{"id":16402,"date":"2024-04-23T00:00:45","date_gmt":"2024-04-22T15:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/?p=16402"},"modified":"2026-02-26T12:53:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T03:53:11","slug":"focus-on-selfcare-first-and-opportunities-will-follow-1-2-3-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/how-to-create-space-in-your-room-devices-calendar-and-mind","title":{"rendered":"How To Create Space In Your Room, Devices, Calendar, and Mind"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDo you use the same calendar for work, personal, and volunteer activities?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This was one of the questions in a workshop for women in business on <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating Space in our Rooms, Devices, Calendars, and Minds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My answer was \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I have one calendar, which I also share with my team.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I use different colors for different types of activities, so that I know at a glance how I\u2019m allocating my time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Personal time, or selfcare, is in gold because it\u2019s the most important to me.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If I\u2019m not taking care of myself physically, mentally, and emotionally, I can\u2019t serve my clients to the best of my ability.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then I use other colors for training and coaching, meetings, and content creation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grey is for buffer time &#8211; at least 15 minutes between meetings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lady who asked the question replied, \u201cI love that selfcare is gold!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating space in your physical environment, your digital devices, your calendar, and your mind is an often overlooked approach to less effort and more impact.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019ve ever spent even just 5 minutes clearing out a drawer, you probably noticed it uplifted your spirits when you saw the organized and spacious results (even if that didn\u2019t last long\u2026).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, decluttering brings an array of benefits &#8211; not only in your physical space, but also in your devices, your calendar, and your mind!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>5 Benefits Of Creating Space &#8211; Physically, Digitally, Temporally, and Mentally<\/b><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Saves time &#8211; <\/b>How much time do you waste looking for things that you can\u2019t find because they\u2019re hidden among so much clutter (including in your digital space and your mind)? You can find things quicker in a decluttered environment.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Builds confidence<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; <\/span>When you keep things decluttered and organized, it boosts your self-esteem and confidence. You value yourself enough to care about your environment.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Improves health &#8211; <\/b>Clutter in your physical space can easily gather dust, which isn\u2019t good for your health. On top of that, UCLA research found a direct correlation between clutter and stress. And, of course, stress is an underlying factor in many health issues.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Strengthens relationships<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; <\/span>When you feel stress from your lack of physical, mental, or emotional space, you\u2019re less likely to be tolerant of others &#8211; and the reverse is true too!<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Uncovers lost items<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; <\/span>I don\u2019t know how many times I\u2019ve been decluttering and found a lost item. At one point, years ago, my engagement ring disappeared. It turned up several months later when I was sorting out the closet! Digital decluttering may uncover a treasured old photo. You may discover time for yourself when you declutter your calendar. And decluttering your mind of endless chatter can create space for you to discover new ideas and inspiration<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So now let\u2019s look at how to create space in 4 specific areas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Your Room<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on the expert you listen to, you\u2019ll probably hear different approaches to decluttering your physical space.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some advise you to gather everything of the same type and sort through it all at once &#8211; deciding what stays and what goes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may love this. Or you may find it overwhelming and want to give up halfway through.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some experts advise you to set a timer and declutter one area for 15 minutes or so.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Others recommend picking up a certain number of items to toss each day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As I always say, do what works for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If one approach isn\u2019t working out, no need to feel bad. Just test out something different next time until you find a better way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Your Devices<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consider your computer and smartphone in these 4 categories:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Email <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; What does your inbox look like? If you\u2019re overwhelmed with email, the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Sasuga! 5-Day Email Challenge<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will help you deal with emails faster, receive fewer, and have more time to focus on what&#8217;s really important for you!\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Files<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; How organized is your desktop and your filing system? This is a challenge for me because I\u2019m exceptionally good at starting things and not the best at putting things where I can find them again. I rely very much on the fabulous Yumi in Team Sasuga! to locate important files and documents for me.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Photos<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; How many photos do you have on your phone? Like files, keeping photos organized isn\u2019t my natural strength, so if you have storage and organizational tips, please do share!<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Contacts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Do your social media and other contacts uplift you or bring you down? According to Psychology Today, a study of almost 700,000 Facebook users showed that people who were exposed to more negative content were <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/111\/24\/8788.short\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>more likely to make negative posts<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This and <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosone\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pone.0142390\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">subsequent research <\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">proved that \u201cemotion contagion\u201d can happen both online and in person.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><b>Your calendar<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When women join my online programs and groups, the most common problem they have is a lack of time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So here are 4 questions you can ask yourself to create more time.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What appointments can you cancel?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What appointments can you shorten?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What tasks can you batch?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Where can you block more time for you?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s one of my favorite comments from a client that I hope inspires you:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cToday I skipped one online meeting, since I judged that my team could handle the meeting without me. This is the first time I skipped a scheduled meeting. The meeting went well. Also I could take a power nap and concentrate on the next meeting, in which my judgment was critical. I experienced \u201cless effort and more impact\u201d!<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Your mind<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re like many high-performing professionals, you have a lot going on in your mind. Constantly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In my programs, our top focus is to choose your thoughts. This is actually a form of selfcare because you can stress yourself out so much when you let your thoughts run wild. And here I\u2019d like to share another client comment to give you an idea of what\u2019s possible:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI was worried about what others think about me before, but I don\u2019t care so much about it recently. Looking back at myself, I think I was trying to fish for good impressions from other people. But now, when I communicate with someone, as long as I\u2019m polite, I\u2019m not worried about what they think of me. Then, I can shorten my time to send emails to other people. This is my recent \u65ad\u6368\u96e2 (decluttering) of my thoughts.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So now you know the benefits of creating space and you have options to get started in a way that works for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019d like to listen to me talking about this topic, tune into <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/161\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Episode 161 of the Sasuga! Podcast here<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe style=\"border: none;\" title=\"Libsyn Player\" data-src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/22032017\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/backward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/7610a2\/\" width=\"100%\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cDo you use the same calendar for work, personal, and volunteer activities?\u201d This was one of the questions in a workshop for women in business on Creating Space in our Rooms, Devices, Calendars, and Minds. My answer was \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0 I have one calendar, which I also share with my team. I use different colors for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":16414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[61,65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-personal-development"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16402"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16402\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18486,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16402\/revisions\/18486"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}