Sometimes it’s easier to explain what something is by starting with what it’s not.

Living like the Buffalo isn’t about cleaning. It’s not about parenting. It’s about taking responsibility for your life and committing to creating the experiences you want to have.

It’s about simplifying your life so you have space, both physically and mentally.

It’s about making your life more enjoyable, just so you can feel satisfied.

And yes, part of creating that life includes getting the house clean and taking care of the kids.

This Buffalo Life is about WHO you are being as you’re doing those things, more than it’s about what you’re doing.

If you need help getting organized at home, read Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley, and do everything she says.

You will have daily routines, a basic weekly routine, and a control journal with your menus, deep cleaning, and other important information.

I want to offer that you commit to completing this within 10 days.

There is no point in dragging it out.

Get it done so you can start organizing your life and actually have time for you.

Your life is a direct reflection of your mind. If you want to organize your mind, you need to start by organizing your life.

To get started, you have to commit.

You have to commit to YOU.

I can’t make you change, but you can.

Commitments create action.

If you want to change, you need to take action. If you want to take action, you need to commit.

make a commitment

I want to help you make this commitment to yourself. Pull out your journal or get a piece of paper and let’s create a commitment to you creating your control journal so you have a way to organize your life.

You need three things to commit:

1. a deadline

2. an emotion

3. an outcome

1| the deadline

We’ll start with the deadline. The deadline is the date you will have this complete. I suggested 10 days from now. The book is a very easy read. It’s 223 pages long. You’re going to want to buy a 3 ring binder and some other supplies to make your control journal (I call mine my Buffalo Binder). If you can’t do it in 10 days, when can you do it?

Things take as long as you give them. Decide how long you want to give this, and let’s go.

Write your date down.

2| the emotion

Next, you need emotion. Emotion is very important because it drives all of your actions. To choose an emotion that will compel you to take action and order the book and do the work to create your control journal and your routines, go to the end.

Go to where it’s already complete in your mind.

This is what Stephen Covey calls, begin with end in mind. This is habit 2 in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. If you can’t picture yourself already having it complete, you’ll never get started.

You can create that picture in your mind, even without having read Sink Reflections. Imagine what it will be like to know exactly what you need to do every morning in order to set yourself up for the best day ever.

Imagine what it would be like to know you don’t have to clean all day and yet the cleaning will get done and you always know what’s for dinner, AND you have time to do something fun for yourself.

Imagine what it will be like to have a bed time routine that will have you feeling relaxed and at ease so you can go to bed knowing you did a good job and you feel ready for tomorrow.

Think about HAVING that in your life. Wouldn’t you be so grateful you took the time to create it? Wouldn’t you be so appreciative of the time and effort you spent to get there?

How you feel having it, is the emotion you want to feel.

Gratitude.

3| the outcome

The outcome is the thing you are creating. In this case, your control journal, (or your Buffalo Binder).

Anytime you make a commitment, you want to be clear on what you’re committing to. This is your first assignment on your word. I want you to start thinking about how many times you say you’re going to do something, and then you don’t do it.

How many times do you tell your kids you’ll do something, and even as you say it, you know it’s not going to happen?

We think this is okay. We think it’s not a problem because they’ll forget anyway and we just want to quiet them.

But every time we do this, we’re teaching them how to NOT deal with negative emotion.

Every time we do this, we teach ourselves how to NOT hold our word.

Is it any wonder we have such a hard time following through with what we plan?

We already know we’re not going to do it.

So, take a moment right now and think about this commitment on a higher level.

Think about it really mattering to you.

As if your life depended on it.

Because, in a way, it does.

When I did this, my entire life changed.

This was one of the first dominos that enabled me to go off my depression medicine and get control over my anxiety. That had a profound effect on my life. It can on yours, too.

Write out your commitment statement like this:

Today is [the date it will be complete] and I’m so grateful for my control journal.

Then, to REALLY commit, answer these three questions:

1. What did I do differently to make this happen?

   Because, if you don’t do something differently, you’re not going to change anything. You have to DO something you’ve never done before to create a result you’ve never had.

2. What did I let go of to make this happen?

   I know there is something to let go of. There always is. What is it for YOU?

3. What will having this control journal allow for you?

   How will your life be different? What will be easier? What will it enable for you? Think about all areas of your life, not just your home. Yourself, your health, your relationships, your creativity, your money…

If you commit to getting this done when you said you would, you will change your life.

Do not let excuses derail you. Let them go.

Take the first step today, right now. Go order the book or call the library and request a copy. Decide when you’ll go pick it up. Add the binder to your grocery order.

Commitments create action.

If you’re not taking action, it’s because you’re not committed.

If you’re not committed, go back to the emotion. Create your vision. Do it in a way that inspires you. FEEL it.

Once you have your control journal complete, move on to the next step.

xo,
M