My “40 before 40” List

When I turned 35, I decided that I wanted to create a list of things that I would do in my lifetime that would inspire my imagination. In June 2007, I turned 37 and that list is still swimming in my head. Some things I've been able to check off and others are still waiting patiently for me to experience them. However, those things might just be waiting patiently forever unless I give them a deadline. Turning 40 seems like a good deadline to begin with. So, in no particular order, here's my "40 before 40." Drum roll, please…

1. Lose at least 15 pounds and maintain that weight basically forever: As of 9/26/07, I have five pounds to go.
   
2. Be confident that I am the right mom for my children.
   
3. Save I love you to myself every day.
   
4. Be a good person. Not sure exactly how to define good, but it starts with living life with a pure heart.
   
5. Practice daily karmic acts of kindness by myself and with my family.
   
6. East 5-7 servings of fruits and veggies and take my vitamins every day: It would be so much easier if ketchup still constituted a vegetable, wouldn't it?
   
7. Publish five more books (Bestseller, here I come!)
   
8. "Own" my personal style: Step 1 – stop questioning whether I should have short hair or long hair
   
9. Read at least one book a month: This wouldn't be so tough if I would commit to finishing a book before starting another. I currently have five books I'm reading right now. Here's what I'm reading right now: The Success Principles, The Seven Life Lessons of Chaos, Notes from the Universe, The Monks of New Skete and Harlequin Romance's Mistress for Hire.
   
10. Get my nose pierced: My appt. is scheduled this weekend at Enchanted Ink in Boulder! I'm so excited. I've been talking about it for years, and now I'm finally going to do it!
    
11. Be a guest on Oprah and Donny Deutsch's The Big Idea
    
12. Be a guest on the Today Show and/or Good Morning America
    
13. Be a guest on Jay Leno and/or David Letterman
    
14. Meet Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and/or Steve Carell
    
15. Finish the pile of 'crapbooking – oops, I mean scrapbooking: I solemnly swear never, ever to scrapbook again once I finish this project. From now on, digital pix only.
    
16. Be at least a $1M dollar business annually
    
17. Learn to sing on-key
    
18. Attend a Foo Fighters concert/Meet Dave Grohl: One of my all-time fav bands. Dave Grohl rocks the drums, guitar and vocals. Plus, he seems like a groovy dad.
    
19. Get another tattoo: I love my first tat. I got it at 27. I've been wanting another one ever since (For those of you who have tats, you know how addictive they can be.) However, my hubby doesn't want me to get another one, so I'll need to think of something discreet – maybe I'll tattoo the kids names as a bracelet or rings on my fingers. That'd be kinda cool.
    
20. Adopt a puppy: He's here!
    
21. Train that puppy: This is proving harder than I thought. Frodo is an ornery little sh#%!
    
22. Interview Gwen Stefani for MOB: Gwen Stefani is the ultimate mom-entrepreneur. I absolutely love this style icon!
    
23. Purge all the clutter in the house and move towards becoming more paperless: Ugh – I hate paper trails (flyers, bills, junk mail). I want to reduce it by at least 50%. Click here and here for some ideas I'm using to get started.
    
24. Start a family business: Coming soon!
    
25. Write regularly in both my blog and personal journal: You're reading it, right?
    
26. Write my life story
    
27. Write letters to my children for them to open on momentous occasions (16^th birthday, 1^st day of college, 21^st birthday, wedding day, and birth of their first child)
    
28. Take a Disney Cruise: May 2009 is the tentative date!
    
29. Have date night twice a month: Hubby and I need time with each other!
    
30. Feel sexy: I know a lot of moms struggle with this one a lot, and I'm no different. MOBsters Kelly Paull and Miyoko Fujimori has some ideas though!
    
31. Have a conference for mom-entrepreneurs: Coming soon with Internet Marketing Icon, Kelly Paull (yes, this is the same Kelly with Slumber Parties)
    
32. Write a syndicated column
    
33. Paint my daughters' bathroom: I started this project 2 months ago and go bored. My husband refuses to help me paint it because he is trying to teach a lesson about finishing something you start. I'm thinking I may just call in someone else to finish it. Otherwise it may be in disarray until my 60^th birthday!
    
34. Exercise daily
    
35. Speak at three to five national conferences
    
36. Become a spokesperson
    
37. Become a trapeze artist for a day: I think I'm going to do it here!
    
38. Drive a race car
    
39. Write my 50 before 50: First on the list, visit Ireland and Scotland
    
40. Continue to embrace my chaos and inspire my imagination
    

Yikes! That looks like a lot of stuff to do. I better get started because as of right now, I have just 958 days (or 2 years, 7 months or 136 weeks, 22,992 hours, 1,379,520 minutes or 82,771,200 seconds). I better get going. Oh – and don't forget – keep embracing your chaos to inspire your imagination!

In chaos and creativity,

Julie

PS: BTW, what's on your list?

PPS: I'll update you from time to time here on the blog. Plus, each decade I'll be adding at least 10 more things However, if you want to regularly follow my progress or if you want to share your own 40 before 40 (or 30 before 30, 50 before 50, etc), please visit Inspired Imaginations' Inspiration Village message boards.

Lucky 7's of Falling Back Into Chaos

"Summer is no excuse for chaos, Julie." At least that's what my friend told me recently. And, you know what, my friend is right, because just like Fall, Winter and Spring, Summer IS chaos; it is just a different type of chaos that involves swimsuits, popsicles and watermelon. Now that summer is now over and the kids have trekked back to school. As I sit in my office, I notice that a few leaves have already begun to fall; I also realize I need to do the same thing...I need to "fall" back into my non-summer chaos! Here are a few tried and true tips for a soft landing as you fall back into your chaos.

1. Embrace Your Chaos. Think of chaos as an integral piece of your family's identity. It is a necessary element of life. Chaos is the ebb and flow of life experiences that touch your family. When you fight chaos, your start to lose the variety of encounters (good, bad and even mundane) that life has to offer. Embracing chaos provides you the freedom to create a life you love - an "imperfectly inspired" life that celebrates your authenticity and creativity.

2. Redefine Organization. What do you think of when you hear the word "organization?" Cleanliness and orderliness, right? That can be part of it, but organization is actually cover much more. Organization istime management (scheduling), space management (order), and energy management (prioritization). Organization is very personalized; it is most effective when you tweak it to work for you. What works for me may not work for you. Really, there is no right or wrong way to organize your life; the important aspect is to apply some sort of organization - time, space and energy management - so you can find your comfort in the chaos.

3. Clear the Clutter. Clearing out the clutter is the launch pad to organization. As you start to address time, space and energy management, take the time to clear the clutter from those areas. If your schedule is busting at the seams, stop saying yes to new tasks and start eliminating other commitments. When clearing the clutter in your space, pretend it is moving day. What do you really need to keep? A good rule of thumb is that if you haven't used something in six months, sell, donate or toss it. Finally, clear the clutter from your energy. What do I mean? There are many ways to do this, but one of the most effective ways is to start removing people, places, thoughts and things - that continually deplete your energy without giving you anything in return. Remember, that the more you clear out, the more you'll clear the way for new opportunities.

4. Mealtime Predictability. Dinnertime always sneaks up on me (it really is my most chaotic time of the day). Before I know it, it's 5:30 and everyone is asking "What's for dinner?" Knowing that stale tortilla chips, mushy grapes and soy milk aren't the most appetizing meal, I created my mealtime predictability plan. Exciting it isn't, but effective it is. Here's a peek at our menu: Crock-Pot Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Whatever Wednesdays, Topsy-Turvy Thursdays (breakfast for dinner), Fun-Food Fridays, Simple Saturdays, and Surprise Sundays. Like I said, it isn't exciting, but it saves time and it's edible. .

5. Practice the Rule of 80/20. Did you know that 80% of your work can be done in just 20% of your time? It's true. I call this 80% of tasks the quick-hitters. These are items that can be quickly completed but are often procrastinated. Start employing the rule of 80/20 by finishing these quick-hitters in just 20% of your time. This frees up 80% of your day to spend on activities that require more detail and attention - activities that usually bring you more enjoyment.

6. Inspire Your Imagination. A surefire way to jump back into your chaos is to figure out what inspires you. What is it that sparks your heart? Is it a song or a color that fires you up? Or could it be those few solitary moments when a breeze floats through the house that brings you a sense of calm? Whatever it is, capture that feeling by filling your life with items and moments of inspiration. Your inspiration can provide you with the energy to move forward into your dreams and goals. An added bonus - a little bit of inspiration can give you that push to get through those quick-hitters in less than 20% of the time!

7. Slow Down. Your desire to move through your mile long to-do list in just one afternoon is admirable - unrealistic - but admirable. Set a timer for a short period to work on just one or two small, dauntless projects. Once the timer rings, stop and spend some quality time with yourself and/or your family. Remember, the more you embrace your chaos, the more you can inspire your imagination!

It’s a Boy!

The Smith Family is proud to introduce our newest family member…Frodo Snickers Krypto Marshmallow Angel Smith. No one could pick just one name. However, we call him Frodo for short because of his big ol' Hobbit feet.

Weighing in at just 8 pounds 3 ounces, this 8 week old boy joined our family on Sunday, September 9. Originally born in New Mexico, Frodo was a shelter transfer dog who arrived in Loveland, Colorado on September 5. Spending a few days at Project R.E.X. (awesome place!), he first found his way into our hearts and home after the kids through PetFinder. The kids and I took a trip over to Loveland and quickly fell in love with him (I also clicked with two other dogs, but if I brought home three dogs, I might be the one sleeping in the dog house). Frodo is a Beagle/Jack Russell Terrier mix which basically means he's going to grow up to be the most adorable bundle of hell on wheels you've ever seen.

I've always adopted pets from shelters and rescue centers. I know that there are some great breeders out there, but I just can't imagine adopting a purebred when there are so many phenomenal "mutts" waiting for someone to love them.

Frodo is my first puppy from a shelter. Actually, he's my first puppy ever. I've always adopted grown dogs, kittens and cats. So, puppyhood is a new experience. One thing I've learned in the past two days is that puppies are very similar to babies. They pee and poop a lot. They don't sleep through the night and they cry. A lot. But just like babies, puppies can give you that "look" and you fall head over heels. Plus, just like babies have that new baby smell (new cars have it too), Frodo has that new puppy smell. It's just delicious!

To date, Frodo seems to have adjusted well to our chaotic house. The cats aren't sure what to think of him. They know he's not a cat, but they aren't sure he's a dog because he's still smaller than they are. He has connected with the three kids, my hubby and me which is cool. Other than that there isn't much else to say. I'll keep you posted though.

With inspiration and imagination,

Julie

Amy Manson is … Imperfectly Inspired

Each month, I like to interview someone who I feel is imperfectly inspired. This month, Amy Manson is Imperfectly Inspired!

Olympic athlete, Amy Manson, also the owner Get Goaled, a company dedicated to the personal success of children, and mom of 2, consistently enriches her life and inspires her imaginations.


How do you enrich your life and inspire your imagination?
I enrich my life by prioritizing what fulfills me and doing my best to actively pursue those priorities each day. My priorities are as follows: Faith, Family, Developing and using my personal gifts and passions.

I try to inspire my children by exposing them to experiences and ideas I feel are important. I encourage them to take part in activities that reward them for hard work, respect and kindness. I also try to surround my kids with great role models who teach good character in fun and rewarding ways.

How do you motivate your children?
My best tip for motivating children is to set up a reward plan. Let them know what is expected of them in order to earn certain rewards. Surprise them with a reward when they surprise you with extra good behavior. The reward doesn't have to be an expensive toy. My kids earn smiley faces or frowns on a chart for "target issues" each night and they are quite motivated to get the smile instead of the frown.

I also think it's extremely important to live what you want to teach your children. I know if I want my children to become motivated individuals, I better be living a motivated life in front of them. What they see on a daily basis becomes their norm.

What's your personal motto?
My present Motto is: Positive goals = Positive choices= Positive lives. I really believe that's what it all comes down to. Don't let the wind blow you when it comes to direction in your life. Pick the path you want to take and make the choices you need to make to get there. If you do this throughout your life, your life will be filled with meaningful experiences and accomplishments.

Find out more about Amy!