I received the nearly-final cover for my book from the designer today and it is gorgeous.

It feels very “me” and I can’t wait to share it with you.

I’m a visual person so this book is finally starting to feel real, especially since I also got my copy of Elizabeth Hagen’s new book, Confidence, yesterday. Her book is just lovely to look at in all its pink and brown beauty. I can’t wait to read it (yes, I’m pushing it into my non-fiction queue)

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These felt placemats are in all the home stores at the moment.

If you’re South African, they’re R15 each at Sheet Street, R16 each at Mr P Home and a whopping R24 – R25 each at Ackermans.

The styles are all the same except their patterns are slightly different around the border.

I saw these at Sheet Street and was captivated by the lovely turquoise colour.

I originally had plans to make the middle section into a Kindle cover despite the fact that I can’t sew

I still have plans to do that but for the moment, this is what I did.

I cut the middle section out and was left with two pieces – the overlapping circles and then the solid mat from the middle.

Isn’t it pretty?

I’ve used the swirly outside border to frame a notice board in my study (pics to follow) and the middle bit is my new mousepad on my desk. I cut a little bit off so that it was smaller and didn’t take up too much of my desk space.

What have you repurposed recently?

Any weekend projects you want to tackle around the house?

Gosh! You guys are awesome.

Thanks so much for all your wonderful comments on my last post. I’m determined to personally email each and every one of you so hang in there if I haven’t got to yours yet.

As you know, I rarely get so many comments

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Today is a momentous day for us – my twins moved to “big beds” tonight.

I think they had an inkling that something was afoot because they were up and about til after 9 pm (this is unheard of in our household) last night.

They are adorable at this age – of course the cuteness is interspersed with a few tantrums – so I didn’t get too cross with them.

There wasn’t too much drama tonight – but they still missed their bedtime by an hour!

It made me think about how we all have that inbuilt radar for when things feel “off”.

Sometimes it’s just a bit off like when I start dropping food in the kitchen, burning myself taking things out of the oven or breaking mugs or glasses.

*Ahem* that’s a sign I need to get out of the kitchen before I cut off my finger.

Other times your whole life just feels off.

Off like “I don’t know how I’m going to get through all this busyness” off.

I have my tricks for getting through those times, most of which I share in Break out of overwhelm.

It’s a rhythm.

Personally I can’t deal with too much off for very long which is probably why I work really hard at the balance.

I know many of you don’t believe in work-life balance – neither do I – but it’s the feeling of your life having flow and ease instead of living on the extreme ends of the spectrum.

There are so many demands on all of our time that it feels virtually impossible to ever achieve that all-elusive life balance.

To feel like you effortlessly flow from one area of your life to the next, and not feel guilty about any of the individual parts.

Here are my 6 best tips to achieve flow:

1. Realise you only have so many hours in the day

We all only have 24-hour days. Some of us think we’re Superwoman and have more time than that. We don’t. The sooner you realise this, the happier you’ll be.

2. Write down your different roles and the time commitment required from each of them

Don’t forget to add in managing your home and personal time!

The idea is to see if you’re a time optimist or if you’re being realistic with your time. Sometimes we think a certain activity only takes, let’s say, two hours a week. When you factor in travel time plus preparation time, it may increase to four or five hours. No wonder you always feel frazzled when you think about this specific activity.

3. Now ask yourself these questions:

• Am I too busy?
• Am I trying to do too much?
• Am I being realistic about the amount of time outside commitments take?
• What do I need or want to focus on at this time in my life?
• What can I cut out?
• What can I delegate?

4. Prioritise

I do an exercise with my time management clients where they tell me all the different areas of their lives. Some people have lots and lots of balls that they’re trying to juggle. That’s okay (not preferable though) as long as your self-defined priorities are in order.

Don’t neglect your home and family commitments just to look good on a committee.

My preference is to do less overall and do the things I love really well rather than to feel overwhelmed by taking on more and more.

5. Realise that when you say yes to something, you automatically say no to something else.

Some things in life are just for a season, like the newborn stage of having twins. So while reading and going to my dance classes are extremely important to me, I personally did a lot less when my twins were little because I had to sleep whenever I could just to keep myself sane.

6. Keep evaluating and tweaking

Just when you think you have things figured out, suddenly something won’t work anymore.

That’s normal with organising anything, let alone your time.

Keep evaluating where you’re at – I do this on a weekly basis – and tweak, tweak, tweak. Just because it suited you to work really long hours a few months ago doesn’t mean it still suits you to do so now.

So that’s how I create flow and ease in my life. I want to emphasise that it’s an area I’m always working on!

As always, if you need a Personal Time Session with me, contact me. I have a client currently on a break so I have four sessions available. Do you want one of them?

I’m a bit off at the moment (about a 6 on the scale) because my house is a wreck due to the kids’ big beds arriving and some painting I’m having done. Oh, to have my house sorted again

Do you believe in work-life balance? Why or why not?

How much flow and ease do you have in your life right now?

PS My friend, Beth Dargis, wrote a great blog post on how balance is like perfectionism. Have a read – it’s definitely worth the click.

Not that I’m not always honest. I am.

But there are a lot of things that go unsaid on this blog.

Today I feel like talking a little about one of those things.

I’ve wanted to close down this blog many, many times.

MANY.

It often feels like I’m not good enough to do this. And by this I mean run this little organising blog.

Do you know I’ve been blogging for 6 years?

Gasp!

I know, almost a lifetime in blog years.

And there are TONS of organising blogs who not only have thousands and thousands of readers but also tons of comments. Who have been going for a year or two.

It makes me cringe, to be honest.

They post the same stuff I do (well, similar) and each post gets upwards of 50 comments. Not 4 comments like my posts get.

It frustrates me to no end.

I said I was being 100% honest, right?

By the way, I appreciate those 4 comments like nothing on earth.

I’m posting this for two reasons:

1. I read something on a blog over the last week where the lady said similar things to what I’m saying – she does all the right stuff and still doesn’t have the blogging success.

This was a total different blogging style, by the way.

When I read that I thought, “wow, I’m not alone. There are other people that feel like I do”

That encouraged me to keep going so I’m hoping if there’s someone else reading who feels the same way, it will encourage you too.

2. Something struck me about that lady, and about me.

People gave her advice about what to do to have her blog be a success and she was doing it.

I’ve paid at least two blogging coaches generous sums of money to get advice on my blog. And of course, you know I implemented all of it.

But her blog is not yet a success (in her words, not mine) and by my standards, neither is mine.

So what is the problem?

I can only think of one thing.

Maybe we both need to do one change and test results, another change and do results, and so on.

Maybe what works for the masses won’t work for us because we’re different.

Maybe we need a slower and more measured approach.

It’s like with my time management clients.

Often people will say to me – “but I know what all the experts say and I’m trying to do it, and still I feel like I never have enough time”

What I do isn’t magic.

But we do totally focus in on that person and I understand in a lot of detail what their style is, what works, what doesn’t work and how we can start to fix it.

There are methods I use with one client that will absolutely not work with another, not because of the system or the principle, but because that person is different and needs things tweaked for their style.

Maybe you’re also frustrated because it seems like there are people who have more things on the go having an easier time of it than you are?

Maybe you wonder why it is that you can’t cope with things others can?

You are different – that’s why. And you need a different way of looking at things, not a cookie-cutter approach.

Here’s what I wrote last week:

If you need help getting your life and time back on track so you can just breathe again, let me help you.

I was in exactly your position years ago and I know the desperation and frustration you feel.

Do you ever feel like your life doesn’t fit into the mould of how things “should” work?

If you blog, is your blog where you think it should be?

A few weeks ago, I got annoyed one too many times by the cords under my desk.

I live in an old house (I think of it as having lots of charm!) and the study/ guest bedroom has only one plugpoint.

So we had a cord stretched across the carpet to reach the desk.

Well, when I got irritated with the cords, I decided there and then to switch everything around.

By the way, I recommend you measure first – I’m a move now and check measurements later kind of person which doesn’t always work out that well…

Fortunately the desk fitted the area well and I now look out the window as I work.

That is a real, work-in-progress pic of my desk - notice it's not styled to look pretty

I love it.

Not only is it functioning better with all those cords hidden but it feels more airy to me.

I dare say I’ve been more productive working at the desk in this position than against the wall.

Over to you -

1. Think of a space where you spend a lot of time – kitchen, bedroom, kids’ play area, etc.
2. Do you feel happy when you look at the space?
3. Are you energised when you’re there?
4. Does the space function well?
5. Is it organised enough for your and your family’s needs?

Your coaching challenge

- If you couldn’t answer yes to at least 3 of the 4 questions, what are 3 small things you can do to brighten up that space and make it work for you again?

- Organise your home is a manageable, step-by-step system to help you organise all your spaces in just 20 minutes a day, for 4 days a week.

- Don’t get caught up in perfectionism – it doesn’t have to be pretty to be organised.

Just like you, I also get distracted by what I’m supposed to do versus what looks interesting to me at the time.

This humble kitchen timer is all it takes to keep me focussed and on task.

Of course, that’s if I use it

What is your best tip or trick to keep you on task?

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I loved all the comments last week on the “are you getting enough sleep” article.

It seems this is a problem we all share.

Not many people are getting enough sleep!

And we all wonder why we’re less productive than we want to be, or why we’re not quite happy and full of joy.

(Sleep is a huge part of happiness)

So then I got to thinking.

Why is it that we need to create bedtimes and routines to get us sleeping earlier?

My reason is that in the evenings, I somehow start thinking I’m a time optimist.

A time optimist is someone who thinks they can do more in a specific period of time than one can realistically do.

It’s really strange since I’m usually a time realist in my work life. I know how to organise my time.

- I know that things happen in the traffic so I need to leave extra time to get anywhere.
- I know that if I think I can run 5 errands in an hour, I’ll probably only be able to do 3 or 4 because of long queues, inefficient service, etc.
- I know that when arranging meetings, etc. people will typically not all arrive on time so I may have to leave off the least important agenda items if we run out of time.

A time realist is realistic about how long things take and buffers in time when necessary.

Back to my time optimism though.

I put 6 things on a list and get to only two of them even though I know full well I have a really busy day at work.

I’m a time optimist.

I think things will go quicker than they inevitably do, or that I’m Superwoman and can do those things quickly.

And yet I often tease my husband because he’s a true time optimist.

He always thinks he can get much more done on the weekends and is then disappointed when we only get to do one or two things.

Of course the time pessimist thinks there’s never enough time to do anything – read, organise, do fun things.

How about a quick example?

You have 15 minutes before a meeting.

Time optimist – “I can probably get 10 emails done if I do them really quickly”

Time realist – “I can answer 2 – 3 long emails or about 5 – 6 quick ones”

Time pessimist – “15 minutes? No point me starting an email. I’ll just get started and have to stop!”

So, are you a time optimist, realist, or pessimist?

Last year my coach asked me if I’d ever considered going to a speaking conference in the US.

The one we spoke about was She Speaks.

Well, I hadn’t really thought much about it but I put it on my mental list.

And this year it’s going to be in North Carolina.

So I made a few enquiries and…. gosh, the trip will cost about double what I was thinking of paying. It’s the airfare that’s so costly, not even the conference itself

Now there are two ways to approach this -

~ either dismiss the idea and say “oh, too bad” or
~ say “HOW can I do this?”

I’ve set myself a goal to get to so that I can see if it will all work out financially.

Here’s where you can help me if you’re so inclined:

1. pray for good ideas, sponsorship, inspiration and opportunities to align
2. send your friends my way
3. if you were thinking of getting something from the store , please avail yourself. And to thank you for your support, please use coupon code welcome to get 20% off

Thank you!

PS the more I read on the conference site, the more I want to go

I realised on Sunday night as I got into bed at 12:30 am that I’ve been slacking on my bedtime.

Yes, I’m a night owl so my natural tendency is to work late because my brain is most awake then.

However, I work full-time so I don’t have the luxury of living totally in tune with my body clock.

I used to have a rule about my bedtime and, to be honest, it still exists. I’m just not following it all that well.

I like to be sleeping by 12 so I need to be in bed by 11 since I read for an hour every night – bliss!

And here’s my rule – computer off by 10:30.

I found I’d be getting to bed at least 30 minutes later when I didn’t enforce my computer rule because I forgot about tidying the desk, doing my bedtime routine, etc.

So my question to you is this - are you getting enough sleep?

Most adults don’t get enough sleep and we’re all functioning (or not) at below-par levels of productivity and simply, life enjoyment.

I need 7 hours a night. On the weekends I get an extra hour and sometimes even an afternoon nap with the babies, also known as my two-year-old twins.

Do you know how much sleep your body needs?

The other day Gretchen Rubin, the author of The Happiness Project, wrote a post asking about bedtimes.

She said something interesting in that once you set a bedtime (we now know mine is 11 or 12, depending how you look at it), if you ignore your bedtime, you’re then consciously choosing to do what you were doing instead of going to bed.

I love it!

So here’s this week’s coaching challenge:

- What is your wake-up time?
- Work back at least 7 hours. That is the time you have to be asleep by.
- How long do you need before falling asleep? Subtract that time.
- Also subtract time for your bedtime routine – face, teeth, reading, etc.
- For the next week, set an alarm or reminder in your phone or computer that says “go to bed”.
- Keep track of your productivity the following day as you start getting enough sleep and let me know how you feel by posting in the comments.
- If you need help getting control of your time, let me coach you! Email me now.

I’ve recently got into crafting.

I use the word “crafting” very loosely, by the way, but I do love playing around and getting creative.

As many of you know, I do love lists and so I’ve made two lists – “things to make” and “things to make this year with supplies I already have“.

See, there’s a distinction.

One is more “pie in the sky” and very much on the nice to have list whereas the other list is more grounded in reality. I already have the supplies at home so all I have to do is take them out and CREATE.

When I was making the second list last week, I thought about how it’s the same with organising.

We have these tv/ blog/ Pinterest-like visions of what our organised homes should look like, complete with state-of-the-art organising systems, the most beautiful containers and worthy to appear on a tv show.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with dreaming, and dreaming big, but when we become paralysed and not motivated by the dream, there’s something wrong.

The thing is that those visions of perfection often leave us demotivated and uninspired to even start because you think, “what’s the point? I could never have it look like that”.

Why not rather look at your home realistically?

See what you can and are able to do and take it from there. Use what you have in the time you have available and just do the best you can do.

Read that paragraph again…

Here are some action steps for your organising REALITY list:

1. Take a piece of paper and a pen (I like a clipboard) and write down the rooms in your home that need some work. Leave space under each room heading.

2. Now walk around your house and make a list under each heading of what you want to do. For example, in the study/ home office

* tidy desk

* do filing

*put photos in photo albums/ frames, etc.

3. Choose a room to start and pick your first project.

4. Here’s the important part – use things you DO have to help you organise. The most important thing is simply a bin/ wastepaper basket.

5. Don’t let the idea of pretty stop you from having things function well. Remember a shoebox works just as well to store things as a fancy box from The Container Store.

Tell me honestly, do you get paralysed and overwhelmed by all the perfect organising solutions out there?

(I do when I let myself dwell on them!)

PS  Contact me if you need any help coming up with an organising strategy for your space. The wonders of Skype mean we can very easily consult virtually.

So I have this pile of books I never get around to reading because I’m not disciplined enough.

It could also be because they’re non-fiction.

You see, when I typically start reading a non-fiction book, I find I can’t get swept along by it as easily as I can by fiction. The act of reading feels like torture even though I’m learning and the subject matter is interesting.

This year I’ve decided to read just one of those non-fiction books every month. Just one.

These are the ones on my list for the year:

1. Goals – Brian Tracey
2. I thought it was just me – Brene Brown (I’ve also read The gifts of imperfection – fantastic!)
3. The five love languages for children – Chapman and Campbell
4. Do more great work – Michael Bungay Stanier
5. Men are like waffles, women are like spaghetti – Bill and Pam Farrel
6. It’s all too much – Peter Walsh
7. Organizing magic – Sandra Felton
8. The encore effect – Mark Sanborn (I loved the Fred book)
9. Secrets to getting more done in less time – Donna Otto
10. First-time mom – Kevin Leman
11. Have a new you by Friday – Kevin Leman
12. When your best is not good enough – Kevin Leman (might as well read 11 & 12 after each other – they came in a 3 in 1 and I read the Birth Order one years ago – yes, I thoroughly recommend it)

I just recently discovered something really cool that’s working well for me and so I thought I’d share it with you too.

Nothing earth-shattering, but a small change of habit.

I read just one chapter every day.

That’s it.

The Goals book has 21 chapters and I’m further with it this year than I was when I started reading it about 4 years ago. By the way, I started over so I could get a proper sense of the book.

Back to my old habits…

You see, before I’d think I need to only read one book at a time.

This time, I read my one non-fiction chapter in the morning or when the kids nap on the weekend days, and at night, I indulge in my fiction.

It’s working really, really well.

If I continue with this practice, I will complete those 12 much earlier than December and then I can tackle the rest of my bookshelf.

What is your reading style?

Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?

Which books are in your pile that you’re just not getting around to reading?Any of the ones on my list?

PS yes, that bookshelf needs to be decluttered in a major way