For your Stuff...
DOWN AND DIRTY IN THE GARAGE : You may have more reason to be in your garage with the warm months ahead and hopefully vacation time, too. Pull out everything in the garage and sort it. For an initial purge, I love the Clean Sweep* process of making 3 piles: KEEP, TOSS, and SELL. Being an eco-organizer, I would also suggest sorting the TOSS pile into landfill (trash), haz mat, and recycle. I also recommend sorting the SELL pile into garage sale, ebay/consignment, and donations. (Do this after the initial purge to avoid bogging down.) Of course, now you are left with the KEEP pile. Sort this into like items: sporting equipment, camping gear, tools & home improvement, seasonal decorations, keepsakes, etc. Throughout the process, keep in mind what you are doing this for- for more ease in getting to what you want, more space, greater peace of mind, to park your car inside, to save time, to get ready for the family camping trip… For further help, check out: “Organize This!,” garage sales and donations.
For your Spirit...
BREAK OUT THE BBQ : Now, barbequing may not be the first thing that pops into your head when you think of spirituality, but maybe it does when you think about dads and summertime. (It does for me.) Set yourself up for a great season of grilling by getting everything ready now. Dust off the barbeque and clean out the ashes. Organize all your grill accessories (grill brush, basting brush, tongs, thermometer, lighter, etc) in one place, and clean and replace them now as needed. If you have a charcoal grill, check out the earth-friendly charcoal at your local health food store. Now that everything is set, throw a party! Traditionally, people come together over food, and good times, shared with good friends are good for the soul! Add a dash of mindfulness as you cook and gratitude for the opportunity to share this with others, and your BBQ will leave you feeling nourished both physically and spiritually!
For the Earth...
OLD NEWS : There’s nothing quite like reading the newspaper over a good cup of coffee in the morning, but those papers can pile up quickly. Recycling them is always god, but here are 20 ways to reuse the newspaper first!
For your work...
GET GROUNDED : Whether you work in an office or a construction site, a great way to start your shift is to ground yourself. Take a moment to stop and take a few deep breaths. Let any worries or thoughts of what you have to do after work go. Turn your attention towards your work at hand. (Just as it’s a good idea to leave work at the office and truly be present with your family at home, you can be more productive at work if you focus solely on that while you are there.) Now you can focus on your day, what do you need to accomplish today. You may check with your supervisor, consult your schedule, or sort through your in box. Make a To Do List and then prioritize those items. Taking five minutes at the beginning of each day to do this can help you be efficient, organized, and more productive throughout your whole day.
* Clean Sweep was an organizing show on the TLC network hosted by my hero, author Peter Walsh.
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