When I look back, I see a trail of mostly ordinary days. In a year that seems so uncommon, the days pass in a blur of mostly unremarkable moments.

“With no special or distinctive features; normal.”

Dictionary, Google.com

Our lives are made up of ordinary days

We live and breathe. We work and play. And, if we’re lucky we do these activities in the company of people we adore.

We have goals and aspirations. We take a step forward, maybe a step back. And always, we’re searching for meaning and purpose in our days. Well, at least I think many of us are, I am!

What makes a day stand out?

Sometimes a day stands out because of the big moments: milestones, tragedy, celebration, welcoming or saying goodbye. These emotion-filled moments stand out in our memories and create a day that is out of the ordinary, uncommon.

Other times days stand out simply because of special little moments: a kind word from a stranger, a glimpse of beauty around us, an accomplishment. These moments can be subtle and fleeting.

This year, I’m marking ordinary days

I learned about the 1 Second Everyday app from Kendra Adachi, of The Lazy Genius Collective. Pictures help me remember my days and when I saw this video diary, it made my heart happy.

It’s truly genius for documenting both ordinary and extraordinary days. You simply select one photo for each day to upload to the app.

Now, I admit even though I take a LOT of pictures, I sometimes miss a day. But they let you cheat a little and if you don’t take a picture every day, you can fill in with other photos. And I’m learning to appreciate the beautiful moments that make up the days, that lead to marking another year on this earth.

The ordinary is actually quite extraordinary

Sometimes you just go with the flow, almost taking life for granted. But, if you slow down, you begin to see things differently.

On an ordinary day, I noticed how the birds began to chirp and the tops of the trees lit up as the sun peaked over the mountains. I heard the crunch of the snow under my boots as the thermometer dipped below zero. And I watched as the moose walked slowly across the lake, turned to look at me, and disappeared into the woods.

The ordinary is pretty extraordinary when I stop to think about it. And another year on this planet? I’m grateful for the days behind me and the beautiful, ordinary and extraordinary days ahead.

The post Ordinary days appeared first on Elaine Junge, Writer & Blogger.

It sounds strange to talk about decluttering your relationships but this is an area where many of us would like to gain control. We need positive, affirming relationships in order to navigate life well. And often, our relationships can be the trickiest area of our lives to declutter.

Dictionary.com defines the verb declutter as “to simplify or get rid of mess, disorder, complications, etc.” Does this sound like it could apply to relationships in your life?

Relationships can be messy and complicated

It’s often said that imperfect human beings create imperfect relationships. Frequently, we want to blame others for the messiness of the relationships in our lives.

Even our closest relationships can be tricky. Years ago, my husband and I went through a bit of a rocky time in our marriage. One of the biggest lessons we learned during that time was that we each needed to work on our own hearts — and stop trying to “fix” or control the other person.

Truthfully, we can only control our own role in our relationships.

When we declutter our relationships, we look carefully at our own hearts. We step back to gain perspective. And we address any relationship problems, remove non-positive or toxic relationships, and do our part to maintain healthy relationships.

5 easy steps to declutter your relationships

Here are five ways you can simplify your relationships — and minimize the clutter or disorder that can sometimes drag you down.

1. Focus on positivity

Seek out positive relationships and pay attention to which of your relationships “fill your bucket” versus emptying your emotional tank. Tom Rath and Donald Clifton wrote, “How Full Is Your Bucket?” in 2004. The concept is that positive and authentic interactions increase well-being, while negative interactions detract from it. “The magic ratio: 5 positive interactions for every 1 negative interaction.” Pay particular attention to your own interactions — are you meeting this magic ratio in the comments you share with those you love?

2. Limit (or eliminate) negative relationships

Intuitively we know that we should avoid people and interactions that drain us. Yet, often, we feel stuck in relationships that are emotionally toxic for us. We can’t always avoid negativity entirely, but we can certainly limit our interactions with negative people. And when we can’t limit it, perhaps we can adjust our own attitude by reducing the importance of comments from negative poeple.

3. Address or let go of old hurts

Sometimes we hold onto old hurts far too long. At some point, we realize that holding on is no longer serving us well. At that point, we can choose to either address the hurt directly with the person — or decide it’s time to let it go anyway.

4. Clarify your expectations

The older I get, the more I realize that people are not mind readers. And the clearer I am, the easier it is for me to have more positive relationships. Similarly, it’s not fair for me to assume what others are expecting in a relationship. Positive relationships require clear communication — we all need to be seen and heard.

5. Set clear boundaries

Boundaries go hand in hand with expectations. We each have personal boundaries and the clearer we can be about them, the simpler our relationships will be as well. Sometimes we don’t realize we’re not being clear — or worse yet, we think we are when we are not. If you find yourself constantly frustrated with a particular relationship, checking your boundaries may be an important step in resolving issues.

Qualities of healthy relationships

Healthy relationships begin with respect and trust — and require good communication, clear boundaries, and honesty. We can all benefit from stepping back now and then to assess the health of our relationships and looking for ways to clear out any clutter!

The post Declutter your relationships appeared first on Elaine Junge, Writer & Blogger.

Whether your work space is at home or in an office building, when you declutter your office work space and set up strong routines you clear mental space! For many of us, work has changed dramatically in the past few months.

Not only are more of us working from home, but our homes have become the center of so much more. And our spaces often aren’t the best equipped for our new realities.

Here are a few ways to declutter your office or work space and create positive routines to boost your productivity. With a decluttered work life, you’ll have more time to focus on all the other priorities in your life!

Conventional organizing wisdom

There are plenty of organizational gurus that will tell you simple tips for organizing your space. These lists often start with purging your office of unnecessary supplies, setting up a good organizational system, and ensuring everything has a place.

All of these are great tips — and I encourage you to think about what works for you in these ways.

But here’s what I’m finding is most important

In these days of changing routines, more time at home, and increasing uncertainty over the shape of our lives for who knows how long, it’s important to have a space that you LOVE. For me, this means a space that is cozy, simple, well-organized and happy.

I want to enjoy my work. And what helps me do that are a few simple things that I view as MOST important.

Make your office space and routines work for you

1. Find a space in your home that suits your work — make sure it has good lighting, and room for you to have what you need readily at hand. If space is tight, look for ways to make your home office portable so that you can easily set up and take down your work area.
2. Remove any unnecessary objects that distract you from your work. Myquilyn Smith calls this process “quieting” the room.
3. Have a definitive routine to start and end your day. Our hearts and minds love a good routine and creating a rhythm to begin and finish your day brings calmness.
4. Streamline and “batch process” routine tasks. Several organizational experts recommend setting timers for certain tasks, such as posting to social media or reviewing emails. This increases productivity and helps us focus!
5. Declutter your digital work space. Many of the tips included in the Declutter your digital footprint post also apply to your work life. Unsubscribe from unnecessary emails and ensure you have the applications and software to effectively do your work.
6. Set clear boundaries. When you’re working from home, it’s easy to be distracted by — well, everything! Our people seem louder than usual, household chores beckon, and maybe just a little snack would be good. Use a “do not disturb” sign and hold yourself accountable for your work time.

Declutter your office work space and gain control

We have so much going on in this middle adulthood period of life — and gaining control of each portion brings calmness, perspective, and a better sense of priority. Next week, we’ll cover another important aspect of our lives: relationships.

The post Declutter your office / work space appeared first on Elaine Junge, Writer & Blogger.