Author Archives: Kathleen Guthrie Woods

Nudging: Take a (holiday) break

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My nudge for this week is to take a break.

  • I won’t be pulling a new Nudge.
  • I won’t be pushing myself.
  • I won’t be seeking insights or revelations or new directions.
  • I won’t be sidetracked by shoulds, to dos, or must dos.

Instead, I am going to take some part of this holiday week off to maybe:

  • indulge in a long winter’s nap
  • read something for fun (a mystery, a romance, something that has nothing to do with work)
  • take a walk for the sake of walking (vs. getting exercise)
  • rest (vegetate, linger, idle, pause, sojourn—yes, I consulted my Thesaurus for this)
  • listen
  • think
  • be

I hope you can do the same for yourself. In fact, consider this my very gentle nudge for you to do just this. 🙂

With my best wishes for a happy, healthy, fun new year! ♥ Kathleen

Nudged: Visit Michael’s; wander and spend just $10

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Backstory: I am glee-ful having drawn this Nudge today! Michael’s stores are those big warehouses filled with art and crafts supplies, frames, fun home decorations, and just about everything you need to inspire creativity. I am pumped! Will I pick up paints, stickers, marked-down holiday decorations? Fun! The biggest challenge may be keeping to the $10 limit.

What Happened: I couldn’t wait, so I popped into Michael’s early afternoon on Sunday. Everywhere I looked I found goodies, from artificial flowers I could turn into wreaths and pretty papers on which I could write letters to far-flung friends, to an array of accouterments for baking and cake/cookie decorating. Danger zone! I wandered every aisle in search of creative inspiration and the thing that my whole body said, “I want that!”

A few of the items were over my budget (which I was tempted to blow a couple of times), but I stuck to the confines of the Nudge. Finally I picked up two rolls of pretty ribbon for gift-wrapping—and put one back. I snagged a mold for making pineapple-shaped ice cubes for a friend who is the ultimate hostess (pineapples are a symbol of hospitality) and a sheet of super-cute ladybug stickers for another friend (it has to do with the line Diane Lane says in the movie Under the Tuscan Sun: “Ladybugs, Katherine…lots and lots of ladybugs”). I kept a tally in my head and figured the coupon I had would allow one more small item, so I added some cute gift tags.

My total purchase after discounts and coupon: $10.70. Score!

Ah-Hah: I was really pleased with myself when I left the store. But Monday morning, as I reexamined my modest haul, I noticed a trend. Did you see it?

Every item I purchased is for someone else.

Now, this isn’t all bad. I do love finding “perfect” gifts for friends and I love taking the time to create a beautifully wrapped package. But did I really not find one thing I wanted for myself?

Apparently not.

Actually, the more I thought about it, I realized my motivation was less about picking up something I was excited about and more about how would I fulfill the spending $10 part of the Nudge.

Interesting.

I was tempted to keep for myself the two items I’d purchased as gifts. Sure, I could use both, but then I imagined my friends’ delight upon receiving them, and tucked them away for the next birthday.

I thought back over my wanderings, trying to remember what had caught my eye. Candles. Stickers. Seasonal decorations. Beautiful fake flowers that look quite real. All those cookie cutters and cake-decorating kits.

I’m thinking I may go back in a couple of weeks and take another look. And maybe I’ll return a couple of weeks after that. But instead of going with the intention of spending a certain amount, I think I’ll wait until I see something that I really want, and then buy it for myself.

For those of you who celebrate: I wish you a Happy Kwanzaa! May Light, Happiness, and Peace be yours in the new year.

Nudge: Visit Michael’s; wander and spend just $10

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Backstory: I am glee-ful having drawn this Nudge today! Michael’s stores are those big warehouses filled with art and crafts supplies, frames, fun home decorations, and just about everything you need to inspire creativity. I am pumped! Will I pick up paints, stickers, marked-down holiday decorations? Fun! The biggest challenge may be keeping to the $10 limit.

P.S. Several options for you on this one. Is there a hobby you used to love to do as a kid, or one you’ve always been curious about? Go to that store! Feeling the need to get your green thumb dirty, even though it’s cold outside? Then head to the local nursery and check out what you can plant that will thrive inside. Browse the specialty cookbooks that are in the sale bin, wander a Goodwill or antiques shop, check out the librarian’s picks at your local branch (that one is free, so spend your $10 on a cup o’ tea and a nibble to enjoy while you’re reading). Have fun with this Nudge! I know I will.  🙂

For those of you who celebrate: I wish you a Merry Christmas!

Nudged: Purchase a new nail polish color

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Backstory: I have a small confession. One of my “crazy” dream jobs is to be the person who creates the names on nail polishes. Just imagine: I’d get to research trends, expense mani-pedis, create fun puns all day long—and get paid for it! I’m not sure how to go about putting myself in the running for open positions (Hello, Sally Hansen!), but for now I can spice things up with a hot new color. 🙂

What Happened: While waiting for a prescription to be filled on Monday, I wandered the nail polish aisle. Naturally I was drawn to the peaches and corals, and this season, the reds, but I already have an adequate selection of those in my little basket at home. So I decided to go a different route. Instead of shopping for a color, I shopped for a name, for something I want to live up to. There is one called “Fearless” (perfect!), but it was too similar to reds already in my collection, so I passed.

Alas, I didn’t fall in love with anything I saw in that first shopping excursion. So late Tuesday morning I took myself out for a break from work and walked to another neighborhood drug store. I went back and forth down the aisle, considering names and colors and prices. Did I really want to spend $9 on one bottle? Not really. Did I want to risk spending under $2 on a cheap brand? Not really. I finally narrowed my selection to two options: “Good as Blue” and “Rags to Riches”. Both are outside of my normal palette, and I thought both could be fun to manifest in the days ahead. Which one? I liked the blue color better but the purple name better. Lucky for me, they were on sale, and I got two for about the price of one. Score!

I put the Good for Blue on my nails after lunch. It’s fabulous. It’s out there. I imagine my grandmother, who only wore clear and pale pinks that I can recall, rolling her eyes. Does this make me look younger and hipper, or older and pathetic? I don’t care!

Late Wednesday, just before shutting down for the day, I checked out the Sally Hansen website and found these quotes:

“You can do something about anything. You can and must improve constantly.” – Sally Hansen, Los Angeles Times, 1934

“Beauty to a woman in power. Power to believe in herself.” – Sally, Los Angeles Times, 1934

Did you know the company was founded in 1946 by Sally herself? It isn’t just a brand name. She launched with just two nail products, and today over 300 shades are distributed in over 55 countries. Way to go, Sally!

Ah-Hahs: I spent quite a bit of time exploring the Sally Hansen website and learned this on the About page:

“In a time when women ran households not companies, Sally defied husbands, parents, and society in general, to create the life and beauty she wanted for herself, by herself.”

What a fascinating woman! She and Estee Lauder and Helena Rubenstein (also real people, not just brand names) were pioneers, trail-blazers, and role models.

I encourage you to read Sally’s full story here and think about how she can inspire you. For me, in the moment, I decided to “go for it.” I couldn’t find a link to job listings or any kind of Careers page on the site, so I emailed them through the general Contact page. Maybe they hire freelancers. Maybe their creative staff works out of San Francisco and they’re looking for someone just like me. Maybe they will ignore me altogether and I’ll never hear back. What matters most to me, though, is that I got up the courage to ask.

I’m opening my own doors, thank you very much. And thank you, Ms. Hansen (Can I call you Sally?) for inspiring me.

Nudge: Purchase a new nail polish color

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My apologies for being a day late on this. I pulled the Nudge, then got distracted by other things in life. (Hello, Holiday Season!). Back on track this morning. Have a great week! xoxo

Backstory: I have a small confession. One of my “crazy” dream jobs is to be the person who creates the names on nail polishes. Just imagine: I’d get to research trends, expense mani-pedis, create fun puns all day long—and get paid for it! I’m not sure how to go about putting myself in the running for open positions (Hello, Sally Hansen!), but for now I can spice things up with a hot new color. 🙂

Nudged: Create a vision board for one goal

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Backstory: Oooo, this is a good one! It’s creative, it gets me manifesting, it’s fun!

The idea is to pick one of my goals or dreams—any one—and create something that represents to me what it would feel like to have it be my reality. It is putting the Law of Attraction to work for me.

In the past I’ve clipped images from magazines and pasted them onto a poster board in a collage. (If you’re more artistically gifted than I am, you might draw or paint yours.) The resulting vision board is then placed where I will see it every day.

Got my scissors, got my glue stick…let’s do this!

What Happened: Total bust. Utter defeat. Epic failure!

My pathetically empty vision board

I stared at this Nudge all week and couldn’t do it. First, I couldn’t decide on which goal or dream to manifest. So many, and none jumped out as The Big One I wanted to pursue. Second, I didn’t want to spend money on buying a stack of magazines to cut up, and I couldn’t pull from on any stack of old magazines because I’ve successfully decluttered them all. (So maybe there is one drawback to decluttering.) Or maybe I am just feeling burned out this week.

What’s a gal to do?

Get up. Brush myself off. Take a few deep breaths. Regroup.

In a few hours I’m going to draw a fresh new Nudge from my little bowl and dive into it with renewed courage and conviction.

Meanwhile, I’ve written “Create a vision board for one goal” on a new strip of paper and tossed it back into the mix. (If I draw it later today, I’ll just have to go with it, right?)

How did you do? Were you inspired to create something wild for your vision board? Did you manifest something from it? I’d love to hear about it.

The Ah-Hah: See “Get up. Brush myself off. Take a few breaths. Regroup.” Would add “And repeat.”

Or…maybe I need to hang my blank board somewhere, letting it represent my openness to something I can’t yet envision for myself. Hmmm…interesting.

Nudging: Create a vision board for one goal

1 Reply

Backstory: Oooo, this is a good one! It’s creative, it gets me manifesting, it’s fun!

The idea is to pick one of my goals or dreams—any one—and create something that represents to me what it would feel like to have it be my reality. It is putting the Law of Attraction to work for me.

In the past I’ve clipped images from magazines and pasted them onto a poster board in a collage. (If you’re more artistically gifted than I am, you might draw or paint yours.) The resulting vision board is then placed where I will see it every day.

Here’s a link with a good explanation and some tips on “How to Create an Empowering Vision Board” from Jack Canfield’s website*.

You might also check out examples in Pinterest.

Got my scissors, got my glue stick…let’s do this!

 

*Per the site, to use this link in my blog, I need to include the following: “Jack Canfield, America’s #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul® and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com.”

Nudged: Do something that scares me

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Backstory: I was just thinking about this Nudge. I knew it was on the list, and as my collection in the bowl dwindles, I knew it had to pop up soon.

So here it is. What might I do this week? What scares me? Maybe this is the week I finally…

  • schedule my annual mammogram (the last one resulted in surgery—I’m fine, by the way—so dreading this, though I know it’s necessary).
  • track down and contact the holders of the copyright on some song lyrics I’d like to use in a book I’m writing (worst case scenario: they could say no—which would completely foul things up for me).
  • trust my gut and tell a needy, demanding, and annoying potential client that I really do NOT want to work with her (despite needing the income).
  • say “Oh, hell no!” to everyone else who wants free work/favors/my time/my energy and turn my full focus to work that truly makes me happy, that gives me energy, that gives me joy.
  • decide where I want my ashes to be scattered.

What scares you (and what are you going to do about it)? Good luck!

What Happened: You know a good way to get over fear? Confront it every day. I walked into this week thinking I’d do one thing, but then decided it would be a good exercise for me to keep pushing, to keep nudging.

  • Monday morning, following a rather bizarre phone interview, I “quit” a potential client who I felt was not a good fit for me. (Not only did I remove myself from what I sensed would be a difficult working relationship, I believe I opened a way for something better to come to me.)
  • That afternoon I pitched an idea to a website I’d love to contribute to. (Hope I cracked open a door to new opportunities.)
  • Tuesday morning I decided where I want my ashes scattered. (We’ve been working on our estate plans, talk about scary.)
  • Shortly after I sent the above info off to our attorney, I scheduled my mammogram.

Early Wednesday morning, I learned that “Do not be afraid” appears in the Bible 365 times. One for every day of the year. I think, perhaps, this is something we’re supposed to take to heart. Just do it!

As the week progressed, I thought about some of the work I’ve turned down this year. Oftentimes the reason has been scheduling (I can only do so much in the hours of the day), but this year I’ve also gotten more adept at identifying when personalities and work styles don’t click. It’s a tough call. I’ve certainly done my share of sucking it up for the paycheck to work with difficult people (bullies, control freaks, and, let’s be honest, idiots), but I’ve started to identify and acknowledge the deeper costs to me. So not worth it.

At the same time, I’ve been thinking a lot about the types of people and businesses I’d love to work with more, and this week, one nearby company came to mind. I’ve been impressed with their mailers, emails, website, mission, values, and services. Every time I receive a promotion from them, I think, “Wouldn’t it be great…?”

So I took this one step further and checked out current job listings. Sure enough, they had one that fit my skills and experiences, and I applied.

Turned out they’d already hired someone, but instead of a standard form rejection letter, I got a personal reply asking, “Would you be interested in doing some freelance work for us?” Heck, yes!

Ah-Hahs: As much as I think I could have been a brilliant fit for the staff position, I am not disappointed. I feel like I am getting closer to what I am meant to be doing. After all the closed doors I’ve walked past this year (sometimes doors I’ve closed myself), I trust that the door that opens will reveal something that is right for me.

I am so darn proud of myself for trusting my gut, following my intuition, pushing through fears, and taking chances.

And that, my friends, is a successful Nudge.

 

Nudging: Do something that scares me

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Backstory: I was just thinking about this Nudge. I knew it was on the list, and as my collection in the bowl dwindles, I knew it had to pop up soon.

So here it is. What might I do this week? What scares me? Maybe this is the week I finally…

  • schedule my annual mammogram (the last one resulted in surgery—I’m fine, by the way—so dreading this, though I know it’s necessary).
  • track down and contact the holders of the copyright on some song lyrics I’d like to use in a book I’m writing (worst case scenario: they could say no—which would completely foul things up for me).
  • trust my gut and tell a needy, demanding, and annoying potential client that I really do NOT want to work with her (despite needing the income).
  • say “Oh, hell no!” to everyone else who wants free work/favors/my time/my energy and turn my full focus to work that truly makes me happy, that gives me energy, that gives me joy.
  • decide where I want my ashes to be scattered.

What scares you (and what are you going to do about it)? Good luck!

Nudged: Clear off dresser top; end of week, redo

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Backstory: It’s not the worst hot spot in the house, but as I take in what’s there—what has been sitting there for years—I’m ashamed. Photos of cute toddlers (who are now teenagers with driver’s licenses), old CDs that have lost their cases (can’t recall the last time I listened to them), favorite items of jewelry that need repair (and so have been unworn and unappreciated), Mardi Gras beads…Mardi Gras beads? Really?

 

Before.

What Happened: After pulling everything off and setting it aside in a box for later review, I gave the mirror a good Windex shine and wiped off the layer of dust that had accumulated. I was going to polish the antique wood, but discovered we were out of polish. I wanted to give this beautiful piece of furniture, which has been with me since elementary school, some love, so lemony polish was added to the grocery list, and midweek it got its “massage”.

During.

Several times during the week I caught myself thinking, “I’ll just set this laundry/book/mug/clipping/to do list here for a minute.” But having the dresser top completely empty caused me to stop and do otherwise, which usually meant putting the item in its own place. (Ah-hah.) The practice also caused me to be more aware of the other hot spots in our home: the dining room table continues to be the catch-all, the spare table in the kitchen continues to “temporarily” house many items that don’t fit in our limited storage space.

By coincidence (or not), I talked to two friends who have been more aggressively clearing out clutter after reading the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo. They look at each item and ask themselves, “Does this bring me joy?” If not, out it goes. One friend, who is further along in the process, told me she no longer has any knickknacks, no longer has anything to dust. Now that’s appealing! She realized what gives her true joy is spending time with friends, being outside with her dogs, going on hikes. So that’s how she now spends her time. I find that a little scary (giving up my stuff) and very intriguing.

What did I discover brought me joy? A crystal bowl with a few flowers floating it in. That’s it! Simple, beautiful. And no junk around it to distract me

Will I keep it this way? I still have the box of stuff off to the side because I don’t yet know what to do with it. Perhaps a couple of family photos will make their way back, and the jewelry needs to go somewhere (other than a cardboard box on the floor). We’ll see.

The Ah-Hah: I look at the top of my dresser every day, several times a day, and on some conscious or unconscious level it makes an impression: This is a mess. You are a mess. Add this to your to do list. Pull yourself together!

I realize declutting nudges have appeared several times over the past months, which sometimes feels annoying to me (and maybe to you, too). But I have come to believe it’s more than just throwing out old stuff. In the process I’m clearing space to allow more light, joy, and creativity into my life. I’m uncovering underused treasures while acknowledging other items that have served their purposes and can now go delight someone else. I’m making way for calm and peace. And so I keep at it.

I’d love to hear how you’re doing with all this. You already know I’m a big fan of the FlyLady (a free site where you are lovingly encouraged to clear all sorts of clutter from your life), and I’m curious about the tidying-up book mentioned above.

What are you doing? How are you doing? What are you discovering about yourself in the process? I hope you’ll share.