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Archives for January 2020

How to say No (in 4 Easy Steps)

Written by Cassie · · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

Saying no is hard, but not as hard as taking on projects that you neither have the time or interest for. I will show you how to say no, without guilt.

just say no tree

So many of us have a hard time saying no. Maybe you are an obliger. Maybe you are a woman who was taught that culturally you need to be a selfless caregiver. Perhaps you are a passive-aggressive Midwesterner that doesn’t like to disappoint people.

Whatever the reason, we all need to flex your no muscles.

It is hard and can be scary. So start with simple things. Say no to that party you don’t want to go to and tell your brother that you cannot go to the Nascar race with him this year.

How do you say no? Follow these four easy steps:

Just say it.

Don’t beat around the bush or say that ‘I will get back to you.” This will drag the situation out even longer and make things even more awkward the next time around. Saying no is like taking off a band-aid – it is best to get it over with.

Do not apologize or make an excuse.  

And, dear Lord, don’t lie! You don’t have to tell your sister why you don’t want to go to her Tupperware party. An “I’m sorry, I can’t make it” or “I don’t have any time in my schedule,” is just fine.

Stick to your guns.

After a firm but polite no if the person keeps going at you, don’t back down. Their insistence is more likey about their insecurities than you saying no. If it is your boss asking, you will probably have to have a more extended conversation. Assuming you are a good employee, you can probably get away with saying no. 

Say thanks for asking and then move on.

Don’t feel guilty or second guess yourself. 

Learning how to say no has been of the most important things I have learned to do for myself. It has helped me create more margin in my days and is one massive step in creating a life I love for myself.

PS – Five areas where I can’t be low maintenance.

How to say no (in 4 easy steps) | CassieRauk.com

15 Ways to Beat Cabin Fever

Written by Cassie · · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

cabin-fever

Mid-January is when the reality of winter in Minnesota starts to set in. The solstice may be behind us, but the seemly endless days of winter are ahead of us. And we don’t even have any holiday parties to look forward to.

That is when cabin fever sets in, and it can be pretty gross.

Here are 15 ways to beat off cabin fever, because spring is still a long way off, friends.

  1. Visit a greenhouse and buy some pants.
  2. Get some seed catalogs and plan next year’s garden.
  3. Go on a weekend getaway.  
  4. Get a daylight lamp.
  5. Take a walk (or snowshoe) in the woods.
  6. Plan a summertime road trip.
  7. Start a new hobby.
  8. Volunteer.
  9. Organize your pantry/garage/basement.
  10. Hold a cozy dinner party.
  11. Bake/Cook something new and time-consuming.
  12. Take an online class.
  13. Home spa day!
  14. Browse a bookstore
  15. Kitchen Dance Party while making cookies. (This might be something that I just do, but . . .)
15 Ways to Beat Cabin Fever | CassieRauk.com

(Before heading to Target) Shop your house first

Written by Cassie · · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

Shop Your House First | CassieRauk.com

I know I have talked about it before, but for those of you that missed it, our house is constantly changing.  We moved to our 150-year-old farmhouse six years ago and have been working on it ever since. We have replaced some flooring, painted some rooms, and gotten rid of a whole lot of stuff.  All that work has barely scratched the surface. Our home projects will be never-ending.

A few months ago, I was planning a trip to Ikea.  I had new nightstands picked out and was considering if now was the time to get a love seat for our den-like area we call the porch.  Or maybe I should find a new chair for the living room? But that meant I needed to find a home for my dad’s recliner. Which was in good shape and super comfy, but it looked out of place with the straight lines of the couch we got a couple of years back.  

Then I remembered how it might be nice to have a house with all-new, trendy furniture. But I will not enjoy the credit card debt that comes with that.  So I (wo)man-handled the recliner into the porch. After I added a cozy blanket and a throw pillow, that chair looked pretty inviting. Then I dug out a console table that had been collecting dust in an unused room, things came together.  

Then I moved an old Ikea chair we had in our bedroom downstairs to the living room.  As much as I feel like I need a comfy reading chair in my bedroom, I hardly ever use it.  I picked up a new cover for it at Ikea and saving myself a load of money and end up with a new-to-me chair.  

Why am I telling you all this?  To remind you to shop your house first. 

Let me say that one more time:

Shop your house first.

Maybe that chair that is just so-so in the living room will make a great reading chair in the corner of your bedroom.  Or perhaps that old footstool would look much better in the corner holding your newest houseplant.  

The same goes for accessories.  I find much more joy grabbing my pens out of a Wonder Woman mug on my desk at work than I do the ‘pencil cup’ that I bought from Target.  

Before heading to the Ikea, your local thrift store, or settling down for some hard-core internet shopping, take a hard look around your house.  Shuffle furniture around and dig stuff out of storage.  

Your wallet will thank you.

Let’s do the hard things

Written by Cassie · · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

Let's Do Hard Things | CassieRauk.com

I am not one for New Year’s Resolutions, and you will not find me picking a ‘word of the year.’  I am far, far too contrary to do what everyone else is doing.

I do, however, love a to-do list and for the last couple of years, have followed Michael Hyatt’s goal-setting framework. Don’t worry, I am not going to bog you down with the details (if you are curious you can read his book Your Best Year Ever). And when my day job started to slow down for the holidays, I started looking toward 2020.

2019 was kind of a bitch for me and I spent much of the year wading through the shit-show that is probate.  I felt like I was just spinning my wheels. So I decided that in 2020 I was going to make some large strides forward.

And that means setting goals that require some real effort and moving forward on projects that scare the crap out of me.  For me, the biggie is that I am going back to school, which is something I have been on the fence about for years.  And since I have a competitive streak, I don’t just want to do well in school, I want to crush it.  

The rest of my goals (and there are 10) vary from setting up a regular date night with Jesse to wrapping up different aspects of my parent’s estate to starting (and refining) wellness habits.  They might not be ‘scary’ goals, but dammit, some of them are hard. And sometimes doing hard things scare me. Which is ridiculous, I can do hard things.  

If you set easy goals, while you will surely hit them, it will not be much of a challenge. And you are taking away a great growth opportunity for yourself.  

So, I want you to join me in setting hard goals for yourself in 2020.  Write them down and hang them somewhere where you will see them every day.  Think them over and break them down into manageable steps. Then get to work!

Let's Do Hard Things | CassieRauk.com

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