Clutter has many sources. It can be internal, such as in mind clutter, or external, like physical things or spaces. Clutter can also appear in your schedule. Believe it or not, it’s beneficial when you’re bothered and stressed by clutter. Why? You’re at a tipping point, which means you’re more likely to make a positive change.

In last week’s blog, I shared my latest clutter discoveries. In the comments, one of my wonderful friends and colleagues, Seana Turner, mentioned an idea from The Happiness of Subtraction episode on The Happiness Lab podcast hosted by Dr. Laurie Santos. I was intrigued, so I listened to the podcast, which inspired this post.

In the episode, Laurie talked with Tim Harford, author of Messy, about the value of subtraction and how it can enhance one's life. He noted that often, people tend to add more instead of taking things away. Does this sound familiar?

• You take on one more commitment you don’t have time for.

• You purchase more pants and shirts and stuff them into a closet overflowing with clothes.

• You fill your vacation itinerary with so many places to visit that you’re too exhausted to enjoy the trip.

• You go to another tag sale and bring home “bargains” you don’t have space for and will never use.

• You enroll your kids in so many extracurricular activities that they feel overwhelmed and anxious without downtime.

The Big Clutter Question

During the podcast, Laurie asked a thought-provoking question:

“If forced to take one thing away, what would it be?”

I’ve been mulling this over for a few days. Except for the word “forced,” I love the question. It asks you to look directly at the extras in your life.

• What is putting you over the edge?

• What ‘one thing’ can be released?

• What ‘one thing’ no longer belongs?

• What can go?

You are the decision-maker. No one is forcing you. Instead, view this as an opportunity. This is your opening to make a change. Release the things holding you back.

“Opportunity Cost”

Tim talked about how something has an “opportunity cost.” For example, “…everything you say yes to is getting in the way of something else.” The idea is to subtract as much as possible to make space for the “good stuff.”

• What are you “over-subscribed” to?

• What can you remove from your schedule?

• How does saying no make space for saying yes to what you value most?

• What could you be doing if you subtracted something else?

“Subtraction lets you create space for what you treasure most.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

“Yes-Damn” Effect

Laurie discussed the familiar “yes-damn” effect from Hal Hershfield’s book Your Future Self about our time biases. This has probably happened to you before. Laurie said you get asked:

• “Hey, do you wanna do this presentation?

• Or Hey, do you wanna go to this kind of not very interesting dinner party?

• Or Hey, do you wanna sign up for something in your schedule and you feel kind of bad?

• So you’re like, yes.

• Then weeks later, that project or that dinner party comes up and that’s where you say, damn.”

You said yes to something, and time passed. When you see it on your schedule, you regret the yes and are annoyed at yourself.

“No-Yay” Effect

Laurie prefers and uses a different strategy. Through “periodic reminders,” the “no-yay” effect reinforces the reward of saying no.

She shares this example. Let’s say someone asks you if you want to do a specific project, and you know the due date. You know you don’t want to do it, so you say no.

You could leave it there, at your no. Instead, you take it one step further. On the project’s due date, you write on your calendar, “Hey Laura, you didn’t have to do the project this day.”

Time elapses. You arrive at that future due date, see your note, and recognize how much harder things would have been if you had committed to doing that project. “And then you have the experience of the yay.”

Clutter shows up in our minds, schedules, and homes. Feeling bothered is a positive because it’s your cue for change. Subtraction lets you create space for what you treasure most.

What are you ready to subtract? If you need help making a plan or decluttering, reach out anytime. Please email me, Linda, at linda@ohsorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or schedule a Discovery Call. Decluttering is possible, especially with support.

Have you ever ignored the signs that it’s time to make a change? Then something significant happens. What was invisible moments ago becomes something you can no longer ignore. You might wonder, “How did I not see this before?”

It’s often the case that we conveniently ignore the signs. Why is that? Change can be scary. Its pursuit can require you to do uncomfortable things, like creating new habits or stepping outside your expertise or comfort zone. Instead of embracing change as a positive, proactive choice, we meet it with hesitation or fear.

Recently, I had an experience that made me think, “How did I not see this before?” I was going about my morning routine. I just applied my face moisturizer, looked in the makeup mirror, and was about to tweeze my eyebrows. Then I saw it. In the middle of my forehead, sticking out, was one long, white coarse hair. What? It wasn’t there yesterday or the day before. Did it grow overnight? How did that happen? Or had it been there for days, and I hadn’t noticed it? Well, I saw it that morning and quickly plucked it out.

Are you wondering how this relates to change? Once I saw the hair, I couldn’t unsee it, and I felt compelled to do something. Yes. Pulling it out was making a change of sorts. While my story might seem silly, it highlights how awareness drives change.

Are these scenarios more familiar?

• Papers are piling up on the coffee table. You walk by them every day without giving them much thought. One evening, you wonder how the piles got so big. You can no longer pass them by, so you edit, let go and regain your surface. Your awareness drove change.
  

• Clothes are overflowing in your closet. You navigate each morning irritably as you get dressed. One day, you recognize how much stress this causes you. You can no longer ignore it, so you edit and organize, which creates a smoother morning routine. Your awareness drove change.
  

• Your computer is slow. It crashes, takes time to respond, and doesn’t function well. Each day you continue to work with a slow, unpredictable computer. At a point, you recognize this isn’t a tolerable way forward. You spend countless hours with tech support, hire a tech person for more help, and ultimately purchase a new computer because your hard drive is failing. Why did you ignore the signs for so long? Finally, awareness drove change. If you’re curious, that was me and I love my new computer.

“Awareness drives change.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

The other side of change is a wonderful place to be. But getting there can be slow when we ignore the cues. Once you ‘see’ and acknowledge the challenge, your mind creates space for finding solutions and taking action. While the initial noticing and awareness can be painful, as in “How did I not see this before?” don’t let that derail what happens next. Use your awareness as the impetus to embrace change. Once you see clearly, you have an opportunity for improvement.

Have you ever experienced a sudden awareness of a challenge that helped you make a change? Or do you have the understanding but are stuck moving forward? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

When you think of mindfulness, what are your thoughts? Do you think about the formal practice of mindfulness meditation? Are you conjuring up images of breathing slowly or being still? Do you think about mindfulness as being present and aware of something like slowly sipping a hot cup of tea or watching the fall leaves gracefully float to the ground? There are formal mindfulness meditation practices and informal ways to incorporate living mindfully.

For today, I’m going to focus on the mindfully living aspect. I recently discussed the joy stretch with one of my organizing clients. This ‘stretch’ extends the experience of joy-filled moments through mindful awareness. Most mindfulness definitions include present or presence. However, the joy stretch consists of the past, present, and future. You bring conscious awareness to positive thoughts about the future, delightful experiences in the present, and happy memories from the past.

The joy stretch can be used in many ways. This summer, we had a few mini-vacations. Before each one, I engaged in future-thinking about the fun things we would do and the places we would visit. During the vacations, I stayed present to enjoy what I was experiencing, seeing, exploring, and feeling. In this post-vacation time, I appreciate thinking about the happy times we had while away. I read my journal, look at photos, or talk about our travels with my husband, family, or friends. All of these things increase my joy in the present moment.

Without mindfulness, I would be going through the motions of life and not necessarily stopping to appreciate and capture my pleasurable experiences. Extend happiness beyond a particular time or event by activating the joy stretch.

“Activate the ‘joy stretch’ for a happier past, present, and future.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

Use the joy stretch for all life experiences, including organizing. Let’s say you want to organize your clothing closet to prepare for the cooler seasons. Instead of leaning into a place of overwhelm or stress, envision what it will look and feel like when you’re done. Imagine what it will be like after you edit the clothing that no longer fits, you never wear, and are taking up time, space, and energy. Bask in those positive images of your future closet. Feel that joy, calm, satisfaction, and spaciousness.

As you organize your closet in the present, remind yourself that you ‘get to do this.’ It’s not a have-to or should-do but a get-to. Appreciate your ability to ask questions and make decisions. Will you decide to donate, recycle, or keep that pair of pants you bought on sale but never wear? Feel the joy in the moment of doing, improving, and progressing.

You’re on the other side now. You completed your closet organizing project. Only those clothes you love, fit, and are seasonally appropriate are accessible. There is space for your clothes to breathe and room for you to move around. You find yourself ‘visiting’ the closet a few extra times a day to admire your work and how it looks. The project is done, but the joy continues to be experienced way beyond completion.

Life isn’t always joy-filled or happy. There will be dark times and days. As a counterbalance, creating as much joy as possible is essential. Mindfully activate your joy stretch with positive thoughts about a future experience, happy moments in the present, and reflections on joy-filled times in the past.

Have you used mindful awareness to do a joy stretch? What joyful experiences are you looking forward, currently experiencing, or recently happened? What role has mindfulness played? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

The latest installment (v12) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my newest discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring possibility thinking-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You’re a wonderfully engaged group. I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced for you. What do you find interesting?

What’s Interesting? . . .

1. Interesting Read – Productivity Possibilities

How does productivity works? Why are some people and companies more productive than others? Why do some imagine and actualize possibilities and while others struggle? Charles Duhigg, Pulitzer Prize-winning author explores these questions in his latest book, Smarter Faster Better– The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business. The book is “about how to recognize the choices that fuel true productivity” and “…how to succeed with less effort.” He explores eight concepts including motivation, goal setting, and decision making that emerged from studying experiences of highly productive people and the latest research in neuroscience, psychology and behavioral economics. Dughigg says, “…productivity is about making certain choices in certain ways. The way we choose to see ourselves and frame daily decisions; the stories we tell ourselves, and the easy goals we ignore; the sense of community we build among teammates; the creative cultures we establish as leaders: These are the things that separate the merely busy from the genuinely productive.”

2. Interesting Perspective - Organized Possibilities

While many believe that there is a “right” way or just “one” way to be organized, let’s dispel that myth right now. It’s just not true. We are different.  We have diverse needs and preferences. For organizing strategies to be effective and useful they have to reflect our uniqueness. So while I might prefer to have my clothes hanging in my closet, facing the same direction on matching hangers, by clothing type and in color order, you might prefer piling your clothes on the big comfy chair in the corner of your bedroom. And you know what? If “chairdrobe” works for you, go for it! Being organized looks and feels differently to each of us. What possibilities can you imagine when you take should out of the organizing equation?

3. Interesting Research - Feel Good Possibilities

Have you noticed that in the digital age we tend to use our fingers or voices to type, text and communicate? We write by hand much less. While there’s speed and efficiency when we use our digital devices, we might be missing out on a few things. Research suggests that writing by hand not only helps the brain to remember more, but can make you feel good too. Neuroscientist and author, Kelly Lambert, Ph.D., says, “The brain’s reward center is connected to one of the movement centers…so one way to activate pleasure is through physical effort.” Next time you need a boost, pick up a pen and activate the possibilities.

4. Interesting Product – Time Possibilities

A favorite product that I’ve featured many times is the Time Timer®, a simple time management tool designed to display time elapsing with the movement of a red disk on the timer’s face. The company just developed a new accessory, a dry erase board that integrates beautifully with the timer to highlight time-sensitive messages and appointments. This wonderful combo enhances the possibilities for managing our time more effectively.

5. Interesting Thought - Unleashing Possibilities

Are you having challenges moving forward, pursuing a new idea, or accomplishing a goal? Have you considered the power of your thoughts? What messages are you telling yourself? Are your thoughts enhancing or hindering your possibilities? As the graphic here asks so clearly, “What’s stopping you?” Focus on positive thoughts and unleash amazing possibilities.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What are your interesting finds? Which possibilities resonate with you?  You matter. Come join the conversation!