Christa Wagner

Something new I am using in my office is a motivational bulletin board.   I do have annual goals and keep them with me at all times, but I’ve been feeling like I need more.  I needed something to call out to me and that I can see every day.  So I installed a bulletin board and magnetic wipe board in my home office.  I placed it next to some of my favorite photos of John and I and I look at it every day. 

The bulletin board has photos, inspirational quotes and things I treasure.  Some are things people have given more and others are clippings from magazines or something I found interesting.

My Weekly Motivation

I use the magnetic wipe board to write the week’s top priorities and then create my daily To Do list from there.  So far so good - I crossed everything off my list last week. 

I know its a challenge to stay on top of the never ending To Do list, but perhaps you can install something similar in your home or office. 

Christa Wagner is a professional organizer located in Vancouver, BC.

Over the weekend my husband grabbed a magazine about 50 Things To Do In British Columbia Before You Die.   We looked through each one and selected many places and sites we want to see – they look amazing.  Later, it got me thinking about my life and if I am doing all the things I want to do before I die.  Now, I hope dying is a long way off, but it’s important to think about as the days pass so quickly and I want to ensure I don’t die and miss out on anything. 

So I started making a list and it felt really great to get some of these ideas on paper.    Here are a few items on mine:

• Walk on all 7 continents.
• Spend a month in Tuscany.
• Visit Portofino, Palermo and Greece.
• Visit my host family in Hannover, Germany.  (I was an exchange student in the 10th grade and I would love to see my family again)
• With John at my side, drink wine and eat cheese gazing at the Eiffel Tower.
• Own a cabin in the woods on an alpine lake.
• Own a winery.
• Go on a several week long vacations with my parents, sister and her kids.
• Zipline.
• Cruise to Alaska.
• Go to the Oprah Show in Chicago.

This is only the beginning of my list and it just makes me smile to think about my life, my goals and I what I want to accomplish.  I encourage you to take some time to create your own list and be accountable to it.  On their death bed no ever said “I wish I had spent more time at the office.”

What 5o Things Do You Want To Do Before You Die?

Stress is everywhere.  We are so busy, running around like chickens with our heads cut off.  We are constantly in a hurry, even when we don’t need to be.  Stress comes from both good and bad things that happen to us and the stress comes from how we react to a situation.  Now, I am not a doctor or a psychologist, but I do know stress can negatively affect your healthy, the day, your feelings and productivity.  When I am stressed out, I go for a long run to decompress and rewind and I know when I am at the breaking point.

How stressed are you?  Take this simple stress test and see.  Answer yes or no to the following questions:

1. Do you frequently neglect your diet?
2. Do you try and take care of everything yourself?
3. Do you blow up easily?
4. Do you set unrealistic goals?
5. Do you fail to see humor in situations others find funny?
6. Do you frequently get irritated?
7. Do you frequently make a big deal of everything?
8. Do you frequently complain you are unorganized?
9. Do you frequently keep everything inside?
10. Do you often neglect exercise?
11. Do you not have supportive relationships?
12. Do you frequently get little rest?
13. Do you frequently get angry when kept waiting?
14. Do you frequently ignore stress symptoms?
15. Do you frequently think there is only one way to do things?
16. Do you frequently fail to build relaxation into your day?
17. Do you frequently spend a lot of time complaining about the past?
18. Do you frequently race thru the day?
19. Do you frequently feel unable to cope with all you have to do.
20. Do you frequently put things off until later?

Add up your Yes’s and No and count them.  Here are the results:

• Scores of 1-6:  Few Hassles
• Scores of 7-12:  Pretty Good Control
• Scores of 13-17:  Danger Zone. Watch out!
• Scores of 18+:  Stressed Out.  Slow down and get some help

Take a few minutes to evaluate what’s causing your stress and see if you can’t do something about it.   We recommend eliminating one thing in your life that is causing you stress and scheduling one thing to help you decompress.  Gotta run and schedule my massage appointment with Oceana Massage.   That is how I relax and I love a massage at the end of a busy week.  Call Susan and schedule an appointment today.

Continuing with our 10 Positive Things About a Challenging Economy Series is #10: Focusing On The Small Things. Remember the book Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff?  How true to life does that feel now?  With so much going on in the world, you have to let go of the little nuances and focus on the small, wonderful things that make life great.  Perhaps it’s a tulip field, homemade cookies, Mom’s pasta sauce, a summer night on the deck, fireworks, etc.  We can’t always change the world around us, but we can change how we react to things and to focus on the small, important things.

To read our previous tips, go to 10 Positive Things About a Challenging Economy, #1:  More time with family, #2 : Better food choices, #3: Exercise, #4: Using What You Have, and #5: Buying What You Need, and #6 Focusing on What Matters, and #7 Boost Creativity, and #8 Getting To Know Your Neighbors, and #9 Reconnecting With Your Space.

Proud Biz Owner - 2004

July 1st is Savvy Solutions 5 Year Anniversary!!!!  It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years since I launched.    In that time, we have worked with hundreds of clients on complex organizing projects as well as the simplest of organizing projects that made a huge difference in our client’s lives.  My business has grown, changed and developed and I could not have done it without the support of my clients, family, friends, other organizers and most of all my hubby John. 

Christa

Continuing with our 10 Positive Things About a Challenging Economy Series is #9: Reconnecting With Your Space.  I can’t tell you how many times I have heard someone say I need a larger space. But with larger space, comes more stuff and more to deal with.  Reconnect with your home and come to love the home you’re in today.  Declutter and remove items you don’t need, use or love.  Move the furniture around, paint the walls a new color, shift your art, move knick-knacks around, etc.  There are so many ways to reconnect with your space; the important thing is to create a space you love to be in and are proud of. 

If you want some help with your project, contact us and we will make sure you achieve your goals.   There are many great reasons to hire an organizer.

To read our previous tips, go to 10 Positive Things About a Challenging Economy, #1:  More time with family, #2 : Better food choices, #3: Exercise, #4: Using What You Have, and #5: Buying What You Need, and #6 Focusing on What Matters, and #7 Boost Creativity, and #8 Getting To Know Your Neighbors.

Continuing with our 10 Positive Things About a Challenging Economy Series is #8: Getting To Know Your Neighbors. Somehow in the past decades, we started to spend less time with our neighbors.  Such a bummer.  You have to live near these people, get to know them and build a relationship with them.  Perhaps a social hour where everyone meetings in the front yard and then you can build into a Progressive Dinner.  But get excited, get talking and let people into your life.

To read our previous tips, go to 10 Positive Things About a Challenging Economy, #1:  More time with family, #2 : Better food choices, #3: Exercise, #4: Using What You Have, and #5: Buying What You Need, and #6 Focusing on What Matters, and #7 Boost Creativity.

I love summer so much.  Summertime brings back memories of being a kid when I would go to the pool for hours, eat popsickles and sleep in tents in the  backyard.  Remember how you just didn’t want the days to end.  That’s one of the best parts of summer in the northwest; we have daylight from 4am until 10:30pm.  The days go on forever.  I try to make the most of summertime and I am sure you are too.  We have kayaking trips planned, a holiday to the Okanagan planned, visits with our families and of course lots of lazy days on our local beach (Kits Beach). 

Here are some summer planning tips to get the most out of your summer.

1. Decide what’s important to you.  We can’t do it all, so decide how you will spend your time.
2. Put the rocks on the calendar.  I heard this saying almost a year ago, from Time Management Coach Bill Zipp, and now I say it all the time.  Put important dates and events on the calendar.  When you have the rocks on the calendar, the sand (of the fluff) will filter through. 
3. Complete any pending actions necessary to ensure success.  Call the hotel and make the reservation, send out the evite, schedule your pedicure appointment, etc.
4. Say no to activities or events you don’t enjoy or don’t feel passionate about. 
5. Consider your budget:  Summer fun doesn’t have to put a dent in your budget.  Go to McDonald’s Playland, make homemade pizzas, go on a hike or canoe on a local lake. 

My new tag line is Get Organized and Get More Out Of Life.   Being organized does not take more time, it just ensures you get what you want out of life.  I encourage you to do some planning so you can spend more time in the sunshine! 

Enjoy your summer!

Continuing with our 10 Positive Things About a Challenging Economy Series is #7: Boost Creativity. We all love to be entertained, I do too.  But right now, movies, theater and sports events may be outside your means.  Be creative with your time and think of what you can do that costs little or nothing.  Fly a kite, walk through a local market, work on your photo album, go camping, hike, play frisbee, learn a new sport, etc. There are so many activies you can do that are fun, energizing and cost virtually nothing.

To read our previous tips, go to 10 Positive Things About a Challenging Economy, #1:  More time with family, #2 : Better food choices, #3: Exercise, #4: Using What You Have, and #5: Buying What You Need, and #6 Focusing on What Matters.