Zen Chick

Zen Chick

Slow down. Simplify. Love your life.

“There is more to life than increasing its speed. Slow down, breathe and enjoy. “

What Is The Real Cost Of Your Stuff?

By Leave a Comment 0

“Where does stuff go when it dies, does it go to stuff heaven?”~George Carlin

The cost I’m referring to is not the monetary value of the stuff you surround yourself with but how all of that stuff can cost you precious time and energy.

Intrigued? Let me show you what I have learned recently.

This little cost fact became very evident to me as I was packing up my office for my move into my new space. Although I had gotten rid of a great deal of my stuff in my last move I still found lots of stuff that I was holding onto for no good reason.

This stuff cost me time because I had to go through it as I was packing. Then it cost me energy when the moving crunch set in because I packed it up to deal with it later.

I did deal with it once I was in my new office but again it slowed down the process because it took both time and energy to sort and decide what to do with each item.

Spending a little extra time weeding through your stuff on a regular basis=less time being overwhelmed by a larger weeding project when you let things collect.

Along with my move into my new office, my hubby and I are in the midst of a remodeling project in our laundry room at home. What do you think we discovered there? Lots of stuff that needed to be moved to its proper location or needed to find a new home elsewhere.

And the really bright side to all of this was less stuff=less money for the project because it cut the cost of storage space we thought we had to have.

Which lead me to this realization:

As I’ve gotten older (that’s older and wiser, thank you!) is how much stuff  I would be leaving behind for my children to deal with and how I truly don’t want that for my kids. Having dealt with such situations in my lifetime I know what a heavy burden it is to leave for anyone you love.

For that reason and the fact that I’m truly enjoying less things in my life, I am trying to decrease as much stuff as possible. I’m giving things to my children ahead of time so I can share in their joy while I’m with them.

I’ve also found ways to combine some of my most precious things into something that has wonderful memories for me.

I did this recently with some jewelry combining my engagement ring with my grandmother’s diamond from her engagement ring to make a very unique ring that holds even more memories for me.

The best part of this combining memories was paying for the whole thing by cashing in the jewelry that I never wore.

Less stuff=making your own unique memories.

Letting go of stuff doesn’t mean you will lose the memory of something or someone because memories live on in your mind not in the physical thing. But letting go of some of your stuff means you have time to make more memories instead of being a slave to taking care of the stuff.

Less stuff=more time to do what you want to do with your life.

Do you want to be remembered for the stuff you had or the time you shared with the people you love while having a life you truly wanted to live?

Look around you and see what stuff you have that might give someone else joy or the ability to feel good about themselves. Start the process slowly and over time you will find ways to combine some of your most precious memories into something uniquely yours.

I would love to hear from you about how having a few less things has made your life a little better and how you combined some of your most precious things to make them extra special for you.

 

photo credit: Spiced Coffee via photopin

Write It Down

By Leave a Comment 0

“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” ~William Wordsworth

I have a confession to make, as a writer I find it difficult to journal. There I said it!

Now let me expand on this confession a little more, I can journal and I do journal (some) but I have a difficult time staying consistent with my journaling. I also have a tendency to edit my thoughts before putting them on paper which is never good. Hence my dilemma with journaling.

So if you were thinking this is one more blog post about the importance of journaling, it’s not. It is about learning to put thoughts and ideas on paper and why this type of writing is important in moving you forward in your life.

“The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium.” ~Norbet Platt

This type of writing allows me to write out creative thoughts or to unclutter my mind when I feel I’m at an impasse on a decision. I also use it as a tool to flush out thoughts that circle my head like a vulture, the ones that pick at my brain and never seem to go away. For those, I simply write them down to get them out of my head space.

I like to write with pen and paper and I love notebooks so these are my favorite tools for writing, using different notebooks for specific writing projects. For some, writing on the computer allows more ease of flow and creating separate folders or documents are the same as separate notebooks. Paper or computer doesn’t matter what matters is which one will give you easy access when the writing urge strikes.

When I use this type of writing for jotting down creative ideas or thoughts for future blog posts, I create a written trail to follow later. I can go to that notebook, skim through the pages and pick out parts that work for the project or post I’m working on. For me it’s a “treasure hunt”, finding the beautiful gem of writing that fits perfectly. It also allows me to see where my creative process has been and how it has evolved.

The notebook ( yep, I do have a different one) that contains a jumble of thoughts or just brain uncluttering allows me to look back and see if I’ve resolved or moved past whatever the issue may have been. It’s a way to keep in touch with my inner wisdom and teaches me to listen more closely to that inner voice.

Some may call this journaling but to me it’s a little more unstructured but I will admit it accomplishes the same purpose. It opens and clears my mind allowing me to find my own path through my thoughts.

If you are not writing things down, (to-do-lists do not count here!) start unwinding your thoughts with a little notebook time:

  • Grab a notebook and just unload your brain on page 1. Once you start you will be surprised at what may appear.
  • Working on a project? Have a separate notebook for your creative thoughts so you can reread your work and pull ideas together. This is much better than keeping it in your head which is what I use to do.
  • Sit with these notebooks regularly, even if you only write one sentence. It’s all about getting it on paper or the computer.
  • Go back and reread often, marking out things that are no longer valid or you have already used in your creative work. If I have used all of the stuff on a page, then I tear it out. This lets me know that those ideas or thoughts are long gone.
  • Just try it and see if it works for you along your journey.

I would love to hear your thoughts on how you get your “writing on” and how it has helped you along your journey we call living. Share your comments in the comment section below and share the love of this post with someone you feel would love to start their own writing habit.

 

photo credit: JohnONolan via photopin cc

Life Lessons From A Little Donkey Name Willow

By Leave a Comment 8

“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude,

then animals are better off than a lot of humans“~ James Herriot

The trailer pulled out to the barn and the precious cargo was unloaded, a 7 month old donkey that I had named Willow. When I had put the word out to my friend Jane that I wanted a donkey, it became her mission to make it happen. I’m also lucky enough have another friend, Lois, who has the ability to make horses appear on my farm like magic 🙂

Willow is the first donkey I have ever owned so I set out to read everything I could to make sure that she and I started out on the right foot/hoof. Little did I know that Willow would soon become the teacher and I the student as she settled in on our farm.

Willow’s first introduction was to Henry, our dog, to make sure she understood that he was a part of our family. One of the reasons of owning  a donkey is to keep away coyotes so donkeys dislike dogs that are not part of their family. Little did I know that this first encounter would begin Henry’s love affair with Willow.

I had no idea that Henry would display such love and affection to Willow by licking her on the nose and laying on his back in front of her to show his submissiveness. Then it was play time, Henry started running around Willow and she joined in the play chase. Every day since their first meeting, Henry goes out into the pasture to greet Willow and have playtime with his new friend.

Life Lesson #1: You never know who could end up being an important person in your life so keep an open mind. 

When you are adding a new member to any herd/pack/flock, there are always lots of adjustments until everyone decides who fits where and who will teach the newcomer the rules. My two horses, Gabby and Joleen, would become Willow’s new herd mates so the introductions started slowly, first over the fence so everyone could touch noses and smell each other. After a day of that it was time to put the “herd” together and this is when Willow really became the teacher, reminding me of some very important things that are easily overlooked in our lives.

Gabby, the leader of the group was the hardest nut to crack but Joleen’s mothering instincts had kicked in so she was much more receptive and tolerant of Willow. Willow knew that time was on her side where Gabby was concerned so she was never pushy and gave Gabby his space.

Life Lesson #2: Patience really is a virtue.

Every time Gabby would pin his ears and try to keep Willow away from food or water, Willow would wait and slowly move in as Gabby was leaving or sneak around to the other side.

Life Lesson #3: Sometimes you have to find other ways to get to your goal so don’t give up.

Click to Tweet!

Despite the ups and downs of settling in, Willow is always happy to see me at the gate, wants to be close to me and the other horses (and of course Henry), runs, plays and doesn’t worry about laying down around Gabby and Joleen. She takes everything in stride.

Life Lesson #4: Sometimes you just have to trust that everything is going to be okay.

Click to Tweet!

Donkeys have a reputation of being stubborn and sometimes they really do earn it. But most of the time when they appear to be unwilling to do something they are simply analyzing the situation deciding if it is in their best interest.

Life Lesson #5: When you feel passionate about something in your life dig in your heels and stay strong. 

Click to Tweet!

Willow in her short time with us on Big Sky Farm has been an inspiration and wise teacher at her young age. Her patience and go with the flow attitude helps me remember what is truly important in my day to day life.

We all need that little reminder to awaken the inner wisdom we all possess and we never know who will spark that awakening. For me, Willow has been my spark and I know that she will continue to remind me of the important lessons in my life.

Look around you and see who may be teaching you some life lessons today. I would love to hear about any animal teachers in your life and what you have learned from them. Share your stories in the comment section below.

Share the love of this post with someone in your life who might need their inner wisdom awakened and let a little donkey name Willow ignite that spark for them.

 

 

“The Joy In Your Heart Will Set You Free.”

By Leave a Comment 0

“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.”
~Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon

“The joy in your heart will set you free,” is what was whispered into my ear on my morning walk the other day.

The word free is one of my core desire feelings for 2014 so I’ve been thinking a lot about how to achieve it in my daily life. One of the things I have really been working on is not holding onto conflicts with other people. You know the type of things that are resolved but you keep going over the details in your head to the point of insanity!

So when that little whisper of a mantra dropped into my head, it clicked….the aha moment! I was on the right track of letting go and clearing out some useless clutter in my head so the joy in my heart was the key. Easy enough I thought but little did I know that this was just the beginning.

Here’s what started happening after my aha moment. During those morning walks I was now faced with a continuous stream of negative conversations. Conversations with the people that I felt I had unfinished business with, allowing me to say what I felt needed to be said.

Puzzling, right?

Trust me I was completely baffled because if joy was to live in my heart so I could feel that wonderful freedom then why was I having all of this negativity in my head now?

Just as before, my wise guardian spirit whispered in my ear and gifted me with this gem; for me to make room in my heart for joy I had to move out the negativity. So these conversations were my heart’s way of clearing space, telling me to say what I felt needed to be said so it could then fill that space with joy.

“Joy blooms where minds and hearts are open.”
~Jonathan Lockwood Huie

The side benefit to all of this was the more conversations I had the freer I felt too. So I stopped beating myself up for what I thought was bad and accepted it as a very good thing.

When you stop and think about it, how many things like this do we squash or deny because it seems illogical or bad karma? Sometimes you just have to open your heart and listen closely letting it tell you what it wants and needs.

I know that most of us have conversations in our heads about different things but did you ever stop and think that the reason behind it was to free up some space in your heart and soul for good stuff? Personally I had never allowed myself that thought or possibility until it was delivered to me by divine guidance.

Then I decided to take things one step further, wondering about the rants of my inner critic, if these too could be space clearing events? So I’m taking this on as an experiment, seeing if letting these rants flow without the accompanying guilt will also lead to an opening up of more space for joy.

Who knew that negativity could lead to the path of joy and freedom? This was truly an eye opener for me.

We are all experiments in this journey we call living and I hope that you too can take away something from one of my gems and try it out in your life.

I love your insights so I hope you will share them in the comment section below. Share this post with someone you know who might be looking for a little more joy in their life!

 

photo credit: Tim Shields BC via photopin cc

Be a Rule Breaker and See This Year Differently.

By Leave a Comment 0

“Following all the rules leaves a completed checklist.

Following your heart achieves a completed you.” 
~ Ray Davis

Ready to change the way you think and live? Ready to trust your heart, soul and intuition to lead you on your journey this year?

Then let’s break some rules that have been holding you back and stifling your desire. ~nothing illegal, I promise 🙂

Ask anyone that knows me, I’m the person that will research a new project or idea until the cows come home. After a full year (2013) of doing that I realized the other day that I was really sick of listening to one more person telling me how to do “things right.”

Now I’m not saying that any of the advice was wrong, it wasn’t, in fact it was very helpful. Teachers and mentors can help you bring your own hidden wisdom to the surface and point it in the right direction. What was really wrong was the fact that I was caught in a vicious loop of never ending information. Knowing that helped me realize that I had to break out and break some rules.

“Sometimes we have to step out of our comfort zones. We have to break the rules. And we have to discover the sensuality of fear. We need to face it, challenge it, dance with it.” ~Kyra Davis

I had tamped down my ability to see my own way and to trust my gut. Knowing that I had created things before and I had the capability to do it again, it was time to take the road less traveled and define my own path.

Let me stop here and acknowledge all of my teachers and mentors (deep bow, hands to heart) who still give me insight and wisdom. No I won’t kick them to the curb, I just add my own intuition to all of their insights.

One of the things I learned this past year, that I will use as a mantra for this year is “Start before you are ready.” This is the perfect rule breaking mantra because it allows you the ability of not waiting until everything is perfect, the planets and stars are in alignment and Mercury is NOT in retrograde.

Taking what you have learned, what you know and adding your own twist so that the final product, the journey or whatever you are working on is true for you.

We all have a personal spin that is put on everything we do, whether it’s how you dress, talk, write, paint, teach or whatever and even though you may be doing the same thing everyone else is doing, your personality shines through and makes it uniquely you.

Which gets us back to rule breaking, trusting that you know what is best for you and your journey. Taking in all of the wisdom and information you need to make good decisions for yourself but in the end moving to the beat of your own unique drum.

In all of our hearts and souls, we are rebels on some level and trusting that rebel side will allow it to come out and help you make those bold decisions. But what if it takes you down a wrong path?

Even if you end up on a dead end street of bad ideas, you will still learn something worth the journey. The next time you will know what not to do and how you need to change things.

Isn’t that what a life well lived is all about?

I hope you will join me in making your 2014 the year of breaking rules and breaking out of your norm! I would love to hear your comments on what rules you plan on breaking this year.

Share the love of this post with a friend who also needs to break some rules in their life and together you can support each other on an incredible journey.

 

photo credit: sgrace via photopin cc

What’s Your Hurry?

By Leave a Comment 0

“Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.”~ Peg Bracken

Do you feel it?

There is a steady hum of energy as the anticipation of the holidays moves into high gear. As that energy current moves along we can get caught up in the wave, swept away helplessly in the frenzy and frustration. The pulse and hum of that energy sounds like a drum beat drumming out, bu bu…buy, buy, buy more as the flashing Christmas lights blind you causing you to wander aimlessly in and out of stores. You become disoriented, confused and oh so burned out……

But wait does it have to be this way?

Only if you really want it to be. 

The holidays can come in with a wave of frenzied energy bringing with it all of the stress, financial burden and family issues. And yes you can get caught up in it but let me repeat, “only if you want it to be that way.”  You have a choice!

Last year I wrote a post  about our family’s newest tradition of no presents and that tradition lives on this year too. What we have found in the 3 years of honoring this tradition is a very relaxed holiday season and happier wallets. We have more time to spend together, time to talk and catch up, enjoy great food and not feel rushed or stressed. We have even made our Christmas menu simplier and gave the feast award to Thanksgiving where it belongs.

It’s easy to fall into the hype and stress because the pressure is all around you…but for what? Will you really be happier spending more money, more time and more of your precious energy doing what everyone else is doing? Or would you like to break out of that “pack mentality” and start your own tradition?

Doing something different during the holidays doesn’t have to be as radical as what my family does but there are other ways to dial it down a notch and keep your stress level on an even keel.

Here’s how:

  • Buying gift cards for everyone on your Christmas list. Easy peasy shopping for you and they get the gift they “really” wanted.
  • Dial down that big ole Christmas feast to a few items, have it catered, or turn it into a big ole potluck.
  • Set dollar limits on gifts or stick to the one gift only rule. That way no one feels like they have to top someone else’s gift.
  • Donations to each person’s favorite charity that is on your list makes a great gift for that person and to the charity you are helping. It’s a win-win for everyone!
  • Only decorate what YOU feel like doing. No one will mind if you don’t win the neighborhood holiday theme prize this year for the best yard decorations, it’s all about what you have the time and energy to put into it. If you want to win that prize then go for it!
  • Pack up the family and give them a Christmas to remember, a vacation. What better way to create less stress then to leave it all behind.
  • Host a drop in event for Christmas Day. Everyone can come and go as they like, less stress, less cooking and no one feels like they have to be on a schedule.

These are just a few suggestions for making your holidays a little more simple, a little more relaxing and a lot more enjoyable. Holidays don’t have to be a marathon event unless you want them to be so kick back, put your feet up and have your favorite beverage. It really is that easy.

I would love to hear your thoughts (down in the comments) on how you make your holidays less stressful. Let’s all work hard at NOT working hard during the holidays and enjoying the time and love with friends and family.

Share the love of this post with someone you may know that needs to have a little less stress in their lives for Christmas.

photo credit: tommarsh via photopin cc

What Are You Willing To Give Up To Get More?

By Leave a Comment 0

“A habit cannot be tossed out the window; it must be coaxed down the stairs a step at a time.”~Mark Twain 

More what you may say? You can insert anything into the answer, more time, more focus, more space to create. The list can become never ending.

The “giving up” I want to talk about today is something that may seem easy until you choose to do it. Ready?

Bad habits and negative thoughts. Not too scary, right? Wrong!

These can be our most secure security blankets ever and as uncomfortable as they can be they do provide comfort and security. Crazy right?

For example, we all have our favorite go-to comfort food when life has handed us some heavy crap to deal with and I’m willing to bet that it’s not carrot sticks and yogurt. Comfort equals security. See where I’m going.

Now for the nitty gritty of this. Maybe you would like a little less stress in your day to day life. Which in turn would open up the possibility of more focus, which would lead to more time and in turn would allow you to create space for the things you truly want to do in your life.

See, getting more!  (this is not a rabbit hole I promise)

When you want to create something in your life, like less stress, more focus and more time then you have to be willing to sacrifice something to get it. Old habits out, new habits in. Old negative thoughts out, new positive ways of looking at things in.

A great exchange but oh boy what it takes to make it happen.

Let’s look at one way to give up something to get something better from my own personal experience. 

I wanted to make more time for writing which seemed impossible but I knew I had to make an exchange, give up to get more. For me, doing something that really spoke to my heart and what really needed my time, meant I had to stop thinking that 20 or 30 minutes was not enough time to spend on writing or anything of importance.

I would look at the clock around 8:30pm and think, “Oh it’s only 30 minutes before I need to start winding down for the night so I don’t have time to write.” So what would happen? I would fritter away that 30 minutes on Facebook, checking email, watching TV or doing something that truly wasn’t necessary. (see old habits and negative thoughts)

Then when I truly started searching for the time to write, guess where I found it? Yep, in that little 30 minute window that I didn’t think was enough time to accomplish much. Now it has become a new habit and I value that time because it allows me to do something that adds value to my life. Plus I am sharing my writing with you which is much more fulfilling than the other stuff I was doing.

Giving up those negative thoughts of not enough time and the habit of wasting time gives me so much more in return.

What are you willing to give up to get more? Start small, think about what you have been wishing for (even if it’s only an extra 30 minutes to call your own) and figure out what small habit or thought is preventing you from doing exactly what you want to do. Then share your ah-ha’s in the comment section below, I would love to hear your story.

Share the love of this post with someone in your life that would like to” get more ” in their lives too. 

* Feel like you don’t know where to start with this process or maybe you know what you want to change but not how to get there. I would love to help you! My Work With Me page is now up and running with 3 different ways to achieve your goals. Let me be your best cheerleader along your journey, helping you to achieve living a life you love. 

photo credit: michibanban via photopin cc

What Are You Expecting From Your Expectations?

By Leave a Comment 2

“Expect a lot, accept a little and reward often” ~ Pat Parelli, Horse trainer

There are many differing opinions about expectations, some say keep them low and avoid disappointment. Others say to aim high and exceed them. The final consensus is to let go of them all and simplify your life completely. No expectations, no worries, mon!

So who’s really right?

High, low or no, what matters is your expectations and what you are expecting from yourself and others.

For example, when you start to make changes in your life or start moving toward your passion, you may expect everyone else in your life to be on the same page and feel exactly as you do. When they don’t you feel hurt and rejected because your expectations had you looking for acceptance and support.

“Don’t they understand what this means to me?”, becomes your battle cry and your distress builds leaving you angry and even more rejected.

How is the best way to deal with repeated hurt and rejection when others in your life do not meet your expectations?

First understand that you (and all of us) are human beings with differing perceptions and opinions. That’s what makes us all unique and what I call “the human factor.”

The thing that you were so fired up about may have sparked something different in the people closest to you, leading you to the disappointment of not getting the reaction you expected from your support system.

The best way to deal with expectations that leave you flat is to always add “the human factor” into the equation. This will take your expectations to a different level allowing you to view the situation through another’s eyes.

For me, I can set the expectations bar pretty high and will project it onto others. (love my sweet husband for usually pointing this one out) Doing this leaves me all ramped up and the inner critic becomes a very loud voice in my head who won’t shut the hell up! This is how the leap off the ledge of high expectations begins.

I have two choices, be mad because someone didn’t meet my personal expectations of what they should have done or not done or add the human factor into the situation and try to see things through their eyes.

Adding the human factor never means that you change your personal honor code of expectations (your morals), it just moves things to a different level so that you can step away and look at the bigger picture. When the bigger picture comes into view, you might see a reason to lower or release that expectation all together.

What about you? Are you willing to release some of your expectations or start adding the human factor into some of them for yourself and others? I would love to hear your comments and as always share this post with a friend.

photo credit: This Year’s Love via photopin cc

Simple Isn’t Always Easy

By Leave a Comment 4

“The greatest step towards a life of simplicity is to learn to let go.” 
~ Steve Maraboli

We all wish we had an “Easy” button to push when we want to make changes in our lives, press the button and change happens magically.

When I finished writing the “5 Steps To Put More “Zen” Into Your Life” for the Zen Chick community members (not a member yet? Sign up and receive it for free) it all sounded so easy. But I knew regardless of how simple it all sounded it would take real work to make it happen.

Once we commit to the task of change and the work it involves, we are then faced with our nemesis, resistance.

Resistance steps in, and reminds us that we can’t change and why would we want to. Things are good just the way they are and haven’t we heard this same old tired pitch before. It didn’t work for us then so why should it now.

And the big one…….it’s just too simple to really work.

Now simple has become very hard to do.

The minute you hear the battle cry of resistance, which is “I have heard this all before“ this is your turning point. This is where you need to tune in instead of tuning out because there is some new bit of information in this simple change that will help you along your path. Once you tune in, resistance will weaken and you have the choice to move forward.

Or go back to the “same ole same ole” and wonder why your life still sucks.

Everything that is worth anything will require some work especially if it’s moving you toward your dream, your passion or even the thing that makes you dance in your living room with sheer joy.

Simple changes can provide the biggest rewards in your life if you start slowly, one baby step at a time, not expecting an overnight miracle. (or that instant gratification thing)

For example, let’s say one of the changes you want to make is organizing and uncluttering your life starting with your house. You can look at the big picture, the whole house and it’s just too overwhelming. So you start with one drawer, one closet or one counter surface and you move slowly one step at a time.

Every day you make progress, step by step, slow and steady. Then when you have completed let’s say one room, you have freed up more time and space in your life and your house for what you really want to do.

Was it work? Yes.

Was the change concept simple? Yes.

Was the payoff (more time for you) worth the effort? YES!

You deserve to live a life you truly love filled with time for the things that truly mean something to you. So take that simple first step, welcome change into your life and do the work it takes. And kick resistance out the door! You will be so glad you did.

I would love to hear your comments on some of the simple changes you have made in your life and your method for making a smooth transition.

Share the love of this article on your FB page, Twitter or email it to a friend! 

photo credit: spackletoe via photopin cc

Are You “Stuck” In Your Life? How To Get Out Of The Rut!

By Leave a Comment 0

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”~Steve Jobs

We have all been there.

Feeling like we are in such a rut that it would take a steam shovel to dig us out. Once we are there we can’t see a way out even though the answer might be very simple.

We are always looking for the most complicated reason we can find of why we are stuck because we believe it has to be complicated or we would have fixed it already!  We then miss the truly simple reasons that will allow us to get “unstuck” and move forward.

Being stuck is a part of life’s journey and we find ourselves there for lots of reasons usually when we feel like we are on a dead end path in our jobs, relationships or when we are really trying to change our lives.

But how do you get “unstuck” once you get there?

 My answer: Keep it simple! And here’s some suggestions:

Time management~ mismanagement of your time can easily put you in a deep rut that sounds like “I don’t have enough time to pursue the life I want to live.”  We all have the same 24 hours in a day (thanks Marie) to pursue that new job, your dream or new relationship but we can waste all of our precious time spinning our wheels. Do you really need to check Facebook , Twitter or email every hour? What if you set aside a part of your day, yes block it out on your calendar, to find out what would light up your world,  or research the job market, or cultivate a new relationship. Would that not be a better use of your time?

Organizing~goes hand and hand with time management and being disorganized can also stick you in the same rut. Paying attention to the little things, like organizing your time, which leads to your schedule, which leads to your calendar (do you see the theme here?) can bring your life back into focus and get you out of that rut. Also organizing your environment, your desk, house and car will clear your mind and expand your time.

Now a side note here: these two simple changes are easy if you take them slowly. You cannot wake up one morning and decide that you are going to change your time management schedule and organize your whole existence in one day. Take one area of each and apply them daily. Baby steps will get you there with your sanity intact. 

Shake up your daily habits~which will reengage your brain. Choose a different route to work, take your lunch at a different time or do your morning routine in a different order. Shake up those brain cells so you can “unstick” your thoughts. Changing those patterns makes you more open to receive new information coming into your life and help you with the first two suggestions, time management and organization.

Trust your intuition and your heart~(so true Steve Jobs) they will move you forward if you trust the direction they take you. We are always challenging these two with the “I can’t’s and I really shouldn’t” monologue. So stop those mantras and try just listening to what is truly being said. The answer you need to “unstick” your life might be whispered in your ear.

Stay focused~ on where you are right now. Being stuck can also be the way to deal with a past issue that really needs your attention. Sit with the issue if it presents itself and see what it can teach you. Try to stay focused on today and again use baby steps to help get you out of your rut!

I hope these simple steps WILL help you start the process of getting “unstuck” and moving into a life you love. Be gentle with yourself during the process and remember it will take time so breathe and trust where you are right now.

I would love to hear your thoughts on how these steps helped you and what other things you have found that works for you in your life. So leave a comment in the comment section and share those thoughts with all of us.

Also if you like this article, please share it with your friends and if you are not a member of our Zen Chick community, sign up and join our group! As always, I’m  sharing the love with all of you!

photo credit: 2-Dog-Farm via photopin cc