Last week I introduced you to my simple organizing plan experiment. I continue to let go and learn with five more discoveries to share. This low-pressure, loose plan will help me reduce the amount of stuff I own. A daily repeat on my to-do list cues me to ‘Edit & release some stuff.’  There is no expectation other than to do something. I spend 15-60 minutes editing what I feel like working on that day.

Even though our house isn’t cluttered and items have a ‘home,’ I own things that have overstayed their welcome and are no longer used, needed, or wanted. They are taking up physical and emotional space. It’s time to let them go.

This past week, my adventure continued. I edited and organized plastic containers, tea, the cobalt blue glass collection, office and school supplies, wrapping paper, personal and business papers from files and notebooks, medicine cabinets, toiletries, personal care products, and my email inbox. These items were from the kitchen, pantry, dining room, office, guest and main bathrooms, linen closet, and computer.

I let go of . . .

• Four 13-gallon bags of trash

• Three bags of paper for recycling

• One bag of paper for shredding

• One bag of school supplies for a friend

• Hundreds of emails with inbox now hovering at around 35

This low-pressure do-something-every-day-plan is working well. I previously shared seven lessons learned. My discoveries continue, and I added five new ones.

5 More Discoveries I Made With My Simple Organizing Plan

1. Find the Treasures

I didn’t set out for the decluttering process to be a treasure hunt. My focus was on finding the things I no longer wanted. To my delight, I found some jewels. No. They weren’t precious stones but were messages and remembrances from other stages. These papers affirmed the time and energy investments in my family, business, and professional development. My favorite find was from notes I wrote during a family meeting with my mom before her dementia diagnosis. She said,

“There isn’t a thing, a book, an anything I need beyond you guys and Daddy.” 

Mom valued time over stuff and people over things. What beautiful thoughts to discover at that moment. On my letting go quest, I felt my mom’s love, clarity, and encouraging support. As you edit, be on the lookout for your treasures.

2. Embrace the Easy

When you edit, some categories will be a challenge. I’ll explore more about those soon. However, other items will be effortless to decide about. They are the no-brainers. When editing the bathrooms, I found expired over-the-counter medicines. The decision to toss them was simple. Out they went. In my office, I found my old Rolodex. I hadn’t referenced it in over 15 years, and the contacts had been transferred to my digital system. It was easy and only a little painful to say “Good-bye, friend.” When I sorted the bazillion tea bags and discovered ones that no one will ever use, I let them go with no deliberation.

All of these categories were non-controversial and not emotional. And you know what? I embraced the simplicity of those choices. There was no guilt, no second-guessing, just this beautiful ease in letting go.

“There was no guilt, no second-guessing, just this beautiful ease in letting go.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

3. Allow for Space

While I let go of stuff every day, the physical volume that left this past week was less than the prior weeks. I’m getting to the more complicated, time-intensive things like papers and items with stronger emotional attachments. For example, it was difficult going through my mom’s papers since she died just four months ago. I let go of some things in my “first pass.” I gifted myself space to create some distance. When I’m ready, I’ll return at a future time for the second and possibly third round of letting go. 

I recognize that while I want to let go of many things, I may not be ready to let go of everything at once. And that’s OK. In fact, making several passes supports the low-pressure nature of the ‘Edit & release some stuff’ plan.

4. Just Show Up

Every day is different, with some more full or demanding of my energy. Despite the variables, I remain committed to editing and releasing every day. During one recent full-plate day, I had twenty minutes before I had to pick up our take-out order. Instead of starting my writing project, I used that time to work on my organizing plan. In twenty minutes, I edited and shredded a stack of papers. I checked off the task on my to-do list and felt the endorphin ping. It was a win. 

5. Inspire and Be Inspired

Inspiring cues with summer changing to fall are all around- a cooler day here, a yellow leaf there. Over these weeks, as I’ve shared my organizing process with others, something else extraordinary is happening. Clients, friends, family, and colleagues are supportive and feel inspired by my plan. They recognize that it’s doable and straightforward. How exciting to encourage and inspire people to engage in living with less.

People are also telling me about their completed or ongoing letting go experiences. They’re sharing their successes and challenges. This inspires me to keep going. I’m not alone in my quest for less. We’re in this together.

Do you have an editing story? Are you working on living with less? What helps you? Which discoveries resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

Denslow Brown

Denslow Brown, Organizer & CoachInspiring conversations continue with the “Ask the Expert” feature on The Other Side of Organized blog. We’ve spoken about possibilities with DeeAnne White, success with Lori Deschene, enlisting help with Janet Barclay, motivation with Dr. Shannon Reece, time management with Julie Morgenstern, clutter with Lorie Marrero, letting go with Geralin Thomas, next steps with Yota Schneider, and change with John Ryan. As we shift our focus this month, I’m thrilled to bring you the fabulous coach, organizer, speaker, and trainer, Denslow Brown to share her wisdom about creating a life that fits.

Denslow and I met almost 20 years ago through our professional organizing associations, NAPO and ICD. She is an industry leader and teacher who I greatly admire for her wisdom, unique perspectives, and ability to clearly communicate. I am honored to have her as my mentor and friend. My deepest thanks and gratitude goes to her for taking the time to join us. Before we begin, here’s more about Denslow.

Denslow Brown, CPO, CPO-CD, SCAC, MCC is the only person in the organizing and coaching professions with the highest credentials in both fields, attesting to her decades of experience, training, leadership, and pioneering efforts in these areas. She has also developed a specialty working with individuals with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder, also known as AD/HD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.) In addition to working with those who want organizing and life-design support, she mentors and trains many organizing and coaching professionals. She has been an organizer since 1974. Denslow is the founder and Director of Training of the Coach Approach for OrganizersTM. You can connect with Denslow on Facebook, Linkedin, or training and coaching websites.

Linda:  You’re an expert on helping others create a life that fits. What are some of the essential ingredients to incorporate into the mix?

Denslow:  Self-knowledge is the key to creating a life that fits.  You can’t know what your own incredible life could look like if you don’t know your strengths, values, needs, roles, passions, goals and preferences – as well as specific challenges (health issues, modality sensitivities, etc.)

Linda:  It’s likely that we’ll make mistakes as we design a life that fits. What is the value in those challenges?

Denslow:  Mistakes will be made on our way to a life that fits – it’s inevitable.  It helps, of course, to use those mistakes as learning opportunities.  Say, for example, you make a choice to enter a profession or take a certain job only to discover that it’s a terrible fit.  Think back to your initial thinking and assumptions.  What do you understand now that you didn’t before?  Was the choice of what kind of work to go into wrong or was the specific situation you found yourself in wrong in its own unique ways? In retrospect, could you have defined or shaped your company, job or industry differently (to suit you)?  Were you somehow naïve in your assumptions going in?  What have you learned about yourself?  Our mistakes offer us rich data for the all-important self-knowledge picture if we’re willing to deconstruct them.

Linda:  What becomes possible when we focus on our strengths, needs and values?

Denslow:  Focusing on strengths allows you to contribute the best of yourself.  You simply feel better about who you are in the world when you operate out of your strengths.  You’re more likely to feel that your day went well.  You also are in a better position to be appreciated and compensated when you offer your strengths (your best) to a workplace, group or family (generally speaking).

Focusing on and meeting your needs (what you need in terms of basic survival and well-being) offers the emotional freedom that comes from a sense of security.  Ignoring your own needs is draining and upsetting which undermines health and healthy relationships. 

Focusing on your values (what you need to feel fulfilled) enriches life and gives it meaning.  When we live our values we feel we are who we were meant to be.  The person who values family spends time with family.  The person who values beauty makes art, works in the garden or decorates her home.

Linda:  Sometimes we lack clarity.  How do we identify what is most important?

Denslow:  Making time to develop broad self-knowledge is important.  Any really wonderful or challenging experience is worth reflection.  Talk it over with a friend, write or mind-map about it, or mull it over when walking or driving (safely, please). What does that experience tell you about who you are, what your strengths are and what you value and/or need?

Linda:  What has been your biggest personal challenge around creating a life that brought out the best of who you are?

Denslow:  My biggest challenge was learning to accommodate my late-diagnosed inattentive ADD which came to the forefront when I was in my late 30’s when I entered that long pre-menopausal period when hormone (specifically estrogen) support is less consistent for women.  Until then, my intelligence, cheerful nature, organizing skills and willingness to make some unconventional choices meant that my ADD symptoms weren’t as problematic or noticeable as they could have been.  For example, I was self-employed and a renter – and I’d chosen not to have children -- so my life seemed pretty manageable. 

But with a new home (which I designed and helped build over 6 years) and the lack of consistent hormone support, my ADD symptoms became really problematic.  I needed to identify my real priorities (values, needs), take better care of myself (sleep, yoga, scheduling), and then identify and hold my boundaries. 

These were big shifts and they happened over time.  To create my life that fits I needed to learn about ADD.  The support of an ADD coach was really important in helping me understand how ADD shows up in my life specifically.  There was a lot of humorous but negative self-talk which I had been pretty unaware of.  I learned to replace it with more positive and accurate statements.  I had no idea how those muttered comments could undermine my days. I also needed to learn to leverage my strengths more.  Like many others, I didn’t see all of my strengths, as they seemed natural to me.  That leveraging of strengths was huge.

Ten years later I again worked with a coach to redesign my organizing and coaching business.  This time we really looked at the whole picture: strengths, values, needs, roles, passions, goals and preferences, as well as limits and boundaries.  Through a process of elimination and experimentation I determined that teaching coaching skills to organizers was the next stage of life work for me.  I love to teach and I love organizers and the work they do in the world.  I passionately believe training in coaching and ADD are critical to the organizing industry, which I’ve long been devoted to.  I’m still self-employed so I have a lot of say about my “working conditions.” I have considerable administrative assistance.  I work with training partners, which helps my focus and provides back up.  All these choices are ADD supportive.  And because I train by phone I can live in the beautiful countryside with lots of land, privacy, animals and community. 

Recently my life partner had a terrible illness.  I wondered, as her unconscious body worked through the decision to live or die, whether we or I would want to stay in our home and life – and if I would want to continue my work.  Now that we are a year into her recovery, I am excited to realize that the life we’d created for ourselves and the work life I’d created for myself, still excited us.  The only change was a much deeper gratitude for a life that fits!

Thank you, Denslow for sharing both your life philosophy and personal journey with us. Your ideas and life are a testament to the fact that by searching for self-knowledge, enlisting the right kind of support, focusing on one’s strengths, passions, values, and needs, you truly can flourish and design a life that fits. I invite all of you to join Denslow and me as we continue the conversation. Which ideas resonate with you? 

Dr. Shannon Reece

Dr. Shannon Reece, Reece International LLCIt’s time again for the newest edition of our popular “Ask the Expert” feature on The Other Side of Organized blog.  We’ve enjoyed wonderful conversations about time management with Julie Morgenstern, clutter with Lorie Marrero, letting go with Geralin Thomas, next steps with Yota Schneider, and change with John Ryan. As we shift our focus this month, I’m excited to bring you the vibrant psychologist and peak performance coach, Dr. Shannon Reece to share her wisdom about motivation.

Shannon and I met through our social media channels about a year ago. Since then, I’ve become a huge fan of hers. She is an incredible social engager, and fabulous sharer of information and resources. I continue to learn from her about business, success, social media and more. My deepest gratitude and thanks goes to her for taking the time to join us. Before we begin, here’s more about Shannon.

Dr. Shannon Reece is a sport psychologist, peak performance expert, and former competitive athlete. She teaches women entrepreneurs and competitive athletes how to leverage their unique assets, and minimize their weaknesses to achieve peak performance. Her websites, educational products and speaking engagements are built around the fundamentals for success which include, putting yourself at the top of your list of highest priorities without guilt, transforming your fear from a liability into an asset, and understanding that being competitive is not about conforming to the status quo. You can connect with Shannon on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, blog, or website.

Linda:  You’re an expert on helping women entrepreneurs achieve business success. How does motivation relate to any type of success?

Shannon:  Without getting involved in the psychological theories on motivation, what I’ve found working with successful competitive athletes and entrepreneurs is that the core of their motivation most often flows from the desire to experience their fullest potential.

Elite performers are those who are never satisfied with good, but strive for greatness. They don’t envision limits to what they can do, but apply constant dedication and discipline to the development of their greatest strengths to see all that they can be. Many people rarely tap into the gifts with which they were born, being too afraid to see where they might lead. Success is available to everyone. It’s just a matter of pushing past the fear of the “what ifs” to see who you were meant to become. And the motivation to take that leap is often discovered when a person’s dissatisfaction with the status quo of life pushes them beyond the excuses they’ve allowed to hold them back.

Linda:  What are your favorite techniques for getting motivated?

Shannon:  I teach my clients that garbage in is garbage out. If you eat junk food, don’t rest your body, and fill your mind with completely worthless information you can’t expect to produce your best physically, mentally or emotionally. Getting motivated begins when you make the right choices to enrich your life. For me that means reading things that inspire the right thinking (books, powerful quotes, select newsletters and blog posts), reconnecting daily with my planned purpose (the big WHY I do what I do, and how my actions today get me a few steps closer to my dream), exercise (to get my blood flowing, sweat out toxins, and unlock my creativity), and getting enough rest (when you are exhausted, it’s hard to stay focused and productive).

Linda:  It can be challenging to stay motivated. What suggestions do you have if motivation diminishes?

Shannon:  When it comes to maintaining motivation day in and day out, you have to keep your eyes focused on the “prize” that is most meaningful for you. For every person this is something different. I challenge my clients to identify their 5 highest priorities – the values that are non-negotiable when it comes to their ideal life. When your daily goals are in alignment with your highest priorities, and you have created a map to keep you on track each week, there’s never a question about what needs to be done next. It’s much easier to maintain your motivation to push through even the toughest business to-dos when they are tied into everything that is important to you.

Linda:  Motivation can be internal, external, positive, or negative. Are there pros and cons for each?

Shannon:  Focusing on external rewards can lead to disappointment, because outcomes are not always within your direct control. For example, if you are waiting for a lot of sales to motivate you to take the next step in business, and the sales don’t meet your expectations, does that hold you back from focusing on other ways to grow your business? You can’t control who, when, and how people buy. But you can fine-tune the marketing process to give yourself the best opportunity to be successful.

The best kind of motivation is internal and positive. Your motivation needs to start inside and be directly tied to your dreams and your highest priorities. The impetus for ongoing motivation can’t always rest on results, but should focus on the value of the process. There is reward in failure as much as there is in success, and sometimes more. Therefore the ups and downs you experience in the process, the growing pains, and the victories should be examined for the value that lies within. I challenge clients to always look for the silver lining, even in the darkest hours. An opportunistic mindset focused on the process enables you to see what the reactive, outcome-focused business owner cannot, thus putting you ahead of the pack in your niche.

Linda:  What has been your biggest personal motivation challenge?

Shannon:  The biggest motivational challenge I’ve faced in business has been establishing the right habits and systems, in the right places to reduce the daily load of working in my business, freeing me up to work on the growth of my business. As a one-woman-show, running a business can be overwhelming at times. The more you can create systems to streamline everything you touch, and discipline yourself by developing the right habits in your daily activities, the greater freedom and joy you will experience in the work you do. Your greatness doesn’t lie in the mundane tasks, but in the higher-level thinking that changes the world one life at a time. The sooner you can shift your mindset and operating style to match that challenge, the more you will be motivated to see just how high you can soar.

Thank you, Shannon for your unique perspective and strategies about motivation. Your “garbage in is garbage out” concept resonates with me. This idea emphasizes how the right environment affects our ability to stay motivated and achieve success. Another concept that I love is your idea that ongoing motivation is most successful when it focuses on the value of the process, rather than only on the results.

I invite all of you to join Shannon and me as we continue the conversation. What are your motivation successes or challenges?

You are moving forward on your organizing challenges. You’re at the point where you want to enlist the help of a professional organizer. There are thousands of organizers in the world and each is as unique as the clients they serve. With so many choices, how do you find an organizer that’s right for you? By considering some of these questions, you can find a good fit.

6 Tips for Hiring a PO . . .

1. Assessment – Clarifying your needs will help you find which organizer is right for you.

• What kind of organizing help do you need? There is a wide-range of organizing specialties. Some organizers specialize in residential or business organizing. Some organize papers while others orchestrate moves. Some organizers are generalists while others specialize in working with the organizationally challenged.

• Do you need assistance with a single, short-term project such as organizing a closet or do you need help with a more complex long-term project including ongoing support such as organizing an entire household?

• Has organizing always been a challenge for you? If so, consider hiring an organizer that specializes in working with chronically disorganized clients.

• Do you have the time and financial resources to invest in your organizing goals?

2. Contact – Initial conversations can be indicators for the future success of your relationship.

• Did you find the organizer through a referral, ad, professional association, article or Internet search?

• When you first communicated with the organizer, were they responsive?

• Did they answer all your questions?

• Did they understand your unique challenges and organizing goals?

• Would you enjoy working with them?

3. Availability – Even though organizing is a service industry geared towards our clients, individual organizing companies are structured differently.

• Are your schedules compatible?

• Can the organizer accommodate your needs?

• Do you want to work with the organizer evenings or weekends? If so, is the organizer available then or do they only work during the weekdays?

4. Research – Exploring further will enable you to make a more informed decision.

• Did you interview more than one organizer? Organizers have different personalities, business practices and methodologies, so it might be beneficial to contact several organizers to compare differences.

• Did you ask the organizer for references? If so, consider the type of work the organizer did with those clients (was it similar to your needs) and the longevity of the relationship. What insights did the client share?

• Does the organizer have a website? If so, did you review it to learn more about them and their business? What impressions did you have?

5. Intuition – Let your insights help guide you.

• What does your inner voice tell you about the organizer?

• Were you able to easily communicate with them?

• Did you feel hopeful or hopeless after talking with them?

6. Education & Experience – The level of the organizer’s education and experience can have an effect on your organizing success.

• What type of special education or training does the organizer have?

• How long have they been in business as an organizer?

• Do they continue to educate themselves on organizing issues and trends?

• Do they have resources such as other professionals, publications or products that they will share with you?

• Do they belong to any professional organizing associations such as ICD, NAPO, POC, JALO, or NBPO? The more involved the organizer is with their industry, the more value they can offer to the client.

Like you, organizers want the relationship to be successful. If they are not well suited for you, they should be able to refer you to another organizer that can better meet your needs.

Are there any other questions that are important to consider? How did you find your organizer?