Spring Forward
The weather here in Florida is finally starting to act like spring instead of old man winter’s stepchild. We have had the coldest winter weather this year as long as they have been keeping records. Now the sun is out, the sky is clear and one can feel the renewed energy in all living things around them.
Now is a really good time to go through that closet of yours as you prepare to put the heavier weight clothing away(that is unless you are headed North or to go sking in the next few weeks, I just heard yesterday that they are still getting snow out in Colorado. Now back to the point. First weed out the winter clothes that you did not wear this season. See if they fit. If the clothes don’t fit put them in a bin,tote or basket to prepare to give to a local thrift store. It is always easy to say if I just lose those 10 lbs. or more(?) then I can wear them again. Let’s face reality, you most likely will not wear those garmetns again no matter how much you loved them when you purchased them. If you moved to Florida from the colder climate and still have a winter coat that fits, you might want to keep that in the chance that you go visiting there again. If the coat doesn’t fit and you can not see visiting the cold weather cities in the near future-get rid of it. At this point I am going to be proud of you because I know that it is important to have all those pretty spring and summer clothes hanging in your closet. Bring those out of hiding. Make sure they fit, are clean , and don’t need any repairs such as a button replacement. You know just as well as I do that when you go to wear that piece of clothing that if the button is still missing, it will only add to a headache and put you in a foul mood.
You don’t have to do all this by yourself. If you have a husband , significant other or a girlfriend, borrow them for an hour or so to help you through the process. Then being the wonderful person that you are, you will offer to assist them in the same process. When this is all done, put the clothes in one of those black lawn or large trash bags and either take them to the thrift store of your favorite charity or arrange for pickup. Here is also another idea. Let’s say that you and your friends are doing the closet dance at the same time, have a clothes swap. The beautiful sweater that you always admired may not want to be in the owner’s closet anymore. It is a great way to pick uip some gently worn items and accessories while keeping within budget. When I just mentioned accessoriies, I mean the same for accessories as I do for clothes. If you don’t wear them, move them on it. The Universe abhors a vaccum so they will be replaced in some manner. If your clothing is such that you never wore it, or hardly wore it and it is still in style, you might consider taking those items to your local consignment store. Granted you will not come away with the amount of money that you originally paid, but most likely you will get some money. Then go shopping for something new and exhiliarating. This step will also help the bottom line.
Now that you have your closets cleaned out and straightened, you will feel so much better-lighter in fact since you won’t have those clothing items weighting you down. You also don’t have to stop at the closets. Go through your cupboards and throw out expired spices and food items. How many plastic containers do you realistically need to have? Are you and your family the ones who will eat left overs or is it the guilt of throwing something out that makes you put that stuff in the fridge until the smell is so bad or it starts turning green, that you then toss it. Be honest with yourself. Actions speak louder than words.
If you dont want to odo closets, ok. Maybe you are so totally together that you have the perfect closet. Bless you. You also might just be able to shop in the closet. Wouldn’t that be fun? Oh, did I mention that in 5 weeks the taxes are due? How about those papers and supprting documents? Are they in piles on the desk that is buried under them all? Are they in a laundry basket for safe keeping? Just like the closet go through them , make your files for the receipts that you will need if or should you be audited. The shoe box can be a wonderful thing but the IRS auditor does not find this filing method amuzing.
Now that you are feeling glum about the upcoming tax return deadline-maybe you have a refund coming this year. Go through your stuff and see if you can itemize your deductions, or have had a major change in your life this year, relationship status, move, job, lack of job, medical. Take the time to talk with a professional to get the best advice possible. Another sidebar, did you know that if you file electronically that you most likely will receive your refund sooner? Another thing, if you think that filing for an extension will be the easy way out so you don’t have to be in any sort of sprint to get the taxes completed, you will need to pay the amount of tax owed if you are most likely to owe the IRS .
If you live in the Tampa Bay area, the Tampa Bay Professional Organizers are having a Shred a Thon Saturday April 10. I will get back to you with all the details in the next couple of days. I will also supply you with the list of papers and receipts that need to be kept and for how long. After the time period has elapsed , they can be thrown away or shredded. We have all heard the horror stories of stolen identity so just throwing in the trash can is probably not your best option. We will have a professional shredding truck on site who will provide you with a certificate of shredding for your records.
Enjoy the beginnings of spring, the official solstice is March 20. Daylight Savings Time starts this coming weekend. So don’t forget to SPRING FORWARD . Set your clocks an hour ahead before you go to bed Saturday night. It will eliminate the confusion in the morning. Just think there will be an extra hour that you can walk, jog, or sit outside and enjoy your favorite beverage at the sidewalk cafe. In case you did not do this on New Year’s Day , you might just replace the batteries in your smoke alarm and how about changing those air filters? With alll the pollen and dust in the air, the filters are taking a beating. If you have allergies, iti s the worst.
Until next time, enjoy life and savor the moments of silence, the singing birds the beautiful spring flowers that are starting to sprout their little heads. This is all a part of the fabric and texture of life.
If you are overworked, stressed out ready to run a way but have no place to go, think of hiring an assistant for a day or even a few hours to help take the load off. Life is meant to be enjoyed not dreaded. What the catepillar sees as the end of life , the Master sees the butterfly as a beginning.
Happy Valentine’s Day,Mardi Gras,& More
First of all Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone! Wow this has been quite a week for us here at OH MISS.! With Gasparilla Parade last weekend, the cold weather-I know our friends up north it has been much much worse. The simple fact is, we live here in sunny Florida and we don’t expect it to get this cold. Most of us are going to have to wait a few more weeks before we will know how much damage has been done to our plants and landscaping.
But to continur on,, we corordinated a beautiful wedding yesterday at the beach. It was absolutely bone chilling cold but beautiful. It was a sunny day and other than the fact that it did not reach 60*, perfect. How could it not be? One of us had our anniversary yesterday and the DJ celebrated his birthday as well. All sorts of reasons to celebrate.
Now along that vein, did you know that besides being St. Valentine’s Day today, it is the start of the Chinese New Year-The Year of the TIger. A chinese custom is for married couples or the elderly to give AngPous (red envelopes) to the younger or unmarried. The envelopes usually contain money. The amount is usually $8.00 as the number 8 is considered a lucky number. They will also wear new clothes that day as to symbolize that they have plenty(or enough to go around) The Tiger is considered to be lucky,vivid,lively,engaging and have incredible bravery. Persons born in the year of the Tiger are said to have these characteristics-courage, vehemence,self-reliance,friendliness,hopefulness,resilience,vanity, and disregard. Happy Year of the Tiger!
Now tomorrow the 15th of February is Clean Monday. This is the Orthodox equivalent to the Christian Ash Wednesday. Clean Monday is the day that the home or living space is thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom, all crumbs and dust are cleaned away.
In New Orleans the Mardi Gras season that has been going on for a couple of weeks now,since the day of Epiphany or Three Kings Day is coming to a close. Most know only of the ending of the season with the parade and Fat Tuesday. Another custom that is held throughout this time is the custom of the King’s Cake. This is a cake that is made witha plastic baby inside and sometimes coins. The person that receives the piece of cake with the baby is supposed to hold the feast the following year. Fat Tuesday is when all the world is a stage and their is music and dancing , reveleryabounds as does the food and drink in a sense preparing for the time of Lent that will begin on Wednesday or Ash Wednesday. This is a time that Christians often give up something that is very meaningful to them-usually in the food category such as chocolate, chips, meat, something in that ilk in keeping withthe preparation for Easter Sunday. This year Easter Sunday will be the same for both Orthodox churches and Christian churches.
Ash Wednesday is this upcoming Wednesday the 17th and begins the preparation for Easter Sunday.
Oh and if you are wondering where the origin of the heart shaped box came from for the chocolates that are given at Valentine’s Day, you can thank Mr. Cadbury who in the mid 1800’s put his chocolates in a heart shaped box. Another factoid that even centuries before the cocoa beans were considered to be aphrodisiac
Again Happy Valentine’s Day, Fat Tuesday, and Chinese New Year!
Resolutions still there?
Okay so it has been awhile since I last wrote but I do have reasons some valid, some not so much. The holidays were very special here as we were able to share them with family and friends. Anyone who has or knows of a 3 1/2 year old knows that the time is anything but quiet and low key. Still the wonder of a child during the holidays is inspirational.
New Year’s Eve came, and we were fortunate to share with some close friends, watch the ball drop, sip champagne, eat our blackeyed peas with greens and a bit of pork, throw in rice for good measure. I don’t know all of the significance of the various parts of the whole butthen again I was born in the North, raised out West and now and have lived in Florida for over 16 years. No wonder I get confused?!
So my question to you is are you still adhering to your NewYear’s resolutions? Did you make any or did you just say the heck with it. I don’t ever get very far with them and I do write them out because it is a habit. If you are like most folks, it takes 21 days to establish a new habit. Do you realilze that is tomorrow? If you started your resolution on New Year’s Day and are still going strong with that resolution, you have more than a 50% chance of sticking with it. Congratulations! You should be proud of yourself, so give yourself the preverbial pat on the back. If you fell off the wagon, don’t give up. If it is important, there are 345 days left in 2010 to get right back on the wagon train and start your new habit.
January is National Organization month. It is inherent in us, I think from when we are really really little that on New Year’s Day we put all our new stuff away and go through the rest so we can give it to the less fortunate or even toss if it is beyond repair. As adults we still need to do this. We are getting ready for tax day. Do you have all your receipts in a place that you know where to find them? If not it may be time to start gathering unless of course you like P&P. That is panic and pressure which will rear it’s ugly head about April 13 or if you really like to push the envelope the 14th. Even if you file an extension for filing, you still have to have a good guestimate. You just get to put off filing out the forms on line or on paper. You know I just heard that if you efile your income tax, you get your refund sooner. Now that would be incentive, would it not? Now if you aren’t getting a refund this year, I can see putting off the big rush to file. If you owe, I am sorry. The fact is whether it is our receipts for tax purposes, your closet because the layer of clothes on the floor has become an added shelf(does that count as home improvement?), the cabinets that are bursting at the seams and you can’t get them closed anymore. HELLO-it’s time.
I am going to be on the charity bandwagon for just a minute and I promise you I will stick to that. There are so many of our neighbors, friends we haven’t yet met, and folks in our corner of the world, that could really use that old blanket, those clothes that don’t fit anymore for whatever reason. I make no judgement. What about the pots and pans that you don’t use anymore or the dishes? You name it someone could probably use it. If you don’t have a collection at your church or synagogue, donate the items to your favorite charity. More and more charities are using thrift stores to help them make ends meet so that they can meet the needs of your community. Some in the Tampa area are Charlie’s Treasure’s for The Children’s Home, The Spring, Goodwill, Salvation Army, League of Mercy, Kidney Foundation and the list goes on.
We are so fortunate to live where we do, no matter what your political bend, the American people will get it right. But even in our land of abundance there are those that aren’t as fortunate. We have refugees that are now going to be coming in from Hatti. How heart wrenching is that? Folks are going to need our help. Make sure that the organization you choose is legitimate. Go to their website. Just don’t go by an email sent asking for help. This can also be a time of flim flam folks. They will pull at your heart strings and your purse strings, but what you give will not go where you think.
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Favorites for the Super Bowl?
Make your day an Oscar winning performance.
Gifts for coworkers and others
Happy Saturday Afternoon to everyone!
I just had to share something that I am proud to say I know the creator and the quality of the gift.
If you are in a situation where you need or would like to get something for your co-workers,neighbors or others that are not family or just difficult., I would like to suggest a uniique gift so appropriate to the South and this time of year. The gift is “Peas for Prosperity”. How many of us personally know of someone who has been down on their luck this year and maybe even last. When December rolls around, depression starts to set in for some and especially those who ,let’s face it can’t afford much of a Christmas or Hanakkuh gift.
This gift is made of Black-eyed peas which is a very strong tradition in the South for good luck in the New Year-hence prosperity. Each one comes with cooking instructions and the history. It is a lovely and thoughtful gift and one sure to bring on some conversation. Go to the website www.peasforprosperity.com. You can order your gifts from there. For less than $10 you can’t do much better. The exciting thing is that $1 of every sale and I mean every bag of every sale goes to Second Chance. Everyone deserves a second chance on life and this will help facilitate it.
We will have them soon in Tampa where $1 of every bag will be going to a local charity as well.
So if you think you would like some more prosperity, or some prosperity, or help give a person a second chance go to www.peasforprosperity.com and let them know that OHMISS sent you.
As part of a disclaimer, I would like to state that OHMISS Concierge is not making any money or being paid anything in one form or another for this recommendation.
Holiday Ideas
The sales are gong on it seems every day now. The best prices of the season they shout out. Do you dare to wait until the 23rd or the 24th if that is the case? If and it is a big IF, if you want a specific product or item for the shopping list you may just be better off getting it. If you wait until the 23rd or the 24th, it may not be available or available in the size, color or specifics that you want. Now if you are a gambler and like rolling the dice, you can do what a friend of mine said today-only 16 more days until I go Christmas Shopping! Now granted some of the excitement of the season is going out in the crowds in the last day or so before the holiday to soak up all the ambiance. You can soak up ambiance and get a cup of cocoa, you don’t have to shop. Now if you do find a bargain of a lifetime on those days-go for it. It might be on sale on the 26th for even more off the “original” price but it is a chance that you take.
Let’s say that shopping in the mall or on Main Street is not your thing, you can find so much on the Internet these days. In fact search around and don’t just go to one site. You may just find some bargains out there that you weren’t expecting. There may be limited quantities and watch out for the shipping. The shipping sometimes is more than the article you are purchasing and if you by any stretch of the imagination must return it-yikes it could even be worse. So do your homework. The stores are open 24hours and you can shop from the comfort of your pajamas. Don’t be afraid to look at other sites for your items. You can comparison shop online just as you can in the mall.
Don’t be afraid to go green with your holiday gift giving. Get something that can be planted outside after the season is over or maybe it is a plant that can stay inside with the right light and watering schedule. Do you know that when you have a live green plant in your home it helps produce oxygen? Yep, the plants absorb the CO2 that we exhale and produce O2. Another hint, take your own bag for your purchases!
If you put up a live evergreen tree or even wreaths , after the first of the year, find out where your local area is doing recycling of the trees. They were chop the trees so that they make a fragrant mulch to use in landscaping.
Now let’s say you are a lucky one and received a new flat screen TV 1080p or a new laptop computer, desk computer or even a cell phone. Dont just throw those items away. Your local recycling company will most likely have an electronics recycle day. You can take all your used electronic to the recyle and not pollute the landfills with mercury and other harmful chemicals that are in those screens and monitors. If you received a new phone there are several agencies that would absolutely love to have your old one. Cell Phones for Soldiers,telephones for abused women, men , too. Check out the local agencies including Salvation Army, Goodwill, The Spring, and others. The extra ink cartridges can be recycled as well. Your local Petsmart has mailers for you to use that are postage paid. HP has a recycle your computer program. You can get more information on their website or at your local Starbucks cafe. Speaking of Starbucks, do you know that you can get their used coffee grounds for use in your garden or compost pile? You don’t even have to drink coffee. These are free for the asking.
In the midst of all this, you find yourself unable to get out or have the time to shop like you would enjoy, you can hire a concierge to do it for you. Personal Shopping can be a blessing at this time of year. They can even get your packages gift wrapped either with your own color scheme of paper and ribbon, or have the shops wrap it. Perfect packages in very little time. Now that is a good thing.
The 12th is the first night of Hanukkah. It starts seven days of religious services and gift giving for our Jewish Friends. If you don’t check back until after the 12th-Happy Hanukkah.
December 01,2009
Can you believe it? It is December 1st today. Where has the year gone? It is not like this doesn’t happen every year. It’s not that there were more days in this year-there weren’t . It wasn’t a leap year. So now the mad dash to January begins.
You survived Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Have you finished the Thanksgiving leftovers yet? Hit the food channel for ideas on that one. Did you get in enough watching of your favorite football teams? I hope that yours did better than my husbands teams. Every single one of them lost. Even when it looked like the team was going to win, they lost. He was very disappointed and not a happy camper. Thank goodness he likes the holidays and all the festivities that go along with this time of year.
Now getting back to December 01, that means 25days until Christmas if you count today. If you don’t then it is 24 days until Christmas. Hannakuh begins at sundown on December 11. You have probably received many invitations to holiday open houses and parties by now and are all ready feeling the stress of how am I going to get muy own home decorated this year, let alone gifts wrapped, that is of course if you have purchased them, Christmas and New Year cards to address and mail, not to mention the cooking, baking ,and the list goes on.
Being with family and friends during the holidays makes for memorable times. If you are caring for a parent or older relative, don’t forget to take some time for yourself. You could be doing yourself and your loved one a disservice by not doing just that. It is hard to overcome the guilt when it comes to taking some time but a little assistance now and then is not a bad thing. Holidays helpers are proabbly more affordable than you thought. Having one or two ertrands taken off the drudgery of the holiday “to do” list can be a boone to your enjoyment of the holidays. Not only will you enjoy them more, but those around you will notice how less stressed you are and enjoy the season with you.
Little things such as running to the grocery store, dry cleaners, the drug store or the mall, can save you a lot of stress not to mention the extra time you will have in the day. Maybe you will even have time to do something You want to do.
This is where a good concierge service can be a tremendous benefit. They can provide you with holiday helpers to do these errands, help you do the decorating or plan a party . OH MISS does background checks on all of their associates and preferred vendors. They are licensed, insured and bonded. This alone can provide you with an element of ease and comfort when hiring someone on a one time or regular basis. The party season is starting . Take time to enjoy it.
Friday I’ll be back with some helpful hints on how to take some stress out of your holiday. how to enjoy the parties and still fit in to your favorite Christmas outfit. Until then, live life outsource the rest.
Getting to January
Hopefully by now everyone has adjusted to our adjusted time. Rolling back is always such a wonderful thing. Just having that extra hour even if for one day seems like a luxury unlike any other. Unfortunately what it the magical moment also signifies is the beginning of the holiday whirl, swirl,frenzy and stress.
How can a concierge company help at this time of year? Hiring a concierge firm to be of assistance is similar to what happened in the Ozzie and Harriet neighborhoods back in the 50’s 60’s and 70’s before mobilization of families and jobs. We could ask a neighbor for a suggestion for a referral if we needed something done at our home or where to find a special present that we had not yet located. We could most likely get help from a neighbor to put holiday lights outside our home to make it look festive during the season. You might have even shared ladders and tools then later a beverage and cookies. Now we hope that are neighbors are nice if we even know them other than to wave from the car. Who can we call to get the names of persons that do a good job for a good price? You know the ones who suit up, show up and are on time? What a concept!
Having the services of a concierge firm is like having that neighbor to ask, it is a wonderful resource tool. Not only can a concierge firm guide you to the right people for the right job but they can also oversee that job if you are unavailable.
What about having someone gather all those impossible to find toys for you? Then what is really cool is having them all gift wrapped and delivered before Christmas. No worrying about hiding those special goodies in the closet, the pantry, under the bed, in the garage or attic or anywhere else you can stow something.
Need to get a party planned for the office at last minute? A concierge firm can usually help you get it organized, pulled together with decorating, catering and assistants so that you don’t feel like pulling your hair out. They can even arrange to have your home cleaned before and after. Why not be able to enjoy a party at your own home. Isn’t that a novel concept?
I am reminded of a friend a couple of years back that was very involved in a group of business people in town. This person was so busy at the time trying to keep her feet even close to the pavement, yet she wanted to send out holiday cards to the people in her group. It was over 100 individuals. The quandry was to either run address labels for all of them or hire someone to write the name and address on the envelope.ersonalize the inside of the card, and post. Above and beyond the cost of the cards and postage, this task only cost her $40.00. I can not begin to relate to you the number of people who said to her,”How did you find the time to do this?” or “Wow, you made me feel really special with your handwritten card.” How much is that worth in today’s marketplace? I would just guess that it is a lot more than $40.00.
Another scenario might pop up with out of town guests showing up at the last minute during the holidays. Love to see them but now how do I entertain them? Let the concierge help you get tickets to a show or sporting event. What about reservations to a new restaurant in town or an old one that you really like.
We’ll catch up next time on helpful hints for Thanksgiving whether you are at home or on the road.
If you work for a company or a corporation and would like them to consider having this type of service available to you at work. Let us know. We will offer you 25% off your first out of pocket fee. Special rates for corporate clients for the next 90 days. Give a gift that is useful.
Until then, enjoy this beautiful Florida weather with just a hint of fall as you think of friends and relatives who live up North or in the Midwest that area getting snow remembering “This is why I live here.”
Shred a Thon/too many papers
If you are like many families, papers seem to multiply overnight. You thought you had it under control but something went wrong. You even went out and purchased the shredder, you thought it would be so easy. Once a week just sit down and shred the statements and papers with personal information on them to keep the counter top or desk clean. In a perfect world with strict discipline and good habits, this can work. For the majority of us, life is so crazy and hectic, one week becomes one month and so on. The papers that should be shredded are piling up. We can’t see the counter or the desk top any more. We begin to suffer angst and guilt. Are we really so bad that we can’t even take care of our shredding?
The Tampa Bay Professional Organizers are having their second Shred a Thon of 2009 on November 07, at the corner of Fletcher Ave and Dale Mabry Blvd in Tampa. We will have a professional shredding company on site who will do all the shredding for you and issue you a certificate of shredding. There will be members of the group ,who are all professional organizers, volunteering Saturday to help people with their boxes of documents that need to be shredded for security reasons. There will be a limit of 10 banker’s boxes per person. The group is asking for a donation of $2.00 per box that is shredded and the funds will go to a local charity. There will be prizes for the oldest document as well as the person who comes the farthest. Our last Shred a Thon we raised $2000 that was donated to Ronald MacDonald House. The hours will be from 9 a.m. to noon. Be early was when the truck is full of shredded paper, the shred a thon is over.
We at OH MISS are proud members of the National Association of Professional Organizers.and the local Tampa Bay Professional Organizers. We support the Shred a Thon by volunteering our services. We help people everyday with organization and when they feel overwhelmed by all the clutter around them.
If you need help with the paper overflow. If you feel that life is out of control and you are overwhelmed with paper and clutter , we can help. When you have an organized space, you can be more clear in your thinking and less stressed. We at OH MISS are comitted to reducing stress in all areas of your life. Call to make an appointment 813-636-9700. If you mention the blof you will receive a 15% discount on our regular fee. Don’t let stress and stuff get you down. Call OH MISS.
3Day Walk for Breast Cancer/Halloween
Here it is the 30th day of October and in Florida It feels like summer with record breaking heat. Today marked the first day of the 3 Day Walk for Breast Cancer. in Tampa Bay. We at OH MISS salute all the men and women who are out walking and will be until Sunday evening for their persistence, and tenacity to accomplish this goal of 60 miles. It is not easy as anyone who has ever done the walk or trained for the walk will tell you. Breast cancer can be hideous to its victims. So many people think the disease just affects women but men can also be victims, yet their story is not always heard. Get yourself a lifelong friend, be it your spouse, a good friend or a relative that will remind you each and every month to do the self exam. With knowledge comes power and with power you can be two steps ahead if something doesn’t feel quite right. This is not a disease that if you ignore it ,it will go away. There are stories out there of survivors who tried to ignore signs of recurrence that came to the dance too late as the party was over.
On a lighter note tomorrow is Halloween and if you have small children, it will be a day of anticipation,parties, parades, and candy. Please be safe . know where your children are going. Do not let them keep any candy that looks like it has been opened. Make sure that they have a glow strip on their costume, or carry a flashlight of some sort so that other people can see them. Drivers at dusk do not always see children darting across the road in front of them. So many of our vehicles have ABS brakes now which can help us stop on a dime but we don’t want little arms or legs under those tires.
The good news for most of us is that Daylight savings time ends tomorrow night. Don’t forget to reset your clocks before you go to bed so that you will be on time when you awaken on Sunday morning. If you don’t you could end up being an hour early and wonder where everyone is. Enjoy the extra hour of sleep. May you have pleasant dreams.
Stay tuned for the next update on Monday which is earlier than this blog is updated. Monday is November 2. The stress and time crunch for the holidays is about to start. We’ll help you figure out a timeline and give some hints on how to make this holiday season more fun for you and your family.
Until then enjoy the goblins, the ghosts and all the trappings of Halloween. For our 3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer participants-You go. We are with you and will see you back here on Monday.
TOO MUCH ON YOUR PLATE WEEK
Now did anyone have to tell you that you have too much on your plate? Did you really have to have a designated week of the year to realize it? Fear not my friends, it is officially “Too Much On Your Plate Week”. For purposes in writing this, the week shall be called “TMOPW”.
We all try to do so much, whether it is on the job or at home, with families, friends, and oh yes don’t forget those volunteer hours. I was given a packet of cocktail napkins not too long ago that had a picture of a woman wildly waving her hand in the air and shouting”pick me, pick me, I volunteer., let me help.” This of course was noted to be caused by one too many espressos. This however is not always the case.
We seem to need permission to slow down, take a break, read a book, take a walk, etc. For some reason our backgrounds insist that we continue to plow through to the bitter end no matter what toll it takes on our bodies, minds, families or friends. We think we are doing just fine. That we have the whole situation and life under control, then pop something happens that is not on the agenda. We are thrown for a loop and hope that somehow we can recover. Our bodies and minds ae amazing and humorous as well. They have systems that will slow us down whether we want to or not. Make no bones about it, if you do not slow down and take some things off your plate, your body will help you with that decision and you will have No choice.
I recall as a young woman in my twenties and being the overachiever that I was and also figuring that there was no life after 30, I had to do it all. I had my own retail store, sold some real estate on the side and assisted my husband with his restaurant. This of course was all the while I was moving in to a new home and did I say my parents were moving to our communiity? Needless to say, I caught what I thought was a cold. No big deal, a cold, you get some pills, cough drops a little chicken soup and you are ready to roll,only not so fast. I lost my voice and thought I just had laryngitis. After my cold appeared to have resolved, my voice did not. I had to go to an Ear Nose and Throat specialist. He sat me in the chair and asked me what was going on in my life. I know it’s a funny scenario as it is like the dentist putting one of his instruments in your mouoth and then asking a question that requires an answer. Ha! So I wrote on a note pad that he had for this type of situatioin what was going on in my life. Frankly I was quite proud of all that I was doing and still be able to stand up and function. This man looked at me straight in the eyes and said”how much do you think you can do at one time?” I shook my head. I don’t know I said. When something needs to be done, I just do it. I needed to fix it.
If you haven’t figured out where this is going, it is that we can not do it all, or at least not all at the same time. I had a condition that is referred to as frozen vocal cords. It would be months before I could even get a squeak past my lips as I would try to communicate. As I said before, our bodies do make us pay attenttion and slow down whether we want to or not. Picture this. Have you ever tried to have a telephone conversation with somone when you can’t vocalize? Have you tried to tell a contractor what you need done when you can’t speak? Or better yet, how about trying to make a sale. Nope, it isn’t going to happen. I had to learn the hard way that I can’t do it all, all the time, all at once. I have been told that I am strong willed and stubborn, but then I guess you had already figured that one out for yourself.
This week, I give you permission to sit down and read a chapter of your book, or enjoy a beverage with your friends. Take that walk,go runing if you like the runner’s high, or take the yoga class. This won’t releive your stress but it will slow you down. Now as far as the stress of everyday life is concerned, taking that yoga class will do you no good as long as that “to do” list is still hanging over your head. This is where learning to prioritize comes in to play. Put what is most important at the top even if it is the one that is the most uncomfortable. Get the uncomfortable done first, then the rest is easier.
I was at a reception just about a week ago. As I stood talking with some folks that like you are professionals and occupy the executive suites around town, the basics of everyday life came in to the conversation as we talked about how we got our things done. What is the best use of your time? Is it standing in a line at the grocery store or the post office or returning the gift that you do not like at all? Or is it getting some of that paperwork off your desk talking to a client that creates billable hours for you? If I were to be so bold, I would bet that it would be a client for billable hours and not the grocery store, post office, or mall.
This is where a service like OH MISS comes in handy, For very little, an OH MISS associate can get that list done in a flash, throw in the post office if you like, the wine shop, the dry cleaners etc. What does this do for you? The answer lies in the fact that you are billing more hours=more pay. You are clearing the “to do” list by at least a fraction and eliminating some stress from your life. After all do you want to be the one that is thrown for a big fat loop and find out you have been knocked out of the game for several days, weeks, or even months? Do the math., It will be less expensive to have someone else do the errands that for you to pay a Doctor and lose those hours at work. Get the type of down time You want not the kind that is thrown at you.
With that I will say to all of our friends and aquaintances new and old-Happy TMOYPW! Wouldn’t you love that in a crossword puzzle?
Have an awesome week.