Brooks & Crowley December 2017

Is Your Calendar Chronically Crammed? Try This Must-Do Resolution

Step 1: Assess First, envision the life you want to lead. Next, assess all the items listed on your calendar within a two-month period. Organize each commitment according to categories — social, work-related, doctor’s appointments, etc. Be thorough. Including each commitment, no matter how minor, is the key to this process. Step 2: Joy Test Do these commitments bring you joy? Are they part of your ideal life? When you look at “Lunch date with Margot” from last week, are you reminded of her unfriendly comments about your waiter and her negative attitude toward your renovation ideas? Consider each commitment and its impact on your joy. Of course, not all commitments will live up to the joy standard. You may not love your annual check-up, but it is important for your health. When you encounter non-negotiable items like these, consider the long- term impact they have on your well-being.

Step 3: Discard Put an end to commitments that are not bringing you joy. This might mean having tough conversations with clients or friends. No one said the KonMari Method is easy. Decluttering entails getting rid of items that do not pass the joy test. Step 4: Apply! Follow through. Cancel commitments and long- standing obligations that are not benefiting your life. Have the difficult conversation. Apply the joy test as new commitments come up. By considering each commitment and its impact on your life, you will make room for those that bring you joy. To read more about the KonMari Method, check out Kondo’s “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and its companion book, “Spark Joy.”

In her book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” Marie Kondo gave us a transformative method for decluttering our homes. Based on feng shui principles and Kondo’s own study of organization, the KonMari Method has led thousands of devotees to new heights of tidiness. Kondo instructs participants to assess each of their possessions, item by item, category by category, and then dispose of those that do not provide joy. It’s touted as a simple, though not easy, guide to long-term organization. What would happen if this approach were applied to your calendar? Entrepreneur Christina Wallace calls her 10-month experiment in doing so an “unqualified success.” Most of us could benefit from trimming our jampacked schedules. Those various calendars synced to our phone, each emitting noisy reminders about the upcoming hour’s plans, aren’t exactly harbingers of harmony. Get a jump-start on your organization resolution by applying the KonMari Method to your calendar.

Laugh Out Loud

Paleo Happy Hour’s Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Ingredients

• • •

2 (8-ounce) cans of whole water chestnuts

• •

¼ cup coconut sugar

Coconut aminos (or tamari)

Avocado oil in an oil mister (if you bake in a glass dish)

1 pound bacon, each piece cut into fourths

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 2. Drain the water chestnuts and leave them in the can. Cover with the coconut aminos and let soak for 15 minutes. 3. Drain water chestnuts and then roll them in the coconut sugar. Wrap with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.

4. Spray a glass baking dish with the avocado oil then lay pieces inside, or place the pieces on a wire rack over a baking sheet. 5. Bake at 400 F for 30–35 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. 6. Let cool, then enjoy!

Recipe inspired by fedandfit.com

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