I got to meet one of my heroes!

 

 

I had THE best spontaneous weekend last weekend, AND I got to meet one of my favourite decluttering authors and motivators Peter Walsh. Yes, THE Peter Walsh of Oprah show and Rachael Ray fame! Not to mention all his wonderful books and tv programmes. I have been a fan for a long time and really benefited from his work.

Only about a week before I saw he was doing a talk on decluttering and downsizing in Auckland. Where I live is about a 5-6 hour drive or a one hour flight from Auckland, so I wondered if it was going to be recorded. And also dreamed about how cool it would be to see him live.

And then I thought, Why not go, Fiona? Why not? When am I ever going to have the chance to see him live again, and because the event was sponsored by a retirement community company, it was completely free.

So I went! And met Peter! He was hilarious on stage, with a very dry Aussie humour. I sat in the front row like a complete teacher's pet because I didn't want to miss a thing :) And happily he signed my book afterwards and let me take a photo with him too.

 

 

 

I love that he reiterates 'it's not about the stuff'. First you have to decide the vision you have for the life you want to lead, and also what you want 'from' each room in your home. So, in your bedroom, what are the feelings you want from it: peace, relaxation etc. And then you remove everything that does not promote those feelings.

It was a fabulous event, and he was on for 90 minutes, which went by in a flash!

 

 

Thanks so much Peter for a great talk! And to Ryman for paying for it (I even got a free coffee too, and there were a few others my age, which I was a bit worried about! I thought they might not let me in since I'm not retirement age...)

It was so worth the whirlwind 24 hour trip to Auckland!

 

Sometimes you just gotta do the crazy things in life right? Although it's not very 'rock and roll lifestyle' crazy to drop everything for a... decluttering seminar :) But you know what I mean. It's my version of rock and roll. Maybe yours too!

 

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This little book has proven so popular, and I really appreciate your lovely reviews, emails, and messages.

To me 'That Girl' is someone who's got it all going on. She lives her life with style, gets it just right, and enjoys herself too. She's not pushing herself or creating exhaustion for herself.

No matter the circumstances life has dealt her, she looks as if that's what she wanted all along. She rises to the occasion and always does it 'her way'.

She walks with an insouciant stride and plays it cool. She marches to the beat of her own drum and makes everyone want what she has rather than the other way around.

 

In sharing one of the tips from this book with you it was hard to choose, because I like them all, but I decided on number 33:

"Make betterment your hobby.

Instead of having a to-do list or habit tracker where your self-improvement efforts become just another thing you need to tick off before the end of the day, incorporate your desired goals into your normal routine. That way, you do things automatically and enjoyably, and they become a hobby not a chore.

What this looks like for me is that I start each day lighting a scented candle or filling up my essential oil diffuser, putting on soft background music, and switching on lamps.

I also play audiobooks or podcasts while I do household tasks such as laundry or cleaning up the kitchen. I wear my nicer clothes and put on makeup even for a day at home. I declutter and tidy most days to keep my home looking nice. And I consider my writing time relaxing time. It’s my ‘work’ but I also can’t wait to get back to it.

Find the spots in your day that feel like a bit of a slog and breathe new life into them."

I hope you find something in this excerpt to work with today. I already have my music playing and a candle going. And I've downloaded a few audiobooks to my phone to play while I'm doing my chores or driving.

 

(And you can find '100 Ways to be That Girl' here on Amazon in paperback or on Kindle.)

 

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And finally, happy southern hemisphere spring from our paddock :)

Work started on our replacement fencing this week, which was damaged in the floods six months ago.

The doggies took full advantage of being free-range by doing their paddock walk on the neighbours driveway (there is normally a fence between the drive and the paddock.

 

 

Yesterday was one of the first properly warm days we’ve had in a long, long time (including last summer) and it feels so good!

Roll on spring and summer weather. I’m here for it! 

 

Have a fab week,

xx Fiona

(PS. the Amazon link to my book is affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission but the price does not change for you. Thank you if you choose to use my link!)