Posted at 06:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
"How often do we start something without any homework? Yet preparation is usually all that's in our control. We wait countless hours by ingnoring it. What ever the project, think ahead: consider it's needs, it's porblems, it's shortcuts. Give yourself every advantage, build your confidence, create options. Time spent doing this will be handsomely rewarded"
I am asked constantly, how do you write your personal history... my reply is usually one day at a time. Most people find it overwhelming to write their life's stories because they are usually playing catch up, but with a little preparation and consistancy you can begin today to tell your story, in the present.
Getting in the habit of keeping a journal or keeping a book of rememberence, is done one moment at a time, in the moment... 5 keys tip I find most helpful when writing my memoirs, creating and preserving treasures for my personal history, I have learnt from a simple anagram {S.P.A.C.E.} by Julie morganstern, they are
1. SORT- sort thru the information- write about the facts { who, what, where, when, why}
2. PURGE- don't get lost in "memory clutter" only write, record and hang onto memoribillia/photo's that tell your story {person/s, achievements or events}. You want the bits that inform people about your everyday life and your legacy stuff. Decide what is trash and waht is treasure, then elimate or throw away the stuff that is trash. You won't need it for later...
3. ASSIGN- This is very important. Most people are not this well organized and this is the step that makes all the difference. ASSIGN your work {the records you create} a home. Have a designated place that your work can remain-GIVE IT A HOME. Assign yourself a work station that has everything at your finger tips- so when you have a moment the set up and pack up is not a military task. It doesn't have to be fancy, just functional. Be practical and realistic- only have on hand essentials as a go to... e.g tape, cutting tools, archival pens... all the rest can be stored in an appropriate designated area, I think you get the idea.
4. CONTAINERIZE- Dont' do this step until you have sorted, purged and assigned a home- buying the wrong product to store your "stuff" will never help you stay on-top of it or alternatively trying to make certain memoribillia fit to already existing products may not work. You need to know what you have first, then you can decide how to containerize the "stuff". Pictures store in acid free albums or acid free picture boxes. Personal history to the P.H Album. You may want to store your journal in your bed side draw, if your practise is to write at the close of day... and so on
5. EQUALIZE- when you have all of the above in order, maintaining is not overwhelming or difficult, because you have a system-you know what is important, what to keep, how to keep it, where to keep it, have easy access to it at a moments notice and you are not overwhelmed by all the "stuff" or what you have do get thrrough just to keep or record the stuff. That way the creative process become enjoyable not burdensome. It will only take you a few moments or more to stay on top of your memory keeping.
MY WORK AREA- May 2012
Now, I want you to understand that my office/creative station wasn't always like this, it took some careful planning, budgeting and learning to get to a state that made it all functional for me. So when ever I have moved, it has never been a drama to set it up again, becuase everthing is in it's place , I can put my hand on anything, becuase I know where it is kept and I know what I have. Having a clean and simple system has allowed me to grow and develop because it has freed up my time for the things that matter most and I have not waisted time looking for things not knowing if iI even had them. You may be asking why is that important? So glad you asked...
Over the years, I have missed opportunites when they have presented all becuase I didn't have on hand the right products/tools equipment, in a place that was accessable. In other words, it was too difficult to sort thru the stuff to make the process easy, so I just didn't bother doing it in the moment. Then I had the task of trying to play catch up and I found that I couldn't remember all the details as accurately as I would have liked and I had misplaced key components that told my story- so now that I am sorted and organized, memory keeping is a pleasure and precise and simple- it can take as long or a short as I wish and it doesn't take over my life or interupt my time-it has become part of my life. I have balance and am free to be as creative as I wish, becuase I can put my fingers on what is needed at a moments notice... yay... and that is the secret to great memory keeping, BEING PREPARED, it helps you create a.simple.life
Posted at 09:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
"if you limit your vision, you limit your possibilities", don't you just love this reminder. Wondering what possibilities await you, well don't... go create them, what are you waiting for?
Yesterday, my parents celebratied 45 years of negoation, or as most call it, a wedding anniversary. N0.45 to be exact. I'm sure they have had their fair share of disappointments and hardships but they had and still have a vision of each others great potenial, still after 45 years, they see the possibilities in their relationship, in each other and that has made all the difference in achieving this successful milestone.
Well done mum and dad, congrats!
Enjoy creating a.simple.life
Posted at 02:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
"We each have a unique album of personal memories: mental snapshots of the key moments in our lives. Every so often look through your album. Relive them. Learn from them. Hand them down to your kids. Then go and add to them"
I adore this quote by "Annon."I have put it in the March-Live Inspired sheet. It's a wonderful feeling to time travel and remember, it stirs all sorts of emotions: the emotions and moments that are now part of our own private literature... treasure them, preserve them, write them down then go make new memories...
Remember actions speak louder than words...
Enjoy creating a.simple.life
Posted at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Well it's the last day of February today and it's a leap year. Of all the times I wish I had an extra 24 hours to complete "things"... well here it is, a gift from the heavens, well I thought so until this morning.
NEWS FLASH.. severe weather storm warning... It's surposed to be summer here in Australia, even for this extra day, I guess the heavens have different ideas... Oh well, a day in, taking care of a few little things, 5 dry days in the month, um somethings brewing !!!!??????
Because we have had such irratic weather this season I decided to create a rain chart using the 6" x 4" February calendar insert... Just a thought...
Here's a lillte extra, a download to mark the day,
Enjoying a.simple.life
Posted at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
THE.DETAILS.ARE.IN.THE.LITTLE.THINGS.
We each come into this world with certain gifts and talents, designed to make ours, and others lives better. Inspiration is everywhere. When we slow down we can see the details, the little things.
We have all heard the saying "take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves" what does this really mean? what are the little things and what are the big things? and how do the big things take care of themselves? so glad you asked....
The little things are the aspects of your life that you directly control, you choose how to execute them, you have control over your personal effort and attitude towards them... the little things that make you, you. The big things are the things that are not in your direct control.
When you execute the little things to "perfection", then the big things will take care of themselves, your collective efforts will come together as a VICTORY, you will make a difference.
And that's what living inspired is all about, using the time we have and the inspiration we receive to live a fulfilled life, no matter what is presented to us.CREATE, ORGANIZE, RECORD AND REMEMBER, those details, for the little things one day grow up to become big things-that make a difference...
Hope you enjoy creating a simple life
Posted at 07:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
HOUSE KEEPING
YEAR IN REVIEW - SCRAPBOOK PAGE MAP
sketch uploaded- 1st of each month
LIVE INSPIRED - REFERENCE SHHET
loaded- 1st of each month
GALLERY
loaded- 15th of each month
PERSONAL & FAMILY HISTORY SPOTLIGHTS
loaded- 3rd week of each month
We love seeing what you have created with our products, so if you would like your work to be considered for the gallery, please forward your jpeg files to [email protected] {please include your name, state and country}
Click- to enlarge the image
Hope you enjoy a.simple.life
Posted at 05:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)