Open Cabinets in my mind..........

Help me close the cabinets

The day started out normal. Woke up, prayed, spent time with my husband. (we have our morning time together before the kids wake up)

Pulling up to the day care I noticed a van with a photography advertisement on the side .

“Ok” I thought, “I know it’s not time for picture day again, or is it?”

Did I see the form? Where were the posters? They should be posted to remind me, right? WRONG. It’s my responsibility to keep up with these things. I look in the back seat at my daughter and she looks beautiful because she is naturally gorgeous to me. But not picture perfect.

Long story short, it was picture day and I forgot.

Newsflash!!
I have too many cabinets open in my mind.
Too much going on and it’s not healthy. A few months ago I took the time and wrote down the different thoughts I had in one day.

By the time I was finished it was well over 200 hundred items. All different thoughts in less than 24 hrs. Wow!

Very alarming to me because most likely that was 200 solutions I was working on.

You know how you are cooking in the kitchen ---- you need some salt, so you open that cabinet, you need a pot so you open another. You have to get a mixing bowl so you open another. It repeats itself about 5 more times. You look up and there are 9 cabinets open, they were never shut. You started the project but never completed it. Never closed the cabinet.

Most problems were not even mine. I just try to be everybody’s everything. But isn’t that God’s job and not mine. My mind goes a mile a minute. Constantly cranking with an idea, a solution, a better way of doing things

Oh and the picture thing was the beginning of a very hectic day. You know the bible says, "too much is given, much is required" (paraphrased), Boy, I am excited for what I am expected to get because my requirements are many... Normally when things go this way and I am running with head cut off, my body will shut down and I have to rest. I get to the point of exhaustion and have to be in bed for a few days (my husband can attest to this) This is not a good sign.

NO MORE
So when do we say no more. I can not take it anymore. No more projects, No more committees, no more solutions to everybody’s everything. No more hand holding.
How do we manage everything in our life without forgetting picture day?
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Nicole Cleveland is founder of Breathe Again Magazine Online. She is on a mission to empower, encourage and motivate women by posting real life articles of women overcoming adversity. www.breatheagainmagazine.com



Below you will find a short article on managing multiple priorities

Managing Multiple Priorities
By Casey Mooore

As women, we have to keep more balls in the air than circus jugglers. While there's no one-size-fits-all strategy to make it work, one principle is certain. We need clarity. When we don't know how many projects we have committed to, we'll inevitably over-book ourselves or make poor choices with our time--that is to say, with our lives.

One possible solution: keep a master list of all you need to do. Update this list daily as new to-do's show up or get completed. A master list typically contains 200 tasks or more, which can seem overwhelming. The simple solution is just to review the list daily and pull out only the 5-10 tasks you'll complete TODAY. It takes just a minute or two.

How does this master list make your life easier? It gives you a place to park all your nagging tasks, leaving your brain free of "reminder clutter." Seeing all the things you COULD do at a given moment enables you to make wise decisions about what you WILL do. A master list also empowers you say "no" to new commitments with a clear conscience. It allows you to jettison some "nice to do" tasks in favor of "need to do" actions.

Most importantly, it puts you in control. You'll never be able to get it all done. Completing all your tasks would be like brushing your teeth once and for all. Clarity empowers you to choose your actions, not just react to whatever's loudest. A master list enables you to make powerful decisions in your life. No longer a victim of your to-do's, you find yourself moving with new energy and interest. That's what a master list can do!
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Productivity Trainer Casey Moore is CEO of Living Simply Consulting, Inc. LSC’s mission is to help buy professionals work with power, clarity and peace. Visit www.LivingSimplyConsulting.com to find productivity-enhancing resources and to see how a Productivity Trainer might help you.