I look forward to reading every article.

I’ve been downsizing for the past two years. Meaning I’ve donated nearly  all of my furniture with the exception of three or four pieces. This includes living-room, dining-room and bedroom to the Salvation Army. I’ve cleared my closets and bookshelves. What a liberating experience!

I’m determined to live a more holistic and simplistic lifestyle. I own only those things I use. My business affairs and papers are in order. If I die today or tomorrow my family will not have to pull their hair out searching for important documents. They already know where the bodies are buried.

I prefer to spend my time living instead of drowning in a sea of things and paper. Now, that I’ve downsized I’m not able to focus on those things that interest me, those things that pull  at my soul.

carol smetana

Stop this insane self-sabotaging this instant(smile!)… Take one step at a time! … List your ideas in order of their priority. Which ideas tug at your heart and soul? … Which ideas keep you awake at night?

As long as you’re breathing there’s life! … Your age has nothing to do with realizing your dreams and bringing your ideas to fruition. 

Seek out words of positive reinforcement. You might even enjoy reading poet Maya Angelou poem "Phenomenal Woman." It offers words of inspiration and encouragement.

I have a girlfriend whose now in her nineties. She was determined to get her college degree. Estella received her degree at the age of seventy-six years of age.

Personally, there’s a scripture from The Holy Bible I say to myself. It offers me the encouragement and assurance I need. Philippians 4:13  " I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me."

I wish you much success.

As a child , I watched my mom look at the mail.  She stood near a trash can.  That which was important went into a basket.  The rest went directly into the trash.  We never saved boxes, wrapping paper, ribbons, gift bags, etc.  Clothing?  If it hadn’t been worn in two years, it was off to the Salvation Army.  There was a large farmer’s calendar that hung on the wall.  It was full of dates.. when books needed to be returned to the library, the dentist appointment, when to fertilize the hanging baskets, birthdays, etc.  Food?  Put as much as you liked on your plate, but if you did, you would eat all if it.  No wasting food.

My family ran like a well oiled machine with Mom at the wheel.

I am not so organized.  Right now, I know I need to clean out that refrigerator but just cannot stand the thought if it.  Something is growing in that Tupperware.  If it escapes, it could over power me… maybe the entire city.

Hi Carol, 

It is very easy to self-sabotage and I think the answer is, in the words of Dale Carnegie in his famous book "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living", is to "live your life in day tight compartments".  In other words,"shut off the future as tightly as the past.  The future is today - there is no tomorrow. Concentrate all your intelligence, all your enthusiasm, on doing today’s work superbly well."  Try as best as you can to do this and I think it will help.  I would also encourage you to buy the book and read it. It’s a bit old fashioned (it was written in the 30s) but the common sense rules still work today.  Good Luck.  You can do it! 

Thank you. I devoured your every word. I needed that !

bonita

Carol,

May I share a few things that I have found helpful:

First, once you decide on your new business idea, replace those thoughts that you hear ("You’re too old, it’ll never work, etc.") with new ones: "I am becoming an interior designer" (or whatever it is you are pursuing). "Today I will spend at least thirty minutes (or an hour or whatever) doing something that will further myself in my new career." Things like that. Tell yourself that you are an interior designer (or whatever it is) in the making. Read everything you can on the subject, attend lectures, read articles, magazines, attend school, surround yourself with people in the business, etc., etc. Just move in that direction, spending maybe thirty mintues a day at first, then an hour a day, then two hours a day, etc. and one day you will become the dream. Live it each day. Do what you have to do to get there. Tell yourself each day that you are become a graphic designer, a paralegal, an attorney, a website designer - whatever it is you want to be, and believe it, and live it! One day you will be there.

Also, the SBA has lots of resources. They have a program called SCORE which is a counseling and assistance program. They will pair you with one or two retired professionals who worked in your field. It is a wonderful program. They can help you make a plan, and stay on track. Just look up SBA or call 800-827-5722. They really are concerned with helping people reach their goals.

I hope this helps. You can do it. Believe, and don’t stop. Best,       

Carol,

One more thing to add to my initial reply: Surround yourself with people who support you in your endeavor. You don’t need anyone discouraging you.   

Julie,

Thank you for leading the way.  I want on board to help others during this difficult time.  My family is in there with those who have spouses that are not working.

I’d like to offer two tips that have helped me with readjusting:

1) Change your mindset.  Find the wonder in the difficult.  We recently moved to an apartment which meant we no longer have an office.  In fact, we don’t have room for a filing cabinet.  We now have a cute little mobile bill paying container.  Our office is now a desk in the bedroom ~ not a first choice, but it works.  Also the desk must sit angled in the corner with a wall on one side and a sliding glass door on the other.  I call in my "corner office with a view."  Mindset ~ change it.

2) At meal time, I sometimes think about what a poor meal I’m serving because I know that there isn’t much in the house to choose from.  But I decided that I’m the only one who knows that.  So I serve it as if it was the best meal in the house, not the only meal in the house.

Debbie

I do a blog every weekday on how to cope—and some dopey govt "stimulus," so-called, is not how. http://hopeycopey.blogspot.com.

If you feel vulnerable and need help jumpstarting your courage each day, you are not alone—and in fact, you are ahead of the game because you realize it. Everyone is vulnerable. Even before this weird admin, we were. We just didn’t know it. It was like running downstairs two at a time—think about it and you fall. Well, now we also need other things to think about.

L.C. I’m SO relieved…I was going to ASK you if that had been a typo. How very inspiring….less stuff has led to increased ability to focus on the things that pull at your soul. bravo.

Debbie—LOVE the line "Find the wonder in the difficult. Inspiring phrase for all.

wowowow friends…this conversation is off to a WONDERFUL start—love the questions, love the stories, love the challenges. KEEP ON SHARING! I’m so looking forward to learning more about what’s on your plate right now.

I have your book, Organizing From the Inside Out, and it’s one of the best books on organizing I’ve ever read. I have good organization skills.  I also happen to sell on Amazon and eBay at night (things I’ve inherited, things I’ve amassed,) so I have that down pat.  I also have good food shopping skills, but we can all use more of those.  When did cheese and laundry detergent get so expensive?  What I really want advice on right now is a good software (or bookkeeping system) for keeping track of home expenses. 

  I’ve thought about getting Quicken, but reading the reviews, there seem to be some buggy glitches that pop up when you go into a new fiscal season (not too sure on that…just what I read in reviews.)  I already use Excel spreadsheets for my Amazon and eBay work and that’s very helpful in tracking what I’ve sold and how much I’m making, complete with charts, etc, but I want a good home system that can alert me when bills are due, show me how money is going out and to whom, etc.  Any ideas anyone?  Is Quicken the best software for that?  And there are multiple Quickens.

P.S.  I was on the phone with AT&T the other day, and the customer service woman and I got into a conversation about regaining control over our expenditures.  I told her I was anal about things, and she laughed and said, "Let’s just say you have good organizational skills."

Whatever organizational arena you enter as a topic, I am ready to take notes and learn from the master.