Author: Kim

Fair Winds

Published on by Kim

“The only people who achieve much
are those who want knowledge so badly
that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable.
Favorable conditions never come.” (C.S. Lewis)

Are you waiting for the perfect day to start a good habit?

Is it never the right year to address weaknesses you know you have?

Do you plan to love your neighbor next season, when you have more time?

Is your rainy day project list more fit for the tropical rainforest?

Anything worth doing or having is worth making an effort. If we are waiting for something hard to become easy, we are fooling ourselves. We will need to work for it.

There are times that are not appropriate for attempting new things or hard things, but be sure that today is truly that time. Sometimes wisdom requires scaling back or focusing on the basics for a while. That is true at times, BUT other times we need to be careful that we are not using an excuse and calling it wisdom.

If you know that you need to do it and know that it needs to be done now, I encourage you:

  • Plan what you are doing. Know your goal. Is is clear, measurable, and realistic?
  • Plan how you will do it. What exactly will it take? Map out the steps of the habit or the schedule of tasks or deadlines. Writing it down helps make it real.
  • Get the help you may need. Ask and receive. We need each other, so ask for help from friends. Tools are effective, so decide if you need some and then get them.
  • Take a deep breath and dig in. You’ve done the preparation. Now is the time to just start doing what you know you should. Put one foot in front of the other and keep walking.

The good news is — it will be worth it!

* C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory (San Francisco: Harper-One, 2001), 60

Moving — Unpacking

Published on by Kim

You made it! All the boxes and furniture and people have relocated to a new home. Now what?

Target needs first. Beds set up and made will make for a good night’s sleep. The bathroom and kitchen are often the next, as far as immediate needs. Hygiene and coffee, right? Targeting the priorities will be more effective, so don’t even think about the den or craft room until later.

Set up a calm space. I generally aim at a settled bedroom first. It is an oasis in the midst of chaos, and it helps with mental and physical rest until the whole house catches up. In your house it may be an office or the kitchen or a child’s bedroom. Decide what will have the biggest impact, then unpack and set up that room completely. The goal is to be able to enter it and not know you are still in the middle of moving.

Unpack boxes completely. As much as possible, try to unpack the whole box and put all the items away. Pulling one item from here and two items from there leaves a wake of clutter that is working against you. Clean out the box, fill the shelf, and put the box outside the house (or in the garage). Now you can see your progress.

Avoid big projects immediately. Some repairs or renovations need to happen right away — or even before you move — but usually it will help to give yourself space and time to settle in to a new environment and really see how you will use it before you tackle most projects. Once the dust has settled, you can see more clearly as to what you want to change and what works just fine, actually.

Remember how to eat an elephant. One bite at a time. One box at a time. You are making progress with each box unpacked, so settle in to the one in front of you and deal with the others in time. They don’t all need to be done at once; you will eventually make it through the mountain of cardboard (or plastic totes). It can be done, one at a time.