by kathilipp | Jun 2, 2013 | Me |
Tips for Achieving Your Goals
Have you ever gotten to the end of a week and thought, “I had such plans. How did this week get away from me?”
Each Monday, I write out a list of goals for the week. I’ll be honest – it takes some time – sometimes 15 minutes – sometimes, much longer. It seems like it should be easy to think of them, but I can overwhelm myself by wanting to come up with too many – I keep it to two goals in five areas: Home, Relationships, Me, Business and God. That doesn’t mean that I don’t do anything else in those areas. What it does mean is that by next Saturday, I want to look back on this list and have these specific things done.
Some of them I need to break down, (finish speaker page is multiple steps and will involve multiple people,) but if I don’t write down the goal, and then break it down, it will stay on my mental “wish list” for months.
Many of these goals are part of my bigger plan for life. “Research shade solutions for back patio,” is part of my summer goal or having an outdoor living space. Again, breaking things down into 15 minute chunks (that’s all it takes to start researching,) will get me that much closer to my goal.
So here are my goals for the week. I hope they serve as a little inspiration:
Home Goals
Make meal plans for the month of June (including trying two new healthy menu options)
Research backyard shade solutions
Relationship Goals
Plan June Birthday parties/Father’s Day
Plan a date with Roger for Washington
Me Goals
Walk 1 Mile, 3xs
Read The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
Business Goals
Finish my speaker page
Read Podcast Launch – A Step by Step Podcasting Guide Including 15 Video Tutorials
God Goals
Names of God study
Extended Quite Time on Wednesday
And now you: Tell me at least 3 goals you have for the week, and I will enter you to win The Me Project
Entries must be received by June 7th!
by kathilipp | May 22, 2013 | Me |
There are times when my husband can still shock me.
I was reading the memoir/manifesto of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead. In one of the chapters about why women try less often for management jobs than their male counterparts, she revealed this fascinating statistic about my husband’s own company:
Internal research by Hewlett-Packard found that women only apply for jobs for which they feel they are a 100% match; men do so even when they meet no more than 60% of the requirements.
I couldn’t believe it and shared that stat with Roger adding on, “Why would anyone apply for a job that they were only 60% qualified for?”
And Roger said, “Oh I’ve done that. I’m guessing some of the jobs I’ve applied for I was probably 40% qualified for.”
I couldn’t believe it. My husband is one of the smartest, most capable men I know. So what was he doing going around applying for jobs that he was completely unqualified for?
He continued. “Yeah, I figure, if it’s something I’m interested in, I can figure it out as I go along. I can do the research – and where better to learn than on the job.” And the crazy thing is? Nine times out of ten? He’s gotten the job.
And it made me think – how many times have I not gone for something I really wanted, simply because I was worried about someone calling me out – telling me I’m a fraud – unqualified – a poser. Why haven’t I gone with my husband’s plan – realizing I have gifts and can learn what I need to learn as I go. Whether it’s a new job, being a mom, volunteering or anything I really want to do but is outside my zone.
What would you do if you didn’t worry about other people’s reactions? What would you want to try, learn, do if you weren’t afraid?
by kathilipp | May 19, 2013 | God |
I’ve been in that place – stuck.
Stuck in my relationships, stuck in my relationship with God, stuck in sticky situations, stuck in my job. Stuck.
And can we just say it? Stuck sucks.
Oh I would pray. I would. But the problem was I would offer up one feeble prayer to God and just wait. And wait. It wasn’t until I got persistent with God – when I kept coming to him again and again until I saw things start to shake loose, that I really believed that God not only could change the circumstances in my life – I started to believe that he loved me enough to do so.
And that’s why I wrote Praying God’s Word for Your Life – because I want you to experience God’s “shaking loose” in your life. I want you to walk through life not only knowing God can, but that God loves you enough to change your life.
I want to offer you a discount on the book until the official release June 1. We will be going through the book together on the blog, so get your copy and get ready to change your life.
On sale for $10 on my website until May 31st
by kathilipp | May 14, 2013 | Clutter Free, Home |
Every year, on May 15th, I like to remind women all over the world to clean out your purse, bag, backpack or computer bag. I’m passionate about this for several reasons:
- I’ve spent the better portion of my free time looking for car keys.
- I’ve also spent a large portion of my disposable (and not so disposable) income on chiropractors.
So I have a little passion around the topic.
So, I want you to take 5 minutes (truly) and clean out all the stuff that is physically and mentally weighing your down.
Follow our super-simple steps below, and then enter to win a set of the E-Bags Packing Cubes (that, if you read my blog or listen to my podcast, you know that I’m obsessed with…)
How to Clean Out Your Purse – 3 Simple Steps
I knew I had issues when I casually mentioned to Roger, “I wish they had purses with wheels on them.” His reply, “They do. They’re called suitcases – and you have a problem.”
I would love for you to have the feeling that wherever you go, you are not weighed down by “stuff”. (See my post Why Your Bag is a Reflection of Your Spiritual Life.)
Here’s my super-speedy way of cleaning out my bag.
Step 1 to Clean Out Your Purse: Sort It Out
I simply take my purse and dump it out into a plastic grocery bag. I sort the dump into Put Away, Put Back, and (in this case) Throw Away.
Put Away
Anything I want to keep that doesn’t belong in my purse gets put away. This is also when I go through receipts I’ve carefully placed in my wallet (or, more likely, the ones I’ve quickly thrown into my purse…) and random notes or other pieces of paper. If you’re away from home while you’re sorting, just put these items into another bag to put away when you get home. And when you get home, put them away in the right spot.
Put Back
If it belongs in your purse, go ahead and put it back into your purse.
Throw Away
Anything that’s left over in your plastic grocery bag (food wrappers, cash receipts you don’t care about, and so on,) is now garbage that gets recycled or thrown away.
The beauty of the grocery-bag organizing system is that you can do it anywhere, anytime. Just grab a grocery bag and start sorting while you’re waiting for your kids to get out of band practice or while you’re on the phone with your mom.
Step 2 to Clean Out Your Purse: Clean it Up
Give your purse a good shake and get out any stray bits, crumbs etc. I’ve even used a hand held vacuum to really get the bag clean.
Step 3 to Clean Out Your Purse: Label it and Put it Away
Assign a spot for everything that belongs in your purse, bag, or backpack. I use three zippered pouches. Everything goes into one of those three pouches or into your wallet (or in rare cases, onto your key chain). The fewer items you place in your purse, the easier it is to know what’s in there.
Wallet. I recommend you keep in your wallet only cash, receipts, checkbook, and credit, debit, and gift cards.
Pouch 1: Makeup bag
- Lipstick and gloss
- Eyeliner
- Powder
- Sunscreen stick
- Blush and brush
- Eyeglass cleaner wipes
- Hand sanitizer
Pouch 2: Emergency kit
- Fashion tape
- $20
- Needle and thread
- Nail glue
- Advil
- Couple of adhesive bandages
Pouch 3: Change Etc.
Other Things to Keep in Your Bag
- Sunglasses case
- Cell phone
- Keys
Keep It Up
Clean out your purse once a week and it really is easy to stay on top of it. It takes only a couple of minutes to keep it up, keep you organized, and keep you away from the chiropractor.
Do you have to do it exactly like this? No. I just want you to have a clean purse that is functional and doesn’t give you a hernia. So tell me here in the comments that you cleaned out your purse by May 18th (and I’d love to hear what the strangest thing you found in there was!), and here is what you could win:
The Grand Prize winner will receive this set of the E-Bags Packing Cubes.
And five runners up will receive a copy of The Get Yourself Organized Project (for you or a friend.)
Just comment below and you’ll be entered to win!!!
(US residents only.)
by kathilipp | May 13, 2013 | Uncategorized |
Join Kathi Lipp and her cohosts Mandy Arita and Liz Sagaser as they talk about all the things you are talking about:
- Marriage
- Parenting
- Sex
- Managing the Homefront
- Living the Life You Were Designed For
With a whole lotta Hope, Humor and How-To’s Kathi Lipp and the crew are bringing you the most intriguing authors, hottest topics and on point-advice to get your through your day. You’ll laugh and learn and maybe get a little inspired along the way. In partnership with MOPS International, take a break from the rest of your week and join us for the most fun you can have while unloading your dishwasher.
by kathilipp | May 12, 2013 | Me |
I know this may feel like a reach, but stick with me.
When I’m feeling overwhelmed, overtired, and stuck, I tend to let the “stuff” (or whatever word you use when you are feeling overwhelmed, overtired and stuck – don’t worry – I won’t be offended…) build up in my life. I don’t deal with problems in my relationships, I don’t deal with the piles in my house, and I don’t do the self-care that is needed (reading my Bible, praying, hanging our with people who fill me up,) to stay healthy. Instead, I put things off until I feel like dealing with it.
It’s the same with my bag.
When I feel crazy busy, I tend to let the junk build up in my purse. Instead of dealing with the receipts, returns, broken pens that are leaking, melted lipsticks that are staining, I just pile more stuff on top of it all, waiting for the magical time I’ll have to deal with it all.
Heavy bags lead to sore shoulders, lost time looking for things, and a sense of feeling out of control.
Heavy lives lead to brokenness, sickness, and feeling out of control.
When I’m feeling that way, I need to take small steps to get back to healthy. I know that cleaning out your bag may seem really, really small, but it can help. You can go change the world when you can find your car keys on a regular basis.
by kathilipp | Apr 23, 2013 | The Get Organized Project |
I am a bit obsessed by necklaces – the chunkier the better. Not only do I buy them, I am often given great jewelry by my mom, my kids and believe it or not, Roger hits it on the chunky jewelry nose almost 100%. So keeping it organized is mostly about only keeping the things that I love, and moving the rest on. Here is how I keep my collection under control.
- Get All Your Jewelry Together- This is where you go through your bathroom, your closet, your jewelry box, your purse – everywhere that jewelry hangs out and hides. Get it all in one place so you and deal with it.
- Use the 3 Boxes, 2 Bags System Start to sort through your jewelry using the 3 Boxes 2 Bags System. As you go through your jewelry put every piece in one of the three boxes or two bags: Perfectly good jewelry that you don’t love anymore can go into the “Give Away” box. Everything you love and wear can go into the “Put Back” box. Buttons, prescriptions, receipts, lip glosses and other things that are hanging out with your jewelry go into the “Other Rooms” box. Broken jewelry that you won’t repair goes into the garbage (unless you have a crafty friend who can turn all those crafty beads into something amazing – and is willing to pick them up so they are not around your house for the next month, then put them in the recycle bag.) Put all the Put Back jewelry, back.
- What to do with the Leftovers? OK be honest – there were a couple of necklaces you love but never wear. Or that broken owl necklace that you love, but needs a clasp? You don’t want to throw it away, but you don’t quite know what to do with it. Here are some ideas:
Here are a couple of other things that have helped me: This is the best thing you can do for your jewelry – Only keep what you actually use, make the pieces that aren’t working for you, work.
- Have a necklace that feels a little “Lightweight” for your outfit? Stack it with another necklace. I do this a lot with a chunky gold chain with a couple smaller gold chains, or chunky long turquoise with chunky short turquoise.
- Turn your long necklace into two short ones by looping, or into a bracelet by looping four or five times.
- Have a single earring that you love, but can find it’s friend? Can you turn it into a pin?
Do you have any great ideas for organizing you jewelry that have worked for you? Please share in the comments below (and if you have pictures, send them to info@kathilipp.com – we may do a future blog post sharing your great idea!
by kathilipp | Apr 17, 2013 | 21 Ways to Connect With Your Kids, The Get Organized Project, tips and ideas |
Hi Friends,
I recently received the message below from a reader and I thought as a community we could offer some constructive ideas on how to teach our children help out around the house.
I am greatly struggling with chores and responsibility with my 3 kids.
My 3 year old son is hot and cold with behavior and attitude so one never knows if he will help or fight.
My 6 year old daughter flat out refuses to clean anything “that’s not my mess” yet won’t even cleanup her own room.
My 9 year old son reluctantly helps me out in picking up the slack.
I am a worn out mom in need of new routines and rewards. What kind of charts, rewards and chores can you offer for a challenging group of kids that tend to walk all over an overwhelmed and exhausted mom. Please help.
Need help keeping your kids on task? Download these free chore charts for your kids! In addition, I’ve created a Pinterest board full of ideas on making chores fun for all ages.
Plus, leave a positive idea about how you successfully get your kids to help with chores and you could win a copy of my book, 21 Ways to Connect with Your Kids.
by kathilipp | Apr 15, 2013 | The Get Organized Project |
You can accomplish a great deal while watching your favorite TV program. Here are 30 Organizing Projects you can do the next time your favorite show is on.
1. Clean out your handbag
2. Clear out your phone of email
3. Clean your keyboard
4. Take unused keys off your keychain
5. Match all your unmatched socks
6. Go through a stack of magazines and recycle anything older than three months
7. Check the balance on a gift card online and write the amount on the front with a permanent marker
8. Put bookplates in your books
9. File Recipes
10. Shred documents with personal info on them (only during commercials)
11. Make a meal plan for this week
12. Go through all your pens and throw out the ones that are dried up
13. Go through your DVDs and put any in a bag that you don’t watch anymore so you can give them away
14. Sort your mail
15. Clean out your diaper bag
16. Answer 10 easy emails
17. Grab a kitchen drawer and sort through it and wipe it down
18. Address and send birthday cards for the month
19. Write 3 thank you notes
20. Start a shopping list
21. Fix a button on a shirt
22. Fold three loads of laundry (and put them away during the commercials)
23. Cut out coupons and put them in your wallet
24. Gather up any business cards and put them in your computer contacts
25. Take pictures of your kids artwork before “thinning it out” (throwing it away)
26. Clean out your child’s backpack
27. Make sure your family calendars match
28. Download photos from your phone to PC (or set up for it to be done automatically through Facebook)
29. Order supplies online (ink, batteries, craft supplies, specialty foods, vitamins, etc.)
30. Download movies, audio books or music for your next flight or road trip
Q4USo tell me – what do you like to get done while watching your favorite TV show?
by kathilipp | Apr 10, 2013 | The Get Organized Project |
Stay with me here. I know that those piles of books seem better left untouched- like they just might lead to more bad than good if messed with. But like all organization projects, it is necessary and freeing once accomplished! For ideas on how to organize your books, check out my Pinterest board.
Cull – this means going through your books and making decisions about what to keep, what to put in other rooms, and what to give away. Use my Three Boxes Two Bag System to sort through your books:
1. Purple Box
These are all the books you want to (need to!) keep. Here is my criteria for what books to keep:
a. They are books I read on a regular basis. (The Bible Baby…)
b. They are books I refer to on a regular basis. (Commentaries, devotionals, etc.)
c. They are books I love reading over and over again. (Bird by Bird, Bitter is the New Black,)
2. Orange Box
These are books that have made their way onto your bookshelf, but need to be in other places in your home:
a. Kid’s books
b. Cookbooks
c. Reference books
3. Green Box
For all the books you want to give away, sell, etc.
4. Bag 1 Garbage
There shouldn’t be too many in here, methinks. Your kid let a Popsicle melt on a book, it’s a child’s book that you can’t recycle because of the binding, etc.
5. Bag 2 Recycling
Again, hopefully few – books that no one would want (How to Raise Great Kids by the mother of O.J. Simpson, things like that.)
Once you’ve got them all sorted, you are ready to put them in their place. For all the books you decide to keep, download and print the name plates provided here and put them on the inside of those books. If you print them out on a full sheet of sticker paper (try these full size Avery labels) you simply cut and stick, or use rubber cement if you use card stock.
And now you: Tell me at least 3 goals you have for the week, and I will enter you to win The Me Project
