July 17th – Breakfast at 7 am, packs ready.  We waited for the school bus to shuttle us from the south end of the trail at Port Renfrew to the North in Bamfield.  It was a four hour ride on dusty logging roads.   Couldn’t find it again if you paid me to try.  On the bus we met Puce from Switzerland.  He was 20 and going to Medical School in the Fall and decided to travel some before he has to settle down.

There are several people waiting to go through the orientation when we arrive in Bamfield at 12:30 pm.  We had done the orientation the day before so we could get started in early afternoon.  We learned about looking out for bears, wolves and cougars.  Take your time, access the situation and then vote as a team, she said.   27 evacuations so far this season, (less then 2 % of the total number of people that hiked the trail.)  That made me nervous I didn’t want to one of those statistics.  We get our final instructions and permits and headed out at 1 pm on the beach.

Beautiful and gorgeous!  I had my pack on my back, I had trained hard, I had my buds with me and we were fulfilling on their bucket lists.  I don’t have a bucket list.  I’m thinking maybe I should start one.  This is COOL!  When I work with my clients the hardest part I tell them is getting started in creating a life they love.  And here I was despite my fears moving forward with excitement!

Our goal the first day was to hike 7.5 miles to Michigan Creek and camp on the beach.  We warmed up with a few ladders and crossed 23 bridges.  I counted everyone like a badge of victory.  When we arrived in camp we had to figure our roles — who was putting up the tent, cooking dinner etc…

Okay we are doing the West Coast Trail – now RELAX…

Last March my friend Woody posted a request on facebook that it was on his bucket list to hike the West Coast Trail and who wanted to go with him?  My longtime friend Theresa said she would go.  It’s a 47 mile hike off of Vancouver Island with miles of coastline and forest hikes.   (There is a great West Coast Trail Documentary of a Canadian reporter doing this hike. ) Only 26 people can be on the trail at a time .  You can either begin in the north at Bamfield, which an easier stretch or begin in Port Renfrew and do two days of 100 foot ladders and slogging through the mud.  Extreme fitness at it’s best.

So I responded to his post saying Theresa said yes to this hike?  Never imagining in my wildest dreams I would say yes.  I was a shopping mall walker at the time and not nearly in the physical shape needed to participate in a hike like this one.  The last time I had hiked was in the late 70′s in Yellowstone National Park.  Woody and Theresa are both experienced hikers and as it turned this was on Theresa’s bucket list as well.  And so the enrollment began… After a coffee date and many concerns, (read FEAR) I said yes to this adventure.

Fast forward 3 1/2 months after having trained — hiking twice a week, strengthen training with my fabulous trainer Emily Jennings, worked on strengthening my knees and hips I was ready to carry my 40 lb pack 47 miles to victory.  If I died climbing all those ladders I had lived a good life.  Something was compelling me forward to try something impossible,  In my mind I couldn’t see myself succeeding and I was determined to try despite my fears.  My son Zach has a bumper sticker in his room that says “Fail until you Suceed”.  That was my motto so off we went.

Where does fear stop your life?

Stop choosing between chaos and order, and live at the boundary between them, where rest and action move together. Rainer Maria Rilke

We often procrastinate when we are overwhelmed by a task of clearing clutter because it all too much.  So what if you began with a recycle bin, a trash bin and a keep box and cleared that from the space you are working on.  Give yourself 30 minutes and see what you can accomplish.  You will be amazed by just doing that what a difference it makes.  Try it now  and report back to me with your results.   Clear Your Clutter, Transform Your Life.

Cheers,

MaSanda

Grab a pen.  Begin by going room by room and describe how each room is now and how you want it to be.  Create a vision board for what you want each room to look like so you have a clear image in your mind of your vision for each space.   — Peter Walsh, “It’s All Too Much Workbook.”

These rooms usually have particular areas that are prone to clutter.  Determine your danger zones and police them regularly.  Get in the habit of picking up the living room each day before retiring and the dining room before and after every meal.  “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Organizing Your Life”.

Get your reading done: Simply put it in a place where you like to sit and read. Carve out a little time each day to read. Put yourself to bed an hour early and read a chapter. If your TO READ pile gets too learge or too outdated, toss it because there’s more on the way… promise…. happy reading…

How to organize your linen closet: Pull everything out of the closet and sort into categories: pillows, blankets, towels, sheets, table linens, dinner napkins and table runners. Anything else should be stored elsewhere. Limit yourself to three sets of sheets per bed and three sets of bath towels, hand towels and washclothes per person. Either donate or make rags of old, worn or unused linens. Happy sorting!

What’s the payoff for organizing your home? Now is the time to identify what you hope to gain by organizing your home. The more specific you can be with your payoff, the more motivated you will be to start and finish the job.

Make sure you schedule time each day to listen to your own inner voice. That’s how you know if you’re on the right path and you’ve got your goals and priorities in the the right place.