Let me make this simple.  A clear vision begins with a theme that becomes the guiding force for the year.  This theme is 3-5 words only.  If you do nothing else but choose your theme and use it, your year will be simpler. This theme embodies or describes the energy you wish to have more of in your life. Go to your center and ask for what comes up. When you begin you might hear lots of chatter or confusion.  You can try writing down what you hear or feel.  Then keep refining it and look for the core theme.  Often times my annual theme comes through messages I keep hearing from others.

My personal theme for 2012 is Open to Grace.  These three words help me relax, trust and stay open to noticing what the Universe has in store rather than going into effort or struggle.  My theme embodies an easier way to engage with my day.  What about you?  Trust what comes and then enjoy noticing how often you can apply it. I find myself tapping into my theme when planning my day, making choices (both large and small), creating something new, my relationships, and self care.

The theme for Clear & SIMPLE is Systems that Work.  Knowing this theme made it easy to MAP out our marketing strategy for the year. I have already experienced more joy in knowing what my focus is.  I am freed to be present in my work rather than wasting energy always making decisions.

I want to offer you a truly FREE gift for this month and the whole year that will support your clear vision.  My book The Simple Life is now availalbe as an EBook and will be on my website for free from this point forward.  Please share it with others.  If you go to page 8 you can read my story on “A Simple Theme”.  www.clearsimple.com/aboutmarla.html

I have also identified my support for the year that makes this growth possible. I cannot do this alone.  Change requires a lot of support.  Ask for one thing you need each day, week, month and season to support you in living according to your theme.

For guidance on creating your personal plan for the year that speaks to your power and your heart, look on our website product page for the Your Life Matters workbook.  This is a 30 page guide that steps you through SEE IT, MAP IT, DO IT for the year ahead.  You will create your one page master plan for the year, along with a one page plan for support. www.clearsimple.com/products.html#YLM

This is the most important gift you could give yourself for 2012.  Please let me know what you come up with for your theme.  I would love to hear from you!

Marla Dee

Being together is the best - Marla, son David & daughter Jessica

I take the first sip of my extra hot, no foam latte and turn to my daughter Jessica. It is a sunny Sunday afternoon and time for our traditional talk about Christmas! We cozy up, go into our hearts and start chattering away as only two girls can do.  Jessica is ready and jumps right in with wanting a carriage ride. She also wants to make it a new tradition. Well, that sounds great to me!  She then dives into her idea for the Christmas tree “theme”. We are both inspired from seeing my sister Sharon’s gorgeous tree in her new home. Jessica lands on the theme of wishes, stars, silver and gold.  We decide to head to Michaels when we’re done to get supplies.  She loves to make our tree decorations.  I treasure this about her. It  reminds me of when I was a growing up.  With a family of ten children, making our decorations and most of our gifts was a tradition.  Another favorite (and free) tradition was decorating refrigerator boxes making them into small houses that we camped out in hoping to catch Santa Clause in action. They would fill the living room. Honestly, I don’t know how my mother survived all this but we loved it!

A favorite memory of mine was getting all bundled up and heading out into the Montana mountains with my dad.  Our mission was to find the perfect Christmas tree, cut it down and haul it home. Then we would warm our bodies with hot chocolate while dancing to Christmas music and decorating the tree.

So my invitation to you this holiday season is to take time first with your loved ones to consciously choose what you most want. Let each member of your family or circle choose one thing and then agree on one for the group.  Enjoy giving these choices your full attention.  Get creative and stay in your heart.

Here are some SIMPLE ideas:

• Give the gift of yourself, your full attention for one hour, one phone call or one day to your loved ones – no distractions or stress allowed.  Watch out – this can be different.
• Begin your day with lighting a candle and making a wish
• End your day with expressing your gratitude out loud
• Give a big, long hug every day
• Create a celebration collage of your year
• Put on Christmas music and dance
• Host a talent show for Christmas day and let everyone share their gifts
• Let your loved ones know what would be most meaningful to you (simplifies their holiday)
• Go sledding or build a snow man
• Take a whole day and bake Christmas treats
• Read a book you’ve wanted to read all year, just for the pleasure of it (one of my favorites)
• Call a friend just to say “I Love You”
• Celebrate being alive – write a poem, hug a tree, make love, offer a prayer

Here is one of my favorite prayers – “May we be filled with loving kindness, may we be well, may we be peaceful and at ease, may we be happy.”

Jessica and I ended our Sunday at home, playing our new Michael Buble’ Christmas CD while she made decorations and I organized pictures for our love letter to family & friends. Then we watched “Miracle on 34th Street” shouting out “WE BELIEVE”.  I want to hear from you about what you choose to do.

Meet Gabrielle who knows that CLEARING is FREEING!

Time to CLEAR IT OUT?

Yes, I am talking about the clutter. Do you have clutter? I know I do. Let’s face it – clutter is a natural byproduct of being human and living on the earth plane. Accepting this fact is the beginning. Accepting that my environment is simply a reflection of my life up until now, a reflection of what has happened to me and what is going on inside me is vital. There does not need to be shame or blame in looking at this picture. That would only keep me stuck and lead to further distraction. In order to step into the present I must be willing to open my eyes and look at it. There is great power in being accountable as the creator of my life and my world. My old things, my old patterns, my old relationships reflect who I have been, what I have built or what I have avoided. It is MY PAST!

So it is time to clear the clutter of the past and open space for something new. We all know that wanting to clear the clutter and having the ability to do so are different steps. The attachments to the past can be strong. It is much easier to put it off for another day, weekend or month until another year has gone by. We need an easy way to start and a reason to keep going.
Here are two ideas to make it SIMPLE.

SEE IT
What is one area or one thing that you know you are ready to let go of?

DO IT – The easy approach.

Take one hour in one area of your space and clear out:

DO IT – The challenge approach

CLEAR OUT one thing each day for 30 days. The one thing can be small or big. It can include:

One of the biggest blocks to creating something new is when we are full of the stuff that is now past time. It takes courage to let go but it is the only way to open up space. Sometimes just having the willingness to let go and starting into action will create a movement that takes on a life of its own. The universe shows up with all kind of support and inspiration.

Join me in clearing out the past time stuff - Marla Dee

So join us at Clear & SIMPLE October 1-30 for our first annual 30 Day CLEAR IT OUT. Everyone will tell their stories and help each other. I will be sharing a video each day of the one thing I am letting go of. Let’s all join together in this last quarter or 2011 to clear out the clutter of our past and see what we can create next!  Marla Dee

Sign on at www.facebook.com/clearsimple for a community of support and sharing!

Photo above is Gabrielle Fishman, Professional Organizer and owner of GO, Gabrielle Organizes see wwww.gabrielleorganizes.com

My inspiration-this gentleman that has reduced down to living in his truck and traveling the country!

Your secret is out!  I know you have somewhere in your house, your basement, or your storage unit that BIG project you keep putting off.  You want to create or plant something new but your energy is drained by all the stuff already started and sitting undone. If you are like me it might be years of accumulation on your computer that you keep saying you will go through (yes, this includes photos).  Or maybe you have boxes of memorabilia stashed in the closet that you just add to each year and close your eyes. Maybe it’s the room to you started to create for painting and it is still waiting.  Let’s get real, most of us have at least one project we want badly to do but life never allows us a year off to get it done.  I have hope for you and a simple solution.

I was inspired to write this yesterday when speaking to a NAWBO (National Association of Woemn Business Owners) group on freeing themselves from the clutter to be more present in their business.  Everyone shared what organizing project would be most meaningful to take on this spring.  I heard a familiar story.  “I have mountains of piles and so many boxes filled with photos and memorabilia I want to scrapbook.  And now my daughter wants to get involved and help.  But we just keep moving the piles and making a bigger mess. I don’t know where to start!”  I found myself sharing one of my golden guidelines that I now want to share with you…

Start by organizing just the stuff for this year.  Start with NOW.  Use S.T.A.C.K.S on the photos for 2011 and get a simple system in place.  Take this year to use your simple system and then when you feel ready add just 2010 to the goal for this year.  You will rediscover the joy in doing the project and enter the land of accomplishment.  I then suggested that she just keep the old stuff neatly boxed up and take one or two former years with each new year as she moves forward.   Over time the bigger project will get done or will lose its importance. 

SEE IT (Take a look at where you’ve been)

The Garage is waiting attention...

Ask yourself which ONE project would you most want to do this year?  Then simply write or share the story with a loving witness.  For my personal life I have chosen to reduce my 15 boxes of memorabilia to the true treasures, have them scanned and turned into books.  For my business, I am going paperless for most of my storage and setting up a simple present time storage system on my computer.  However, for both of these I will start with this year and work back as I am suggesting to you.  It feels fabulous!

MAP IT (Make a plan for where you want to go) 

Write down the vision or the value to you of getting the project done this year.  Commit to a person when you will be doing this.  Making a simple mind map can also help.  My vision is to be free to start new creations and live fully in present time.

DO IT (Take the steps to get it done)

The Garage is ready for play

Use S.T.A.C.K.S.  for getting the project done with joy and ease.  Remember the power of “one step at a time” for sort, toss, assign, contain, keep it up and simplify.  I have scheduled the months of May – August to complete my two biggies.  I have set up accountability for getting it done.

PLEASE share with me what project you are choosing and any success you experience along the way.  I would love to hear from you. 

Marla Dee

My Dad & Mom always put each other first!

 

How about putting first today what is most important in  your relationships, your creations, your work and in letting go.  Can you imagine what your day would be like?  I mean really DO IT!  What if you simply let go of the excuses, the rationalizations, and the confusion?  Could you give yourself permission to live this day according to your deepest knowing?  I am ready – how about you?

 I turned 50 years old last November.  That’s half a century.  I am not quite sure how that happened but I am in awe of being here.  I have learned a lot about what is most important these last 50 years, and what isn’t.  For months I have been wondering what message I wanted to share at the beginning of 2011.  I kept asking myself “what is most important” until I realized that this had become my theme. I hope I have you wondering and wanting to experience such a day.  I hope you will read further and try this out with me. 

 

SEE IT:

I love Sunday mornings.  Yesterday I got lost in the luxury of hanging out in bed, curled up and cozy on a cold day.  I let myself read, write, sit, listen, dream and ponder.  What is most important to me now, in this latest chapter of my life?  Here is a part of what came out…

• Connecting with nature (my grounding and source).  Long walks are my favorite.
  

  My Dad & Mom holding hands - they always do this first when they sit down together

• Being true to myself, honoring my rhythm, my sobriety and my body.
• Being there for my partner, my children and family.  Putting them first!
• Giving back with an open heart – my thanks for all I have been given.
• Play and laugh more.  Anyone up for tea and talk time?  How about some board games?
• To experience and contribute to living in a community (I love living at Wasatch Commons)
• Being a part of close, committed circles that are contributing to healing this earth & people.
• Slow Sundays to sit on the couch, cook a hot meal, and catch up on conversations.
• More music – I started taking voice lessons with my daughter after years of wanting to.
• I’m afraid that clutter clearing and organizing just about anything still trips my trigger.  However, I am now ready to put my energy into creating “Clear SELF” and support you in being your best self in each moment.
• Yes, strong, black, hot coffee is still on this list!  But I didn’t put it first so that’s growth right?
• I could go on but I will stop here …

MAP IT:

Can you take 15 minutes right now and make a simple list of what you know is most important to you?  PLEASE!  Then share this with one other person and ask what is most important to them.

DO IT:

What does all this mean when it comes to waking up and starting into your day?  Well, I would have to stand up for taking time with yourself FIRST so that you can connect with what is most important.  Then let the day unfold and notice all the precious choices that allow you to practice.  Let me share my morning.

I woke up to more snow and a body battling sickness.  My practice became taking my daughter to school in the snow storm with a spirit of ease and love.  Then giving my body a healthy bowl of oatmeal and fruit with hot coffee.  I was then drawn to sit and drink in the winter wonderland of snow covered trees outside my large window with a warm cat purring in my lap.  I let myself take in the feeling of grace to just be alive.  I chose to put writing this blog first in my work day, before busy energy takes over.

I now take a deep long breath and ask you one last time – Can you start right now, just for today, and put what matters most to you FIRST?  I would love hear back from you on what you choose…

Three Generations of women - daughter Jessica, mother Monna and Marla Dee

I feel compelled to write about walking through the BIG CHANGES – the ones that rock your world, leave you breathless, and wondering if you will ever be grounded again.  

Somehow two months have flown by since I last wrote.  I am sitting at my desk and shaken as I relive the intense changes that have taken place in this short time.  I am especially struck by the story of my daughter, myself and my mother – three generations all going through big chapter changes at the same time.  My daughter has started high school, going from a small Arts School of 250 to a huge High School of 2500.  This last weekend I packed up our home of the last 4 years as we get ready to move to Wasatch Commons, a co-housing community and whole new world.  And I just recently spent precious time with my parents in Oregon as they come to the end of 50 plus years sharing a home together. (Their aging requires that they will be moving into separate housing the end of September.)  For all three of us, the change brings up all kinds of “stuff”.  It would be impossible for our bodies, our brains or our emotions to do it all at once.  Thankfully, we don’t have to.  We get to walk through the changes “one step at a time.”

So how do I get through those BIG CHANGES – the ones that rock my world and leave me breathless, wondering if I will ever be grounded again?  I must admit that even in the midst of the upheaval this summer, I have felt grounded most of the time.  I have been asking myself, how can that be?  The answer is simple – I have practiced staying fully present in the one step I am on.  I keep hearing the guiding words

–       just stay in today Marla

–       keep your energy here as you pack this one box

–       enjoy this one sweet sharing with your mother

–       give your full attention as you take your daughter to school on her first day

–       work with this one client in this one room

Even big changes unfold in a way that aligns with nature and my rhythm if I stay present in the now.  It is only when I get ahead of myself – all tied up in the next week, next layers or the whole project that I get paralyzed.

SEE IT – What is the one “next” step I need to take in this change?

MAP IT – The gift of having a visual MAP is the easy clarity on what is needed for the next step.

DO IT – Put your full presence into this singular step.  This was my practice for getting this blog written finally.  Just sit down and write now Marla.

What BIG CHANGE are you in the middle of?  I would love to hear from you and I hope you can use the Clear & SIMPLE Systems to help.

My now 15 year old daughter Jessica thrives on changing her world!

An old saying:

“There is no pain in change.

There is no pain in growth.

There is only pain in resistance to change

and resistance to growth.”

Unknown

Why do I resist change?  It is all around me.  It is inside me.  It is life.  But, it is unknown to me and my body’s experience.  So I cling to the old, the comfortable.  I keep doing the same daily routine or using the old tool, long after the effectiveness is gone. Would a plant resist growing through the soil or reaching for the sun?  Would it struggle to make itself different than its makeup?  Would it want other plants to grow against their nature?  Would it say to the earth, stop growing me now, I’ve done enough. No, rather the plant (and other life force) would willingly go with the surrounding elements to experience constant change & growth.  Am I different?  Am I special somehow from the rest of nature?  Even with all my human intricacies, I am still a body on the earth plane.  My body carries a genetic plan of growth.  My soul carries its karmic plan of growth.  I can resist this or surrender to the ecstasy of living it.

My daughter just turned 15.  I am still in shock.  When did this happen? How can I slow down the changes I see happening so quickly in her.  In my business as a professional organizer I am the bringer of change.  I see people struggle with it daily.  I see the cost of resistance.  And I am there to support them in the new.  My greatest joy is seeing them transform and shift into their present time beauty. Yet in my personal life I have struggled so to accept change.  I have carried a belief that change meant struggle.  I have a dear friend that keeps saying “change is good, change is good, change is good.”

I have been told that a miracle is simply a shift in perception. I am here to offer a simple shift in your understanding of change. Rather than focusing on the unknown, start with simple acceptance of what is.  Let your body and your mind accept the present moment.  Then simply be willing to change.  You can trust in the natural process.  Believe me, life has the power to bring all that is needed to learn the new way.  You don’t have to figure it out first. 

Begin with Acceptance…

• I accept myself.
  

  Jessica when she was younger and alive with anticipation of the next moment

• I accept my life as it is today.
• I accept that change is constant.
• I accept that I will change today.
• I accept one change today.
• I accept that all around me will change today.
• I am simply willing to change.  I don’t have to know how.  Life will teach me.
• I am willing to enjoy a change today.
• I am willing to let go of the old way or old stuff.
• I will validate a change today.
• I trust change.  I can start with a small one and build up.
• I trust the gift of growth that change brings.
• I trust that life will bring me all I need to support my change.
• I Trust Life.

 Lastly, focus on the gift.  Let the Universe and your life bring in something or someone new, something that has the power to grow you in this moment.  Today I am choosing to focus on the incredible beauty that I see in my daughter - her gifts, her enthusiasm, her friendships, her desire to still get hugs, and her changes.  I am going to soak up all that she brings me.

Change can be simple if I let it happen to me.

Organizer - Leah Harvath and her happy client - Sara with the Office Paper now under control

What is it about the paper?  Why is it always there, piling up so quickly, chattering and distracting me from what I want to focus on?  And now we can add to the “paper chaos” all the electronic communications that come our way in any given day?  What would it be like to experience freedom from the paper piles?  Wouldn’t you like to know?  Wouldn’t you like the pile on your desktop and your email folder to hold today’s tasks and only today task’s?  “That’s impossible” is what I usually hear.  But if we can put a human being on the moon then can’t we conquer the piles of paper.  The problem is the lack of systems, systems designed for the volume and speed with which communications come at us.    

The best system I have found is FreedomFiler – an all encompassing, self purging filing system that is designed to hold it all – everything from your daily actions to the tax archive.  FreedomFiler was designed by Seth Odam who spent two years researching our complicated interactions with paper and filing.  His solution to all our paper problems is this amazing system.  Check it out at www.freedomfiler.com

Sara's "pink" Freedom Filer Action System

SEE IT – what is your greatest source of pain, fear or frustration with your communications?

Yes, my paper is all in order.  My problem is my computer working files that hold everything!  I have years of documents because I don’t take the time to perform an annual S.T.A.C.K.S to clear them out and create the updated folders that I need.  I often get frustrated when looking for an important document that is in a folder with old docs.  Simply put, my system needs updating now that my business and volume have changed.

MAP IT – what would you want most for this year in terms of sanity with your communications?

I want my working computer files up to date and organized.  I also want them stored on the internet so that my office manager and I can access the most current files easily.

DO IT – Because paper is so loaded I will take you through a simple S.T.A.C.K.S process. (For more depth, contact Clear & SIMPLE or get my audio book “Get Organized, the Clear & SIMPLE Way” with an entire CD on paper solutions.)

SORT:  Sort just the active papers first.  Leave the old papers for later. Remember to label the piles.

TOSS:  Check out our record retention guidelines for help on what to keep and what to let go. (See www.clearsimple.com/resources.html  for more help)

ASSIGN & CONTAIN:  Get the FreedomFiler if you don’t have a system for your paper files.  You can also get a P.O. who is trained in the system to get you up and running if you don’t have the time or desire to do it yourself.  This kit includes the files for your Action System which is the most important piece to get in place. KEEP IT UP:  Freedom Filer will help tremendously.  I also suggest having a Professional Organizer come on a regular basis to support you in creating a new pattern with the paper.  You could also hire a part time assistant (even for the home) to do all those pieces you don’t want to – like filing. Even I get help! As a professional organizer, single parent, business owner, and community giver, I have a multitude of communications.  I use my systems and I depend on them.  But I am still human which means it builds up again.  So every 3 months I need my professional organizer (Donna Harper) to come in and help me through the delayed decisions.  It feels so good.

SIMPLIFY: Set aside 2-4 hours a week for home and 4-6 hours for business just for the routine maintenance taking care of the paper items in your system.  You will accomplish much more if you do this as a dedicated session than trying to squeeze it in all during the week.  This can include paying bills, making phone calls, writing up proposals, sending thank you cards, etc.  Step into power with the paper and enjoy this time.

For a Mothers Day present to myself, I spent ½ a day clutter clearing my home office.  I used S.T.A.C.K.S on all the paper and stuff that had built up again over many months.  It was in my system but it was just too much.  What I remember is how fantastic I felt when it was done.  I was free (yes, we feel those piles even if we are ignoring them).  I was back in present time and able to focus on the day.  Will it come back again – yes, but never very much and not for very long because I have Systems in place to catch everything.  Let me know what happens.  Marla Dee

Resource – www.freedomfiler.com

Marla and her sister Sharon - "We support each other in giving fully"

In this moment close your eyes, breathe deeply into your center and ask “What is it that only I can give? What is it that only I can create?”  Ask, listen and trust what comes.  It might be a simple thing or it might be loaded. I want to know – what is the piece inside you that is ready to be seen – to speak – to shine – to receive light from the Universe and nurturing from the earth?  What are you aching and yearning to express?  If you are ready to give it, then the world is ready to receive it.

I just spent the weekend with one of my favorite people on this planet – Mark LeBlanc, author of Growing Your Business and owner of Small Business Success.  He inspired me, deepened me, and changed me.  He got me back in touch with my main purpose – sharing the Clear & SIMPLE Way to create, organize and live.  The weekend event is called the Achievers Circle and was filled with 14 other strong creators and entrepreneurs, including my sister Sharon and my associate at C&S Donna Harper.  Everyone in our circle was engaged fully in giving their biggest and brightest self to the world.  Mark kept repeating the phrase “doing the work you are called to do and compelled to do.”  Remember, the work or creation does not have to be big in any sense except what it draws out from you. Isn’t it time you paid attention to the NEW part of you that is ready to emerge. 

SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT.©

SEE IT – What have you been hiding inside that you are ready to let loose? Start with the simple practice of beginning and ending each day in conscious contact with yourself.  Claim 15-30 minutes of uninterrupted time.  Use music, nature, a walk, sitting still, writing, reading – anything and everything that works for you. 

MAP IT – “Make a Plan” now for how you are going to create this new aspect, how you are going to manifest it in the world?  Remember to keep it simple.  Just ask for the next right action or step and make a plan for that.  I commit to blogging and speaking monthly. 

DO IT– Make the commitment to let someone help & support you in this new aspect of being seen.  It takes courage and isn’t meant to be done alone.  Choose someone who knows and loves your true self.  I choose my weekly accountability partner, my wise guides, along with the networks of the NSA, Toastmasters and the Conscious Business Circle.

I would be inspired hearing from you.  Please let me know what you discover about yourself.

See www.smallbusinesssuccess.com  for more information on Mark LeBlanc.  I absolutely believe that his book and Achievers Circle are the best choice for every small business owner!