Hi everyone!! I wanted to share that I've been nominated for Military Spouse of the Year 2017. I would love to have your vote & support! :) GO NAVY!!! You can follow my page on Facebook at: Sarah Otto for AFI's Military Spouse of the Year 2017

http://msoy.militaryspouse.com/contestants/sarah-otto/

There's Divinity in Simplicity.....

Something that used to fascinate me was the struggle most people have when it comes to creating success in their lives.  How some people were able to create such amazing results in their lives while others didn't.   

For years I had convinced myself that it must be higher intelligence, better circumstances in their up-bringing, luck, etc... I was convinced that in order to achieve the highest levels available in life you had to be really smart and know how to pull off really complicated things and that if you were lucky enough one day all the super complicated and complex work would pay off. 

What I've learned since then is really the complete opposite....

There have been studies that have demonstrated without a shadow of a doubt that success has nothing to do w/ IQ or how smart you are, how you look, where you come from, what level of education you have, what race you are, what religion you subscribe to, etc....

In fact the only conclusive results anyone could ever come to was that the people who enjoyed the highest levels of success were simply the people who were more committed to doing the simple shit consistently over long periods of time until they became habits.  

These people were able to shift through the chaos and focus their time, energy and efforts on the simple 20% that produces 80% of results.  

That's right....IT'S SIMPLE STUFF THAT BUILDS SUCCESS! 

Your level of success in any given area of your life with come down to your ability and willingness to do the SIMPLE things every single day over extended periods of time.  

Obviously "simple" means different things at different levels but we all have to start somewhere.   The funny thing is regardless of simplicity these are usually the things we avoid the most hence, our lack of results. 

We avoid them because we make success or change out to be this big scary monster that require big scary actions when in reality it's about doing the simple stuff.  

You want a better marriage?   

- Try going on a date night a week, sending one text a day, sending flowers once a month or spending just 15 min a day being present with your spouse. 

You want a better body?  

- Try having one green smoothie a day, hitting the gym for 60 min a day or doing something physically active daily 

You want a better business? 

- Try reading something educational for 30 min every day, investing in a coach/mentor, attending a seminar or event or simply spending 1 hour a day working ON your business in the areas of Sales, Systems & Marketing. 

Focused BUT Simple actions taken consistently over extended periods of time lead to BIG RESULTS! 

GET CLEAR. KEEP IT SIMPLE. ACT DAILY.

Attention JC, MO peeps!!

Dream Rewards are BACK!!!!

Eeeekkkkk!!!!!

Stay FOCUSED on YOU and your ACTIONS

If most people would take even a fraction of the time they spend focusing on the Actions & Results of other people and spend it on increasing the Outcomes and Results in their own lives, we'd all be better off! 

I don't focus on what my "Competitors" are doing, it doesn't matter and it's purely a waste of time! 

All that really matters are MY Goals and what it is I am DOING to make certain they become a reality. 

It's like running a race and you keep turning back to see where the rest of the runners are at.  This tactic never slows the rest of the pack down it only slows you down. 

GET STARTED AND NEVER LOOK BACK! 

Stop wasting time focusing on the results of other people or giving your opinion on how they should be doing it differently, etc.... None of that will move you closer to expanding who you are, it will only slow you down! 

Once you get started, take as much action as you can as fast as you can and NEVER EVER lose focus on what's in front of you by peeking over your shoulder at your competition. 

You can't control the actions and outcomes of other people.  

You can ONLY control your Results! 

OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND! 

Stay FOCUSED on YOU and your ACTIONS and the idea of competition will rarely cross your mind and will never slow you down!

Decluttering/Organizing to Start 2016 RIGHT!

Well, the weekend DID NOT start out the way I was expecting it to.  Yesterday morning I woke up to an email from our Realtor to call her when I got a chance.  Apparently the owners of the house we are in have been told to sell the house (not sure exactly WHY but, that's neither here nor there).  Let's also keep in mind that we are in a lease on the house until December 2017!  Let's ALSO keep in mind that my husband is not here in Virginia with the kids, dogs, & I...he's thousands of miles away (4,690 to be exact).  I was really upset at first, well, still am...BUT, I'm looking at the bright side of things now.  It's TIME TO ORGANIZE & DECLUTTER!!  I've been on a roll since yesterday morning & have donated a ton of stuff, & have also listed quite a bit online.  So, since I'm on a Organizing & Decluttering binge, I've been on Pinterest checking (follow me:  www.pinterest.com/proudfcwife) out all of the lists, etc for moving & decluttering.  Now that I've gone through a bit of the house already, I feel the need to say, 'out loud over the internet', that I HAVE SLACKED in my usual 'if we don't use it, get rid of it' approach since we moved here 4 years ago.  But, that's changing!  :)  Be sure to keep up with my Pins on Decluttering/Organizing.  :)

Oh...& my favorite website by far is:  http://www.budgetdumpster.com/resources/how-to-declutter-your-home.php#_a5y_p=3780925

For all of my fellow Military wives...

Lots of moving... Moving... Moving... Moving far from home... Moving two cars, three kids and one dog...all riding with HER of course. Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house; Moving curtains that won't fit; Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours. Moving away from friends; Moving toward new friends; Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.
Often waiting... Waiting... Waiting... Waiting for housing. Waiting for orders. Waiting for deployments. Waiting for phone calls. Waiting for reunions. Waiting for the new curtains to arrive. Waiting for him to come home, For dinner...AGAIN!
They call her 'Military Dependent', but she knows better: She is fiercely In-Dependent. She can balance a check book; Handle the yard work; Fix a noisy toilet; Bury the family pet... She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts. She can file the taxes; Sell a house; Buy a car; Or set up a move...all with ONE Power of Attorney.
She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her. She reinvents her career with every PCS; Locates a house in the desert, The Arctic, Or the deep south. And learns to call them all 'home'. She MAKES them all home.
Military Wives are somewhat hasty... They leap into: Decorating, Leadership, Volunteering, Career alternatives, Churches, And friendships. They don't have 15 years to get to know people. Their roots are short but flexible. They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.
Military Wives quickly learn to value each other: They connect over coffee, Rely on the spouse network, Accept offers of friendship and favors. Record addresses in pencil...
Military Wives have a common bond: The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands; his commitment is unique. He doesn't have a 'JOB' He has a 'MISSION' that he can't just decide to quit... He's on-call for his country 24/7. But for her, he's the most unreliable guy in town! His language is foreign TDY PCS OPR SOS ACC BDU ACU BAR CIB TAD EPR And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his. She is the long- distance link to keep them informed; the glue that holds them together.
A Military Wife has her moments: She wants to wring his neck; Dye his uniform pink; Refuse to move to Siberia; But she pulls herself together. Give her a few days, A travel brochure, A long hot bath, A pledge to the flag, A wedding picture, And she goes. She packs. She moves. She follows.
Why? What for? How come? You may think it is because she has lost her mind. But actually it is because she has lost her heart. It was stolen from her by a man, Who puts duty first, Who longs to deploy, Who salutes the flag, And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military Husband, She will remain his military wife. And would have it no other way.