Don't live the same year 75 times and call it a life - Robin Sharma

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A clutter free home equals a clutter free life.

I'm currently updating my blog and a program about extreme hoarders is on the TV in the background.  I just had to share my thoughts on decluttering!

Why declutter?

Many people have written about the concept of "stuff" stagnating the home.  When we collect things in our homes that we do not use, we create a staleness which is reflected in our lives.  By clearing out things we do not use, we create space for new energy to enter our home.  I'm sure there is no scientific evidence to support this idea but I have found that whenever I have a clear out, something new and exciting enters my life.  For example, earlier this year when I was looking for a new job, I decided that I would try to have a huge clear out.  I got rid of shoes which I just knew I'd never wear, old books from university which I certainly didn't need any more and some hand-me-downs which I just felt guilty about getting rid of.  (In actual fact, taking a couple of bags to my local charity shop made me feel great not guilty.)  Sure enough a couple of days later, I received a call regarding a great opportunity!

In any event, by having an organised space, you are more likely to feel in control and have clarity of thought as there will very little around you to distract you.  Steve Jobs believed clutter equals stress and having a minimalistic space certainly worked well for him.

Here are some of my tips for clearing out:

1. Get rid of anything you have not used in the last 12 months and which can be replaced for less than £10.

2. There is no point holding onto clothes which you do not feel good in - not only are you unlikely to wear them, you probably shouldn't wear them anyway!

3. If you have notes or articles which you have kept for reference but which you rarely refer to, perhaps scan them into a cloud computing network or onto a disk.  That way you can save space and access the documents more easily.

4. Be ruthless with old makeup.  For example, mascara's over 6 months old can collect germs and cause eye infections - its just not worth holding onto to them!

5.  If you have clothes which you have kept for sentimental reasons, consider storing them in places that you do not use everyday.  That way, the space you use everyday will be more organised and only contain the things you need.

Book Review - The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

I have just put down one of the most inspiring yet pragmatic books I have read in a while – and not only do I just have to blog about it, I have already recommended it to a number of my friends. 

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin documents the author's project to lead a happier life. Don't we all want that? Spending more time doing things you love? Being a better partner or parent? Worrying less about the future and dwelling less on the past?

The idea is to simply give thought to your true values – 12 of them to be precise. Then, focus on one of your values each month, building up your steps to living a happier life, whatever that means to you. For example, I had been thinking about ways to “give back” and had been pondering the idea of becoming a mentor for the Aspire Foundation. As soon as I put down the book I ran to my laptop and hit the send button on the draft application that had been sitting in my outbox for weeks. I am now mentoring and feel great about it! This is small step towards my goal to do more for others. Has it made me happier? Absolutely!

The book is packed with practical ideas to motivate you to simply be conscious of the things that make you happy. For example, creating an inspiration board to remind you of what you enjoy.  This reminds me of a theory which Robin Sharma often writes which is creating “flags” in your mind. He says “By writing your desires on a piece of paper, you send a red flag to your subconscious mind that these thoughts are far more important than the remaining 59,999 other ones. Your mind will start to seek out opportunities...”

The more you remind yourself of something, the more likely you are to be drawn to it. That is why this book will be kept on my bookshelf and dipped into again from time to time. Highly recommended!

Make better use of your time

It's time to make room for the things that you LOVE doing! I love to dance and I love spending time with my girlfriends but honestly I often find work and "life" creeping into control of my time. So for this blog I have decided to pin to the board three ways in which we can all make time for the things we love. Life is far too short to be spent doing anything else!  

One day you will look back and be 10 years older than you are now wondering what you did with all that time. So without further ado... 

  

First, cut out the things you don't enjoy. Why sit and watch football with your boyfriend when you could be doing taking a salsa class, going for a jog or seeing friends? 

Second, try waking up just a little earlier every day to make a window for doing something you enjoy. Maybe yoga or meeting a friend for breakfast? 

Third, a bit of planning goes a long way. Try to organise a time to do the things you love and make it a part of your schedule. (Think champagne Thursdays with the girls or Sunday pre-breakfast power walks!)

I hope this blog has helped you to rethink your schedules and if you have any questions, feel free to message me :) Have a great day! x

How to deal with Birthday Blues

It's my birthday today! I went to bed with a silly pang of fear about age but in fact I have loved my first day of being 26. Once I let go of my worries, I began to have a happy and memorable day.  I arrived at work to find a delivery of the most beautiful bouquet of flowers. Then there was cake, cards and bubbles quicker then I could say "impromptu office party". I'm dizzy from all the sugar and super excited about the two weeks of celebrations ahead! 

So what have I learned?

Never worry about getting old. Embrace it. Be happy within yourself. I realised today it is important not to link happiness to age as much as it is important not to link it to beauty or material things. I always want to laugh from my heart and be free of worries about age, beauty, money or expectations. Our thoughts control our feelings and actions and ultimately shape our lives. So as soon as a worry about age or expectations creeps into my mind, I stop and think about everything I am grateful for, take a deep breath and just let the worries go. Simple. Happy. Thoughts. Have a wonderful day. Ruby x

Mondays

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It's Monday! I love Mondays and I always have. Honestly! (You think I'm crazy right?) The way I see it is that we are refreshed and re-energised from the weekend. Focus on the positive! We have a wonderful week of opportunities ahead of us and we will come out on the other side of the week one step closer to our goals.  And why not enjoy the journey there too.   

It is important to link your studies or work to YOUR GOALS in life.  I will be blogging about the importance of goals later in the week.  Why are you on that course or working in that job?  Remind yourself of why you made those choices.  Your work should not be a burden, but a constant opportunity.  I grow my skills everyday at work and when I leave the office, I take those skills with me.  

Every week is an opportunity to refocus yourself on becoming the best version of you. A better teacher, a better student, a better artist, a better mother or whatever you may be. Personally, when I master something, I enjoy it. That is never easy but always worth it. Have a wonderful week. Ruby x

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.

It's Sunday night and I am certainly not dreading Monday. I am enjoying planning my meals and activities for the week ahead so that I am energised and really get the most out of this week.  You will find snippets of my mood and energy boosting meals here throughout the week. It still shocks me that good food changes my skin, sight, health, mood, energy and therefore my relationships. The list goes on! I recommend that you spend 30 minutes doing the same and then go have some fun! Whatever you do, stay away from that time and energy sapping device (also referred to as a TV)!

Ruby x