Don’t give up on your New Year’s Resolution!

February 10, 2016

How is your New Year’s resolution going? Did you know only 8 percent of Americans are successful in achieving their New Year’s resolution? Wow, that’s depressing. And half of those who make resolutions abandon them after the first month.

Well, it’s been a month and a week. I’d like to show why resolutions fail and how to come up with a resolution or goal that you will stick to.

First, here are the top 3 New Year’s Resolutions in the U.S.:

Lose weight
Get organized
Spend less, save more

What is the deal, are we weak-minded or without willpower? Not exactly, says psychologist Mark Goulston. His reasons why resolutions fail:

Many times resolutions are driven much more by emotion than logic.

So, say my resolution is to stop eating chocolate for a month. This resolution was made in the moment, rashly, when I saw the scale on January 2. I didn’t take into account how much I enjoy chocolate, nor did I determine that the one thing I needs to lose weight is to ban chocolate. (Limiting calories and increasing exercise play a role too.)

So, one reason why many of us don’t keep our resolution is: Uncertainty. We don’t know how we are going to feel in the future.

Even though I was determined in that moment to ban the evil chocolate from my diet, I might feel differently a week later when I see my son eating a piece of his Christmas chocolate and I have a strong craving for it. I can smell it. Ooh it smells good. I see him enjoying it. I can almost taste it. That’s it—I will have just one piece. And BOOM! My resolution is thrashed. It’s over. I failed. Right?

That leads to the third reason people don’t keep New Year’s resolutions:

“They believe that they won’t keep them and in so doing they will then either disappoint others, causing embarrassment or disappoint themselves, causing shame.” ~ Mark Goulston, M.D., FAPA

SO HOW DO I FIX IT?

Spend more time thinking deeply about what you really want out of the year.

Many of the studies I read listed this as a reason for abandoning our New Year’s resolutions. We hadn’t truly considered all the ramifications, so when an obstacle like that tempting chocolate comes up, we cave. In other words, commit to it.

Be realistic: Decide what you are willing to do. Am I really going to resist having a dessert when I am out to dinner with friends? Does this mean I have to become a hermit in order to lose my flub? No! In fact, a small reward for sticking to your goal is good for you, according to a study by University of Pittsburgh, Duke and Vanderbilt found that if you eat mostly healthy, but “carve out a portion of your meal for a calorie-laden treat,” it is motivating.

They call this a vice-virtue bundle. Hmm, sounds intriguing . . .

So, this addresses self-control issues we face at the dinner table or other situations.

“We determined that people are best served by making vice-virtue bundles, combinations that include primarily healthy choices but also toss in a small proportion of something indulgent, ” ~ Cait Lamberton, University of Pittsburgh

Like CHOCOLATE, or bacon, or cheese . . . .

Find an accountability buddy or a friend who wants to accomplish
the same goal, so you can cheer each other on when the going gets tough.
Remember that one mistake does not a failure make. Encourage yourself with positive self-talk. Talk to yourself as if you were helping a friend with their goals.

So, to quote an author I know (my husband) Frank Morin, in order to set New Year’s resolutions that will last, you must “look deep, see clear.”

Resources: http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/just-listen/201312/why-most-people-dont-keep-new-years-resolutions, http://www.business.pitt.edu/katz/katz/faculty/lamberton/vice-bundles.php

Set in Stone, YA novel by Frank Morin, http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=set+in+stone+by+frank+morin

by Jenny Morin

How does Organizing save you Money?

January 19, 2016

Whose New Year’s resolution is to get more organized? Quite a few Americans, in fact. It is the 2^nd most popular resolution. And this is the best: Getting organized will actually save you money! (Saving money is the 3^rd most common resolution.)

Not only that, but having an organized home brings peace of mind, helps you feel in control of life, and generally makes life more enjoyable.

In America, a capitalist economy, accumulation is a problem. We buy things we don’t need, they take up space in our home, and eventually we donate them or throw them out.

So, how exactly does spending money to get organized SAVE money?

You can see what you have. If your clothes closet is jam-packed or your office supplies are stuffed willy-nilly in a cabinet, it is difficult to see what you have on hand. Often, you will go out and buy more file folders, staples, or another pink top because you don’t realize you already have one.

Just last week, I worked with a client in his office closet and we purged 4 boxes of mostly office supplies, which I donated to a thrift store for him. Now, he does get tax credit for the donation, but it is not even close to those supplies’ original cost of about $200. Another client has spent HUNDREDS of dollars replacing power tools he already owned because the original tool was buried!

You use what you have: Our grandparents/parents are good at this because they lived through the Depression. They made do; they used things up.

For example, how many times have you gone out to buy travel-sized shampoo, conditioner or lotion when you have a drawer full of hotel samples at home?

Cha-ching! Another great example of this is using the food you have. How much produce, meat and other perishables do you throw out per month? Instead, if you make a menu, shop for that, and cook the meals planned, you will seldom have to throw out spoiled food.

Organize your finances: This is an obvious one. When you have a SYSTEM for bill paying, you know which bills get paid at the beginning of the month, which get paid on the 15^th, for example. Organizing your bills starts with organizing your mail.

One thing professional organizers excel at is creating a SYSTEM for incoming mail. That means mail :

Always goes in the same place (doesn’t have to be fancy)
Gets sorted into categories like File, Respond, Pay
To complete your SYSTEM, include another 2 or 3 categories: Bills paid on 1^st , bills paid on 15^th, bills paid on 30^th

This SYSTEM lets you see at a glance what gets paid when, and takes so much stress from monthly bill-paying!

Not only that, stick with your SYSTEM and you will never have a late fee again. That is definitely worth the time or money spent!

Actually find money! I can’t tell you how many times I have actually found money while sifting through a client’s papers. Uncashed checks especially. Once, as I sorted through a box of newspapers and discarded magazines, I found a $350 check from my client’s Grandmother. He had convinced himself he had already deposited it. Other organizers tell about finding thousands of dollars in one home!

Get back your time: Time is money, after all. Think about all the times you have had to go searching for a tool like the duct tape or Philips head screwdriver and spend an hour looking for it?

Think about the frustration, the missed opportunities the delay in your project—you could be exercising, moving to another project, having family time, reading, etc. And your weekend time is valuable, just like your billable time.

It does pay to be organized. The savings are worth the extra effort and expense, if you need help. An expert like me will help you get the job done faster and create a SYSTEM with lasting results!

Resources: http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/,http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/money/advice/a19197/organizing-save-money/, http://www1.cbn.com/family/get-organized-%09%09-to-%09%09-save-money, http://www.moneyunder30.com/how-being-organized-can-save-money

by Jenny Morin

Three Reasons we Procrastinate

February 4, 2013

Procrastination is like a leaky faucet.

Procrastination –it’s a killer. It slays good intentions, New Years’ resolutions, and big-picture goals.
When is the last time you procrastinated? What did you put off? I procrastinate blogging, big time. Other people procrastinate cleaning out their pantry, their sock drawer, their shower, whatever. Oh yeah, I procrastinate cleaning my shower, too. Since we’re being honest…

The point is, if you want to stop procrastinating, you MUST figure out what the root reason is for your Herculean procrastination efforts. If you find yourself cleaning the fridge (assuming you work from home) just to avoid having to call someone back or write a proposal, there is a reason for that. Because cleaning out the fridge is a nasty job, so you must be desperate to avoid something.

Sometimes you procrastinate because you don’t have enough information. An example: If I need to call someone, but first I have to look up some information online, I may put off the phone call every time I think of it because I have not made the time to go online and find out about the XYZ product they want for their desk. So if the task has too many steps, that may lead to procrastination.

Sometimes you procrastinate because you don’t have the skills to do a task. Example: organizing. Many people berate themselves for not knowing how to organize their miscellaneous drawer at the office, or their files, or their pantry. Whatever the chore is that you’re putting off, it may be that you simply don’t possess the skills to accomplish it. That’s when you call in an expert, like me. If you had a leaky faucet and your water bill goes up, it makes sense to hire a plumber to fix that leak, right? The same goes for organizing. How many hours are you going to waste looking for those post-its or envelopes which you wrote a potential client’s phone number on? Not only do you waste time looking for it, it also distracts you from the productive flow of work because you get flustered and possibly upset with yourself, which can cause you to “lose your place” in the day’s work.

Sometimes you procrastinate because you just don’t have the desire to do a task. That’s how it is with my shower. I love my shower. It has 2 shower heads. But it is HUGE and it takes 20 minutes to clean it right. So I hire my kids to do it. They’ll do my shower for a nominal fee. That makes me happy.

So three of the reasons you procrastinate are: Lack of information, lack of skills, lack of motivation. Find the root cause and you are on your way to fixing whatever is holding you back.

Please contact me to continue this discussion…

Any time one of my blogs strikes a chord, please take 30 seconds and forward it to a friend who needs to hear it! That’s how my business grows best. Thanks!

by Jenny Morin

Don’t give up on your New Year’s Resolution!

How does Organizing save you Money?

Three Reasons we Procrastinate

Recent Posts

Contact

My Services

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new years resolution

Don’t give up on your New Year’s Resolution!

How does Organizing save you Money?

Three Reasons we Procrastinate

Recent Posts

Contact

My Services

Other Resources