How to Make Your To-do List Sexy

We were back in Iowa this weekend (YAY!), Paige (daughter), Chris, and baby Jude bought a new house and the closing was last week--WOOHOO!!!!!

They wanted the whole shebang--colors for the interior, kitchen advice (YIKES--it’s just gotta go), exterior colors, the start of a landscaping plan, furniture arrangement and ideas for adding art and mirrors to enhance the space.

We assessed everything: flooring, walls, lighting, storage and the yard.

We made THE NEW HOUSE LIST:

Now:

• Purchase Lawn Mower

• Purchase new carpet for the family room--previous owners had 4 kitties (or it smelled like 4 kitties)???
• Paint and refresh all interior walls
• Handle the Poison Ivy that is EVERYWHERE in the fenced-in backyard--cuz, The Dog.
• Get quotes on a kitchen re-do (can’t wait to show the pictures…)

Next:

• Upgrade light fixtures: Front entry, Hallways, Kitchen, Dining Room
• Design a landscape/hardscape plan for upgrading the outside entry
• Add furniture for best use of the space
• Add Art and Mirrors

Someday:

• Bathroom re-do
• Basement upgrade

This is a rough list--and each “item” could have many, many steps. But, if you tend to get scattered and overwhelmed, a list like this can TOTALLY help your brain calm down and free up energy to get to things one at a time.

Well, and as you know if you’ve ever moved, it’s exciting to think about the new place and, oh, yeah, there’s the OLD PLACE to consider as well.

And you might be thinking, “What’s the big deal? Pack it all up and move!”
There is one step BEFORE packing that will SUBSTANTIALLY assist you in the moving process…

Let go of as much as possible BEFORE you pack it up.

Declutter NOW to streamline your packing and unpacking--it’s vital to a painless-as-possible :) move.

Paige and I went through the pantry, her clothes, the baby’s clothes, and a storage closet in a few hours. 8 BAGS for donation, expired food to the garbage can, and too-small baby clothes in a tub ready to move.
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Here’s their EDITING LIST for the coming weeks:

(This list created in Notes--iPhone application--sexy, non? Click on the little circle and you’re rewarded with a checkmark :)

Consider one item on the list at a time, bring the garbage and donation bags with you as you begin, and GO! Handling this list in 30-60 minute increments will assure that it’s done in time for the packing and moving in a few weeks’ time.

Can you feel how this reduces the stress? Gives your brain something to do so that it doesn’t freak out? Do not underestimate the value of creating a list!

I have talked to many of you in the last several weeks who are in this same kind of transition--moving, getting ready to move--I hope this gives you some ideas to create an effortless transition.

If you want support, contact me, my team and I can work with you to create a plan and/or give you hands-on help so that you will be happily skipping from Point A to Point B in no time!
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Lots of Love,
XOXO

SUCCESS STORY: I talked with Lily, in Chicago this week, who was nursing her baby and purging papers at the same time--ahhhh, Lily!!!!!!, You Rock! She said, “I want MORE THAN ANYTHING for this basement to be a playroom for this little one and his 2 big brothers--there’s so much potential here. But it’s clogged up with papers from college, books, mementos and photos--it’s just GOT TO HAPPEN!”  (BTW, we made a plan, books first, rough sort the rest) Then papers, mementos and photos--the last (and often most difficult) category. She said just that bit of advice helped--can’t wait to check back with her to see how it’s going…