Things you can do in 5 minutes

If you are one of those people who do not get overwhelmed at the idea of tackling an entire project all at once, then you are free to leave. If you look at a pile of paperwork or dishes and think: Good Times! you should probably go find a disease to eradicate.
But for most mortals, taking on big projects requires a little bit of toe-dipping, of chunking things down. It doesn't matter if that project is domestic or commercial, personal or with a group, there will always be small steps you can employ that get you closer to your eventual goal. We will discuss the specific how-tos of breaking down big goals later, but for now, I just want to point out that five minutes can be a magical and rewarding sliver of your day.

Since I work mostly from home, I have had to assign my own "work hours". Otherwise every day would turn into an 18-hour workday. At the top of every hour during those work hours, my phone gives me a jaunty little ping (sometimes I wish I lived closer to an old stone church that still rang in the hours) and if I'm not right in the middle of crafting the Great American Sentence, I get up for five minutes and hack away at things with a nail-file of time.
You may not think you could accomplish much in five minutes, but that's where I come in to shout in your face like a Marine tell you: not so!
Here's what I've been able to do in five minutes
Unload and reload the dishwasher
Throw in a load of laundry
Fold a load of laundry
Vacuum one room (turned into three)
Prep ingredients for dinner (I call it sous-chef-ing)
Call my mom for a quick check-in
Call an old friend who is long overdue for check-in
Do a Tabata workout
Eat a whole bag of Cheetos
Write a pretty impressive journal entry
Send out three important emails
Delete a bunch of emails
Delete a bunch of pictures from my phone
Put special pictures in a folder so they are ready to turn into an album with my next 5 minutes
Clean out my purse
Set up automatic payment on a bunch of bills
Write a note for my husband/children to find when they come home from work/school
Plan a week's menu
Plan out a month of homeschooling (one subject per 5 minutes)
Make a grocery list and send it out on Wunderlist
Get my Pinterest habit out of the way for the day
Go for a quick walk 
Play with my son's remote-controlled Quadcopter
Review/Fill-in my planner
Close my eyes and summon gratitude
Read one hizb
Make some dhikr

...and that's just this week!
I try to make my five minute, top-of-the-hour break one that is physical and will get me away from the computer, but that doesn't always happen. If you've been using your planner efficiently, you can always try to knock a mini-step towards your long-term goals/projects out the way during this time.
Five minutes is so unintimidating, so unassuming. It's your friend. And even if I don't get to it every hour, my at-least-once-daily five minute power time means I have accomplished something useful with very little pain or investment.

This post will improve your life by 215%

At least.
Though I am prone to hyperbole, this ONE thing has streamlined and upped the quality of my mornings, and days, immeasurably. So, no, 215% is not scientifically accurate, it's probably higher. But I'm being low key.

Develop a uniform, head to toe.
That's it.
This idea is certainly not new. I saw a clip yesterday from the House of Lords and noticed that they all wore fetching black robes with white collars (unlike the peasant House of Commons who are allowed to wear any old thing). Same with Supreme Court justices. Doctors. Military. Athletes. Police. Albert Einsteins. Steve Jobs. Barack Obamas. George Clooney at every. red carpet. event.  Even Star Trek alludes to a future of uniform uniforms. Men of business usually get away with wearing the same-ish suits to work every day. Women, not so much.
Until now. Women all over the world (wide web) are throwing off the shackles of pressures born out of the seventh-grade horror of being caught in the same clothes twice!
Years ago, I was trying to be a cute housewife and make sure my husband went to his clinic looking like Ward Cleaver. Since his is a private medical clinic, he dressed like a white collar criminal worker and I had bags under my eyes trying to keep up with making sure his creases could double as surgical blades. Then one day I saw the light, and that light was called scrubs.  I wish I could tell you that I wrote the great American novel with the time I saved, but I didn't, I probably squandered it reading Celebrities Who Look Like Their Pets or such like. I wish I could tell you that I shined that same light on my own stressful dressing habits, but I didn't. After he left I would stand in front my clothes like I'd never laid eyes on them before and wasn't sure what went where. Often, after agonizing minutes of decision fatigue, if I didn't have commitments in the outside world, I would stay in my pajamas and suck my thumb. (not really)
Fast forward years later... I am a new woman. Or at least I look like one. At the beginning of the week, I peruse my planner and chose TWO full outfits appropriate for the activities of that week. That's it. As most of my work is conducted at home, I could actually get away with one and some weeks the second outfit just acts as a backup. And here's the kicker, after washing and ironing those outfits, I often repeat them the following week! (Yes, I hear her too, 'Oh. My. God! Is she wearing the same thing again?' Ignore her, she never made it past the seventh grade)

How this works:
I don't advocate going out and dropping $$$ on such an outfit. For now, just shop your closet for it. It should be comfortable, meet your standards of modesty (i.e. it fits without tugging), and make you feel really put together. It should be seasonally appropriate.  Use layers if necessary. Use your jewelry, scarves, belts, all that stuff collecting dust and be your own stylist. Remember this is just for one outfit. Use the 'good stuff' that you're saving for your other life that just hasn't started yet. If you wear hijab, have that hijab ready too. You will thank me tomorrow.

Why this works:
Putting the energy into preparing one or two perfect outfits is something we all can do. You don't have to make a different fashion statement every day. Most people don't even remember what they wore much less what everyone else wore. And really, if you're worried people are critiquing you for your clothes, your clothes aren't the problem. Just saying. You will eliminate what is really one of the least important choices you should be making and be able to focus on bigger picture stuff. More importantly, instead of making a decision-fatigue induced choice and grabbing whatever brushes up against your hand, you will always look "right". You know that what you are wearing works, fits, and covers you properly. And the next day, you just do it all over again.
This is not a prison sentence, you are free to make adjustments, swap outs, etc, but you always have a basic fall-back that you can count on. And lest you think this only works for Work-at-Home women, have a look at Saatchi and Saatchi's Art Director Matilda Kahl's explanation for why she wears the same thing every day. She. is. an. art. director.
Those of you who wear the same abaya and hijab every day already have a jump on everyone else, so bravo. But for the rest of us, this is a game-changer.
What works for me:

Light blue wide-leg pants with white or cream top and long red cardigan

Black/White Striped Skirt, White Blouse, Same Red Cardi (not as shown)

Obviously, this is not going to work for everyone, but I can pretty much wear my uniforms everywhere. Your uniform can be as simple as a pair of high-quality black slacks and a steady supply of white blouses/tunics/t-shirts (a la Matilda Kahl), or one high-quality black dress that can take on different cardigans or blazers. Notice I keep repeating high-quality. I don't mean that in an Atlantic City 'hey, this is real high quality stuf', nor does it have to be expensive. Just the best that you can afford, the best that you have. If you are worried about getting your 'nice things' dirty, employ a good old fashioned apron. Yesterday I finally got around to steaming my microwave and cleaning it (I know... the glamour!) and I did it wearing my uniform, with a jaunty apron on top.

Chances are you may already have a uniform, for many of us Work-at-Homers, it's called yoga pants and a top that should be - and sometimes is - used as a cleaning rag. So invest a few minutes into putting together an outfit or two. 

Finally, choose a hairstyle that works for you (yes, even you hijabis). We all start off marriage with the best intentions of always looking put-together for our husbands and quickly devolve into a messy bun (and not is a cute way) and the aforementioned yoga pants. Don't make me go Stuart Smalley on you, but really, doesn't your day deserve a little more than that? Don't those around you deserve more? 

Try out the uniform for a couple of weeks and see if works for you. Let me know in the comments what worked and what didn't.

I hope this speaks for itself

Click to print

Why Should You Read this Blog and a free original print

Contrary to what my friends think, I am actually loath to give advice. I try to limit myself to very solicited advice or to only speak when I see a PERFECT fit of knowledge to need. Sometimes I may be a bit zealous on these two occasions, but the truth is: I give really good advice. (Friends, feel free to chime in with comments backing me up here.)
Because of my exhaustive nosiness people-watching research, I have a real knack for delivering sound, useful counsel.

Further, I realized only recently what a great life I have. I hesitate to say that for obvious reasons (if you're from the East, you get me), but I say it in all gratitude and (I hope) humility. And while I have no illusion that I created this life out of thin air, I have learned a lot about what works and what doesn't. I was recently at a wedding where an acquaintance exclaimed, "You should write a book!" Tell me about it. If I had a dime for everyone who has said that to me...

I immediately demurred because 1. I'm a woman and that's what we do and 2. I know I would feel like an utter fraud and 3. Who am I to write about anything?

This is all wrong. If only perfect people gave advice or wrote books, Borders would be out of business... oh. Moment of silence.

Jokes aside, take what works, leave what doesn't. Don't look for holes or hypocrisies, you will find them - and then what? Congratulations?

Some day in the past few years, I became a grown-up and though it often doesn't feel that way, I realized that I had to start treating myself like one. Leaning in, if you will. I do not practice everything I preach. Namely, because I don't preach, but mostly because ...

repentence

Count me in as a repenter!

Recently, Oprah came out with her Favorite Things list for 2015. This list is important because every single item on that list usually gets sold out before Christmas as a result. I scrolled through the list and though a deep dish cherry pie seemed to be just the thing for certain days, I really didn't want a single thing on that list - even as a gift. I think if someone got me a custom pet ornament I would have to end the friendship. Were we ever really friends at all?
In other news, a Titanic themed amusement park is set to open in Dubai. Just let that one roll over you a minute. Don't try to make any sense of it, because it will break your brain. I tried to imagine the pitch meeting for that one and concluded that some people just have a lot of hutzpah and somehow manage to convince people by sheer force of charisma that they need a cheesy movie based theme park ... in Dubai, or a Faux-Fur Pet Jacket in Chinchilla (I couldn't even make that up).
What I lack in charisma I make up for in keepin-it-real. I will never try to convince you to buy plates featuring birds in fancy hats. If I ever do recommend a purchase, it's something I have myself, tested, and found wildly successful. Did you hear that? Not just nice to have. WILDLY SUCCESSFUL!

Finally, if I were to suggest you read the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (which I do), you might look at me funny as you nod and pretend to write it down, but you wouldn't think, Benjamin Franklin? Why on earth would I care what he said? Well, you might, but you'd be a bad person.
Here's the thing though, I've read it. Parts of it are like literary Ambien, parts of it are like fireworks going off behind your eyeballs. I will give you the fireworks-behind-the-eyeballs parts.
Consider this you Cliff Notes for Life (Sparks Notes for my Canadis). I read (and experiment) so you don't have to.
You're welcome.
I have close friends who are experts in various fields, but sometimes they are very stingy with the advice they give to public. I have the inside scoop and I will out it! I will tell you the "real recipe" and not the one your friends give you with missing ingredients so they can laugh when you say, 'I tried making it but it just didn't taste like yours.' Smug animals.
In the end though, I am writing for myself. I often know exactly what I need to do to fix certain areas of my life and instead of doing it, I'll just eat Cheeetos and watch Downton Abbey. This is my answerability blog. If I've just posted about the importance of bed-making, I'd like to think I'd at least pause before leaving my room a disaster some morning.

Expanding Horizons

The kids have grown (a bit) and my craft room has moved to a far corner of the house. I still craft, but it's hard to come up with something Pinterest hasn't seen before. So while I will still post the occasional craft or project, this blog will have a different focus from www.craftingwithintention.blogspot.com, my old home. My contribution to the glut of blogs out there will be a synthesis of the best of my research and readings. I am not a "lifestyle" expert - or maybe I am, is there accreditation for that?
What I am is a voracious reader and experimenter. I chomp through hundreds of books a month many of which are devoted to finding that elusive "good life" we are all striving for. Every week I will bring you the curated best of what I read and find; whether a book synopsis, website find, new habit that has transformed my life. Everything will be tested and vetted.
As a Muslim I will certainly sift through and edit out the advice that doesn't fit with my life. As a mother, I will always be on the lookout for practices that enrich these fleeting years with my children. As a woman, I will champion causes that further women's rights. And as a me, I will talk your ear off about what speaks to the needs that I see in myself and so many of those around me; the spiritual, social, physical, aesthetic needs. The organizational needs. The productivity needs. The need to go to bed every night feeling that today was a good day. A day lived with intention.

P.S. Why the random bicycle? I didn't learn to ride a bike as a child. Though my parents tried, I think I threatened to sue/turn them in to Interpol if they kept trying. Years later, I wanted my kids to see me try and fail and try and succeed at something clearly out of my comfort zone. For days I made an absolute fool of myself. But one day: I did not fall. I rode all around our neighbourhood hearing the squeaking cheers of my children follow me. I often look back on that experience when I embark on something new and uncomfortable.