Sustainable Goal Setting for the New Year

What I Want to Be, Do and Have

Here we are, many of us, back in front of that blank piece of paper, wondering what to resolve for the new year. Some of us will set our goals out in the stratosphere, so high that we court failure. The pessimists among us will not even bother with goal setting, “bah humbug.” The realists among us will choose goals which are a stretch but within reach. And year after year our successes will build upon themselves. Subtle differences often set these 3 groups apart, and with some simple coaching dramatic shifts of perception may occur.

What do coaching, purging, clutter control and space planning have in common? These are just a few of the functions shared by professional organizers. Not every organizer performs each of these services, but most do. The universal benefit of working with a professional organizer is stress reduction.

There are many roads to Rome.

A road I’ve taken for each of the past 33 years goes like this. On or before December 31st I write down “What I want to BE in 2012,” “What I want to DO in 2012” and “What I want to HAVE in 2012.” Then I list some goals under each heading. I challenge myself, but reasonably. After all, if I meet my own challenges, next year I will want to up the ante another notch and bit by bit I will get to Rome! I keep these yearly lists in a journal and each Dec. 31st I revisit the list from the current year, noting my progress. This reinforces the process and serves as a guide for the following year.

What do New Year’s Resolutions have to do with Organizing? Everything. An organizer is so much more than a person who sorts items into piles by categories. While the sorting process is indeed important, organizers are teachers, coaches, counselors, motivators, and encouragers. Teaching of prioritization and time management are hallmarks of a professional organizer. The organizer-client relationship is one of collaborative support. The basic concept of goal setting for a New Year encapsulates the very soul of organizing.

May your dreams and reality be one and the same. Happy New Year, and I’ll see you in Rome! 2012.

Barbara Summers, Professional Home & Office Organizer is a Golden Circle member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers.) Besides hands-on organizing and speaking engagements, Barbara offers a nationwide online mentoring program for those entering the field of professional organizing. Barbara can be reached by email at: Barbara@SummersOrganizing.com or phone: 415-381-0707.

"Must Have" apple corer with release ~ Baked Apple Recipe

After a long sabbatical from cooking, I am suddenly voraciously creating yummy meals. The purchase of an apple corer with a release system, so the core goes away without ripping up your fingers to get the core out, has inspired me to make baked apples a few nights a week, and are they ever healthy and good. Here is the recipe:

Barbie's Baked Apples

Core as many apples (I use Rome) as you want to bake. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Put each apple in a pyrex backing cup that leaves a bit of room around the apple.

Into each cored apple place:

app. 2-3 walnuts in 1/2" chunks
1/2 t currants
2 or so hazelnuts cut into fourths
3-4 white raisins
squeeze 1/2 or so lemon on top
drizzle app. 1 T of agave syrup on top (to taste)

On top of the apples, sprinkle a few shakes each of:
Madagascar pure vanilla powder
anise powder
freshly grated nutmeg

From there experimentation is fun. Last night I put a thin slice of orange on top of each. Pull out all the stops. Sprinkle or add / subtract anything you think would enhance the taste for you.

Experiment

Bake at for around 35-40 minutes in a convection oven. If using a regular oven add 10 or so minutes

Bag Lady Films

L'Shana Tova!

This is my first post ~ as well as ~ the eve of the Jewish New Year. That seems auspicious. May it be sunny and funny and bright. Now let's eat matzo every which way!