Make Today Matter Mini Makeover Catalog

Mini #57
Includes Reality Routine worksheet
Please note this Mini will not be available until November 7, 2008.

Recently I have had quite a few conversations with women about their Master Task Lists. I found that many women assumed I followed my Master Task List to a tee.  In one conversation I began explaining that the Weekly list is what is most important to me and receives 90 percent of my energy. The 2x a month tasks, monthly tasks, and quarterly tasks are all those I hope to get to (and often do) but they are not my focus. By focusing on a solid weekly routine the longer term tasks tend to be much more easy to manage because my life is managed. I may not get everything done, but I get what is most important done.

Then there are the times when life goes haywire. The unexpected trip, or unexpected guests. The overtime at work or the problem with a close family member.  The unexpected illness or the emotional rollercoaster. During these times a solid weekly routine is one tool that can help us keep our sanity and stay above the chaos.

This Mini takes you step by step through building your weekly “Reality Routine.” This is not a routine based on everything you WANT to do, but based on the “anchors” that help you stay sane, maintain balance, and feel good about home and self. By the end of this Mini you will have created a solid routine and run it through the reality test.

Mini #56
Please note this Mini will not be available until November 7, 2008

My daughter Sammy and I were having an interesting conversation about values and character the other day. (She is thirteen.)

“How would you define character?” I asked.

She paused for a moment and said, “Character is how you define yourself, which in turn defines you.”

I loved this definition and it led me down the path of thinking carefully about character. Character is the real “you”– it is who you are when everyone is looking, and maybe more importantly, who you are when no one is looking.

In this Faith Matters study we look at fifteen important character traits found in the Bible and see how our character does (or doesn’t) embody these traits. This realistic character self-portrait provides a spring board for healthy changes.

Mini #53
Please note this Mini will not be available until November 7

“Gratitude turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” Melody Beattie

Developing a thankful attitude, goes a long way toward developing a more resilient, confident, and appreciative self, while also dramatically influencing life joy, contenment and inner peace. In this Mini we work thorugh practices for keeping a Gratitude Journal to increase your attitude of gratitude.

This Mini includes printable Gratitude journal pages, exercises, and prompts to help you discover the magic of this timeless tool.

Mini #55
20 pages
Please note this Mini does not open until November 7, 2008

When people are asked what gifts they remember most from past holiday seasons, often it is the handmade gifts, given from the heart. In this Mini I share 17 gift ideas that easy and economical. Instructions are porvided for 17 easy and economical homemade gifts, including:

• Painted Glass Ornaments
• Christmas Tree Craft
• Journal Craft
• Journal or Address Book
• Magnetic Moments
• Screen Saver
• Decoupage Ornaments
• Ice Cube Candles
• Memory Bag
• Coupon Gift Sets
• Beautiful Bracelet
• Decoupage Memory Box
• Foil Stained Glass Ornament Craft
• Magnets and Thought Stones
• Gifts from the Kitchen
• Mosaic Mirrors or Picture Frames (courtesy of Sammy)
• Keepsake Memory Box (courtesy of Sammy)

Mini # 54

13 pages
Includes Excel file for tracking system

Slowing down and reconnecting with others is a prime theme of the holiday season. Christmas cards can be an enjoyable part of the process when we start early and break the process down. We will begin by collecting our names.  Then next week we will break this list of names out into a realistic plan to get the cards in the mail on time.

Making Friends with Christmas Cards
My friends used to tease me because I would send my holiday cards in July. If you think I was overly organized—think again. I wasn’t sending cards six months early; I was sending cards six months late! Or, each year, I would be tempted by a great card design, invest in enough packages to cover my “send list,” then “run out of time.” One year, I discovered I had 38 unopened and unsent boxes of holiday cards! Although my intentions were good and my holiday spirit at its peak, my holiday greetings went unexpressed year after year. Finally, I made a habit of starting my holiday cards long before they were “due.” I could then think through my holiday cards, write special notes and enjoy the process versus having it become another to-do in a long list!

In this Mini we cover

• Choosing a tracking system (an Excel file is provided for electronic filing)
• Collecting your names
• Creating your Card Quota
• Creating a “Christmas Card Spiral Sender”
• Electronic card ideas, digital cards ideas, homemade cards
• Each week work to meet your quota, share your quota and progress on the Mini message board

Mini #52

Study after study has shown how recordig our goals, dreams, aspirations and affirmations improves our ability to manifest our goals in our lives.  In this Mini we explore how to build a “Treasure Book” filled with pages and words that inspire and affirm our personal and professional goals.

You’ll learn book-building basics
How this technique helps you
How to use your Treasure Book to maximize life results
Complete four exercises to beginning building a book of your own

Mini #50

Includes Wisdom Worksheet
2 Key Verse Cards

One of the many Bible books that I read repeatedly is the book of James. A short five  chapters this book offers 54 direct commands, without mincing words on living the  Christian life.

The simple and straightforward approach of this Jerusalem church leader and brother of  Christ covers a wide range of conflicts, topics, and wisdom with clear guidance and a hallenge to put our faith into action. The writing and topics explored touch on the core  of today’s challenges–facing difficulty, doubt, adversity–and are as relevant now as in 50.A.D. (making it one of the earliest books of the New Testament–perhaps even the
first.)

In this study we will explore the five chapters of this book in depth and apply James wisdom to our lives while also exploring the self-reflection prompts through the book.

12 pages

People create visual journals for all sorts of reasons-namely because the discoveries we find in this process are fresh, offer new perspectives, and provide an insight that is unique to visual journaling.

In my own life, I have used written journaling for years. I found that a written journal became a necessary tool for recording the details of my life, making sense of experience on paper, and reconciling the past. In 2004 I began visual journaling as a structured practice. Within two weeks of the process I made an interesting discovery. While written journaling is vital to help me make sense of the past, visual journaling helps me live in the present.

In this 12 page introductory lesson (adapted from my Visual Journaling course) we will complete three projects and ….

•  Learn about Visual / Art Journaling
• Go on a Supply Scavenger Hunt
• Choose a “Home” for your journal
• Create a Visual Idea Bank
•  Project: A Collection of Words
• Project: Abandoning Structure
• Project: Finding Inspiration in Unexpected Places

Mini #45

It was fun to develop this Mini because it emphasizes the part of the Make Today Matter Life System that is most important to me. When I created MTM, it was very important to me that it contained a contingency plan for when “life happens.” I wanted women to know that when life happens and you cannot login as often as you would like or the Toolbox Steps seem a million miles away—it’s okay. You are not behind. You are right where you should be and MTM is ready for you—no matter where you are.

This Mini is designed for two audiences in particular:
1.    Women who completed the Toolbox but worked quickly or did not fully implement each Step.
2.    Women who have been away from the program because life happened and are looking for some guidance to get “back in the groove.”

During the first seven days we review and focus on the 5 essential practices to build a solid daily foundation. During the second week we walk through how to make the most of your Make Today Matter Membership and use the site to match your goals and priority areas.

Mini-Makeover #43
Includes a printable “Soul Food Set” of images to use on your cards
Includes three printable card “blanks” (Brook’s art with lines for your favorite quotes)

In the MTM Toolbox you learn about Soul Food Cards. This Mini takes us on an adventure for the soul as we learn different ways to use affirmations to realize our full potential, create contentment, and make every day matter. During this Mini we will:

• Build our Soul Food decks through three different exercises
• Learn techniques for reaping the benefits of Soul Food and affirmations
• Save our first Soul Food Card Swap (Optional) (In this swap be all make two cards and then send them in by mail. In return your receive two other member cards)

Mini #039

Okay… so we might all agree that the Bible makes a great guide for living and that God’s word and the examples of Jesus are timeless principles that offer a ray of light to all who strive to follow these footsteps.

Yet how do we bring these words alive in our own life? How do we go from reading God’s Word to LIVING God’s word? What can we learn from the teaching of Jesus that can guide us day-in an day-out as we face conflict, stress, difficult choices or confused emotions?

In this Faith Mattes Study we will read through timeless wisdom of the Bible and work to live by example by incorporating this wisdom into our own life. Includes reflections and challenges for practicing each nugget of wisdom in your daily life.

Living by Example: Guidance for Living God’s Word
28 pages

Okay… so we might all agree that the Bible makes a great guide for living and that God’s word and the examples of Jesus are timeless principles that offer a ray of light to all who strive to follow these footsteps.

Yet how do we bring these words alive in our own life? How do we go from reading God’s Word to LIVING God’s word? What can we learn from the teaching of Jesus that can guide us day-in an day-out as we face conflict, stress, difficult choices or confused emotions?

In this Faith Mattes Study we will read through timeless wisdom of the Bible and work to live by example by incorporating this wisdom into our own life.  Includes reflections and challenges for practicing these nugget of wisdom in your daily life.

This study is divided into 21 daily doses of devotion. Topics of exploration include:

• Selflessness
• Memory Verses
• Putting Others First
• Communication & Conflict
• Watching Your Words
• Advice on Daily Living
• Living in Faith
• Seeking Wisdom
• Actions and Preparations
• Navigating Life
• From Confusion to Clarity
• The Garden or Life
• Guidelines for Living and Loving
• Opinions
• Following Christ

  Bonuses:
  Special God’s Guidance Printable
  2 Key Verse Cards

Mini Makeover #36

Clutter, whether emotional or physical, is the number one robber of simplicity. Clutter robs peace and leaves anxiety and maintenance in its wake. In this Mini-Makeover we work through five exercises and activities to understand why we collect clutter, the true cost of clutter (on both our time and our wallet), and accomplish the simplification goal Hans Hoffman offered: “To simply means to eliminate the unnecessary so the necessary can speak.”

Mini #034

A Path of Purpose
18 pages

Welch poet David Whyte wrote: “I don’t want to have written on my tombstone, when finally people struggle through the weeds, pull back the moss, and read the inscription there: ‘He made his car payments.’” While humor is found in Whyte’s quote, great truth is also revealed. My guess is he struggled with the questions that loom over so many of us:

In this Faith Matters study we will explore similar struggled faced throughout the Bible and the wisdom God’s Word can shed on purpose.

• Includes 18 days of study

• Includes one wallet-sized Faith Card

• Includes regular sized Faith Card

Between the many demands on our time, the opinions and influence of those around us, and the choices available in today’s word it can be challenging to discover our purpose. Yet living “on purpose” is a key ingredient of a balance and meaningful life. In this study we explore women of the Bible and God’s Word to help us ask and answer the questions to lead us toward purposeful living.

* In June Brook will lead an online discussion on the last Sunday of the month at 4:00 PM CST.

This study includes 15 daily doses of study.

About Faith Matters: Each study includes….

• Look-Ups (a.ka. Write it Down): Each study contains scripture references around the monthly theme. Look these up in the Bible you are most comfortable with and write them in the provided space.
  Reflection Questions: Work through these thoughtfully. Space is provided in the study guide or you can use the private online journal.
• Activities: Follow the instructions for the outlined Activities. You may wish to keep a special journal for these Activities.
• Key Verses: Build a deck of cards to celebrate key verses that speak to you. Each week add one verse to your deck. You can write it on a colored index card, design it on a computer, or decorate a card by hand.
• Discussion Topics: Discussion topics are highlighted throughout the study . Login to the study area and you will see a thread started for each of these.
• One or two key verse cards created by Brook Noel
• Access to the general Faith Matters area where you can share favorite scripture, your own key verse cards, prayers and more.

Any relationship can be challenging to maintain in today’s busy life. Ask a woman how many close friends she has and most women can easily count them on one hand. Why? A close relationship requires a resource in tight supply for many-time. The purpose of the Faith Matters Mini is to provide a way to study what the Bible says on a specific topic and provide a simple way to stay present with our faith.

A few important notes about Faith Matters Minis:
1. Everyone is welcome, regardless of religious affiliation or current beliefs. If you have never picked up a Bible, aren’t sure what you believe, or even if you are angry at God, you are welcome here.

2. These are explorations not “rules” At no point will I say (or can anyone else say) “You should …”

3. Respect for everyone is mandatory, this is not an area to debate God’s Word, but to live it.

4. Scripture references are taken from both the Old and New Testaments

5. All topics explored are POSITIVE. I have talked with many women who have left their spiritual practice because it was driven by guilt, negativity, and punishment. The Bible is so filled with positive inspiration and examples and these are my focus.

Mini Number #32
11 pages

Includes:
•    5  activities with journaling space
•    Printable wallet affirmation card
•    Printable 3 x 5 Kindness Card

 If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have a paradise in a few years.  ~Bertrand Russell

So often people get caught up in their to-do lists or become so busy they forget the things that are important in life… connecting with other people.  With all the committees we belong on, the volunteering we do at school for our kids, etc…. it would seem we were “connected” with others. However, when we are being pulled in different directions, it is easy to not think about others and our connections to them.

The activities shared in this mini are a part of a “Happiness Toolbox” I developed for myself to use during those moments I felt the need to reconnect.  Based on the latest scientific findings on what brings happiness to our lives, we will explore five practices enabling us to connect with others in our journey to recapturing daily magic.

This Mini Makeover is divided into five separate activities. On the main page for this Mini you will find journal space for each activity. I encourage you to record the steps you take. Going forward you will know which steps most dramatically create an attitude shift for you. You will also find a forum for discussing each of the activities.

1.    Put People at the Center
2.    No Comparisons
3.    The Rat Race
4.    Forgiveness
5.    Giving Back

Note:  Mini #15 focuses on activities enabling us to look within ourselves to recapture daily magic.  Mini #32 focuses on activities that allow us to connect with others as we recapture daily magic.  Both minis are independent of each other. It is not necessary to one before you take the other. However, if you enjoy this Mini-Makeover, you may want to consider adding the other to your mini collection. Combined you will have 10 activities to explore.

Mini #025
11 pages
Includes 2 printable verse cards created by Brook Noel

Reconnecting with God
Any relationship can be challenging to maintain in today’s busy life. Ask a woman how many close friends she has and most women can easily count them on one hand. Why? A close relationship requires a resource in tight supply for many–time. Combine that with life’s challenges and upsets and sometimes relationships are shaken or shattered. This study explores what happens when our relationship with God is shaken. How do we reconnect? What does the Bible say?

This study is divided into 12 daily doses of devotion. Topics of exploration include:

• Reasons We Lose Touch
• Letting Go
• Doubt
• Searching for God
• Regrets and Mistakes

This study includes 15 daily doses of study.

About Faith Matters: Each study includes….

• Look-Ups (a.ka. Write it Down): Each study contains scripture references around the monthly theme. Look these up in the Bible you are most comfortable with and write them in the provided space.
  Reflection Questions: Work through these thoughtfully. Space is provided in the study guide or you can use the private online journal.
• Activities: Follow the instructions for the outlined Activities. You may wish to keep a special journal for these Activities.
• Key Verses: Build a deck of cards to celebrate key verses that speak to you. Each week add one verse to your deck. You can write it on a colored index card, design it on a computer, or decorate a card by hand.
• Discussion Topics: Discussion topics are highlighted throughout the study . Login to the study area and you will see a thread started for each of these.
• One or two key verse cards created by Brook Noel
• Access to the general Faith Matters area where you can share favorite scripture, your own key verse cards, prayers and more.

Any relationship can be challenging to maintain in today’s busy life. Ask a woman how many close friends she has and most women can easily count them on one hand. Why? A close relationship requires a resource in tight supply for many-time. The purpose of the Faith Matters Mini is to provide a way to study what the Bible says on a specific topic and provide a simple way to stay present with our faith.

A few important notes about Faith Matters Minis:
1. Everyone is welcome, regardless of religious affiliation or current beliefs. If you have never picked up a Bible, aren’t sure what you believe, or even if you are angry at God, you are welcome here.

2. These are explorations not “rules” At no point will I say (or can anyone else say) “You should …”

3. Respect for everyone is mandatory, this is not an area to debate God’s Word, but to live it.

4. Scripture references are taken from both the Old and New Testaments

5. All topics explored are POSITIVE. I have talked with many women who have left their spiritual practice because it was driven by guilt, negativity, and punishment. The Bible is so filled with positive inspiration and examples and these are my focus.

Mini Number #18
11 pages
Includes 6 activities
Includes card template for displaying final statement
Recommendations: It is recommended that you work through Mini #005- Discovering Your Core Values - before working through this Mini.

“One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree.

‘Which road do I take?’ she asked.

‘Where do you want to go?’ was his response.

‘I don’t know,’ Alice answered.

‘Then,’ said the cat, ‘it doesn’t matter.’”-Lewis Carroll

Everything worthwhile begins with a vision. Think of a vision as the “big picture” of why you make specific choices and take certain actions. A vision statement is a guiding light allowing us to live each day with purpose and clarity. A clear vision statement will help us choose goals that are right for us. There may be a million things we want to do-but only a few that we actually need to do.

A Vision Statement encompasses the values we hold dear, the overall “theme” we want to live in our life. Without a vision, you are likely to wander aimlessly because there is no uniting purpose between daily actions and a larger vision. A clear vision statement will help us choose daily actions and make decisions that are right for us. There may be a million things we want to do-but only a few that will truly create the life we desire because they align with our vision.

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“I always had a dream that when I am asked to give an accounting of my life to a higher court, it will be like this: So, empty your pockets. What have you got left of your life? Any dreams that were unfilled? Any unused talent we gave you when you were born that you have left? Any unsaid compliments or bits of love that you haven’t spread around? And I will answer, ‘I have nothing to return. I spent everything you gave me. I’m as naked as the day I was born.’”-Erma Bombeck

Mini Number #17

As I built this program I spent a great deal of time analyzing at which points in my life I felt the most balanced, content and joyous .complete. As I recalled my most harmonic times, I looked for common denominators and discover during these period of contentment I was involved in a volunteer effort of some kind. Sometimes it was just an hour a month, other times it was hours per week. In this Mini we explore the meaning behind the quote “The quickest way to help your self is to help someone else,” and the joy derived from giving. I’ll share a varied list of ways that fit any schedule to discover the joy of giving back and issue you a personal challenge in the area of giving back.

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Mini Number #15
10 pages
Includes:

• 5 activities
  
• Journaling space within printable or private online journal
  

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. Anonymous

While meeting the demands of day-to-day life, many people find the “little things” slip away. I recently read an essay about an elderly man reflecting on his life. If he could do it all over again, he wrote, I would focus more on the little things and less on the big things. In his old age, he realized the “big things” were comprised of all the “little things” he was too busy to be attentive to each day. In this Mini we explore five actions and activities we can take to guide reclaim daily joy.

This Mini Makeover is divided into five separate activities. On the main page for this Mini you will find journal space for each activity. I encourage you to record the steps you take. Going forward you will know which steps most dramatically create an attitude shift for you. You will also find a forum for discussing each of the activities.

1. Releasing Expectations
2. Schedule Living for Today
3. Signature Strengths
4. Going with the Flow
5. Staying in the Moment

Note:  Mini #15 focuses on activities enabling us to look within ourselves to recapture daily magic.  Mini #32 focuses on activities that allow us to connect with others as we recapture daily magic.  Both minis are independent of each other. It is not necessary to one before you take the other. However, if you enjoy this Mini-Makeover, you may want to consider adding the other to your mini collection. Combined you will have 10 activities to explore.

Mini Number #11

(I recommend completing the Discovering Your Personal Values Mini first).

Knowing our core values is the first step in building a life of contentment and joy. But how do we use these values to shape our lives? In this Mini I’ll show you how to add these core values to your Personal Power Deck, journal or your Catch-All Notebook and how to consult them regularly to ensure you are living your life “on purpose” in alignment with these key values. This Mini includes templates for cards and journal pages.

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Mini Number #008

In the midst of managing the home, preparing meals, working, appointments, obligations, and meeting commitments, decisions are often made quickly, with little time to think through repercussions. When life is overflowing, we often take the path of least resistance (or the first path that comes to mind) instead of making a decision based on the best long-term solution. Seemingly inconsequential decisions can create serious balance deficits that lead to feelings of anxiousness and stress.

Learning to be aware during the moment of decision is an important skill for regaining sanity and a more centered life. Every decision we make (or don’t make) leads us in a direction. It either leads us toward the life we desire or away from it. Our life is a reflection of the decisions we make.

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