Enjoy the latest release (v53) of the “What’s Interesting?” series, which features my most recent finds that inspire, spark curiosity, and connect to organizing and life balance. These unique, fresh start discoveries reflect this month’s blog theme.

You are an engaged, vibrant, and generous group. I am deeply grateful for your ongoing presence, positive energy, and contributions to this community.

I look forward to your participation and further contributions to the collection I curated.

What do you find interesting?

What’s Interesting? – 5 Best Fresh Start Discoveries

1. Interesting Read – Fresh Start Goals

Bigger isn’t always better. Yet if you want to strive for an audacious goal this year, Dan Sullivan, coach and author of Who Not How – The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork, has a way to get there.

This philosophy hinges on changing the questions you ask. Stop asking, “How can I do this?” Forget working in isolation and doing everything yourself. Instead, Sullivan teaches you to ask, “Who can do this for me?”

He advocates focusing on the “whos in your life that give you the perspectives, resources, and ability to go beyond what you could do alone.” Replace “How can I accomplish this?” with “Who can help me achieve this?”

If you’re feeling frustrated and stuck, it could be the ideal time to build your ‘who’ team.

2. Interesting Experience – Fresh Start ‘Party’

Do you have any “boring tasks” you’re procrastinating on? If so, you are not alone. Thanks to one of my clients, I learned about a Business Insider article that describes a new trend offering a fun solution to this challenge.

Instead of staying stuck and alone while trying to get things done, consider hosting an “admin night” party, as Business Insider editor Tess Martinelli did. She invited her friends over to work on their to-do lists or anything that was causing mind clutter, while also having time to socialize.

She kept things casual and as “low effort” as possible. While there were few rules, Marinelli set several parameters to help make the evening flow better, including:

• Dress comfortably.

• Bring your own snacks.
  Provide a beverage (optional).

• Give some structure, such as working for 30 minutes and socializing or resting for 10 minutes. Repeat that cycle two or three times.

• After each “round,” talk about what you accomplished.

3. Interesting Article – Fresh Start Decluttering

One of the top ten New Year’s resolutions is to be more organized. An essential part of getting organized is decluttering. This involves letting go of:

• things that have overstayed their welcome

• no longer support your current reality, or

• don’t want or need.

In The Washington Post article “How to reduce visual clutter for a calmer, more functional home,” the case is made for how taxing visual clutter can be on the brain. My clients often describe their clutter (physical or visual) as paralyzing or overwhelming their thoughts and actions.

Corey Pence from The Container Store defines visual clutter as an “overwhelming or excessive amount of visual elements in a space that make it difficult to focus on important information or executing tasks.” Clutter can also make it hard to feel calm and relaxed. Imagine a bedroom with clothing piled everywhere, or a living room with books, toys, and dishes strewn about.

The article suggests many ways to eliminate visual clutter, such as:

• choosing furniture that encloses objects, such as a nightstand with a drawer instead of an open shelf

• editing routinely

• designating a home for objects

• using coordinated bins on open shelves

• carefully curating decorative objects, with an emphasis on having fewer

For a great fresh start, declutter until you find that sweet spot for the level of visual clutter your brain can handle.

4. Interesting Product – Fresh Start Planning

My go-to source for paper pads is Levenger. Their designs are streamlined, and the paper is smooth and easy to write on. If you’re looking for a new way to capture and prioritize your thoughts, check out Levenger’s Think and Plan Priority Manager Pad.

The pad comes in two sizes with two columns and four sections. The left column is great for brainstorming and list-making. It includes:

• A ruled checklist

The right column is for prioritizing tasks using the Eisenhower method. It has three boxed sections for tasks:

• Urgent and important

• Urgent and not important

• Important and not urgent

Download your brain, sort your to-dos, and give yourself an organized way to focus on your new beginning.

“For a great fresh start, declutter until you find that sweet spot for the level of visual clutter your brain can handle.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

5. Interesting Thought – Fresh Start Magic

There’s something magical about fresh starts and new beginnings. You might feel hopeful, curious, excited, eager, joyful, empowered, or inspired. However, I’ve heard from many people recently that they’re having a very different experience. With the fresh start of the new year, they’re feeling anxious, apprehensive, pressured, disoriented, overwhelmed, or stuck.

Believe me, I get it. I’ve felt all of these ways at different points. On the one hand, I embrace and love a clean slate. It’s an opportunity for a reset and reimagining. Some years, like this past year, I just wasn’t ready to do ‘new.’ Instead, I was in the thick of finishing projects from the year, which overlapped with the time I typically review and plan.

Wherever you are right now, consider these possibilities:

• If you’re ready, let the wonder of a new year help you move forward.

• If you’re not ready, be gentle with yourself and ease the pressure to make big new plans for now.

Stay open to activating a fresh start (and its magical powers) at any time: a new day, month, or season.

The Fresh Start Advantage

There’s still time to make this first month of the new year work for you. Lean into the energy and newness of this season. Use the clean slate to your advantage.

Which of these discoveries resonates most with you? Which would you like to add? I’d love to hear your thoughts and invite you to join the conversation.

How Can I Help?

Do you feel overwhelmed, stuck, or disorganized? I’m here to help. Virtual organizing is an extraordinary path forward – Local feel with a global reach.

Let’s talk. I’m easy to reach.

• Schedule a Discovery Call

• Fill out the Contact form

• Email me at linda@ohsorganized.com or

• Call 914-271-5673

Getting organized is possible, especially with a fresh start and compassionate support.

The start of a new year can feel hopeful. It’s a chance to try new things, set your goals, adopt healthier habits, and lean into the fresh-start energy the new year brings.

Unlike the end of the year, when you might have been working furiously to complete those last few projects or tasks, January feels different. It’s like a blank journal. There are no entries yet, only possibilities. The story has time to unfold and be written.

Here are some questions to consider as you write your story:

• What will your pages include?

• Do you foresee challenges?

• Are you picturing successes?

• What are you looking forward to?

• What do you want to invite in?  

• What do you want to let go of?

• What projects, plans, travel, or gatherings will be included?

• Will your year bring growth, stability, change, or something else?

Fresh Starts

I’m still working through my year-long planning process, which has evolved over time. Some years it has been more involved than others. Last year, my plan was almost non-existent. I was under a tight deadline from the end of December into January. The project completion overlapped with the time I typically use to review and plan. By the time I came up for air, I opted to forgo the ‘planning gymnastics’ I usually do and simply let go. Instead of intensive reviewing and future-thinking, I let the days flow.

This year, however, I returned to reviewing and planning because I missed doing it. I’m taking note of the more casual process from last year and layering it over this one. I don’t want to make the planning process burdensome or too elaborate, as it has felt in the past.

I’m gifting myself time to review and prepare at a non-pressured pace. The process involves several tasks, which include:

• Review Last Year’s Calendar – This section is complete. I noted workshops given, major projects, day trips and vacations, gatherings hosted, conferences and meetings, learning experiences, volunteer activities, and time with family, friends, and clients.

  What I observed: There was a good balance between work, play, and volunteering, alone and people time, and home and away time.

• Revisit Previous Planning Tools – Already completed. I reviewed my goals and planning materials from past years. It was fun to see what information I captured, whether it was helpful, what goals I set, and which goals were relevant to bring forward. One thing I definitely want for this year is to simplify my process.

  What I observed: There is value in reviewing and capturing those observations in a visual format. It’s also useful to change things up so the process doesn’t feel stale.

• Look at iPhone Photos – With a few projects I worked on at the end of last year, I already did a quick pass through the photo library. However, I want to take a longer look so I can “feel” and understand the year visually.

  What I observed: I love taking photos, as evidenced by the volume of images and videos I have taken. These images capture the sights and sounds of nature, people, places, and events. They also feature saturated color, light, shadow, and many close-up details.

• Read Journal – Reread last year’s entries to identify patterns, significant events, lessons learned, challenges, successes, and the general mood or feeling for the year.

• Three Things Reflection – Fill out the questions adapted from The Compass Journal. This is one of the tools I’ve used for years and didn’t do last year. I missed it, so I’m working through it again this year. I’m partly done, but I want to read my journal first to help me complete this exercise.
  
  

• Select Word or Motto of the Year – This is another exercise I let go of last year. I opted not to choose a word and settled on a motto only. I liked the 2024 motto, “You got this,” so much that I repeated it for 2025. However, for 2026, I want something new. I compiled a list of potential words and motto options. Nothing is quite right yet, so I’ll let those simmer a while longer before I commit. I’m still uncertain whether I’ll choose a word and a motto, or just one.

“Lean into the fresh-start energy the new year brings.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

Young Blooms

Recently, I received a lovely gift—a jar with a hyacinth bulb in water. My friend told me it would thrive indoors as long as I gave it sun and kept it watered. Weeks passed, and finally the milky-white blooms began to open.

It felt quite magical. One day, they were invisible, and the next, they were in full view. Since then, I’ve been enjoying their perfumey fragrance and the unfolding of more blooms.

What a beautiful analogy for this new year. Tend to your garden. Water it. Give it the nourishment it needs. Your blooms will arrive, bringing wonder, joy, and growth.

Welcome Perspectives

One value of embracing a clean slate is the openness it brings. Instead of superimposing your familiar thought patterns, habits, or conventions on the clutter, you have an opportunity to see things in a new way. The vastness gives us space for a different perspective.

Especially if you’ve been feeling stuck or overwhelmed, having space to see things in a new way is helpful. You can sort things out on your own or ask a trusted source for help.

Several weeks ago, Todd Henry posed this question, which I thought could be helpful for you. He asked,

“What problem are you wrestling with solo that would benefit from outside input or perspective this week?”

Design the year you envision. And if you’re stuck, reach out for help. You don’t have to go this alone.

What Will Your New Year Be Like?

There are many ways to make the most of the new year. I shared a few ways to craft your year. Do any of these resonate with you? What is your process for designing your year? Are you doing anything differently this year?

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

How Can I Help?

Do you feel overwhelmed, disorganized, or stressed? Would you like to make changes this year? I’m here to help! Virtual organizing is an extraordinary path forward – Local feel with a global reach.

Let’s connect! I’m easy to reach.

• Schedule a Discovery Call

• Fill out the Contact form

• Email me at linda@ohsorganized.com or

• Call 914-271-5673

Getting organized and making changes are possible, especially with support.

Artwork by Jean-Michel Basquiat from Luna Luna exhibit

What is it about the complications of a fresh start? You might put extra pressure on yourself regarding how to fully embrace, in a certain way, the clean slate that a new month or year offers.

Perhaps you’re waiting for all the planets to align so you can begin again in a particular, “perfect” way. Maybe you feel overwhelmed sorting through endless possibilities, have difficulty making decisions, or fear you won’t do things “correctly.”

Guess what? Perfect isn’t necessary. Instead, consider what becomes possible when you lean into an imperfect, fresh start.

Why Imperfection?

Oliver Burkeman, a bestselling author and columnist, publishes “The Imperfectionist,” a newsletter that explores “productivity, mortality, the power of limits, and building a meaningful life in an age of bewilderment.”

In last month’s newsletter, Burkeman described himself as “prone to overthinking, borne of a perfectionistic desire to do things right, or in the right order, or in the right way, which erects a barrier between an idea and its natural expression in present-moment action.”

The “Ultra-Simple” Approach

Burkeman went on to share a favorite productivity strategy. This technique helps bypass perfectionistic tendencies and encourages bold, imperfect action.

His instructions are:

• “Get a lined notebook.

• Write one task on the first line of a page.

• Complete that task.

• Draw a line through it.

• Then write a new task on the next line – and repeat.

• There’s no messing around here. You think about what to do, and then do it.”

“What action could you simply decide not to hinder today?”

— Oliver Burkeman

Your Imperfect, Fresh Start

I love the “no messing around here” part. Instead of stressing, questioning, and delaying, the idea is to get out of your way and do something. Don’t make a big deal about the fresh start or allow perfectionism to derail you.

Go for it! Do one small thing, cross it off, and repeat.

Burkeman asks two inspiring questions:

• “What’s something you could do, right away…merely by stepping gracefully out of the way, with all your usual overcomplicating nonsense, and letting action happen?”

• “What action could you simply decide not to hinder today?”

How can you simplify your fresh start? What can you do right now? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

How Can I Help?

Do you want support organizing, planning, or making the most of this new year? I’d love to help! Virtual organizing is an extraordinary path forward – A local feel with a global reach.

Please schedule a Discovery Call, email me at linda@ohsorganized.com, or call 914-271-5673. Change is possible, especially with support.

We are still at the beginning of the New Year, yet we can embrace a fresh start at any time. You can begin again any moment, minute, hour, day, month, season, or year. Your attitude about ‘new’ can determine an optimistic or pessimistic start. 

While I feel incredibly energized in January, I also regularly experience a positive anticipatory sense at the beginning of each day. Most mornings when I wake, I am energized by the clean slate and promise a new day brings with its plans, surprises, and quiet moments that will unfold. 

To understand other views, I was curious what my thoughtful colleagues’ perspectives were about fresh starts and new beginnings. I reached out to this generous group – Al Bingham, Felice Cohen, Juliet Landau-Pope, Christine Li, and Yota Schneider. I asked them to respond to and elaborate on this prompt-

How do you make the most of a fresh start?

Their diverse responses include having no expectations to delving deeply. My deepest gratitude goes to this inspiring group for sharing their time, hearts, and wisdom with us.

5 Best Ideas to Help You Make a Promising Fresh Start

1. Remain Open

“I make the most of a fresh start by trying to have ZERO assumptions about what is going to happen. That way, I remain open to what might be and not wound up by what I might expect to happen when I often have no idea what might actually happen. When I have no assumptions or expectations going in, I can enjoy the process and the eventual outcome without having them mean anything negative about me — and that is a wonderful thing.” 

Christine Li, Ph.D. – Procrastination Coach, Clinical Psychologist, Make Time for Success podcast Host

 2. Stay Focused

“I think of every day as a fresh start, a new beginning, a new chance to get things done. To help make the day productive, each day starts with a clean To-Do list. A list offers steps to follow, guides you toward a goal, and keeps you on target to avoid falling down a TikTok rabbit hole. (Use TikTok as a reward for finishing a task on the list.) Every task completed, whether easy or time-consuming, motivates you toward completing another. Then another. Remember, you don’t have to get it all done today; there’s always tomorrow.”

Felice Cohen – Author, Speaker, Professional Organizer

3. Be Present

“Faced with a fresh challenge, it’s tempting to look back, reviewing previous efforts and setbacks. Or perhaps to project into the future, speculating on possible outcomes. While there’s much to be learned from looking back and forward, both drive you into your head, fuelling fears and fantasies rather than forward into action. No wonder over-thinking is a common cause of procrastination. If you aim to boost motivation, adopt a more mindful approach to your present situation. Focus on what matters most, right here, right now. Then identify the very first step and take the leap.”

Juliet Landau-Pope MA, PG Cert AP, CPCC, FRSA – Productivity Coach, Virtual Organizer

“We are still at the beginning of a New Year, yet we can embrace a fresh start at any time.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

 4. Manifest Attention

“During the big reveal on makeover shows, the heroes don’t endlessly harp on how lousy things were before. Instead, there are tears of joy, wonder, gratitude, and love for the fresh start they’re receiving. Discomfort and dismay may provide sparks that light the desire for change, but they're a lousy fuel source for enacting it. A fresh start involves three primal actions: bringing something forward, organizing it, and releasing something. Each needs careful attention. Love, wonder, and gratitude helps keep things roaring. When these ‘ends’ inform your ‘means,’ your awareness remains open to finding novel paths forward during the refresh process!” 

Al Bingham, e-RYT500, YACEP, FAFS – Yoga Teacher, Author

 5. Nurture Reflection

"At the threshold of a new beginning, it is important to stay open, curious, and honest. If I don’t want old patterns repeating themselves, I have to decide what to leave behind and how to show up. I love taking long walks and drives and having intimate conversations with myself. I reflect on what I love about this fresh start. Then I ask, what are my fears? What habits, behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes could undermine me? Am I ready to let them go? What’s next? As answers and insights bubble up, I grow more confident, clear, and excited about the journey ahead."

Yota Schneider – Life Coach, Retreat Facilitator, Blogger

While January is almost over, there will be more opportunities for fresh starts. What helps you make the most of a fresh start? Are there specific periods you are more energized than others? Which ideas resonate most with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.