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Blog: An Organization Diet -- Lose the clutter and drop the weight
 Hip Hopping into time for myself!
This week I started a hip hop dance class. My first dance class since I was a teen ager. Problem is, I'm not still that same young and spry dancer anymore. I feel like I am at times but got a wake-up call during the 45 minute class session simply by looking at myself in the dance studio wall mirrors. "Yikes! Who is that?" I thought. Huffing, puffing, bouncing to the music (and trust me, a lot more of me is 'bouncing' these days!). Okay, you're probably wondering why I would voluntarily inflict weekly torture on myself, but actually it's my most recent attempt to finally shed these stubborn extra pounds…'bouncing' the pounds away!
The truth is, even with some leftover dance ability I might be able to bring to Miss Tracy's dance floor (amongst other hip hop moms that are mostly in shape and hardly breaking a sweat!), I'm surprised to find out that my memory is vanishing! It's one thing to actually do the steps, but a whole other thing to remember ALL the steps when hooked together with a fast paced, upbeat Justin Timberlake song! As I was working on the end of the routine we established, I realized I had already forgotten the first 3 steps we just learned at the beginning of the class!
I know that this dance exercise class will give me a deeper appreciation of both of my daughters' dance recitals in June…and I can now empathize with celebrity dancers on 'Dancing with the Stars'…now that I'm a dancer too…sort of. Well, okay, I'm a chubby professional organizer that huffs and puffs, dances and sweats every week to music (well, one week, so far)…in the hopes of getting that scale needle to slide down another notch or two!
The big deal for me, actually, in joining this hip hop class is not to learn how to be a great hip hopper, but that I actually took the time to MAKE the time for myself each week. As a professional organizer and life coach, my clients always came first. I love to teach, to nurture, to inspire others. I've come to realize that it's just a part of who I am. When a client 'needed' me, I was there…often neglecting my own need of time for myself. My family always came first, my business came second…and if there was any time left …maybe I'd carve out a third priority for me. What's totally ironic is that I was really not practicing what I write and lecture about: simplifying one's life and making yourself the number one priority in your life. It's really not selfish. We mothers have to get over that. If we feel good about ourselves, let's face it, we really will be better wives, mothers, girlfriends, daughters, sisters, etc. You know the old saying "if mama's not happy…nobody's happy!"
So, lesson one (it's that 'teacher' in me again!), sometime this week look over your schedule. I challenge you to remove or un-schedule one commitment (that you are not really all that committed to) and keep that time allotted …just for YOU. Then I want you to you look at your calendar ahead or your day-planner and highlight at least an hour or two of every week for what I call your 'breathing time'. Time to relax, reflect, rejuvenate, and de-stress! Eventually you might even work up to entire breathing days, each month, creating full days of self care… time for yourself…to relax, read, garden, scrapbook…or maybe even hip hop! 
posted on: 10/9/2007 12:30:00 PM by Lisa Lelas
category: Special Populations
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An Organization Diet -- Lose the clutter and drop the weight
by Lisa Lelas
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About Lisa:
Lisa Lelas is an author, life coach, professional organizer and speaker on the subject of simplifying, enhancing and organizing one's life. The owner of Life Styling, in Guilford, on the Connecticut Shoreline, Lisa has been featured on Oprah Winfrey, the Today Show, NBC news, Redbook, Ladies Home Journal and more. She is the creator/host of the country's first daily talk radio feature "The Organizing Minute" and has come to be known in New England as "the organizing lady" from her many regular segments on local TV network affiliates, radio & the press. Lisa is the author of the bestselling 'Simple Steps: 10 Weeks to Getting Control of Your Life', 'Simple Steps for Every Holiday', Simple Steps Audio-book (6 CD set), an all new Simple Steps wall calendar 2008, and creator of a retail line of floral hand painted and collaged organizing bins called 'Blooming Bins'.
Lisa lives in Guilford, CT with her husband, John, two daughters, Lindsay 10 and Lexy 8 and her very spoiled, very cute maltese dog, Daisy! Lisa's Website:
www.lifestylingwithlisa.com
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