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I just returned from my yearly National Association of Professional Organizers’ (NAPO) conference, and I have to confess I was packing at 12:30 the night before. The good thing was, I had just finished doing a big training program for a local credit union so it had been a very productive, yet busy week. But it didn’t feel good going to bed really late and having to get up really early to get my packing done. So much for my planning… What really threw me off was I wanted to get out my spring and summer clothes before I packed.

Spring is here – hooray! That is, until I think about my yard. The problem with living in the country is that your yard can keep getting extended. So while I get excited with the daffodils blooming and more flowers to come, getting everything into shape is overwhelming. So I said, “Mary, practice what you preach. Look at your yard like a room and start in the corner”. I picked one side of the front porch.  But that needed a lot of work, so I saw one small area by the lamp post where I could get a quick, easy win.

I’m sabotaging stress with my Sharpie!  To reduce stress and take care of my health, I’ve made a commitment to do an exercise routine and walk regularly each week.  Frankly, it’s been a hit-or-miss effort.  I even bought stars to paste on a calendar to keep me on track, to no avail.

What is finally working for me is to make a mark on my makeup mirror with a blue Sharpie each time I walk.  I love seeing those lines add up, and, because they wash off, I start with a clean “slate” each week. 

Ju

Did I have a big reminder of how little you get done with a 2 year old at your feet!  My granddaughter Ava and I were spending some special time together.  By 11 o’clock I finally had the kitchen cleaned up. I had a big laugh when I thought about what I teach on procrastination. You may have heard me use the illustration about emptying a dishwasher – a 3 -5 minute project, so Do It Now!  Make that an hour project or more when you have a little one helping, interrupting, and causing you to stop and play. About the time the kitchen was cleaned up it was time to start lunch.

This combination really works! I decided that instead of buying new make-up, I had to first look in my stash. You know - the one we all have, but put in a bottom drawer. My goal was to decide to use it, toss it or donate it depending on the condition. I found items in all of the above categories. So then I decided to use the same criteria for not replacing hair stuff. Why do I have a stash of mousse?