:00AM: Saturdays & Sundays) to answer emails. This allowed the client to feel responsive to his clients’ needs and more present with his friends and family.
A client, who loved to volunteer and help others, but was not taking care of themself, decided to set a maximum number of hours per week they would spend volunteering. This provided the parameters they needed to both "Be of Service" and have enough time left over to take care of themself.
Let us know one change you make to simplify your life!
Need Support?
If you feel excited about implementing this strategy and want some additional accountability and support to get started, the It’s All in the Planning Starter Pak was designed for you!
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
Make Reviewing Your Finances Routine
What does wealth mean to you?
Photo by Canva.
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.
If you are finding value in our PROJECT OF THE WEEK Newsletter, we would greatly appreciate it if you would spread the word. Your friends and family can click HERE to sign-up.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Make Reviewing Your Finances Routine
I want to congratulate everyone who set aside the time to create a family budget and set up their accounts to automatically save first! Your future self is thanking you!!
Now that you created the plan and put up the guideposts, it's time to integrate your financial roadmap with real life.
The key is setting time aside to evaluate what's working, what's not, and what changes you need to make.
In life, there are busy seasons and slower seasons. While it's important to make the time to review your finances, it doesn't have to be all or nothing.
There are many different strategies for how to review your finances and how to make them a consistent part of your routine.
Getting Started
A few things to consider as you get started:
Do you prefer to spend small blocks of time on your finances or larger blocks of time?
Is it easier for you to evaluate your expenses for a few minutes a day, 20 minutes a week, or an hour a month?
What can you do to make this more fun? Can you pair it with a treat afterward? Can you do this with your partner or a friend on Zoom?
What to look at while doing your financial review:
On a monthly basis, you should know:
Your total income
Your total expense
Your Savings by Category & Your Savings Progress towards your goals
You can pretty quickly enter these numbers into Excel, in order to evaluate both how you did this month and how you are doing over time.
A few thoughts on income:
If you are paid weekly or bi-weekly, you will have a few extra paychecks a year. When reviewing your finances, look ahead to plan for this and decide where you want to allocate the “extra”.
It's important to account for gift money and decide how you want to spend it. This will make it more meaningful and memorable.
A few thoughts on expenses:
Depending on your financial situation, you can decide how carefully you need to track your expenses.
If you are earning more than you are spending, on average, you can do a quicker review.
If your monthly budget is tight, you are going to want to take a closer look and know where your hard-earned money is being allocated.
One option for separating out NEEDS verse WANTS is to have two credit cards. Use one credit card for all your NEEDS, such as food, gas, toiletries, car repairs, and home maintenance. Use the other credit card for WANTS. It's not going to be perfect, but it will give you an idea of how much of your expenses were WANTS verse NEEDS.
Pro tip: You should only use credit cards if you are paying them off monthly. If this is a struggle for you, I don't recommend this strategy.
Whether you put your expenses on a credit card and pay the balance each month or use the cash system, I do recommend taking the time to review your individual expenses each month. Pro tip: If you use cash, literally write down what you’ve spent and review it after a few days. You may learn having cash at hand is easier for you to spend, rather than using your card. $5 here and $10 there a week adds to hundreds of dollars quickly.
If you make your purchases on a credit card or debit card, you can simply sit down and review the statement.
For each expense, ask yourself:
Was this purchase worth it?
Would I buy this again?
If you regret your purchase decision, what strategies could I use to make a different decision next time?
Are there any reoccurring expenses that I can cancel?
Are there any purchases that I have not opened or used that can be returned? Even if it's over 30 days, you can likely get a store credit. You can always repurchase it when you are ready to use it.
As someone who is self-employed, it's important to see the big picture. By understanding your patterns of income and expenses, you can make better decisions. Your finances don't need to feel like such a roller coaster.
We would love to hear about your strategies for reviewing and understanding your finances, your financial habits, and how you make better decisions.
This is a journey, not a destination!
Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks
Keep in mind, the strategies above are all about looking backward. While there is great value in learning about yourself and your decision-making, this might not be enough to change your financial habits.
When creating a budget, you designated a specific amount for each category. You may need to determine your future spending based on how much money you have left in each budgeted category. For example, if you budgeted $600 per month for food, but have only spent $540 this month, what do you plan to do with the extra $60? You could use it towards next month’’s food budget because you know you’re hosting a party or put it into a different savings or expense category.
Take the time to look up all your Amazon purchases. If you find that you are purchasing items you regret, a great option is to add items you want to your cart, but not check out for at least 24 hours. If you are not sure you want something, you can always click to "save the product for later" and have easy future access.
For purchases where you are buying multiple items at one store, I recommend saving the receipt until you review the statement. When you see that $279 Target purchase, pull out the receipt and take a few seconds to evaluate each item.
You could also add your spending each day to a spreadsheet, so that you can see, by category, how much you have left for the week or month. This is a helpful short-term strategy, but is a lot to maintain over time.
An app that you may want to look into, that supports this forward-looking strategy is YNAB. You can link your bank accounts and credit cards so that your income and expenses flow in. Then you assign your earned income and your expense to each budgeted category. This allows you to evaluate, in real-time, your income and expense.
Need Support?
If you feel excited about implementing this strategy and want some additional accountability and support to get started, the It’s All in the Planning Starter Pak was designed for you!
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
Save First!
What does wealth mean to you?
Photo by Canva.
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.
If you are finding value in our PROJECT OF THE WEEK Newsletter, we would greatly appreciate it if you would spread the word. Your friends and family can click HERE to sign-up.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Save First!
One of the most impactful lessons I have learned about being financially secure is the importance to save first!
It's human nature to want to spend what you have available. The goal of saving first is to implement a system and structure around your savings goals, in order to take willpower out of the equation.
Getting Started
Step 1:
Decide how much you NEED to save for each category.
Below are some categories to consider:
Emergency Fund
Health Savings Account (HSA)
College Savings Account (529)
Employer Retirement Account
Roth IRA
Home Fund
Car Fund
Below are some thoughts to consider when deciding how much to save.
Emergency Fund - It's recommended that we have 6-12 months of expenses in an Emergency Fund. There is a lot of value to having 12 months available, as opposed to just 6 months. It's important to think about how much fear you have around "not having enough money" and what opportunities and risks you may be able to take if you have more funds set aside.
When everything shutdown in 2020, were you worried about money or did you feel secure financially?
Do you see yourself continuing in your same company for the foreseeable future or are you always looking for new opportunities to grow?
An Emergency Fund is a savings goal with a finish line. I would recommend deciding on a monthly amount to save. This way you can easily track your progress and feel excited about the movement towards your goal.
When reviewing your finances, it's important to monitor your average monthly expenses. As they increase over time, you do want to increase your Emergency Fund to account for the increased expenses.
Health Savings Account (HSA) - If you have a high deductible health insurance plan, I highly recommend saving the maximum amount allowed each year. There are so many benefits to having an HSA, that I would recommend factoring it into your decision when deciding what health insurance is best for you and your family. You don't have to pay taxes on the money you contribute to your HSA account and there are many health expenses that you can pay for out of your HSA account that health insurance plans do not cover. Plus, your HSA rolls over year after year, so as you get older, and you may need more medical interventions, the money is available to you.
College Savings Account (529 Plan) - If you have kids, I would highly recommend opening a 529 Plan to save for their education. This will support you in saving ahead of time for college. In addition, you do not have to pay taxes on the money you contribute.
Depending on your financial situation, you may want to contribute a set amount each month or a percentage of your paycheck. You can also ask family members to make contributions, as birthday and holiday gifts.
Pro tip: a 529 Plan is a factor when you apply for financial aid for your student. It’s seen as an asset and may reduce the amount of financial aid your student receives. It may be best to speak with a financial planner to learn more based on your income and number of children.
Employer Retirement Account - If your company has a retirement benefit, such as a 401K, make sure to contribute the minimum amount in order to get the match. This is free money!
I highly recommend contributing a percentage of your income to your retirement accounts, as opposed to a set amount. This way, as your income grows, your retirement contribution will automatically grow.
Unless you can afford the maximum annual contribution. Then go for it!
Pro tip: if your employer provides a cost of living raise each year, contribute an extra percent or two to your retirement account. You likely won’t notice the difference in your paycheck, but your retirement account will grow! For example, if your cost of living raise is 3%, add an extra 1% contribution to your retirement account.
Roth IRA - I am a huge fan of Roth IRA’s. This allows you to contribute after-tax money and then not have to pay any taxes on the earnings when you retire. While you will pay taxes on the $1,000 you contribute today, you will not pay taxes on the $20,000 it will likely earn over the next 30 years. I would recommend contributing the maximum amount allowed each year.
Today, many employer retirement accounts have a Roth option. I highly recommend considering that.
If you are not contributing to a retirement account because you don't know where to invest your money, consider investing in a low-cost S&P 500 Index Fund. The S&P 500 has a great track record over time and these funds are very inexpensive.
Home & Car Fund - Are you planning on purchasing a home where you need a down payment? Are you planning on renovating your home in the future? When do you think you will purchase a new car? I recommend saving for these types of expenses ahead of time. Keep in mind, this is different than your emergency fund.
Step 2:
Schedule automatic deposits to each one of your separate savings plans.
The key is to make this as automatic as possible.
If you are paid through direct deposit, you can automatically direct different amounts to different accounts. I would recommend directing all your savings to one bank account and all your spending money to your checking account. Set up your automatic withdrawals for each savings plan from your general savings account. For example, if your paycheck is $1,000, have that money divided into a checking account and a general savings account automatically. Then, direct money from your savings account to your 529 Plan, your Roth IRA, etc.
If you are not paid through direct deposit and you check your balance in your checking account to know how much money you have available to spend, I recommend transferring the savings portion of each paycheck to a general savings account as soon as it is deposited into your checking account.
Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks
If you have money left over at the end of the month, I would consider adding the extra funds to your mortgage, but only if you do not have personal debt. This will save you a lot of money on interest.
There is a lot of value in purposeful spending, but when there is extra money available, it is all too easy to spend it on things that have no lasting meaning.
Happy Savings!
Need Support?
If you feel excited about implementing this strategy and want some additional accountability and support to get started, the It’s All in the Planning 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
Do You Have a Household Budget?
What does wealth mean to you?
Photo by Fabian Blank 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 Household Budget?
We’ve been spending (see what I did there?) a lot of time talking about vacation, travel, and making your time count. Now, how are you going to pay for that?
Why budget? Simply put, you should know how much money you make after taxes and healthcare.
Now, the all-important question is, do you know what your monthly and annual expenses are?
Do you know where your hard-earned money is going?
Do your expenses reflect what is important to you?
As a culture, we often define wealth as how much money one earns, the brand of car one drives, or the vacation pics one shares on social media.
Getting Started
I recommend taking a few minutes to define what wealth really means to you.
Do you value the time you spend on your career or do you feel like you are missing out on important moments in your family's life?
Do you actually love driving that fancy car or do you value having a car you like and that never has an issue?
What makes a vacation great for you? Do you value staying in luxury hotels or do you enjoy the location of the hotel, the cleanliness of the room, and the exceptional service?
Do you love having a large house or do you value having space to entertain and relax?
Now that you have an understanding of your WHY, let's talk about the HOW.
Most of us have limited budgets, some of us more than others.
What I have found fascinating, from my work organizing paperwork with clients, is that there does NOT seem to be any correlation between what one makes and how much one has in savings and retirement. I have clients that bring home $50,000 annually that have far more in retirement and savings than those making $250,000 annually.
And, more importantly, those clients who are spending most of what they earn, do not seem any happier.
There are likely many reasons for this. Below are a few observations that clients have made from our work together:
Their spending is not intentional.
They are not aware of where they are spending money and how much.
They are not spending money on things they actually value.
They are spending money to compensate for working long hours and feeling unfulfilled or stressed. Or, feel that they need to spend more on things like a house cleaner, dog walker, and other services in order to keep afloat day-to-day.
Creating a household budget is a great strategy to start improving your financial habits.
You can't make improvements until you can clearly see, on a monthly and annual basis, how much you are earning and how much you are spending.
This doesn't need to be perfect, but it does need to be realistic.
You may want to start by reviewing the last 3 months of expenses. However, this may not give you the full picture.
There are some expenses that we pay semi-annually or annually, such as car insurance, that you will have to account for.
Also, your spending may vary quite a bit, based on what you have going on. For example, maybe you cook a lot in the winter, but you eat out most days in the summer. Or you don't spend much money while you are home, but you spend a lot when you travel.
Many credit cards send out an annual summary by category, which may be helpful in determining your average expenses.
If you are familiar with Excel, you can export your checking and credit card statements into excel and then categorize them.
The purpose of this exercise is to SEE how much money is coming in and how much money is going out.
The next step is to decide how much you want to save monthly for:
Emergency Fund - 6 to 12 months of expenses.
Retirement Account(s) - Choose a percentage, so that your contribution grows as your income grows.
Goal Directed Savings - This if for things like a down payment on a house, new car, or home improvement projects.
How much spending money do you have left each month, after you set aside your savings?
Is it more than your average expenses or less?
If you have less spending money than your average expenses, know you are not alone!
This is where it is helpful to understand where you value spending your money.
Keeping in mind what you value, go through your expenses and highlight items that you can either eliminate or reduce.
Below are some ideas:
Do you love your luxury car, or would you be just as happy with a new non-luxury car? How much would this save you?
Do you love eating out every night in the summer or is it just easier because you are out all day and there is no time to cook?
Do you love staying in luxury hotels when you travel, or would you be just as happy in a non-luxury hotel in a similar location with similar amenities?
Are there reoccurring expenses for services you are not using currently? Sometimes it makes more sense to pay the higher month-to-month rate and cancel these services when you are not using them.
The final step is to type up a budget.
This is going to be a living document that you update and adjust as life happens. The key is to see your starting point.
You should be able to see clearly:
Predicted Income
Budgeted Emergency Savings
Budgeted Retirement Savings
Budgeted Goal Directed Savings
Budgeted Expenses - By Category
I would recommend reviewing this on a monthly basis. If you have a partner, make it a team effort. I would also consider including your kids in the process.
On a monthly basis, ask yourself:
What is working and what is not working?
What adjustments can I make?
If you are finding it challenging to stick to your budget, consider using cash for a while.
Each week, take out the amount of cash you have budgeted for variable expenses.
You may want to separate it into a few jars or envelopes.
Food
Car
Toiletries
Clothing
The benefit of using cash is you can SEE what you are spending and how much you have left.
If making a budget is overwhelming, consider hiring someone to help you or find a trusted friend that likes numbers and budgets.
There are a lot of apps out there that can track your personal finances. I have not found one yet that I love. There is a new one I plan to try. If it's great, I will let you know. For now, I am still using Excel!
If there is an app you are using and love, please share!
We spend thousands of hours working per year. It's worth the time and money to know where our hard-earned income is going.
Additional Resources
I highly recommend two books:
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley
They may change your perspective on how you view money and what it really means to become wealthy!
Happy Budgeting!!
Need Support?
If you feel excited about implementing this strategy and want some additional accountability and support to get started, the It’s All in the Planning 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
When Having Duplicates Makes Sense
What does wealth mean to you?
Photo by Canva
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
When Having Duplicates Makes Sense
For the last several weeks, I’ve been sharing my favorite travel tips and tricks, including Why You Need a Packing Checklist, How to Pack Only a Carry-on, and Having a Toiletry Bag Ready to Go.
What if I told you it could further simplify your life to have duplicates of some items for travel, the office, or in your car? We all know the phrase, "less is more", which is a concept I live by, but what if more is more, too?
I routinely ask myself, "Is this item, commitment, or project adding value to my life?” or “Is there someone else who could do this better, quicker, or use this more?"
I always find it amusing how often opposites are both true.
While I find a lot of value in simplifying, there are often times that adding more is a great solution. Both can be true!
Getting Started
I challenge you to think about where in your life it would add value to have duplicates.
Below are some ideas that have added a lot of value and reduced a lot of stress for clients I have worked with.
Phone Chargers - Are you always looking for a phone charger or moving them around the house? Think about all the locations you use them (outlets in the house, car, work bag, and purse). Purchase enough phone chargers for each location.
Laptop Charger - Are you constantly packing or moving your laptop charger? Perhaps you work a hybrid schedule and are in the office a few days a week or are often onsite meeting clients. Would it be valuable to have a laptop charger for each work location -- home office, corporate office, and your work bag. Pro tip: the same is true for your mouse! Maybe it makes the most sense to have one mouse for your home and the other for the office.
Office Supplies - Are there any supplies that you are regularly moving around because you work in different places?
Clothing / Uniforms - In September, we shared the value of Creating a Laundry Schedule. Are there certain clothing items that you need to purchase duplicates of so that you do not have to do extra loads of laundry throughout the week? Some common examples are kids’ sports uniforms, workout clothing, swim towels, and washcloths. I have friends who co-parent from two separate homes and find it most convenient to have two sets of sneakers or sports equipment to make it easier for their kids to go back and forth.
Kitchen Items - Are there items that you can wash in the dishwasher, but you don't have enough of them, so you often end up hand washing? One common example is your kids’ water bottle that you send to school with them each day.
Comfort Items - My niece loves her blanket. As a family, we learned the hard way it’s best to have multiple blankets in case one gets lost, dirty, or becomes overly well-loved.
Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks
The key to choosing which items should have a duplicate is to think about how much value having a duplicate will add to YOUR life. Yeah, go ahead and read that again.
Will it save you time?
Will it reduce the amount of time you have to do something you really hate doing?
Will it simplify your life?
You may prefer having only 2 water bottles for your child and washing one each evening.
Or, you might hate doing dishes and love the idea of never having to wash a water bottle by hand again!
Whichever item(s) you choose to duplicate, make sure the item(s) are the exact same. This way, you won’t be tempted to use your favorite phone charger because they’re all identical.
Need Support?
If you feel excited about implementing this strategy and want some additional accountability and support to get started, the It’s All in the Planning 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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Plan Your Travel Around What Works for You
There are so many benefits to traveling.
Photo by Timo Stern 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
Plan Your Travel Around What Works for You
There are so many benefits to traveling. You have the opportunity to see new places, experience new things, spend quality time with those you care about, and form new friendships.
So why is traveling often so stressful?
A lot of the stress comes from "feeling" out of control, not getting enough rest, and ironically not having the comfort of your daily routines.
Now you may be thinking, "The whole reason I want to get away, is to ditch my responsibilities and just relax."
While that may be true, ditching your daily routine also means you need to make a lot more decisions about what to do next and how to make the most of your time off. Let's face it; we don't get a lot of time off, so that can be a LOT of pressure.
Planning ahead will make your travels that much easier - and stress-free!
Getting Started
Think critically about what time of day it makes the most sense to travel.
If you are flying, you are much less likely to experience a delay if you take the first flight out. However, if you are NOT a morning person, and waking up early really throws you off, don't choose the first flight out.
If you live in a city where traffic is a factor, make sure to account for that. As a morning person, when living in NYC, I could save at least an hour from my trip by leaving before 7:00 AM. If you are a night person, it may make sense to travel in the late evenings.
While overnight flights are time efficient, account for how they make you feel. Saving a few hours by flying when you are supposed to be sleeping is probably not worth it, if it takes you or your kids 5 days to recover.
If you are traveling with kids, consider their schedule and how long it will take them to adjust. There is nothing more stressful on vacation than your kids not behaving well. Keeping kids on a schedule supports them in being better able to manage their emotions, which always leads to happier parents.
Make the logistics work for you.
Think about what features are most important to you when choosing a place to stay.
Location - Do you want to be right on the beach or in the center of the city?
Amenities - Do you love a hot tub as much as I do?
Is the focus of your trip to catch up with friends and family? Would renting a house with living space and a full kitchen create the atmosphere you want?
Transportation - Do you want your lodging to be walkable, or to be on public transportation? Are Ubers widely available, or are you planning on renting a car?
While hotels have specific times for check-in and check-out, you can use the amenities all day. This is a great way to get more value out of your stay. Keep this in mind for your next beach vacation, spa trip, or family weekend at the indoor water park. Hotels will always store your bags and often they have changing rooms and showers you can use.
If you are flying into an airport and your destination is over 30 miles away, consider staying at an airport hotel. Make sure the airport hotel has a shuttle; call the hotel to see how often the shuttle runs and to make sure that communication is simple and seamless. The hotel shuttle can pick you up at the airport and drop you off at your rental car the next morning. This is especially helpful when multiple people are flying in from separate locations. This has so many benefits. It will save you money, it will reduce your stress if your flight gets delayed and it supports a smoother transition with more sleep.
Decide ahead of time what activities you want to do and where you want to dine.
Decision-making takes a lot of brain power and often leads to stress. Decide ahead of time how "scheduled" you want your trip to be and then make your plans accordingly.
Ask family and friends for their recommendations.
Ask the hotel both what restaurants they recommend and where they like to eat. Pro tip: It's often not the same list!
If you are planning on cooking, find out your grocery store options and make a grocery list ahead of time.
If you are taking a beach vacation, maybe you want to have your days unscheduled. You plan to eat breakfast at the hotel, lunch on the beach, and simply relax. But, you do want to schedule a massage for one day (maybe when the weather looks less than ideal?) and dinner out each night. Schedule the massage and make dinner reservations before you arrive.
If you are traveling to a new city, do some research and decide on one activity to anchor each day. This will guide your day and lead to less overwhelm by the vast amount of options.
Most cities have a Hop-On Hop-Off Bus tour. This can be a great activity for the first day. You get a tour of the city and it will help you decide what you want to do most.
Consider keeping your routine on vacation.
Vacations are all about quality time with friends and family and taking the time to relax and have fun.
While the idea of throwing your schedule out the window for a week may sound great, it likely won't lead to the happiness you expect.
It's not all or nothing. Think about what parts of your routine impact your well-being. If meditating each morning jump starts a great day, is it really best to skip your meditation while you are away? If you wake up each morning at the same time no matter what, is staying up late going to help you relax? If your kids are great about going to bed at 7:00 PM each night at home, would you be happier sticking to that bedtime and enjoying your evenings after the kids are asleep?
Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks
Keep a shared document with the friends and family you’re traveling with. In this document, add restaurant ideas, places you want to visit, and activities you want to do.
When looking at flights, does it make more sense to travel on an off day, if your schedule allows it? This may help you save money and provide more flight options.
Plan and budget ahead for spending money, activities, and unexpected costs while you’re on vacation - yes, you DO need those sequined Mikey Mouse ears.
If you have any travel tips you use and love, please let us know!
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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How to Pack Only a Carry On
The real question is: how can we have the travel experience we yearn for and not feel stressed by the preparation needed to get out of town.
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 Pack Only a Carry-On
There is nothing worse than arriving at your destination, only to find out the airline lost your luggage.
Thankfully, this is one stressor that can be mostly eliminated by only bringing a carry-on.
If you are screaming in your head right now, "That's impossible! I can't possibly fit everything in a carry-on for a long trip." -- This blog is for you!
Getting Started
A great place to start is by thinking through the cost-benefit analysis of checking a bag, versus only packing a carry-on. And, I don’t just mean paying for a bag to be checked through to your destination.
Take a few minutes to write a cost-benefit analysis:
Checking a bag:
Pros:
Cons:
Only Packing a Carry-On:
Pros:
Cons:
This exercise often highlights the value of making the most of our time and minimizing our stress, in comparison with traveling with every physical item we desire.
You may not be able to fit everything you want in your carry-on, but you can fit everything you need.
Is the extra time waiting for your checked bag, and the stress of working with the airlines when your bag goes missing, worth it?
Once you’ve made the decision to go with the carry-on, print out your carry-on Packing List and go from there!
Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks
Packing Tips:
Pick a color theme so that all your clothes can be mixed and matched.
In my opinion, bottoms (pants, shorts, or skirts) can be worn more than once. If you are traveling for 9 days, you only need to pack 5 bottoms.
Dresses are simple, look great, and are space efficient.
Choose two sweaters that will work with all your outfits. Wear one sweater on your travel days and pack the other.
Pick your shoes carefully and wear your bulkiest shoes on the plane. If it's winter, wear boots and pack your sneakers and sandals (if there is a pool/hot tub at your destination).
Be realistic about how much you need. Do you need more than two jewelry options? How many days are you really going to work out?
It's ok to have a travel uniform. Find a pair of pants and a shirt you really like and buy multiple.
Use packing cubes. They will make your clothes more compact and are a great way to stay organized.
The limit on the size of liquid toiletries for carry-ons is frustrating. Keep in mind, you can buy the large suntan lotion at your destination. Even though it may be overpriced, it's likely less than the cost to check your bags.
You may be surprised by how large a bag you can fit under your seat. If you don't need the legroom, take advantage. I typically pack toiletries, medication, a sweatshirt (in a packing cube), a laptop, and chargers in the “personal item” bag that goes under my seat. To save your back, invest in a tote bag with long handles, that can attach to your roller bag. Your roller bag, holding all your clothing and shoes, can be smoothly stored in the overhead compartment.
If you are traveling for more than 9 days, choose lodging that has laundry facilities or find an independent laundry facility close by.
If you are traveling with kids, I know the idea of packing a carry-on for each family member and then dragging the luggage through the airport and then on and off the plane can be overwhelming. Remember, it's not all or nothing. If you are a family with two parents and three kids, you may want to pack the basics in 2 carry-ons and check the rest. This way, if the luggage goes missing, you would have what you need for two to three days.
Don't underestimate your kids. Most little kids can carry a backpack with what they need and want for the plane ride. As long as you buy luggage that rolls easily, school-age kids can be responsible for rolling their carry-on.
There are certain types of travel where only packing a carry-in is not realistic, such as ski trips. It may be beneficial to still pack a carry-on with your core clothing needs and pack your equipment and activity-specific items in your checked bag. At least if you can't ski, you can hang out in the hot tub, while you wait for your bags!
If you are traveling on a vacation package, there is often no fee for checking a bag. You may want to consider packing all your "needs" in your carry-on and checking a bag of extras, such as sun-tan lotion, after-sun gel, water bottles, and snacks.
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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Pre-Pack Your Toiletry Bag
We are always looking for ways to live smarter, not work harder.
Photo by Bence Balla-Schottner 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 a Travel Toiletry Bag Prepacked for Trips
At Happy Spaces, we are always looking for ways to live smarter, not work harder.
One solution that we have found impactful is to have a Travel Toiletry Bag prepacked.
While some of us dislike packing more than others, very few people enjoy it.
Making a Packing List can help reduce the number of decisions you have to make, as well as limit the likelihood that you will forget something important.
Packing toiletries for your trip can often involve nearly as many individual items as all your non-toiletry items combined. Now that's a lot of decisions!
While most toiletry items aren't that difficult to replace when you get there, forgetting something will add an additional item to your to-do list and will cost you extra money.
Pre-packing a toiletry bag will save you a lot of time and decision-making energy.
Getting Started
How many Prepacked Toiletry Bags do you need?
I would recommend thinking about the types of trips you take and how often they involve flying.
I have found it most helpful to have a main Prepacked Toiletry Bag with your full-size toiletries. By having a full size of each toiletry item packed, you can take the same bag with you whether you are going away for a weekend or a 3-week trip.
Choose a toiletry bag that opens on the top and is fully waterproof. This way you can easily access all the items without having to take them out of the bag. A lunch box may work better for you than a traditional toiletry bag.
I would recommend having a clear storage box with travel-size toiletries. You will mainly use these when packing a carry-on, but having them available to grab will simplify your packing when they are needed.
Space-wise, it doesn't typically make sense to pack a full-size shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and face wash. In addition, if you are not that particular about brands, many places you travel will have these items available.
If you travel by plane at least once a month, you may want to consider having a Carry-On Prepacked Toiletry Bag as well. This bag will be a mix of items that are permanent to the bag, items that you refill, and travel-size items that need to be replaced more often because they are smaller.
If you don't travel by plane once a month, you can simply pack a Carry-On Size Travel Bag from your main Prepacked Toiletry Bag and your clear box of travel-size toiletries.
For carry-on-size travel bags, I recommend choosing a clear bag. This will make it easier to see what's inside. Here is a small option and here is a larger option.
Let us know if you enjoy having a Prepacked Toiletry Bag and how it has added value to your life!
Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks
Keep an inventory of everything that needs to be packed in each type of toiletry bag. This means less decision-making when the time comes.
For travel-size items, I would designate a clear box to store backup travel-size toiletries like deodorant and toothpaste.
For items that need to be refilled, such as hair gel and face wash, I would recommend doing this as part of your unpacking process.
You don’t need to have an oversupply of toiletries in your home to replenish your toiletry bag. When the toothpaste that you store in your bathroom runs out, take the toothpaste from your Prepacked Toiletry Bag and put that into the bathroom. Then replace the toothpaste in your Prepacked Toiletry Bag with brand new toothpaste.
If you travel to a family member's house often, I would recommend purchasing shower items you like and leaving them there. For example, if you visit your mom's house once a month for a weekend, you may want to have a full-size shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and face wash that you leave there.
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
Why You Need a Packing Checklist
The real question is: how can we have the travel experience we yearn for and not feel stressed by the preparation needed to get out of town.
Photo by Marissa Grootes on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Why You Need a Packing Checklist
I know. Checklists are SO boring, lame, and routine and travel is supposed to be about getting away from it all, being spontaneous, and leaving behind your endless to-do list.
I think the real question is: how can we have the travel experience we yearn for and not feel stressed by the preparation needed to get out of town?
The answer is a Packing List. This one tool can make a big difference.
For years, I didn't use a Packing List. I consider myself a "good" packer; I rarely forget anything essential and it just never seemed worth the effort.
Wow, was I wrong!
It's true, Packing Lists are a great tool in order to not forget anything important. But that's just one of the many benefits of "using" a Packing List.
The Benefits of Using a Packing List
Remember all essential items
No wasted brain power on figuring out what you need to bring
Packing goes quicker
Simplifies having other family members pack for themselves
Allows you to easily "check" if your kids packed what they need. This way you can give them the opportunity to learn to pack for themself, while not having to suffer the consequences of them forgetting essential items, like socks or underwear.
Provide a guide to what items you are repeatedly packing. This will apply more to "regular travel." Are there certain items that it makes sense to have a second set of and just keep packed? (Hint: we’ll be talking about duplicate items in an upcoming blog)
Getting Started
How to Create a Packing List
The most important factor is to remember your Packing List is a living document and should continue to change, as your life and your needs change.
I recommend categorizing your Packing List.
While there is no right or wrong way to do this, I would think about:
Where the items are physically located in your house?
If they live in different rooms, I would list them separately.
When are you packing the items?
There may be items you pack the weekend before, the night before, and the morning of your trip.
Who is packing the items?
If you have kids, depending on their age, what items are you comfortable with them packing?
Learning to pack is a life skill and the more practice they get before leaving the nest the better!
I strongly recommend including everything on your Packing List that you need for every type of trip you take. This includes work trips, weekends traveling for kids’ sports, and even hospital bags. True story: my friend had her 11-year-old daughter pack her hospital bag as she told her what to include between contractions.
It only takes a second to cross-off items that you don't need, where as it will take valuable minutes or longer to think of everything you need to add or to maintain multiple packing lists.
Sample Packing List Ideas
Comfort Items
Laptop
Laptop Charger
Apple Watch
Apple Watch Charger
Headphones
Headphone Charger
Glasses
Eye Mask
Book
Retainer / Sleep Guard
Jewelry
Vitamins
Water Bottle
Neck Pillow
Packing Basics
Underwear
Bras
Everyday Socks
Tights
Masks
Toiletries
Make-Up
Tampons
Shirts
Pants
Dresses
Sweaters
Shoes
Pajamas
Workout Gear
Workout Shirts
Workout Shorts
Workout Pants
Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Sweatshirt
Workout Bra
Workout Socks
Sneakers
Swim
Bathing Suit
Bathing Suit Cover
Flip Flops
Sun Glasses
Beach Bag
How to Use a Packing List
The first step is to PRINT it out. I don't recommend printing them ahead of time. I would print your Packing List when you are ready to start packing. This way you are certain to have the most up-to-date list.
Grab a highlighter and a pen.
Take a moment to cross off anything you don't need for this particular trip.
Highlight everything that you can't pack until the morning of. This may include prescription medication, glasses that you only wear at night before bed, or your child's noise machine.
You can decide what sections you want to do in whatever order works best for you, but it's faster to work through the section from top to bottom. Keep in mind, this is your Packing List. You can create whatever order you want for the items within each section. The time savings is from not taking the time to decide what to pack next, but rather just packing it.
As you work through your Packing List, there may be items that you realize are not on there. Take a moment to write it down on your Packing List and check it off.
Anything that you write down on your Packing List, needs to be added to your Packing List Template. If there is time, I would recommend doing this before you leave for your trip. It is a task that will probably take less than 60 seconds. However, if there is no time, or if it just feels like too much, add the Packing List to your Physical Inbox, so you can make the update when you return.
Happy Packing!
Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks
Over time, you may decide to have duplicates of the items that you are packing the morning of so that you have one less thing to think about when you are racing out the door.
In my experience, it's more time efficient to go through your Packing List in order, verse skipping around.
Think about packing full outfits together, complete with accessories. This is particularly efficient for kids so they can get themselves dressed easier. I recommend investing in ebags Packing Cubes. Everything fits into one cube and can be tossed into a diaper or beach bag as needed.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
Follow Me
Share this post
Create a Manual for Your Life
Have you ever asked yourself, what would happen if I wasn't here to manage this?
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Create a User Manual for Your Life
Have you ever asked yourself, what would happen if I wasn't here to manage this?
Usually, this question comes from a place of frustration, when we feel we are not getting the support that we need.
For the most part, there are two main causes that lead us to feel unsupported.
The first is that we may be surrounding ourselves with people that don't value us and our relationship in the way that we need.
The second is that we may not be communicating that we need support and how those around us can help.
Creating a "User Manual" for yourself or your family will provide a guide to your life and your responsibilities and ultimately help you to feel less overwhelmed day-to-day.
Getting Started
Finding yourself overwhelmed is not anything new or groundbreaking. It happens to even the most organized and disciplined people. However, when we feel less overwhelmed, we are more likely to have the time and energy to give and receive emotional support.
Maybe your partner is not great at providing emotional support, but is happy to pick up one of your administrative tasks, such as renewing the car insurance. By detailing all your family’s important information, your partner is able to step in and you can spend time with a friend who is able to give you the emotional support you need.
Alternatively, what if you become ill and aren't able to manage all the administrative items that you typically are responsible for? Now there is a guide so that your family and friends have all the information they need to support you.
The Benefits of Creating a Family Manual:
Creates an organized and detailed list of all your family’s important information.
Supports you in deciding what tasks or actions can be delegated.
Allows others to step in and support you in times of need.
What to include in your Family Manual:
A notification list.
A personal information page for each family member.
Important health information, such as health insurance, primary doctors, allergies, and important medical history.
Information on any professionals you work with, such as an accountant or financial advisor.
Information on how your taxes are processed yearly.
A copy of one statement from all your checking, savings, retirement, investment, HSA & 529 accounts.
A copy of one statement from each credit card.
One copy of each reoccurring bill, such as utilities, Netflix and AAA.
A copy of one statement from each insurance policy.
Passwords to your phone, computer, and password manager.
Your estate documents.
Important documents, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, and social security cards.
A list of instructions for any safety deposit boxes.
In conjunction with keeping your Estate Documents up to date, I believe that maintaining a Family Manual is the best gift you can give your family. In difficult times, it's one less thing your family has to worry about.
Additional Resources
I highly recommend the book, "Get It Together" by Melanie Cullen. This is not a book you need to read cover to cover, but it's a great reference to have in order to organize your family's information.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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How Keeping a "Distraction List" Can Help
What should you do when your brain wanders off with an amazing idea or an important to-do item?
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
How Keeping a "Distraction List" Can Help
At Happy Spaces, we talk a lot about the value of setting up systems and structures to support your focus.
But what should you do when your brain wanders off with an amazing idea or an important to-do item?
As I see it, there are 3 options:
You can try to ignore it. -- Don't be surprised if your brain keeps coming back to your "brilliant" idea and you struggle to regain your focus.
You can let yourself engage in some "research" for a limited amount of time. -- Don't be surprised if you struggle to stop your "research" at the time you set and refocus on your less interesting, but more important task.
You can write down your brilliant idea on your Distraction List.
Getting Started
What is a Distraction List & how does it work?
A "Distraction List" is a pad of paper that you keep next to you and use to write down items that pop into your head as you are focusing on a separate task.
It really is as simple as designating one pad of paper to be your Distraction List. Keep this notepad out and visible on your desk or workspace.
When you are working on a task and an idea or action related to another task pops into your head, write it down on your Distraction List.
This action allows your brain to trust that you will not forget about it and refocus on your current task.
In my experience, there are two types of common distractions. One type is the long list of to-do's that pop into your head, such as needing to call in a request for a refill on your prescription or making time to get your flu shot. These items should simply be added to the corresponding list in your List App.
The other common distractions are ideas that seem both brilliant and more fun than the task at hand. It could be an idea to start a local women's mastermind group or to install window seats as radiator covers. (These are just two of the ideas that popped into my head while writing this.) While these ideas may have a lot of value, I often find that they are a creative procrastination tool that your brain uses to attempt to convince you to stop your current task and switch to something more fun and enticing. While it is still important to incorporate these ideas into your List App, so that your brain feels it can let it go, you may also want to allow yourself to do some research on these ideas as a break during the day. For most of us, It's a lot easier to end a break researching how to build window seats than to end a break on TikTok or YouTube.
How does keeping a "Distraction List" help?
We have discussed the value of focused time blocks, which can range from 25 to 90 minutes, as a great strategy for focusing and accomplishing what's important.
Using a Distraction List should support you in minimizing internal distractions. I don't know anyone whose brain does not wander; the key is finding tools to help you regain your focus.
Is this a tool that you are already using? I would love to hear how it has helped!
Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks
Pick a notepad that is fun to use or has a special meaning to you. A few years ago, I received a notepad as a gift that says "Probably Not Today" at the top. It is the perfect pad for this.
Your Distraction List should not be an ongoing list. Either at the end of your "Time Block" or at the end of your "Workday", add everything from this list to your main List App.
One additional use for your Distraction List.
It is not uncommon that you may be working on some tasks while waiting for a phone call or an important email. Another great use for the "Distraction List" is to write down what you are working on, right before switching tasks, such as answering the phone or clicking on an email. This will allow you to remember what you were doing, prior to switching tasks, and will help you refocus quicker.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Is Overthinking Your Super Power?
Believe it or not, there are advantages to overthinking.
Photo by Canva.
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Can Overthinking Be Your Superpower?
In my experience, one trait that many successful individuals have in common is the characteristic to overthink situations.
Overthinking is often associated with being disadvantageous, resulting in fear, self-doubt, anxiety, depression, and poor sleep.
With so many disadvantages to overthinking, I bet you’re wondering how can it be a superpower.
Believe it or not, there are advantages to overthinking. There is a lot of power in reframing our thoughts. This includes rethinking the habit of overthinking (see what we did there?!) and harnessing the profound impact that reframing our thoughts can have on our mental health.
Overthinking situations can lead to:
Researching solutions
Taking time to reflect
Asking trusted individuals what they would do or have done in the same situation
Not making impulsive or short-sighted decisions
If you can see the value in overthinking, then you are more likely to not try to fight it.
It's often our negative self-talk that exasperates the ruminations and leads to increased anxiety, depression, and sleep issues.
Getting Started
How can I reframe my habit of overthinking?
The best place to start is by taking a few moments to reflect on a situation where you remember feeling completely overwhelmed and overcome with stress. Think about what happened. What was your original reaction? What were your immediate thoughts on what you should do or say?
If you are an overthinker, you likely didn't react in the moment. Instead, you likely spent the next day or week ruminating about the situation and the best solution.
When you finally decided how you were going to respond to the situation, what did you decide?
Was the solution different than the solution you thought of at the time the situation occurred?
If the solution was different, was your final choice a better solution than your original?
In my experience, allowing our minds to run through situations over a few days, or a week, leads to better decision-making.
Making better decisions is how overthinking can be your Superpower.
The next time you are blind-sided by a difficult situation, tell yourself and the person involved in the conflict, that you are going to take a few days to think about the situation before responding.
This has two benefits:
This will give you the time you need to make a thoughtful decision, based on facts and experience, not emotions.
This will give your brain permission to take the time it needs to process the situation.
By reframing the habit of overthinking, you will likely experience fewer of the disadvantages, while continuing to benefit from the advantages.
Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks
What if reframing my habit of overthinking isn't enough?
While reframing "the story you are telling yourself" is valuable, it is likely only a part of the solution.
What further steps can I take to minimize the disadvantages of overthinking?
I recommend taking the time to write down the thoughts that are swirling in your head. It's amazing how a thought can re-run in your head 50 times, but once you write it down, the re-runs stop. (This is also true when feeling overwhelmed due to uncompleted tasks. Write down the tasks you need to complete - or utilize your new app - and plan accordingly.)
Schedule a time each day to just "think". If the thoughts pop into your head, at a time that's inconvenient, tell your brain that you will think about it later. This is especially powerful if you are having trouble sleeping.
It may sound corny, but thank your brain for taking the time to think through this challenging situation. By doing this, you will minimize your feelings of depression and anxiety over your thoughts.
Consider starting a meditation practice. A valuable lesson of meditation is learning how to see your thoughts, notice them, and then let them go. You are not your thoughts!
When negative self talk starts, talk back. Respond with a story that supports your highest self.
Create a "List of Advisors". Call the advisor that you feel would be best to talk through the situation. If you don't get what you need from them, call someone else. You might be surprised by who gives the best feedback and support.
Give your brain a deadline. Usually it's best to wait between 48 hours and a week to respond, depending on how complicated the situation is. After a week, the benefits of thinking through the situation are diminishing and the disadvantages are likely starting to take over.
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Is Perfectionism Holding You Back?
As a high achiever, you benefit from taking pride in your accomplishments and often choose to surround yourself with other high achievers.
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Is Perfectionism Holding You Back?
High achievers benefit from taking pride in their accomplishments and often choose to surround themselves with other high achievers.
There are many benefits to being a high achiever, including:
Always giving 100%
Being highly motivated
Being passionate about your responsibilities
Thriving on healthy competition
However, there is a thin line between being a high achiever and being a perfectionist. Many of us shift between these mental frameworks, depending on what we are working on, how experienced we feel about our work, and how important the project is to us.
As with everything, there is a downside to perfectionism.
Self-worth becomes dependent on achievements
Fear of failure
Unrealistic expectations
Anxiety and depression
Obsessive thoughts
Leads to procrastination
Difficulty sleeping
It is important to note that you do NOT need to be a perfectionist in order to be a high achiever. Not only is it possible to let go of your perfectionism, while continuing to be a high achiever, but by moving away from perfectionism, you will likely increase your success.
Getting Started
Please note: depending on how engrained your thought processes are around perfectionism, this may be an area where you would benefit from outside support, such as speaking to a therapist or a life coach.
Where should you start? How’s this, just start.
Develop a motto that speaks to you. I like two mottos in particular: "Good enough is good enough" and "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good".
When you are feeling stuck, having trouble getting started, or finishing up, say your chosen motto out loud.
While there are some projects that need to be great, there are many projects that we undertake where done is far better than perfect. Take a moment before starting a project to picture what done looks like and do a brief cost-benefit analysis between time spent on the project and the importance of making every little thing perfect.
You may want to make a list of projects that you have started, but not finished. Then, make a list of projects that you have not started because you feel like you don't have all the details figured out yet.
Next to each project, write down what is the nightmare scenario if the project is not completed perfectly. Then write down what is the nightmare scenario if the project is not started - or completed! - at all. Which scenario do you want to avoid more?
I will use this blog as an example. My worst fear revolves around hitting send on a blog with a glaring spelling or grammar error and everyone thinking that I am an idiot. Guess what? There have been grammar errors, I have received feedback regarding those errors, and I am still here to write about it. (Special shoutout to Grammarly for helping to lessen my fears!)
Now, what if I allowed my perfectionism to prevent this blog from ever existing? I have a love of learning and developing new systems, strategies, and ideas that I know others can benefit from. By not sharing that information, others, like you, won’t have the same opportunity to grow and improve.
It was clear to me, that the downside to not writing and sharing this blog was far worse than the downside of sending out a blog entry with an error.
After writing down your worst care scenarios, take a few moments to write down how you would fix them. The good news is most mistakes are fixable - and frankly don’t matter in the long run.
Taking the time to write down your fears, and how you would respond if they happened, may actually be what your brain needs to stop procrastinating and get started.
We also need to recognize that we can really only implement one new project at a time. So pick which project on the list is your highest priority and start there.
Additional Resources
I highly recommend the book, "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brene Brown.
Brene also recorded a talk, which is available on Audible, called "The Power of Vulnerability", which I found moving, motivating, and empowering. The book and the talk on Audible are very similar, so you may not find it a valuable use of your time to read/listen to both. If you have Audible, I would start with "The Power of Vulnerability".
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Eat Real Food
Without taking a stance on which diet is best, the science is clear about the benefits of eating Real Food.
Photo by Matthew Brodeur on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Eat Real Food
I am a fan of science, yet find it incredibly frustrating how confusing the studies are about nutrition and how best to fuel our bodies. What all research seems to agree on, however, is that what we eat has a profound effect on our health and well-being.
The Science seems to be clear about the health benefits of eating Real Food, Prioritizing Real Food, getting quality sleep and weight training has a positive impact on our overall health.
Real Foods are essentially any foods that are found in their most natural state. Including:
Fruits and Vegetables
Meat, Poultry & Seafood
Eggs
Nuts and Seeds
Olive Oil & Coconut Oil
What is not Real Food?
Foods with added sugar
Foods with flour
Packaged food
When you are grocery shopping, you will find most Real Food along the perimeter of the store.
Getting Started
How can I incorporate more Real Food into my everyday life?
It may be worthwhile to take an inventory of the food you and your family are eating throughout the week and figure out what percentage is Real Food and what percentage is not. Knowledge is power and this step alone may be all you need to start adjusting your grocery list.
If you are not sure what ingredients are in the food you are eating, take a few minutes to read the nutritional label. Do you recognize all the ingredients? Is sugar or flour listed in the first five ingredients? Let’s be honest - can you even pronounce all the ingredients?
I recommend creating an intentional strategy regarding which foods are visible and easily accessible to you and your family. You will want your Real Food to be clean, cut, and ready to grab, while other foods are stored away, out of sight.
What might this look like?
Storing a fruit bowl on the counter.
Having cut veggies in the fridge and immediately visible when you open the door.
Having single-serving size snacks available for you and your kids to grab:
Nuts
Apple slices with peanut butter
Cut up peppers with hummus
Carrot "chips" with a Real Foods based dip
Beef Sticks with minimal additives
As you and your family transition to more Real Foods, you may find it helpful to have fewer processed foods in the house. There is a lot of truth to the saying, “out of sight, out of mind”.
Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks
One strategy for transitioning kids to more Real Foods, without taking away any processed foods, is to let things take their natural course. Add in more and more Real Foods and over time, kids and parents alike are more apt to choose those foods over other options. You can also use real foods to create what we typically recognize as processed foods, including cookies and other baked goods.
Additional Thoughts:
There is growing evidence that a high-protein, low-sugar, no-additive diet is best for minimizing the negative symptoms of ADHD.
When working with students, we talk a lot about the importance of making sure all meals and snacks include protein. If you are hungry, you aren't going to be able to focus well. Having healthy snacks available is a smart work strategy.
If you are struggling with your mental health or have an autoimmune condition, you may also want to look into the Carnivore Diet. The science around this is worth noting.
Additional Resources
I love a 30-Day Challenge. I feel like it's a relatively short period of time, but does seem to be long enough to determine if something is having a positive impact.
If you want to jump-start your journey into eating Real Food, you may want to look into the Whole 30 Challenge! If you try it, I would love to hear how you think it's impacted your health, concentration, and your life.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
Follow Me
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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.
Follow Me
Share this post
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.
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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.