Breaking Apart the ARCI -A

Accountable -

"1. subject to the obligation to report, explain, or justify something; responsible; answerable.
2. capable of being explained; explicable; explainable."Dictionary.com

Within our ARCI structure, the accountable is listed first for a reason. "A" is where the finger points or, more accordingly, where the point of tensions either begin or end.

This is feeling somewhat negative to me, so let me shine some light: Being accountable is rewarding and challenging. Knowing who is doing what, when, how and why is everything the A is aware of and part of. Within the ARCI, there is no guessing. Everyone falls into place on the chart and is well aware that conflict is on its way before those without an ARCI would.

In our analogy of the "garbage day", Dad is accountable.

OM's Blog of the Week (or Month)

Its called Unclutterer, and its perfect.

I read it daily and it is just the right size. Some of my RSS feeds pile on oodles of posts, to which most I won't read, yet Unclutterer gives me just a few with very direct titles. On the site the categories are filtered very accurately, with an abundance to choose from. I have gained so much from reading this blog. See below for my favorite post to date:

"I had a conversation with Intern Julia the other day over lunch that has stayed with me. During the conversation, she talked about how college forces many students to live with very few possessions. That a dorm room can only hold a limited number of things and most kids survive on a couple dollars a day.

I thought about my own experience, and she was right. I had a lot of fun in college even though I didn’t have much money or much stuff. I have a few more responsibilities now, but not many. I had a part-time job, 18 hours of course work most semesters, and a car. Now, I have a full-time job, no classes, a spouse, a house, and a car. The list isn’t drastically different, but I have acquired significantly more stuff since college.

I’ve made a sign and hung it above my desk that reads “Simple living frees you to simply live.” I need it to help me remember that it isn’t stuff that makes me happy, but the people and experiences I choose to bring into my life. Thank you, Intern Julia, for reminding me of this valuable fact." June 10, 2008

And thank you, Unclutterer, for this very simple yet powerful post.

The Perfect Whiteboard

Finally! This search spans over many months, and it is now over. I was browsing my Bed Bath and Beyond circular and my world instantly brightened. (I know that it seems dramatic, but its true.)
Even better news, they are only $9.99, plus there was a $5 coupon on the back of the circular.

Is it my birthday? It sure feels like it!