How Do You Stay Positive?

How do you feel when you hit a goal?  Maybe your goal weight?  Maybe you ran a marathon?  Maybe you hit your sales goals?  Whatever it was, do you remember how you felt?  The excitement of achieving something you have been working for – were you giddy with happiness, or are you like me and cry tears of joy?

Now, how did you feel working towards the goal?  Frustrated?  Overwhelmed?

May is full of celebrations – my birthday, my 10th wedding anniversary and God willing, my 3rd year in recovery.  May is the end of the ThirtyOne fiscal year and I have already hit my HIGHEST year in personal sales since I started with the company.  With all of these exciting things, you would think it would be easy for me to stay positive, right? The truth is I struggle with staying positive.

So many of us work hard in pursuit of big bold goals – because it feels so good when we make them happen, right?  The truth is BIG wins don’t happen every day.  Sometimes not even every month, quarter, or year. Sometimes big dreamy goals take time, patience, and a whole lot of devotion to make happen. And it’s okay, it’s how it’s supposed to be.

But are we supposed to defer our happiness, our joy, and our contentment until those BIG dreams happen?  How many of you actually celebrate or give yourself credit for the baby steps you made on the way to your BIG goal?

Most of us (me included) forget to feel proud of ourselves in the here and now – in the moment BEFORE we reach the big goal. It is important for us to allow ourselves to enjoy the moment. We can make ourselves crazy if we continue to defer our happiness until some day in the future when we make those big dreams happen.

So what if we started to obsess over our little wins instead of the big ones?  What if we reconnected with the things which truly matter most in my life – the present, the here and now.  When we show up each day for our work and our life while taking care of ourself, our family, and our business – these are the things which truly matter most. The big wins are then the icing on the cake.  The little wins are the ones which truly shape and define a well lived successful life.  One of my biggest struggles in recovery (combined with the MS) is living in the moment.

What do some of your little wins look like? Do any of these look like yours?

I paid my bills this month on time and am reducing my debt.  That’s awesome.

One of my favorite customer/hostess wants to host another party. That’s amazing.

I got 6 hours of sleep a few nights this week! Go me.

I gave myself time and space to read an incredible book this month.  Woo hoo!

I created and shared original posts on social media this month I’m proud of.  I sure did.

I embraced guilt-free rest this week whenever I needed it.  Yes!

              I didn’t beat myself up with I made a mistake. Yes!

             I rode my stationary bike 3 times this week. Yes!

Do any of these sound like baby steps you took?

Maybe you got up, showered & dressed at least twice this week?  Maybe you you reached out when you were struggling?

So, what happens when you think about the little steps you took this week?  Were you energized, excited, and aligned?

Believe it or not, when you are focused on the little wins, you are less attached to the outcome.  You can feel proud of the hard work and devotion it took to make the BIG dreams happen without diminishing what it took to make the little, everyday wins happen too.

I’m challenging you to obsess about your little wins instead of the big ones.

What are five things you’re really proud of this week?  No matter what they are, embrace the positive feelings about the little wins.  Enjoy the feelings as you celebrate showing up each day and giving your life everything you’ve got.  Because it’s what really matters in the end.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

How to Spring Clean Your Closet

Show your closet some TLC

The birds are chirping, the sun is shining and it’s time to dust off those shorts – spring is here! You’ve spring cleaned your bathrooms, your pantry, your kitchen (pretty much every surface now smells lemony fresh and you’ve worked up a sweat), but there’s still one last space that needs a refresh: your clothes closet.

Giving your closet a good spring clean is the perfect way to declutter your wardrobe and go into the season with a fresh slate. Follow along with us as we take stock, make some small changes and get our closets spring ready.

Step 1: Clear everything out and clean your closet

Pile them on the bed, the floor, the desk – just get those clothes out so you can see what you’re working with. You’ll probably find that some non-clothing items have snuck their way into your closet, things like holiday decorations, books and knickknacks. If you have the space, store or display these elsewhere so your closet can be a one-stop getting dressed shop.

Once everything’s out, it’s time to clean. Wipe down shelves and drawers and use a broom or vacuum to sweep the floor. Most vacuums have a wand attachment that’s especially handy for reaching dusty corners, high and low.

Step 2: Put your winter wardrobe into hibernation

Those scarves, gloves and fuzzy hats have served you well, but the snow is long gone, and your sandals are just begging to be unboxed! It’s time to say goodbye to cold weather clothes to make room for spring essentials.

Start by going through all the clothes you took out of your closet. Things like heavy coats and sweaters can be folded up and stored in bins in the basement or hall closet for next season (a few Deluxe Utility Totes can handle the job). As you go, set aside anything that you didn’t wear or only wore once all winter. If these don’t fit or just don’t fit your style anymore, donate them or sell them to give them a second life.

Step 3: Take stock of your spring wardrobe

Time to repeat Step 2, but with your spring clothes. Take them out of storage (or from where they’ve been squished at the bottom of your dresser) and go through them. Set aside anything you didn’t get much wear out of last spring, that doesn’t fit or that’s a style you’ve outgrown. Add these to the donate and sell pile.

Step 4: Now for the fun part – organizing your closet!

The first step to getting your slimmed down spring wardrobe into your closet is figuring out what to hang and what to fold. This can vary depending on what clothes you have and your space, but here are some tips to start.

Hang things like blouses, dress pants, jackets, dresses and any pieces that wrinkle easily. You may also want to hang favorite items that you reach for frequently. For everything else, folding will do just fine. You can fold t-shirts, jeans, shorts and activewear. When organizing your hangers, pick a system that works best for you. You can organize your clothes by type, color or even by how dressy or casual they are.  

Another idea is when you hang your clothes, place the hangers in reverse or backwards.  Once you wear and wash an item, place it back in the closet with the hanger facing correctly.  Then at the end of the season, you will be able to which clothes you actually wore.  It will make cleaning out the closet easier each season.

 

Step 5: Bins are your best friends

A few good storage bins are all you need to pull off a mini closet makeover! Bins are helpful for separating clothes, storing folded items or organizing accessories. The Your Way^® Cube in canvas is the perfect roomy storage cube for jeans, t-shirts, pajamas, activewear and more. You can also find this bin in some fun neutral prints.

We love the Canvas Storage Caddy for accessories – its pockets make it perfect for sunglasses, belts and scarves – while the Felt Display Bin is a cute way to keep your purses and wallets all together. The finishing touch to any Thirty-One storage bin? Personalization! Add embroidered words to label what’s inside or go for a fun monogram or phrase. 

Step 6: Last but not least, upgrade your hamper 

When it comes to laundry hampers, choose one that’s large enough (to avoid clothes all over the floor) but not so big that it takes up valuable closet space. We like a soft-sided hamper like the Stand Tall Bin – interior metal rods add support and structure without being too rigid or bulky. Plus, the long straps make carrying heavy loads so much easier. This is another great place for personalization, so have fun with it!

Say hello to fresh starts

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to clean you out – just take it step by step. Soon your closet will be refreshed, full of clothes that bring you joy and so organized that getting dressed will feel like a total treat. For more bins and caddies to tackle your spring cleaning projects, check out our bestselling organizing styles.

Looking for the prefect solution to your organizing challenge?  Be sure to comment below or reach out to me.  Want to know how to get your #wishlist for FREE or at a deep discount? Let’s do a BINGO & Bags virtual social…..

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!