• On 13 Feb 2021
• By noramjudd

The key to personal organization

As I was scrolling through my gajillion emails, I decided to open an email that had in the subject line something along the lines of improving personal productivity. In the first paragraph of the article it had a few other buzzwords like “calendar integrity”, how to set deadlines, how to stick to deadlines etc.

As a person who has had “issues” with all of these things all her life, until recently, I decided to take a listen.

I was hoping the author of the article would share with its readers the real reason (that I have discovered anyway) why these kinds of articles are so prolific. For me it was not knowing my true identity. Since embracing who and what I really am, these “personal productivity and personal organizational issues” have evaporated.

Learning and accepting that I am a child of God and realizing all that is involved in knowing this has totally changed my view of myself!

It’s all these personal progress/productivity/organizational programs over the years that have put me and kept me in a personal “I’m not good enough/I can’t do anything right/ I suck at this” funk.

In all honesty, it’s not “their” fault, but, these kinds of articles had added fuel to my already slow burning self-deprecating fire leading to the undermining my self-confidence and follow through.

After years of searching and frustration, I found the key to staying focused bringing that within forth.

If you too, have struggled to bring your dreams forth with little to know success, I have some 60 minute one on one sessions that could unearth exactly what the problem is and weed it out for good. Book now with my calendly link.

Please use this link to book a free appointment with me (for a limited time only. Zoom ID will be emailed to you).

• On 13 Jan 2021
• By noramjudd

Creativity and Fear

I have tons of stuff for crafting papery things. I have always loved paper and pretty things to put on it and make it in to. It just touches my heart in a very special way. This love of paper and all things pretty led me to a popular crafting company. Each month we would take turn being hostess (to earn free stuff) and attend a paper crafting workshop and make replicas of the card the demonstrator had been inspired to create. As a type “A” rule follower, mine had to be exact in every way or I just didn’t feel 100% happy about my effort. Even though I enjoyed the projects we replicated, I longed for times when we could just be together and do our own thing chatting happily as we worked. At each get together we would place a minimum order to help the hostess of the month earn free stuff.

Well, after a couple of years of this, I amassed quite the stock of paper, do dads, stamps, sticky stuff and more stuff. It takes up an entire corner of my office/workout room/studio. Being the type “A” rule follower, I found that I simply was unable to feel pleased with anything I created. If I did’t have this or that little piece of whatever to make it look exactly like the idea someone else created, I felt underwhelmed and disappointed. So it just was not worth the frustration I felt and my “stuff” sat there and gathered dust. So even though I wanted to be free to create and have fun, I couldn’t. I was so conflicted within myself at one point I wanted to give it all away. But, I didn’t and I am glad I didn’t.

Fast forward a few years later and much introspection, I decided I wanted to create a little tea bag box holder that would sit on my counter and hold my many favorite teas. And after moving my “stuff” and reorganizing it recently for the umpteenth time, I knew where every little bit of this or that was that I needed to attempt the box. I was tired of the fear of perfection holding me in paralysis and forged ahead with glee instead and created the cutest little tea box covering, in my own opinion (which is a huge step for me!). I can’t say the reception of my little creation from those around me was as spectacular as my own and with a little introspection, I learned a valuable lesson.

No one else knows exactly the obstacles I overcame in myself to get to this little point of joy in my life and (after some tears and said introspection) that is perfectly ok. But, I learned something from my experience of making that box (and another card, so cute!) that I truly appreciate and now is a part of me. I learned, that others may also labor and overcome obstacles to bring forth what makes their own heart sing! And now that I know how it feels, I can appreciate the fruit of their work so much more! Ah, such a good feeling!

Would love to hear how you overcame fear and paralysis to experience joy in your life! Or if you need a listening ear to unravel the “things” that seem to be holding you in place, we can work through them together (insert heart emoji here lol).

• On 14 Sep 2020
• By noramjudd

Fifty nine and feeling so fine!

When I was about 15, I really took a keen interest in health and well being. As I became more aware of the different shapes and sizes of the people around me (I worked at a fast food restaurant and was also a swim instructor) I decided that I would do the things that keep one healthy. I tried many different ways of eating: vegetarian, macrobiotic, counting containers, as well as what to eat and when to eat it.  It was a lot of reading and experimenting always looking for “the right way” to be healthy. Being not particularly handy or imaginative in the kitchen, needless to say I experienced much frustration at “getting it right”.  Recently, I sat down and took a good hard look at how I was “being healthy” and realized there is more to “the right way to achieve health” then figuring out what to eat, how to eat it and when to eat it.  I realized trying to meet someone else’s idea of “right” may not be what is right for me.  But, could I wing it?  Could I make my own way in this alphabet soup of how to achieve health with all the different ways of eating? I decided that 2020, my 59th year,  was the year to try.

Over the years I have run the extremes. Totally not caring to what was within arms reach and ended up in my mouth and to counting every calorie of every morsel of food within my house. Neither of these extremes brought me to a place of peace and harmony with my health in a direct manner. However, over time the pendulum began to swing less and less wide, and sort of come to a calm ebb and flow.  I can now throw a dish together without stressing out whether or not it has the right amount of macros and calories. What was it that allowed this change to happen? I wanted to be happy in addition to living a “healthy” lifestyle. What would have to change and would I be able to?

The 1981 rock song by 38 Special “Hold on Loosely” comes to mind as the answer to that question. I just had to chill, pure and simple. I had to look at the bigger picture, learn to listen to my body and enjoy being creative with food and nutrition. I had to learn to keep everything in perspective, use all the knowledge I had gained and be open to new information as well. I have learned to appreciate the experiences I put myself through. I have come to  realize those experiences don’t have to be considered good or bad, but just that they brought me to this point of being happy in my healthy lifestyle.  Happiness and healthful food are a great combination.  

I have so much more room in my brain now for the many other creative ideas in it. I am enjoying a new found flow in the kitchen and pack homemade meals for work with more ease than I ever thought possible. My refrigerator and cabinets are more organized than they have ever been and it was so fun planting and then later making meals with the nearly daily harvest from our tiny garden. I have sustained energy throughout the day.  Normal hunger at predictable times of the day has returned and I feel satiated without feeling stuffed. Happiness has been the perfect ingredient to add to my healthy lifestyle.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and will check out my next blog post on some ideas and techniques I use to eat intuitively.