A Truthfully Honest Post about Time, Change, and Letting Go

Time to Celebrate a New Beginning!

Time and the passing of time has always been something I struggle with. I try to enjoy and embrace every moment and experience and time I spend with people to the fullest, but then as the middle or ending nears, I count down the days and stress about only having a few days or weeks left. I remember the Thursday felt like it was just yesterday and then Friday happened and now suddenly is late Saturday night, almost Sunday - Duh, that's how time works. But I can't help thinking about how fast it suddenly seems to go.

I would argue that I am pretty good at being present and enjoying each moment, but with a big global event like New Year's Eve, reflection is in the air and I look back on a full amazing year.

New Year's Eve and the start of a new year is a reminder to me about how fast time flies by. And then it starts to stress me out. I think, last New Years Eve feels like it was just yesterday, and I cannot wrap my head around how fast. There were millions of little moments and feelings and thoughts that happened in between... and time actually went slowly. It was just filled with so many amazing things, positive experiences, and loving people, that I was so indulged in it all... And suddenly its New Years again, and I don't know where the time went.

Some thoughts for the New Year 

Now that I have shared my little rant about how difficult I find dealing with time and therefore change, here are some things I have tried practicing to better deal with time. We are all in the same boat and time is passing for all of us. I am definitely a sentimental person, so miles stones like the end of a year make me very reflective.

Remember, it's all Relative
As I mentioned before, I usually think I am pretty good at staying present. New Year's is a special time though because you along with everyone else in the world have just lived yet another year (how lucky are we!). In the big picture, it feels so sudden that another year has already gone by. With this initial anxiety of time, I take a moment and go through all the things that happened this year, month by month. There will be a lot because there are 12 months, and approx. 30 days per month, and 24 hours in a day, and thousands of minutes and seconds. Another year has passed! It is exciting! And you have done and accomplished so much. Be grateful for that and let it go so you can look forward.

Remember you can Alter your Perspective 
I am trying to change my perspective now. Time is simply a form of change. So my anxiety with time really goes deeper into my anxiety of change... specifically that the past is ending; really though, when I look at it in terms of the future, I am excited about the new next chapter that then happens. I just have a hard time letting go then.

Time changing is not a bad thing, and the passing of time is just bringing me closer to my next goal. If time never changed, life would be boring, there would be no journey's to take and no memories to make. Be grateful for the change. Looking back, I think of all the wonderful things that I did and that happened this year. I guess I just wish I could embrace each second even more, live each experience again, and feel all my feelings twice as intensely - and those wishes are really nothing to be complaining about. I am incredibly lucky to feel that way.

Remember that Time is just a Social Construction 
Time and our conception of time is established from thinking not feeling. Memories and time are illusions constructed in our imagination. Its hard to "let go" because I feel like all I want is more; I want to hold the moments and the memories in a controlling way. I think most of us feel that way though. We want to believe that we have something tangible, but we don't. Memories are intangible but the construction of time has given us the false illusion that we can somehow go back to moments possess them.

In these instances, I would argue that we can look back on memories - cherish them. But do not hold onto them so much that it ruins your life now. By this I mean, do not use happy memories as a benchmark. Be in this moment without comparison, competition, or judgment. If you are having a down day, feel it. If you are doing something amazing, embrace it, knowing that this too it is only temporary.

"This too shall pass." This saying rings true for the good as well as the bad. Be grateful for your past, but live in the now, before that too becomes a memory.

                                                   

Remember the Marble Jar 
Brene Brown has this great analogy for trust called the marble jar. She argues that trust in a relationship is not built with big acts or grand gestures, but with small, almost insignificant acts. In this analogy, she says that each time someone does small acts that are meaningful to you, you add a marble to their jar. This jar signifies the trust you have in your relationship with this person. You can think of time with this same analogy. Memories fill up the marble jar. Sometimes only one marble goes in for a smaller memory or a few marbles for the amazing trip you took. Sometimes there is a dark memory marble, and sometimes that marble ends up having a silver lining. Regardless, each moment fills us the memory jar.

Think about all the marbles in your jar and be grateful. But tonight, on December 31st 2017, you will push that jar to the side and start a new marble jar with a new focus. You need to make space for new marbles, and you can't do that if you are still holding onto your old ones. The memories do not go away - they are always with you and always there for you... But you have a huge new jar to focus on filling up now!
                                                

Remember to Breathe
As I think about all these other memories and moments and the time that has flown by so quickly, I realize I am missing the moment that is happening right NOW. Meditation is a practice that helps calm your mind and bring you back to the now. Enjoy right now because that is all you have.


                                                          

"How long is forever?" ... "Sometimes just one second." 

Time is just a construction ... it has no further meaning other than being a way to organize our days and create overly busy lives. What matters is right now. What you choose to do NOW. How you are feeling or choose to feel NOW. Remember the memories and be grateful, but do not feel the need to control and hold onto them. Holding on means living in the past and in sadness that the past is no longer the present... and then you miss out on right NOW.

Celebrate a new beginning!  

Thank you for reading this year and I wish you all a wonderful start to 2018!

Detox with Avocado Pesto and Zoodles

This homemade avocado pesto is a quick, easy, and delicious dips, sauce, and side to almost any dish you can think of...

This a such a yummy easy pesto to add to Zoodles (aka spiral Zucchini aka Zucchini noodles). It takes 5 minutes to make, and makes just enough that it does not go bad! 

Ingredients 

• 1-2 Avocados
• A handful of basil 
• 1/2 cup parmesan (add to your taste) 
• Teaspoon or 1 clove of garlic 
• About a cup olive oil or avocado oil - this depends on how big your avocado(s) are
• About a TBSP of lemon juice to keep the avocados fresh  
• Pinch of Salt and Pepper 

The "how to" 

Mix it all in the blender! Quick and easy!
Add more olive oil if it is a bit thick, or basil or another avocado (or half) if its gotten too runny.
You can also add some more salt and pepper or parmesan to add to the taste... whatever suits your taste buds!

This is so easy, there is hardly anything to write about here. Just blend until pesto like!

If you are making the pesto with Zucchini noodles, which I highly recommend, spiral those babies and put some salt on them. Let them sit a while so that the moisture comes out a bit. Then, add your delicious fresh avocado pesto on top! Enjoy! 

Stress, Self-Inflicted Sickness, and Curing it with the "NOW"

A truthfully honest post about how we cause ourselves pain and stress when we forget that we have to put our happiness above it all 

Something that has been a constant pattern in my life is that I get sick when I am most stressed. In middle school i would get stressed when school started back up again, because I would go from beautifully empty and easy summer days back into the work grind. I always took work and school very seriously as well, which led me to stress myself out even over the amount of work I had to do back then. 

Similar situations happened in high school, but it always seemed better to be able to go home at night to a home made meal and distance from school. My mind could actually relax a bit, even if I was stressed. 

Now especially, getting sick when I am the most stressed is far from helpful, and really does not help my stress levels at all. But I have come to learn that getting sick is a clear sign for me that i need to SLOW DOWN. 

Is your life really balanced? 

And honestly, it is self-inflicted sickness. I push myself too hard, I don’t give myself the time to slow down and relax, I’m always planning, and Ive decided that there is such a thing as being too organized that being organized can actually stress you out. Planning is a good thing but it makes me always look forward to the next and then the next thing - always going through that list in my head, over and over again. I have to do this, and then i have to do this. And in the end I’m not even enjoying the work I do because it is always about getting things done and stressing about getting the next thing done. My brain is jumping around filing up on the stress of having to do everything that lies ahead. And i am definitely not staying present in this moment. 

Even if I feel like I’m balancing waking up for workouts in the morning, watching a show, or reading my book before bed, or working on my next post, it is not balanced if, as soon as you are done one thing, you go right onto the next thing and not give yourself the time to appreciate the moment or the day or that achievement.

Time can be your enemy, or your best friend 

Time is the biggest stress creator. The constant making of to do lists and that hard work to make sure they are all checked off by the end of the day can result in either a wonderful feeling of accomplishments (having checked everything off), or a disappointing feeling (if you did not have time to complete the massive list of to-dos). 

Even though I am a big fan of being organized and making to do lists, its important to stay present throughout all of the things that you need to get done. This is the one major thing I have realized with the repetitive colds and flu's I get during stressful times. The to do lists are never ending which results in me setting myself up for failure. Most crucially, my to do lists do not involve breaks for relaxing or doing things that make me happy and counter the stress of getting things done. Through doing this, I hope to practice and improve my relationship with time and make it a positive one rather than a stressful race.  

Breaks are not considered cheating 

I am also the kind of person who struggles to take breaks before all the work is done. So I’m always trying to look to the next thing to look forward to when i can finally “afford” the break (which honestly is never, because you can NEVER finish your entire to do list of life - there is always something that will come up). It doesn’t have to be so black and white though. I can work for 30 min, and then take a break. I need to enjoy the work and the learning instead of feeling a though I need to “finish” it all in order to be happy 

Happiness is NOW 

I need to be happy NOW. Later will never come. I am making myself sick because all I do is go over the list of the piles of work that I feel weighing down heavily on top of me. I need to put that pile aside and just take bites of it that I can chew, one small bite at a time. Because I do love being at university and learning and working. But I have to change my mindset in order to do that in an enjoyable and exciting environment. Instead, I feel like shit. Physically. 

I need to do things for myself - make time to read my book, write my blog, go on long walks not worrying about the time. And I’ll get done what I need to get done. That is the bottom line. And done is better than perfect. I need to look at each little thing from a big picture perspective…. the world is so tiny and this single assignment or stressful feeling is insignificant in the big picture of things. All I need to do is get the basic important things done. Everything else is great to know and do, but it is not vital. 

Affirmations

I need to cheer myself on a bit more! I am smart. I am organized! Thats one thing I’m actually really good at. I know I got this. All i need to focus on, in my situation, is this assignment I am working on now. Then I can move onto the next thing. What are your affirmations? What things can you tell yourself to motivate yourself and love yourself a bit more? 

"I am smart. I am focused. My thoughts are calm and under control. I trust myself to make the right decision. All problems have a solution. I am a positive thinker. This too shall pass. My body is healthy and functioning in a very good way. I am conquering stress, defeating it steadily each day. Challenges help me grow. I am full of optimism. I can accomplish anything. Everything happens for a reason."

Show yourself that you are there supporting, always.

Things that I personally need in my life to be HAPPY! ... And maybe you do too!

Music! 
I need dance parties where i can let of steam! I need music in my headphones when I walk to campus to get my blood flowing and my energy up! (Even if I look like a unaware, technological millennial zombie). When else am i really going to have time where all I am really doing is listening to music? Working and listening to music just doesn’t cut it.
 
Reading
Reading books about self-help or self-awareness or bettering your life make me happy! Reading about positivity and life lessons that I can apply make me really enjoy where I am at in life and taking on the challenges that await me, because I truly feel (and know) that i can! I would like to read these books for 30 min in the morning to really get me pumped for the day! 

Soaking up Nature  
My favourite days and memories are those spent doing something outside. Yes, that includes going for a walk, but I would like to take that a step further. I love enjoying the beach in the summer, going on hikes in the forest, taking in pumpkin patches and apple picking orchards in the fall, and talking Christmas light viewing walks in the winter. Enjoying something outdoors with a purpose or a potential adventure that awaits gives off a productive feeling as well as one of pure happiness! 

Mediate and Practice Yoga
I always find that I feel more at peace and really happy with myself and where I am at after I practice yoga in particular. Similar feelings come from mediation, but that is definitely a practice I need to work on a bit more! I general it will really allow me to be aware of being in the moment, even in the most stressful of times. That way I am also not always so overly concerned with checking things off my list and always looking to the next thing. 

Find YOUR Happy 

Take a moment of silence and think about all the activities that make you happy. What are some things that you do, and time seems to fly by? Do you love the feeling you get when you are being creative? Does time cease to exist when you are painting or writing? Even if you are not a creative person, there are coloring books for adults that are can act as a calming and de-stressing activity. 

Maybe relaxing means being active. Plan time for this. Make time for an afternoon hike, or a walk into town and spend an hour at a coffee shop. Maybe going for a sun set run is exactly what you need at the end of the day to make time for yourself. 

These shouldn't take up to much time to the point that they make everything else that you have to do even MORE stressful. It can be incorporating one small thing each day that is truly for you, that makes you happy inside. 

I get so carried away when there is a lot going on, that I forget to find moments of peace and joy in between. I have found that making time for some of these small things makes the work seem a little bit less stressful. Giving yourself time for yoga or a run, taking a crisp fall walk, or pumping yourself up to music in your breaks can alter your tired mindset to a positive one. It can keep you motivated but also remind you to take time off, and BE DONE with work at one point, so that you have time for yourself, NOW.  

Morning Boost #5: Chia Kefir Superfood Porridge

Yet another fantastic and easy recipe to start your morning off stress-free and happy! 

This is a super easy breakfast that you can make before you go to bed and refrigerate over night, so that you have a ready-to-go healthy breakfast in the morning! 

Ingredients 

• Kefir 
• I like to choose a flavored one ... mango is my favorite and what I used in this morning boost! 
• Fruit of your choice 
• The fruit you can either add in the night before as well or in the morning. 
• Chia seeds 
• This is what makes this breakfast into a porridge consistency, when it sits overnight 
• Hemp Hearts
• Steel Cut Oats (or normal oats if you prefer) 
• Coca Coconut Powder
• Goji Berry Superfood Powder 

The last two powders are just suggestions of what I like to include, but you can choose to leave them out or add some other superfood mixture as well ... if you do, let me know how you made it your own! 

What is most important to include is the chia seeds, because those soak up the  

The "how to" Part

As mentioned before, this is a super easy breakfast to prep. Essentially, pour the bowl full about 3/4 with the Kefir of your choice. Add the chia seeds, hemp hearts, steel cut oats, and whatever else you would like to include! 

Stir until completely mixed! 

You can either add the fruits in now or wait until the morning. 

Once you have added everything your breakfast heart desires, put the bowl in the fridge to refrigerate overnight, and you'll be ready to go when you wake up! 

Enjoy this wonderful start to your day! 

Organized Space Series: 5 Steps to a Clear Desk

A new series of posts about quick organization tips for specific spaces; what you really need and what you can ditch, to create a happy clean environment and a less stressed self!

1. The three piece rule

Aim to have only three objects on your desk at all time. This can include a cup holder (or holders) for pens and pencils, a desk lamp, a note pad or a calendar diary, a laminated desk mat to write on, a speaker if you like to listen to music while you work, maybe your printer, or even a pretty picture or a nice candle to help de-stress you while working.

The main point here is to make sure that you keep your desk as clean and simple as possible. The more stuff you have out on your desk that doesn't need to be there or that doesn't have an actual home, just creates more clutter in your mind. You can focus better on your tasks when your space is organized and when you know where everything is that you might need to use.

When you are doing work at your desk, all that should be in front of you is the work that you need to be doing. If you have work lined up to do after you're finished with the task at hand, organize it in a binder or to the side of your desk. If you follow this method, the only things on your desk should be what you are working on and your other "three things" that make the desk space useful.

2. Shelf the extras

It's nice to make a desk space a focused one by adding a simple picture or a plant to create life in that area. Shelves are also good to display your books or even keep supplies or textbooks that you need often for work or for class. Shelves can act as a "home" for the things that would otherwise take up space on your desk.

Even if you are using shelves as a display, try to keep it simple. This work space should be a positive atmosphere where you can focus. If there is too much going on (even in terms of decoration) it can get overwhelming. Still, make the open shelf look nice to your own tastes so that this type of storage can still add to your focused environment. If you love your space you will want to be there, and hopefully, this will help you get things done!

3. Create Systems to eliminate clutter

Desks are a great surface to collect extra papers, recipes, dust, and random nicknacks that have no home. Try and eliminate this extra clutter by creating a system. Have a filing system for loose papers that you may need at a later date. Have separate assigned places and folders for banking, bills, work or school papers, and so on. If you have lots of loose papers to file away or a cluttered desk that needs to be cleared up, add that to your to-do list for the day!

Get rid of all the extras. If you don't need it and don't want to file it away, throw it out.  Always make this decision right away. Don't let yourself start to create piles of disorganized papers on your desk. If you don't have time to file it into its place immediately, start and organized pile (or piles to keep the papers separate). One way to do this is by having a filing rack to stack papers in an organized way until you get around to taking care of them. For example, you can have one rack or mail that needs to be opened and another of bills to be paid and finally one for papers that need to be filed away. I would suggest trying to clear out this filing rack or to clean up the loose papers on your desk before you sleep so that you end the day with a clean desk... And you can start the next day with one too!

 The more clutter you let build up in your life, especially in your immediate and physical space, the more cluttered your brain and mind will be, making it more difficult to stay focused and be productive.

4. Have an Overview of Upcoming Events

This one is pretty straight forwards, yet often forgotten. Having a calendar above the desk or your work space that you can see every day, is a great way to have an overview of what's coming up. It can be a basis for helping you plan your to-do's keep you from stressing out like crazy.

A calendar can be self-made with pictures or notes, and you can make a list for each month, or you can simply buy a pretty one. Calendars can also be a great way to add some color and pictures into a focused and clean space.

Make the calendar your own and set it up in a way that best suits you and your organization tactics. You may have an overview of whats happening this month, or you might write out everything you have on your agenda for this week. If you need more tips on organizing your calendar as well as weekly and daily to-do's, take a look at my "Designing Routines that Work: Daily Edition". 

5. A Clean Desk Space = Positive Productivity = Daily Routine

We can focused best when we don't have distractions all around us, and one way to achieve this is through eliminating those distractions. That is why I advocate for a clean organized space for the environment you choose to work in, which in turn should create a more calming atmosphere for you. You have enough stress going on already, so why stress your eyes out by the piles or random shit on your desk!?

You need to design your desk space in order to create an environment that you can be productive and focused in. To do this, you need to know what kind of worker you are. Does it help to study with music? do you like making lots of lists and hanging them up? Would you rather have everything on your computer? Is there a certain color that you find calming? Or a specific scent that can de-stress you?

Do this little exercise and write out what kind of worker you are and in what environments you work best in. Sometimes people like having a few nicknacks on their desk or a bit more of an organized mess, whereas others like it empty and clean. You simply need to determine what kind of a worker you are and what your needs are in order to create a space where you feel focused!

Designing Routines that Work: Daily Edition

A Daily Routine Example along with 8 Daily Time Management and Organization Tips to Design Your Most Productive Day, Every Day! 

Designing my Day in the Morning

Each day of the week once I have done my morning routine, I need to prepare in order to truly be ready to start my day. This is my daily routine that I need to complete before I start my day, since my day is based on this daily organization.

1. Sunday Night: Make a Weekly To-Do List 

   While I’m at University, I set this To-Do list up based on classes. I order the classes based on when I have them each week because usually the assignment, reading, or essay is due during that class period. Underneath each class, I list the to-do such as an essay or reading I have to complete, along with any sub to-do's and the amount of time I will allow myself to work on that task.
2. Each Morning: Make a Daily To-Do List
   
I Set up a to-do list of what I plan on getting done TODAY, based on my weekly to-do list. I set up my daily to-do's based on their priority. For example, if I plan on doing essay research and I have three readings to do, only one of which is actually important for class, I will make sure to do the important reading and then essay research first. This doesn’t mean I ignore the other readings completely (well sometimes it does), but it just means less time needs to be put into them when it may be sufficient to simply skim through the reading before I go to bed the night before that specific class. Especially in University where you are buried in work, it is all about delegating and prioritizing and needs to be done vs. what can be done later if at all. 
3. Set up my Calendar - Weekly and Daily 

   Weekly Overview:
   Again, I try and do this Sunday night. I put in everything from appointments, to meetings, to personal dates with friends, etc. 

   Daily Overview:
   Once I have made my daily To-Do list, I set up my calendar accordingly. I see what times I have blocked out for classes, meetings, or appointments and from there I schedule in blocks of time to do each of my To-Dos for that specific day. You could of course to a daily overview for each day of the upcoming week Sunday as well; however, I find that there is so much that changes during the week that it is better to plan each day on the day or the night before at the earliest. 
4. Find a Work Space that Feels Productive 

   This is a BIG one for me. I need to feel like the space I choose to sit down at for a couple hours feels like a focused area and environment. Sometimes I like being at home at my desk, and other days I want to be in the quiet basement library in a tiny cubicle forced to work by the silence, and some days I want to be in a busy area like a cafe where a lot is happening. A lot of my productivity is also based on the environment I am in, so find one that suits your needs. 
5. Begin the First Task and Start the Timer 

   I try my best to focus on one task at a time and not let myself get overwhelmed by everything else I have to do after this. I am the type of person who likes to feel as though I have control over all my work because it prevents me from stressing so much. However, it is so not helpful for my productivity when I am switching between this assignment and this reading. Therefore, it helps to look at one assignment at a time, but because of this I also try not to give myself a To-Do of writing a full essay in one day, and instead I break it up over a few days. Then, I can feel in control and also get all my other work done in-between and on the side as well. 


8 Steps to Having a Productive Day

Everyone’s day looks different based on their job, schooling, environment, living situation, etc. This post is a bit different than the morning routine since this is simply how to plan your day whereas the Morning Routine post was about what you can incorporate into your morning to make the most of the early hours and create a positive mindset for the rest of the day. 

The following steps can be implemented in order to create a productive day. The main way to do this is by creating a daily plan on how to tackle everything that you have to do!

1. Preparation is key 

There are a few different steps I have in order to prepare (listed above), but most importantly these steps give me an overview of what my day is going to look like. The best way to prepare is to write out everything you have to do. If you're not a huge fan of organizing, write your to-do's out on a separate sheet of paper first and organize them nicely later on - whatever you have to do to create an overview of your tasks.

The main thing is that you write it all out so that you can prepare for your day and your week. If you just have all these tasks floating around in your head, you will constantly be distracted and skip from one task to the next without really finishing them. Catch all those thoughts and to-dos and write them out! Write them down on paper so that you don't have to waste energy and memory space remembering what it is you need to do.

2. To-Do Lists are your new best friend

To-Do lists are a great way to have an overview of everything you have to do. They help remind you constantly that you have tons of work to do, but at the same time they calm you down and remind you that you’ve got this... At least if you've done them in an organized manner.Write your to-do list based on topics, rather than randomly listing to-do's at random and mixing up tasks that belong together. The topic, class, or assignment can act as your heading and you can list all the to-do's that belong to that topic underneath the specific heading.

3. Big to-do's vs. sub to-do’s

I have weekly to-do's that I write out at the beginning of the week, as well as daily to-do's that I list daily based on my weekly to-do's. In my weekly to-do list, I have major headings, for example, “Journalism Essay”. However, then I will have sub-to-dos that come underneath the Journalism Essay. This will look something like this:

This to-do list set up allows me to have an overview of the major assignments and as well as the sub to-do's that have to get done in order to complete the entire assignment. This not only outlines all of the aspects you need to make time for, but it also allows me to check off a lot of sub to-do’s from my list...  It helps me feel productive! There is a mental celebration that occurs when you check things off because you can see how much you are getting done. Therefore, waiting to check off the “one big major to-do” because that is the only thing you have listed, can create a draining unproductive feeling. Sub to-do's in general also help me maintain a focus of all the important steps that I must take to complete the task. 


4. Prioritize lists and assignments
 
Write out your “to-do’s” for the week or day in order of importance, or simply number their importance after you've written out your list. This ensures that each day you go down the list in order of whats most important. You can divide your weekly list into each day of the week so that you have a clear to do list for each day based on your priorities.

5. Time yourself - Done is better than perfect
 
Beside each of my weekly “To-Do’s” I have also written how much time approximately I will be dedicating to each assignment (see above example). I know that some are very important and need to be given a lot of time such as big essays or important readings, whereas others can be skimmed through or completed in 30 minutes. Set a timer for yourself and aim to be done with that assignment or that part of the task when the timer goes off. This is the hardest area for me to strict about because the timer will go off and I will keep pushing up the time and resetting the timer. This partly defeats the purpose of the timer because my goal was to be done; however, resetting the timer at 5 or 10 minutes and knowing I only have a few minutes left does motivate me to work faster and add those few sentences or ideas quickly. Over time, this method begins to alter the way you work because you will start doing your tasks in a way that you will be done after the 45 minutes that you are giving yourself to complete it.

If you are a perfectionist, this can be an incredibly difficult concept to incorporate into your work. I try my hardest not to be a perfectionist. I am constantly reminding myself that there is no such thing as perfect … there is always a different way to write a sentence or present an idea. 
But at the end of the day, it is better to have it done so that you can dedicate the rest of your time to other things that are important to you, instead of stressing about one little sentence.
DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT. Just DO it!

6. Color Outside the Boring Lines

Some people love to color coding and some see it as a waste of time. I would never turn down the option of adding fun colors to my lists, but often it becomes a form of procrastination and my task becomes organizing my list rather than doing my work. Seriously though, I could sit and organize and color code my “to-do’s” all week long, but then I wouldn’t get anything done.

It’s important to write out the list in an organized manner and then simply GET STARTED. So I am here to tell you that you can add color with very little hassle. I pick a color for each week. Use the colors to stroke things out, write the headings, or add important dates on your calendar. Make it pretty or fun or whatever your goal is, but don't let it take over. Just make it neat and readable, with a few fun colors!

7. Stroke it Out.  

Cross it out when it's completed! This can act as a mental achievement because it feels so damn good to just cross things off your list … it creates a sense of accomplishment! It can also motivate you to move on to the next to-do and move through your list like the productive focused badass you are!

8. Be DONE! 

Let it go. Move on. And don't forget to give yourself time to do things that make you happy. Even if you love your work, life is not all about work!  




Comment or contact me with any more questions, suggestions, or ideas you may have.
More declutter posts along this focus of work, organization, and time-management are underway, so if that interests you, come visit more often!

We Feel Guilty, But We Shouldn’t … Screw that, Love yourself.

Another Truthfully Honest Post: The ‘right’ perspectives on life & body awareness, and loving yourself for YOU, from inside-out. 

 Love yourself for you. Make everything you do for you.
Work on yourself the right way: inside to out!

The Guilty

I am surrounded by people concerned about their health, their diet, their eating habits, which is not necessarily a negative thing, as it has taught me to want to take care of myself and of this single sacred body that I have. At the same time, I am also surrounded by people who are concerned about not only being healthy but looking a certain way. Unfortunately, I feel that this mindset has also imprinted itself in my brain in negatives ways. There is a stress that surrounds itself with eating my favorite foods and a guilt that follows. I am healthy and I am not overweight, but then why is it that I begin to feel uncomfortable if I haven’t worked out in a while or why I start to stress about eating two servings of pasta.

Yes, awareness of what goes into your body is important, but is that really the only thing on our minds? Are we sure there is not that ulterior motive where we are trying to fit into a supposed “prescribed” mold? Or do I just feel “unhealthy” in my body because I haven’t moved it the way it wants to be moved, in a couple of days? As soon as I give my body a workout or plan a few healthy meals, I find myself in a totally new and positive mindset… Then why do I let myself feel bad about what I consciously put in my body? We get caught up in all the little things, and we build the “bigger picture” around all of these small insignificant worries. Do you take care of your body? Do you eat well but also treat yourself? Do you look in the mirror and love yourself, even if you haven’t reached your goals yet? Then relax!

Balance is EVERYTHING

As I continue implementing a practice in my everyday life of moving my body in the ways that satisfy it and eating foods that fuel me and make me feel good, I also have to remind myself that I can go for the pasta and the cookies and treats, as long as it’s in moderation. As long as I keep this as my motto, I don’t find myself feeling guilty. I let that shit go. I am healthy, I feel good, I take care of my mind and my body. I eat healthy nutritious foods, but I also treat myself to sweets because they also feed my soul and sweet tooth. If you love your body and take care of yourself, then there is no reason you should be feeling guilty for what you put into your body or for giving your body rest. Listen to your body; it knows exactly what it needs. As long as there is a balance, you can love your body and yourself regardless.

There is a Community of Inspiration and Support Surrounding Us

Rachel Brathen, aka Yoga Girl, wrote a prayer called A Prayer for my Daughter. Part of the prayer is about is about how she prays that her daughter loves herself and her body, and never finds herself ashamed or embarrassed, and can always know her self-worth lies above all of that.  I would like to share this message of the prayer because it is incredibly fitting.

I am not guilty, I am AMAZING … because I love myself.

This beautiful prayer presents a story of exactly what I am communicating; be healthy, take care of yourself, and move your body, but do it because you love yourself and your body, and because it feels good to treat it to this wonderful experience of movement in nature and all the delicious and nutritious foods that this incredible earth has to offer.

Finding this prayer was another one of those instances where I was unsure about posting a deep post about real feelings and struggles, whereafter I found myself scrolling through Instagram and find this prayer that she wrote that connects so perfectly to what I desire to write about. I love when I can see how things are meant to be. Her post inspired me to persevere with writing this post and it helped me to refocus what it was that I wanted to communicate... so all I can hope is that this post is perhaps the motivation you need or the push you needed to show you the way in whatever situation or struggle you may find yourself in.

Let's be here for each other, and love each other like we do ourselves. Girls are amazing badasses; Let’s build each other up.

Support and Positivity vs. Big Companies with Mean Messages

D3 is a place to share healthy lifestyles, habits, and routines, and sharing how to create space to breathe in your life by getting rid of all the clutter and mess in your space. My goal is to communicate all these things in a positive light. That is why honest posts like these are important; I want to share these common or personal struggles so that we all find ourselves on the same level of togetherness so that we can create support, understanding,  and realization regarding all of these topics that produce extra an unnecessary stress and insecurities in our lives. This blog is not about being skinny and dieting and being an anal organization maniac, but rather creating an environment in your day to day life that excites you, fuels you, and inspires you. And for me, these three aspects of my blog are ways that I can achieve that life. We are all on this earth and in this life together. Eat healthy for the goodness of your body. Keep your house organized not for material purposes, but to de-stress your life and create harmony in your space. Have a morning routine to clear your mind and help you feel positive going into each day. Do it for YOU.

Nothing I write is a “you must do this to be happy”. All it is is ways to be happy in life. Maybe for you, that means looking a certain way or being on a certain diet, or maybe it simply means working out to feel good, not look good, and mediating in order to reconnect with your desires and follow your passions. It's OKAY to want to look good and work towards goals. The most important thought to keep in mind is to always feel good anyways if you know you take care of yourself, no matter what step you are at.

This message should expand into all areas of life and everything else you read, watch, and are exposed to. We live in such an extreme consumer culture that it is so vital to be aware of what you are taking in and how it is subconsciously influencing you. Advertisements are meant to make us believe we are missing something, and we will only be happy “when”… when we have this or that product that will make us more beautiful (aka no pores - like, what?!), or when we have these clothes that will make us “cool” (whatever that even means).  Who was the almighty person who decided that any of these better, cooler, or more expensive products were actually going to make you a happier person?
There is a life outside of all the presented status quo(s). You will never be able to get away from these influences and messages, but you can love yourself enough as you are to be aware of the fact that they are just trying to make money, and you are perfect the way you are.

TO DO’s for Living Your Life Truthfully, for YOURSELF.

1. Work out so you can sweat to feel good not look good The whole point of working on yourself is so that you can love yourself from the inside-out. Start on the inside because you will never be happy on the outer side until you love yourself regardless of that part. Work out to move your body, because your body craves it and loves you for stretching it out. Even if you are not where you want to be at yet, make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. Make sure it is for yourself, and not for someone else. Of course, we all want to look good, but until you learn to feel good in your own skin and be happy knowing that you are taking care of your body, then no number of pounds lost will matter because it will never be good enough. Even if you have a bigger goal in mind that you are working towards (which is AWESOME), still let ‘right now’ be good enough.

2. Put good fuelling nutrients in your bodyYes, be healthy. Yes, take care of your body. Because it is a temple. It is the most powerful and amazing creation you have. It's damn freakin' amazing. So what are we complaining and worrying about! This is the issue… we think that being “healthy” means dieting and denying ourselves foods that are labeled as “bad”. I am not advocating for you to go on a McDonald’s diet or let yourself each a full box of donuts every day, but have that piece of cake at your friend's party! Bake cookies and actually eat them … and feel good about it after!

3. You were born perfect and exactly as you should be

 
... so CELEBRATE yourself, who you are, what you look like. As long as you feel good on the inside, that's all that matters. We are simply looking at it the wrong way... trying to find inner peace and content by changing the outside (we think we can find it by changing what's on the outside). However, if you're not happy with yourself to begin with and proud of how far you've come, you will keep looking in the mirror and continue with the same negative thoughts. Life is pretty amazing… don't miss it because you’re busy complaining and being sad.

Reminder to Self: Life is beautiful. I am beautiful. I celebrate the highs and lows. I am on the right path to working towards my goals, and I am happy and celebrate life and myself regardless.

4. Do not waste a single precious moment worrying about what anyone else thinksIf you truly love yourself, love your body, love who you are, then whatever anyone else thinks doesn’t matter. I know this is easier said than done, but that doesn’t mean it's not a goal you can work towards. The majority of the time we don’t like what we see in the mirror because we are worried about the judgment of others.  When you look in the mirror, love what is there. Appreciate that you are special and unique.
Reminder to Self: I am happy with who I am and how I look and I love myself. Alternatively, or in addition to this, make a list of max. 10 people who are really important to you and whose opinions truly matter. Then everyone else can just become noise.

5. BELIEVE. Believe you can do whatever you set your mind to. Believe that you are amazing. Believe it and make that your reality. Manifest it.
Reminder to Self: I believe it. I will do this. I am doing this (“this” meaning whatever it is you wish to achieve or see happen in your life).

6. And gave gratitude. For the entirety of all journeys, not just the destinations. Be grateful for what you have, and be grateful for your future. Believe in the future you want and visualize it for yourself. If you want to create a habit of healthy living and bring more movement into your life, then envision that life. Believe you can do it and achieve whatever goals you set for yourself… Just make sure to love yourself along the way, regardless of where you are on your journey.
Reminder to Self: List of 3-5 things you are grateful for each day before you go to bed, to remind yourself how wonderful you are and how amazing your life is (even if it’s currently only in the small things).

 

You have to do YOU to be happy… I can’t tell you what that is.  

All I can do is create a platform to share my beliefs and passions. Use them as you wish, to create an amazing life or incorporate a healthy life style. Use them in a way that works for you! Take care of your body, work out to feel good, eat to enjoy, clean to move on. Everything in moderation.

You are enough… more than that, actually. So love your damn amazing self already!

Morning Boost #4: Ginger Turmeric Kefir Lassi

This smoothie is the perfect combination of sweet, spicy, and healthy to kick-start your fabulous day! 

What is this amazing sounding drink you ask?

As I said, this one is sweet from the honey and pineapple, spicy from the ginger, and contains a hint of sourness from the lemon. Aside from those different tastes, it is also creamy from Kefir… Sounding delicious yet? Kefir, if you haven’t heard of it yet, is a type of probiotic yogurt drink.

This is a great one when you are feeling a bit sick, with nausea or simply under the weather. It contains ingredients such as probiotic yogurt which is great for healing and strengthening intestines, as well as ginger, which is helpful for unsettled stomachs, menstrual pain, and fighting cases of flu and common colds (HealthLine 2017). This smoothie also contains honey, which is a natural antibiotic according to Medical News Today and can also be used as a cold relief.

Benefits of Turmeric

I myself had not heard about all the benefits of turmeric before making this smoothie with my mom. I feel that knowing what good you are actually doing with the food you put into your body always gives me a positive mindset. If I feel like I am putting kick-ass nutrients into my body, then I feel so much better. Therefore, I like to know the benefits of the natural spices, oils, and whatever else it may be that I am using for my body.

Turmeric is a spice grown in many Asian countries and belongs to the ginger family, so it has a bit of a similar “bite” tastes!

Benefits Include:

• Cancer preventing elements: According to Cancer Research UK, the main ingredient in Turmeric is “curcumin” (scientifically known as diferuloyl methane), which has shown to have anticancer effects on cancer cells.
• The Curcumin acts as an anti-oxidant and is also known for its powerful anti-inflammatory. Therefore, it can act as a natural pain killer (HealthLine 2017). 
• Can slow the growth of brain diseases such as Alzheimer's: According to Health Line, Turmeric is known to boost the level of a growth hormone in the brain (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)), which is linked to improved brain function. Alzheimer's, for example, is linked to the decrease of this hormone in the brain. Therefore, it could be a factor in preventing Alzheimer's. 

 Ingredients 

Side Note: This recipe has been adapted from my amazing mom, and she adapted it from the wonderful smoothie book Delicious Probiotic Drinks by Julia Mueller, where the information and benefits on all the ingredients and more healthy recipes if you're interested.

Ingredient Information

• Kefir can also be substituted for plain probiotic yogurt
• It is optional to add coconut water (approx. 1/4 cup to liquify the smoothie a bit and add the coconut taste, which can be really nice as it evens out all the strong tastes (just like the Kefir does as well)).

Single Step: Blend Well! 
Again, as most of my recipes go, you simply put it all in a blender and mix it together!
Pour into a glass and it is optional to garnish the drink with extra turmeric.

Servings
When I made this recipe originally (and for this post), it served about three people, but the amounts given will also work for two. To make this for one person, half this recipe. In that case, the recipe will make one good glass with a little left over to refill… you'll be wanting that extra bit.

And then you are left with a delicious morning smoothie boost with numerous healthy ingredients! Drink up!

Feeling too busy for healthy foods? Get rid of that excuse... here are some prep ideas:

This is a pretty easy recipe to prep for ahead of time. For example, if you don't have time to be cutting up pineapple in the morning, cut it up the night before and put it in a tupperware or in the freezer if you know you won't finish it this week anymore. Chop up the ginger and have a full jar at hand! Ginder is great to throw in with your tea or water, so you can never really have too much.

Start the morning and continue your day feeling full, healthy, and energized!

Morning Boost #3: Banana Chocolate Nicecream

A Cold Refreshing Treat for a Hot Morning

Heres another super easy morning boost! I have only recently heard about nicecream and just started getting into it. It's basically like a smoothie bowl but in some cases almost easier to make!
This is a really simple recipe to get you hooked on this heavenly nicecream!

Ingredients + the ONE step required by this recipe

Frozen Bananas - 1-2 bananas or a good handful of frozen pieces should be enough.
Bananas are a great base ingredient because when you blend frozen bananas they become so thick and creamy … just like ice cream… almost better!

Almond milk - just a little bit to help blend the bananas; about 1/2 a cup.

Make it Yours! 
You can also play around here and add some other ingredients, for example, natural peanut butter or almond butter if you want to make it a banana peanut butter nicecream bowl!

THIS IS LITERALLY IT - Blend until Creamy! 

Toppings

This is where the fun starts. Toppings are important because it will give you the taste you want! I'm going for a little bit of a chocolate banana taste, so I'm adding some granola, chocolate peanut-butter sauce, and some shredded coconut! YUM!

Fruits
Add different fruits or the same kind of fruit as a topping to incorporate other flavors and textures. I’ve stuck with banana’s here but raspberries or strawberries would have been fitting to add to the chocolate sauce.

Granola
I am using “Nutty Rawnola”, a recipe by Earthy Andy. It is sweet, delicious, and vegan, with dates, cinnamon, oats, and coconut sugar!

Chocolate Peanut butter Sauce
And no, this does not contain sugar. Yes, it IS healthy AND delicious! This is a simple blended mixture of natural peanut butter, coconut milk, maple syrup, raw coca-powder.

Sprinkles
I’m not the biggest coconut fan, but I really do love using coconut oil or shreds for raw cooking and baking. I also like a little bit of shredded coconut onto of my smoothie bowls… it gives a crunchy texture and adds a little bit of a different flavor to mix things up!

And Voila! You are ready to enjoy your healthy breakfast treat in under 10 minutes! This is also a great cold snack on a hot summer day. 

There are tons of nicecream recipes online as well as lots of difficult ones that are delicious, but I thought I'd start off small to get into myself. I find that I am more motivated to continue doing something when I can make it the second time without following a recipe! But if you are looking for more of a challenge, go search it! I will also be posting some more of these in the weeks to come... they're my new fave!

Why it is so hard to design your dream life: A Truthfully Honest Post

Fears that hold us back from living a life that we absolutely are in love with… and taking the first step by surrounding yourself with positive energy and releasing beliefs that limit you!  

Thus far I have posted steps or tips on how to declutter or detox. I have also done a bit in the direction of designing the life you want. This post definitely falls under that umbrella, but it is a little bit more personal than just sharing my healthy meals and organization tricks. I am not here telling you how to make your life amazing, because although I am working on it, I definitely am not claiming to know everything, but rather trying to connect with those of you who feel that want to have a wonderful life, but may be feeling stuck or are not sure where to start. Are you relating to these feelings?

I have spent this whole week deciding what I would post for this Friday’s post. All of my prepared posts and ideas did not seem to resonate with me. The second post following “Morning Routines” didn’t feel right, and writing about how I redesigned my space at home didn’t get me excited. I am also not in my normal environment right now, and I think that traveling brings out different emotions and forces you to really think about the world and people and YOUR life differently. You read books, you ask questions, you explore new ways of life. Your mind is opening up to a whole different world. This can obviously also happen in the comfort of your own home, city or country, by exploring all the beauty around you or reading a fascinating story from the comfort of your own couch. This just happens to be my place in this world right now, and I am driven to write about something insightful and sincere.

Honest Fears
Fears that make us doubt ourselves … and encouraging change

I love writing this blog and dedicating my time to it. Some days I love writing about these material things; food, life style, and organizing your space and days. But what about organizing your life? One of the things I love talking about is creating the life you want to live, going after dreams, manifesting positivity, and trusting in life. This post is the first introduction component in that direction; to design a happy life, one must first start generating some positive thoughts!

However, this simple sounding task can be difficult when it is easy to let negative thoughts take over and we so quickly resist being vulnerable. I notice myself take time before I share each post to think, “who is going to be reading this?”, “Will it make a difference?”, “Am I wasting my time”, or “will it just be a joke?”. To rid myself of these fears, I look for others who display the courage to expose their thoughts and feelings … whether that means sharing deep contemplations on life and hardships, or a more straightforward “tips and tricks” blog post where you gain insight into their life. You have got to be fearless to start doing what you love and you have to expose yourself out in the open when trying something new when you actually want to get somewhere with it!

I am inspired by authentic people. My favorite pages to follow on social media are those whose posts are genuine and authentic. Social media can be such a toxic place but it can truly be a caring and receptive place as well. These people post about following their dreams and all the love and gratitude in their lives; at the same time, they post about their struggles, losses, and failures. I realize I gravitate towards these people because I can relate and their honesty inspires me. It makes me want to share honest feelings myself. There are too many filters and rules and too much judgment in this world.

The courage to write this post is drawn from that inspiration. I see how much positivity, love, honesty, and how many life lessons are being shared by these people. I can envision how I want to connect and relate to people, but there is always the fear that people will not respond positively. It is that moment when you see what you want, but you must disregard judgment and any negativity around you in order to obtain it.

I started thinking about what messages I wanted to be sharing, and I realized tips and steps to creating a healthy life are important for me, but life goes deeper than that. My need for this post came from a realization from the inspiration and drive I felt from reading other peoples honest and authentic feelings and struggle… it was inspiring to me. It helped me connect to them and admire their journey, and it reinforced that dreams are achievable in the right environment. This positive energy and sincere messages inspire me to persevere mine - in the most honest of ways.

Honest Support 

I want to create deeper connections with those who do read what I write and do this by conveying my personality, feelings, and charisma. So many aspects of life are filtered today that it can be hard to find a supportive community where you don’t wish for something new/better/bigger, instead of one where you feel fulfilled and happy in your life and gratified with your journey. This is what I would like to create here. Below is my first little insight, which I am personally putting to use in this post, in order to begin to create this genuine and supportive space.

Using Karma as a Tool
The “Tip” part of this post: Surrounding yourself with the energy you need to succeed

Karma is a tool you can use… It is simply the idea that your actions and thoughts influence your life. If you put your energy towards something, and your actions and thoughts align with that goal, you have the ability to create that in your life.

First, you must liberate yourself from all the beliefs that limit you…
Your thoughts = your feelings ( positive thoughts means positive opinions and feelings towards that goal), and your feelings = actions that lead you in the right direction. When you create positive thoughts, you display positive energy, and you end up attracting the right kind of people and support. It helps you obtain what you want in your life and who you want to surround yourself with.

Personally achieving this … Everything I have written up until this point has been about the kind of positivity I want to manifest through this blog. Hopefully, through this post, I will attract the right supportive, loving, honest and authentic readers, that I know you all are. You can create what you want in your life if you put your energy towards it. I am done with being too intimidated to put it all out there because I know what I want to share is greater than the fear I have of doing it.

Right now there is a great 21-day Mediation going on by Oprah and Deepak Chopra, talking all about going after what you want, and the first thing they talk about is that “you are a powerful creator”. You can reach your deepest desires when you focus your energy and actions towards it and surround yourself with positivity. I would highly recommend it because it provides a little guidance and expresses all these concepts clearly.

Perspectives Vary

This post is a new step for me and this blog because I am speaking from the heart in sharing my own fears and my own feelings. It seems that this is not something people usually do, especially not to the open world. But I realize that these are the kind of posts I like most. Sharing, connecting, and creating a community of bonds and support.

Of course, this is just my opinion. This is my perspective and my take on the situation. These are all just my beliefs about creating an environment that helps rid you of your doubts and fears and instead assist you with your desired intention. 

I have said a lot in this post about fears and goals and opinions… but my main point really is, that you get what you put out. I would like to create a positive and inspiring environment.