C. Lynn Williams's Blog, page 21
January 17, 2018
Websites that Help You Get and Stay Organized and in Control
Want to get the knack for organizing your home and your life, but need of a little extra inspiration? Want some fresh ideas, or maybe you would just like to connect with like-minded people? There are many different websites out there that provide a wealth of information, ideas and tips, as well as provide a place where people can go and share their own ideas, mistakes, and offer support to one another. A few of the most popular home organization websites are listed next.
Visit FLYlady.net for tips on how to conquer the clutter in your life and how to overcome the CHAOS factor, which stands for Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome. This group teaches you how to use an organizational journal and encourages you to shine your kitchen sink often. Followers are often referred to as FLYbabies, and the group is currently over 300,000 members strong. Visit this site at www.flylady.net.[image error]
Large comprehensive websites such as http://www.ivillage.com, http://www.msn.com, and http://www.google.com all have a wealth of articles and advice available for you on many different topics to help your home and life run more smoothly. There are other groups out there that you can sign up for online to become a member of to chat with people, or there are various message boards available that you can post ideas, tips and suggestions on for other readers.
If you’re looking for websites that offer ingenious organizational and time-saving products, there are plenty of them to be found on the Internet. Lillian Vernon, Harriet Carter, Rubbermaid and Kitchen-Plus.com all offer innovative and unique ideas for your home, office and car.
Various newsgroups and e-mail newsletters abound on the Internet. Take some time and find a few of them that you have found to be useful, and subscribe to them so you’re always sure to get the latest time-saving tips and organizational ideas.
Interested in learning more about removing clutter out of your life? Contact me – C. Lynn Williams, founder of Finding Superwoman
, to receive information about my inspiring coaching programs: www.findingsuperwoman.com
Click Here to become a part of my parenting community.
C. Lynn Williams, #MsParentguru
Family Dynamics Strategist, Author & Speaker
Finding Superwoman Founder
January 5, 2018
What Does 2018 Mean to You?
[image error]As I wrote in my last 2017 blog, my thoughts were dark and scary. I felt like some of my solid surfaces had crumbled and things that were normally in order and in place simply weren’t there.
As a person who wears a lot of hats: writer, blogger, wife, mother, entrepreneur, I juggle lots of tasks and activities. It only works well when I’m doing things that support me like:
feeding myself good foods
getting rest
having interesting conversations
doing meaningful work
connecting with my spiritual source (daily)
staying connected with my husband
When either of these stop happening, I find myself “Lost in Space” and freaked out. That happened at the end of last year and it didn’t feel good. However, I did two things that got me on the road to a successful 2018. First I recognized that I had lost touch with myself. Second I attended Watch Service on New Year’s Eve at my church.
As the heart of the family, women feel everything. We feel the conversations that need to happen and anticipate what we intend to say. We feel the frustration of our kids when something doesn’t work out the way they’ve expected. We feel it when our spouse has pulled away from us and it’s time for a heart to heart conversation. We feel when our own spirit has been become restless because we’ve stayed too long in a job or business that no longer feeds us mentally or economically.
The issue is how to have those conversations and continue to move forward, instead of getting stuck. At the end of last year, I had gotten stuck. It was a foreign feeling for me and I almost didn’t recognize what was going on. However, I had a mild asthma attack! Something I haven’t had in years. Metaphysically, asthma is a deep cry from a soul to be loved and to be cared for. I argued with myself for a day or two – I’ve been loving and caring for myself. Haven’t I? I started taking time to meditate again and did some soul searching. I decided I had more work to do with myself and in my relationships.
What I know is that life is a series of processes. As you work on one area and get it to where you like it and it works well, you realize another part of you needs work. Once that’s done, it may be time to work on the relationships in your life. Are they meeting your needs? Are you meeting theirs? We’re used to overhauling our business and household, but taking a good look at ourselves and our significant others is also important too.
So for 2018, what are you doing differently?
Imagine what it’s like have great time management and work-life balance! If you are struggling to make this happen, Click Here to schedule a complimentary discovery session with me. Want to be a part of something supportive? Click Here to join my parenting community.
C. Lynn Williams, creator of Finding Superwoman
Family Dynamics Strategist, Author & Speaker
December 27, 2017
How to Vanquish Those Dark Places
I love the holidays because I get to see my children who live in other cities, as well as family members that we don’t see except during the holidays or on special occasions.
Sending out Christmas cards and buying gifts is fun too, provided I stay within my budget. But those are outer fun things to do as I prepare for the Christmas holidays. I also prepare myself and our home by declaring spiritual intentions of peace, joy and love into each person that comes to visit or spend a longer time with us.
This year was no different except that I didn’t give myself enough time to [image error]
meditate (each day). I usually like to get up before everyone else, find an unoccupied room, pray, give thanks and do some yoga stretches. It puts me in a great frame of mind, ready to handle my day.
This year my routine got interrupted. We had out of town family staying with us three weeks before Christmas and I was helping out with other’s morning routines. My routine was interrupted.
During the week of Christmas, I ended up with a head cold and lots of negative, irritable thoughts that seemed to come out of nowhere. Confrontational thoughts and situations started resurrecting themselves in my mind and I found I was not feeling very superwomanish!
I don’t know about you, but feelings of confrontation, dislike and irritation slip in while I’m asleep. When the morning comes and I feel a mood change from Ms. Happy to Ms. Grinch, here’s what I do:
Repeat whatever positive meditations I can remember. It helps pull my energies from negative thoughts to more positive ones.
Take a long shower. While in the shower, I play a Louise Hay or Abraham meditation or some gospel music. It uplifts my mood.
If the weather isn’t ridiculously cold (like it is right now in Chicago), go for a walk or run. The time with nature and the exercise will increase your endorphins and you’ll feel more positive.
If the dark places are still hanging around you and seem to be unshakeable, reach out to someone who specializes in mental health issues and talk about it.
I believe a great life is our inheritance. Whether you enjoy it or not is your choice.
C. Lynn Williams
#MsParentguru & Founder of Finding Superwoman
December 20, 2017
Don’t Be Afraid to Let Go
Have you ever held onto something that you knew you needed to let go off? A relationship… job… business… [image error]Sometimes we hold on tightly because we’re afraid of what the change will mean in our life. And sometimes we’re just afraid of the change itself and what it will mean for our future.
I’m thinking about the changes that I’ve made in my life. Many of them were life-changing. Others were more spiritually oriented and required that I change my thoughts, expectations or wants. Each change made me the women that I am today.
2018 is a year of positive change for me. I can feel it, and today I decided that I am open and receptive to what that will mean for me.
What changes are awaiting you? Are you ready embrace them and move forward? Let’s go!
C. Lynn Williams
#MsParentguru & Founder of Finding Superwoman
December 6, 2017
How to Move Past Holiday Depression
Have you ever had the blues and couldn’t shake it off? Last year around the holidays, I was going through life’s storms. My father had passed away at the beginning of the year, and we were having financial difficulties. While Christmas gift-giving was very lean, we enjoyed getting together with our children and other family members.[image error]
I was happy to be alive and healthy.
This year my coaching business has picked up and my husband is working. You would think our holiday forecast would be brighter, (and it is) however there are different challenges. I’m busier than ever before and have little time for thinking and planning. I realize that I have to let some things go. #choices #challenges
As much as I love the holidays, I have mixed feelings about enjoying them because of so many family members we have lost in past years. I think about one of my favorite aunts who is no longer around to say Merry Christmas or my mom who isn’t here to make her delicious almond cookies and listen to my stories.
To move myself past these feelings of loss and sadness, for the last 30 days, I have been telling God & myself 5 things (daily) for which I am thankful. Today was a more emotional morning and I decided to list 10 things. These reminders of things (or people) for whom I am thankful, make me feel blessed for the good that I have. It also keeps me from focusing on what hasn’t happened yet or who is no longer with me.
What I do know, is that as festive as the Christmas holidays are, it also brings up memories of family & friends who are no longer with us. For me, it means not getting stuck in those memories and making new ones instead. Our daughter got married this year and we have a new son-in-law. New memories! One of our nieces had a baby, which means we now have six great nephews! New memories! I’m doing what I love to do which is teach, write books & coach parents on being & doing better.
I know that I am in control of my thoughts, and how I feel is determined by how I view the experiences in life. I can see life as half-empty (depressing) or half-full (promising). So I’m drying my tears and thinking about those 10 things for which I am thankful for. One of them is you!
C. Lynn Williams
Author & Founder of Finding Superwoman
http://www.clynnwilliams.com
#Happy Holidays!
#findingsuperwoman
November 20, 2017
Effectively Managing Thanksgiving Activities
When the holidays occur, does your willpower for time management go out the window? Do you feel that nothing can be done properly unless you do it yourself? That’s a bad feeling especially when you are exhausted, irritable and everybody went to bed hours ago. You make it a point to do everything to make Thanksgiving wonderful, but when the day arrives, you are exhausted, testy and no fun to be around. [image error]
I’ve been there too! The major difference is that I grew up in a household where my mother believed in delegating tasks to my sister, brother and me. It didn’t mean that there weren’t a ton of tasks that only she could take care of, but we all participated. If we didn’t do it to her liking, she taught us how to do it properly. As I hosted Thanksgiving dinners with my own family, I send out the menu and asked who wanted or to make (or purchase) an item. This made our dinners more collaborative and I wasn’t completely stressed out by the time the guests arrived.
Depending on your traditions, Thanksgiving may be a formal affair with tablecloths, silver (yes the kind that has to be polished) and china. Or you may be less formal, but everyone will be at your home and you have lots of food to cook. Either way, here are three tips for effectively managing Thanksgiving activities and preparation without losing your cool.
Create a list of things that have to be done. (It’s not too late, as long as you create it today!)
On that list, put names of family members or friends who you can delegate this task to.
Be gracious with the help that you receive.
#3 is probably just as important as #1 & #2. Being critical of the help you receive, whether it’s cutting up veggies, ironing tablecloths or how someone prepared a dish, makes those who help you, disappear when you need help in the future. If you don’t like the gravy, your daughter-in-law made, keep it to yourself.
Oh and be sure to get to bed at a decent time on Wednesday, so that you can enjoy your family and friends.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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I would love to hear how you slayed on Thanksgiving?
When I coach my clients about finding their superwoman, I encourage them to discuss what’s holding them back and determine what is most important in their life: work, family or relationships. If you are struggling with time management and planning, Click Here to schedule a complimentary discovery session with me.
C. Lynn Williams
Award-winning Author & Founder of Finding Superwoman
www.clynnwilliams.com
October 31, 2017
5 Brain Warm-up Exercises for Mental Clarity
Mental clarity is essential to our health and success, and luckily it can be restored very easily, and very quickly. Here are 5 fantastic brain warm-up exercises that can be done in the morning to encourage mental clarity, leaving you with a mind as clear as a blue sky.
1. Find a Noun for Each Letter of the Alphabet
This simple exercise gets both sides of your brain to work together and it’s quite enjoyable too. Go through the alphabet and think of a noun (the more unusual the better) for each letter. Your left brain will help you to think of the word, and your right brain will imagine what the noun looks like (color, size, shape). This exercise gets the entire brain to focus and eliminates brain fog.
2. Classical Music
Studies have shown that music (especially classical music) can have a significant effect on our brain function, mental state and mood (it’s called The Mozart Effect). [image error]
Calming pieces of classical music can slow down your heart rate, which decreases blood pressure and lowers the level of stress hormones in the body. A stress-free mind is a clear mind, and this can be even more effective if you play the instrument yourself.
Fun fact: surgeons have been known to perform surgery while listening to classical music!
3. Yoga
We know exercise is a healthy way to relieve stress, but yoga is even better because it combines exercise and meditation to de-clutter the mind. When a person is holding a yoga pose, their mind is focused on their breathing and staying still so much so that other thoughts are removed. Kickstart your day with some mind-clearing yoga poses such as ‘Warrior I Pose’ or ‘Tree Pose’, which really diverts your focus to breathing and balance.
4. Brain Dumping
Brain dumping is about transferring all of the thoughts in your head onto paper a bit like journaling. All that’s needed for this exercise is a notebook Start jotting down any tasks that you haven’t done (big or small) and anything else that seems to have gotten the best of you. [image error]
By writing down tasks you’ll gain more clarity in terms of prioritization, making it much easier to focus on the important tasks and leave the trivial ones to be dealt with later on. Brain dumping relieves you of that panicky feeling where you stress so much about all of the things that you need to do, that you can’t do them.
5. Brain Games
Games such as sudokus, crosswords and math quizzes are a great way to clear brain-fog. Whether you prefer mathematical problems or word games, a brain puzzle in the morning will stimulate the mind and improve brain function. Puzzles also improve memory and reduce the likelihood of brain degeneration in your later years!
Finally…
Did you know that there are many other ways that mental clarity can be attained? These include making sure that you’re hydrated, eating a balanced diet for the vitamins and minerals that the brain needs to function, physical exercise to release serotonin (the feel-good hormone), and getting enough sleep so that our brains are rested.
Combining a healthy lifestyle with any of the above exercises in the morning will leave your brain clutter-free and ready to concentrate on the important tasks of the day.
I would love to hear what you do to achieve mental clarity?
When I coach my clients about finding their superwoman, I encourage them to discuss what’s really bugging them and determine what is most important in their life: work, family or relationships. I believe that you can have a wonderful relationship with your partner and your children as well as a successful career.
If you need help moving forward, Click Here to schedule a complimentary discovery session.
C. Lynn Williams
Award-winning Author & Founder of Finding Superwoman™
www.clynnwilliams.com
October 20, 2017
The Importance of Setting Boundaries
Has anyone ever stood too close to you in an elevator? How did you feel? It was uncomfortable right?
Not only do I feel a little claustrophobic in a crowded elevator, I also feel that way when tasks start to pile up on me and I allow them! I don’t say NO! In the past, there [image error]were a lot of reasons that kept me from saying NO – my environment, my upbringing, my willingness to please; all kept me from saying “No I can’t do that for you.” It didn’t matter whether the request was work-related, friends, or family members.
I realized that I did not set boundaries for myself. I would do the task, but be angry about it. I’d say to myself – “I can’t believe they asked me to do this!” It wasn’t until I realized that I was the only one who could control this. The only way I was going to have time to myself, was to allow myself to set boundaries around what I would and would not do.
Depending on your culture, upbringing, or social status, the only time women feel comfortable setting boundaries is when they don’t feel good. Society understands when women are sick and can’t do something as opposed to not wanting to.It’s a big difference between wanting to do something and not having the resources, and not wanting to do something and not knowing how to say no. Setting boundaries is a way of caring for you. [image error]
Just like with any other habit that we begin, start practicing by saying No. Practice setting boundaries on what you’re willing and unwilling to do. Give yourself permission to say no to things that you really don’t want to do. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but just like with any other habit that you practice, you will be surprised at how comfortable you feel and how it begins to relieve the stress and the anxiety that you experience when you take on yet another project that you really don’t have the time or the desire to do.
As entrepreneurs and busy businesswomen, our success is predicated on making wise decisions. Not just making wise decisions for our businesses, but for ourselves as well. Our male counterparts do it every day. How often has your significant other said no to you? It’s just one little task that needed to be done, and he said no? Don’t get mad at him. Just learn to do it more often – for you. #setboundaries
Interested in learning more about how to control the stresses in your life and maintain balance? Contact me – to receive information about my inspiring coaching programs for working and entrepreneur mothers.
Click Here to become a part of my Finding Superwoman Facebook community.
C. Lynn Williams, #MsParentguru
Founder of Finding Superwoman, Author & Speaker
October 3, 2017
Question for You!
What should you do if you don’t like your kid? “I didn’t want a child, but my husband did. So we had a child. She is cared for by my husband and his parents. She is 4, and talks constantly. She’s driving me crazy. What can I do?”
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(This question was posed on one of my online networks for parents, and it really touched my heart)
Take Our Poll
How would you advise this mom? I’d love to hear back from you. I’ll print the first 5 responses (serious answers only, no sarcasm please) in next week’s blog.
C. Lynn Williams, #MsParentguru
www.clynnwilliams.com/contact
September 29, 2017
What Makes Us Hold On to Our Sons
I remember feeling happy when I got pregnant with my second child. But I wondered where would I find love to give this new child, when all of my mother love was going to my first-born – my daughter Cand.
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Mums and Babies
Then Al was born and God opened up my heart to give lots of love to this new baby. It was amazing how differently I felt about this kid – this son of mine. There isn’t anything that you wouldn’t do for your son and that’s pretty cool while he’s a baby or a young boy. He’s so lovable, and the thing about boys is that they graciously allow you to take care of them. As his mom, you’re his first love and he’s pretty possessive about. It doesn’t matter whether you are married to the love of your life, or you’re a single mom, those boys really attach themselves to your heartstrings and hold on. Usually that possessive love only lasts while they are young boys. However, we’ve gotten used to the attention. So we try to everything we can to preserve that feeling of love by giving our sons, our time, money, support – everything!
The problem occurs when you’re still doing everything for him into his adult years. You’ve taken care of him throughout his teen years, his college years (or working years), and haven’t required him to take care of himself. He’s your #PamperedPrince, lock, stock & barrel! Not only are you taking care of him well into his adult years. You don’t celebrate the women that he’s brought for you to meet and approve of. You find fault with each one of them – they’re not good enough for your son. [image error]
What makes us (as moms) hold onto our sons so tightly? I can think of three reasons:
We are afraid our sons won’t love us if we stop taking care of them
No one else will love us like our sons
Our sons won’t do the right thing without our constant guidance
Here’s the truth – none of those statements are true! If you’ve been consistent in your love, discipline and guidance for your son, he will be okay. If you’re a single mom, make sure to give him positive, trustworthy male role models. He may do things just like you want or he might do things you would prefer he didn’t do, but trust the process. Let him go. Allow him to grow up and become the man you always knew he would be! He’ll make you proud.
Interested in learning more about your mother-son dynamics? Contact me – Ms. Parent Guru to receive information about my inspiring parenting programs for Aging Parents, Mothers and Daughters, Mothers and their Sons, Fathers and Daughters or Fathers and their Sons.
Click Here to become a part of my parenting community.
C. Lynn Williams, #MsParentguru
Family Dynamics Strategist, Author & Speaker
