A Rewarding Tradition

Something that many of us have from childhood that we tend to cherish, are memories of traditions. Christmases, Thanksgivings, Holidays of many sorts and sizes are cherished memories (sometimes not so much-- but still memories).

Earlier, we talked about Meal Planning. How important it is to get your family involved using the Food Dreams box, and how it can become a way to teach them about nutrition.

Well, there's an inherent reward in it already-- you get to eat what you like. That's great, and we're all happy about that! But sometimes, that's not enough. Sometimes, they don't want to be bothered, and even the thought of getting their special something isn't going to get them to help you out. Of course, it's perfectly appropriate to sit them down and require that they participate. I do so, myself.

There's a way to make this more likely to happen, though. A simple reward. For my family, the reward for eating dinner together all week, for helping with the Food Dreams box, etc. is that we have Pizza Friday. I eat gluten free pizza, and hubby makes and eats his own regular pizza.

We get to do our own toppings. We do it all together. Spending our time in the kitchen together on Friday night is great fun for us.

However, if you want to order out for pizza, or get some frozen cheese pizzas, this is perfect, too! I don't have this option, being gluten free and only able to comfortably eat certain kinds of cheese, but if you have this option, I say use it!

Let everyone top their own pizza. Get everyone in the kitchen for a short period, together. Then eat together. Ordering out or using frozen pizza can really make this a quick meal prep, so that you have a 'free' evening.

However, don't let non-cooperation get in the way of YOU having a free evening. Fridays can be, if everyone chips in through the week, Pizza Friday. Or, if folks choose not to chip in, decide to be uncooperative or too busy to help, then it can be Leftovers Friday.

Either of these are a tradition. The question is, does the family create the rewarding tradition together, or don't they?

This is especially effective when you have a child that helps, and one who doesn't. The one who helps gets to enjoy their pizza while the one who doesn't gets to have leftovers. This is a great way of teaching the natural consequences of our choices, not only from what you get (or don't get) to eat, but from seeing what the cooperative child gets for their choice.

Also, from another important aspect, this helps to accent the weekly progression. The cycle of the week, in which you begin on Friday to calm down, slow down, ease up for the coming weekend. It is an important part of the weekly cyclic progression, and a nice reminder of the coming free(er) time.

Plus, in years to come, you may be surprised at the laughter, joy, and fun you can create together as you make smilie faces on your pizza, try different toppings, and generally have a weekly tradition of doing something simply for the JOY of it.

Some may argue that this is too often to eat pizza, but I would argue that a weekly treat for the sake of nothing else but to have a treat, makes keeping the rest of the week strict easier.

So enjoy yourselves once a week. Reward helpful behavior, while giving yourself a break, too. It'll be worth it not only right now, but in memories in years to come, too.

Pill Minder Addendum

I showed you how to make a 28 day pill minder, but I forgot about those of us like me, who have "off" cycles. Not everyone has the standard 28 day cycle.

One of my ovaries likes the 28 day cycle, but the other ovary shuns it for a 30 day cycle. Therefor, every other month, I need 2 extra days worth of pills. Always add these extra days to your "up" cycle, not your PMS or Period cycles, unless you have charted and it has come out otherwise.

So, for my extra days on my off period, I simply fill in an extra, basic 1 week pill minder like this one.

I put stickers over the "sunday" and "monday" that say simply "x-tra 1 AM" and "x-tra 1 PM" then covered the next two with "x-tra 2 AM" and "x-tra 2 PM."

I wouldn't have put the days of the week on my regular pill minder box if I'd realized that I had off cycles at the time, but back then, I didn't know. Because once you introduce the extra days, the only thing that matters is cycle day #.

Always do the regular pill minder for a 28 day cycle, and add the one or two extra days in. This keeps it simple and easy to refill, which is ultimately the whole point.

(Original post is here)


~ Livin' the Rhythm with Kimberly Weston

Guilt Busters: Creating Roadblocks is Good?

There are habits that I've formed over the years that I have chosen to replace with new, more beneficial habits. That's the best way to get rid of a habit you don't like. Don't try to break the habit, create a habit that counteracts and overcomes it.

Here's a simple example that some might find a bit odd-- but it works for myself and my family. We set the table after we eat.

You read that right, your eyes are still working. We don't set the table before we eat, we set it after we eat, prepared for the next day.

What possesses us to do such an odd thing? It's because doing so is a roadblock against clutter for our family.

When my husband or I come home, both of us have gained this habit of putting things on the dining room table. The unfortunate outcome of this is that it makes it a lot easier to simply go in and sit down in front of the TV... where there's not only a clear space, but a distraction from the mess on the table.

But now, since the table is always nicely made up (sans glasses), when either of us go to put something on the table, we are immediately reminded of what the table is for-- it's NOT a catch-all spot!

This simple decision, while odd on the surface, has changed our life for the better. The reminder of the proper use of our table, and how much we have enjoyed that use, helps keep us from a habit that both of us rather wish we'd never formed.

So while technically one habit may be broken, the secret key to doing so was creating a new habit that was a roadblock to the old habit.

Be creative in creating roadblocks for yourself. Don't let what other people might think of you get in the way of creating habits that aid you in creating the life and environment you want. I mean, who sets the table after they eat and lets their dishes sit out all day?

I do. And if others think it's crazy, that's okay with me. Because I'm happier setting the table after I eat than I am with a cluttered, unusable dining room table.

And isn't that what it's all about, being happy?












~ Livin' the Rhythm with Kimberly Weston

The First Rhythm: The Pill Minder

We're going to talk about supplementation according to the natural rhythms of life and your menstrual cycle as we go, but first, let's get prepared.

I'm going to explain how I remember when to take what pills, and how I even make it easy for myself to refill the pill minder any time during my monthly cycle. I can refill it any time, and still have it filled properly.

For example, a week and a half before my menstrual cycle starts, I have difficulties getting to sleep, and staying asleep. I've found that a 5 mg. dose of melatonin taken before bedtime helps me to get excellent sleep during those nights.

On the other hand, if I were to take it at a time when I'm NOT on those weeks, it would be quite difficult for me to get up in the morning (I learned this the hard way).

In fact, let me tell you a little story about that real quick. It will help you understand why charting can be extremely important.

I finally decided to try melatonin the first time because of difficulty sleeping. I decided that my irritability was from that, so I became obsessed with fixing my sleeping. I tried the melatonin-- but here's the problem. I tried it two days after my period had started. So I tried it right after my sleep problem would have gone away on its own anyway.

Thus, I discarded this useful supplement because I thought it made me sleep far too heavily. But if I'd known and understood my cycle, I wouldn't even have been trying to supplement for sleep that night-- because I would have known it was too late that month to test the sleeping supplement.

So this is yet another benefit of charting your cycle. So that you don't try a supplement for sleeping on nights you'd sleep just fine anyway. Or so you don't try an energy boosting supplement on a day when you'd be over the moon anxious. Etc.

Let me show you how I manage my supplements, using two pill minder cases:


I got two MEDIPLANNER II pill minders that look something like this:



Then I modified them with stickers and a Sharpie™ marker, like so:



The lovely model is my daughter. Here's a closer view of the important stuff, though:




The top row includes the day of the week. I use a special Calendar that has 28 days per month, with 13 months in the year. So it probably won't help you a whole lot to bother with dating it as I have done.

But... what will help you is the second row. On this row, I write down what part of my monthly cycle it is, and what day of my cycle it is: Period, 1 (My period, cycle day 1).

Now, technically, the pill minder wants you to use it as a weekly pill minder. It has 4 daily times on it. So there's Sunday Morning, Noon, Supper, Before Bedtime on it. This is why I covered it with stickers. I take my supplements twice a day, morning and before bed. So I turned both pill minders into two week pill minders.

Then, when I wrote the cycle day on the bedtime dosing section, I could then remember when to put melatonin into cycle days 20-2 (of the next cycle). Then, even if I were filling the pill minder on cycle day 8, I'd still put the correct pills in the correct boxes.

This is especially important for me personally, because I don't really remember to take pills very well. Nor do I remember to fill it particularly religiously on my "down" cycle (pre-menstrual).

But on my "up" cycle, I tend to want to fill it every few days.

Thus, I use this natural tendency I have towards industry during my up cycle to prepare for the natural tendency towards sloth and forgetfulness during my down cycle.

As a result, I always have the right pills in the case when I need them.


Another quick tip: I keep these in my refrigerator, because this is one of the only places I go EVERY single day, no matter what day of my cycle it is.

Happy charting!


(Please see the Addendum here if you don't have regular 28 day cycles)

~ Livin' the Rhythm with Kimberly Weston

Time Savers: Meal Planning Repeats

Some weeks, some days, some times... I just don't feel up to planning a week's meals and a shopping list. This is one of the really exceptional reasons to bother yourself to chart your cycle... so you know when to expect these feelings.

So here's a simple tip: Don't throw away your shopping lists, or your weekly meal plans. Get a nice folder, stick it in the cabinet, and staple your shopping list to your weekly meal plan and stick them into the folder when you're done with them.

Then, when you're busy, or you're not in the mood to bother, or things come up... you can go back to an old meal plan and shopping list, and you've got a ready made weekly meal plan.

Simple, quick, easy.

You and your children might not relish a repeat, but at the same time, they'll probably far appreciate it over the alternative of a week of disorganized, disjointed eating with not enough of anything in the house.

Having a plan can be helpful. Keeping your plan for future use, may eventually turn out to be even more useful. It's very easy to save time this way, and it's an excellent way to take up the slack if you have a week where you just can't think of anything to do.

So, this simple expedient, taken now, can make your life easier and faster down the road. It's an easy step, but if you have something happen where you need the speed in shopping and organizing a week's meal, it can feel like a real saving grace.

~ Livin' the Rhythm with Kimberly Weston

Guilt Busters: The Mini Praxes

Guilt is the most common reason for paralyzing overwhelm, next to expecting too much of one's self all at once, from what I've heard and seen.

So I'm going to start a little series on ways you can help to release guilt from your everyday housework/ housekeeping. This first installment of the Guilt Busters is about doing a little mini Praxes several times through the day.

First, of course, you have to know what a Praxes is. This is a word from Simpleology, so if you've not started it, do so now. I've explained often enough why, if you do nothing else to change your life, do that.

So for those not far enough along in Simpleology to know what a Praxes is, it's basically writing down everything you really NEED to get done through the day, and then doing it first before you do ANYTHING else from your day. You've heard the old saying, "Do your work first, then play," and that's what the Praxes is partly about. It contains other very important elements, but this is the part of the Praxes we're going to focus on for our Mini Praxis.

Based on that, what is a mini Praxes? It's doing a sort of "Praxes" after each mean, and right after putting your children to bed, or right after arriving home from school. Whenever it fits into your life appropriately.

So, here's the basic idea we want:

I just did my Daily Target Praxes, and now I'm making lunch. I make lunch and we all eat. Now, before I go on with the rest of my day, I close my eyes for a moment, and think how I want my kitchen to look. I enjoy and bask in this vision for a few minutes.

Then, real quick, I hammer out cleaning up the lunch dishes, and clean two or three other dishes, too. I have my child help me, with the understanding that if she will help me clean up the lunch dishes, I will spend 15 minutes of quality time with her.

Then the rest of the afternoon, until either dinner time, nap time, or home-from-school time (whichever fits your life), I can go on about my day without guilt for enjoying something like reading a book, browsing the internet, or whatever.

This teaches our children to do their work quickly and efficiently, focusing intently... and then to spend the rest of the day guilt-free. It teaches them to do a few short Praxes after important daily events, and then to enjoy the rest of their time.

With time and devotion to this simple practice, you will eventually have that kitchen that you envision after each meal and before cleaning it to head out and do other things. You'll also have spent a total of at least 45 minutes of quality time with your children-- as well as having taught them valuable skills for their own lives.

So the Mini Praxes after each meal, or after a nap (a Mini Praxes here might be to make the bed and pick up the morning's toys), just before bedtime (where we pick up the afternoon's toys), and at other events throughout the day; helps us to relinquish guilt about what's not being done.

It helps to slowly get the house in order, as well, because we only do a couple of extra things each time-- yet up til now, most of us have been not only not doing the extra, but not even the basic maintenance.

This is your daily maintenance. This is the secret key to keeping your morning (or afternoon) Praxes simple, short, and easy, as well. At least with regards to housekeeping. If you've kept the kitchen clean of the meals you've made the day before, you don't have to do make-up work.

Always, with everything, involve your family in what you do.

You do enough work through the day that your husband can help you clean up after dinner. Your job is the household, his is outside of the household, but by evening, you're both responsible for the house.

When you value what you do, and expect help, you're more likely to get it. And you DO deserve it.

Plus, it's healthy for your family to have a meal together and to clean up together. The key word here is "together," which is a word that has become less and less of a real, concrete experience for families these days.

Eating and cleaning up together is better than no time together. And as a mother (or father), it's time for you to start insisting on it. Getting the help and assistance you deserve isn't the only good reason to insist on it.

Which is a good thing, because most of us wouldn't insist on it if that were the only reason. Too bad, too, because it's a fully legitimate reason to insist on something.

But if "because we need family time together" is all you can manage to insist on right now, I say roll with it. It will help everyone in your family, on many levels:

• It improves your relationship with spouse and children both
• It creates together time
• It teaches your children excellent life habits
• It helps decrease your overwhelm by keeping the house cleaner
• It improves the mood of the household (cleanliness almost always does)
• It gets rid of a lot of the clutter that closes in and overwhelms

So as you can see, with even this small list of benefits, the need for Mini Praxis and the involvement of your children and family is a clear.

~ Livin' the Rhythm with Kimberly Weston

Some Advice from Dr. Wayne Dyer

One of my absolute favorite spiritual teachers speaks to us:


Sweep It Clean, Inside & Out

a message from Wayne W. Dyer
Sunday, 30 August, 2009

For a moment, let’s imagine what it would be like to be fully alive without a physical shell or any of the stuff we need and desire for maintaining life on Earth. We’d have a mental energy that allowed us to move forward or backward, up or down, instantly creating whatever we desired. We’d be free to wallow in an exquisite existence without time or space as we know it. We’d be in a state of pure bliss, in love with everything and everyone. We’d have no duties or bills to tend to, no fear of losing anything, no one judging us, no possessions to insure, no demands on our time, and no goals to achieve.

What we’re envisioning is actually the world of Spirit, which we experienced before we came here and will return to when we shed our body (or as William Butler Yeats poetically called it, our “tattered coat upon a stick”).

Inspiration is a state of being here now in this material world, while at the same time reconnecting to our spiritual origins. In order to be receptive to inspiration, we need to eliminate the ego clutter that accumulates all too easily for most of us—after all, if we’re preoccupied with events and activities that have nothing to do with inspiration, we’re unlikely to notice its summons. So in order to achieve a reunion with our ultimate calling, we need to emulate the clear, uncomplicated world of Spirit.

This doesn’t mean that we should sit around doing nothing, awaiting Spirit’s arrival; instead, it means having faith that our spiritual connection flourishes in a life dedicated to joy, love, and peace. If our daily activities are so overwhelming that we don’t make these things our priority, then we’re disregarding the value of living a simple life.
My 12-Step Program To Simplicity

Here are 12 very specific tools for simplifying your life. Begin using them today if you’re serious about hearing that ultimate call to inspiration.

Unclutter your life. You’ll feel a real rush of inspiration when you clear out stuff that’s no longer useful in your life:
If you haven’t worn it in the past year or two, recycle it for others to use. Get rid of old files that take up space and are seldom, if ever, needed. Donate unused toys, tools, books, bicycles, and dishes to a charitable organization.

Get rid of anything that keeps you mired in acquisitions that contribute to a cluttered life. In the words of Socrates, “He is nearest to God who needs the fewest things.” So the less you need to insure, protect, dust, reorganize, and move, the closer you’ll be to hearing inspiration’s call.

Clear your calendar of unwanted and unnecessary activities and obligations. If you’re unavailable for Spirit, you’re unlikely to know the glow of inspiration. God will indeed work with you and send you the guidance—and the people—you need, but if you’re grossly overscheduled, you’re going to miss these life-altering gifts. So practice saying no to excessive demands and don’t feel guilty about injecting a dose of leisure time into your daily routine.

Be sure to keep your free time free. Be on the lookout for invitations to functions that may keep you on top of society’s pyramid, but which inhibit your access to joyful inspiration. If cocktail parties, social get-togethers, fund-raising events, or even drinking-and-gossiping gatherings with friends aren’t really how you want to spend your free time, then don’t. Begin declining invitations that don’t activate feelings of inspiration.

I find that an evening spent reading or writing letters, watching a movie with a loved one, having dinner with my children, or even exercising alone is far more inspiring than getting dressed to attend a function often filled with small talk. I’ve learned to be unavailable for such events without apologizing, and consequently have more inspired moments freed up.

Take time for meditation and yoga. Give yourself at least 20 minutes a day to sit quietly and make conscious contact with God. I’ve written an entire book on this subject called Getting in the Gap, so I won’t belabor it here. I will say that I’ve received thousands of messages from people all over the world, who have expressed their appreciation for learning how to simplify their life by taking the time to meditate.

I also encourage you to find a yoga center near you and begin a regular practice. The rewards are so powerful: You’ll feel healthier, less stressed, and inspired by what you’ll be able to do with and for your body in a very short time.

Return to the simplicity of nature. There’s nothing more awe inspiring than nature itself. The fantasy to return to a less tumultuous life almost always involves living in the splendor of the mountains, the forests, or the tundra; on an island; near the ocean; or beside a lake. These are universal urges, since nature is created by the same Source as we are, and we’re made up of the same chemicals as all of nature (we’re stardust, remember?).

Your urge to simplify and feel inspired is fueled by the desire to be your natural self—that is, your nature self. So give yourself permission to get away to trek or camp in the woods; swim in a river, lake, or ocean; sit by an open fire; ride horseback through trails; or ski down a mountain slope. This doesn’t have to mean long, planned vacations that are months away—no matter where you live, you’re only a few hours or even moments away from a park, campground, or trail that will allow you to enjoy a feeling of being connected to the entire Universe.

Put distance between you and your critics. Choose to align yourself with people who are like-minded in their search for simplified inspiration. Give those who find fault or who are confrontational a silent blessing and remove yourself from their energy as quickly as possible. Your life is simplified enormously when you don’t have to defend yourself to anyone, and when you receive support rather than criticism. You don’t have to endure the criticism with anything other than a polite thank-you and a promise to consider what’s been said—anything else is a state of conflict that erases the possibility of your feeling inspired. You never need to defend yourself or your desires to anyone, as those inner feelings are Spirit speaking to you. Those thoughts are sacred, so don’t ever let anyone trample on them.

Take some time for your health. Consider that the number one health problem in America seems to be obesity. How can you feel inspired and live in simplicity if you’re gorging on excessive amounts of food and eliminating the exercise that the body craves? Recall that your body is a sacred temple where you reside for this lifetime, so make some time every single day for exercising it. Even if you can only manage a walk around the block, just do it. Similarly, keep the words portion control uppermost in your consciousness—your stomach is the size of your fist, not a wheelbarrow! Respect your sacred temple and simplify your life by being an exerciser and a sensible eater. I promise that you’ll feel inspired if you act on this today!

Play, play, play! You’ll simplify your life and feel inspired if you learn to play rather than work your way through life. I love to be around kids because they inspire me with their laughter and frivolity. In fact, if I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a thousand times: “Wayne, you’ve never grown up—you’re always playing.” I take great pride in this! I play onstage when I speak, and I’m playing now as I write.

Many years ago I was given a tremendous opportunity to appear on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. The man who took a chance on me, booking me even though I was an unknown at the time, was a talent coordinator named Howard Papush. It was my first big break, and I went on to appear on The Tonight Show 36 additional times. Now it’s my turn to say thank you to Howard. He’s written a wonderful book titled When’s Recess? Playing Your Way Through the Stresses of Life, which I encourage you to read. (Howard also conducts workshops that teach people how to play and have fun in life.) In the book, Howard shares this great quote from Richard Bach: “You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritual being that is your real self.” I couldn’t agree more—by all means, get back in touch with your real, playful self, and take every opportunity to play! Notice how it makes everything so sweet, and so simple.

Slow down. One of Gandhi’s most illuminating observations reminds us that “there is more to life than increasing its speed.” This is great advice for simplifying your life—in fact, slow everything way down for a few moments right here and now. Slowly read these words. Slow your breathing down so that you’re aware of each inhalation and exhalation...

When you’re in your car, downshift and relax. Slow down your speech, your inner thoughts, and the frantic pace of everything you do. Take more time to hear others. Notice your inclination to interrupt and get the conversation over with, and then choose to listen instead. Stop to enjoy the stars on a clear night and the cloud formations on a crisp day. Sit down in a mall and just observe how everyone seems in a hurry to get nowhere.

By slowing down, you’ll simplify and rejoin the perfect pace at which creation works. Imagine trying to hurry nature up by tugging at an emerging tomato plant—you’re as natural as that plant, so let yourself be at peace with the perfection of nature’s plan.

Do everything you can to eschew debt. Remember that you’re attempting to simplify your life here, so you don’t need to purchase more of what will complicate and clutter your life. If you can’t afford it, let it go until you can. By going into debt, you’ll just add layers of anxiety onto your life. That anxiety will then take you away from your peace, which is where you are when you’re in-Spirit. When you have to work extra hard to pay off debts, the present moments of your life are less enjoyable; consequently, you’re further away from the joy and peace that are the trademarks of inspiration. You’re far better off to have less and enjoy the days of your life than to take on debt and invite stress and anxiety where peace and tranquility could have reigned. And remember that the money you have in your possession is nothing but energy—so refuse to plug in to an energy system that’s not even there.

Forget about the cash value. I try not to think about money too frequently because it’s been my observation that people who do so tend to think about almost nothing else. So do what your heart tells you will bring you joy, rather than determining whether it will be cost-effective. If you’d really enjoy that whale-watching trip, for instance, make the decision to do so—don’t deny yourself the pleasures of life because of some monetary detail. Don’t base your purchases on getting a discount, and don’t rob yourself of a simple joy because you didn’t get a break on the price. You can afford a happy, fulfilling life, and if you’re busy right now thinking that I have some nerve telling you this because of your bleak financial picture, then you have your own barrier of resistance.

Make an attempt to free yourself from placing a price tag on everything you have and do—after all, in the world of Spirit, there are no price tags. Don’t make money the guiding principle for what you have or do; rather, simplify your life and return to Spirit by finding the inherent value in everything. A dollar does not determine worth, even though you live in a world that attempts to convince you otherwise.

Remember your spirit. When life tends to get overly complex, too fast, too cluttered, too deadline oriented, or too type A for you, stop and remember your own spirit. You’re headed for inspiration, a simple, peaceful place where you’re in harmony with the perfect timing of all creation. Go there in your mind, and stop frequently to remember what you really want.

A man who personified success at the highest intellectual and social levels would hardly seem one to quote on simplifying our life, yet here’s what Albert Einstein offers us on this subject: “Possessions, outward success, publicity, luxury—to me these have always been contemptible. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best both for the body and the mind.”

Wow! I’d say this is pretty good advice, wouldn’t you?

Wayne.

When It's All Just Too Much

So you have lots of great ideas banging around in your head now.

You need to clean the kitchen each day. Do Simpleology. Meditate. Take your kids to school. Pick them up...

Oh boy. How did you end up here?

Well, remember that we're working on creating a habit per month. So what about these other habits that are so important, so meaningful, so valuable?

This is one of the things that the Dream-a-Dream box is for. Go in the other room. Write down the habit you want to form. Put it into the Dream-a-Dream box.

When you write it down, though, don't just write down the habit: "Make my bed every morning."

Instead, write down the habit as if it's already created, and what it feels like when you imagine it already created: "I love it that I make my bed each morning. When I walk up into my room at bed time, it always looks so lovely, so organized, and so welcoming. It feels so good to know that my bed is made before I get into it, and that if someone stops by today, they can visit my bedroom and I will feel proud of myself and my room."

Keep it positive, don't include things like, "I won't be embarrassed," instead make it, "I feel proud." Take the fear, and turn it around into its opposite. "I won't be fat" becomes "I look slender and strong."

Then when it comes time to begin creating your next habit, go to your Dream-a-Dream box. Find the dream you feel is highest priority, and turn that one into habit.

One step at a time. One day at a time.

Now that you have a Dream-a-Dream box, you know that it's just a matter of time before each of these habits you want to form become reality for you. No longer is it overwhelming, but now it's just a matter of time. You don't have to do it today-- and you probably wouldn't even if you tried to force yourself to.

So let it come in its own time. Prioritize and put the rest of your dreams back. They'll keep. :)



~ Livin' the Rhythm with Kimberly Weston

Do I Really Need Simpleology?

The question has arisen towards me several times now. A cursory glance or listening to or reading the first lessons seems to convince people that it's too obvious and too simple.

So if you're one asking, 'Do I really need it?' here,'s my answer to you.

If you can answer all of the following questions with a 'yes' answer, then you don't need it. In fact, you don't even need to read this blog (unless you want a chuckle or two):

1. Do you have long term, medium term, and short term goals that you get at least a little something done towards every day?
2. Do you get your priority work done early in the day, and have the rest of the day to do with as you need or want to?
3. Do you find it easy to prioritize each day, what really does need to get done now, and what can wait?
4. Do you do something every few days to increase your strength in areas of finance, energy, and time management?
5. Have you managed to create, on a regular basis, the new habits that you want to create in your life, by doing something that you'd normally do every day, anyway?
   

These are but a few of the benefits that you get from Simpleology.

As an easy example, my mother often told me, "Do your homework first, and then you can have the rest of the evening to play."

Do you do your homework first, and then have the rest of the day to "play" outside of basic daily requirements such as making meals or dropping your children off to their various activities? This is what Simpleology helps make simple and easy to complete every day.

It all seems obvious and clear, but if it were so obvious, easy, and clear for you already, you'd be doing it.

The course is free. It will change your life. It takes 15 minutes each morning.

Yet still, people will tell me, "But why bother?"

I don't know. I guess because you want a better life. I guess because you really, truly do want to make changes and stick with it and really accomplish it.

I guess because you want a household that WORKS.

And that's what this is all about. Living a life that feels fulfilled instead of one of overwhelm, stress, and a sense of being closed in. A life with less embarrassment at the state of the house, a life with less sense of over-weening guilt and shame that we're not what we want to be.

Let's be what we want to be, together.

I'm not where I want to be yet, but I've made so much progress that I really want to share what I've managed so far. You may choose to listen to only those who are "there" if you like. But I think often times, it's the person just a bit further ahead of me that helps me most.

Sometimes I think that the person far ahead of me has forgotten what it really feels like to be me. How hard it is sometimes to get my day going well.

Because she already has a habit that makes it easy for her.

Well, this course gives you the habit that makes it easy for you. It really is the missing step to creating the life you want. It includes the visualizing that we all know we're called to do. It includes so many aspects of working the Law of Attraction.

It does, however, take things a step farther than that. It helps us create the habit of taking daily action, and it removes the guilt from every day living (or at least the "I didn't get anything done today" portion of it).

We're to be reaching for a better feeling place. To do the work of desiring it but without living all day with the sense that it hasn't happened yet.

This program is the key that unlocks that magical place. The place where we do something in the morning towards our short-term goal, and then we can move through the rest of the day with confidence.

Because I no longer have a day when I don't at least do SOMETHING towards my greater goals. And that is a fantastic feeling.

At minimum, I keep up with my house on any given day, and on some days, I even make progress.

And progress, my dear friend, is perfection!



~ Livin' the Rhythm with Kimberly Weston

Overwhelm and failure

Another thing that leads to overwhelm for a lot of people is when they feel like they have failed.

For example, let's take something simple. Amy gets into cleaning her kitchen. She's cruising along, doing great. Then one day, her son gets sick.

So for a week, she's busy going to doctor appointments, giving meds, and otherwise just taking care of her son. At the end of the week, she looks at her kitchen. She thinks that all of her progress is gone. It's a mess.

Rather than clean up from dinner, she goes in and hides in the Tv. Why?

Because she failed, didn't she? She quit doing it, so now it's going to take another month to get the habit established. It's just too hard....

The problem here is that she's looking at it from the wrong perspective. Instead of seeing that she can go forward from here, she looks back and thinks about failure.

If she'd look at it as having taken a vacation from forming the habit because a higher priority came up, her whole perspective would change.

Yes, the kitchen got dirty. But let's see... a sick child, or a dirty kitchen... yeah, no brainer for most of us, isn't it?

Okay, now you're back from vacation. You don't have to catch up with the last week today. Just keep up with today, and two extra dishes.

That's it. You're not starting all over, you're reinforcing the work you've done so far by "getting back on the horse."

You've shown yourself, your mind, and your life that you're committed to making the change, even if you do take a vacation here and there for higher priorities.

Don't give up just because you missed a week.

Don't give up just because you're changing your eating lifestyle and you "fell off" and had a cupcake. Just go back to what you were doing. It's a setback, not the end of all hope.

Learn to see setbacks as vacations, setbacks, pauses... not failures.

You can't fail at creating a new habit, unless you give up entirely. Remember, you're not going to "create the habit and then I'm all done." It's an ongoing process! It doesn't get easier to clean... it just becomes habit to do so.

And the point isn't to make it easier to clean, the point is to have a clean house that you can ENJOY and FEEL GOOD in!

It's about the results. The result of forming a habit to have a clean house? Feeling rested, relaxed, and happy in your home. That's the reward!


~ Livin' the Rhythm with Kimberly Weston

The Dream Shelf

One of the big problems that I had when I began this little adventure was the fact that I tend to get very good ideas. No, that wasn't the problem. The problem was that they were flashes of insight that would burn brightly, and then be gone.

Few things are quite so disheartening as losing a great idea!

So I made a "Dream Shelf." This is in a prominent position in the house. It's in a place where you and your family congregate. This might mean a kitchen or dining room. It might be a living room or a family room. And if you don't have a place you congregate, pick something that seems appropriate.

Here, you will put several boxes. Make them lovely, this is here to help you, to help your family. In fact, if you possibly can, make them together with your family, especially if you have young children.

Whatever you do, make this spot a priority to be kept neat and clean. Even if you just start out with simply shoe boxes, that's fine! It's better to do it, than to wait until you can pretty it up. That day may never come.

So start where you are. Don't wait for a better time-- there is no better time. Now is the time. Today is the point of Power.

Do it now. Replace the boxes if/as you get time to make prettier ones.

It's supposed to be fun, not just "yet another project" that you feel overwhelmed by. It's also supposed to be utilitarian, so if you can't have the fun, then accept the utilitarian.

You'll need about 5 boxes to start with. Label one of them the Dream-a-Dream box. Label one the Food Dreams box. Then we'll talk about the other three over the next few days.

Get it started today. Get the boxes, and pretty them up later as you get time.

Remember, it's better to do anything that's really helpful in your life in a bare bones way, than it is to wait until you can do it "perfectly."

Too often we wait until it can be done perfectly before even starting. And this is what leads to overwhelm much of the time.

Speaking of overwhelm, that will be the topic of an upcoming post, rest assured.

~ Livin' the Rhythm with Kimberly Weston