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Thursday, April 30, 2015

All-Challenge WrapUp, Reflect, Forward Plan & Feedback - Jaxtastic Life Spring Cleaning 30-Day Challenge - April 29 & 30th

Today we wrap up our 30-day challenge. This is the day we will; on how it went and what you felt. When we create the challenge forward plan.

 

Step 1 – Set your timer for 15 minutes MAX
Stick to it.








Step 2 - WrapUp
Today, stop all of your work sorting, moving and cleaning.  This is the day to wrap up your activities and give closure to this challenge before starting anything new.

Step 3 - Reflect
Grab a journal or type on an Evernote page or type/write somewhere on your computer, tablet or smart phone.

Over the past 30 days we covered 4 spring cleaning topics, selected by you.



We created sorting and mail handling systems, looked at holding spaces and explored ways to let go of your items. We even scheduled a full year of reading your books.

How did it go? Were some topics easier to handle than others?

What time of the day/week did you do your best work?

What would you do the same? What would you differently?

Finally, give yourself a pat on the back for participating. You showed up!


Step 4 - Forward Plan
Now what? Well, I have good news and I have bad news. First, the good news….you get to decide what you do next.  Now for the bad news….you get to decide what you do next. Do you still have paperwork to handle? Are you shelves still bursting at the seams with books?

It doesn’t matter what area you select to continue your focus. What is important is to have a plan. Create a goal and then break it down into a doable plan to ensure success. Again, look back at the times when you did your best work. Schedule your work for those times.

Feel free to revisit the past blog pages to give you an outline for your work. Here’s a link to all of the pages in this challenge to give you a high-level outline:  2015 Jaxtastic Life Spring Cleaning 30-day Challenge All Links.

Step 5 - CELEBRATE!!!!
Reward yourself for showing up and participating in this challenge. Share your successes. Celebrate the lessons learned. All of this will have a positive impact on the next activity you start.

Final Bonus Content
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo I learned about this book from a senior executive at work. It’s a surprisingly little book but it gives a powerful punch against clutter.  I recommend getting this into your 2015 reading schedule.


 







Survey – Share your Feedback
This is the first ever Jaxtastic Challenge. I would love your feedback. What worked for you? What didn’t work for you? What would you like to see in future challenges? Please go to this link to complete a short 5-question anonymous survey: Feedback Survey – Jaxtastic Life Spring Cleaning 30-Day Challenge







Share!!!!

Use the comments area to share your progress, thoughts, hopes, fears, etc. You never know what impact your words will have on someone else.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Jaxtastic Life Spring Cleaning 30-Day Challenge - April 28, 2015 – Book Clutter - WrapUp & Reflect

Today we wrap up approaching book clutter. This is the day we will close this topic, reflect on how it went and what you felt.  We won’t create a forward plan today since there are only 2 more days in the challenge. When we create the challenge forward plan, we will include books in that exercise.

Step 1 – Set your timer for 15 minutes MAX
Stick to it.

Step 2 - WrapUp
Have any more books to donate/give away? Schedule your donation activity. Really, treat it like an appointment. Have you scheduled your “to schedule” books? Look at the bonus content below for a link to a Google Spreadsheet you can used to schedule your book reading for the rest of 2015.

Step 3 - Reflect
Give yourself a pat on the back. You did it!!! Was this hard? Was this easy? Just reflect on how it all went.  Don’t make any of it good or bad. Just observe.

Bonus Content
Every day, email subscribers received a reminder email with the below bonus content. Bonus content can be articles or infographics or apps that have touched my life and made it a little brighter or easier. I am not getting paid by any of the people or companies that create this content. They are truly things I do/read/use.

Classic Books (http://www.read.gov/books/) This is the Library of Congress page of classic books that you can read online for FREE. Not one book will take up space on your book shelves. 

Overdrive (www.overdrive.com ) App & website to check-out ebooks or audiobooks FOR FREE!!! You will need a library card from your local library. I’m a big fan of Overdrive and have been using it for over two years.

Next Issue (www.nextissue.com ) Think of Next Issue as the Netflix for Magazines. It’s an “all-you-can-read for one price” product and it’s fabulous. My brother’s fabulous family gave me a Next Issue subscription one Christmas several years ago and I fell in love.

2015 Reading Challenge (http://www.popsugar.com/love/Reading-Challenge-2015-36071458) If you need some ideas on what to read this year, this is a great tool to guide you to get reading. 

BONUS OPPORTUNITY: See if you can meet this challenge with your current books or borrowing books from Overdrive or your local library. DON’T BUY ANY MORE BOOKS!

Book Reading Schedule Spreadsheet The work has been done for you and a Google spreadsheet has been created containing the dates for each of the 2015 reading plans listed above. All you have to do is plug in the books and then get to reading.

Reading to Kids (http://www.readingtokids.org/Home/main.php ) We already know you love books. Why not channel that love to kids and volunteer to read to them?

James Clear (http://jamesclear.com/ ) Earlier in the challenge, I had shared one of his article about the power of focusing on improving the little things. I am now on James’ Clear’s email list and every single email received has been a gem. I recommend getting on his emailing list.  
If you’d like to receive daily email introductions of the current challenge topic and receive bonus content before everyone else, send an email to Jax (wjacquies@yahoo.com) to subscribe.

Tomorrow – All-Challenge WrapUp, Reflect and Forward Plan

Share!!!!

Use the comments area to share your progress, thoughts, hopes, fears, etc. You never know what impact your words will have on someone else.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Motivation Monday - Jaxtastic Life Spring Cleaning 30-Day Challenge - April 27, 2015


 Today is Motivation Monday!!! We look at keeping or getting motivated to complete this week’s book clutter work as well make it to the final day of this challenge on Thursday.






Why Motivation? I’m doing well.
We all know that when you are down, about your progress, motivation is invaluable. However, when you are successful in accomplishing a goal, you might need motivation to keep the momentum going.

Regardless of wherever you are in your spring cleaning journey this month, you are exactly where you are supposed to be. This journey isn’t just about de-cluttering, it’s also about seeing where you excel, where you are blocked and how to move forward no matter how small each step is taken.


Quotes & Inspiration Stash
At times like this, I turn to my “Quotes & Inspiration” board in Pinterest. Here are a few that inspire me and I hope they inspire you to keep at it.


 


Next Steps for the Book Clutter Week

Step 1 – Review your Goal
What goal did you set Wednesday? Read it, feel it, own it. OR, do you need to change it based on what you have learned about this past week?

Step 2 – Set your timer for 15 minutes MAX
Today is a light day looking at how you did and how you will approach the next few days.

Step 3 – Evaluate your progress
You might notice some thinking/belief patterns show up that are getting in the way of your progress.
How is your progress towards the goal you created on Wednesday?
What is working?
What isn’t working?

Don’t judge yourself. Just observe and note what worked and what didn’t work.

Step 4 – Plan for rest of the week 
We have 1 more day of working with our book clutter. What will you do with this last day?
-Sort more books
-Donate/give-away books
-Schedule books

Step 5 - STOP – When the Timer Goes Off
REALLY!!!! STOP!!!! I don’t care if you are in a groove. I don’t care if you are having fun. STOP!!!!

Step 6 – Celebrate
Give yourself a pat on the back, no matter where you are in your progress. Just showing up is 80% of the game.



Tomorrow – WrapUp & Foward Plan for Books

Share!!!!

Use the comments area to share your progress, thoughts, hopes, fears, etc. You never know what impact your words will have on someone else.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Jaxtastic Life Spring Cleaning 30-Day Challenge - April 26, 2015 – Schedule Books for 2015


Today, we will schedule the books you have in your “To Schedule” space. This is a 15-minute max day.

Step 1 – Set your timer for 15 minutes (and only 15 minutes)
Stick to it.

Step 2 – Gather your “To Schedule” Books & Prioritize
Stack/order your “to schedule” books based on your desire to read them. The book you want to read first should be “on top” and arrange/organize accordingly.
IMPORTANT!!! Don't forget to include your digital books in this prioritization.

Step 3 – Select Your Book Reading Plan
If you start May 1st, you can read up to 18 books by the end of 2015. Below are the 3 frequency options you can take on to schedule your books.

·       Monthly – 8 books
·       Every 3 Weeks – 12 books
·       Every 2 Weeks – 18 books

You will notice that a weekly plan was not included in the above list. A weekly book-reading plan is just not realistic. We want success, not failure.

Step 4 - Wait! I have more than 18 books!!!
If you have the “challenge” of having more than 18 books to read, I would challenge you to let go of the books at the bottom of your list of prioritized books.

I know you have all kinds of reasons for wanting to keep the books. I’ve heard them all.

I challenge you to let go of those books for the following reasons:
1.     If you are meant to read a book, it will come back into your life, some way, some how.
2.     Someone else can benefit from reading the book instead of it collecting dust on your shelf.
3.     You might just be keeping the books for the wrong reasons and the fact that you haven’t ready them should be telling you something.
4.     You are making room for the amazing.

Step 5 - Reflect & Congratulate
Give yourself a pat on the back. You did it!!! Was this hard? Was this easy? Just reflect on how it all went.  Don’t make any of it good or bad. Just observe.

Tomorrow – Motivation Monday

Share!!!!

Use the comments area to share your progress, thoughts, hopes, fears, etc. You never know what impact your words will have on someone else.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Jaxtastic Life Spring Cleaning 30-Day Challenge - April 25, 2015 – Donation/Pass-On Books

Today, we will look at what to do with your “donate” books and continue to sort your books. This is a 15-30 minutes max day.

Step 1 – Set your timer for 15-30 minutes (and only 30 minutes)
Stick to it.





Step 2 – Review Options for Donate/Pass-On Books
Books are a bit of a different “animal” when considering donations & passing them on. Here are some donation options for your consideration.

·       Book Swap with Friends/Family
·       Local Senior Center
·       Local library
·       Women’s Shelters
·       “Usual” Out of the Closet, Goodwill, etc
·       Books for Soldiers
·       Books Through Bars


Step 3 – Schedule Time to Donate/Pass-On
Actually schedule time to take the donate/pass-on activity you have selected. If you schedule it, odds are you will do it.






OPTIONAL SATURDAY ACTIVITY – Continue Sorting

Step 1 – Review your Goal
What goal did you set yesterday? Read it, feel it, own it.

Step 2 – Go to Your Books Space
Use bins or just pieces of paper to mark the spaces as shown below.

Step 3 – Sort Through Items
  • Grab 1 item at a time.
  • Place items in their respective spaces.
  • Don't touch another item until you put it in a space.
  • Don’t do anything else, just sort.


Step 4 - STOP – When the Timer Goes Off
REALLY!!!! STOP!!!! I don’t care if you are in a groove. I don’t care if you are having fun. STOP!!!!

Step 5 – Classic/Autographed Items
Place them back from where you got them.

Step 6 – To Donate/Pass-On
Move to the holding space you created in week 1 when we looked at clothing/shoes clutter.

Step 7 – “To Schedule” Items
Place them back in their original space but separate from the “Classic/Autographed” and the unsorted books.

Step 8 - Reflect & Congratulate
Give yourself a pat on the back. You did it!!! Was this hard? Was this easy? Just reflect on how it all went.  Don’t make any of it good or bad. Just observe.

Tomorrow – Create a Reading Plan

Share!!!!

Use the comments area to share your progress, thoughts, hopes, fears, etc. You never know what impact your words will have on someone else.