Harmony At Last, LLC

Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.- Henry David Thoreau
With Thoreau’s words in mind Julie Cubino and Kevin Grosselfinger, owners of Harmony At Last, set about designing an application for the iPhone and iPod touch. The goal was to help people free themselves from being overworked, overburdened, and overtired and find energy, enthusiasm, and ease instead. We are excited to announce that this application finally launched!

The application has two main features.The first is inspiration and motivation in the areas of: productivity, time management, work/life balance, space organizing, success principles, and simplifying life. The second is the ability to define your personal “Simplify” goals and track progress along the way.

Simplify can be found on the Apple iTunes Store now for only 99¢. It’s in the lifestyle section. You’ll need either an iPhone or iPod touch to make use of the program. (Please note that the link found in this announcement requires that you have the itunes software installed on your computer.)

We’d like to extend special thanks to fellow WBON member, Michelle Hobbs, owner of Blue Sky Creative for the design of the amazing graphics used in this application.

It seems like I have a continuously streaming “to do” list.  One thing gets crossed off; four more get added.  It can be frustrating and deflating when you feel like so much has been done but your “to do” list is still a page long.  So, instead, try making an Accomplished List today.  Keep your “to do” list (I know the cross off can be quite gratifying), but write down each thing you complete on your Accomplished list.  I’d be willing to guess there will be more on your Accomplished List at the end of the day then there are mark offs on your “to do” list. 

A spider built a web outside my kitchen window last night.  This afternoon I watched with utter curiosity as a beetle made the mistake of flying into the web.  The spider sprang into action and furiously began working to wrap the beetle up.  I looked on in amazement, not at how quick and agile the spider was, but at the beetle.  He was squirming around, moving all of his legs, trying to flap his wings, making it as difficult as possible for the spider.  I kept thinking, does he know the spider is wrapping him up?  Does he know the spider will win?  The beetle did not seem to feel he had lost anything yet; he kept fighting. 

The beetle did eventually win, at least in my mind.  He fought so hard, the spider could not make the web strong enough, fast enough, and the beetle fell to the ground.  He scurried off as quickly as he could while trying to rub off the sticky web.  It really made me wonder how many times in life I have given up because of a presumed inferiority.  I like to think I am more like the beetle; a fighter.  However, I know there are times when all of us see something as too difficult and give up without a fight.  It’s a good thing that beetle did not share my misconceptions about the spider, he may have been dinner!

Well?  How did you do?  I hope I inspired you to take a look at your closet and create categories.  If so, at this very moment, you could go to your closet and tell me how many t-shirts you own.  That’s a great first step.  Now its time to purge.  Getting rid of clothes can be difficult for many people.  So create rules before you do so and stick to them.  If necessary, write them down and tape them to the mirror you are using… yes, you have to try them on! 

Rule #1
If it doesn’t fit, you don’t need it. 
Those are my skinny jeans, they will fit me again.” Maybe, but will you put your old jeans on or go buy new ones?  Hanging on to clothes that define who you were does not allow you to be comfortable with who you are.  This is where the trying on comes into play.  Try your clothes on to make the decision.  Do they make you feel good?  Are they comfortable?  If you answer “no” to these questions, don’t keep the clothes!

Rule #2
Haven’t worn it in X amount of months/years.  You will be the best judge for what a good amount of time is for this rule.  I like to go by seasons.  If I didn’t wear something at all the previous winter, I get rid of it. I probably have something I like a lot more if I went that long without wearing it. If you don’t wear it, it likely doesn’t fit, you don’t like the color, it’s out of style, or you forgot about it.  If you forgot about it, test it with rule one and three before keeping it.  If it is any other excuse, let it go. 

Rule #3
Just plain worn out.
I get it; it’s your favorite pair of slacks.  But, when the hem is fraying and there are snags throughout the fabric, it’s time to let them go.  Held together by staples, safety pins, glue… I’ve seen it all.  If your clothes are worn past fixing, and I mean by a seamstress, let them go!

Exception to the rule, your saving grace…
It’s true; some articles of clothing have sentimental value. Like your favorite pair of slacks.  Maybe they are your favorite because you were wearing them when you met your spouse.  If an article of clothing doesn’t pass the first three rules, it can be saved.  Use caution with your save though.  Make sure not to use the exception for everything.

Taking on your entire closet at one time can be daunting.  You can spread out the decision making by picking categories to go thru.  For instance, just go thru all your pants this week.  If that’s still too large a task, start with your jeans then do your slacks. 

Make sure you take your “give away pile” to a local shelter or charity once you have finished.  I find it is best to use boxes or black trash bags.  This lessens the urge to pull something out of the pile in a last minute change of heart.

Good luck!

It’s Spring and that means Spring cleaning for many of us.  I don’t know what it is about the warm weather that makes some of us want to reorganize and clean out dark closets.  However, if you are not one of these people, cleaning out a closet may be a task you have been avoiding for a long time… years possibly.  If the thought of going thru and getting rid of things in your closet is more than you can handle, start simple. 

Don’t worry about getting rid of things at first.  Simply start by gathering all of your pants in one place, then all your shirts, shorts, jackets… you get the idea.  You can go further by separating your pants by length, color, or both. The shirts as well; long sleeve, short sleeve, tank tops, etc.   Once you have done this, it will be easy to see how much you have of each thing.  You may realize you have more pair of jeans (t-shirts, capri pants, or tank tops) then you originally remembered.  If that is the case, ask yourself if you need all of them.  Be realistic.  One person does not need 32 pair of jeans!  We’ll talk more about the second step in the next blog.

Try the first step of separating and categorizing for starters.  See how far you get. 

As you may recall the Japanese word for friend is Tomodachi. Here is another post from my friend in Japan:

So, I am in Japan.  It’s beautiful and the people are wonderful; but man is it far from home!  Nothing made me realize this more than when my mother-in-law called last week to tell us she had cancer and would be starting chemo.  I am fortunate in that I have the flexibility to go back and be with her during her treatment.  However, that meant packing up, tying up loose ends and finding a place for the cat… NOW!  We do not have children, so I thankfully I did not have to find a place for the kids.  I realize that this is one of the reasons I have flexibility in my life.
Now, I am a fairly organized person (OK, it borders on OCD at times) and I am amazed at how many lose ends needed tying this week!  So, I pose the question… Are you ready to leave in a moments notice if necessary?  Most of us probably think so, but if you were to examine what actually needs to happen you might be surprised!  Everyone’s situation is different, so here is what needed to happen this week for me and how my life could have been simplified.

1. Find a place for the cat.  I had never been to the local pet kennel or vet.  Had I done so when we arrived here I would have saved myself at least an hour.  By filling out some paperwork for emergency contacts Mr. Milo (the cat) is now able to stay at the kennel and all his medical records are up to date.
2. Get a flight.  I needed my passport, visa info, and emergency cash.  Fortunately I had this.
3. Put utilities and mail on hold.  This takes a long time (especially when the person on the other end only speaks Japanese).  I did however save time because I had already prepared a list of all our utility companies and phone numbers.  I did not have to search thru stacks of papers or file folders for the information I needed.  For a US address you can visit www.usps.com to put your mail on a temporary or permanent address change.
4. Pack… lets not go there.  You can read my previous blog if you want to know what I think about packing!
http://harmonyatlast.com/blog/2009/01/07/packing-for-a-long-trip
5. Notify work, social groups, and all other obligations that I will be away.  Where necessary, find replacements.  And don’t forget to cancel/reschedule dentist or Dr. appointments!
6. Find someone to watch the house, clean house, make sure all trash is taken out, lock all windows and doors, charge cell phone, charge iPod (should already be done!), copy important docs for work from desktop to laptop, get a Power of Attorney where necessary, refill prescriptions, and a million other random tasks!

Now, I have left out a lot of the details but you get the idea.  I hope that in sharing my experience you will take a moment to evaluate your preparedness.  I promise there are a few things you could do now that would make your life easier should something come up unexpectedly!

Whether you answer yes or no, check out this video!  It’s bound to brighten your day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP2SXfdJs5w

“Are These Three Words Ruining Your Life?” Jonathan Mead, a contributor to the Zen Habits blog, asks that very question in a post earlier this week.  It is an insightful article; please take a few minutes to check it out!  http://zenhabits.net/2009/04/are-these-three-words-ruining-your-life/

Do you find that you get easily distracted when trying to complete a task?  You are not alone.  One main reason people tend to get off track when trying to complete a task is because they are treating it just as that… a task.  When we do not find importance or urgency in a task, we tend to get distracted with doing other, more interesting things, (like watching YouTube videos). Everyone has to do things we don’t find desirable or interesting.  Regardless of how we feel about certain projects we still need to find a way to be productive. 

The first step to productively using your time is to clarify what your goal is for the day, hour, or project.  If your goal is to complete a project, how many hours will you plan to work on it?  When you are deciding this, be realistic.  Will you lose interest after 2 hours?  If so, plan to take a break and do something different for a little while.  This could be a short walk, lunch, or working on a separate task. When you come back to the project, you will have more energy. 

Second, make a list.  Having a list of tasks to complete will keep you on track.  Go even further by splitting your list into urgent and important tasks.  Everything you need to get done will be important, but some will be urgent.  If you determine what those tasks are, you will be sure to get them done first.  Crossing completed tasks off your list will allow you to see your progress and help you feel like you are getting closer to completing your goal.  

It’s easy to get lost in the piles of “to do’s” we have for work, home, and family.  Keeping a running list can help you stay focused on what you are doing but also allow you to move right to the next thing after you have completed each task.

“Parents spend an average of 23 percent of their free time outside of work scheduling and coordinating their children’s and family’s schedules.”

Center’d, . Center’d Eases Back-to-School Stress for Parents and Helps Schools Take Advantage of the Internet with New Time-Saving Group Planning Tools. Internal Report 08/20/2008
Statistic by/from Harris Interactive Online Survey of 2010 US Adults, August 2008
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters/clientnews/2008_centerd.pdf

What about you?  How much of your “free time” is consumed by planning or managing your children’s, spouses, friends, or boss’ extra curricular activities? I know people who would fit into the 23% stated in the article, but I also know people who could make a career out of taking care of others schedules.  These people spend so much time planning things for others they quite often have little time left for themselves. For those of you who have multiple schedules to keep track of, Centerd.com has created some great new tools to keep things organized.  Take a few minutes to read the article (link above) and check out their website.  It is likely to save you time and frustration.