Life Coach Sue Brenner, PCC, PMP and founder of Action Symphony encourages us to brainstorm what we can do in small time increments. Susan says, “To maximize your time, learn what you can do in small increments. It’s not about cramming things in. It’s about discovering brief openings of time in your day. What can you do with 15 minutes?  Don’t fritter them away. Spend these small blocks of time intentionally on things that will make a difference.”day.

A checklist of ideas for 10 or 20-minute sprints and breaks in the day.

This week provides a checklist of ideas for “mini-breaks” in the day. Print a copy of this list and keep it in your planner. When you find a mini-break, take advantage of it to fine tune an area of the home or your environment. Many of these ideas can be done in 10 minutes–others may take 20. One fun exercise can be to schedule time to visit the Housework Helpers for one or two (or three) hours. Using the sprint structure, see how many items you can check off this list! Here are a few of Susan’s ideas… De-clutter Your Car: Are you early for a meeting and want to get something done? De-clutter your car! Gather up all the recyclables, including plastic bottles, soda cans and paper, and put them in a bag. Put all trash in another bag. Use a damp cloth or disposable wipe to clean all surfaces. Group any remaining things that you need to remove from your car later, such as clothes and newly purchased items. When you leave your car, take all the trash and recycling with you. Remove the other items as soon as you get a chance. If you’re picking up clients for a meeting, they’ll appreciate the serene setting you’ve just created in your car. Note from Brook: I keep a travel-pack of car wipes (or you can use household wipes or even baby wipes) in my glove box, along with a couple of dusting cloths. I have a 4 ounce, 99 cent, plastic spray bottle filled with Windex. (You can find these at stores like Wal-mart, Walgreens or Target). This car kit takes up little room, and allows me to take advantage of rush hour or arriving early to an appointment by doing a quick-clean. This kit has also come in quite handy when spills happen! Sprint Clean Your Office: Scan your office. Pick the one area that needs the most attention first. Do you have folders stacked on your desk? Are there three coffee mugs from the past week? Your desk top may be your first target area for action. Remove what doesn’t belong there. Use a tissue to dust. Either file or put papers in your out-box for future organizing. The goal is to pick one area and clear it. Then experience a sense of calm and relief. Eliminating a mess you’ve been putting up with recharges your batteries. Fix Something That Is Broken: You know all those things you think to yourself: “I have to change the light bulb,” “I need to get the latch on that window fixed,” “I have to let I.T. know about my computer glitches”? Use a small time block to actually do something about them. If you’re handy, take that time to actually fix something simple yourself. For example, if the arm of your chair dangles, find the screw and bolt under the seat and tighten it up yourself. If you can’t (or don’t want to) fix something yourself, take the time to contact someone who can. Prompt your IT person to come assess your computer problems, or see if he or she can do it remotely. Call maintenance to repair your window. Take the first step, so you can stop thinking about it. Prep for a Meal: Do you find yourself eating out every day? Do you want to eat healthier, but end up grabbing the quickest and most convenient food at meal times? When you have an extra 15 minutes at night or in the morning, use it to prepare a meal. Slice some sourdough bread and make your favorite sandwich for a bag lunch. Then enjoy more time at noon because you won’t have to run around and wait in line for your food. Or your meal prep might include tossing some meat, spices and vegetables into a slow-cooker or crock pot. Then you can return home from work to a nourishing, warm meal. You can sit down, relax and enjoy your food solo or with your family. Ideas from Brook: Match the Socks: Grab a container and pile all solo socks inside. Match what you can. Rotate the Closet: Do you really need all the winter coats in the coat closet during summer? If it is winter, is anyone going to wear the open-toed shoes? Move out-of-season items to an unused closet. If you don’t have one, consider hanging a small line in an infrequently used area of the house. Once this is complete, look at what you have left. Are there items that “ended up there” but don’t really need to be there? Move any to their proper home. Repair “Message Central: “Wherever messages are taken, clutter seems to arise. Go through any miscellaneous messages or notepads and discard items no longer needed. Test the pens; get rid of those that don’t work. Clear off your answering machine. Clean Off The Fridge: While putting coupons on the fridge seems like a logical place to remind us to use them, it is amazing how quickly they age! Remove outdated items from your fridge display. If you have kids’ artwork wallpapering the front, consider the “feature” method included in the previous lesson addressing children’s artwork. Sort the Mail: Gather all the mail into one place. Don’t read the mail–just make piles. Create a pile for garbage, one for bills, one for to-read items and additional piles for other people in the home (i.e. give to husband, child, mother.) When done transfer the piles for others to somewhere they will see them. Put the to-read items in a place you will read them. Toss the junk in the garbage. Return the bills to the inbox. Go through the Bills: This is best to complete after the task above. Remove all bills from their envelopes and lay flat. Staple of paperclip those with multiple pages.. Tuck the return envelope around the bill. Throw out all the miscellaneous offers included in the bills. Stack them in three piles… receipts/file only (if you use auto-pay), to pay within the next 14 days, to pay after 14 days. Wipe Down the Appliances: Grab the Windex and wipe down the front surfaces of your kitchen appliances. Clear the Junk Drawer: Empty the drawer entirely. Go through each item and either throw it out or return to its proper place. There is no reason to use up prime storage to hold “junk.” Sort Your Chargers: If you are high-tech, gather all of your gadget-chargers together. Wrap the cords neatly. Label each one with its purpose. Move car-compatible chargers to the car. Place the others neatly in a drawer. Wipe Down the Microwave: Give your microwave a thorough cleaning–inside and out! Wipe Down a Shower Door: Spray the front and back and let it “set” for a couple of minutes while wiping down the vanity area. Return and wipe down the shower door. Wash a Window: Wash a set of inside windows (or outside for that matter–your pick). Match-Up Your Media: Return CDs, DVDs, video games and computer programs to their proper storage cases. Go through Your Media: Do you need to keep the install disks to printers you no longer own or programs you no longer use? Get rid of any unneeded items to make it easier to find what you do need. Photograph Your Home: Create a “photo inventory” of your home for insurance purposes. Check the Medicine Cabinet: Check the expiration date of all vitamins, prescriptions and medicine cabinet supplies, discarding any expired items. The Bye-Bye 10 Game: Find 10 things in your house to donate or throw away. Sweep the Entry Way: Take a moment to sweep the outside entrance of your home. Purge the Post-Its®: Gather a stack of loose papers and transfer them to your planner.

(c) 2011 Brook Noel and Make Today Matter, LLC. For more information visit www.brooknoel.com

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“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best
time is today.” – Chinese Proverb
Submitted by Good Morning Reader Rhonda Miga

Good morning!

Rhonda included this note in her email:

I think this applies to all of us. There are many things that we
wanted to do 20 years (10 or even 5) ago but we never got around to
it. I think this proverb is great because it is saying “so what,

do it today!” You can’t go back and change what you did not do but
there is nothing stopping us from doing it today.

I recently went back to school and made a comment to my mother in
law… “maybe I will finish this by the time I am 50.” She said…
“You are going to be 50 anyway, right… so why not be 50 and have
a new degree.”

It may have been better to get this degree years ago but now is the
2nd best time.

These are wonderful words of wisdom. This quote also reminds me
that we need not live with regret. What we didn’t do yesterday (or
decades ago) can still be started today. Why live in the past, when
we have the power to create our future?

Your Turn:
What has been left undone in your life that you could begin today?
Take a regret from the past and make it into an action plan for
your future.

Your Affirmation:
It is always the right time to begin what needs to be done.

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Around the Corner:			“Out of clutter find simplicity. From discord find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” ~Albert Einstein
ONLINE CLASSES: Make Today Matter Enroll Anytime – Two Weeks Free Trial and Then Only $19.95/mo Learn more and register Make Today Matter: A complete program for getting organized, managing time, living by your priorities and building the life you want: Learn more and register or, Get Brook’s complete kit and get all you need in one package - LIMITED TIME ONLY – 20% OFF PLUS BONUSES! Learn more and order Current Special: Free, $28 Challenge Workbook on CD ROM with all Orders of $78+ Add the CD-ROM to your order and enter coupon code: CHALLENGE at checkout More to Explore: Make Today Matter on Facebook Brook Noel on Facebook Brook Noel on Twitter Make Today Matter on Twitter Brook Noel’s Blog Reading Room Archives			Good morning! Although written years ago, I think these words offer inspiration and stress-releasers for today’s contemporary family. Why don’t you try to implement at least one of Einstein’s ideas into your household this upcoming week…to chase away those mid-summer-stressors. Your turn: Get creative and find a new way to incorporate simplicity, harmony or opportunity in your life. Your affirmation: In clutter, I find simplicity. In discord, I find harmony. In difficulty, I find opportunity.
(c) 2011 Brook Noel and Make Today Matter, LLC. For more information visit www.brooknoel.com

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Around the Corner:			“Facts do not cease to exist just because they are ignored.” Aldous Huxley
ONLINE CLASSES: Make Today Matter Independent Enroll Anytime – Two Weeks Free Trial and Then Only $19.95/mo Learn more and register Make Today Matter: A complete program for getting organized, managing time, living by your priorities and building the life you want: Learn more and register or, Get Brook’s complete kit and get all you need in one package: Learn more and order Current Special: Free, $28 Challenge Workbook on CD ROM with all Orders of $78+ Add the CD-ROM to your order and enter coupon code: CHALLENGE at checkout More to Explore: Make Today Matter on Facebook Brook Noel on Facebook Brook Noel on Twitter Make Today Matter on Twitter Brook Noel’s Blog Reading Room Archives			Good morning! When Donna submitted this quote, I knew it would have to be the subject of one of our Good Mornings. I think this quote speaks to one of the core issues many self-improvement programs miss. We can’t “ignore the facts,” as we strive to create a better life. While positive thinking is a great tool, if we ignore the facts, we set ourselves up for disappointment. That’s why the Change Your Life Challenge is 70 days (or steps) versus “5 days to a better life.” We don’t ignore what is around us. We methodically work through the “life clutter” while maintaining a positive attitude because we are “taking control.” A positive attitude shouldn’t be something we “brainwash” ourselves to have. A true positive attitude is born when we take action, take responsibility, and start regaining control of the many areas of our lives. We can learn a lot by looking at the flipside of this. If our attitudes aren’t positive, then we can assume that we are either: 1. trying to brainwash ourselves without dealing with core issues, 2. not taking action, 3. not regaining control, 4. ignoring the facts or, 5. not taking responsibility. Those 5 ingredients are the mixture required for a lasting, positive outlook. Some might argue that our outlook relies on external events. In cases of tragedy, this is often true. But in our day-to-day stresses and anxieties, I would disagree. One of my favorite quotes has always been, “Two men look out the same prison bars, one sees mud, the other sees stars.” In this example, the external is the same–but the focus of the two men is different. Here is another example from my life. We had a big ice storm here in Wisconsin. I was excited because I love snow and winter weather. My friend was bummed because she hates driving on ice. The external was the same, the outlook that we shared was different. We control our outlook. Your Turn: Where in your life have you been pushing to have a good attitude, without taking into account “the facts?” Which of these 5 areas could you improve on today? 1. Not brainwashing yourself into a positive attitude by ignoring core issues 2. Taking action 3. Regaining control 4. Facing the facts or 5. Taking responsibility. What is a step you can take in the next hour in one of those areas? Your Affirmation: I am actively regaining control of every area of my life.
(c) 2011 Brook Noel and Make Today Matter, LLC. For more information visit www.brooknoel.com

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Around the Corner:			“Time is amazingly forgiving. No matter how much time you’ve wasted in the past, you still have an entire today. Success depends upon using it wisely–by planning and setting priorities.” ~Denis Waitely
ONLINE CLASSES: Make Today Matter Independent Enroll Anytime – Two Weeks Free Trial and Then Only $19.95/mo Learn more and register Make Today Matter: A complete program for getting organized, managing time, living by your priorities and building the life you want: Learn more and register or, Get Brook’s complete kit and get all you need in one package: Learn more and order Current Special: Free, $28 Challenge Workbook on CD ROM with all Orders of $78+ Add the CD-ROM to your order and enter coupon code: CHALLENGE at checkout More to Explore: Make Today Matter on Facebook Brook Noel on Facebook Brook Noel on Twitter Make Today Matter on Twitter Brook Noel’s Blog Reading Room Archives			Good morning! How wonderful to realize that today is “ours” – no matter what yesterday held. When we greet each morning with that willingness to use the day wisely, plan and set priorities, we can achieve our full potential. Do you have your 3-Step Daily Action item list ready to go today? When was the last time you used the “Snapshot” technique from the Make Today Matter program to check your progress? Take a moment to do so today. Your turn: Today, forgive yourself for past days that weren’t “all they could be.” Take a moment and revisit your priorities, dreams and aspirations. Commit to using today, and every day possible, wisely. Your affirmation: Regardless of yesterday, I choose to use today wisely.
(c) 2011 Brook Noel and Make Today Matter, LLC. For more information visit www.brooknoel.com

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Around the Corner:			“Those who have found tranquility are calm and pleasant to be with.” ~Zen saying, excerpted from A Thousand Paths to Tranquility
ONLINE CLASSES: Enroll Through June 13th – Only $39 Visual Journaling Order now and get a FREE CD ROM with nearly 200 images on it! Learn more and register Make Today Matter Independent Enroll Anytime – Two Weeks Free Trial and Then Only $19.95/mo Learn more and register Make Today Matter: A complete program for getting organized, managing time, living by your priorities and building the life you want: Learn more and register or, Get Brook’s complete kit and get all you need in one package: Learn more and order Current Special: Free, $28 Challenge Workbook on CD ROM with all Orders of $78+ Add the CD-ROM to your order and enter coupon code: CHALLENGE at checkout More to Explore: Make Today Matter on Facebook Brook Noel on Facebook Brook Noel on Twitter Make Today Matter on Twitter Brook Noel’s Blog Reading Room Archives			Good morning! Since our day is greatly dependent on how we begin our mornings, give yourself some extra time to calmly organize for your day. I know this can be hard. I am not a morning person. If it was up to me, life could start around 11:00 AM. But, it isn’t up to me, so if you can’t beat them, join them. I bound out of bed every day by 5:30 or 6:00 and give myself 30-60 minutes to center, sort, and get in the mindset to face the day. I do some positive reading, I put on my makeup, I write my affirmations, take a look outside, say a quick prayer. I don’t oversleep very often, but when I do and don’t have this “centered time,” my day looks more like “A Thousands Paths to Chaos” than the quote above from “A Thousand Paths to Tranquility.” For those of you with school-age children, try to get in this habit now before the start of the school year. It will be much easier to wake up your children with a smile and compliment if you have had that cup of coffee and a chance to center yourself. Morning should be a pleasant time … not a mad dash and scramble to get everyone directed down their path for the day. Everyone will feel so much better, all the day through, by getting a confident and calming send-off first thing in the morning … Your turn: Find 15-30 minutes of time for YOU in the morning. Don’t spend it checking e-mail or unloading the dishwasher. Read your Good Morning e-mail, write an affirmation, read a positive passage from a book, say your affirmations aloud. Give yourself some “soul food” to begin your day. Your affirmation: (Write this in your Catch-All Notebook) and say it aloud at least several times today: I care for myself and in turn care better for others when I give myself morning reflective time.
(c) 2011 Brook Noel and Make Today Matter, LLC. For more information visit www.brooknoel.com

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Giving Up the Cape
Excerpted from The Change Your Life Challenge by Brook Noel.

“I find it interesting that the very cape I tried to use to fly became so heavy it kept me grounded.” –Brook Noel

One day I was racing around town, errand to errand, mission to mission. When I stopped at my house to grab a few papers, the phone rang. It was a dear friend, so I carved out ten minutes to tell him about the hectic pace I had been leading for the past twenty-four hours.

The night before there had been a full-Wisconsin blizzard and I had gone out to shake the snow off my old rosebush so the branches wouldn’t crack under the weight. While doing this, I heard a crackling sound. Looking up, I saw several sparks shooting out from a neighbor’s tree. A wire, weighted down with snow, was blowing against a fork in the old oak. Realizing this was probably a fire hazard I called the fire department. The fire department asked me to call the electric company. I did. The woman on the other end said there were emergencies left and right due to the storm.

“But what about my flaming tree?” I asked.

“Well, we can’t get to it until we fix the power outages. Would you mind just keeping an eye on it?”

“I guess not,” I replied before hanging up the phone.

So I made a makeshift bed near the window using a few sofa pillows and set up my “tree stakeout.” While I’m watching this thirty-foot tree crackle and spark, I realize if the tree were to crash down, it would go through our roof. Realizing this could be a disaster, I rushed upstairs to rescue my husband and daughter who were both sleeping soundly.
I shoved him, pushed him, and finally awoke him from his slumber to tell him the tale of the sparking-tree. My husband stared at me through his one half-opened eye. It’s obvious he doesn’t want to move downstairs and is more concerned with his sleep than his safety. Fortunately, after a little prodding, I persuaded him to join me in my tree-stakeout. I then rescued Samantha from her crib; she was about eight-months old at the time.

We took our perch and Andy made a longer makeshift bed for him to sleep on. Determined not to lose sight of the tree, I tried to stay awake. Despite my best citizen-watch attempt, I fell asleep. Samantha did too, tucked securely between my husband and me.

I awoke around two that morning. I glanced out the window. The tree was still there. Andy was still there. Samantha, however, was not. I shook Andy’s shoulder. “Where’s Sammy?”

“I’m not sure,” he replied, shaking himself awake.

So we began our search. Samantha had just begun the rolling phase and had rolled through three rooms and was on her way, full speed, to the kitchen. Nestling her in my arms, I resumed my place in our living-room-camp.

Samantha woke up two very short hours later with a scream like that of an elephant seal. Knowing this was probably one of her chronic ear infections, I bounced into action with my cooing and cuddling routine. I began to count the hours until the clinic would open. There were four hours between the clinic, and an antibiotic, and me.

After a sleepless, scream-filled, four hours had passed, and a quick shoveling of the snow to get the car out, I ran Samantha to the clinic. There, my suspicion of an ear infection was confirmed. Then it was off to the pharmacy. Then it was back to the house. That morning a call had come from the forestry service. They would be coming out to take a look at the tree and wanted to make sure I was home.

Then it was off to my computer desk where I balanced Samantha on one leg while finishing an advertising campaign with my one free hand. Of course, the campaign was due at the photographer’s that day. To deliver the campaign, I would have to drive 45 miles in a blizzard with a sick child, around the schedule of the forestry service.

In my rush to meet deadline, I forgot the ad as I hurried out of the house. So I had to-double back. As I pulled it off my desk, the phone rang. It was a dear friend asking how my day had gone. I informed him of my adventures with the tree, the forestry service, the clinic, and the campaign.

“It’s always something,” he said in a soft voice. Though I couldn’t see him, I knew he was smiling.

“What do you mean?” I had asked.

“Last week when I called it was training your cat, starting a new book, and accepting a new campaign. The week before that it was making homemade edible clay with Sammy, giving painting lessons, and starting a novel while re-wallpapering the kitchen. Why are you doing so much?”

“Well,” I paused. “I…um…”

“Yes?”

“I don’t do that much,” I said meekly.

“You’re going to go with that?” he questioned again. I remained silent. Then my dear friend said four words that were a gift: “Give up the cape.”

Shortly after that day, I began to-do just that. Instead of trying to accomplish everything and please everyone, I began to focus on what was important to me and my family. I began to accept that there will never be enough time to-do everything so we must do what is important. We must decide and take action on what matters.

Since I’ve discarded that cape, I’ve been much less restricted. I find it interesting that the very cape I tried to use to fly, became so heavy it kept me grounded. Instead of living up to the “shoulds” and “woulds” that bound my life, I live by the desire to create harmony within my family. It’s a great cape to outgrow.

Participating in soccer, cleaning, cooking, sewing, working, party-organizing, PTA, and church choir doesn’t make a person better than one who might only do three activities. Society has taught us that the more you have and the more you do, the more successful and fulfilled you will become. The odds are, in fact, that the person engaged in frequent activities is more likely to become haggard, frustrated, or burnt-out.

I think this is definitely an area where turning back to basics would do us good. Today, when making any decision, contemplate the thought that “less is more.”

Your Assignment
In what ways have you been trying to-do more than is realistically possible while still staying sane? Begin shedding the super-parent cape by stripping back unrealistic expectations. Try listing out all your responsibilities and expectations. Then imagine this list was not your own, but that of a dear friend. What advice would you give her for leading a more balanced life?

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Around the Corner:			“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can  use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.” ~Harvey MacKay
ONLINE CLASSES:   Starts Today - Extreme Home Makeover   Enroll Through April 18 – Only $49 Learn more and register   Make Today Matter: A complete program for getting organized, managing time, living by your priorities and building the life you want: Learn more and registeror, Get Brook’s complete kit and get all you need in one package: Learn more and order Monthly Special: Free, $28 Challenge Workbook on CD ROM with all Orders of $78+   Add the CD-ROM to your order and enter coupon code: CHALLENGE at checkout More to Explore: Make Today Matter on Facebook Brook Noel on Facebook Brook Noel on Twitter Make Today Matter on Twitter Brook Noel’s Blog Reading Room Archives			Good morning!   Our time is more valuable than money. Our time is the one thing money can’t buy. If only we would protect and cherish our time like we would a winning lottery ticket. One of my mentors is a very successful CEO who has gone through vigorous, top-notch, elite training programs. When I asked him for advice, he shared that the single most important thing a person can do is recognize their core competencies. He explained that there are things in this world that ONLY Brook can do. He stressed that I needed to spend 90% of my time “in that zone.” He also explained that there are many things Brook can do, but can also be done by others. He shared that one of the biggest mistakes we make is not being true to our core competencies and spending too much time doing things that other people can also do.   Sometimes we do this because we think “our way is the best way” or we are scared to let go. But each time we veer from our core competencies, we also veer from our core mission.   Your Turn: What are your core competencies? What tasks do you need to “let go” so you can spend more time “in the zone?”   Your affirmation: I value and cherish my time–always spending it wisely.
(c) 2011 Brook Noel and Make Today Matter, LLC. For more information visit www.brooknoel.com

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