Motivation is a funny thing. It can appear in full strength, seemingly out of nowhere. Or, it can be so hard to find that you think it is lost forever. As my husband recently said, this season’s mood can feel like the “lazy days of summer.” Perhaps you’re experiencing the desire to not do, not strive, but instead relax, enjoy, and stop accomplishing. You might want to enjoy BBQ time with friends and family, swimming in water bodies, or exploring new places. All of that is perfectly normal, especially after the year we’ve had. But if you are struggling with getting motivated and want to activate, I have some ideas to share with you. 

There have been several situations I’ve either experienced or observed where the motivation juices were stirred. Maybe one of these will resonate with you. The next time you’re in need, you’ll be able to tap into one of these strategies to help.

3 Helpful Ways to Increase Your Motivation

1. There’s Nothing Like a Deadline

Allison Samuels, Maker - Two Tree Studios

Are you more motivated to complete something if you are under pressure because of a deadline? I’m not advocating waiting until the last minute, but I have seen and experienced how a deadline imposed by the self or others can motivate us to get stuff done. Last week our daughter, Allison, had a gallery show opening at Room 68 in Provincetown with her beautiful “transformed objects.” While she worked on designing and conceptualizing the pieces for a while, the big push to complete them came close to the delivery date. One of the finishes she uses involves burning the wood, which creates a gorgeous black finish. It was as if the fire that brought the pieces into their final stages also lit her motivation to create them.

Motivation Takeaway:  If you’re having trouble activating, set a deadline. It might just be the fire you need to complete your project.

2. The Thrill of the Hunt

Lyle Puente, Chef - Put Some Meat On Your Bones

A few weeks ago was Father’s Day. One of the gifts I gave my husband was a date. An article we read and loved in Westchester Magazine about the best local food trucks inspired the gift. We picked a time to go, chose Steve’s favorite food truck, and ate a delicious lunch. Talk about seeing motivation in action. I watched as he deep dove into the article and created a list of his top four favorites with pros, cons, contact info, and more. He then reached out by email to confirm if they were open and where they were located. We took a walk first and hoped that someone would respond to his inquiry. We decided that even if no one got back to us, we’d chance it and hunt for one of the food trucks. His number one choice, Put Some Meat on Your Bones, owned by chef Lyle Puente, confirmed his location and hours. We were delighted, hungry, and motivated to drive to the truck. Those were the most delicious grilled cheese sandwiches we ever ate! 

Motivation Takeaway:  If your motivation is waning, consider how anticipation about trying something new can work its magic.

“If your motivation is waning, consider how anticipation about trying something new can work its magic.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

3. Clear the Decks Before Putting Your Luggage in the Car

Ocean Grove, NJ

I mentioned how summer is a prime vacation season. Especially because of the stay-in-place orders we experienced this past year, people want to travel. While vacations can be relaxing or enervating, they usually bring a much-needed break and change of scenery. But before we can experience those wonderful benefits, we need to prepare. There is planning, researching, reserving, list-making, organizing, doing laundry, holding mail, packing, and wrapping up last-minute projects. We can energize and accomplish even more when we attach it to this travel motivation. 

We have a few mini-vacations this summer, including going to the Catskills, the Cape, and the Jersey Shore. Before I go away, I like the house to be clean and organized. I call this clearing the decks. Pillows are fluffed, rooms get quick-cleaned, trash and recycling go out, desk papers are filed, bills are paid, electronics get unplugged, and the fridge contents are edited. Things get returned to their spots. Loose ends are tied up, which helps me let go physically, emotionally and enjoy the time away. This extra prep makes our place welcome-home-ready. After being away for a few nights or more, there’s nothing better than returning to a calm, relaxing home.

Motivation Takeaway:  If you’re finding it challenging to bring organization and calm to your living space, harness the motivational energy that comes with vacation prep to help you get there.

Are you feeling challenged motivationally? What helps you get motivated? Did one of these strategies resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

After waking from a long, deep, dream-packed sleep, I thought about balance and the extremes we experience in life. We can feel calm and centered at one point. Those times are often preceded by chaos and stress. Feeling balanced is fluid and a continually shifting dynamic. The pandemic affected many of our experiences around balance. Maybe you’ve also noticed a shift in how you balance extremes.

In pre-pandemic days, the holiday season was filled with parties, gatherings, and engaging in “too much” type behaviors. Overdoing it disrupts our habits and sense of balance. This year, however, there will be fewer parties, if any. It will be easier not to overschedule and overdo. So our typical holiday stress, chaos, and lack of balance could be less this year.

“Feeling balanced is fluid and a continually shifting dynamic.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

Of course, you might be experiencing anxiety or sadness from not having the usual festivities or gatherings with family and friends. I love the holiday season and extra time to socialize with our loved ones. I am going to miss the togetherness this year.

Finding Balance Through reimagined Traditions

One of the annual traditions I look forward to is the winter solstice party at our friends’ house. They have live music, dancing, great company, and food. But what I love most is the giant bonfire they build in their woods. In the dark of the night, we climb the hill, light the fire, and form a circle around it as we mark another year. Then each person tosses their candle into the fire, as they let go of the past and set an intention for the coming year. The ritual is grounding like a giant exhalation or balance reset.

Take a pause and enjoy the video below of the bonfire from several years ago.

I felt sad but resigned, knowing our friends wouldn’t have the party this year because of the pandemic. But just the other day, we received an email invitation for their virtual solstice party. So while we won’t physically stand around the fire with them, feeling the warmth and camaraderie, we will be together in a different way. And right then, I sensed it. That one email lifted my spirits with joyous anticipation. It tipped my holiday season balance in a promising direction.

Whether it is holiday time or not, our balance is continuously changing. It’s useful to be aware and notice where you are and what you need. Are you overdoing it? Do you crave quiet? Are you reimagining traditions? Or, are things like Goldilocks says, “Just right?” What do you need to infuse more balance in your life?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

The latest installment (v29) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my recent discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring, wonderfully human-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You are such a beautifully generous, warm, and engaged group. I am deeply appreciative and grateful for your presence, positive energy, and contributions to this community.

I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced. What do you find interesting?

What’s Interesting? . . .

1. Interesting Read – Human Living

The pandemic encouraged many of us to examine the busyness of our lives. If you are interested in exploring a more intentional, less stressful life, this book is for you.  In Slow - Simple living for a frantic world, Brooke McAlary, author, blogger, and podcast host, shares her inspiring journey to remove the excess in her life and embrace the Slow Living movement. McAlary says, “Slowing down and simplifying aren’t centered solely on the idea of decluttering, but letting go of excess is an important part of slowing down.” McAlary’s practical advice for simpler living includes identifying your why, decluttering, de-owning, mindfulness, balance, and backsliding. She reminds us that “Perfect doesn’t exist...What does exist is honest, human imperfect change. Every tiny step matters.”  

“Perfect doesn’t exist . . . What does exist is honest, human imperfect change.””

— Brooke McAlary

2. Interesting Product – Human Habit

Wearing masks, social distancing, and regular handwashing are respectful habits we can do to keep each other healthy and safe during this pandemic. My wonderful friend and colleague, Julie Bestry, recently wrote a review of a fabulous new product, the Time Timer® WASH. Thank you, Julie! This visual and auditory timer helps kids and adults wash their hands for the proper amount of time. My favorite part about the timer is the upbeat music that accompanies the visual display. Think kitchen or bathroom dance party! The timer gives you 5 seconds to apply soap, 20 seconds to scrub your hands, and 5 seconds to rinse. The fun factor encourages a handwashing habit. Let’s do our part to help our fellow humans.

3. Interesting Research  – Human Attention

Amishi Jho, the neuroscientist, author, and associate professor of psychology at the University of Miami, studies attention. Jho and her team research VUCA (Volatility Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity,) which involves “high-stress, high demand scenarios that can rapidly degrade one of our most powerful and influential brain systems: our attention.” They look at people who encounter regular VUCA conditions due to their professions, such as firefighters and soldiers. She identified that the global pandemic has all of us living with VUCA conditions. In her recent Mindful article, “You’re Overwhelmed (and it’s not your fault,)” she describes ten ways your brain reacts in VUCA situations and how regular mindfulness meditation can be the key to calming your mind and enhancing your attention. 

4. Interesting Article – Human Anticipation

Have you planned fewer (if any) events to look forward to this year because of pandemic restrictions? As a result, have you noticed a negative change in your mood? According to Dana Smith’s article, Your Brain Needs a Party, which was reprinted on the Brainfit blog, the anticipation of future events enhances your overall well-being. So if you, along with much of the country, have been feeling down, and our current situation continues to discourage having large parties or travel excursions experiment with “microdosing anticipation,” as Markham Heid suggests. Psychologist Christian Waugh encourages, “Instead of thinking big or way in the future, think smaller and closer in time.” For instance, how about planning a drive to explore local scenery, setting a date to Zoom with a treasured friend or family member, or planning a scaled-down Thanksgiving meal for your household pod. I see cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie in your future. Your brain’s “positive anticipation circuit” will reward you with the emotional boost you may be missing.

5. Interesting Thought – Human Acceptance

Life includes experiencing challenges big and small. We can be our biggest cheerleaders or worst critics when we go through struggles. Whether you are challenged by disorganization, learning difficulties, grief, or other issues, be kind to yourself. Accept your humanness. Reach out for help when you need it. And as Brene Brown says, let go of shame.

What are your interesting finds? Which of these resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation!

There are two phases of next. There is the anticipation of next and the actual participation in next. Next involves thinking about something first and then engaging. How do these concepts work in unison to move us forward? How do they combine to create a fuller and more satisfying experience? Our attitude and perspective greatly influence both aspects of next.

Anticipation of Next

Thinking about what will happen next or what you want to happen next can bring about a variety of emotions. When there is something we’re excited about like taking a vacation or visiting with a loved one we experience positive anticipation. Savoring the expectation is one way of enhancing and expanding your good feelings. They easily carry forward to the participation stage and can extend beyond that too.

However, when we are nervous about something like organizing and addressing our clutter issues, anticipation can make us anxious. Under these circumstances, getting to the participation stage can be more challenging. There is an opportunity to change our experience. Positive emotions can arrive in the doing phase when you allow yourself to activate and accomplish the problematic “next.”

Imagine an Anticipation of Next scale from 1 to 10.

10 = “I’m so excited that I can’t wait for next!”

1 = “I’m petrified for next.”

Anticipation is always part of next. How we view it depends upon the situation and the perspective we bring. This is subjective, but in the list below, can you guess what number each is on the Anticipation of Next scale?

Here are some “next” things I am anticipating:

• Learn to play the ukulele

• Prepare for leading an organizing workshop

• Write spring organizing newsletter

• Redo our front walk and driveway

• Schedule annual doctor appointments

Participation in Next

Once we’ve thought about next, we enter the doing phase. We are no longer just contemplating what will happen, we are engaging in what we had been expecting. Practicing mindfulness during this stage is useful. Notice what is happening. Is it different or similar to what you anticipated? How do your thoughts inform your experience of this phase? How does it feel to be immersed in doing after a prolonged suspense? What surprised you?

Imagine a Participation in Next scale from 1 to 10.

10 = “It was incredible and exceeded my expectation!”

1 = “It was a waste of my energy and time.”

It’s possible to get stuck in the anticipation phase to the degree that we never move on to the participation part. Our perspective and feelings during anticipation time is a crucial factor. Some next steps are easier to get to than others. This is subjective, but in the list below, can you guess what number each item is on the Participation in Next scale?

These are some “next” things I recently participated in:

• Interviewed on WNYC

• Took a ukulele workshop

• Celebrated my mom’s 90th birthday

• Sent our 2018 tax information to the accountant

• Attended a mind/body workshop

The anticipation of and participation in next create opportunities for growth, positivity, and mindfulness. What have you experienced about next? Have you ever gotten stuck in the anticipation phase? Is it useful to consider the two “next” scales? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation!