Do you have hundreds or perhaps even thousands of photographs? Where are they? How do you organize them? Before digital cameras came along photographs were always printed and then either packed away in shoe boxes or envelopes or, if you were particularly organized, in photo albums. But then what do you do with your albums? And now, what do you do with your digital photographs?
Knowing what to do with your photographs can be a dilemma. I know it’s a question that’s crossed my mind several times, particularly whenever I move, as I did recently, and have to find a place to put all my photo albums or if I’m searching for a digital photo that is stored somewhere on my computer.
It may seem like a small thing, but when you think about it, a lot of your energy is tied up with photographs. They hold memories of loved ones, places and events. They represent our life stories and when we look at them can bring us great joy, or even sadness. That’s powerful energy.
So when I was asked the question recently of the best way to handle photographs from an energy and organizing point of view, I knew I wasn’t the person best qualified to answer. So I reached out to Certified Professional Organizer Renee Belisle of Clutter Rehab and here’s her recommendation:
“Pictures are meant to be looked at. They are not meant to be stored on a shelf and never pulled out to share or reminisce over. I know many think it is a very organized thing to put pictures on a CD and store them. However, I strongly disagree with that line of thought. When was the last time you told everyone to gather around the computer so you could share photos of your last trip? It just doesn’t have the same effect as having a picture to hold in your hand and pass around.
I often suggest to my clients to print the photos they want to keep and that are special to them, get rid of the rest. Put the photos in an album or photo box in some sort of organized manner. Some examples include putting vacation photos together or having an album of birthday celebrations or by each person in the family. Then set out on the coffee table one album or photo box for a period of time. You will be surprised at how many people will want to look through the photos….often more than once! It’s a great conversation starter and great tool to get people interacting and connecting. Switch the album or box out every now and then with another one to keep the fun going. “
I think that’s a great response and I just LOVE the idea of placing an album or photo box on the coffee table and then switching it out every so often. That’s a great way of keeping your photographs active and being able to enjoy them.
One other idea to consider is to create a collage of favorite photos. You can even purchase frames that are designed especially for this or there are web sites that will do it for you with your digital photos.
If you have other ideas to share for dealing with photos, I’d love to hear from you. And I’d like to offer a special thanks to Renee for her professional input. Renee’s contact information is below. You may want to check out her web site as she is offering Clutter Cutter Organizing Tips.
Renée Belisle, CPO(R)
www.clutterrehab.com
Tags: clutte, energetic edge, Life Balance, Life energy, Organizing
Do you allow yourself to fully experience all your emotions? Like most people, you may find that you have emotions that you welcome, such has joy, confidence and happiness and those that you don’t welcome, such as anger, frustration and boredom. You may have been led to believe that it’s wrong to experience emotions such as anger and so you either deny it when you feel it or you squash it and other ‘negative’ emotions too.
Your emotions serve a valuable purpose though – even the ones you don’t like. They are important clues that tell you whether or not your energy is in alignment with what you’re doing or with what you want. Each emotion is your body’s way of giving you feedback about a situation and giving you an opportunity to learn and grow from it.
For example, when somebody says or does something that triggers the emotion of anger in you, it’s an opportunity for you to learn and change something about yourself. What the person said or did may have triggered something from your past, or the anger may be showing you something about yourself that you need to recognize is not serving you. When you allow yourself to feel the anger and are willing to understand where it’s really coming from, you have an opportunity to release what’s behind it.
When you allow yourself to fully experience all your emotions in this way, you learn to not be afraid of the ‘negative’ emotions. In fact, you may even learn to welcome them because they are showing you that you have an opportunity to release something that’s not serving you.
Emotions like anger, frustration, resentment and so on are all fear based. The emotion is triggered and you don’t feel good because behind the emotion is fear. What’s being triggered could be anything from fear of abandonment, to fear of success or failure. When you recognize that and allow yourself to experience it so that you can learn what’s really behind it, then you are able to let go of that fear.
If you don’t allow yourself to experience the emotion, then you don’t address what’s behind it – in this case the fear. So the fear continues to stay buried and run your life for you. Holding on to the fear in this way affects you in so many ways. It’s toxic to your system and unless you find a way to experience it and release it, then you will never be able to live a fully rich and authentic life. You’ll always be denying this part of yourself, which ultimately contaminates your energy and the energy you put into everything you do.
The remedy is simple. If you haven’t allowed yourself to do this before, it may be a little scary, although once you allow yourself to do it, then it definitely becomes easier. The remedy is self-awareness. You simply learn to pay attention to how you feel in every moment. If you’re feeling good and something changes so you find yourself feeling upset, anxious or angry, simply notice what changed and how you feel. Ask yourself what caused the change. Be willing to put your attention on what you are feeling. Notice where you feel it in your body and also put your attention there.
Be willing to learn what’s behind the feeling. Ask yourself what you can learn from what’s happening. The answers will come to you if you are open and willing to discover them.
Emotions are powerful and they are also useful. They are your feedback mechanism, a way of learning what’s really going on for you subconsciously. Journaling can also be a useful tool for helping you discover what the emotions are about.
So embrace all your emotions the ‘good’ and the ‘bad.’ This is the only way to move completely into the fullest expression of yourself.
TweetTags: emotional intelligence, energetic edge, Law of Attraction, Life Balance, Life energy
I’m sure you’ve heard before that it’s important to set a clear intention when you want to accomplish something. But setting a clear intention is not only important when you want to accomplish a major goal, it’s important to understand the intention behind everything you say or do and to understand what kind of energy you are putting into something. It’s the intention and the energy behind it that determines the type of results that you get.
This affects everything that you do, so the more aware you are of your choices and your motivations for making those choices, the more easily you’ll be able to accomplish what you want because you’ll be in alignment with your intention. When you become more aware, you’ll also start to notice when the choices that you’re making are not helping you get what you really want.
For example, let’s say that your intention is to create a better life for yourself. So you work hard but it seems that no matter how hard you work, you cannot create the level of success you want and need in order to create the life that you want. Why isn’t it working if your intention is a positive one?
To understand this, you have to look at the energy you are bringing to the situation. What is the energy behind the intention? If you are feeling desperate because you are struggling to pay the bills, the energy that is behind your intention is that of desperation and fear. So every action that you take, although it’s with the intention of creating a better life, is infused with that energy. What you will attract is more struggle, more reasons to feel desperation and fear.
In other words, your actions have to be in alignment with your intention. The energy of your thoughts and your actions has to be in alignment with your intention. So if you push yourself to work hard, and won’t allow yourself any time off until you reach your goals, the energy behind what you are doing to yourself is not loving and compassionate, it is harsh, it comes from fear. It is not in alignment with creating a better life for yourself. If you want a better life, one of the first things to do is to start treating yourself better. Don’t push yourself so hard. Treat yourself gently and with compassion and respect.
If you find yourself working at 3 in the morning, or working through lunch, stop and ask yourself what is my intention in doing this? If the answer is, I’m doing this so I can make more money and create a better life for myself, then ask yourself what is the energy behind the action that you’re taking (working late)? The energy behind it does not come from love – you are not being loving towards yourself. It comes from fear. You’re afraid that if you don’t work that hard you won’t make it.
Even though the part of you that sets your positive intentions wants the best for you, there are other parts of your personality that don’t agree with that or think you can’t have that, just like the saboteur – we’ve talked about her before. These are the parts of your personality that are afraid, they operate from fear.
Self awareness is always the key to transformation and if you want to really understand how to fulfill your intentions, pay attention to the energy behind what you do. When the energy behind your actions is fear based, you will attract more of that energy. When the energy behind your actions comes from love, then you will attract more love. The choice is yours and you’re already making those choices, but mostly unconsciously. When you make them conscious, then you come into alignment with what you really want.
TweetTags: energetic edge, Intentions, Law of Attraction, Life Balance, Life energy, setting intentions
Have you met your inner saboteur? Are you even aware that she/he exists? This is a part of your personality that shows up when you are about to move beyond where your beliefs and past conditioning tell you that you should be. We all have a personal set point that tells us just how much love, happiness, joy, money, etc., we can have in our lives. When we start to exceed that set point the saboteur steps in to do his or her job.
There are ways to deal with your personal inner saboteur. The most important thing is not to ignore her. You can’t pretend she doesn’t exist because she’s there and she’s been helping to run your life for years by keeping you just where you believe you belong. As you embark on a journey of personal and spiritual growth and seek to move beyond your set points, she springs into action.
I came face to face with mine recently. Once you learn to recognize when she’s active, you can actually learn to appreciate just how creative this part of your personality can be in her attempts to hold you back.
Mine showed up a few days ago just as I was preparing to give a live presentation. I had travelled to speak to this particular group and so my Powerpoint presentation was on a flash drive – the computer and projector were waiting for me at the venue. First of all, the computer wouldn’t read my drive. I didn’t panic because I had my laptop in my car, which also had my presentation loaded on it, so the worst that could happen was that I would have to go and retrieve it. Nothing too major, I was just aware of it.
Since that little incident didn’t present any real problems, my inner saboteur decided to try a new tactic. I was early for the breakfast meeting, people were just starting to arrive and there was coffee to drink, but I don’t drink coffee, so instead I was sucking on a mint. The organizer of the event came up to introduce herself to me and as I was talking to her I swallowed the mint and it got stuck in my throat. Now my saboteur had my attention! I was coughing and spluttering, my eyes were watering, my nose was running. I headed for the bathroom.
I managed to pull myself together, dry my eyes, wipe my nose, and stop coughing. However, the mint was still there and my throat was very sore. My voice was croaky. Now this was a little more serious since I was about to speak in front of the group in about 30 minutes time. The thing is, I recognized that this was my inner saboteur at work (I have become quite familiar with her over the years). I acknowledged her and I acknowledged how very creative she was – 10 out of 10 for creativity. So I thought, what’s the worst that could happen? I would do my presentation with a croaky voice and sore throat. Well, if that’s what happened I would be okay with it. I would make a joke about it. I would simply carry on as best I could and see how I could use the situation to lighten the mood of the room.
As I returned to the room it also occurred to me that a cup of tea might help. There was no tea available but I found a member of the hotel staff and asked if they might bring me a cup of tea. They did. The tea helped a lot. My throat returned to normal. My presentation went without a hitch and all was well.
This is how you deal with your inner saboteur. Don’t try to ignore him/her. Acknowledge this part of your personality. Recognize what’s going on. This part of your personality simply operates from a place of fear. It’s a frightened part of you that believes that if you succeed at what you’re about to do then life will change for you and you will stretch beyond the beliefs and conditioning that you have in place – which is exactly what you want to do.
When you acknowledge it and recognize what’s going on and then accept it, you shine a light on it. The frightened parts of your personality usually operate in the dark – without you being aware of them. When you are fully aware, present, and not afraid of them they lose their power.
The trick is to notice when your inner saboteur is active and just be aware of what’s going on. You can even have a little fun with it because it really is trying to help you.
So say hello to your inner saboteur and recognize how brilliantly creative she is. Then you can move on with your life and continue to stretch and grow. And you can use all that creativity for something more positive! Of course it’s also important to recognize that when your saboteur does show up it probably means that you are about to make a big breakthrough – so that’s a good reason to celebrate.
If you have any stories of how your inner saboteur shows up I’d love to hear them. Share them here so we can all learn from each other’s experiences.
TweetTags: energetic edge, Law of Attraction, Life Balance, Life energy
Whether you’re already in a happy, long-term relationship or whether you’re searching for your ideal partner, your home can be the perfect tool to ensure you have the happiest, most harmonious relationship possible. Your home has a major impact on your relationship. It’s important to know whether the energy of your home and your bedroom is keeping your ideal partner from you or is blocking the flow of energy between you and your current partner. Even the simplest things can make a very big difference.
Here are three simple tips to enhance the energy of your home around your relationships. The most important thing though, before you start applying any of these, is to be clear about your intention. If you’re looking for a relationship, be clear on the type of relationship you want and the qualities of the person you’re looking for. If you’re already in a committed relationship, what’s the level of energy in the relationship right now? Where would you like it to be? What are your goals for your relationship – for example, do you want to simply spend more time together, more intimate time together, go out on dates more, have more romance?
Setting the intention is the crucial first step that then makes each of these tips work.
- Remove distractions from your bedroom
Your bedroom is for rest, relaxation and romance. No other room reflects your relationship more than this one. It’s your most personal and private space. If you have lots of distractions in your bedroom, then it’s likely that you have lots of distractions in your life. You’ll find that you don’t have the opportunity to spend much time together or when you do, there are always things that need to be taken care of. You never have time for your relationship.Things like exercise equipment, televisions, laundry, computers, bookcases and clutter can all have an unhealthy impact on your relationship when they are located in your bedroom. Whatever is not directly related to rest, relaxation and to your partner takes away from your relationship and calls your attention elsewhere.
Keep this room simple, calm and peaceful. Make sure you and your partner love the room and that it feels romantic to both of you.
- Release the old
Are you hanging on to things from past relationships? If you are then you are also holding on to the energy of those relationships. This is not helpful for your current or for a future partnership. This is particularly true if the old relationship ended badly and you were left feeling hurt and abandoned – you do not want to keep this energy with you. It may also stop you from finding a new partner because you are still connected to the previous one.When a relationship ends it’s best to release as much as possible, particularly those things that have strong reminders of that person. You may not be able to get rid of everything, but the more you do release, the happier you will be.
- Place your bed in the command position
The bed is the item in your home that most reflects and impacts your love life. Of course, it also has a major role in the quality of your sleep, which affects your health the energy you bring to everything you do.The best position for the bed is so that it is farthest from the door, but not directly opposite the door. As you sit or lie in bed you want to be able to see the door and it’s best to have the head of the bed placed firmly against the wall. If this placement isn’t possible, and your bed is in a position where you cannot see the door, try placing a small mirror on the wall so that as you sit in bed you can see the door behind you.
These tips and techniques are simple but powerful. Try them and see how they can make a difference in your relationship – remember to set a clear intention first.
TweetTags: energetic edge, Feng Shui Home, Feng Shui Life, Feng Shui love, Life Balance, Life energy, Love, Marriage, Relationship, Relationships
Whenever you’re involved in any kind of personal/spiritual growth it’s essential that you spend quiet time alone to do the inner work that’s needed. Recognize also that you can’t do it all alone. It’s also just as important to have someone you can talk to, someone who is on the same path, or who has been there. Someone who understands and who can help you see things that you can’t see for yourself.
This person could be a friend, a business partner, a coach or a mentor. It may be your spouse or a family member, although in most cases I would advise against it. This can be too much of a burden and responsibility for someone who is that close to you and they may not be able to support you in the way that you want. They may even unwittingly sabotage your efforts.
Ideally, you should connect with this person regularly so that it keeps you on track. You should be very clear about what it is that you’re working on and what you need help, support or guidance with. You must also be open to hearing what they a have to say, keeping in mind that often it may not be what you want to hear. In fact it probably will feel uncomfortable because growth usually is. If it’s comfortable and feels good, you’re probably not stretching and growing.
It can be difficult to find the right person to support you, so here are some qualities to look out for:
Honesty – it’s not always easy to tell people things that they don’t want to hear, but it’s vital if you want to grow. There are ways of saying things though, so they should be gentle enough to share difficult things in a supportive way.
Empathy – you want to talk to someone who understands what you’re going through, perhaps they’ve been through something similar themselves. It’s no good expecting to receive the support and guidance you need from someone who has no idea what you’re talking about.
Calm – there may be times when your life situations may be chaotic. You may feel in a state of panic as drama unfolds in your life. It is important that you can talk to someone who will not get drawn into the chaos and panic, but who will remain calm enough to help you through it. This is another reason why it’s not such a good idea to rely on a spouse or family member, because they are too close to the issues.
Ability to listen – you don’t always want someone to jump in to rescue you, to offer their advice and opinions. Sometimes you just want someone to listen and be supportive. You want someone who can really hear what you’re saying – and who can really hear what you’re not saying too, because in my experience many insights come from what’s not being said.
Reliable – you want someone who shows up when they say they will and who will make sure that you do too. It’s important that they support you when you say you’re going to do something and if you don’t do it when you say you will, to help you discover why.
Intuitive – this is a bonus. If you can find someone who is intuitive they will know exactly what questions to ask you to bring you to the answers you need. Everybody has this ability but not everybody recognizes it and uses it. Having someone who embraces their intuition is a big bonus.
These are just a few of the things to look for in an accountability partner and if you’re thinking right now that this person does not exist – yes they do. I have been blessed to have people around me who embrace these qualities and if you find you don’t – then that’s what coaches are for. This is what I do every day for clients, so whether you use me or someone else there’s always somebody who is right for you.
You can’t see it all yourself. You can’t do it all yourself. Give yourself permission to reach out for the support that you need and to receive the support that you need. You will be so glad you did!
TweetTags: accountability, accountability partner, energetic edge, Life Balance, Life energy, Personal Growth, spiritual growth
You’ve finally reached the point where you can no longer live with the inefficient kitchen or the unsightly bathroom or the worn carpet in your house. You’ve decided to remodel and you’re excited about what it will look like when you’re finished. It’s an exciting time and it’s also a challenging time. If you’ve ever been through a remodeling project before you know that it’s going to take time – time when things will be in a state of chaos. When there will be dust and dirt and ‘stuff’ everywhere. How can you stay calm and focused and positive during the remodeling process and, most importantly, how can you ensure the project is completed as quickly and efficiently (and perfectly) as possible?
There’s actually more to this energetically than you might think. I have worked with many clients who started a remodeling project only to find that several years on, the project has not been completed and it’s pulling relationships apart.
The first thing to keep in mind is that your house represents you and your life. When you’re remodeling some part of your home you are also creating a major energy shift in some area of your life. It’s important to be aware of this and to observe any challenges that come up anywhere in your life once you start the remodeling process because chances are there will be a link. So with that in mind, here are some key steps based on my remodeling experience and my work with clients, to help you through the process:
Have a clear vision – know what you want the outcome to be. If you don’t have a clear idea of exactly what you want your kitchen or bathroom or floors to look like everything can take much longer. If you know exactly what you want before you start the project, everything can go much more smoothly.
Keep everyone on the same page – make sure you and your spouse/partner are agreed on what’s going to happen and what it’s going to look like. When you are in the middle of a remodeling project is not the time to have a disagreement about what kind of counter tops you want or what color the walls should be. Remember, upheaval in your home can mean upheaval in your relationship and if you haven’t reached agreement before you start, you may never reach agreement and resentment can build.
Understand chaos – before something can change and you reach a desired outcome, you have to go through some discomfort. There will be chaos, but out of the chaos comes growth and opportunity. There are two types of chaos – active chaos and passive chaos. Active chaos is when you are in the middle of a project, when you are creating something. For example, when you are baking a cake or cooking a meal, the kitchen looks chaotic for a while during the creative process. But that chaos is active. You are creating something. You have a goal in mind. Now, let’s say that you finish your meal and you don’t clear up. You leave the pots and pans and ingredients out on the counter. Let’s say those things stay there for days or weeks. That has become passive chaos. Nothing is happening – and it’s not good.
So understand that there will be chaos during the process, but it is active chaos – which is necessary and good. Don’t let it become passive.
Contain the chaos – try to keep the chaos contained and organized as much as possible. So, if you are remodeling the bathroom, you might find some attractive containers to put all your toiletries in so that you have easy access to them. Everything is organized and you know where to find it. Don’t let these things start moving around the house so that they take over other areas. Keep them in one place.
Maintain a safe space – it’s important, even if you are remodeling the whole house at once, to have at least one space you can go to that is calm, peaceful and organized. When the chaos becomes too much this is a space you can retreat to, regroup and restore a sense of calm.
Set clear expectations – are you doing the remodeling yourself or is a company doing it for you? Either way, you want to sent clear goals and expectations. Know when each phase of the remodel should be complete and hold everyone to that. If you find things are slipping you’ll need to address it right away and deal with whatever the problem is. I have worked with many people who have had companies stalling in the middle of their project – not showing up when they should, not doing the work properly, etc., so that the projects linger on and on with no sign of completion. If you have a clear agreement up-front, if something doesn’t go according to plan you can address it right away.
Manage overwhelm – if you start to feel overwhelmed with the whole thing because it’s turning out to be bigger than you thought, make sure you give yourself time to spend in a quiet and calm space to calm the feelings of overwhelm. Address issues that come up right away so they don’t become overwhelming. You may find it helpful to leave the space for a short period of time to revitalize and renew. Perhaps you could book a weekend visit to a friend, or a day or two at a spa retreat. It’s important to treat yourself well during the process because it can quickly become overwhelming.
Focus on the outcome – maintain your focus on how beautiful it’s going to be when it’s done, and don’t let yourself become completely focused on the ‘active chaos’ around you. Manage the chaos as best you can, but know that it’s an important and inevitable part of the process. Maintain a sense of self-awareness at all times and know that you’re stirring up the energy in your home, which can stir up situations and relationships in your life – which is ultimately a good thing. Awareness is the key to handling it all successfully.
You often find that when you take on a remodeling project you get much more from the process than you ever thought you would. See it all as positive and it will be. Allow yourself to enjoy the process and do whatever you need to do to take care of yourself as you do. Happy remodeling!
TweetTags: energetic edge, Feng Shui Energy, Feng Shui Home, Feng Shui Life, Life Balance, Life energy, remodel house, remodeling
For some people this question feels frustrating and overwhelming. What do you do if you’ve always lived your life doing what other people want and being who other people expect you to be? What do you do if you’ve never had the opportunity to explore your passions or to get excited about anything? What do you do if your wants, needs and desires have been beaten down for most of your life and so you have absolutely no idea what you’re passionate about?
It happens. It was true for me and I’ve worked with several clients who have the same challenge. I’ve attended many workshops where the presenter suggests that, to get in touch with what you’re really passionate about, you need to get back in touch with what you loved to do as a child. And that’s a very effective strategy – except what if there was no fun, excitement and passion allowed when you were a child? What if you have no positive memories of that time? Clearly, you need to find other ways of exploring what passions lay buried inside you.
It’s easy to think there’s something wrong with you if you don’t know what you’re passionate about. It’s something people talk about a lot and yet, for some people, even the word ‘passion’ is completely foreign. So if this applies to you, here are some ways to explore and uncover what’s buried inside you so that you can access your true and authentic self and live a joy filled life – yes, it is possible.
Change the word
If you find the word ‘passion’ a difficult one to embrace then don’t use it. Instead, think about what interests you the most. What do you enjoy doing, talking about, reading or learning about? What do you get excited about? Is there something that, when you’re doing this, time seems to go by very quickly? Start by making a list of those things.
Explore
Give yourself permission to explore this. You can try things and then decide that’s not for you and move on to something else. You may be holding yourself back because you think you have to get it exactly right first time. You don’t. If you embrace something because you think it’s ‘the thing’ but then find after 6 months that you don’t enjoy it any more, that’s okay. You’re simply exploring.
Journal
Use your journal or notebook to gain insights into your true nature. I find it helpful to do this exercise using specific statements. For example, complete the following statements:
What I really love doing is …..
What I get most excited about is …..
If I could do anything in the world that I wanted I would …..
If I could try anything it would be ….
You get the idea. Think of your own statements and allow yourself to write without really thinking about it. Just see what comes up.
Visualize
Look through magazines to find pictures words and statements that appeal to you. If you find something you like, cut it out. Once you have a stack of pictures/words, paste them onto a piece of poster board to create your own vision board. Place this somewhere where you will see it every day. By looking at this visual representation of things that you like, you will open yourself up to being able to identify other things that you like and enjoy. Seeing a visual representation of things that you really like can be helpful to attract to you more of what you really want.
Take the passion test
There’s a great book called The Passion Test by Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood – read the book and take the test to help you begin the process of discovering what you want and who you really are.
If you don’t know what you’re passionate about because you’ve never had the opportunity before to open yourself up to your true and authentic self, I hope these ideas will help you to get started.
TweetTags: energetic edge, Life Balance, Life energy, passion, passion test, passionate life
As we move into March and get closer to Spring, like many people, your thoughts may be turning to de-cluttering and spring cleaning. Since we’re also heading into tax season, let’s take it one step further and talk specifically about financial clutter.
Financial clutter is typically easier to ignore, because it’s not something that you are necessarily aware of every day, as you may be with other types of clutter in your home. But the effects of financial clutter can be disastrous. Money, like everything else, is energy and if you want to attract more of it into your life and if you want to have financial freedom, every area of your finances needs to be organized. Money does not come to chaos, or even if it does, it will soon leave.
You need to be aware, at all times, of exactly how much money you have, how much you owe, how much you spend, and the amount of your net worth. You should be able to lay your hands on any financial document, such as bank statements or bills, at any time. Yet what often happens is that people keep receipts and bills in piles, checks are lost in the bottom of purses, instead of being paid into the bank and you wonder why you can’t seem to get ahead financially.
Many people have some kind of fear or mental block when it comes to organizing and keeping financial records. If you find that the only time you really try to organize and pay attention to your finances and your financial records is when tax time rolls around again, then this applies to you. It’s important to look behind the behavior to find out what are the beliefs and conditioning that are driving your actions around your money.
Do you believe that you’re just not good at managing money? Do you tell yourself that it’s because you don’t have the time to do what’s needed? Or are you afraid of knowing your true financial picture because you’re concerned that it might be worse that you thought? These are all ways of avoiding doing what you need to do. The truth is, even if you aren’t good at managing your financial records or you don’t have the time to do it, it’s very easy (and worthwhile) to hire a bookkeeper to organize your financial paperwork and keep everything up-to-date. Yet often, people resist even this.
It’s important to understand that there’s more going on here. In order to eliminate the financial clutter in your life, you first have to deal with the emotional clutter you have around money. You need to uncover the beliefs and conditioning that created the disorganization and are keeping you stuck there. Let’s say for a moment that you did bring in a bookkeeper to organize all your financial records – what’s the worst that could happen? Yes, you’d have to pay them to do it, but it’s going to take them a fraction of the time that it would take you because this is their profession.
You may feel uneasy about knowing your true financial picture, but consider that it may actually be better than you thought, and even if it is not – once you know exactly what it is then you can do something about it, and remember that it’s easier to attract more when what you already have is well managed and organized rather than chaotic.
Here are a few suggestions for uncovering the beliefs and conditioning that are creating your financial disorganization:
- Write your story as it relates to money. Start with your earliest memories around money and write about everything that’s gone on in your financial life up until now. What patterns do you notice? Become aware of what feelings and emotions come up for you as you do this.
- Do a money meditation – sit quietly and close your eyes. Take a few long, slow, deep breaths and think about your financial disorganization. Think about where you are now financially and where you want to be. As you think about this, pay attention to how you feel. Notice any uncomfortable sensations in your body, put your attention on them and breathe into them. Notice if they change. Ask yourself what is the message that these feelings have for you – why are they there? See what answers come to you.
- Ask yourself what is the payoff for your financial disorganization. If there wasn’t a payoff of some kind, you wouldn’t be doing it – so write about what comes up for you as you ask yourself this question.
- Ask for help. Hire a bookkeeper to get you on track and who can show you how to easily manage your finances. If you can’t afford to pay someone, find someone you can trade with. What do you have that they might need? Perhaps you could help them in some other area.
Remember, financial disorganization and chaos are in your life for a reason. When you discover why and you do something about it, then you won’t need the problem in your life any more. Don’t wait until tax time every year to address the financial clutter in your life. Start with the emotional financial clutter and it will translate to the physical. I promise, you will love the results!
Here’s a link to a great article on how to purge your financial clutter that you might find helpful: http://money.msn.com/how-to-budget/how-to-purge-your-financial-clutter-weston.aspx
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